We’ve heard about Oh Joy Sex Toy quite a few times from our readers, and now we have a great guest review from Reader Suzanne. Suzanne grew up on a farm in Vermont and has used books to explore the world since words started to make sense. Now, thanks to two children, she reads lots of picture books and middle grade fiction in addition to tons of fantasy and romance. When not reading or raising two young valkyries, she is editing all the spreadsheets in preparation for opening an indie bookstore. She reads paranormal (still, yes), historical, contemporary and fantasy romance and has recently converted her husband to romance readership.

Be warned that this review is quite NSFW!

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If you’ve enjoyed Amanda’s sex toy gift guide or Elyse’s cat Dewey’s cock ring escapades, you should probably check out Oh Joy Sex Toy. OJST is a hilarious webcomic the covers sex toys (obviously), sexuality, the sex industry, birth control… you name it. It’s all very sex-positive, and the drawings are both subversive and somehow cute. Who would have thought cartoon dildos could be straight up adorable? Erika Moen, apparently.

From the site:

Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan’s widely acclaimed Oh Joy Sex Toy (OJST) is a free weekly sex education webcomic that debuted April 2013 and updates every Tuesday.

It covers everything sex related from, sexuality and the sex industry, to toys, workshops, birth control and much more. With the aid of guest contributors giving us us many perspectives as possible, we strive to be relevant to a wide variety of genders, body types, and sexualities.

Now, before I link you to the site, a warning: like most webcomics, a good portion of their funding comes from ads on the site. Since it’s a sex toy comic, some of the ads are porn. I’m not a big fan of actual porn. Cartoon stuff? Bring it on. But otherwise, I like my sexy people to be imaginary, instead of real and banging in the margins of my web browser. Your mileage may vary. So, you have two options: either turn on an adblocker (which makes it harder for OJST’s writers to keep earning a living) or… buy the compiled comic in book format! Okay, now go look at the site.

As of this writing, there are three finished volumes of Oh Joy Sex Toy available in both print and ebook. I’ve bought the ebook versions because a) they’re less expensive and b) I can secretly read on my iPad without small children happening upon the books. Another advantage of buying the compiled books is access to fun bonus content! Each volume has some stuff that even dedicated readers of the webcomic will find to be of value.

What will you find within the pages of these books, you ask? A few examples:

• An interview with a porn actor in which she answers reader questions
• A comic about emergency contraception, with some sassy ovaries
• Reviews of Erika’s favorite vibrator and dildo of all time: why you might like them, why you might not, and how to personalize your experience
• Several reviews of things like lube, menstrual cups, and IUDs
• Reviews of various items for men, including but not limited to cock extenders, sheaths, masturbation sleeves, cock rings…and more
• Discussions of asexuality, polyamory, gender fluidity, and kink
• Reviews of items they received, tried, and liked
• Reviews of items they received, tried, and didn’t like

Erika even did a review of a book you might recognize from Emily’s podcast with Sarah! Emily Nagoski is a friend of Erika’s and wrote the intro for the first volume.

Whether you choose to read Oh Joy Sex Toy as books or online, you’ll be entertained. This isn’t a comic meant to titillate, but it’s funny and kind and smart. They started it up in 2013, but dang I wish it had been around when I was 19 and trying to figure out the confusing world of sex and bodies and relationships.

If you visit the site, you can search for reviews based on category, you can see guest interviews, and you can read every strip they’ve published for the last 3+ years. If you’re in the market for a new toy, stop here first. If you want something sex-positive to watch or read (that isn’t a romance novel), stop here first. If you want to open up a dialogue with your partner about your sex life, send them here. I cannot recommend this comic enough.

Rating: A, for all the reasons above

AND I just read that they’ve got a coloring book releasing on February 8th! It’s totally NSFW, but if you fancy coloring in some naked folks getting busy, check it out.

If you like Oh Joy Sex Toy, check out Erika’s autobiographical comic DAR!, which I found to be funny, moving, and informative in a slice-of-life way. When I first started reading Erika’s work, I was in college and strongly identified with her story of self-discovery and general “what-the-fuck-am-I-doing” state. She identified as a lesbian at the beginning of the strip, and reading about the slow and confusing evolution of her relationship with her now husband was sweet and, in my opinion, something the romance community might really dig.