Liberty Meadows, Kniha první: Ráj

Liberty Meadows #1

by Frank Cho, Filip Škába (Translator)

Liberty Meadows přináší humoristické příběhy z trochu zvláštní zvířecí kliniky, ve které najdete hypochondrickou žábu, obsedantního mývala, záludného sumce jménem Khan, psychopatickou krávu i bary vymetající prase. Na tuto kliniku právě přichází mladý lékař Frank, aby se střetl nejen se zvířecími exoty, ale i s překrásnou Brandy Carterovou a její ďábelskou spolubydlící. I když je komiks plný zvířátek, tak série není vyloženě dětská. Humor tu je poměrně absurdní, ulítlý, šílený...a samozřejmě hlavně legrační. Navíc autor série, Frank Cho, patří k těm vzácným tvůrcům humoristických stripů, kteří mají nejen smysl pro humor, ale umí i skvěle kreslit. Zvláště ženy

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Humor, Comic Strips, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book

144 pages, Paperback

First published August 25, 1999

About the author

The second of three children, Frank Cho was born in Seoul, Korea in 1971, but moved to the United States at the age of six and was raised in Beltsville, Maryland.

Cho received no formal training as an artist. He got his start writing and drawing a cartoon strip called University2 for The Diamondback, the student newspaper at the University of Maryland, College Park. After graduation, Cho adapted elements of this work for use in a professionally syndicated strip, Liberty Meadows.

Reviews

[47Time · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first try to read this strip years ago was met with little success. Now I am reminded why that was: I was a lot less tolerant with this brand of humor. There are plenty of fun moments, but nothing like Peanuts or Calvin and Hobbes. The black and white artwork stands out as gorgeous for Brandy and cartoony for the animals she cares for. It's almost like seeing two different worlds mixed together.

Brandy is an animal psychiatrist, worried about her weight, a bit past her prime, but hot AF. Frank is an animal doctor who gets hired at the sanctuary. He develops a crush on Brandi and reveals how insecure he is every time the two are together. Then come the cartoony characters. Ralph the midget circus bear, Leslie the hypochondriac bullfrog, Dean the male chauvinistic pig who needs detox and Truman the innocent duckling.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of fairly humorous comic strips focused on staff and inmates of an animal rehabilitation clinic (insane asylum) that too me was a weaker version of some of my favorite comics of the mid 80s, such as Bloom County and Calvin & Hobbes. Much of the quips seemed worn out to me, but the strip is still generally enjoyable. Guess I was spoiled by Breathed and Watterson.

[BlurryBug · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nostalgic read

Just love the cuteness and the humour

[PinkRibbon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome.

[ComicNerdSam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cho's sense of humor reeks. Half the punchlines in this book is just references to Star Wars of Xena or anything else fanboys in the 90s were watching, and the more original half of those punchlines just sucks. The art is skillful, which makes this feel more like Cho drawing things he likes rather than trying to actually be funny. But technical skill doesn't necessarily make for good comics, and it definitely doesn't save Cho. Don't even bother.

[Matti Karjalainen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Frank Chon "Vitikon veijarit" (Egmont, 2000) on ensimmäinen suomeksi ilmestynyt Turvatarha-albumi. Muistelin sarjakuvan olevan kohtalaisen hauska, mutta eipä tästä nyt niin paljon huumoria saanut irti revittyä. Muutamat hymyilyttävät stripit hukkuvat keskinkertaiseen massaan.

[Jeff Suter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meet the denizens of Liberty Meadows animal sanctuary; Frank the shy vet hopelessly in love with Brandy the animal behaviorist. Together they supervise the care of the resident animals in their care, Dean an MCP and real pig to boot, who was a college fraternity mascot who picked up behaviors and attitudes learned from the members of the Frat House, partying, drinking, smoking and hitting on women. There is Lesley the hypochodriac bullfrog, and he's none too bright [after completing a Cosmo quiz, he's convinced he's pregnant]. His pal Ralph, a midget bear rescued from an abusive circus trainer, clever but impulsive and rebellious. Truman the duckling saved from an oil-spill along with Oscar the weiner dog currently being looked after by Brandy while his owners are away. Then there is the literal Mad Cow. All under the watchful eye of LM owner Julius who has a running feud with Khan the catfish in the local waterways.

These newspaper strips compiled here with a new opening framing sequence and cuts and edits imposed on Frank Cho by squeamish and purient newspaper editors excised and the original script/drawings restored. If you are into Popular Culture like Mighty Joe Young, Godzilla, King Kong, Star Trek, Tarzan, Star Wars, Dinosaurs, Xena and many others it is fun spotting the references and influences. Frank Cho's art is a delight, clean crisp line art which often shifts from catoony to classical art. Deep, rich and pleasing illustrations. In the strips Cho is the chimp/monkey boy as well as Frank the vet.

Oh and it is extremely funny. In places laugh out loud funny.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like many fans of LB, the first thing that draws you in is the artwork. It reminded me a lot of Adam Hughes. Thick outlines, finer lines on the inside, beautiful busty women, etc. It's wonderful to see how Frank's artistic prowess has progressed as the series goes on. Although LB as a story is meant to be funny, I find at times it can try a bit *too* hard to be funny. If the animals and goofy characters were taken out, I wouldn't care too much. I also find that there's a little too many 'homages' to various other famous characters and comics. As such, I tend to get more enjoyment out of the other serious parts of the story. Frank and Brandy's relationships woes, the drama, the trials and tribulations. This is a okay title, but is heavily driven by the awesome artwork.

[Jodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn’t familiar with Frank Cho prior to reading this, I picked it up on a whim from the library display shelf. It took me some time to get in to it and I almost didn’t finish. Halfway through, it all started coming together and I loved when Oscar joined the group! Oscar and Truman were an awesome little duo and by far my favorite characters. Good compilation, don’t know that I would reread or recommend it.

