Comic World News

April 22, 2008:
CWN and the Grand Finale! -

February 4, 2008:
In Conclusion - David ends his CWN run with Tezuka's MW from Vertical

February 2, 2008:
Acting Like You Have Nothing to Prove -

February 2, 2008:
The Shoegazer Returns - A New Year Begins, And Our Narrator Makes A Pledge

January 30, 2008:
Tim's Reviews -

September 13, 2007:
Wizard World Chicago Loot, Part One - Stykman, Empty Chamber, the Ztarian Saga, and yes, Little Bunny Foo Foo

February 15, 2007:
I Come Not to Bury Nick Cage... - But to mourn the death of my punchline

November 20, 2006:
The End - Rich's last Chicks & Romance

November 8, 2006:
Joann Sfar's Klezmer - And a Front Racks Hiatus

October 4, 2006:
This Month's Guest: Dave Gibbons - From the pages of Elephantmen!

September 18, 2006:
Back in Berlin - or How I spent my summer

July 29, 2006:
KICKING UP A STORM - An interview with David Lloyd

June 19, 2006:
You Ain't Never Had A Friend Like Me. - Graeme looks at Spidey's "genies"

December 18, 2005:
Disappointed - Sad news for fans of Busiek's CONAN, Stephen King, and others

December 13, 2004:
JUSTICE UNPLUGGED 2 at last !!! - By Fabrice Sapolsky & Xavier Fournier

December 2, 2004:
THE TWELFTH AND FINAL STEP - Say it ain't so, Dan.

November 23, 2004:
The importance of editing -

September 29, 2004:
Mystery and Conundrum indeed! - Where in the world is Jason Pomerantz?

September 13, 2004:
Hello and Goodbye and Hello Again - Change is in the air at CWN and it smells sweet.

August 12, 2004:
The Rise of the Web Toon - New Business Model or Dumb Luck?

July 30, 2004:
The Name Says it All... - Spin Doctors revamp Boomerang.

July 27, 2004:
Bigger Isn't Always Better -

June 8, 2004:
Pre-emptive Strike: MoCCA Arts Festival - Looking forward to the con, rather than looking back at it

The Layer Method
Our top Secret time-saving technique for creating and merging balloons and tails in Illustrator.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Absurd #1

Review by Michael May

Written and Illustrated by Sean Tenhoff
Absurd Comics; $4.00

So, if you didn't know, back in the �60s a bunch of hippies started making underground comic books. Being good hippies, these comics were about sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll with a little anti-war sentiment thrown in for good measure. Anyone who says that comics aren't just for kids anymore doesn't know his history. They haven't been just for kids for about forty years now.

The alternative comics scene in the �80s had its roots in these underground comics and it's a subculture of the comics industry that's still going strong today. Such critically acclaimed books as Dan Clowes' Eightball owe a huge debt to those old hippies and their comix. And though Clowes went and got all famous by having Matt Groening as a fan and getting a movie made out of Ghost World, there are still little hippies-at-heart toiling in obscurity, doing their share to keep the underground/alternative scene alive.

One of these guys is Sean Tenhoff, who immediately lets you know what you're in for by covering his book with the image of a bald, older man with some not-so-mysterious white globs of sticky-looking something on his face and the caption, "Shooting You in the Face!" There's also a Parental Advisory logo a la the music industry, but considering that you just looked at a picture of a guy with semen on his mug it's kinda superfluous. Unless it's meant to be social commentary, in which case it's just fourteen years past its expiration date.

I've got nothing against hippies or their comics. I am a hippie, for cryin' out loud. There's a place in the world for social satire. I'm not a big fan because I'd rather see people argue rationally for their ideas rather than just make fun of those who don't share them, but when it's witty I find myself appreciating satire in spite of myself. Unfortunately, Tenhoff isn't especially funny. Or insightful, for that matter.

The stories and gags range from seventh grade bathroom humor (a fake ad tries to sell a giant ball of poop to kids) to the pointless (a guy hits his thumb with a hammer� and it really hurts!) to the obvious (Michael Jackson is weird!).

Not that there aren't any chuckles to be found. Gross as it is, I found myself smiling at the mad scientist who invented penis-flavored gum for women and a talking urinal with big eyes right where you're supposed to pee that encourages, "It's ok, Roger� go when you're ready." "Tales of Failure" narrated by The Alley Keeper is a cute homage to EC comics with a homeless twist. "The Smoker Downtown" isn't all that funny, but if you've ever been hit up on a downtown sidewalk for a cigarette or anything else, you'll at least relate and grin in solidarity. Then there's "A Man in a Shrinking Box" that shows you exactly what the title suggests with gory (and funny) consequences.

The art is very good. Tenhoff's underground influences are made evident by how adeptly he brings to mind artists like Clowes and Robert Crumb.

Okay, turns out I liked more of Absurd than I realized. But even with the cool art, when it's bad, it's very bad. It's crickets-chirping bad. When it's funny, it's funny like hearing your little brother tell a joke he heard at school: you've heard it before, but the memory brings back a snicker and he tells it so cute. For four bucks, I want more than that.

The comic advertises a website
as "coming soon," but as of this writing, "soon" isn't here yet. You might check back later and see.