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