Customer Reviews

Frumpy the Clown, Vol. 1: Freaking Out the Neighbors

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Judd Winick is perhaps the funniest man in comics. Of course, he's not creating strips anymore, but during the two year run of Frumpy the Clown, he made me laugh harder and more frequently than most every other cartoonist has in my twenty-odd years. Frumpy can be poignant, and pointed, but most of all, Frumpy can be hilarious. Don't read it while drinking milk.

The humor was sharp and fun. I'm really upset that this guy isn't producing this character any more. If you like Bloom County, you'll love this comic.

I've been reading comic strips since I was six years old, and not since Calvin and Hobbes have I seen a "family" style strip that can still make me laugh as a somewhat jaded teenager. Frumpy the Clown is irreverent,sweet, and maybe a little too smart for the comic page. Highly recommended.

I picked up this collection for two reasons. One, I really enjoyed Barry Ween, Boy Genius, which is also by Judd Winick. Two, I was working off of a friend's recommendation. Since he's the one who steered me to the aforementioned Barry Ween, I figured it was a safe bet.

And indeed it was.

As described in the back cover blurb, Frumpy is not your typical clown. He isn't jolly. He isn't ... clownish. Instead, he is a cynical, chain-smoking, vegetarian (though, this seems to waver), animal-loving, motorcycle-riding clown. And, don't forget, a favorite of every child he encounters. "Sure, of course they like him. He's a clown," you might say. But that isn't it. Kids love Frumpy because Frumpy remembers that they are people, perhaps a bit on the short side, but people nonetheless.

There are plenty of antics in this comic, both on the part of Frumpy and on the part of the children, but there are also great human moments to remind you that not only is Frumpy not your typical clown, this isn't your standard rambunctious kids comic.

(Not to say there isn't plenty of rambunctious kid action. I promise you, there is.)

A great read, though you might want to be careful about giving this to a precocious child, as there are entirely too many pranks in the comic, which might plant seeds of ideas. =)

Who would've thought that all of this creativity would come from the black hole of TV called "The Real World"? Don't be fooled, dear reader. This collection of Judd Winick's discontinued syndicated newspaper dailies is surprisingly funny with an underlying subversive flavor. The art may look like an amalgam of various other strips that are in the Funnies today but contains an original flair that gives it familiar warmth. I think that Judd's humor and deft hand is on par with the other great daily strip creator of his generation, Frank Cho (Liberty Meadows). Hopefully with this collection as well as others (Barry Ween, Road Trip, Pedro & Me), Judd will be known as a comic book writer/artist and not that lovesick dweeb from a reality TV show in San Francisco.