Face with Tears of Joy

Emojis are an integral part of digital everyday life worldwide. But what is behind these small pictograms? Where do they come from? Who came up with the joyful sequence “:-)”? And how do emojis change our communication? Are they democratic? Are they diverse? And do they really work globally?

The graphic novel Face with Tears of Joy invites readers to see the world of emojis and other pictograms in our writing with new eyes. Author Karla-Jean v. Wissel uses history, linguistics, and emotion research to approach emojis in an entertaining way. Throughout the book, Karla-Jean is accompanied by various emoji characters and meets important figures in emoji history, such as developers and scientists, who contribute to the exploration of a seemingly simple yet complex element of our everyday communication.