Mechaboys

I have stated before that James Kochalka's work is hit or miss for me. There are some books I have really enjoyed, like Monkey Vs. Robot, the first two Johnny Boo books, and Superf*ckers. I also respected and mostly appreciated his long running American Elf webcomic, too. Still, there are some of his works that I pretty much despise, like the later volumes of Johnny Boo or the first Glorkian Warrior book. Still, the man was named cartoonist laureate of Vermont, and I feel his best work might be the adolescent superhero angst-fest Superf*ckers, so I gave this book, which has a high school setting, a shot. In the end, I feel it may have crystalized my feelings toward his work: there were parts of it I liked and parts of it that left me perplexed and cold.

Mechaboys is another sideways tale of adolescent angst and intrigue. It stars two friends named Jamie and Zachery who build a mechasuit out of lawn mower parts. They are not very popular, and are often the butt of jokes and bullying by larger, more athletic boys named Truck and Duck. They plan to use the suit to gain some level of respect, by somehow pushing back against the bullies. I feel that this book is strongest when it explores these teen's relationships with each other and the various high school cliques. Also, these interactions are the source of much of the book's heart and humor. The school setting also has its share of positive bits, such as the boys' antagonistic (in more ways than one, it turns out) relationship with their PE teacher Mr. B.

 

 

Once the duo successfully test-run the suit, Zachery jerk-factor gets dialed to 11 and he gets a little drunk on the power, insisting on being called Zeus. Jamie seems a little more socially well-adjusted, perhaps because he has a potential girlfriend he keeps talking to. However, the entire enterprise takes a dark turn toward the end when Zachery hatches a plan to kill everyone at the prom using the mechasuit. That last sequence where the plan is enacted is a bit troubling for me. First off, the set-up makes the stakes very high, and the fictional context takes on some real-world import. After all, school shootings are horrific and all-too-frequent in the US, and I feel that Kochalka strongly portrays how such a plot might be developed by disaffected teens. The tale does not sugarcoat that reality on the front end, but the plan takes a farcical turn that defuses any of that horror and potential commentary or exploration. Instead, the proceedings devolve into slapstick, and the book becomes very light-hearted, tending toward the ridiculous.

I do not know how quite to feel about that conclusion, like the story is chugging along toward some dark place but suddenly ends like a sitcom episode with a lesson in learning about oneself and others. It just seems disingenuous to me, especially given the character work that set up the whole scene. Perhaps Kochalka just wants to make silly comics, but the topic of school violence and murder seems a weird one to mine for humor, especially in the present day.

The reviews I have read about this book have been mixed. For the most part I agree with J. Caleb Mozzocco who wrote, "The premise is a solid, grabby and compelling one…but the timing couldn’t possibly be worse." Roy Boyd liked it well enough but called it "an odd little book." James Kniseley was more damning of it and wrote that the ending is "a hot mess that is anti-climatic and unclear."

Mechaboys was published by Top Shelf, and they have a preview and more information about it here. It features some profanity and violence, so it is recommended for readers mature enough to handle those matters.

The Glorkian Warrior and the Mustache of Destiny

I read the first book in this trilogy, and I did not really get or like it. I think in general, James Kochalka's work is hit or miss for me. There are a few, like Monkey Vs. Robot, the first two Johnny Boo books, and Superf*ckers that I really enjoyed. I respected and mostly appreciated his American Elf work, too. And there are some that I pretty much despise, like the later volumes of Johnny Boo I have read. Still, the man was named cartoonist laureate of Vermont, and he is amazingly prolific. So I gave this volume a shot to see what I thought.

What I can see holds from the first volume is that the Glorkian Warrior is still utterly clueless and has the attention span of a gnat. And like the previous volume, he is balanced by an intelligent and resourceful backpack who is the (pretty much unheeded) voice of reason.