[Matthew Sargent · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently decided to reread this series, and the first volume is just as fun as I remembered. Frank Cho is a master of linework and has a great sense of humor that is well suited to the comic strip medium.

I read the landscape edition, which is a bit unwieldy, but reprints the artwork at what I imagine is its original size (or very close to it), which I appreciate a lot from an artist's perspective.

[David Rickert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this a lot more than I did. As you might expect, the artwork is an amazing blend of Walt Kelly and Frank Frazetta. However, as they say in the comics industry, good writing will save bad artwork more than good artwork will save bad writing, and I'm afraid much of this falls in the latter category. Still, I'm intrigued enough to check out Volume 2.

[Berita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny, but for once I liked the Norwegian translations better. May have to do with the fact that I read those first, in the mid 90's - in the wonderful comic magazine "Serieparaden". As amusing as it is with Leslie, Ralph and Dean - I do prefer them with their Norwegian names (don't remember the frog's name, Rolf and Gisle).

But all in all, fun.

[Malcolm Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a reread, this is still very funny. The boys also very much enjoyed it. The crazy antics of Ralph and Leslie to the lovestruck Frank’s pathetic attempts to win Brandy’s heart, this zany comic strip regularly brought out the laughs. Truman the duck is the boys particular favourite.

[wildct2003 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good visuals, humor is ok overall. Had time to quickly skim.

[Timo · Rating 4 out of 5]

No onhan tämä hauska ja kaunis.

[Elfo-oscuro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Son todo tiras cortas, por lo que hay algunas mejores que otras pero por lo general muy normalito

[BookishDramas · Rating 3 out of 5]

The name comes from the Liberty Meadows Animal Sanctuary where all the action happens and which houses a strange assortment of animals and the sanctuary looks and feels like a asylum for animals.

The storyline is wacky for lack of a better word and strangely grows on you. The start seems weak but as you progress you are pulled into their world and start identifying with the characters all of whom mirror people in society.

We have a duck called Truman who cannot fly, his favorite pal Oscar the dachshund who's a frequent guest in the sanctuary, a midget circus bear, a hypochondriac bullfrog with issues, a pig who's an addict and considers himself something of a ladies man, we also have a villainous cow, among others and we also have the human components led by Brandy the beautiful animal psychologist and Fran the nerdy vet, Julius the owner of the place who's constantly at loggerheads with Khan the catfish, Tony the accident prone maintenance person, etc.

[Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art is fantastic. The setting harkens back to strips like Walt Kelly's Pogo, but not as deftly handled. I like it, but it doesn't have a lot of substance and never quite gels for me.

[Burt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Welcome to Frank Cho's attempt at legitimacy! He initially started out with University 2 (that's actually pronounced University Squared) which has just about all of the main characters with the primary difference being that Frank is actually a Duck and that the backdrop is actually a college town and not an animal sanctuary. I think he made the switch because for Frank and Brandy to date while Frank was a duck... bestiality doesn't fly in syndicated strips.

Regardless of the humble beginnings (if Cho can be said to have humility) Eden is a good opening Salvo for the redefinition of his strip. I have yet to purchase the follow up editions (something to be corrected soon perhaps), Eden follows the travails of the residents of the Liberty Meadows Animal Sanctuary, both employed and 'sheltered'. It's great for laughs and has a wide array not only of good stories, but hysterical gags, and vivid character portrayals. The artwork is nothing shy of amazing (feeding Cho's ego just a little more).

The only thing that keeps it from five stars?

I liked University 2 better and it was first.

[Zombiejohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frank Cho released the strips for the papers and then printed the strips plus the rejects into a comic book printed form, then they collected them into these excelently sized and printed books. At it's heart, Liberty Meadows is a love story with a soap opra edge, however the humor is twisted and delightfully charming. If you have ever longed for someone and not felt good enough to share their air, or if you love Weiner dogs being ridden by baby ducks, or perhaps a circus bear with a Ron Popeil complex, then this is a book you would enjoy.

[Ksenia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read these as my nightstand book. And every night that I did, Josh would hear me laughing. Some of these strips had me in stitches. Who would have thought three or four-panel strips could be so funny. And yes it’s true, Frank Cho really knows how to draw beautiful women. It’s what he’s known for in the industry. Oh, and there are several references to Xena, which I am of course not opposed to

[Jessica Winston · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first volume was slow but every enjoyable... I loved the art style as well as the comedy to back it up.

The story was fun as hell, a rehab center for animals with humanistic problems... Good times. I'm not good at reviewing but what I read was a damn treat and I continue to read time and time again!

[Jota Houses · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liberty Meadows es diversión descerebrada. Comedia de Laurel y Hardy, romance, ternura y perfección técnica comparten espacio con los mejores dibujos de Monos contra Dinosaurios que se puedan encontrar y las más bellas mujeres que pueda dibujar un chimpance salido. He leído hasta el nº 37 básicamente porque no se ha publicado más. ¡Cho, deja de dibujar a Lobezno y danos más aventuras!

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could do without the pinup-girly stuff, but I love the crazy, dysfunctional, hilarious animals.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Been reading online via www.comics.com. Enjoy!

[Ernest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny. Brandy. 'Nuff said.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

was as funny as the second collection that I started out with: Creature Comforts. Wonderfully entertaining.

[Greg]

I'm in love with a woman in a comic. Look what Frank Cho did! Bless him. Great read, funny, sweet and endearing in a cool way.

[Zanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

14.99

[Jon Hewelt · Rating 3 out of 5]

ReRead 26 October 2019