Winsor McCay with Gertie the Dinosaur

What will today look like one hundred years from now? In the world of comics, we have no choice but to include DC Comics’ upcoming “Teen Titans #1″ in a time capsule, filed under “sexism.” Many of us today see through a glass darkly. But not all of us. One hundred years ago, Windsor McCay was at the top of his game as America’s preeminent cartoonist. Attempting to see what McCay’s world was like one hundred years ago could provide some interesting perspective.

There were certainly other big name cartoonists and plenty of newspapers but there was only one Winsor McCay. He could dazzle his audience. He was part of the zeitgeist. Much like Chaplin, he did what he did with far more distinction than his competitors. In a new book that attempts to place McCay in context, we get some insights about Little Nemo, Gertie the Dinosaur, and Dream of the Rarebit Fiend, and how they reflected the American dream. And, among the findings, we confront a problematic character named, Impie.

Katherine Roeder embraces the comics medium as an art form, which some circles would be happy to continue to debate. Roeder also acknowledges the inroads into Comics Studies made by Will Eisner and Scott McCloud. They are both primary sources that have sometimes been given short shrift from academia. Her goal is to shed light on McCay’s work. In doing so, she manages to rid herself of much distracting dust and cobwebs. She employs a standard academic approach, repetitive and formal, but she is also fair-minded and accessible.

How did McCay come to invest his celebrated comic strip, “Little Nemo in Slumberland,” with its particular sensibility? Well, he did not work in a vacuum. He began his artistic career in the Midwest designing posters for circuses and dime museums. He knew, early on, what fascinated the general public. He was also a fan of Lewis Carroll and L. Frank Baum. If he saw young readers as a hot trend, is debatable. But the handwriting was on the wall: the invention of the modern childhood was well under way. The toy industry was booming. Children, as a subject, and an audience, were not to be taken for granted.

What sets McCay apart, first and foremost, is his artistry. It is McCay’s artwork that lures us in. Roeder concedes that McCay’s dialogue could be quite stilted. And the fact that the text in the word balloons is so cramped would suggest that words were besides the point. It seems that, at the heart of the matter, McCay was able to take a lifelong love of drawing, rooted in childhood, and ride it to the very heights of success. But, give an adult enough rope, and he can hang himself.

Perhaps McCay invested a little more time and thought on the text for his comic strip about dreaming for adults. “Dream of the Rarebit Fiend” seems to have a sharper wit than “Little Nemo.” The main thrust of Roeder’s thesis places “Little Nemo” right in the thick of the advent of consumer culture. However, “Little Nemo” does not easily yield. As Roeder herself points out, McCay injected sly social satire whenever possible into the strip. Is it plausible that McCay was so ambitious as to take on the issue of race in America in the same spirit as Mark Twain’s “Huckleberry Finn”? This is more than the scope of Roeder’s book can sustain but she attempts to address it as best she can.

She notes that the newly born comic strips were taken to task for racist characters by critics of the day. She quotes one critic: “The offenses of the comic supplement as issued by most American newspapers have been vulgarization of serious subjects, the teaching of irreverence for parents and older people, and a hideous caricature of races and types of characters, which could not fail to breed in children the meanest forms of race and class prejudice.”

Impie, Little Nemo, and Flip

Nemo has a friend from Africa, Impie. He also had another odd little friend, Flip. Both Impie and Flip share a minstrel look to them. And to add another layer to this, Flip is cast in a shade of green. Nemo first meets Impie after a voyage to Africa. Flip smuggled a crate aboard their steamship. He pops open the crate and there is Impie. Flip declares, “Here’s the party who tried to steal me! Now he belongs to me!” Roeder concedes “the unfortunate association with America’s history of slavery is unavoidable.” However, she sees Impie’s purpose tied with a back-to-nature movement popular at the time. Of the motely crew of three, Roeder concludes:

Nemo and Flip are each marked by their distinctive class signifiers; however, Flip’s racial identity is ambiguous-in most strips his skin appears to be a shade of green. Like Impie, his lips are oversized, filling the expanse of the face below the nose. Flip wears adult clothing, sports a receding hariline, and smokes a cigar, yet he is physically the same size as young Nemo. Several apocryphal stories exist regarding the inspiration for this character. According to the artist’s son, Flip was based on “a tough newsboy midget” named Tiny Phillips that McCay knew in Cincinnati, while another source claimed he was inspired by an African American man with “a greenish cast to his face” who McCay spotted smoking a cigar on a Brooklyn street. As a result, Flip exists in a liminal space, neither black nor white, and capable of mocking both Nemo and Impie with equal relish. With the addition of Impie in 1907, the threesome forms a continuum of popular boyhood types: the innocent savage, the working-class trickster, and the genteel overcivilized boy from the suburbs. For McCay, once again the fantasy world is informed by the tensions and conditions of reality.

This is an adroit bit of academic deduction that may inspire further research. Pretty heady stuff for a comic strip meant for children. But “Little Nemo in Slumberland” was no ordinary comic strip.

“Wide Awake in Slumberland: Fantasy, Mass Culture, and Modernism in the Art of Winsor McCay,” by Katherine Roeder, is published by University Press of Mississippi. It is available at Amazon right here. Visit the University Press of Mississippi here.

“Birdman,” starring Michael Keaton, has got to be the best offbeat superhero movie since “Paper Man,” starring Ryan Reynolds, as Captain Excellent, in 2009. You can also include “Super,” starring Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, and Liv Tyler. Hmm, then there’s “Kick-Ass” (2010) and “Kick-Ass 2″ (2013). We could maybe add a few more. They emerge at a nice steady pace.

There’s no doubt, especially after seeing the new trailer released today, that “Birdman” will not only be an offbeat treat but could very well be Oscar-worthy. Keaton is one of the greats and he’s never taken himself too seriously. That says a lot for the guy who was once known as Batman. For some fans, he’s still Batman.

“Birdman,” or “The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance,” is a dark comedy that tells the story of an actor (Michael Keaton), known for portraying an iconic superhero, as he struggles to mount a Broadway play. In the days leading up to opening night, he battles his ego and attempts to recover his family, his career, and himself. That is a solid synopsis. With an all-star cast that includes Emma Stone, Edward Norton, and Zach Galifianakis, this is sure to be a hit when it rolls out this fall.

Visit the official “Birdman” website here.

Steve Coogan takes a glorious step backward and comes out smelling like a rose in “Alan Partridge.” It is incredibly hyperbolic to say this but Steve Coogan revisiting his preening parody of David Frost is akin to Charlie Chaplin, in middle age, revisiting the Little Tramp. Yes, quite hyperbolic indeed. But then again, Alan Partridge inspires just that sort of overreaching. You’ve never heard of Alan Partridge? Well, there are plenty of people who have, let me tell you. If you are a young British comedian today, Alan Partridge is the gold standard. Many years ago, I am sure, Mr. Coogan was more than ready to put some distance between himself and his famously goofy talk show host character. Here in the States, even Garry Shandling wishes to move far beyond “The Larry Sanders Show,” another wildly successful satire on talk shows. Coogan, however, found a way to return to the abyss and say something new, and funny.

Not to put too fine a point on it but it’s really brave of Coogan to return to the character that first made his name. Keep in mind, this is the man who starred with Judi Dench in “Philomena,” which he also co-wrote, and is totally Oscar-worthy. It must be awkward on some level and strangely attractive on another. The only way it could work, really, was to go totally subversive. It could not be some tiresome revisit. That wouldn’t fly. Even if it did, you can sense that a literal look back was strictly taboo. You will not find much of any reference to the Alan Partridge of yesteryear. There is no reference to “Knowing Me Knowing You with Alan Partridge” or any other Partridge BBC project other than to say that Alan used to be on television.

“Alan Partridge” is your quintessential blowhard. We’ll come back to my comparison with Chaplin as the grand finale. But, for now, consider Alan Partridge and Ron Burgundy. Both men are incredibly vain and shallow. Surprisingly, both of them have moments of clarity and they tend to squander those moments in some conniving self-serving way. Both men are aging divas. They can’t quite figure out what to do with their hair.

The plot to this movie rests upon what happens when Alan Patridge and his ilk are ferreted out of their cushy radio talk show gigs. Alan thought he’d found his niche as a complacent has-been hosting the mid-morning shift. But even that is being wrested away from his feeble grip as his radio station has been bought out my a media conglomerate that is ready to sweep away the old and toss in a new breed of in-your-face fresh young talent. Just plodding along with trivia questions and waxing nostalgic doesn’t seem to be enough these days. Alan, however, thinks he may have a strategy. He makes a strong case to the corporate heads to let him stay and get rid of some dead weight by firing his longtime colleague, Pat Farrell.

And Pat (played by Colm Meany), as you’ll find out, brings home the point that the world of show business, at any given moment, is just one hair’s breadth away from insanity. We’ve moved way beyond the warnings foretold in “Network.” The whole mess has become a given. You want your fifteen minutes of fame, well, just stand in line for a bit, or go lie down since you’ll get it, no questions asked since no one cares. You need more? Just go upload something else and see what happens.

“Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues” gives us an intelligent satire, and an actual lesson for the uninitiated, on how low our news media has sunk, morphing into a corporate-dominated 24/7 infotainment circus. In the case of “Alan Patridge,” it does a somewhat similar thing. In its own way, it shows us just how absurd and disconnected we can all be. We turn to media, when we should know better. And those crowned and installed in the highest sectors of media can be even more delusional than their audience.

To end all this, I conclude that the Charlie Chaplin comparison is quite fitting. Mr. Coogan is a huge talent. And Mr. Chaplin was, and remains for all eternity, a huge talent. Neither man would return to a previous victory without good reason. As a dark comedy that gets darker, while also finding the light, there’s nothing quite like “Alan Partridge.”

“Alan Partridge” is now available on DVD and Blu-ray. It is distributed by Magnolia Pictures.

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“Freak Out Squares,” a trippy comic that mixes rock ‘n’ roll with sci-fi, is a fun ride and one more comic that you will find this weekend at Glasgow Comic Con. Artist Garry Mac and writer Harry French are great together on this comic. You can read my review of Mac’s “Gonzo Cosmic” here.

This comic’s focus on celebrity lust, media mayhem, and consumer culture, brings to mind “The Wicked + The Divine,” just out by Image Comics. You can read my review here. In that comic, under a different dynamic, we also delve into issues of the elite and how they subdue the masses.

Johnny Orion is literally a rock god from head to toe and any loyal fan would do whatever he asks. One such fan, Harrison Stargazer, seems utterly thrilled to pieces to have the opportunity to interview Orion so that he can provide the right spin after a bizarre accident that looked like he had completely exploded on stage. How do you spin something like that? Well, enough strange things happen to glamorous wonders. What’s one more? Some deftly worded reassurances, and the party can resume, right?

Johnny Orion went to the 6th Monk Omni-Dimensional Temple for Self-Reflection and Recovery. But Johnny Orion is not real. He can’t go to rehab like all the other train wrecks. That’s because he really did explode on stage. He’s a cyborg. And Harrison Stargazer is hip to that. He is so hip to it that he’s not there to shake hands and make nice with Orion. He’s there to confront the powers that be that foist Johnny Orions upon the world in order to placate and control. Pretty tall order for Stargazer but he’s somehow up to the task.

This is some sharp satire that leaves you with a sigh, and a laugh, of recognition. It’s a beautifully layed out comic. Harry Saxon on colors and Colin Bell on letters and production round out the deal. And we’ve just begun with this dazzling debut issue. I look forward to see how this story unfolds.

“Freak Out Squares #1″ is available now. Visit our friends at Unthank Comics right here.

Don Martin, MAD Magazine, June 1974

By 1974, MAD magazine had hit an all-time high in popularity, selling more than 2 million copies per issue. It was also the height of the Watergate scandal, Vietnam War protests, and the counterculture. MAD helped bring about the age of subversive satire that we see today everywhere from “The Simpsons” to “The Daily Show.” It was the underground before there was an underground. And, among the wackiest of cartoonists, in fact, “MAD’s Maddest Artist,” was Don Martin. Martin was from some other planet. “MAD’s Greatest Artists: Don Martin: Three Decades of His Greatest Works,” published by Running Press, lets you see this extraterrestrial cartoonist at his best.

Don Martin, panel from MAD magazine cartoon, June, 1957

A mild-mannered man sits in a city park with a big bag of homemade popcorn. He feeds it to the birds. The popcorn is so good that it attracts more and more birds and then a horde of humans. The scene abruptly turns grim when someone asks the man for the secret to his delicious popcorn. “I make it with arsenic! I hate pigeons!” That sort of humor was something quite strange and new for mainstream audiences, especially young readers, in the 1950s but not for MAD magazine. MAD began as a comic book in 1952, and then a magazine in 1956, and has kept on being MAD ever since. The arsenic-laced popcorn gag was one of Don Martin’s earliest efforts.

MAD has always maintained a wide range of rebellious cartooning talent, from the realistic to the most cartoony. From one end of the spectrum you had a classic 1974 cover, a parody of the hit movie about con artists, “The Sting,” with Spiro Agnew and Richard Nixon depicted in the iconic movie poster in the starring roles. And, on the other end, you had a most bizarre rendering of the Mona Lisa with a long lizard’s tongue. That’s the Don Martin we all know and love.

Don Martin, MAD Special #14, Winter, 1974

This collection presents over 200 works by Don Martin during his run with MAD magazine from 1956 to 1988. The work is mostly in chronological order so you can see Martin’s development over the years. Much like Charles Schulz and Dr. Seuss, you see a distinctive style and sense of humor emerge, and, of course, the bulbous noses, the curled fingers, and the hinged feet. You truly enter a whole other world with Martin’s dazzling timing.

Don Martin, Two panels from a MAD magazine cartoon, June, 1969

And those tailor-made onomatopoeic sound effects! There are enough of them to create a whole dictionary and one die-hard fan of Don Martin did just that. Consider just this one example from a MAD cartoon from 1969. Two hunters have an “Amaze-O Wild Game Call” that produces over 20 mating calls. One of the hunters tries it and attracts a bird. He tries it again, and attracts a different bird. Finally, his buddy is compelled to try it. He overdoes it. And his “Pffft-Frack! Pop-Sporing-Ging” call attracts a hideous monster.

Don Martin, MAD Magazine, September, 1980

Post-World War II America and beyond was not an “Ozzie and Harriet” idyllic paradise. The government, the media, and parents were not to be trusted. MAD asked kids to think for themselves, not even trust MAD. Let the humor speak for itself. As “MAD’s Maddest Artist,” Don Martin proved to be one of the greatest jesters of all time.

“MAD’s Greatest Artists: Don Martin: Three Decades of His Greatest Works” is a 272-page hardcover published by Running Press and is available as of November 11. You can find it here, here, and here. And you can always visit our friends at MAD magazine, and start up a subscription, right here.

From “Facility Integrity” by Nick Maandag

From “The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil” by Stephen Collins

Two recent works in comics tackle our sad lot in cubicles from two distinctive vantage points: “The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil” by Stephen Collins; and “Facility Integrity” by Nick Maandag. Each has a very different sensibility but, at the end of the day, both can agree that office work and conformity are for the birds.

From “The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil” by Stephen Collins

Working in some faceless office building for some faceless corporation is a restrictive process. You wear a mask. You hold back. You’re a cog. Both Maandag and Collins play with this theme of restriction. Each provides a farce. What is fascinating is the context in which each is working in. Maandag comes from the scrappy world of indie minicomics. Collins comes from the world of a major book publisher. Maandag draws himself into a corner by embracing scatalogical content. Collins draws himself into a corner by embracing the look and feel of a children’s book. They draw themselves into a corner, so to speak, as they take a risk of limiting their audiences. That’s not to say that the risk is not worth taking.

Both of these works are more whimsical and subversive than they might get credit for being at first glance. And perhaps a comparison brings out the best in each. Maandag’s “Facility Integrity,” while highly provocative, is made up of a number of gentle comedic beats and a wonderfully droll style. This is the story about the head of a company who installs a new bathroom policy among his employees in a crazy attempt to increase productivity.

Conversely, Collins provides a story that, while full of sweet and fanciful elements, also has a nice satirical bite. In his story, much like Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis,” our hero, Dave, finds himself trapped in a colorless overly tidy world. This triggers a colossal beard that sprouts from him and confronts the conformity around him.

If there are any booksellers with a creative edge reading this, you may consider displaying these two books together. Or maybe you already have.

“The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil,” by Stephen Collins, is a 240-page hardcover, b+w interiors, priced at $20.00. It is published by Picador and available here, here, and here.

“Facility Integrity,” by Nick Maandag, is 64 pages, 6″ x 8″, full color covers, b+w interiors, priced at $10.00. It is published by Pigeon Press and available through Last Gasp and Spit and a Half.

Those slain in the Charlie Hebdo attack are in our thoughts and prayers.

There’s the legendary tragic story of 19th century American actor, Edwin Booth. He was so celebrated for his performance as Othello that he kept to that role, made a career out of it, and died with it. If only actor Riggan Thomson (played by Michael Keaton) were so lucky. He’s stuck with being known as the guy behind the Birdman mask in a ridiculously successful superhero movie franchise. “Birdman” is about a lot of things, including Riggan’s journey toward redemption. After so much water under bridge, he feels he’s found something meaningful he can do with all that he’s learned. He’s adapted Raymond Carver for the Broadway stage. It’s an audacious move and one that rankles those who position themselves as arbiters of taste, specifically the New York theater critic, Tabitha Dickinson (played by Lindsay Duncan). The role of Tabitha is relatively small and yet so pivotal. She’s the one who, for better or worse, holds the fate of Riggan’s play and perhaps much more. And she’s the one who should be most eloquent on matters of culture except her delivery is all too pointed. In a great balancing act, “Birdman” arrives at its satire with grace.

“Birdman” is one of those films that hits the nail on the head so well that it leaves you wanting more. The winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Director for Alejandro González Iñárritu, “Birdman” is an instant classic. Forget about anything you may have heard or read from naysayers giving it a nonsensical label of being “pretentious.” I read that’s what, of all people, shock jock Howard Stern labeled this film as being. That absurd assessment, that twisted view of culture, is the sort of thing that is lampooned in “Birdman.” It’s as if Federico Fellini and Paddy Chayefsky were both alive today and created a masterpiece speaking to where we find ourselves. And where do we find ourselves? We find ourselves with the Howard Sterns of the world making empty gestures each day to countless fans.

We are stuffing ourselves with pop culture that often, some would say always, proves to be as fulfilling as cotton candy. In a film full of great conflict, the resounding head-butt is between high and low culture. Not only do we have snooty critics like Tabitha, but we have snooty thespians out to make life a living hell for Riggan. Enter Mike Shiner (played by Edward Norton). When Riggan finds himself in need of a replacement for a lead role, Mike is fortuitously available. He also happens to be notoriously rude and unstable. He thinks Riggan is incapable of genuinely caring about anything. He laughs at Riggan’s personal story about Raymond Carver. Mike also realizes that he has a very crazy way of showing that he cares.

And to care about something is at the heart of this film. Riggan is given many reasons to care, including his daughter, Sam (played by Emma Stone). There’s a wondrous scene where Sam lashes out at her dad. What’s remarkable is how much is said and conveyed. Sam goes from being triggered into conflict, to full-on rage, to a descent into regret. It’s the sort of sustained moment you would experience in theater. Director Alejandro González Iñárritu pushes the boundaries of what can be conveyed in film, particularly with a series of awe-inspiring continuous shots. It’s theatrical on one level. It’s hyperreal on another. And, you better believe it, it makes you want to care.

“Birdman” is available now on DVD and Blu-ray. The feature with a behind-the-scenes look at the film is priceless. For more information, visit Fox Searchlight right here.

Cooper Barnes as Ray, Jace Norman as Henry, and Riele Downs as Charlotte on “Henry Danger”

Last week’s episode began with a somewhat obscure reference to the classic holiday chestnut, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” A girl comes into the shop and tries out a piano only to have Ray really lose it with a lame Jimmy Stewart impersonation. Ray flips out. Charlotte pleads for him to get a grip for the sake of the children. And then the moment is gone. Very funny. If you were a fan of the offbeat humor of “iCarly,” then you’ll love this new show, “Henry Danger,” from the same creator. Dan Schneider is the co-creator with Dana Olsen. And you’ll know Dana Olsen from his writing for the movies, “George of the Jungle” and “Inspector Gadget.” If you’re new to “Henry Danger,” or if you’re already a fan, read on. This is something very different.

Ray Bradbury was fond of saying that he read every genre. And he was especially keen on keeping up with books for young readers. In that spirit, I present to you, “Henry Danger,” one of the smartest shows on television, whatever your age. This is on Nickelodeon and, for the purposes of this review, we’ll consider what I’ll conveniently call, “kid humor.” Now, here’s the thing, kid humor is awesome and pretty darn universal.

Kids, let’s just say, are closer to knowing what they want than adults. It seems like they understand things, like a sense of humor, at a purer level. They appreciate a well-constructed sight gag right along with an ironic aside and that’s that. Kids know all the tropes. They know what adults find funny better than some adults realize. At the end of the day, kids get a good joke better than some older folk. Kids will accept something funny at a highly sophisticated level, whether it’s silly or surreal, or preferably both at the same time.

What “Henry Danger” does is live right in that kid humor zone. The creative team understands. They understand things like beloved characters are larger-than-life and can also suddenly explode. They appreciate that kids understand the great duality: fiction can be more real that everyday life while, at the same time, it’s also just fiction. There are numerous examples of how the show relishes breaking the fourth wall, as they say. Part of the fun comes from inverting and subverting. For starters, this is a wonderfully deadpan and absurd send-up of superheroes. Our superhero is simply known as Captain Man (played by Cooper Barnes) and his secret lair is, wait for it…the Man Cave.

Captain Man’s origin story is a perfect satire of all origin stories. Little Ray was simply too close to a crazy experiment that his mad scientist father was conducting. An accident led to Ray becoming indestructible. And this led to a relatively easy-going career as the superhero protector of the small town of Swellview. And, just as things started to get a little hectic, Ray hired a teenager, Henry Hart (played by Jace Norman), to be his assistant, aka Kid Danger. Both Cooper Barnes and Jace Norman exude a winning charm and exemplify what makes this show so smooth and fun to watch. Rounding out the inner circle are Henry’s closest friends, Charlotte (played by Riele Downs) and Jasper (played by Sean Ryan Fox). Everyone on the show contributes to a particularly zany vibe.

The first rule of comedy is that nothing is sacred. Kids witness all too often the strained looks of concern from adults. And kids know there’s hardly any reason for all the worry. Are we really having a crisis, mom? No, actually, we’re not. Maybe that’s why Henry’s parents (played by Kelly Sullivan and Jeffrey Nicholas Brown) are so utterly clueless. A pure act of rebellion from the writers! And when Henry’s little sister, Piper, (played by Ella Anderson) acts up and gives everyone a hard time with her rudeness and crazy demands, what should Henry do? Well, he could always take his nifty raygun, entrusted to him by Captain Man, and knock his sister out. Reasonable? No, but funny!

We are told that kids hunger for resolution. But have you asked a kid lately what he or she hungers for? When it comes to comedy, what’s most funny is the opposite of resolution. Just as the final scene is set to lull us back into a sense of security, that’s a perfect time to have things topple over. In one episode, the running gag is that no one is safe from falling off a rooftop, even after the last precaution is supposed to be in place. In another episode, Captain Man and Kid Danger have botched things up so badly with a neighborhood father and son that the only solution is to wipe away their memories and leave them in an alley. Disturbing? Yes, but funny!

It’s a combination of the writing and the particular actors. The writing is bubbling with irreverence and the actors run with the sophisticated absurd humor. The energy of the cast in undeniable. The chemistry is pitch perfect. It’s simply one of the smartest shows on television. You can see it Saturday at 8pm/7 central, on Nickelodeon. For more details, visit our friends at Nickelodeon right here.

And for a sneak peek at the next episode, “Elevator Kiss,” on this Saturday, visit Dan Schneider’s website right here.

Behold, “Lisa Simpson’s Guide to Geek Chic,” a new book by Matt Groening, published by Insight Editions. And, check this out, this book is part of the Vault of Simpsonology. Yes, once you’ve enjoyed this book, you can move on to books focusing on other Simpson characters.

Ah, but first, there’s Lisa Simpson and her particular view of the world. How about a periodic table, according to Lisa Simpson? Or her idea of what should be in everyone’s emergency kit. The Complete Works of Shakespeare, perhaps?

While this will win over any young reader, I have to say that this item transcends any age demographic in a very appealing way. This is, indeed, the perfect gift for anyone.

“Lisa Simpson’s Guide to Geek Chic” is available as of May 5, 2015. For more details, visit our friends at Insight Editions right here.

“Sexcastle” is funny stuff from a dude named Kyle Starks. You may know him from his offbeat, yet sophisticated, webcomics. Sexcastle will have you laughing right from the start. It’s mature content, as you’ll notice from all the less than polite language in the first panels, but it’s totally immature goofy content too. The thing is, it only seems to be a slapdash free-for-all. This is a very well-built comic.

We need more comics like this with an authentic energy about them. It looks simple and silly but simple and silly alone won’t keep your interest. Starks may not render the most complex characters and objects but he uses a keen sense of style to keep things moving along. I suspect he does his fair share of laying out and editing both on the art and the script.

Okay, Shane Sexcastle is supposed to be the ultimate professional assassin dude, like the character Bruce Willis plays in all the Die Hard action movies. Sexcastle seems to be a little more mellow, crude, and unfocused than John McClane ever was.

What makes this so funny is how in tune Sexcastle is to doing whatever he needs to do next. If a VIP pushes Sexcastle to do his bidding, Sexcastle just pushes back. If a child is crying, he swiftly confronts the kid to explain to him the only reasons anyone should be brought to tears. If a woman has been disrespected, he has no problem at all with pummeling the dirty perpetrator into submission. And the whole time, Sexcastle seems more comical than authoritative. He can’t help that. The guy is deadly serious and ready for trouble! As he puts it, “Trouble does my laundry.”

Image Comics collects the whole Sexcastle saga. Will there me more? Well, you never know. This collection should hold you for a while. In this adventure, Sexcastle is up to his neck in trouble, including a briefcase that’s a portal to the End of Days. Good thing he buried that in his friend’s backyard, right? But there’s even more trouble: The Assassin’s Union is hot on Shane Sexcastle’s trail!

“Sexcastle” is a 208-page trade paperback, published by Image Comics, priced at $15.99, for mature readers, and available now. For more details, visit our friends at Image Comics right here.

Eric Orner is one of the pioneers in LGBT comics. “The Completely Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green,” published by Northwest Press, is a great way to not only further establish him in the canon of LGBT comics, but simply to showcase the work of an excellent cartoonist.

All of us cartoonists can learn from Eric Orner. Just when you get that first wave of resistance, that’s when you push back a little harder. Orner had tales to tell, just like Howard Cruse before him and Alison Bechdel right alongside him, and they could not wait.

Orner’s comic strip ran in that fuzzy, chaotic, and bubbling time (1989-2005), before the internet and digital and then well into it. Orner grew as a person and as an artist. Collected here are some 300 of his groundbreaking comic strips. Well before Ellen DeGeneres was ready to come out, and perhaps a mainstream audience was ready to accept her, there was this comic strip. And casting the longest shadow, the less understood epidemic of AIDS, which Orner would address with both grace and thoughtful humor. Bit by bit, Orner was there to chronicle, in retrospect, a most confused and dangerous time–and it wasn’t that long ago and it’s still unfolding before us.

By 1997, the Ethan Green comic strip appeared in every large city and most mid-sized cities in the United States, as well as running in Canada and overseas. As Orner states in one of the section introductions, “Given that I wasn’t watering down the content, the fact that this very gay comic strip seemed to be building a readership among straight folks was a source of pride.”

Still, controversy could easily arise when least expected. It was also in 1997 that Baltimore’s alt-weekly, City Paper, had to fend off a church group that took great offense over a mild sex scene in the comic strip, something akin to soap opera content. Maybe they were just waiting for the very next depiction of two men making love anywhere to set them off.

Just as a comic strip unfraid to grow, Ethan Green stands out. As anyone who does a webcomic today can attest, there is an unrelenting grind that a cartoonist can succumb to. But, even in the earliest years, Orner was willing to push his artistic and literary limits. Right from the start, he aspired to reach greater heights of insight and downright zaniness. In one strip, circa 1990, he has The Hat Sisters attempt to save lives through time travel. For every vulnerable penis they find, they sheath it with a condom. Everything in the strip is in balance and it speaks volumes.

Towards the end of Ethan Green’s run, in 2005, a couple of young independent filmmakers from Hollywood adapted the comic strip into a movie. It premiered at the TriBeCa Film Festival and enjoyed a 19-city theatrical release in 2006.

Ultimately, Eric Orner’s comic strip enjoyed a great run. And now it is collected in this deluxe edition and off to begin a whole new life with old fans and new readers.

“The Completely Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green” is a 228-page trade paperback, black & white and in color, priced at $24.99, and available now. For more details, visit our friends at Northwest Press right here.

Alex Degen is working in a place that many cartoonists want to be working in. It’s a place of wonder and experimentation. He’s definitely someone I’d love to sit down and have a long talk with over tea, beer, whatever. What he does in this collection of comics hits close to home since it’s the sort of comics I like to create. I feel that I know a goodly amount about this as I’ve studied numerous similar work over the years and I know several cartoonists in a similar boat. That said, this is a pretty specific way of working.

Some label this type of cartooning as “dream logic” or “psychedelic.” What they mean is that the work evokes an anything-goes quality or follows a stream-of-consciousness narrative. This is seemingly loose work. But that doesn’t mean it’s a free pass to get sloppy. Instead, you want to be pretty clean and precise with your presentation in order to go to some weird places and have it read properly. All this Degen does quite well.

This book collects six parts of previous webcomics which add up to one wild journey. Each part ends with a “to be continued” and it provides an essential pause. I say this because that may help break things down a bit for you, if you’re totally new. What you’ll initially find is a world where it seems as if anything is liable to explode or melt or some such surreal craziness. Let’s get one thing straight, the definition of “cancatervater.” It means, “to heap into a pile.” Does that help? Well, does it? Okay, think of this Cancatervater as a most sinister force plotting to take over the world. Now, add Mighty Star, our superhero, to the mix.

What happens is, well, a little of everything. It’s science fiction, fantasy, manga, and bit of a bodice ripper. Twice, we have two pretty young women suddenly bare breasted. One is Bijoux, a typical manga type in skin-tight clothes. The other is far less obvious, an aerialist, Zoe Trala. In both cases, it seems that a certain amount of tension, made up of pent-up hormones and angst, has reached a point of no return. The women’s clothes are not ripped off of them. They simply find themselves without tops. So, needless to say, this book has mature content, more for older teens and above. In the end, this book is more cerebral than titillating.

It’s after this second incident with Zoe Trala’s missing top that more nudity is included but it has purpose. It’s always of a rather understated nature, not offensive or particularly gratuitous. And it leads us to one of the most compelling scenes in the narrative. Mighty Star’s journey leads him to a forest. And hanging from the trees are numerous naked bodies of both men and women. They aren’t hung dead bodies. No, instead, they fall from the trees just like apples. In fact, they each have a big apple stem where each head should be. This is the most explicit symbol of the forbidden knowledge that Mighty Star has been confronting all along.

All the characters here are elusive and enigmatic. Moreover, the superhero motif is not obviously vigorous but mysterious. In a setting for action there is farce and ambiguity. The style here is a somewhat rougher version of King City’s Brandon Graham. Offbeat. Off–kilter. Dialed back to just the right frequency. When you expect conflict, you may end up with a muffled sedate response. Sex. Violence. Superheroes. Leave it to a cartoonist like Alex Degen to balance all that with such a wry and ironic sensibility.

Yes, Alex, I’ll be waiting with tea, beer, or whatever. I’m sure we’d have one hell of a good talk.

MIGHTY STAR AND THE CASTLE OF THE CANCATERVATER is a 172-page, black & white, trade paperback, priced at $15.00, published by Koyama Press. For more details, visit our friends at Koyama Press right here.

Cover Artist: David Mack

Chuck Palahniuk writes the sequel to Fight Club as a comic book. There has to be something highly ironic about that. What would Tyler Durden think? In this case, it works. Palahniuk doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel. He just needs to show up. We’re picking up where we left off. Project Mayhem is history. After all the outrageous events from the hugely popular novel and movie, we find our main characters trying to live a normal life. Ah, and there’s the rub. Imagine it’s ten years later and Marla Singer has married Tyler Durden. Oh, he goes by “Sebastian” now and is very low-key.

A quick refresh, if you saw the movie years ago: The characters played by Helena Bonham Carter and Edward Norton got married! And they’ve got a kid now who is very disturbed. And Marla is quite dissatisfied, to say the least, with a docile and settled Tyler, er, Sebastian. If it weren’t for the pills, well, Sebastian might lose control. He might even go back to being the crazed man Marla once knew. And that’s okay with Marla.

This first issue sets the stage with a hot streak of conflict carried down the line by Marla. Artist Cameron Stewart nails the look of a woman on the verge of a breakdown. We see Marla twist and turn as she hungers for excitement only to see a neutered Tyler/Sebastian. Where’s the sex? The violence? The mayhem? Desperately, Marla tries to relive the old days by visiting support groups. One she seems to like is a group for those with Progeria Syndrome, severe aging. Marla tries her best but it’s just not the same.

It would have been very tempting to have gotten Cameron Stewart to go ahead with directly depicting the stars who made these characters such icons. Sure, I wouldn’t have minded seeing Edward Norton back with Helena Bonham Carter as they collide with Brad Pitt. That said, Stewart provides us with the next best thing. Marla may be his best out of the three of his takes on the characters. And the other two hold their own. Nothing like a woman scorned. This first issue belongs to Marla.

Of course, that’s not to say we’re not also seeing some pretty crazy stuff going on once Marla has done her part to light the fuse. No doubt, if you’re a fan of the novel and/or movie, or even if you’re completely new to all this, FIGHT CLUB 2 will appeal to you with its lively and quirky action.

So, like I say, Palahniuk is not reinventing the wheel. He was ahead of his time with the original Fight Club and we’ve all been catching up since then. Crazed consumer culture, a twisted value system, a mass of humanity all insular and selfish, it’s all on a high boil now. Fight Club 2 is on a high boil indeed.

FIGHT CLUB 2 #1 is a 32-page comic book, priced at $3.99, and is available as of May 27, 2015. For more details, visit our friends at Dark Horse Comics right here. Also be sure to visit the official FIGHT CLUB 2 website and the official Chuck Palahniuk fansite right here.

Also of interest:

The FIGHT CLUB 2 experience takes off on May 2 with a special Free Comic Book Day promotion you won’t want to miss. On Saturday May 2nd, Dark Horse Comics will debut one of the most anticipated comic book and literary events of the year with a FIGHT CLUB 2 story written by NEW YORK TIMES bestselling novelist Chuck Palahniuk, illustrated by Eisner Award winning artist Cameron Stewart and colored by award winning Dave Stewart. The Dark Horse Comics Free Comic Book Day Sampler includes a 14-page story that adapts the ending of the FIGHT CLUB novel (which fans will recall is different than the ending of the acclaimed film) and leads into the upcoming Dark Horse Comics FIGHT CLUB 2 comic book series. The first issue of FIGHT CLUB 2 will be available at comics shops, select book stores and digitally via the Dark Horse digital store and app on May 27th.

Dark Horse Comics has encouraged fans to further contribute to the mayhem with a guerilla marketing campaign utilizing the phrases “Tyler Durden Lives” and “Rize or Die” in order to win Easton Press limited, leather-bound editions of Palahniuk’s novels BEAUTIFUL YOU, FIGHT CLUB and SURVIVOR. Fans are encouraged to e-mail their photos and letters using the phrases “Tyler Durden Lives” and “Rize or Die” to: projectmayhem@darkhorse.com.

Mia Wasikowska gets inspired on Hollywood Boulevard.

David Cronenberg gets to thoroughly explore hallucinations, one of his favorite themes (see 1983’s Videodrome), in his latest film, “Maps to the Stars.” It’s those things you think you see that may turn out to be most real of all. Hollywood comes under scrutiny in a most diabolical way as we follow the steady disintegration of the film’s characters. And, among the doomed players, no one is more set for destruction than Agatha Weiss (played by Mia Wasikowska).

The screenplay by Bruce Wagner offers up a delicious send-up to the entertainment industry, its nefarious machinations, and dehumanizing power. Everyone is quite sick in the head here. And the cure is surely not to be found from a Dr. Phil parody, Dr. Stafford Weiss (played John Cusack). It’s his family that is at the epicenter to the disaster that awaits. And it is his daughter Agatha who, upon her arrival to Los Angeles, brings back all the ugliness and chaos to a family in crisis. At 18, she can no longer be held at bay in some Florida rehab clinic. All the chickens have come home to roost.

Cronenberg gives LA the treatment: No one can function naturally in Los Angeles. Everyone has a scheme. Everyone is afraid. Everyone seeks the artificial light. They zig and zag from swank homes to movie sets to Rodeo Drive. Everything being relative, a breakfast burrito can suddenly become the most prized possession, at least for a moment. Nothing shines for long in LA.

At the heart of the Weiss family is the younger child, Benjie Weiss (played by Evan Bird). In contrast to his father’s role as a therapist, Benjie, at 13, is an unstable child actor close to going down in flames. His dad, however, is not too far away from burning out himself as his practice is more of a carnival sideshow than anything serious. Rounding out the family circle is Christina Weiss (played by Olivia Williams). Her stage mother is on similar shaky ground.

