From Publishers Weekly
This delightful collection spotlights early work by Weissman, whose recent Chewing Gum in Church and Kid Firechief have generated much deserved acclaim. Weissman is the increasingly rare cartoonist whose simple, lush works hide a wicked intelligence and biting wit. He employs a classic, almost 1950s graphic style to tell stories of mischievous children. In this collection, Weissman focuses on a cast of monster kids, including Li'l Bloody (a kid vampire), Kid Medusa (a child Medusa), Pullapart Boy (his limbs pop off) and others. These twisted little ones are like the Peanuts gang on a bad acid trip. They punch, bite, kick and abuse one another in their eternal quest for friendship and mayhem. Weissman always walks the line between the comedic and the corny, but his pacing, dialogue and drawing is spot-on throughout. There's nothing quite like Kid Medusa feeling lonely or Pullapart Boy in shambles. The characters heighten all the universal childhood feelings with grotesque flair. Also included is a lengthy adventure featuring Rip Van Helsing, which is must reading, as is the whole book. (Sept.)
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If you think the first Peanuts strips look rough, scan these early installments of Yikes, Weissman's parodic tribute to Schulz's monument. As fellow cartoonist Jaime Hernandez (Love and Rockets) notes in the diminutive introduction, the characters have sort of middle-aged faces. And they're kids, y' know. Of course, they're also a vampire (L'il Bloody), a loosely stitched Frankenstein monster (Pullapart Boy), a gorgon (Kid Medusa), a . . . what? . . . mad scientist? (X-Ray Spence), and a zombie (Dead Boy, Pullapart's brother; their dad is Dr. Boy), so a certain incongruity with normal children isn't inapt. Weissman has since streamlined them into the malevolent Kewpie dolls they are today and their adventures into four-panel gag strips (see Chewing Gum in Church, 2006). Their early incarnations may be rickety, but Weissman deployed them in stories that go on for pages and even link together, as in L'il Bloody and Pullapart's outrageous time-travel trip that eventually intersects with Adam and Eve in Eden. Charlie Brown and company never had this kind of fun. Olson, Ray
Review
Weissman indirectly captures childhood better than most literal representations do. -- The Onion
Steven Weissman is the best cartoonist to explore the fantastic world of children since John Stanley (Little Lulu). -- Gilbert Hernandez, co-creator of Love and Rockets
A cartoonist who is so good, so funny, so original, he doesn't have to be serious to be taken seriously. -- Jaime Hernandez, , co-creator of Love and Rockets
About the Author
Steven Weissman has published his Yikes! graphic novel series through Fantagraphics; Marvel Comics, Nickelodeon magazine, and many other media outlets have also featured his work. He is the recipient of the industry's Harvey Kurtzman Award and lives in Los Angeles, CA with his wife and son.