Exhibit A

In this book, the silliness gets ratcheted up a notch or two. There is a cup of coffee named Wendy, a Glorkian SuperGrandma, a space god named Quackaboodle, and a bunch of alien children who want to join in on GW's adventures. Despite myself, I found some of these antics to be pretty zany and funny. The satirical way the book skewers adults' frequent sense of self-importance is admirable. And the ending with its sudden appearance of mustaches (I'd say it's a spoiler, but c'mon read the title of the book!) tickled my fancy especially. This book is not my favorite ever, but it has its positive qualities. I might not have appreciated all of the jokes, situations, or characters, but I have to say it is an enjoyable piece of juvenile dada. I am sure there will be a large array of young readers who dig the playful, stream-of-consciousness logic of this universe.

The reviews I have read about this book have been largely positive. Rosemary Kiladitis wrote that this volume is like the entire series: "It’s fun, it’s perfect for young kids, and a great introduction to comics and sequential storytelling." Kirkus Reviews wrote, "Kochalka’s oddly wonderful—and very offbeat—bubble-gum–psychedelic, madcap adventures may not be for everyone, but they certainly are creatively unparalleled." Erik Cheski praised the book for its sense of play and bold, silly, colorful characters.

The Glorkian Warrior and the Mustache of Destiny was published by First Second, and they have a preview and much more here.

Thank you, Gina, for the review copy!

Gonk clearly went to the Bizarro School for Grammar

The Glorkian Warrior Delivers a Pizza

I have to admit I am of a few minds with James Kochalka. I find his artwork fun and appealing, and there are projects of his I truly love, such as the first two Johnny Boo books, Monkey Vs. Robot, and especially his Superf*ckers (NSFW) series. Others, like Pinky and Stinky, I am lukewarm about, and some, like the later Johnny Boo books, have really disappointed me because I find them pretty shallow, ridiculous, and even mean-spirited at times. Still, I know the guy is prolific and maybe I am being too touchy about what he thinks people want to read. He was the cartoonist laureate of Vermont, so what do I know? I just want to get all that out there before I tell you what I thought of this new volume of his work.

The Glorkian Warrior Delivers a Pizza is about a space superhero-type who receives a fateful phone call one day.

 

As you can see, he takes some things way too seriously, but at the same time this mission gets off to a shaky start when he decides to use his leftovers instead of a fresh pizza.

I am perhaps as ambivalent about this book as I am about Kochalka's work in general. There are some neat things here: a backpack that talks and shoots lasers, a kid in a giant power suit, and an adorable Space Invaders-type baby born from an egg. Regardless, even though I have been known to appreciate some mindless humor and cartoon violence this book mostly left me cold. I just cannot bring myself to root for the title character. He is incredibly stupid, frequently blows things up without any serious repercussions, and resorts to punching himself in the face repeatedly. There is nothing attractive about him, and perhaps I am not the target audience, but I find little redeeming quality in him and his oblivious and sometimes mean, dismissive ways. Maybe he's meant to be some sort of parody, but he just comes off like a dope and a bully. And in the end all his antics prove is that it is better to be lucky than capable.

This book's creator James Kochalka has won an Eisner Award, multiple Ignatz Awards, as well as a Harvey Award, and as I already noted he is the first person ever named Cartoonist Laureate for a US state (Vermont). He used to create a daily, online, diary comic American Elf and apparently still has updates there once in a while. He also has published a wide array of comics for all age groups, mostly through Top Shelf Productions. Kochalka speaks about his work on this book, its upcoming sequel, and his favorite kind of pizza in this interview.

Perhaps the best thing about this book is the color scheme. The artwork is simple and expressive, but I find the layouts and pacing a little too by-the-numbers. This is not Kochalka's strongest book, and although there are some silly bits that are entertaining, overall this book just is not my cup of tea.

Reviews I have read of this book range across the spectrum. Kirkus Reviews wrote glowingly, "Kochalka’s worlds are always winsome, strange and silly; this is certainly one of his stronger offerings." Publishers Weekly opined that the plot might be pointless "but fans of Kochalka’s brand of absurdity (or who want to watch the Glorkian Warrior punch himself in the face a lot) will still have reason to tune in." Sharon the Librarian offered her opinion that this book "is not my kind of humor," explaining that "the main character, the warrior, is the most unintelligent character that I have ever seen. Honestly, I know that it is part of the humor, and a relatively common tool, but this goes a bit to the extreme."

