This graphic novel caught my eye when it was solicited in Previews, and I'm always looking for something new to check out every month. Man, I wish I had missed that ad altogether. Dunlop offers up a pointless exercise in parody and low-brow humor that fails to elicit a single smile, let alone a laugh. This may be the single most disappointing indy comic book I've checked out in some time.
Unaware he's the bastard son of a famous magician, Tozzer is a kid who grows up in the care of two bitter and mean lesbians. He dreams of one day becoming a famous entertainer -- a magician, in fact -- and he learns of a school in Hollywood where that dream could become a reality. Travelling to the big city holds many adventures in store for the would-be magician, and several encounters with crude, thinly veiled celebrity knock-offs obsessed with drugs and their own egos.
The art and productions values on this book are its only redeeming qualities. Lumby's style is somewhat reminiscent of that of Jim (Grrl Scouts) Mahfood. His designs for diminutive versions of celebrities and pop-culture icons really hit the mark. I was surprised and impressed the book was presented in full color, and at a decent price at that. In terms of sheer presentation, this is a professional, polished book.
It's a shame the same can't be said of the script. Dunlop piles crude joke on top of crude joke, and they're completely lacking in humor. The gags are so incredibly obvious and lacking in any real insight that the parodies fall flat. Furthermore, some of the writer's pop culture targets are completely irrelevant today. Claudia Schiffer and David Copperfield? Do they even qualify as celebrities anymore? The only reason the Harry Potter is even remotely topical right now is last week's release of the first big-screen sequel.
I mention above that the script is poor, but I wrote nothing of the plot. That's because there's barely any plot that merits mention. This low-brow Harry Potter spoof seems to advance only in order to bring our "hero" face-to-face with some other movie or celeb parody. Among Dunlop's easy targets are Hannibal Lecter, Charlie's Angels, The Matrix, Rollerball (the new Rollerball needed to be mocked when it mocks itself?), Castaway, The Terminator and Gladiator, but his send-ups of those properties are about as far removed from clever as one could get.
