Comic World News

April 22, 2008:
CWN and the Grand Finale! -

February 4, 2008:
In Conclusion - David ends his CWN run with Tezuka's MW from Vertical

February 2, 2008:
Acting Like You Have Nothing to Prove -

February 2, 2008:
The Shoegazer Returns - A New Year Begins, And Our Narrator Makes A Pledge

January 30, 2008:
Tim's Reviews -

September 13, 2007:
Wizard World Chicago Loot, Part One - Stykman, Empty Chamber, the Ztarian Saga, and yes, Little Bunny Foo Foo

February 15, 2007:
I Come Not to Bury Nick Cage... - But to mourn the death of my punchline

November 20, 2006:
The End - Rich's last Chicks & Romance

November 8, 2006:
Joann Sfar's Klezmer - And a Front Racks Hiatus

October 4, 2006:
This Month's Guest: Dave Gibbons - From the pages of Elephantmen!

September 18, 2006:
Back in Berlin - or How I spent my summer

July 29, 2006:
KICKING UP A STORM - An interview with David Lloyd

June 19, 2006:
You Ain't Never Had A Friend Like Me. - Graeme looks at Spidey's "genies"

December 18, 2005:
Disappointed - Sad news for fans of Busiek's CONAN, Stephen King, and others

December 13, 2004:
JUSTICE UNPLUGGED 2 at last !!! - By Fabrice Sapolsky & Xavier Fournier

December 2, 2004:
THE TWELFTH AND FINAL STEP - Say it ain't so, Dan.

November 23, 2004:
The importance of editing -

September 29, 2004:
Mystery and Conundrum indeed! - Where in the world is Jason Pomerantz?

September 13, 2004:
Hello and Goodbye and Hello Again - Change is in the air at CWN and it smells sweet.

August 12, 2004:
The Rise of the Web Toon - New Business Model or Dumb Luck?

July 30, 2004:
The Name Says it All... - Spin Doctors revamp Boomerang.

July 27, 2004:
Bigger Isn't Always Better -

June 8, 2004:
Pre-emptive Strike: MoCCA Arts Festival - Looking forward to the con, rather than looking back at it

The Layer Method
Our top Secret time-saving technique for creating and merging balloons and tails in Illustrator.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Wackiness Ensues

Penguin Revolution by Sakura Tsukuba

As you�ve probably noticed, I�ve got a serious sh�jo habit. Funny or dramatic, magical or mundane, I can�t seem to shake the hearts-and-flowers monkey off my back.

And with books as good as Penguin Revolution (CMX) on the way, why on earth should I? It�s got the cute factor in spades, and Sakura Tsukuba has created another candidate for the list of great sh�jo heroines.

Yukari Fujimaru has her life in order. She�s the top student in her high-school class, and she�s got ambition. She�s kind, helpful, and knows how to take care of herself (thanks to her akido classes). She�s even got a special gift; when she meets people with genuine star quality, she can see angelic wings sprouting from their backs.

The only thing standing between Yukari and her dreams is her irresponsible father. Dad�s acquaintance with reliability is passing at best, and his latest career disaster leaves Yukari homeless and broke. Fortunately, she�s befriended a beautiful classmate who is secretly a male pop idol in need of a manager.

There�s just one more, small hitch. Budding star Ryo�s agency is run by a crackpot with a secrecy fetish and a rather sadistic sense of humor. He insists that Yukari dress as a man when representing Ryo. If anyone discovers their secret, they�re out of the agency. Oh, and Yukari has to move in with Ryo, who lives with the agency�s top talent, Ayaori.

It�s a recipe for cross-dressing misadventures, and Tsukuba takes full advantage. But she also devotes considerable attention to the friendship between Yukari and Ryo, which is terrific. They�re very much equal partners, helping each other through tough times and providing support and encouragement in general.

The tough times aren�t inconsiderable. Ryo is at the very bottom of the agency�s rung, in the �penguin� category. That means jobs are scarce and the ones they do get aren�t exactly dripping with prestige. (Think humiliating stunts on daytime variety shows and you�ll have some idea.)

Our heroes are resourceful and determined, though, as Yukari tries to push Ryo up the ladder of success. That means encountering rivals on a higher rung who will happily kick Ryo to the bottom if it means maintaining their status. Each step forward generally involves two hilarious steps back.

I�d sampled and liked Tsukuba�s Land of the Blindfolded (also from CMX), but nothing there indicated her skill at comic set pieces. She gleefully puts her characters through a string of bizarre situations, which only makes the reader root for them even more.

Her artwork seems a bit more accomplished here than in Blindfolded. There�s more background detail, and the character design is a bit more distinct. (With what promises to be a bevy of young male pop idols waiting to be added to the cast, I suspect the latter will be fairly important.)

It�s always nice to see a book where everything comes together, and Penguin Revolution is a fine example. The premise is imaginative and flexible enough to provide a wide variety of story possibilities. The characters have been conceived well, and their interactions are interesting. And the illustrations are strong and crisp and serve the material perfectly.

If there�s a down side, it�s that the book features no actual penguins. I�m of the school of thought that penguins make just about anything better, or at least funnier. But since Tsukuba has provided so many appealing diversions, I�ll let it slide this time.

(This review is based on a preview copy provided by CMX. Penguin Revolution will come to stores Oct. 25. Shojoholics, be warned.)