Squee's Wonderful Big Giant Book of Unspeakable Horrors [Paperback]

Jhonen Vasquez (Author, Artist)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1998

Features familiar faces from Johnny the Homicidal maniac but focuses on poor little Squee--Johnny's wee trauma magnet neighbor. Squee's travails remind us all of what childhood was all about--witnessing vicious dog attacks, being abducted by aliens, discovering your schoolmates are all zombies, and having dinner at Satan's house. Ahh, youth.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jhonen Vasquez reluctantly lives in Southern California and is currently developing a cartoon for Nickelodeon. He likes spooky movies, sugary candy, and cool computer games.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: SLG Publishing (August 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0943151244
• ISBN-13: 978-0943151243
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 6.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (115 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #17,744 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #52 in Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Comic Strips

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

62 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awww, look at the cute and tormented little Squee...!, June 15, 2004

By 

Michael Crane (Orland Park, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Squee's Wonderful Big Giant Book of Unspeakable Horrors (Paperback)

Jhonen Vasquez did not disappoint me when I decided to pick up "Squee's Wonderful Big Giant Book of Unspeakable Horrors." Just when I thought he couldn't top "Johnny the Homicidal Maniac," I read this and found myself laughing aloud like crazy. Dark, twisted, disturbing, and overwhelmingly hilarious, this comic collection is unforgettable and highly entertaining--even if you don't want to admit it!!

If you've read "Johnny the Homicidal Maniac," then you will be familiar with the cute little boy named, Squee. Squee is a kid who seems to have the worst luck in the world. His parents hate him and wish that he would someday vanish without a trace. All of the school kids hate him and torment him. To make matters worse, he has the most dreadful nightmares about monsters and aliens. He even meets these creatures when he isn't asleep. From running away from his cannibalistic grandpa to persuading the aliens to take his parents away instead of him, from battling the dreaded "Dustmites" to the threat of becoming a mindless zombie school student, Squee is destined to grow up having some serious "issues." The book also includes the comic strips "Wobbly Headed Bob," "Fun with Filler (aww, look at the cuuute little bunny rabbit doing his filler dance!!),"Happy Noodle Boy," and the "Meanwhile" strips that were very much absent from "JTHM: The Director's Cut."

While I think "Johnny the Homicidal Maniac" is Jhonen's most creative and disturbing work, I found "Squee's Wonderful Big Giant Book of Unspeakable Horrors" to be much more entertaining and hilarious. There were many times where I was laughing very loudly as I was reading this. It's so funny that so many horrible things can happen to such a cute little character. It makes you feel guilty for laughing... but that quickly goes away and then you laugh some more--and in an even more demonic and unrelenting tone! The drawings are great and the characters are extremely humorous. Another cool thing is that Jhonen LOVES to throw in hidden messages and jokes within certain panels, so be on the lookout for them. Another reason to read this more than once.

Again, this is not intended for younger readers. While I found this much more easier to take than "JTHM," it's still very twisted, dark, disturbing and graphic. There are some very dark themes and imagery in this collection of comics, so it's not intended for those who easily get offended or disturbed. And, you must keep in mind that this book is here strictly for entertainment purposes only and is not to be taken seriously. Jhonen loves to poke fun at everything wrong in society--and even at his own work!

If you want to read something very twisted, deranged, and hilarious, "Squee's Wonderful Big Giant Book of Unspeakable Horrors" is just the thing for you. Again, it's nothing for the easily offended. Even though it's a pretty short read, I found this to be one heck of an entertaining read and it's something I'll be sure to read a number of times in the very near future. Another slam-dunk for Vasquez and his sick and warped sense of humor! -Michael Crane

34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Poor Little Squee!!, January 28, 2002

By 

Daniel V. Reilly (Upstate New York, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Squee's Wonderful Big Giant Book of Unspeakable Horrors (Paperback)

I enjoyed Jhonen Vasquez' "I Feel Sick" mini-series, so when I saw the Squee trade-paperback, I picked it up, not knowing what to expect...

Well, I certainly wasn't expecting it to be one of the best Comics I've ever read, but that's just what it was.

The first half of the book is comprised of Squee stories- Squee is a little boy whose parents have no use for him; he is pursued by Aliens & Monsters, pushed around by bullies, and his only friend is the new kid at school....who just happens to be the Son of The Devil...

I had no problem immediately falling in love with little Squee- He's so CUTE! (And who wouldn't identify with the childhood fear of waking up facing the wall.....with your back exposed to potential monster-attack!)

The other half of the book is comprised of short strips from Vasquez' Johnny the Homicidal Maniac comic. The "Meanwhile" strips are worth the purchase price alone. My favorite concerns a man on a first date who finds his stomach-ache turning into unexpected....Diarrhea. The way he attempts to explain this had me laughing for about 10 solid minutes.

This book has made me a Jhonen Vasquez fan for life, and I hope that I can get some other people to give this incredibly gifted creator a try.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars twisted slapstick. VERY twisted..., May 23, 2000

By 

"cthulhukid" (Purgatory) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Squee's Wonderful Big Giant Book of Unspeakable Horrors (Paperback)

Squee is one of those little treasures that is easily overlooked, but ever so worth it to those who give it a chance. the story is about a little boy named "Squee" who lives next door to Johnny C (of Johnny the Homicidal Maniac fame). Squee's life is a long and thorough list of traumatic experiences and damaging circumstances. torments come from all over space and time just to pick on him. that, sir, is a recipe for some real sick-o comedy.

as an added bonus, nearly half the book is composed of "meanwhiles," those little one to three page stories that were smattered throughout both the original comic or the JtHM series, but hadn't been reprinted yet. they're all here, from filler bunny to happy noodle boy to the classic "oh my god, someone put sh** in my pants!" date. for me, many of them were more entertaining than the main story (the exploding baby being particularly dear to my heart). also check out wobbly headed bob, he's a classic.

vasquez' illustrations are truly one of a kind. as with most artists, i would be hard pressed to describe it, but it fits the theme of the work perfectly. the detail and wit are stunning. i worship jhonen vasquez like a mayan god. he has shown so much improvement since he entered the limelight with JtHM. his latest effort,"I Feel Sick," continues this upswing both stylistically and intellectually (and it's in color, too!). i just wish he'd publish it more often...