Scooter Girl

by Chynna Clugston Flores

Take a ride to southern California and experience CHYNNA CLUGSTON FLORES' screwball dark comedy classic in FULL COLOR. A love letter to mod and scooter culture, SCOOTER GIRL is the story of Ashton Archer, the Vespa-riding, swanky suit-wearing man about town who has it all. That is, until lightning strikes when the girl of his dreams motors right past him on her Lambretta, causing him to lose it all. Convinced that her presence and antagonization has ruined his life, Ashton sets out to end the black curse put upon him by any means necessary.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Romance, Young Adult, Comic Book, Humor

174 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 9, 2004

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't be bothered to write an actual review of this. I really disliked this comic for a lot of reasons, but first, a quick summary:

The gist of the plot is that Ashton Archer is a douchebag fuckboy who has wealth, good looks and the admiration of everyone around him. When the gorgeous Margaret Sheldon comes to town, she sees through his stupid act and quickly knocks him down several pegs. Jump forward a few years and Ashton has moved away to try to regain the life of debauchery that Margaret took from him, only for her to unwittingly find him once again. So, Ashton makes the obvious assumption that if he has sex with Margaret, it will reverse the emasculation he has suffered because of her.

Okay. Where do I even start?
- There's a use of the word "retard" casually as a means to call Ashton a dumbass
- There's a stupid plot thread where Ashton becomes convinced that Margaret is some kind of curse that was put on his family. This is brought up and then promptly dropped.
- Ashton puts out A HIT ON MARGARET. He literally hires an assassin to kill her. This is played off and reads like it's supposed to be humorous but like... no. It didn't fit the tone of this story at all.
- There was a weird aside about the assassin not actually being much of a badass, but some random incidents led him to accidentally murder people and now everyone thinks he's a stone cold killer. It was random, not particularly funny, and added nothing to the story.
- Ashton's epithany that he's been a colossal dick comes super suddenly, and then BAM omg he was actually in love with Margaret the whole time. *eyeroll*
- The book ends with Margaret admitting that she actually fell in love with Ashton as well. I mean, even though Ashton was a FUCKING LOSER ASSHOLE, she was also just soo mean to him, so in the end, she wasn't that different from him, right? *HEADDESK*

So.. yeah. Just a bunch of nope from me over here. I still plan on reading Flores' Blue Monday series - hopefully I like it better than this (though is a pretty low bar tbh).

[Seth T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scooter Girl made me want to buy my Vespa. Of course, I had already bought and been riding my LX150 for years by the time I read Chynna Clugston's ode to love, revenge, cheap morals, and the scooter nation. So I presume that the joy her slender volume of six sequentially illustrated chapters gave me somehow crossed the boundaries of time and arrived to me in the past before I had bought my own beloved Vespa. The book is that much fun. And while it's never really the point (love is), the book can't help but convey this unaffected adoration of scooters and some mythical lifestyle attached to scootering.

At least I presume it's mythical.

I've never been part of a club or been to a meet-up or rally. I don't know any mods. I don't even know anyone else who rides. Maybe Scooter Girl is an insider's look at a rogue sub-culture or maybe it's pure fantasy for scooter fetishists. I may never know for sure. I just use mine to get to work and ride down to the beach with my wife when the mood strikes us.

In any case, Clugston's work here is rollicking and fun and depraved (in it's way). Her artwork, as usual has it's own peculiar and wonderful sensibility to it. Her characters speak with a crass sort of honesty that I find refreshing. They're horny and lazy and stylish and self-centered. But not in a way that capitalizes on those qualities for the simple purpose of marketing the book to a target like Kevin Smith or Quentin Tarantino do. Nah, these characters are simply like this because that's the kind of characters they are.

Clugston's story here is almost inconsequential to the fun of watching these characters interact/hate each other, but for all that she still manages to pull together something fun.

