April 27, 2010
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Fart Party #6
It took about three panels of this issue for me to briefly wonder if Julia has lost her edge a bit, if she’d been hanging out with too many comic bigwigs and that she’d maybe gotten a bit melancholy. Then the punch line of that strip (spoiler alert! It involves that cover) knocked that nonsense right out of me. There is a sadder theme in here in general, as she deals with losing a long term boyfriend and a crappy job, but there’s still plenty of funny to be found. As always, talking about these things in too much detail has a tendency to make them unfunny, so I’ll only say that subjects in here include a candy cane turd, advice from Keith Knight, not getting hit on by creeps, being written up in the Onion, a week on the wagon, and embarrassing moments from her past. There’s one thing about these issues that I have to wonder though: why are some of the strips neat and gorgeous while some of them look like they took her about 15 minutes? Again, as I mentioned in the last review, I’m not here for the art, and it’s not like any of the sloppy ones are any less funny because they don’t look quite as good as some of the others. I just wonder what’s going on there. $3
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Posted by Kevin
April 27, 2010
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The Fart Party Sampler
Would you believe there’s not a single fart joke in here? Three cheers for that, although there are plenty of poop jokes in here. None of that makes the slightest bit of difference though, for one simple reason: this comic is funny. Seriously, consistently, laugh-out-loud (to drag out the tired cliche) funny. Will-I-get-in-trouble-if-I-sample-every-page funny. It’s mostly just online because Julia’s too poor to print too many of these things, which is a damned shame, and a good reason for you to go that website up there and order comics. What, you want to read about the actual comic first? OK. In here are strips about career options, being small, how to get a boyfriend, drinking, first swear word, Squitches, Jesus camp, insomnia, and babies vs. abortions. And that’s just the first half of the book. She seems to have completely avoided the strip trap of doing every one with the same damned number of panels and set-up, these range from three panels to the whole page. And did I mention that it’s hilarious? I really was laughing pretty much all the way through, which is a rare and welcome thing. Sure, this is the sampler and maybe all of her other comics suck, but looking at some of the examples on the website I really doubt that this is true. She’s also trying to save up money to go to James Sturm’s Center for Cartoon Studies, but screw that. So she could maybe learn to refine her drawing skills, but so what? She already knows how to tell a good story, what more do you need to know? $2
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Posted by Kevin
April 27, 2010
Website
The Day I Killed Jesus/The Legend of Rebob Mountain
Hey look, a flip book! Just wanted to point that out in case anybody got confused by the two covers. This is another step away from the Fart Party comics and, considering that I loved that stuff, it’s odd that I’d be so happy about it. She’s branching out as an artist in a big way, even if the “i before e” rule is still a bit hazy. First up, because that title is irresistible, is The Day I Killed Jesus. Whatever you’re thinking from that title, you’re almost certainly wrong. This is a story of Julia being babysat by a very lazy and inattentive sitter when she was 6. Early in the week she had managed to steal a bottle of aspirin, and once she was unsupervised she decided to host a tea party with Smurf, Rainbow Brite and Jesus, as he was the “unseen guest at every meal”. Well, she filled their cups with aspirin and only later read the warning label on the bottle. Her genuine terror is adorable and perfectly plausible, as why wouldn’t it be possible to kill an imaginary Jesus in such a fashion? The other piece is a serious short story, which is something of a departure from her usual work. She grew up near Rebob Mountain, and local legend had it that the flying monkeys from Wizard of Oz lived on top of the mountain, swooping down occasionally to kidnap pets and small children. Naturally this was a cause of great concern to the children, who kept a close eye on all ten (!) outdoor cats and their other various pets. Eventually one of their friends started getting skinnier, lost all his hair and eventually “went to a better place”, which took things to a whole new level for the kids. “Heartbreaking” is not a word I thought I’d ever use to describe one of her comics, but this one is close. She even has an afterword about how the top of the mountain still isn’t on Google maps, so it’s still a mystery. Julia mentions a collection of her short stories coming out in 2011, and if she keeps up this level of quality up until then it’ll be something to see. No price, but two stories = $3 to me for no good reason.
