Reality Check, Book 1 [Paperback]

Tavisha Wolfgarth-Simons (Author), Tavisha Wolfgarth (Creator), Rikki Simons (Creator)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Few domestic cartoons have been as successful as Reality Check at attempting American manga-styled adventures. This series draws its setup from familiar elements: 10th-grader Collin Meeks escapes his humdrum life by putting on his TVR (True Virtual Reality) helmet and roaming the VIS (Virtual Internet System). However, giving proof to the adage "On the Internet, no one knows you're a dog," Collin's cat, Catreece, gets into the act, putting on the helmet and surfing the VIS while Collin's at school. Once she's wearing the helmet, she becomes an irresistibly cute teenager. As readers might expect, hijinks of all kinds ensue: Catreece turns Collin's font database into a musical number, changes the outcome of an interactive TV show and embarrasses her owner to no end. Of course, she also becomes more popular than him in the virtual world, too. The Simonses elevate this work from mere pastiche by adding a sense of fun and imaginative details (e.g., in the scene called "Around the World in 80 Megabytes," Collin and Catreece take a virtual trip around the world while battling a virus composed of puffy cats and fighting Loopy, a firewalled superheroine of the computer world who looks like a pint-sized harlequin). Wolfgarth-Simons's art is notable, using elements of Disney, manga and other classic animation to create Catreece, a character with immense appeal.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: TokyoPop (March 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591822149
• ISBN-13: 978-1591822141
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 6.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,436,291 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars OUTSTANDING!!!, July 8, 2004

By 

Doughnuts (Waco, TX, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Reality Check, Book 1 (Paperback)

This is a great read. It takes your standard, boring, overthinking guy, and makes him deal with a high-tech world that everyone, even cats, can deal with better. It is hilarious seeing him deal with situations that he and his cat, Catreece, stumble into.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Internet Hijinks At It's Best!, March 15, 2005

By 

Nicole Maronn (Enfield, CT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Reality Check, Book 1 (Paperback)

Reality Check comes from Rikki and Tavisha Simons, the creative team behind their latest series Shutterbox. While Shutterbox is a Goth Romance series, Reality Check is a much more light and cheerful comic. In volume 1, we are introduced to 10th grader Collen Meeks, a geek who longs to access the Virtual Internet System (VIS) in the year 2012. After receiving his True Virtual Reality Helmet (TVR), Collen finally manages to access the VIS...until his cat Catreece also logs on as well. In Real Time, Catreece is a small, cute, annoying cat...on the VIS, she's like the annoying sibling you wish you didn't have! Thus, all sorts of crazy adventures (and misadventures) occur for our computer nerd and his bubbly, ditzy cat.

One thing that stands out when you dive into Reality Check is the wonderful art. Orginally, RC was published in color (the color edition has long been out of print, but you can still find new/used copies at certain stores). TokyoPop has decided to publish RC in their standered B&W format, but it still doesn't take away the amazing detail that Tavisha has done! All the characters (major and minor), backgrounds, ect. are full of life and personality. You can help turning the page to see what they are up to next!

I also like the story that the Simons have written. It creates a fun enviroment that possible might happen in the next several years. The story line never lets you down! It makes you keep on reading to find out how Collen and Catreece will get out of thier scraps on the VIS. Also, all the characters don't have 2D personality, so they are easily likeable and charming!

Plus, as an added bonus, this volume includes are nice gallery of the Simons concept art for the RC series, a treat for fans and newbies alike!

So if you enjoied Shutterbox, give Reality Check a try...it's just a fascinating and great as SB. For anyone wanting to see what American-based manga is all about, the Simons are the perfect team to go to!

5.0 out of 5 stars Adorable!, May 12, 2010

By 

Tracy "Ayris" (TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Reality Check, Book 1 (Paperback)

This series is really just cute and full of entertainment. I still get re-read value out of this series, and I've owned it for over four years. It's also a great spike of sci-fi fantasy- the system the characters use is really ingenious and creates great adventures. Not to mention the plot is just awesome.
Otherwise the art is cool- kind of a early nineties style rarely seen but retains its uniqueness, and there's bonus material between the pages and in the back. It's well thought out and I really just love it.