Blog Archives
Watson, Esther Pearl – Bullies and My Bike (with Mark Todd)
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!
Watson, Esther Pearl – Unlovable Fat Mini #1
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.
Watson, Esther Pearl – Unlovable #5
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
Watson, Esther Pearl – Unlovable #4
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
Watson, Esther Pearl – Unlovable #3
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
Watson, Esther Pearl – Unlovable #2
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
Watson, Esther Pearl – Unlovable #1
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!
Todd, Mark – Flip-Tard (with Esther Pearl Watson)
Flip-Tard (with Esther Pearl Watson) Now Available! $6
Have you ever wanted to see Skeletor wearing a bikini? Or perhaps Michael Jackson with a robot body? Your dream has come true. Here’s the basic premise of this book: there are four panels on each “page”, cut separately. There’s artwork on the front and back of each panel, with all sorts of different people, animals and things involved. It goes about the way you would expect, with a head up top, a torso below that, legs below that, and ending with some variation of feet. And yes, there’s even text here and there, just in case you need that for this to qualify as a “comic”. This either sounds like a blast to you or it doesn’t, probably depending on your opinion of the previous work of Mark and Esther, but I liked it. It’s on that short list of comics that would be good to have hanging around your apartment if you were hosting a party, as drunks could have hours of fun with this thing. $6