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Posted by Kevin
April 27, 2010
Website
The Unremarkable Tree Frog
Short comics like this don’t exist to be analyzed to death, so why bother? Anybody who reads reviews here knows that I’m a bigger fan of impressions than I am of going through everything in minute detail. This is a shortie about the tree frog up there falling in love with Thievery Girl from afar, only to learn that his idealized version of the woman was far from the reality. That’s three for three that I really liked from Joey, so that’s about as high a recommendation as anybody gets on this page. Contact info is up there, this is probably $1, but it looks professional as hell (as do all of his books), so it could easily be $2. Worth it either way!
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Posted by Kevin
April 27, 2010
Website
Tales of Unusual Circumstance #3 Now Available! $2
Joey has decided to go with one big story and a couple of little ones in this issue, which has led, sadly, to a slight drop in the funny. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still plenty of great stuff here, including the opening story about a man giving a survey to a room full of baby seals and the last bit about The Unremarkable Tree Frog having his fragile ego crushed yet again, this time by the guy working at the local comic shop. The meat of the issue, though, is Peach Boy, a story based on the Japanese Motomaro legend. There’s a bit of a problem with the demon population (who live on an island filled with garbage) and the locals over who gets day-old bagels from a local shop. This escalates into some serious beatings, so Peach Boy decides to go over to the island and teach the demons a lesson. Along the way he picks up a hungry dog, a cowardly pigeon and an angry monkey. If I tell much more there won’t be anything left to the comic, but it’s safe to say that a lesson is learned by all. Still a great comic, don’t get me wrong, I just have this irrational personal insistence that people who can be funny should be funny as much as possible in their given field. Stupid, as it’s not like artists are vending machines where you can just pick “funny” every time out, but I am occasionally stupid, what can I say. $2
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Posted by Kevin
April 27, 2010
Website
Tales of Unusual Circumstance #2 Now Available! $2
Should I be disappointed because there isn’t an actual scene in the comic involving Caesar fighting Wolf Man? I am just a little bit, even though that punch on the cover is all that you really need to make the concept funny. On to the stories! There’s a surprisingly adorable tale about dinosaurs finding a magic lamp millions of years ago, an old man who steals vision and hearing from people while they sleep, Joey’s dark vision of his own future if he ever gives up on comics, and the Unremarkable Tree Frog running into his crush, Thievery Girl, and actually having a decent conversation with her. This one is also traditional mini comic size, not the wee things that were #1 and his other shorties on this page, for those absolute nerds who really need to know this kind of thing, if you do in fact exist. If you enjoy the funny, this man is certainly a good place to go to get it. $2
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Posted by Kevin
April 27, 2010
Website
Tales of Unusual Circumstance #1
OK, two comics into my getting to know the work of Joey Weiser and I’m damned glad that I did. I think I have more of his work from FLUKE, which also makes me happy. Why? Because I lilke funny comics, dammit! Sure, the quiet, introspective comics are fine, and sure, the whiny ones about all the reasons their lives are so horrible are fine (sometimes), but there are times I just want to laugh at my comics, and I’m thrilled that that’s the case here. The first story, covering half the book, is about the sons of Dracula, Frankenstein and the Creature from the Black Lagoon (does he have a shorter name than that?), playing in a sandbox and then trying not to be murdered. Trust me, it’s funny. Then you have Joey’s trip to the dentist, followed by the true story of white-out, and how the son of the creator of white-out started the Monkees and then, later in life, helped create MTV, which has been marginalizing originality and intelligence for, what, 20 years now? And we wonder why this generation is so stupid. Anyway, there’s another page of panel comics, and that’s your comic! Funny, insightful, and with just a pinch of social commentary (while not too heavy-handed), there’s not much bad to say about this. This one is $1, worth every penny, and contact info is right up there.