The Glorkian Warrior Delivers a Pizza was published by First Second. They provide a preview and much more here.

Thank you, Gina, for the review copy!

PS, Apparently there is a Glorkian Warrior video game in the works. Check it out if you are interested.

Oh, Gonk...

Pinky & Stinky

Pigs in space is not an entirely new concept in children's entertainment, but Pinky and Stinky do it in an incredibly cute and fun manner. The plot is relatively easy to follow though full of twists: they are two pig astronauts on a mission to Pluto. Due to a mishap (Stinky's fault, according to Pinky), they end up crash landing on the Moon. Luckily for them, there is a base there for them to find help, but unfortunately, the astronauts there are pretty mean and rude. Also, there are aliens on the moon who also make life interesting.

Pinky & Stinky is the work of prolific cartoonist, James Kochalka. Kochalka has won multiple Ignatz Awards as well as a Harvey Award, and he is the first person ever named Cartoonist Laureate for a US state (Vermont). He creates a daily, online, diary comic American Elf and has published a wide array of comics for all age groups, mostly through Top Shelf Productions. This interview casts some light on his life and work.

Like much of Kochalka's work, this book has been well reviewed. Johanna Draper Carlson called it "an imaginative journey, reminiscent of a children’s story told over several nights." Mark Allen thought it was longer than a typical children's story but concluded that "this is a very good book for children." Paul Debraski wrote that he enjoyed the humor and twists in the story as well as Kochalka's deceptively simple art.

A preview is available here from Top Shelf.

Happy 44th Birthday, James Kochalka!

James Kochalka is a Rennaissance man: comics artist, teacher, writer, and rock star. On top of these pursuits, he is also Vermont's Cartoonist Laureate (serving from 2011 to 2013).

He is a prolific cartoonist who has produced a daily diary comic since 1998. He publishes it on his website American Elf, and print copies are available from Top Shelf Productions as The Sketchbook Diaries and American Elf. He has also created a wide range of books, including series for children (Johnny Boo, The Best Little Ghost in the World and Dragon Puncher), the iconic Monkey Versus Robots books, the raucous superhero parody SuperF*ckers, books about comics like Conversation, and The Cute Manifesto, a philosophical look at life and art. On top of all this work, he has also released nine albums with his group James Kochalka Superstar.

Kochalka is not just prolific; he's also good. He has won four Ignatz Awards and a Harvey Award for Best Online Comics Work. He is totally deserving of a great fan blog, Kochalkaholic!

Johnny Boo: The Best Little Ghost in the World!

Just look at that cover. With his tiny body and curly head, Johnny Boo just might be the cutest ghost ever (Sorry, Casper.) In this book, Johnny roams the forest with his pet ghost Squiggle. They frolic, drink melted ice cream, sometimes hurt each others' feelings, and reconcile. Of most importance, they encounter a pink and yellow ice cream monster who turns out to be friendlier than he seems. Still, somehow Squiggle ends up in its belly.

This book is the work of Renaissance man James Kochalka. Kochalka has published a daily cartoon since 1998 called American Elf. He has also published a great number of original graphic novels including Pinky and Stinky, Peanutbutter and Jeremy's Best Book Ever, and Monkey vs. Robot. He won the 2006 Harvey Award for Best Online Comic and four Ignatz Awards over the years for his other endeavors. In addition to drawing, he also teaches at the Center for Cartoon Studies and is a recording artist. His band, James Kochalka Superstar has released 9 CDs.

Most reviews are positive and highlight that this book intended for young readers also has appeal for older ones. Leroy Douresseaux commented that "although this book is for children under 10-years of age, even older readers can like its sweet, playful ambiance." Kris wrote that "this book will captivate the young and young at heart." Peter Gutiérrez called it a "small gem" that is "sweet without being sugary."

This volume is the first in a series of four (so far). A preview is available from Top Shelf.