Ashton Archer may be cursed. Well, not at first because at first he is the king of his world. Top grades, top clubs, top athlete, and top of the Bay Area's scooter scene. And he's knotted knickers with pretty much every girl in his school, whether they were single or not. As is typical (in stereo even) of this kind of story set-up, the arrival of new student Margaret Sheldon and her brother Drake brings everything to a crashing halt. Ashton's personal grata turns immediately to Status Non. And here all he wants is to get into Margaret's pants. And maybe kill her.

But see the amazing thing is that this crappy premise for a story is completely engaging when it plays out in Scooter Girl. Clugston owns this thing and it shows on every page. I can't wait to read more from her.

[Mjhancock · Rating 2 out of 5]

I probably would have liked this book more if I had read it when it originally came out. Then again, maybe not; my twenty year old self didn't have a lot of patience for romance--especially douchebags in romance. Ashton Archer, the protagonist of Scooter Girl is not unlike the protagonist of another book I read recently, Pounded. Both characters are rich trust fund jerks who coast through life in a never ending party, manipulating women into sleeping with them and hanging out with their bros. And then they get their comeuppance at the hands of woman who turns out to be too much for them. It's notable that in both cases, our intrepid heroes aren't actually done in by their just deserts, and there's a certain amount of sympathy for each as they hit rock bottom. To return the focus to Scooter Girl in particular, though, it doesn't fit together tonally very well. Parts of the book are almost Scott Pilgrim levels of absurdity, where Ashton decides that the logical way to get over the girl is to murder her, and hijinx ensue. But then we're meant to shift back into romance tone, and it doesn't really work. At a moment of self-doubt, for example, the girl says "We're the same, Ashton and I. We've both used cruelty under the guise of good intentions to get people to do what we wanted them to do. I'm no better than he is." This is a man who, over the course of the book, pretends to be exclusive with multiple women by telling them all that he wants to keep the relationship a secret, sleeps with his friends' girlfriends for kicks, and LITERALLY TRIED TO MURDER YOU FOR NOT GOING OUT WITH HIM. You're still better. Trust me. The reason the redemption arc works in the Scott Pilgrim series is that it happens slowly, over the course of thousands (or at least hundreds) of pages--it also helps that Scott's basically decent friends are there too, and that Scott is basically a loser with no job and few prospects, at the story's start. The heroes of Pounded and Scooter Girl are rich douchebags, and I don't care if the plot is douchebag fails to learn a lesson or douchebag is redeemed by love of magical pixie girl, I think I'm tired of reading about douchebags. The art is fine; it's a cartoonish look with a heavy anime influence, and it works well with the characters and world that have been constructed. But the story's just not one I'm interested in.
Twenty year old me probably wouldn't have used the term "douchebag" so much in his review. He was much classier.
Edited to add: I really did like Blue Monday. Flores knows what she's doing. But this was a big misfire for me.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid book with fantastic art. The main character is a douche bag who is hard to sympathize with and his inner monologues go on forever. Basic premise is Ashton Archer is a guy who gets anything he wants, girls, money, friends until Margaret comes along. She busts him for being a horrible person and he spazs out whenever he's around her. He becomes obsessed with her and not in a good way.

Received an advance copy from Image and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

[Alice · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some of the panels are nicely drawn, but the storyline was a bit too easy (as well as downright silly in parts). I couldn't get interested in the characters or their lives and constant pratfalls tire quickly. But hey - pretty scooters! And the suggested soundtrack is a nice touch.

[Mavis Ros · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot...is complicated. We all know that Margaret Sheldon is the main cause of Ashton Archer's downfall. But seriously... The story takes place in a realistic fiction setting. Not adding the ingredient of a fantasy genre. Why bother with the ancestry?

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

The art was stunning but the story ultimately left a lot to be desire

[Gary Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

21st book read in 2019.

Number 146 out of 769 on my all time book list.

Hilarious and beautiful. Book goes to the edge of shark jumping and pulls back nicely.

[Bowie Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute and good satire.. i do wish it ended with her not getting with ashton since he's kind of a douchebag but i liked it

[Jamar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I own this book. All I’m missing now is a Kindle version to read on my phone or tablet. It’s one of those books that you just love to read.