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Posted by Kevin
April 27, 2010
Website
Zoomorphic Funnies Now Available! $1
Who loves one page strips about animals in various situations? Well, I do, as long as it’s this funny. This is a bit of a shortie, but for $1, who cares? In here you have a racist space monkey, Ugly Elephantingston, Electric Fish God, Raymond Roadkill and a pig who just can’t seem to be a hero. I don’t know his name but he tries over and over to rescue the damsel in distress, even though it gets him into all sorts of trouble. No, I’m not going to tell you what sorts of trouble. That’s called a “tease”. A couple of the comics in here are available on his website, including the largest one in the bunch about that pig flying during a war. Like I said, it’s only $1, and there’s more than enough funny in here to make it worth your while.
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Posted by Kevin
April 27, 2010
Website
I Heart Becky
Hooray for more stuff from Lauren! OK, it’s mostly older stuff, but I’ll take what I can get. She has a couple of big projects in the works anyway, so there should be more available in the next couple of years. I’m guessing this is all older stuff but, like I said, that’s only a guess. There are stories in here about birds watching women wrestle, Lauren freaking out at college, a girl helping her boyfriend through the tail end of an acid trip, a dead baby bird, a cat on the pill, Lauren trying to change her parents, and Morrissey. Ah, Morrissey. This is a comic that Lauren did when she was 13 and she was kind enough to put a bunch of the best message board responses that she got at the time. This book, as a whole, doesn’t measure up against Inside Vineland, but I don’t think it was meant to. This is a collection of great stuff that’ll tide you over if you read IV and loved it but don’t want to wait until her other projects to finish up. If I’m remembering correctly I paid $4 for this (it’s pretty big), check out the contact info up there for more info!
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Posted by Kevin
April 27, 2010
Website
Inside Vineland
In case my scan is too crappy and you can’t see that cover, it has floating demon cats attacking the Earth and a monkey traveling with a giant brain down a ski-lift like device. What does it mean? You have to read the book to find out! OK, the giant brain is never explained, but it doesn’t matter. Look, I read a lot of comics for this website. Does that make me an authority? No, just some guy who reads way too many comics. Most of the “funny” comics I get are things where I can see that something is supposed to be funny, or technically sound and potentially hilarious, but I rarely laugh out loud while reading them. This one had me chuckling several times. Everything in here is true and heartfelt, which is always so much better when it’s also completely ridiculous. The only big stories in here deal with a robot taking a walk and a robot trying to find love. I’ll say no more about them, as they’re the highlight of a book that’s full of highlights. The rest of it is one page strips from The Stranger, dealing with manic-depressive dogs, the bird war, life on Mars, things crashing into a Blockbuster, hot car fuckin’ fuckfest, the real world for elephants, and the seniorarium. If you think that there are plenty of unfunny people in the world who could deal with these topics and make them suck, you’re right. Luckily for us, Lauren isn’t one of these people. Look, I’ll make you a deal right now. Read the two samples. If you laugh out loud, you have to buy a copy. If you don’t, then you get to come to my house and throw a football at my groin. Deal? Send her an e-mail or just check out her website, this is only $5.95!
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Posted by Kevin
April 27, 2010
Website
Bullies and My Bike
Here’s a collection of bullies and all the ways that they destroyed various bikes of Mark Todd, set in poetic verse. This is probably going to be something that resonates with a lot of people, although I mostly managed to avoid this part of growing up. That cover didn’t come through as well on the scanner as it could have, but it looks great. Anyway, five bikes in here, or maybe it’s just five different bullies, or maybe both, who knows? Good stuff, but a very quick read. Contact info is up there, $2!
