14 of the Best Travel Comics to Escape Winter

Burma (also known as Myanmar) is HOT! It’s beautiful but it is seriously a very warm climate. It is the kind of place you can slowly wander around and explore, so long as you have the time. And Guy Delisle definitely had the time. Burma Chronicles is a series of cartoon vignettes shared by Delisle after his wife is relocated to Burma for work. Delisle takes on the role of house-husband with their young son, and slowly adjusts to the difference in climate, lifestyle, and his new role in life. 

Don’t get too excited: Venice at this time of year is cold. But that doesn’t stop you from dreaming of being there in the spring! The breathtaking watercolour and pencils make this one of the most breathtaking comics to escape winter. Casarosa was an Italian American storyboard artist with Pixar, having recently worked on Luca and La Luna. It’s the same dream-like artwork featured in this book, as he uses the canals of Venice like the main character. 

If the seasons remind you of emotions, then this is the book for you. Thapp has used the six-season calendar of some South Asian countries to show just how attuned we can be to the environment around us. She shares a visual journey through one year of emotions, where moods change as quickly as the weather (e.g. monsoons. Nuff said). Thapp has taken on the challenge of depicting feelings with symbolism and colours in ways that are so relatable. This book is not intended to make you feel better but it will help you feel seen and definitely not alone. It is such a great depiction of South Asia’s climate, you can easily add this to your comics to escape winter.

This one is a pleasant surprise. Rin Takanashi is the main character, summoned to another world as a saint. However, her special skill is…survival. It is of no use to the royal family! However, it is perfect for Rin — she can travel the world, explore the outdoors and do her own thing, without any concern of whether she will survive. Rin doesn’t have to care about the big problems! What a truly amazing escape that would be! The series started in September 2020 and is ongoing. However, word of advice: There is a lot of foodie-lover goodness in this story. Eat before you read. 

Priyanka’s mother escaped India, but Priyanka has no idea why. As a second generation Indian girl, Priyanka has a burning desire to visit India and learn more about her family heritage. One day, she finds a magical Pashmina that opens up a world filled with the wonders of India. Guided by the spirits of an elephant and a peacock, Priyanka tries native food and picks mangoes from the trees. Everything she sees tells her more about her family but there are still secrets left unspoken; especially from her mother. I wish had a magical Pashmina but this book is almost as good. It definitely is one of the best comics to escape winter!

This one is less about escaping to a warm place and more about drinking warm tea while you escape to a whole other world. Put the kettle on and snuggle in with this warm-and-fuzzy read. It follows the story of Greta, a blacksmith apprentice, who lives in a world with tea dragons. After finding a lost tea dragon in the marketplace, Greta takes on the responsibility and learns how to care for it; a dying art form shared by tea shop owners. After reading this, all I want to do is pour myself a big mug of Jade Mountain Green Tea and escape the winter.

I love this collection of short comics about a wild little girl creating chaos throughout her Ivory Coast town. Akissi chases thieving cats, tries to pull out her own tooth (do not recommend), stays up late watching sci-fi cartoons, and run barefoot around the neighbourhood. It’s all about the innocence of her childhood, and it is a great escape from the winter blues. We all have that childhood fave we want to revisit, especially in the darkest days of Winter. I reckon Akissi would be more than happy to show us around her town.

This one requires some atmospheric music to help you travel. Load up “Summertime” with the luscious voice of the one and only Billie Holiday. This fully illustrated graphic novel tells the story of Holiday’s rise to fame as one of the best musicians of all time. It shares the making and recording of some of Holiday’s most famous hits, including the powerful “Strange Fruit” considered to be the first protest song of the civil rights era. The story is powerful, the art is inviting, the subject is fascinating. Everything about this will warm you up on a cold winter night.