Comic Bookshelf: The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil

Don't let these terrible scans dissuade you from reading Collins' excellent Beard book.

More and more frequently the books I purchase for pleasure are those that fall into the graphic novel genre. Yes, I have read "comic books" for the overwhelming majority of my life, but it is only within the last year that I have begun committing financial resources to the purchase of graphic novels. While trolling a comic book review site recently, I came across The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil by Stephen Collins.

Dave, the story's protagonist,
goes about his hairless,
repetitive life...

When you seek this title out, stay away from any water cooler analysis provided by hipster bookstore employees who will describe the graphic novel (as it was in the "Employees Choices" shelf at my local bookstore) as "Burton-esque," as in filmmaker Tim Burton. Any credibility that type of witty endorsement might have carried a decade ago severely downplays how good this book actually is. After reading Gigantic Beard,  a  more worthy comparison might be made to the better known works of George Orwell and Aldous Huxley.

... until all "hair" breaks
loose, that is!

With a dry British temperament, Collins has crafted an allegory for much of what troubles society today: a strict adherence to a clean, shiny conformity and the vilification of people and places that qualify as "the other."

Our (almost entirely) hairless protagonist, Dave, is the unlikely bearer of the unruly facial hair of the title. He, and seemingly the entire population of his hometown on the island Here, live extremely structured lives filled with antiseptic environments and repetitive hobbies (for example, Dave sits and draws the same location daily... every. single. day). Interestingly though, Here is not devoid of creative outlets, though they too are generic and structured. In addition to Dave's aforementioned past time, there are construction workers, engineers and hair stylists who each demonstrate level of creativity and are ultimately drawn into a variety of possible resolutions to the aftermath of the Gigantic Beard event.

Part fable and part fairy
tale, Gigantic Beard
is all engaging!

Without giving too much more of the plot away, the creative black and white artwork establishes and reinforces the dystopian (though that might not be just the right adjective--"bland" is more accurate) setting, and a mix of traditional and unique panel designs give Collins-as-visual-storyteller plenty of opportunity to shine. The combination of words and pictures work cooperatively to reveal a crisp narrative style that leaves the reader (intentionally, I suspect) with questions that can only be answered from his or her individual perspective.

The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil by Stephen Collin is a great example of just why I have become so smitten with the genre: it offers a good message, in a unique format, and (Most importantly) is highly re-readable. Very reasonably priced at $20 (if you buy regular comic books you'll know why that is a great price), it is a volume that I look forward to returning to myself, in addition to sharing with my younger charges, both the students I teach and my own children.

Comic Bookshelf: Owly, Vol.1

Owly from "The Way Home," written and drawn by Andy Runton.

I am frequently reminding my students the value of reading novels and magazines outside their comfort zones as a means of expanding and diversifying their reading experiences. Once in a while I even take my own advice. Though I have occasionally dabbled in reading and collecting all-ages comic books (most notably The Intrepid Escapegoat), of late not too much has appealed to my inner child enough to warrant a buy. That is, until I came across a few panels of Owly online and requested my local comic shop to procure a copy of his earliest published adventures, Owly, Vol. 1 by Andy Runton, the first collection of the character's stories published by Top Shelf Productions.

Owly is a kind, yet lonely, little owl who's always on the lookout for new friends and adventure. The first volume in the series contains two stories, "The Way Home" and "The Bittersweet Summer," wherein Owly discovers the meaning of friendship, and that saying goodbye doesn't always mean forever. Owly's stories are unique in that his adventures are wordless (silent) and, at least in this early volume, in black and white. The only "verbal" interaction between characters taking place are in rare, brief word balloon enclosed pictographs (as in the panels below to the right).

This emphasis on symbols and expressive character actions to move the narrative forward showcases Runton considerable (and appealing) storytelling skills. Unusual among such comic strip style comic books, the depth of characterization also lends Owly to a surprising level of re-readability, a quality most comic books in general often lack. As one migth expect, each of Owly's adventures reinforces some appropriate attributes about the nature of friendship and loss--themes that while certainly appropriate for an all-ages book are not to be dismissed as necessary for hardened adult readers to be reminded of too. Lack of awareness of Owly is a case of bad fanboy form on my part as the Owly series has earned Runton quite a bit of recognition in the comics and graphic novel community, including a Harvey and Eisner Award.

From "The Bittersweet Summer."

The first story in this graphic novel, "The Way Home", introduces Owly as a sweet and caring soul who inexplicably has difficulty making friends with other birds. This inability to be accepted by his own kind does not however preclude Owly from assisting a down-on-his-luck worm, suitably named Wormy, who has been separated from his family. As Owly helps Wormy find his family, a friendship develops with a moving resolution. (SPOILER: It is clear from the covers of other Owly books that he and Wormy remain close comrades.)

The second story,"The Bittersweet Summer," shows Owly and Wormy seeking to extend their circle of friends, this time with a pair of hummingbirds. Of course, when summer ends, the hummingbirds leave, until... I won't ruin it for you, but I can only imagine the conversation shared with parents reading this with younger readers regarding the definition of "bittersweet." Tiny gateways, such as this well placed word, to both visual and vocabulary literacy abound throughout both stories.

Beginning with the collection's dedication to Runton's mother, who "brought the joy of little birds into [his] life", the author's appreciation of nature and birds is clear. Subtle nods to observable bird behaviors echo through the stories in such a way as (I would reckon) to influence some to stop and watch the trees and skies for the same sort of nuanced expressive actions shared by Owly. Perhaps as a result of Runton's selected storytelling conventions (silent, black and white), the whole product is illustrative of the idea that less is more, from the images to the nuanced actions of the anthropomorphic characters.

Reasonably priced at $10 a volume, the Owly series, including Owly, Vol. 1: The Way Home and The Bittersweet Summer, are available at most excellent local comic shops. Highly recommended for all ages, but especially for those with younger children or the fanboy with a slightly hardened heart.

Comic Book Flashback: Woodsy Owl (1973)

Woodsy and the gang lend a hand to protect the land in Woodsy Owl #2 (1973).

Completely on a lark, I recently purchased some wa-a-a-ay back issues of a children's comic book I vaguely recalled from my very childhood, though I don't recall ever actually having read them. Woodsy Owl was a staple of Saturday morning children's television programming when I was a youngster. During the 1970's, there were few options for television programming, so Saturday morning's the place to be was (in my house anyway) on the floor in front of the televising watching whatever fabulous new Hannah-Barbara shows were being premiered.

Cover to issue #8 (1973).

Filling in the gaps along with commercials were public service announcements starring Woodsy. Woodsy's association with children's TV, as well as his popularity as a tool for anti-pollution eventually resulted in him having his own comic book published.

A few days ago I received a box from online retailer MyComicShop.com which included five issues of the Gold Key/Western Publishing series, Woodsy Owl. The entire series consisted of ten issues in  all released from 1973-1975. None of the issues I bought were in anywhere near "Fine" condition, but that was not why I purchased them in the first place. It is just kind of neat to have in my hands something that was released when I was four years-old, hand wanted, and am only now reading some forty years later.

Each issue tells the story of Woodsy and his friends (Loose Moose, Dinah Duck, Robby Raccoon, musical group The Auntie Polluters, and Bitsy among others) battling all types of pollution as well as presenting (a in a childlike manner) the impact of pollution on the environment. Perhaps foreshadowing the modern day comic book approach of having each cover be more of a pin-u than a refection of the book's contents, each cover of Woodsy Owl is a PSA all it's own asking the reader to "Give a Hoot!"

From Woodsy Owl #6: our hero convinces his friend to cross-dress so he can
have more time for his radio broadcasting career (seriously)!

Though only slightly anachronistic, Woodsy Owl remains an entertaining read all these years later. In some ways, I continue to believe that writing a quality all-ages title is much more challenging than a "dark" modern-superhero one, much in the same way I find the use of profanity in creative writing to often be a cheat. This challenge of entertaining on numerous levels is something that each issue of Woodsy Owl does well, even by today's (likely less discerning) entertainment standards.

Unfortunately, Woodsy Owl has never been collected into a trade paperback, but it is however available for purchase either online or in some longer-lived shops, at a reasonable price. The price is reasonable, that is, as long as it is an "entertainment" investment," rather than a speculative, financial one. I, for one, believe that's what comic book purchases should be anyway.

NBIM, Day 16: Sock Monkey (1998)

Clean line work + formal, anitquated dialogue + a delusional pair of stuffed protagonists = Comic Book Gold.

There was a period of time that, as a comic book collector, I became very disenchanted by the product that was being churned out by the big two (DC and Marvel) publishers, and as result, turned to small press comics for my graphic story jones. During this time I also became much more enamored of comic book stories that didn't necessarily deal with super heroics, but rather with the common place doing heroic things. Enter: Sock Monkey.