[talia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ashton Archer is an ASSHOLE. He's a rich, narcissistic son of a bitch whose primary interests include cheating the system and screwing over women. When beautiful, busty Margaret Sheldon comes into his life, Ashton's tricks don't work on her. What's more, she ruins his machinations and leaves him entirely devoid of women's attention. Ashton must redeem himself in order to reassemble his life and find real happiness.

Redemption arcs only work if the character in question has likable qualities; Ashton has none. He's selfish, callous, and rude. He spends the majority of the volume looking for ways to avoid making any real growth. When he does finally begin to realize his wrongs, it's after he's already put out a literal hit on Margaret's life because he can't handle the idea of a woman rejecting him. The subsequent change in his thinking is so swift and dramatic that it's not at all believable. Instead of Ashton becoming a better person at the end, I wish he'd just been hit by a car (or a scooter, I guess). This man did not deserve a happy ending.

I received a digital review copy of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss.

[Meredith Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

it wasn't the best graphic novel i've ever read but it had some fun moments. the "plotting to kill the girl" part was where i really lost my interest, honestly, and saw the ending straight ahead. the real pull here is clugston-major's aweome drawing skills.

[Vesmé · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really love the art, but unlike her Blue Monday series I didn't really care about the characters.

Read as individual comics.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

Scooter Girl is a very difficult graphic novel to quantify. Slippery as an eel and about as fun to read as playing with that slimy sea creature, what we have is a story full of foul characters doing really stupid and pointless things. Perhaps an ode to the dilettantes of the 2000 era, its superficiality is disguised by a mod-like 1960s setting. It's neither here nor there: not a romance, not a contemporary, not a historical, not a comedy, not a satire, and not really even very likable; perhaps this comic is the perfect embodiment of the disaffected lost that came to be known as Generation X.

Story: Ashton is gifted - everything he wants or needs is thrown into his lap through supreme luck. He bags the girls, has hordes of admirers, and enough money to do what he wants, when he wants. And yeah, he's pretty smug about it. That is, until Margaret Ashton rides by and becomes the perfect poison. His life spirals out of control as he loses everything thanks to Margaret being his Kryptonite. But poor Ashton, he just wants to bag her and he's sure that once he's had her, his luck will return and he can go back to chasing skirts and DJing/partying. Thing is, Margaret thinks he is a tool and is (supposedly) too smart to fall for our narcissistic hero. Even a hitman on Margaret won't dispel his bad luck or get him into her bedroom. Perhaps a move to San Diego is the answer. Until a few years later Margaret shows up and spoils everything yet again.

What this book feels like is self indulgence; a little fantasy (Mary Sue) for author Flores where she gets to be the cool chick and control/cause the downfall of the cute and rich boy who gets all the girls. It's far fetched - we should at least get a chance to like the antihero so we root for "tsundere" Margaret. But that never happens and even Margaret comes off as very caustic and unpleasant. Shouldn't there be at least one likable character in a story to offset all the vanity?

There are a few side characters, including a brother for Margaret. He spends most of the book being emo and moping - fairly pointless to be honest. The plot meanders and changes tones a bit too often to be engrossing; it's a strange transition to go from playful annoyance about a girl to hiring someone to kill her. And the 'redemption' at the end just thuds at our feet like a deflated zeppelin. It's very odd and unbelievable.

The artwork is an odd mix between the Archies and Japanese manga; bright Western bold colors contrasted with quite a few anime/manga conventions. The 'mod' flavor is decorative - this is a contemporary setting where people are obsessed with mod culture for some reason or other (I have no idea why everyone is mod obsessed). I think it would have made more sense setting this in the 1960s, when being macho was still a thing and the mod scenery makes sense.