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Posted by Kevin
April 27, 2010
Website
Unlovable Fat Mini #1
Watch out! You may be confused because this is titled Unlovable #1, same as the comic I reviewed above, and it has the same cover as the one up there. Why? Who knows, but it is a good cover. This one is mostly one story from the diary that this comic is based on, where Tammy and her friend Kim get caught trying to steal a bunch of stuff. Then there’s a great section where she rates all the boys she likes on scale of 1 to 10. It seems like there’s an endless amount of material in this diary, and I can’t wait to see more of it. I can’t imagine that Tammy’s life has a happy ending of any kind, but it still holds that kind of “train wreck” fascination for me that I can’t put down. Oh, and I forgot about the part where she tries to fit into her skinny friend’s dress! Man, check out at least one of these comics, you’re missing out if you don’t. Contact info is up there, this one is only $2, so it’s cheaper than the other issue, but the other issue is, of course, huge.
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Posted by Kevin
April 27, 2010
Website
Unlovable Fat Pack Now Available! $5
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Posted by Kevin
April 27, 2010
Website
Unlovable #5 Now Available! $5
Here is possibly the best issue yet (in a long list of good issues) of this series. What sets it apart? The descriptions of the various social groups in high school, disposal methods for boogers, getting dressed in gym, hurried preparations for a car ride with a cute guy, and trashing a Debbie Gibson tape due to peer pressure. Esther also found an old high school yearbook (I’m guessing it’s not Tammy’s, as that would be too good to be true) which has some of the most perfect examples I’ve ever seen of 80’s hair. Girls or guys, it’s all equally awful. Great stuff again, as who can’t get into awkward high school stories? $5
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Posted by Kevin
April 27, 2010
Website
Unlovable #4 Now Available! $5
The saga continues here, as the seemingly endless supply of material from this found diary continues. In this issue Tammy gets drunk and passes out under a car (and ends up getting left behind at a party), sets up a shrine to a guy she has a crush on, mourns the death of The Smiths, cuts a rug, takes a joy ride in a huge truck (while sitting in a lawn chair on the passenger side), goes to an amusement park, steals some stuff at a Halloween store and deals with a lengthy and awkward hug from a creepy guy. And did I mention the centerfold in the middle where you see nipple? Ew. If you’ve been following the story for this long it’s not like you can stop now,and if you haven’t seen any of these yet, the good thing is that you can jump in anywhere and still enjoy it. It’s not like it follows a noticable linear story or anything. $5
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Posted by Kevin
April 27, 2010
Website
Unlovable #3 Now Available! $5
Christ, what a horrific young woman. “Unlovable” indeed. Granted, these stories are all taken from a diary that Esther found in a rest stop and probably didn’t have pictures for us to figure out exactly what she looked like, but Esther really would have a hard time making her any uglier. In this edition Tammy gets repeated prank calls, attends the winter ball while only shaving the lower half of her legs, “deals” with her best friend spreading rumors about her, watches a crazed classmate talk to himself in a mirror (even though he knows she’s there) and pukes after drinking too much spiked punch at the dance. Oh, and the poetry, how could I forget the poetry. I’m still hoping this diary is 1000 pages long, as this is nothing but endless, mean-spirited fun. I do wonder though: has anybody ever tried to contact Tammy Pierce, if that is her real name? She appears to be in late middle school in 1988, so she’s an adult now. What the hell is she up to and what would she think about this diary being reproduced like this? Sounds like a good idea for a sequel if all this material ever dries up… $5
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Posted by Kevin
April 27, 2010
Website
Unlovable #2 Now Available! $5
More tales from that stolen diary are on display here, in another fat $5 book. This one deals with her infatuation with Ken, getting caught wearing boy’s underwear in gym class (after her mom forgot to do laundry), being fat and a test for head lice. I love how this is so thoroughly grade school. Every little thing that happens at school, every thing that anybody says about her, is absolutely life and death drama. This diary was quite a find, that’s for sure. I don’t know how much more material there is in here, but it’s mesmerizing. Maybe it wouldn’t be after a few dozen issues, but I can’t see myself getting bored with this stuff any time soon. $5
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Posted by Kevin
April 27, 2010
Website
Unlovable #1
There’s another mini of the same title that’ll be up here soon, so be warned! They’re two different things! Even though they seem to have the same cover… Anyway, Esther found a diary in a rest stop a few years back, and this comic is an adaptation of sorts of that diary. It’s from a young, awkward girl in school (she’s probably 14 or 15, if I had to guess), and it’s a great comic because it’s such a heartbreaking story. For all I know this girl is a beautiful, successful woman by now, but she sure did have some awkward formative years. Situations in here include stealing a sock from a boy she has a crush on, dealing with a sudden hair on her chin, looking at boys, being teased by just about everybody in school, and all of the situations you randomly find yourself in high school. It’s a fat book, worth the $5 asking price, and there’s all kinds of good stuff in here. Here’s an e-mail address, check it out!
