Much to my surprise, there seems to be a new genre developing in the peripheries of independent comics, a genre I now call "Weird Monkey Comics." Rex Mantooth, Kung-Fu Gorilla. Sky Ape. And My Monkey's Name is Jennifer makes three, utilizing the comic book truism that "monkeys are always funny" and pushing it just a little bit further by also remembering "transvestite ninjas and pirates are a hoot too." Ken Knudtsen's creation is delightfully warped, laugh-out-loud funny and visually distinctive. You will believe a monkey can claw your eyes out. Or something.
Jennifer, the lead of the book, is not cute. She's not the plucky, smart monkey that loves the little girl who owns her and will go through anything to save her. In fact, she's not even a she. No, Jennifer is a male monkey, driven largely by hate and a desire for violence, which he must always subsume within his desire to avoid beatings. The running dialogue that indicates Jennifer's state of mind is hysterical, stream of consciousness blabber that is equal parts random non sequiturs and angry invective. He has a few catch phrases that pop up from time to time and stay in the reader's mind, including "say goodbye to your fleshy testicles," and the constant wishes for the death and mutilation of others never fails to make me laugh. I know that sounds weird, but you have to see the way it's written to really understand.
As if a psychotic monkey wasn't strange enough, Knudsten's imagination runs rampant in these four issues, providing some very unusual adversaries and allies. The first two issues involve a kidnapping, as Jennifer's owner Kaitlin is nabbed to be the subject of experiments by a mad scientist. By the time Kaitlin's guardian angel and a positively obscenely-named ninja organization show up, the tone of the book seems pretty clear. The second story is no less strange, involving an unexplained trip to a pirate ship of old, a rhyming pirate and time for Jennifer and Kaitlin as untrained cooks. While Jennifer's psychotic thoughts and behavior are the star of the book, the plot elements and their draw should not be underestimated.
Knudtsen's artwork is as unusual as his writing style. While I did occasionally find it hard to follow, I generally really enjoyed the inky and sketchy work, which reminds me somewhat of the work of Phil Hester or Bill Sienkiewicz. The frantic energy and strangeness of the book is reinforced by the idiosyncratic artwork, and it's hard to imagine Jennifer being quite so deranged if her visuals didn't make her out to be so borderline rabid.
If the title "My Monkey's Name is Jennifer" gives you a chuckle or a giggle, you ought to pick up the book and look inside. Knudtsen has delivered on all the eccentric fun that such an off-beat title promises. This is one of those books that can be passed around a roomful of friends, resulting in laughter from each and every one of them.
