Omario is a struggling artist who's got quite the chip on his shoulderâ€"but he better get over himself before he ends up flipping burgers at MBQ, the local fast-food restaurant. When the hopes and absurdities of trying to make it in this world clash, Omario just might melt down like a cheeseburger under a blazing heat lamp... From the creative mind of award-winning new comic artist Felipe Smith comes this tragi-comic portrait of the great big, burger-fed underbelly of life in the big city.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Brian runs a pay-by-the-hour hotel and Korean karaoke bar catering to the musically challenged. Part man, part mountain, Jeff is a well-liked worker at the local McBurger Queen—the MBQ of the title. Hotshot rookie Aidan O'Malley is about to start his first day as a cop, while Dee, a brutal black drug dealer, is making plans to pulverize Richie for stealing from him. Omario, a not-so-secret stand-in for this book's author, just wants to draw completely original comics—comics much like the ones on these very pages. Smith's debut manga shows how these people's lives begin to intersect across the multiethnic urban landscape of Los Angeles. He's created an over-the-top, outrageous, slice-of-L.A. portrait that combines the best of manga—intensely expressive figuration and action, visually rich in emotion and comedy—with a violent and frankly entertaining strand of kick-ass, hip-hop gangsta sensibility. From the image of huge but nimble Jeff serving burgers to a couple of hilarious porn-addicted East Indian clerks, Smith takes the reader on a wild ride through the neighborhoods, nationalities and lowlifes of L.A., pausing only to deliver a talk-to-the-camera manifesto on the existential demands of making great comics. Weirdly thoughtful, thrillingly violent and cheesily sexy, this book is a guilty pleasure and a shameless delight. It's a wonderful glimpse into the future of original English manga. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not for under 16 . . . but excellent nonetheless.,
This review is from: MBQ Volume 1 (Paperback)
MBQ was a true delight to read. An original storyline with edgy, expressive, and gritty artwork, Felipe Smith carries the reader through the lives of individuals in the LA area. What truly surprised me was to get a perspective from "both sides of the track." You see the weak sides of the bad guys and tough side of the good guys. Felipe managed to create a realistic setting with incredibly believable characters.
While the cover is a bit misleading--the cutesy artwork can lead one to believe this is for a younger crowd--and I found myself a little queasy at some of the explicitness in the first chapter, MBQ is still an engrossing manga to be reckoned with. I look forward to future volumes and hope to see more of the main character and his interaction in the lives of those around him. This is a must-read for more mature readers looking for something refeshing and new.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
MBQ Cooks son!,
By
This review is from: MBQ Volume 1 (Paperback)
This right here sets a new standard for American made Manga. If you are looking for something different and for something that keeps it
G A N G T A this right here is your book. I thought American made Manga had nothing to offer but then I tried MBQ. If you like Tokyo Tribes (you should) then check this ish right here. The book is ultra violent and funny and adult not to be missed yo!
3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Felipe Smith smashes and rocks the world of conventional comics!,
By MaxPicard "Max" (Buenos Aires, Argentina) - See all my reviews
This review is from: MBQ Volume 1 (Paperback)
This is without a shadow of a doubt the freshest, hippest and most intelligent piece of writing and drawing I've seen in forever! Buy it before this dude becomes far too famous and his work is unobtainable. I've got a feeling about this.... the structure of stories, the factions on his characters.... all is totally believable and transports you... I dunno simply elsewhere.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
Ain't nobody around when I hit the streets. Read the first page New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Ain't nobody around when I hit the streets. Read the first page New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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