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Moriarty’s One Thing I Love Today! Doug TenNapel’s MONSTER ZOO!
Hey, everyone. “Moriarty” here.
It’s no secret at this point that I am a fan of the work that Doug TenNapel does. When I learned last week that Sam Raimi was going to produce MONSTER ZOO for Paramount, I realized that I needed to finally read the galleys for the graphic novel that I’ve had on my desk for a few weeks now. You know how it is when you’ve got something to read or watch that you’re really looking forward to, but you want to savor it so you put it off looking for the right moment?
Yeah, well, that moment seems to present itself less and less often these days, so today, I had two screenings to attend, and I took MONSTER ZOO with me to read between them. Turns out, it’s so much fun that I blew through it twice. Appropriately, here are two cover images I’ve found online while looking tonight:
Once again, TenNapel tells a very simple story that works because of the strength of his characterizations, the immediacy of the story, and the sheer imagination on display.
This time, he’s telling the story of the Ungabe idol, uncovered in Africa after hundreds and hundreds of years in the ground. The Ungabe is home to a vengeful animal spirit, a curse, and sure enough, the idol is sent States-side to help boost attendance at the rapidly failing Los Angeles zoo. What no one except for one creepy “Witch Lady” realizes is that the Ungabe curse is real, and unless gawky teen Ty and his best buddy Carpo can figure out a way of stopping the impending “animal Apocalypse,” the zoo is going to be ground zero for the end of the world.
I love the art in this one. There are some really crazy monster designs, and as aways, TenNapel accomplishes a whole lot with each drawing. I love the sense of anarchy at the edge of the frames here. Something about TenNapel’s sense of humor and the way he stages a joke reminds me a lot of the early, early, early days of MAD, when it was more of a comic book than a magazine. There’s a lovely teen story that plays out here, and if you’re one of those people who resents the fact that TenNapel occasionally inserts his own religious sensibilities into his books (I don’t mind at all, personally), there’s really only one line in this whole story that does that, and even so, it’s pretty subtle.
Eco-horror is about to be a big trend in film, and MONSTER ZOO manages to tell a good story about what will happen to us if we continue to abuse this planet, but without becoming just another lecture. TenNapel makes sure that, above all else, he entertains with this one.
I have to admit... I wasn’t crazy about BLACK CHERRY, one of his more recent books, and I didn’t read PLINK until it had already been out for a while. But MONSTER ZOO represents TenNapel at his very best, and if you’ve enjoyed books like CREATURE TECH, TOMMYSAURUS REX, or IRON WEST, then I’m willing to bet you’ll dig the heck out of this one as well.
Let’s check out some art from the book:
I’ll be back tomorrow with a number of reviews for movies opening this weekend as well as one more thing I love, rounding out the first week of this new series here on the site.
Drew McWeeny, Los Angeles
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Quick story - A few years back my old roommate and myself went cross country to comicon in San Diego. My roommate being a massive Tenapel fan ran into him at preview night and the two talked for ages. Doug then gave us his families (Wife and child's) exhibitor passes to walk around for a few hours prior to preview night. This guy deserves all the success in the world, one of the most humble and kind artists I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Did I mention his art is amazing as well?
-FIRST -
I wanted "first" as my first ever post here. Anyway, hi all.
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http://tinyurl.com/yyzkn5Or at least a "first!" poster, but instead I went and made you a tinyurl to Stefan G. Bucher's Monster Of the Day website. I thought you'd like it. If you like that sort of thing. http://tinyurl.com/yyzkn5
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Mar 20, 2008 6:23:19 AM CDT
I have no interest in this. Why am I here?
by nomoredirtyjokespleaseweareyanks
This is not my locker.
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on writing almost a weeks worth of shorts and not picking a single item I might be remotely interested in.
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Mar 20, 2008 6:30:19 AM CDT
Is there tits in this? I didn't really read it, just the start
by nomoredirtyjokespleaseweareyanks
then looked at the images. Tits though, fuck I'm there.
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I was referencing Beverly Hills Cop.
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Tenapel's religious sensebilities are of the Christian variety, but they are well integrated, I think, into the story and at the same time they are rarely watered down, and I appreciate that too. The stories can be enjoyed for their sheer wackiness most times. Earthboy Jacobus has a bit more of a christian theme than the others. For me, I think that it made it a better book, with more substance.
I suggest Creature Tech as a start. It has some of the same odd off-kilter vibe that runs through Mignola's Hellboy series, and with a good story to boot. At one point a humanoid insect in redneck gear with a shotgun helps some locals fend off an attack on their town by demon cats created by a long-dead scientist who wants to ressurect a giant space eel that crash-landed on earth years ago. No kidding.
Looking forward to Monster Zoo. Never read Black Cherry. -
Even though I'm derided for it.
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I also love Euro Trip and am also derided for it. One day, that film will be re-appraised and the deriders will know that we were right all along. Well, maybe...
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But it's probably not his fault.
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SOCK BABY!
That is all.
MT -
...be in this movie.
MT -
Judging by Creature Tech, Tennapel is about as ham-fisted with his religious messages as you can get.
I mean, in the middle of the ending of that book he just has to throw in a little dig at evolutionary theory out of nowhere.
Neverhood was great, though. -
Get the boys from Wallace and Grommit to do it and let's bring the cracked out madness of Klayman to the big screen.
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They are making a Neverhood movie, according to Tennapel's website.
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Mar 20, 2008 2:36:38 PM CDT
Is this that story they're making a cgi movie out of?
by reel american hero
If so could be pretty entertaining, I'll have to look for this graphic novel. -
He did the art in the cover jackets for several of the Five Iron Frenzy albums as well
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Is it shit?
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While I respect an individual artist’s interests, including religious expression, I don’t respect bad story telling. Creature Tech was doing okay up until the space Jesus scenario. It came out of no where, with the subtlety of a religious “comic” you find sitting on top of pay phones. Took me completely out of the story- which didn’t recover after that. While Tommysaurus isn’t as overt, the themes and messages are there. Tenapel's focus on them leads to some rather pedestrian story telling involving bullies, broken marriages and nuclear families. Perhaps Monster Zoo is a new direction- an evolution for this artist. I hope so, because when he’s good, he’s very good.
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