Scatterbrain

Rating:
Summary: Mentally Magnetic, Mignola and his Tasty Chums
Review: This collection of shorts, created by some of the most prolific minds in the comic arena, couples the realms of silliness with a childlike darkness, giving the reader something to laugh at sometimes while wondering if this should induce laughter at all. Thirty-six pieces exist here, some little blurbs that are semi-enjoyable, others bigger, more captivating oddities on parade, and still others, like Mike Mignola's Au Gung and the Beanstalk, are something to purchase editions like this one because of.
The better pieces included here are:

Abu Gung and the Beanstalk, by Mike Mignola, is the story of a Gung man who happens across a tale only Mignola could have crafted. It comes from one of three sisters, two of them starving, that speaks of former riches and squandered fortunes, of jewels traded for food and of one sister, the greediest of the lot, trading her's for some magic beans. Deciding they were rightfully her's to consume, she shares them not and suffers a most horrible fate. A beanstalk rips through her chest and ascends to the sky, dancing far from the reach of men. Abu, plagued by curiosity, decides to climb it and see just what awaits in the sky, and what he finds is wonderfully entertaining and well worth the read. It alone elevates the book to wondrous proportions.

Fisher Price Theatre Presents: George Orwell's 1984, by Evan Dorkin and Sarah Dyer, is a wonderful depiction of 1984 through the use of everyone's favorite Fisher Price people. It takes memorable scenes, giving you a sculpted view of Orwell's vision in a nutshell. This, in my opinion, is also one of the best, most creative pieces here, ranking with the likes of Abu Gung and makes people like myself truly appreciate the minds behind it.

Pip and Norton in the Spinning Buddha, by Dave Copper and Gavin Mcinnes, is a three-part tale depicting Pip and the obsessive links he'll go to in acquiring the newest fad, The Spinning Buddha with flaming Zycbrobe action and patented spin-o-rama action.

Wanita and Glenn, by Craig Tompson, is simply a page filler with a semi-cutesy fill. Still, for some reason, blobs talking in barcode really touches something inside my soul.

Sour Milks: A tragedy in Five Pages, by Pat McEown, is an odd tale of crime and misfortune brought about by soured milk.

The Misadventures of Tommy T-Rex, by Brian McDonald and Brain O'Connell, is a wonderful piece about a young T-Rex and the extents to which he has to go to fit in with otherwise human counterparts. I think it sums it up in this conversation between Tommy and his human father. Tommy: "I miss my old friends." Father: "Well then you probably shouldn't have eaten them!" Its hilarity at its finest and deserves acclaim as well.

Life Could be a Dream Starring Montgomery Wart, by Mark Martin, is about an amphibian youth and his adventures in a surreal day of skipping school. I found it youthfully enjoyable and worth a read.

Hook, Line and Sinker: A castle waiting Short Story, by Linda Medley, was an enjoyable excursion into the fanciful, dealing with, amongst other things, a wonderful little demon trying to claim itself a youthfully naive soul.

Dog Drool Jewel, by David Sheldon, is a nice little commercial about mass marketing dog drool in dog drool jewels.

Bugged, by Sergio Aragones, is about an out-of-work extraterrestrial habitation engineer who is married to a woman who is, in turn, married to her work. Unfortunately for him (and for her) it happens to be Lepidopterology, the study of insects. Well, after snapping and running off to hide in space, he finds himself surrounded by three beautiful women conducting research. Sounds get? Maybe not.

Maxwell Escapes to Gillsville, by Dave Clegg, is the story of a fish named Maxwell that thinks he'll escape to a paradise called Gillsville by playing dead.

Rock, Paper, Scissors, by Evan Dorkin, depicting the evolution of struggle between these three, chronicling such events as Scissors sacrificing Paper to Satan and Paper using influential political and media contacts to malign rock and scissors.

Pip and Norton in Zzzombie Grrll, by Dave Cooper and Gavin Mcinnes, showing us Pip and his new love interest, a wonderful brain-eating sweetheart of a girl.

And, another one of the greats, The Musical Lump Wagon, by Craig Thompson, depicting for us the capture, slave trade, and monetary manipulation of lumps by the manipulative tweak of electricity.

Also included are The Particklers, by Kilian Plunkett, Kid Cyclops, by Steven Guarnaccia, Mud Monkeys, by James Kochalka, Pirates Featuring Tom the Dinosaur + Tom + Rainy Day Featuring Tom the Dinosaur (3 stories), by Daniel Torres, Bronco Teddy, by Jim Woodring and Tom Dougherty, Tales of Red Erchie, A Northern Fantasy, by Steve Parkhouse and Keith Young, Bring on the Robots, by Pat McEown,Oddette, by Jay Stephens, The Cluck of Fear, by Chris Garbutt, The Poet Who Loved Tea, by Greg C. Clarke, Ancient Joe, C.S. Morse. While these are bunched together, not all are bad. Some are better than others, some are bottom feeders, but the artists all got paid, so what the heck?

Anyhow, this collection is, by and far, something that anyone should go out and pick up because it has all the elements that the growing mind sadistically needs. People of all ages, lumps included, should get out there and consume!