Publishers Weekly calls Staake's illustrations "a stylistic collision of Russian constructivism and pop art that explode with energy and joyous intensity."
Originally written in 1845 by German physician Heinrich Hoffmann (1809-1894), 'Der Struwwelpeter' reads like a fairy tale breaking loose from a doomed rollercoaster, crashing through a rusty calliope, and finally splashing into the miasmic ooze of Hell—but somehow still managing to float. Mesmerized as a child by the nightmarish prose and haunting images contained in the book, noted author/illustrator Bob Staake (MAD magazine, Cartoon Network, even Hallmark Cards) gives a 21st century spin to these 14 stories-each more politically incorrect than the next. The nastiest things happen to children who disobey the wishes of their parents: thumb suckers have their digits cut off, the pyro-fascinated are set ablaze and, of course, picky eaters rot away and die prematurely. In other words, precisely the type of bedtime stories you'll want to read to a six-year-old, provided it's not your six-year-old.Gorgeously designed and illustrated, Staake's Struwwelpeter is sure to spark as many "oooo's" and "ahhhh's" as it does nightmares.
This is a new Blab! storybook, a series of graphic novels showcasing artists from Monte Beauchamp's annual BLAB! anthology, presented in a faux-children's book format, though aimed squarely at adults and young adults. Full-color illustrations throughout
