Wedding Juice and Other Melodramas

Wedding Juice and Other Melodramas is an autobiographical comic series that began as Sanika Phawde’s personal way of coping with the stress of planning an Indian wedding within a ridiculously short period of time. What started as catharsis evolved into an award-winning serialized comic that resonated with readers far beyond its deeply personal origins.

The series follows Phawde and their white American fiancée John as they plan a traditional Indian wedding from opposite sides of the planet—Sanika and their parents in India, John in the United States. Through comically stressful FaceTime calls, the group navigates the collision of two very different cultures, families, and expectations. Each issue presents short story vignettes that capture the awkwardness, tension, and occasional absurdity of what should be one of life’s most joyful occasions.

With its vibrant use of color and chaotic energy, the series combines humor and pathos with an approach that is both appealingly self-deprecating and subtly profound. Phawde’s dynamic, kinetic cartooning mirrors the overwhelming nature of wedding planning—the pyrotechnics and dry ice, the decorations resembling a supervillain’s headquarters, and the way the phone weighs heavier with each passing day of mounting pressure.

The series explores themes of identity, family relationships, and the occasional cross-cultural discord that arises when two people from vastly different backgrounds decide to join their lives together. As Broken Frontier noted, “amidst the levity and observational comedy… there is some far deeper and important social commentary at its heart.”

Issues

• Issue #1 — The opening chapter introduces the core conflict: Sanika and John planning their wedding from opposite sides of the globe, parents in India with elaborate visions, and the kiwi allergy that inspired the series title.

• Issues #2 & #3 — Continue the observational humor as intricacies of the second wedding become ever more entangled. Issue #3 shifts perspective to John, giving readers a different but aligned viewpoint on events.

Awards

• 2025 Ignatz Award for Outstanding Series — Winner
• 2025 Broken Frontier Award for Best Periodical Series — Nominee

Reviews

“Phawde knows how to use the power of comics. The style in Wedding Juice is loose, shifting, unconcerned with being realistic in order to make the comic feel real—Phawde captures how the moment feels to get reality to come across.” — The Comics Beat

“A supremely sweet and engaging comic told in vignettes about the artist’s wedding from planning to ceremony… Phawde’s cartooning is loose and expressive. These comics are dense with detailed imagery but flow with love and tenderness.” — Comics Blogger

Perfect for fans of autobiographical comics in a serialized format, stories exploring mixed-race relationships, and narrative comics that blend humor with emotional depth.

Created by Sanika Phawde.