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Stroppy
The first full-length graphic novel from the author of Shrimpy and Paul: Who will win the All-Star Schnauzer Band song contest?
Enter the strange and wordplay-loving world of the cartoonist and fine artist Marc Bell (Shrimpy and Paul, Hot Potatoe), where the All-Star Schnauzer Band runs things and tiny beings hold signs saying "It's under control."
Our hapless hero, Stroppy, is minding his business, working a menial job in one of Monsieur Moustache's factories, when a muscular fellah named Sean blocks up the assembly line. Sean's there to promote an All-Star Schnauzer Band–organized songwriting contest, which he does enthusiastically and at the expense of Stroppy's livelihood, home, and face. Hoping for a cash prize, Stroppy submits a work by his friend Clancy the Poet. Mishaps and hilarity ensue, and Stroppy is forced to go deep into the heart of Schnauzer territory to rescue his poet friend.
Stroppy is Bell's triumphant return to comics; it's also his first full-length graphic novella, one that thrums with jokes, hashtags, and made-up song lyrics. Densely detailed not-so-secret underground societies, little robots, and heavyweight humdingers leap off the page in full color. With Stroppy, Bell continues to explode the divide between fine art, doodling, and comics.
Enter the strange and wordplay-loving world of the cartoonist and fine artist Marc Bell (Shrimpy and Paul, Hot Potatoe), where the All-Star Schnauzer Band runs things and tiny beings hold signs saying "It's under control."
Our hapless hero, Stroppy, is minding his business, working a menial job in one of Monsieur Moustache's factories, when a muscular fellah named Sean blocks up the assembly line. Sean's there to promote an All-Star Schnauzer Band–organized songwriting contest, which he does enthusiastically and at the expense of Stroppy's livelihood, home, and face. Hoping for a cash prize, Stroppy submits a work by his friend Clancy the Poet. Mishaps and hilarity ensue, and Stroppy is forced to go deep into the heart of Schnauzer territory to rescue his poet friend.
Stroppy is Bell's triumphant return to comics; it's also his first full-length graphic novella, one that thrums with jokes, hashtags, and made-up song lyrics. Densely detailed not-so-secret underground societies, little robots, and heavyweight humdingers leap off the page in full color. With Stroppy, Bell continues to explode the divide between fine art, doodling, and comics.
64 pages, Hardcover
First published June 16, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 23, 2016
Strange and well drawn comics. Supposedly Bell took a hiatus from comics and this is his triumphant return, but hey, if you look at his publishing history, he still had stuff come out in 2014 . . . Okay, I believe it, whatever. This IS his longest work, a full length novella. And it has some good and crazy drawing in it.
I read Pure Pajamas and thought it was all right; good alt or underground comics style. I think I said it was Crumb-lite (zing! Good one, Dave!), not as gross or offensive as political as Crumb, but in the manner of. Which, since a lot of people think Crumb is a jerk, would make Bell more agreeable. In other words it's not Zap Comix! It's not Romp or other x-rated comix. You can leave it out for your mom to see it! But it's Crumb without much to say. So that mode continues here in this world of Stroppy and the All-Star Schnauzer Band, and mean Monsieur Moustache, a Mr. Potato Head-like factory owner.
In this world tiny beings hold signs saying "It's under control," and this appears to be both not true (it's got a lot of strange stuff and characters going on) and true (it's not THAT crazy). I see some reviews say this volume is brilliant and hilarious, but as with Pure Pajamas, I don't think I laughed once. Ouch, I know, though I am older, maybe not the target audience for this. But I didn't even smile all that much, though this is clearly meant to be funny. The jokes and dialogue are meant to be silly. I know, he's just having fun, give him a break. But I have to say, my preference is to the satire of Bill Griffith in Dingburg for goofy alt comix.
(Get to talking more specifically about the actual book, Dave!): okay! Well, the story is that likable loser main character Stroppy works in one of Monsieur Moustache's factories, meets Sean who promotes an All-Star Schnauzer Band songwriting contest. This leads to a lot of silly lyrics Bell and his friends write. You just might like them if you are more eternally adolescent than me. I wish Mr. Bell all the best, which I say because he is probably the only person I have reviewed here who actually "liked" one of my reviews on his work, and I will continue to read his stuff. I will, Marc! And in part because you just might read this, I bumped this up to 3 stars! But you know, it sometimes takes me a bit to get to know an artist or writer, so if I read everything, I just might have a whole different view of his/your work!
I read Pure Pajamas and thought it was all right; good alt or underground comics style. I think I said it was Crumb-lite (zing! Good one, Dave!), not as gross or offensive as political as Crumb, but in the manner of. Which, since a lot of people think Crumb is a jerk, would make Bell more agreeable. In other words it's not Zap Comix! It's not Romp or other x-rated comix. You can leave it out for your mom to see it! But it's Crumb without much to say. So that mode continues here in this world of Stroppy and the All-Star Schnauzer Band, and mean Monsieur Moustache, a Mr. Potato Head-like factory owner.