"A Comical Adventure."

Written and drawn by Tony Millionaire, Sock Monkey follows the adventures of Uncle Gabby, the stuffed animal of the title, along with his friends, most notably the hard-drinking toy crow, suitably named simply Mr. Crow. In this first issue, together the two try to reach the "castle in the clouds" that Uncle Gabbey comes across in the library of the New York brownstone in which he somehow resides.

Though the protagonist and his world, on the surface, suggest a quaint all-ages book, things are not as they seem. As Uncle Gabby and Mr. Crow make a variety of attempts to reach the "Elysian fields" high above the room, they find themselves moving closer and closer to peril and doom. Much of their interaction with one another and the others who inhabit their world (ants freed from an ant farm, real crows who mock the artificial Mr. Crow) lead to nihilistic ends. Despite the attractive, neat black and white line work, and antiquated gentlemanly character dialogue, the darkness of the world cannot be stopped from creeping in. Even the subtitle on the cover declaring this "A Comical Adventure" is something of a misnomer--there is fun and adventure but the comedy is dry and requires deeper reading.

Wrapped in a pretense that suggests "children's book," on a deeper level, it really is more mature in its narrative. But like much good entertainment (Family Guy, and in years past The Simpsons), Sock Monkey works on both levels and would seem to have some entertainment value for even the youngest reader. One may want to assure younger readers, though, that the issue's conclusion, which implies a rather permanent end for our "heroes," is somewhat mitigated with the subsequent publication of two issue miniseries featuring the same cast of characters.

All three Sock Monkey series, as well as one-shot graphic novels, are very likely available in the deepest bowels of your community's most established local comic shop, as well as being available for purchase online in trade paperback or single issue form.

NBIM, Day 4: Franklin Richards, Son of a Genius (2006)

Cover to Franklin Richards, Son of a Genius #1 by Chris Eliopoulos and Marc Sumerak.

A Fantastic Four fan since childhood, there were periods of time where I would purchase nearly any book even remotely associated with the cast. Among those myriad, miniseries, one-shots and team-ups were more than a few "misses" when it came to quality. Fantastic Four Presents: Franklin Richards, Son of a Genius Everybody Loves Franklin, despite it's somewhat cumbersome title, however stands as one of the most pleasant surprises. The second in a series of one-shots devoted to Chris Eliopoulos and Marc Sumerak's Calvin and Hobbes-esque interpretation of Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman's youngest child, Everybody Loves Franklin sets the character loose in a less-than-dangerous Marvel Universe.

The one-shot includes three stories, "Christmas Time Warp", "My Dinner with Doom(bots)", "Frankie, My Dear...", and "Now You See Me..." With a surprisingly cool iteration of H.E.R.B.I.E. the robot playing babysitter and straight man, Franklin travels through time, interacts with the evil Doctor Doom and, worst of all, needs to deal with Katie Power--who has a hu-u-u-ge crush on him.

The Calvin and Hobbes comparisons are easy to see in these panels from page 5.

This issue strikes me as a great back issue buy for a number of reasons. First, it is the rare true one-shot which requires no previous reading of the character to gain maximum enjoyment from the reading experience. Though the "real" Franklin has decades of complex back story, Eliopoulos and Sumerak's clean slate approach winks and nods at canon, but offers storytelling that appeals to even the uninitiated. Secondly, it is the (unfortunately) rare all-ages book that will have appeal to youngsters (and adults) who, unaware of Fantastic Four continuity, will enjoy the goofy action and wonderful visuals. It may also serve as a gateway comic to some of Marvel's recent, more common all-ages books tied into their film universe.

Fantastic Four Presents: Franklin Richards, Son of a Genius Everybody Loves Franklin is very likely available among the stacks at your local comic store at the $2.99 original cover price, or for much less in reduced price bins and longboxes.

Ghosts of FCBD Past: My Favorite Martian (2012)

Who among us wouldn't prefer roast quimf?

Though I was once again unable to officially make it to Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) this past May due to work engagements, I did pick up some of the offerings the following Thursday for the reasonable price of $1. One of the many nice things about FCBD is that smaller publishers who have a little bit less name recognition (and whose publications are often not to as easy to sample unless you are looking for something specific) have their wares on the table along with the Batmans and Avengers of the comic book world.

Uncle Martin's expression?
Priceless.