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Posted by Kevin
April 27, 2010
Website
Eclectic Comics #2
Andrew has narrowed his focus this time around, as there’s only 4 stories here (and one page at the end from his son). These are all still started from a creative exercise, such as drawing something important to the story (a box) without ever revealing what’s inside, illustrating a quote about turning into a god, illustrating random lines from science fiction novels (which Andrew was able to collect into this story), and a story for an unpublished anthology about losing your lunch. The story with the box is mostly an unfocused but fun slugfest, the bit about turning into a god was also amusing and had a good punchline, the story based on science fiction quotes was a bit chaotic (as you might expect after reading his creative process) but the bits with General Patriot were amusing at least, and the bit about losing your lunch was about what you’d expect. And what happened to the Monet story? “To be continued” indeed. Maybe in issue #3? The backgrounds are a little more fleshed out this time around, at least for certain panels, but far too many of them have half formed scribbles where a background should be. It’s a lot of work, sure, but it does help make the finished product look significantly better. I have an aesthetic suggestion too: put the creative process descriptions at the back of the book instead of at the front. That way people could read the stories without any preconceived notions (except for the people who automatically turn to the back of a book first, but there’s no helping those weirdos). All told it’s an amusing book, something I’m still not totally crazy about but that’s growing on me bit by bit. $3
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Posted by Kevin
April 27, 2010
Website
Eclectic Comics #1
This may be the first family comic I’ve seen. I don’t mean “family friendly”, as there are plenty of comics out there that fit that description (this one included), I mean something where a whole bunch of family members play a creative role. Andrew’s son helped with the colors and formatting some files, his daughter contributed a few strips she did for her college newspaper, and various family members pop up in the stories. So what’s this issue about? It seems to be at times a creative exercise, as a number of these are in response to various challenges, such as drawing a 20 panel page, illustrating song lyrics (something regular readers of this site know isn’t high up there on my list), illustrating three examples of the Sneeze Theory (preparation, action, recovery), draw a biography (Monet, in probably the strongest piece in the book), working backwards without a script, taking every object from a pictionary card for a comic, and drawing an instructional comic. The way you can tell he succeeded in most of these things is that they read just fine as regular old comics, not as obvious intellectual exercises. Stories in here include Andrew’s “origin” as a superhero, giving his daughter a smock, the very early years of Monet (to be continued after he leaves his teenage years), the man-purse, Andrew’s induction into a new team of heroes, and a cute strip of Andrew drawing with his little boy. I could have done without the song adaptations, as always (“Taking Care of Business”, in particular, never needed to be illustrated), but even me and my cynical heart were charmed by the bulk of this comic. Granted, the art looked rushed at times and his backgrounds are generally either nonexistent or hastily sketched, but this first issue has a few genuinely funny moments and serious potential, which is enough for it to get by. There’s a second issue here too, and when I get to that we’ll see where I land. $3
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Posted by Kevin
