ANGRY YOUTH COMIX #3
Not Recommended (1/10)
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Fantagraphics Books
Writer/Artist: Johnny Ryan
Editor: Eric Reynolds
Price: $2.95 US/$4.45 CAN |
Johnny Ryan has some bones to pick with the world around him. he obviously sees racism and homophobia running rampant, and his disdain for those who express such sentiments of hatred and ignorance is clear in his work. But those less-than-subtle comments are completely overwhelmed by Ryan's low-brow sense of humor. He goes well beyond the typical dick-and-fart joke fare, offering up foul -- albeit inventively twisted -- "humor" that seems based more on a gross-out factor than any entertainment value.
Loady McGee's mother kicks him out of the house because her new lover can't get in the mood with the crude teen hanging around. Loady appeals to his friend Sinus O'Gynus for a place to crash, but he's not a new companion as well and needs his space. Meanwhile, Blecky Yuckerella tries to catch the eye of a new beau, and Islamic terrorists go on vacation.
It seems clear that Ryan's goal is to gross out, insult and annoy his audience. Mission accomplished. I can appreciate low-brow satire -- Kieron Dwyer's Lowest COmic Denominator stands out as a strong example -- but Ryan's stuff here is uninteresting and uninspired at best, and outrageously crude at worst. Crossing the line of good taste is obviously the point, though, so it's not as though Ryan fails in his efforts here.
I admit there are a couple of strips that have as their foundation a clever concept. "Islamic Terrorist Spring Break!" is scathing sendup of an outdated, cruel, zealous, patriarchal society, but the humor is incredibly obvious. The ham-fisted handling of the core ideas leaves a lot to be desired.
Ryan's cartoony style suits the base nature of the material... and that's not meant as a criticism. The extreme nature of the characters and ideas calls for extreme but simple visuals. The lack of depth in the writing cries out for a basic approach in the art. I must admit, though, the homage/parody of 1950s romance comics on the first page did make for a striking and effective image.
Note: This comic book was not among this week's new releases.
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