In this world tiny beings hold signs saying "It's under control," and this appears to be both not true (it's got a lot of strange stuff and characters going on) and true (it's not THAT crazy). I see some reviews say this volume is brilliant and hilarious, but as with Pure Pajamas, I don't think I laughed once. Ouch, I know, though I am older, maybe not the target audience for this. But I didn't even smile all that much, though this is clearly meant to be funny. The jokes and dialogue are meant to be silly. I know, he's just having fun, give him a break. But I have to say, my preference is to the satire of Bill Griffith in Dingburg for goofy alt comix.
(Get to talking more specifically about the actual book, Dave!): okay! Well, the story is that likable loser main character Stroppy works in one of Monsieur Moustache's factories, meets Sean who promotes an All-Star Schnauzer Band songwriting contest. This leads to a lot of silly lyrics Bell and his friends write. You just might like them if you are more eternally adolescent than me. I wish Mr. Bell all the best, which I say because he is probably the only person I have reviewed here who actually "liked" one of my reviews on his work, and I will continue to read his stuff. I will, Marc! And in part because you just might read this, I bumped this up to 3 stars! But you know, it sometimes takes me a bit to get to know an artist or writer, so if I read everything, I just might have a whole different view of his/your work!
December 17, 2019
I had to power through this. It took me two tries to finish it (at a whopping 64 pages) and I maxed out my limit of renewals at the library. I thought the art was good, but it reads like it was written by a member of the laughing academy. I have no idea what I read. However, I did enjoy the references to Bell's hometown of London, Ontario.
August 21, 2015
Brilliant. Laugh-out-loud hilarious. Marc Bell cannot be outdone. Perhaps the best graphic novel put out this year. Get it.
February 2, 2019
I'd give this 20 stars out of 5 stars if it were an option. Faaaaaaaaaaaantastic. Would even consider reading it twice..
January 1, 2020
Despite the verbanishments that have changed our acceptable language parameters since we were kids- if you were born before 1990 you won't get through this (or even very far) without unconsciously saying to yourself: "This was written and drawn by a ******."
I enjoy off-the-wall type stuff but this is just barf that splatters.
Thankfully this isn't memorable because I'll need to forget it before I can go back to enjoying a breed of dog who's name is defiled within.
I enjoy off-the-wall type stuff but this is just barf that splatters.
Thankfully this isn't memorable because I'll need to forget it before I can go back to enjoying a breed of dog who's name is defiled within.
July 22, 2018
The tangled illustrations of cute/menacing bureacrat creatures were my favorite part. This seems to be one chapter of an entire series/world I don't understand (the "french" guy???), which is ok... I just stared at the completely unrelated Schnauzer monster musicians for a while and enjoyed that.
January 9, 2021
Descacharrante historia (iba a decir sin pies ni cabeza pero es al revés, con muchos pies y muchas cabezas) de humor surrealista.
April 23, 2020
Stroppy is bizarre. The oblong cast inhabit a dystopian world replete with both class struggle and Canadiana. There’s also the Schnauzer Band, wanna-be working class hipsters who are desperate to move upstairs to start charging more rent (an unsubtle dig at gentrification). Looks like an acid trip Cuphead/Felix the Cat kind of thing with overt political themes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2017
Akin to a Richard Scarry aimed at adults, the humor didn't hit for me and the intricate, trippy doodle style didn't draw me in.
December 22, 2017
I always loved Marc Bell's cartoon "Shrimpy and Paul" in Exclaim magazine. While I never could figure out what it was doing there its been too long. Bell's cartoon world is maybe not for everybody, a mesmerizing, schizoid-psychedelic dystopia, a "good" bad trip! In this, apparently his first stand-alone graphic novel, there is more of a satirical undercurrent (at least I think... I can't be too sure, lol!). Stroppy appears to move towards becoming liberated from mechanistic industrialism, only to find himself in a frying-pan to fire situation between the senseless world of the rebel Schnauzers and the music-industry appropriation by the Mr. Potato Head like Monsieur Mustache. Ridiculous, insane, dark, wonderful!
September 21, 2015
Like a Gondry-esque comedic narrative, with tons of jokes and extra details. Almost too much though, I think this work in particular would have benefited from a strong edit.
September 5, 2015
Twisted and occasionally hilarious.
March 7, 2017
illustrations are cool.
July 28, 2016
Well, that certainly was stroppy.
April 5, 2017
I think it's best to say that Mr Bell's humor did not tickle my funny bone and leave it at that.
April 11, 2017
I really liked the illustration style. But I think the narrative/dialogue was overwrought, especially for a message that is trite (to me). If this was someone's first encounter with this line of thinking then I could see finding it more intriguing.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews