Previewing The Petrifying Pets Special Of ‘Monster Fun’ #10 Comes With A Scare
by Richard Bruton
More Monsters, More Fun; the all-new, all-ages comic continues its monthly dose of Monster Fun!
Another monthly issue of Monster Fun, this time dedicated to everyone’s favourite fuzzy companions.
Inside, there’s Kid Kong, Hell’s Angel, Gums, Space Invaded!, Steel Commando, Martha’s Magical Make-Up, and more – a mix of classic characters from the history of Brit comics and new strips, and there’s plenty of guffaws and giggles to be had inside.
But as is my way with Monster Fun, let’s just highlight a couple of the strips that raised extra giggles this month…
First of all, a special mention for Henry Flint’s Global Ghoulies – a perfect homage to the incredible work of Ken Reid’s World Wide Weirdies. Flint’s a big fan of Reid’s work and this is just the perfect tribute – a great page of Reid-inspired madness.
Apart from that, this month the Gums strip by Stacey Whittle and Brett Parson is particularly inspired, as Gums gets his own lil’ pet… the sight of a gummy shark at a fun fair carrying a goldfish in a bag of water, then being put into its own little goldfish bowl is just a surreal treat.
And the art by Parsons is just sublime, the expressions on Gums’ face is just perfect…
But there’s moments like that all the way through Monster Fun, all of the strips have a lightness to them, comedy coming at you in some wonderful ways. Take this particularly ridiculous bit of work from Martha’s Monster Make-Up this month, by Dave & Abigail Bulmer… That little bit of perfect comedy timing and the expression on the sheepdog’s face… perfect!
Monster Fun #10 comes out on Wednesday 2nd August. Subscription info right here.
So, here’s the full line up for the issue…
GUMS – by Stacey Whittle and Brett Parson
Like I said already, so much fun with this one – the gummy shark getting his own pet goldfish… but can Gums actually resist temptation here? It’s just a single page but, oh boy, it’s a wonderful single page.
KID KONG – by Alec Worley and Karl Dixon
Another highlight of Monster Fun every issue, with Worley and Dixon’s take on the classic character always so funny.
This time, Kid’s raising money for charity. They’re trying to fix the roof on Monsterville Town Hall and, wouldn’t you know it, there’s a Pets Got Talent contest with just the right amount of cash up for grabs.
There’s just the perfect bit of slapstick and gaggery going on here, just as there always is. Super silly, ridiculous fun. After all, who doesn’t love the sight of Kid Kong playing Baby Shark (all six verses) on his bottom?
HELL’S ANGEL – by Chris Garbutt
Poop is always funny, at least in Brit humour comics. And that title piece is a load of poop.
As always, Garbutt’s two pages of Hell’s Angel is cartooning magic, with HA & Big D off to a fair to see if HA’s pal can’t win the pet show with her chicken.
It all goes, wonderfully and predictably, wrong – just as it always does, with all of Garbutt’s perfect cartooning.
SPACE INVADED! THE GREAT SPACEBOOK REBELLION – by John Lucas, colours by Barbara Nosenzo, letters by HA O’Millar
Turning things around this episode, the crew are being picked up by the Gleep Gloop Pet Rescue centre, so loads of chance for Lucas to do the ‘we have seen the aliens and they are us sort of thing.’ Clever, silly stuff…
STEEL COMMANDO – by Ned Hartley and Dan Boultwood, letters by Leila Jess
It’s Steel Commando and pals back in the Middle Ages. Von Hoffman’s beaten them to it though and is here with an evil army, complete with dragons!
What will Steel Commando and Ernie do when their friends need saving and Von Hoffman wants to head back to 1945 with a monster army – and in how many ways will it be the wrong decision?
MARTHA’S MAGICAL MAKE-UP: ARACHNO-GILITY – by Dave Bulmer and Abigail Bulmer
Dog show time with Martha’s Monster Make-Up – although with no dog of her own, Martha’s going to have to come up with a pet of her own… in her own unique way…
WITCH VS WARLOCK – by Derek Fridolfs, Rebecca Morse, colours by Hadrien Yannou, letters Ozwaldo Sanchez
Another classic set-up, two characters, one’s a witch, one’s a warlock, and they’re all about getting one over on the other. Some really lovely cartooning from Rebecca Morse on a strip that’s gentle fun.
THE LEOPARD FROM LIME STREET – by Simon Furman and PJ Holden, colours by John Paul-Bove, letters by SquakeZz
The penultimate Leopard tale, as Selbridge is locked in endless night and Billy Farmer’s been transformed by Nocturne into a savage beast.
FRANKENCRITTER – by The Feek and Steve Roberts, letters by Harvey Caldarone
Now Frankie Stein’s left home, dad’s missing him terribly. The solution? Well, it’s obviously surely, time to make a new creature… Frankencritter. Exactly the sort of daft ideas that Monster Fun’s all about… all with some great Steve Roberts art…
