Collecting Critter Comic Books, Kinda
11.08.07 By Deanna Dahlsad
I went to grab some cheap comic books for our eldest, Allie, who is recovering from oral surgery. I figured comics would be a happy medium — one step up from TV or movies, yet not requiring all the work of a book. I went to FM News, the local newsstand which also deals in used books and comics — at insanely low prices. There I delved into the previously avoided world of comics.
Why avoided? Well, as a kid the only comics I recall were Archie and Superman, none of which appealed to me. And then I became a reader, and those silly thin books with mostly drawing reminded me of baby picture books. Comics were best left, I thought, to those who don’t really read. (Yeah, even as kids, readers can be snobby.)
Sure, hubby made me watch Ghost World, and the Harvey Pekar film, American Splendor; both of which were exceptional films. While I was honestly infatuated with the idea that comic books need not be the formulaic simple stuff I knew, I still wasn’t sold enough to hunt for comic books. But then, you have a sick kid and you find yourself digging through stacks of them.
Along with some age-appropriate Manga and other issues I thought would appeal to Allie, I grabbed the only copy of Samurai Penguin. Who could resist?
I also took home a few copies of intriguing comics for myself. Included was a copy of The Fish Police. Like the Samurai Penguin, who could resist such a cover, such a concept?
Proud of myself for such a find, I showed it to hubby. “Isn’t this cool?” I cooed. And when his reaction wasn’t super-impressed, I pressed. “Come on, look at it? Fish police?!”
That’s when he proceeded to tell me that these anthropomorphic comics were all the rage in the mid to late 80’s — complete with visuals. Yup, he dug out his box of comics.
I tried to keep the proper wife distance — act like I was, again, a cool reader who wouldn’t be tempted by pretty picture books. But there he was, reading titles like Rocket Raccoon, Guerrilla Groundhog, Wabbit Wampage, Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters… It was tempting. At my age I can mock and ignore Miami Mice, but when he said Pre-Teen Dirty-Gene Kung-Fu Kangaroos and Geriatric Gangrene Jujitsu Gerbils, what was I to do?
I gave in and looked.
He was prattling on and on about how the success of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, published in 1984, spawned a bunch of such comics; which ones were popular then and which were popular now with collectors. But I have to admit, I was no longer listening. I was glued to both the insane ideas and the funky art.
The pretty pictures had won and I’ve retained nothing of what he said — other than the fact that it’s hardest to find the first issues because they are always snapped up, just in case that comic, illustrator or creator becomes famous. I remember that because I asked if reading issue #3 of Black Belt Hamsters would ruin the story for me. (Ah, a reader I still am!)
But most of his informative lecture was lost on me. Which is why you are mainly getting an image-laden rather than informative post today. But that’s OK. Because that’s what drew me to the comic books anyway; the art speaks for itself.
Well, that and the strange titles, the insane concepts.
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Article Tags: anthropomorphic, comic books, Comics================
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November 8th, 2007 at 9:43 am
Nooooo! You’ve given away the location of my secret stash — now we have to increase security, lest un-furry ninjas sneak in and run off with my priceless collection of Ambush Bug comics! There goes the kid’s college fund.
November 8th, 2007 at 10:18 am
I’ve always found these to be the WORST of the 80’s comic fads - which, of course, makes them all the more appealing. I mean, Ninja Turtles came early on, and it was a parody. Then came Gerbils and Kangaroos of various long-named genesis, which were parodies of a parody - when does it end? How removed and reliant from the source material can you BE before you implode?
Please note that 95% of these were published on indie labels because no respectable comic publisher would touch them.
A fun read! Lots of BAD MEMORIES.
November 8th, 2007 at 12:23 pm
The first dozen or two TMNT comics (I have the bound TPB collection) were actually pretty good in that gritty indie-comic vibe. The parodies in the ten-cent-bin tend to lean on parodying the TMNT cartoon and its popularity. A few aren’t strictly in the funnybook-vein, like Rocket Racoon (whose storyline is actually pretty good for a funny-animal book); if you begin to add in more critically acclaimed anthropomorphism like Cerebus, Usagi Yojimbo, Pogo, etc., there’s a continuum of these guys that includes everybody from Donald Duck to The Hair Bear Bunch:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_funny_animals_in_media
It just happens that my pockets are only deep enough to afford the rejects
November 8th, 2007 at 1:51 pm
I’m actually very interested in reading Cerebus, if only for the legendary insanity of Dave Sim!
It’s a shame that much anthropomorphism has been claimed by anime / animal fetishists and iit’s become more of a NAUGHTY than a FUN thing,