By François Launet
Publisher: Diàbolo ediciones
ISBN: 9788415153627
It would be fair to say that as a topic for a cartoon strip, this is a little niche, but if you’re fed up with the trite, middle-of-the-road subject matter that besmirches many a set of cartoon panels then this just might be exactly what you’re looking for. Inspired by the works of Lovecraft, this is a loving, comedic take on the elder gods, the cultists that attempt to invoke them and the adventurers who try to thwart them.
Launet’s strip began life as a web comic and due to its subject matter could very easily have disappeared without trace, but Launet’s skill takes the usual conventions of strip cartoons and swiftly draws you in to this darker world. Not only does he make the twisted abominations and bleak mythology entertaining, but he also manages to make the dark gods appealing (frankly, on the verge of adorable) while injecting it with enough humour and information to make the gags work and you smile. Like any new strip, particularly one without any form of editor, there are a few earlier ones that fail to hit the spot, but you can sense Launet’s confidence growing as the strip develops and he has his stride.
The gags often involve Cthulhoo being accidentally summoned only to eat the cultists/thrash metal band/role-playing gamers (“yum, yum”) or some poor sap discovering the sunken city and meeting a sticky end. There are many weird beings and gods in Lovecraft’s universe, and many get an airing here, even if it’s just to exploit a punchline. What you certainly don’t require is any prior knowledge – it’s well enough constructed that you’ll pick it up as you go along.
The world of Lovecraft is shifting ever further into popular culture, as writers of books, comics, TV and movies borrow from it, reference it or adapt it, so you can look upon this as great timing and the ideal way to get introduced to the themes. A very promising debut.
And if you liked that: A second collection is available
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