The story and stylings are fairly unique - but not necessarily in a good way. What we have is a fairy tale for gen Xers with substance and a moral ending completely and inexplicably stripped. In many ways, I can't help but think of a car crash on the highway; you don't want to look yet are strangely drawn to the carnage and unpleasantness of it all. Then it is out of your mind ten minutes later. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[wbforeman · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got three issues into this book and I just don’t like the main character. He’s a douche bag who thinks he’s gods gift to Women. sleeps with everybody and thinks he’s the man now we’re supposed to laugh because this girl that he meets causes him to get his Comeuppance. But that was never funny. This book has a very romcom like set up if you seen a movie like hitch where Will Smith character os God’s gift women, but when he’s around his female co lead, he always looks like an idiot it’s the same premise, but unlike like Will Smith that has charm to pull that off the main character in this book does not my only saving grace of this book is I like the art deco color scheme is very mod 60s inspired. Other nitpicks don’t start your book with an essay unless it’s one of the pillars of comics that had a major impact don’t start with an essay save that for the back. Also the choices of music were very hip 90s early 2000‘s picks seeing the Dandy Warhols referenced was funny

[Paul Allard · Rating 3 out of 5]

True Romance story about a teenage Lothario

Set in a mods era, this story tells of Ashton, a teenage Lothario, bedding all and sundry, falling for the Scooter Girl of the title, Margaret. Along the way to trying to win the girl, accidents happen, other characters get involved and a curse is suggested.

When it comes down to it, that's about it really. If you're into teenage love tales, this may suit you. Clearly illustrated (although sometimes it is difficult to distinguish some of the male characters), it is quite fun – but, in the end, a bit fluffy.

[Damian Herde · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was included in a Humble bundle I’ve been reading through, and rom-com is not a preferred genre of mine.

I opened it since I’d bought it, and the art wasn’t bad. The story seemed fairly standard fair rom-com though. The guy-who-has-it-all meets a girl who is intelligent enough to be disgusted by everything about him. She is perfectly justified. He can’t stand it and cycles back and forth between pursuit-scams and trying to avoid her. It’s a rom-com. Obviously they end up together.

I can’t believe I read it to the end.

[Desiree · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked how the author gave this book its own soundtrack of songs to be played at different points. I kept having to cue up the songs on Youtube & it definitely introduced me to some 60s/70s sounds I was unfamiliar with before! This was about the only thing I liked about the book though...somewhat shallow characters & the main character is a womanizer with nothing redeeming about them at all. Alas.

[Larakaa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. At first I thought it was brilliantly funny because it's a parody of toxic masculinity and male entitlement. But the last chapter turned all that upside down. The dialoge is witty and funny, Flores' art is a mixture of western and manga style that fits the story well. If you're into young adult rom-com and like scooters this might be for you.

[Erik · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the art and the characters in theory were great, but unfortunately this was not the story I was looking for. It was too easy and too vapid and by the end I just didn't care what happened. I wish this had stated differently and gone a different way. Oh well.

[Michelle Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I enjoyed this story but some parts seemed just extra crazy to me, but that was probably personal. After reading I really wish I had read this when I was younger and I think then it would have been a 5. Still would suggest it to read though.

[LordSlaw · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nope. Treats misogyny and murder as lightly comical. The main character is an egotistically vile douchenozzle. This would be a 1.5-star rating if Goodreads did halfsies (half for story, 1 for art). I do like the art, so two stars. Which is generous. Tonally all wrong. Overall, just....nope.

[D.T. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn't get into this story, but the artwork was perfect! Drake was the cutest character, a lovely shy guy. As far as Ashton and Margret, well, I didn't like either of them.

[Lauren · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a bummer. The artwork and design drew me in, but the story and conclusion disappointed me beyond belief. Can we all agree that misogynistic male characters do not deserve a happy ending from here on out?

[Jenn Estepp · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really expect more of my modish comics by Chynna. But I do love her style.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Jennifer Bradshaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

The artwork is great, but I strongly disliked the story. I especially hated Ashton.

[jun · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tried to read it when I was too young and ended up thinking it was too adult, revisited it and it was ok. (Also Margaret is so cool!)

[Kiki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pacing of this one was nuts. I've always wanted to read this but unfortunately it's mostly redeemed by its culture/aesthetic immersion because the characters are whacked out.

[Vi · Rating 3 out of 5]

an older teen Archie, with a bit of hip 60s swankiness.