The catalyst, and the destroyer, is Agatha. Wasikowska commands the screen with exceptional creepiness. It is comparable to Jake Gyllenhaal’s Louis Bloom in “Nightcrawler.” Through a series of insinuations, she manages to stake out a decent vantage point to the proceedings as a personal assistant to a fading movie actress, Havana Segrand (played by Julianne Moore). And Segrand proves a perfect match as she’s as crazed as Agatha in her own way. For one thing, she keeps battling with hallucinations of her mother, Clarice Taggart (played by Sarah Gadon). And she is certainly not alone when it comes to seeing things.

As a comeuppance, Benjie is spooked by what seems like the ghost of a young girl he was rude to during a publicity stop at a hospital. Benjie has been a very bad boy and yet he struggles with that. Old and jaded way beyond his years, he will often display poignant self-awareness. Bird delivers an impressive performance. And, while he may not be the star of the film in terms of name recognition, he clocks in a lot of screen time and proves to be the essential counterpoint to Agatha.

Another result of Agatha’s sly maneuvering is her dating a handsome aspiring actor with a day job as a chauffeur, Jerome Fontana (played by Robert Pattinson). This is Pattinson’s second Cronenberg film (see 2012’s Cosmopolis) and he makes the most of it. Playing a far less capable actor than himself, Pattinson presents for us, in his pivotal role, the perfect stooge and the perfect cad. Without a hint of irony, he says that he sees becoming a Scientologist as a good career move. He provides a fine example of how lost everyone is in this story while, at the same time, how aware everyone is of what they bargained for.

You know those optical illusions where you see an illustration of a boy fishing in a boat and then, once it’s flipped around, you see a bearded lady? Well, how about a vase that, once two shadows pull away, you see two living and breathing silhouettes of a couple of wiseguys? And how about if, once free, they commence to endlessly chatter about various things? Welcome to “Disillusioned Illusions,” the debut graphic novel by cartoonist Greg Stump. This sort of humor is brave and harder to pull off than it might seem. It does one thing in particular that requires skill and a certain temperament: it messes with you, tries your patience, and dares you to see it through to the end.

Panel excerpt from “Disillusioned Illusions,” by Greg Stump

Now, I read and go out and see my fair share of absurdist humor and theater. I get the joke. Good or bad, this sort of thing is more likely to try my patience than not. Stump’s book reminds me of Dash Shaw’s “Bottomless Belly Button,” also published by Fantagraphics. It too is a prime example of something out to test the reader, see how far it can go with subverting expectations. In the case of Shaw’s work, the reader must be willing to take a leap of faith with intentionally arty/bad drawing and meandering plot, and is ultimately rewarded with an offbeat story. But, first, they are forced to decide to stick around as opposed to coast along with something more familiar. I mean, say, Batman is never going to force you to decide. Well, at least the intention is not there.

Panel excerpt from “Disillusioned Illusions,” by Greg Stump

And so, these two wiseguys banter back and forth. The layout and composition is decidedly minimal. And to what end? Is it only to try your patience? Or is it also to stack together something interesting? Or, still, maybe it’s all meant to exist as this offbeat amusement. Let’s look closer. Oh, wait, let’s work with the idea that each silly moment of farce is building on to the next. The two guys begin by figuring out what their roles are. They appreciate the fact that they’re in a “graphic novel.” They realize that graphic novels are supposed to be cool and marketable. And, the longer, the better. So, they begin by padding the content and altering the page count.

The two wiseguys bicker over whether one should wear a vase as a hat. And then a new character, identical to the first two, is brought in to attempt to spice things up. His name is Rodney and it seems his main purpose is to underscore how little plot there is. In the course of events, you do get the feeling that Stump is bringing in anything and everything that might come across his mind. He definitely evokes a frantic and unstable improv comedy set.

Page from “Disillusioned Illusions,” by Greg Stump

Give any artist enough room and maybe they begin to reveal something about themselves or at least about their process. In the case of Greg Stump, he is a notorious kidder. He will pull your leg until he pulls it right off your torso. And then he’ll swing your severed leg above him as he yells out a battle cry. But he is also a meticulous craftsman. Remarkably, what you end up with here is a lot of very funny dialogue and a plot that does grow in a genuinely intriguing and entertaining way. And, most important of all, you will laugh.

All in all, I have to admit that this book grew on me. When it comes to wacky humor, I am open to just about anything. And I conclude here that perhaps it doesn’t matter if the reader or Stump has the last laugh. Because, yes, there is that prankster element running throughout. But the saving grace is an inventive spirit that also runs right along with the smart aleck foolishness. And there are a number of twists and turns as, indeed, one silly element stacks upon another. For those who love offbeat and experimental work, this will definitely appeal to you. Furthermore, just like an optical illusion, there is more here than first meets the eye.

“Disillusioned Illusions” is a 356-page paperback, published by Fantagraphics. You can find it by visiting our friends at Fantagraphics right here.

“Intro to Alien Invasion,” published by Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, is a cheeky story about what happens when extraterrestrials take over a secluded liberal arts college nestled in the Vermont hills. All is not quiet and mellow at Fenton College once the biggest life lesson of all opens the eyes, and tears the limbs off, a bunch of sheltered and pampered brats.

Member of the library staff caught in sheer terror.

In the same spirit as “Rushmore” and “Animal House,” it’s the exceptions to the rule, the small fringe element of misfit students, that will prove their mettle and perhaps save everyone else’s sorry asses. This very funny graphic novel has some great talent behind it. Owen King is author of the novel, “Double Feature.” And Mark Jude Poirier is the screenwriter of the 2013 film, “Hateship Loveship,” starring Kristen Wig. The artwork is by newcomer Nancy Ahn.

Much of the story revolves around nerdy and mousy Stacey, an otherwise brilliant mind, who is vulnerable beyond measure. Bumbling Professor Evans, plans to exploit his status as an expert in astrobiology, and lure Stacey into his snare. And then there’s a huge change in plan. Something that the professor smuggled back from Siberia has come to life.

The story will bog down a bit when it gets to a lot of explaining as to the what and the why about goopy things running amok on campus. Really, at some point, nobody cares anymore and have settled in for a gross-out yuck-fest which this book happily provides. That said, these asides don’t ever last too long and, in the spirit of Lisa Simpson, are edifying in their own weird way. There are times too when Ahn’s loose style will get rather too loose and slack. That can be attributed to some extent to the easygoing, and unconventional, narrative. Honestly, I’m not sure if I’d want this book done any other way considering the offbeat vision.

