Customer Reviews

The Comical Tragedy of Punch and Judy

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For those of you on the Western side of the Atlantic, where Punch and Judy
shows were not a major mind-warp of your childhood, this book's going to give
you a good insight into why the British grow up the way they do. This
It is a fairly straight adaptation of the story of Mr Punch, if indeed
it's possible to define the story from its many sources and variations. It's
written and researched by Christopher P Reilly, so what's been produced is a
decent, authoritative version with occasional (and forgivable) flights into
scripting whimsy. If it had footnotes or a reading list it would be even better.
Darron Laessig's art is perfect - it looks, as
it should do, like a particularly warped cartoon. This comic looks lovely,
and it's educational. You'll thank yourself for picking it up.

Forget the statical drone of Neil Gaimen's torturous Mr. Punch. This is the best insight into the Punch and Judy mythos ever!
Why did it take hundreds of years for someone to figure out that there was an audience for this story?
If you have ever wanted to read the story of Mr. Punch in its entirety, this is probably as close as you can get.

As a fan of Mr. Reilly's comic book "Rogue Satellite", I anxiously awaited his take on the Punch and Judy mythos, and was far from disappointed. Thoroughly researched, charmingly written and stylishly illustrated, "The Comical Tragedy of Punch and Judy" is a far more evocative tale than the more often mentioned "Mr. Punch" by Gaiman and McKean. Don't let this hidden gem pass you by, this one is a must have and a valuable addition to your collection.

The tale of Punch & Judy is a gritty & dirty one, full of dark humor & bite. It's really incomprehensible to me that it's not more popular in American mainstream. Indeed, there are few characters we love to hate & hate to love more than the scoundrel Punch. This particular rendition proves lively, devilishly fun, & concise, & I highly recommend it for anyone interested in getting to the heart of the "Punch & Judy" story. That dastardly Mr. Punch...how does he do it?