Minimum Wage Volume 2: So Many Bad Decisions

Minimum Wage

by Bob Fingerman

Post-divorce Rob continues struggles both romantic and careerist, divvying up time between dating an Ayn Rand-worshipping, Goth wannabe standup comedian, depicting curious sagacious mutant crustaceans, and landing in the not-so-healthy but all-too-familiar embrace of his ex. Can so many bad decisions lead to enlightenment?
Featured in New York Magazine's Approval Matrix and Entertainment Weekly's Must List!
Collects MINIMUM WAGE: SO MANY BAD DECISIONS #1-6.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Humor

152 pages, Paperback

First published May 4, 2016

About the author

Recent releases are From the Ashes, a satirical "speculative memoir" set in post-apocalyptic New York (IDW, March 2010) of which The Onion wrote, “As a blitz of astringent satire, an unabashed love letter to his wife, and a love-hate manifesto aimed at the whole human race, From The Ashes is a gem; as an addition to the often-staid canon of post-apocalyptic pop culture, it’s a revelation… A“

In August 2010 my second novel, Pariah (Tor Books), a Pinteresque zombie tale, was released. It rec'd a starred review from Publishers Weekly and an A- from Entertainment Weekly and was Fangoria's Book of the Month selection. The mass market pocket edition came out in 2011.

My most recent release is the deluxe oversized hardcover collection Maximum Minimum Wage, from Image Comics (April 2013), which made Entertainment Weekly's Must List and received a starred review from Publishers Weekly.

Reviews

[Tristan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Following on the heels of the exemplary Maximum Minimum Wage, which collects the entire original run of the nineties, Bob Fingerman's short-lived alternative comics series Minimum Wage thankfully was also granted a relaunch by Image. Great decision. We don't see a lot of these dirty, irreverent semi-autobiographical types of books - in the vein of R. Crumb - anymore, which is a damn shame. In short, measured doses, they're a lot of fun.

In this second volume, our freshly divorced hapless protagonist - Rob Hoffman, a former cartoonist for porn mags - continues his struggle for artistic expression while trying to maintain a semi-functional love life (and of course failing miserably). As always, neurotic behaviour, damaged dames, and oodles of cringeworthy situations form an integral part of Rob's life, eliciting schadenfreude of the highest order from the reader. Everyone's got his niche, I guess.

Here's hoping the sales prove sufficient for a third volume.

[Ruz El · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this one in floppy format and found it better than the first arc. Rob is floundering through relationships, haunted by the ex, it felt too real at times. Which is a good thing.

So great to see this eries back. BUY IT! All sales count, we need a volume three!

[I. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rob dates a goth then hooks up with his ex while doubting his life choices.
Didn’t really feel this one as it felt a bit too aimless and the dream sequences came across as self indulgent. Overall the whole return arc was a bit meh as it didn’t really add anything to the original comic. But if you want navel gazing white guy problems then this is the book for you.

[Bert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bit of a hard one, this. Because the same issues plaguing Minimum Wage: Book One: Focus on the Strange are still here, but I have to admit this book did entertain me. Except for the dream-parts (the ones in color), those were boring and didn't fit.