My exposure to Shannon Wheeler's work, despite his success in reaching a mainstream audience, is somewhat limited. What little of his Too Much Coffee Man work I had seen didn't really grab me, but after sampling his strips in this magazine, I'm a convert. Another bonus is that this book is edited by Fourth Rail alum Patrick Keller, who wrote a column for the site entitled "Fightin' Words." Fans of Keller's humor -- and I count myself among them -- will be pleased with his contributions here. Overall, this is a well-balanced magazine about nothing in particular, something of the Seinfeld of the newsstand set, one could argue.
Too Much Coffee Man walks into a bar, and in an attempt to pull one over on the bartender to have a bit of company with which to share a drink, he replicates himself. That, along with other encounters, leads him to realizations about relationships and the world around him. Meanwhile, other writers contribute true travel tales, and Bruce Campbell is interviewed about his career and his most recent film role in Bubba Hotep. And editor Patrick keller cracks wise with his answers to readers' letters.
The design for this black-and-white mag is simple but professional, and it's a welcome change of pace. A lot of magazines today are cramped full of images and text, but most pages here are easy on the eye. It also doesn't boast the flash and gaudy colors of some comic-book industry magazines; the dayglo look of such publications are often off-putting.
Not surprisingly, Wheeler offers up more sequential art material here than any other creator, and his style, like the format, is simple but strong. His simpler, surreal characters can be found in a detailed backdrop. His style is easily comparable to that of Leland (Pubo, Vox) Purvis.
The unifying theme for about half of this magazine is travel, and I like the idea of a motif to bring the whole book together. There's a problem, though -- it's takes a while for that theme to kick in. Keller builds the theme up early on in the issue, but it doesn't materialize right away.
There's a nice mix here of lighter, fluffier material (e.g., the comics movie quickshots and the Bruce Campbell interview) and more reflective, personal fare. It's a cliche, but it's true... there's something here for everyone. But the real star of the show -- and given that he's the publisher, it should come as no surprise -- is Wheeler's TMCM strips. The cartoons are delightfully funny, but they're also brainy. Wheeler offers up clever, biting commentary on the human condition and society in general.
Note: This magazine was not among this week's new releases.