When I first saw the list of possible titles available this past May, one that I looked very forward to picking up was a sampling of stories from the forthcoming My Favorite Martian Special Edition, published by Hermes Press.

The draw for me was both an affinity for the classic television show starring Bill Bixby and Ray Walston, as well as the artwork by Silver Age great Dan Spiegle that I had seen in online previews. Plus, it seemed like an entertaining concept entailing what comic books, for me anyway, should really be about in the end: fun. As the television show aired  (1963-66) before I was born, I came to it like many folks my age, via reruns on early 1980s "super channels" out of Chicago and New York. Also, I first was introduced to both leads by their Eighties success; Ray Walston through his movies like Fast times at Ridgemont High and Robert Altman's Popeye, and Bill Bixby on The Incredible Hulk. 

Besides, who's favorite relative at some point in their young lives is not their uncle? A television show starring two interesting actors of the time eith a concept that had one (Bixby) passing the other (Walston) off as his uncle, while in fact harboring a Martian was gold. Think I Dream of Jeannie but with two dudes; though Jeannie premiered after Martian in 1965.

The comic book adventures of Martin and Tim took a moment to get used to as most of the episodes I recall watching were in black and white, while the comic is in color, and I've always thought of Walston as having grey hair. The coloring in the comic uses the age old trick of having two protagonists who share physical similarities and for whom the most obvious differentiating factor is hair color and style, Martin with a blond Caesar-cut, and Tim with a standard black with side-part deal.

The primary story, "Destination Mars," does what many old school comic book tie-ins attempt: to take the show's original concept and "heighten the budget" by including activities that might be too expensive to produce on network television. In addition to the standard sitcom witty repartee between the  characters, this comic book story (and presumable the rest of the larger collection for which the image to the right is the cover) includes high budget goodies such as a working rocket ship and suitably Sixties robots.

Though I'm unsure whether I could afford to drop the $49.99 for the hardcover My Favorite Martian the Complete Series: Volume One, the FCBD offering did fro me what I had hoped it would by providing a light story reminiscent of those I enjoyed on television and in comic books during my youth.

Ghosts of FCBD Past: The Intrepid Escapegoat (2011)

Debonair magician-entertainer extraordinaire... Thomas Fleet... The Intrepid Escapegoat!

Though I have yet to ever "officially" participate in a Free Comic Book Day event (not for lack of desire... weekends in the month of May are chock full of Track and Field meets, so my coaching duties prevent me from attending), I do enjoy purchasing the "free" comics the following week. Even though they are not acquired for free, the price is usually nominal, anywhere from a buck or two depending on how rare the freebie is. In many cases, the comic is not simply a reprint of an older issue, but often is a small part of the larger continuity of the publisher and/or character. What this means to the collector is that "these stories matter" if you are looking to maintain a run that includes all stories in the character's canon.

With Free Comic Book Day 2012 (FCBD to online afficianadoes) coming up soon, I'll occasionally take a look back at some of the not-so-freebies I've acquired over the past few years, starting today with a selection from last May from independent publisher Th3rd World Studios, The Intrepid Escapegoat written and illustrated by Brian Smith.

This issue serves as an introduction to the character of Thomas Fleet, the eponymous escapegoat. An all-ages book, Thomas' world is populated by both anthropomorphic animal and human characters, all of whom interact with no regard for their differences. One of the excellent attributes of this introductory issue is that it does no introducing of the main character; the reader picks up Thomas in the middle of an adventure and we learn about him as he goes through the story. While in Egypt on tour (did I mention that Thomas, in addition to being a collector of artifacts, is also a world-famous touring magician?), Thomas is doublecrossed by a fez wearing snake (red flag!) who needs a trinket in Fleet's possession to unlock a "the ultimate power."

The quest for this power ultimately results in the addition of a certain mummy princess to Fleet's inner circle. The Intrepid Escapegoat's introduction in this issue was followed soon thereafter with the monthly release of the equally funtastic (pun intended) three-issue miniseries Curse of the Buddhas Tooth., also worth checking out as it is still availalbe through your local comic shop.

Another great facet of FCBD is that the complimentary issues often also feature flip-comics, such as this one, with two-in-one issues such as this. The Intrepid Escapegoat also features a preview of a series called The Stuff of Legend (with story by Brian Smith, too) ,which "continues the saga of the New York Times bestselling graphic novel." I'd never heard of the title before and its odd (creepy?) toy-character designs were not all that appealing to this reader... but what the heck, it was "free" after all!