Sad Animals
by Adam Meuse
Self-Published

Depending on your mood, you will either find Sad Animals mildly amusing or totally hilarious.  When I bought it a few weeks ago I thought it was clever.  Today though, it’s really entertaining me.  I don’t know how the gags got funnier, but they did.

Sad Animals has been sitting near the register at Big Brain Comics in Minneapolis for over a year now.  I took my sweet time buying it, for sure.  I mean, it’s kind of a breezy read.  You could easily finish the whole mini just waiting for Michael Drivas to bag your books.  When I finally broke down and got it, Drivas was kind enough to tell me the history of Sad Animals and its legacy at his store.

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If you ask Nathan Gelgud to draw something, he probably will.  Recently, he drew a page of famous dogs for a guy to give to his wife.  No joke.  Proof positive that dirt-cheap dudes and low-brow ladies are a match made in heaven.

For a sample of his diary strips and baseball portraits, check out his art blog called Take the Soda Free and Jet. You can also find issues 1-2 of his series Simon’s Soup at Desert Island in Brooklyn, NY, or buy them online through his etsy shop.

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Comics on Fire #1
by Paul Hack
Self-published

Paul Hack is a great name for a cartoonist.  I hope he invented it for himself, but maybe he was just born lucky.

Comics on Fire #1 is full of short gag comics about outerspace, science, life and household objects.  Basically it’s mash-up of different styles and ideas with the common thread of comedy.

The humor is what makes this a cohesive book, despite the diverse subjects and artistic styles.  So whereas some first or experimental mini-comics come off as a jumble of dissimilar ideas leading you to different conclusions about the author’s intent or ability, the point of Comics on Fire #1 is always to make you laugh, and Hack hits the mark every time.

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Fatal Faux-Pas
by Samuel C. Gaskin
Secret Acres

‘Maybe I shouldn’t review this,’ I thought for a month. ‘Sam Gaskin is ripping off a lot of people. He could get into some trouble.’ However, it’s all done in the spirit of parody, so give the guy a break.

The title alone is a Faux pas. There’s no dash in Faux pas! Too too clever. There’s an extra jab in here for everyone, from “The Amazingly Incredible Spider-Man” to “Copy-Cat Comics & Stories.” He lampoons television too. “Learn to Sit with Slater” is a total crack up as is “Fonzie’s Funnies.”

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