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.

Sad Animals was written by an artist in North Carolina named Adam Meuse.  He doesn’t usually make comics.  Meuse is a fine artist who makes a living on portraiture.  I assumed his book was sitting at Big Brain for so long because nobody was buying it.  Apparently though, it’s a local best-seller.  Drivas can’t stock enough of these, and Meuse just sits around waiting for orders while rolling in cash (one assumes).  I’m a little in awe, but that’s mostly the jealousy.  Who wouldn’t kill to have one great mini that basically sold itself?  I’ve since learned that it’s also a best-seller at Skylight Books in Los Angeles.

The idea of the book is simple.  One gag per page, illustrating a wild animal introspecting.  Take the fish who thinks ‘I’m one dumb motherfucker’ or the bulldog who realizes he’s fat.  This is ridiculous shit.  It’s good for a re-read, good for a gift, good for impressing your friends, good for the spirit.

The book is $4 and that’s money well-spent.  You can order it online through Atomic Books or pressure your local store to stock it.  Warn them though, it has a tendency to fly off the shelves.

– Sarah Morean

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.

- Sarah Morean

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.

The delightful irony of Hack’s name comes from his strong voice as a writer. He picks situations and tells jokes that would be total groaners in the wrong hands, but the pace is so quick and his point so apparent, that he’s really right for…I hate to say it…”bad” comedy.  Because he’s so GOOD at it!  Like a favorite Uncle who turns all your anecdotes into puns at Thanksgiving dinner.  Hack’s comics are witty, but so plentiful (at least one per page in this book) that it might be difficult for the reader to constantly appreciate it.

His comedic timing and wordplay come across even stronger because of his childish drawings.  The words hang strong right on top of his simple art, make you laugh, and when your eye returns to the art for confirmation of the joke, you realize he’s actually pretty great at expressive communication as well.  And because the art is kind of simple, your eye doesn’t linger too long on it, which keeps up the pace and makes the jokes punchy and fun.  It’s a winning combination, and a good example of simplicity done well.

Comics on Fire #1 is a really enjoyable book.  If it’s offered to you as a trade, snap it up.  Otherwise, try getting it for $3 by contacting the author through his blog.

- Sarah Morean

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.”

The bulk of it all makes Fatal Faux-Pas so great. The tireless string of groaners and pale artistry would seem lame if they’d been parsed out into minis, but Secret Acres has helped pull together Sam Gaskin’s gags, parodies and non sequiturs into something substantially giggle-worthy. It’s so bad it’s gone back to good again. Like a Dad Joke. Or memories of adolescence.

The cover is dead gorgeous and the back cover, which illustrates the conclusion of the man’s bear encounter, comically breaks your heart. Through and through, this book is rad. A word that might have been conjured by multiple Saved by the Bell references, but consequentially is what I really think.

It’s 96 pages, it’s $10, it’s got purple ink! It’s available from Secret Acres.

- Sarah Morean