I don't know Layman and Crosland all that well, but I know they're two twisted inviduals. How do I know this? Well, I read the first issue of Puffed, which is best explained as a cross between Jhonen Vasquez and David Lynch, with a little grossout humor thrown in for good measure. The concept of Puffed (employee trapped in stupid dragon costume gets dumped in the big city) could easily have been presented as all-ages goofy, but Layman and Crosland have given it a bit of an edge instead, and it's pretty damn funny. It's a dark humor, based around a likable character whose romantic interest in one co-worker and difficulties dealing with another one, and it's really funny because it's a surreal kind of situation, but it never feels artificial or unreal. Rather, it's like the worst nightmare day someone can have, which as most of us know isn't fun to experience but can be a lot of fun to read about.
It's the same old story: Boy admires girl from afar, boy gets trapped in dragon costume by jealous suitor and dumped in the middle of the inner city. OK, maybe not exactly the same old story. But Layman does spend a fair amount of time establishing that Aaron, our protagonist, is just a regular guy trapped in a crappy job, and we've all been there. The skewed worldview that Crosland presents or the strange twists that Aaron's day takes are all the more entertaining and easy to relate to because of Aaron's everyman qualities. There's never a sense that Aaron really has it coming, and so you root for him, even as you think that the mishaps he's suffering are kind of funny. It's the Farrelly Brothers effect, actually.
Crosland's artwork is important in terms of setting the tone of Puffed. I wasn't sure what to expect, having never seen his work before, and he's got a sort of crowded, twisted style that reminds me of Sam Kieth, Jim Mahfood and Jhonen Vasquez. Which is to say, it's a distinctive and unusual style with a lot of shadow and some very skewed perspective. The opening splash, showing Aaron approaching Storyview Park, sort of sets the surreal tone of the book, as well as giving an immediate indication of Aaron's mental state, that he's taking the long walk into a hellish job. Crosland does the same establishing work on the characters, conveying the goofy look of the Puff suit, the psychotic tendencies of Seaton or the sexy and sweet Trish.
I really didn't know exactly what to expect from Puffed, but twisted humor was not my first guess. Seaton's brutal attack on Aaron's, uh, vital organs (complete with pictorial thought balloon), Aaron's unique problem-solving of full bowels and an inescapable costume, the reaction of the hooker to Aaron's proposal and of course the cliffhanger of the issue are all way darker than I expected, and also very funny for those with the right sense of humor. It's also fairly impressive that the brutal sequence where Seaton beats up Aaron is so visceral and effective, without losing the fun elements of the book.
Puffed is one of the more warped books it's been my pleasure to read. What stands out most is that, despite the over-the-top sensibilities of both Layman and Crosland, the book never veers into completely outrageous or unrealistic territory. The events in this book might represent the worst possible day in the life of the protagonist, but it's not completely beyond the pale to consider that this kind of thing could happen. Which makes it even funnier.