As it seems to be de rigueur in even the most crass humor, a tender thoroughly sensitive love story is included here. It proves to give an overall nice balance to the belly laughs and/or mild amusement you’ll find here depending upon your temperament. It’s a credit to the writing that it actually does work. You have characters here that you grow to care about. It’s not just Stacey and some creepy prof but all of Stacey’s friends and frenemies. At the end of the day, this is a fun book and will appeal to a lot people, like fans of “The Simpsons” and “Adventure Time,” which is, at last count, a whole lot of people. “Intro to Alien Invasion” is a 224-page black & white trade paperback, available as of September 15th. You can find it at Amazon right here. Visit our friends at Simon & Schuster right here.

Finally, “Wonder Woman Earth One” by Grant Morrison. I nearly fell out of my chair when I found out it was released!

Yes, “Wonder Woman Earth One” has been out since April but I had completely lost track. It’s been years, and years. You know, since the first teasing out of news of Grant Morrison possibly writing a Wondy book. He had said he’d turn her into the woman she was always meant to be or some such hogwash. I mean, who cared about the faux psychoanalysis, really? But Grant Morrison is a solid guy with a fun and creative mind. He could write something interesting, perhaps too interesting! So, that’s why DC Comics settled upon giving him an Earth One story to do, something that allowed him to flex his muscles and ooze his juices as he pleased–and it would remain outside of proper Wonder Woman canon or whatnot.

Alright then, so what did we end up with?? All of you comics geeks already know, right? But I don’t care so much about superhero comics. Well, I sort of take that back. It needs to be interesting! Do you get that? I know a lot of you out there do get that. Okay, here is where I leave my placeholder. I will drop in an ellipsis, a bunch of dot, dot, dots, like this “…..” and that lets me know to come back to it in due time. You know why I’m telling you this? Because I just realized I won’t be coming back to this for yet another long, long while. How about April 12, 2016!!

The following is the latest teaser from DC Comics. Read it and you’ll find the familiar Wonder Woman origin story. So, I’m not sure why Grant Morrison would need to tell this retread of a tale. Is a story that so closely follows canon a story that requires a writer like Grant Morrison who is only supposed to be summoned to completely blow your mind? Well, just saying:

Following tradition of Superman, Batman, Teen Titans comes Wonder Woman Earth One in 2016. Earth One is a series of Graphic Novels set in a new universe separate from the current DC Universe.

From the masterful minds of Grant Morrison (FINAL CRISIS, THE MULTIVERSITY) and Yanick Paquette (SWAMP THING, BATMAN, INC.) comes the most provocative origin of Wonder Woman you’ve ever seen — a wholly unique retelling that still honors her origins.

For millennia, the Amazons of Paradise Island have created a thriving society away from the blight of man. One resident, however, is not satisfied with this secluded life — Diana, Princess of the Amazons, knows there is more in this world and wants to explore, only to be frustrated by her protective mother, Hippolyta. Diana finds her escape when Air Force pilot Steve Trevor, the first man she has ever seen, crashes onto their shores. With his life hanging in the balance, Diana ventures into the long forbidden world of men. The Amazons chase after her and bring her back to Paradise Island in chains to face trial for breaking their oldest law…staying separated from the world that wronged them.

Thought provoking yet reverent, thoroughly modern but still timeless, the power and courage of Paradise Island’s greatest champion — Wonder Woman — is introduced in this new addition to DC’s New York Times best selling Earth One original graphic novel series.

I love good stuff that is for all ages because you can easily share it with family and friends and it’s hitting universal chords. That brings me to a book you will want to get for yourself and anyone you know looking for something odd and compelling: “Adventure Time: The Enchiridion & Marcy’s Super Secret Scrapbook!!!” Yes, that’s a mouthful but for very good reason. I am guessing that you’re familiar with the celebrated animated series, Adventure Time, on Cartoon Network. Am I right? If not, think of it as offbeat humor of a rare kind like such classics as Rocky and Bullwinkle and Bugs Bunny.

The world of Adventure Time invovles some very funny misadventures along with a very colorful cast of characters. Lots of magic. Lots of weird humor. And a heck of a lot of style and whipsmart goings-on. Set in a post-apolalyptic world, there is nary a zombie to be found here but loads of other curious creatures. The authors of this two-books-in-one are, among other things, voice talent on the show. Olivia Olson is Marceline the Vampire Queen and Martin Olson is her father, Hunson Abadeer.

From The Enchiridion by Martin Olson

Do yourself a big favor and get a book that covers all this and then some, “The Adventure Time Encyclopaedia: Inhabitants, Lore, Spells, and Ancient Crypt Warnings of the Land of Ooo Circa 19.56 B.G.E. – 501 A.G.E.” I know, another mouthful, but hey, that’s how these guys roll. This book was written by Martin Olson who is a highly regarded writer. You may know him from “Encyclopaedia of Hell: An Invasion Manual for Demons Concerning the Planet Earth and the Human Race Which Infests It.” Now, that book is so cool that it is listed among The Top Ten Funniest Books of All Time by Geoffrey James, contributing editor at Inc.com. Read that here.

Okay, this is what happened. The creator of Adventure Time, Pendleton Ward, was so impressed with the work of Martin Olson that he brought him on board to write about Adventure Time. Now, fast forward to this year, Martin Olson is taking things further and has enlisted his daughter, Olivia Olson, to help make this latest Adventure Time book a reality. And, yes, you read correctly, this is literally two books in one! You get the fabled Enchiridion, the infamous book found in the animated series. Plus, you get an in depth look into the inner world of Marceline The Vampire Queen, one of the most intriguing characters on the show.

From Marcy’s Super Secret Scrapbook!!! by Olivia Olson

Allow me one digression: there actually is another Enchiridion! It is a book filled with advice for gentleman originally published in 125 AD. It was written by Arrian, a 2nd-century disciple of the Greek philosopher Epictetus. And it offers bits of wisdom that you can boil down to one main theme: recognize what you’re in control of and you’ll lead a happy life. Ah, there is beauty in the spinning of universal truth. It sounds like something that Jake, the philosopher/party animal magical dog on the show would say. Some things never change.

The universal truth of the matter is that both Martin Olson and Olivia Olson offer you quite a special treat with this book. It is remarkable how well it all lives up to its ambition. It is the equivalent of handing to a fan of the show something snatched right off the screen that actually lives and breathes. Martin Olson turns in a virtuoso work of humor. And Olivia Olson proves to be an insightful and heartfelt author as well.

“Adventure Time: The Enchiridion & Marcy’s Super Secret Scrapbook!!!” is a 224-page hardcover in full color, published by Abrams, with illustrations by some of the leading cartoonists working today.