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Manfried the Man #1
Manfried the Man
In this hilarious graphic novel, the roles of cats and humans are reversed, putting humanoid felines in charge of tiny, dimwitted little man-pets.
Manfried is a stray taken in by Steve Catson, a slacker with a dead-end job and nonexistent love life. Soon Manfried becomes the Garfield to Steve’s Jon Arbuckle: lazy, selfish, and sometimes maddening in his weird human behavior. Yet the pair depends on each other to get through life’s troubles. When Manfried runs away, Steve musters his meager resources to find his best man-friend and bring him home safe. Ultimately, both Steve and Manfried realize they’re capable of so much more than they thought.
Manfried is a stray taken in by Steve Catson, a slacker with a dead-end job and nonexistent love life. Soon Manfried becomes the Garfield to Steve’s Jon Arbuckle: lazy, selfish, and sometimes maddening in his weird human behavior. Yet the pair depends on each other to get through life’s troubles. When Manfried runs away, Steve musters his meager resources to find his best man-friend and bring him home safe. Ultimately, both Steve and Manfried realize they’re capable of so much more than they thought.
224 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2018
24 people are currently reading
1889 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 350 reviews
May 15, 2020
this is a graphic novel in which the world of Man and the world of Cat do a freaky friday switcheroo and things get weird.
there are parts of this book that are five stars, no question, but as a whole, it's prolly a 3.5.
the concept is a winner, if you are someone who a) loves cats and b) finds tiny naked men behaving like cats hilarious.
or creepy.
or just uncreepy enough to be hilarious.
the jokey details of the illustrations are perfect, from the man food
to the after-food
to the perfectly catlike behaviors and mannerisms
the postures
and situations
even the background details are a joy
i love the spin on the crazy cat lady house:
and i also love that the man-equivalent of a meow is the word “hey,” and that it gets used in so many different situations
as a “lemme in!”
as a “feed me!”
as a “hello there”
and as a “back off, pal!”
and with all that to recommend it, you would think this book would be a slam-dunk. the problem is that while every little thing the pet man does is perfection,
steve the cat’s plotline is really dull. he’s not bringing any “hahah, oh that’s so human” gags, and he’s not even a character we can root for; he’s kind of a dick - petty, lying, irresponsible, messy, childish, pathetic - he doesn’t embody any funny or interesting human qualities, he’s not inviting human readers to giggle at our eccentricities, he’s just a big douchey cat who’s not even particularly cute. and yes - he becomes more likable by the end, but he’s not holding up his half of the story and it takes too much time away from the man, who is - again - supercute and cuddly.
oh, and when you have a lot of little men, you have adorable manpiles
there’s another volume of this coming out in 2019 - i just hope that their stories don’t diverge this time, because - and i never thought i would say this - that cat’s no fun without his man.
and remember - no matter what pet you get, get it from a shelter, okay?
come to my blog!
there are parts of this book that are five stars, no question, but as a whole, it's prolly a 3.5.
the concept is a winner, if you are someone who a) loves cats and b) finds tiny naked men behaving like cats hilarious.
or creepy.
or just uncreepy enough to be hilarious.
the jokey details of the illustrations are perfect, from the man food
to the after-food
to the perfectly catlike behaviors and mannerisms
the postures
and situations
even the background details are a joy
i love the spin on the crazy cat lady house:
and i also love that the man-equivalent of a meow is the word “hey,” and that it gets used in so many different situations
as a “lemme in!”
as a “feed me!”
as a “hello there”
and as a “back off, pal!”
and with all that to recommend it, you would think this book would be a slam-dunk. the problem is that while every little thing the pet man does is perfection,
steve the cat’s plotline is really dull. he’s not bringing any “hahah, oh that’s so human” gags, and he’s not even a character we can root for; he’s kind of a dick - petty, lying, irresponsible, messy, childish, pathetic - he doesn’t embody any funny or interesting human qualities, he’s not inviting human readers to giggle at our eccentricities, he’s just a big douchey cat who’s not even particularly cute. and yes - he becomes more likable by the end, but he’s not holding up his half of the story and it takes too much time away from the man, who is - again - supercute and cuddly.
oh, and when you have a lot of little men, you have adorable manpiles
there’s another volume of this coming out in 2019 - i just hope that their stories don’t diverge this time, because - and i never thought i would say this - that cat’s no fun without his man.
and remember - no matter what pet you get, get it from a shelter, okay?
come to my blog!
May 30, 2018
I think my brain is way too literal to be able to appreciate this properly.
There were a couple of panels that made me giggle or do the little, "Awww," but for the most part, I got distracted by the half-swap between man and cat. Lines were blurred as each kept some of their species' traits but took on some of the traits of the others'.
Why weren't cats wearing clothing? And the ones who did wear clothing wore shirts only. Why? Why did they have normal people jobs like call center work? They used computers like people. They did all the people things except for when they were doing cat things like ordering fishbowls with fish inside as their adult beverages.
Who do man pets have stripes? Are those stripes hair? Why do some man pets have full facial hair and others only have mustaches? And why are some bald? So they really are little men, not cats in the shape of men? But then they try to catch birds to eat when out in the wilderness and they wash like cats. But they sit at little tables and use forks and knives at dinner.
It was confusing for me.
I'm sure this is delightful and hilarious. Sadly, I couldn't connect.
There were a couple of panels that made me giggle or do the little, "Awww," but for the most part, I got distracted by the half-swap between man and cat. Lines were blurred as each kept some of their species' traits but took on some of the traits of the others'.
Why weren't cats wearing clothing? And the ones who did wear clothing wore shirts only. Why? Why did they have normal people jobs like call center work? They used computers like people. They did all the people things except for when they were doing cat things like ordering fishbowls with fish inside as their adult beverages.
Who do man pets have stripes? Are those stripes hair? Why do some man pets have full facial hair and others only have mustaches? And why are some bald? So they really are little men, not cats in the shape of men? But then they try to catch birds to eat when out in the wilderness and they wash like cats. But they sit at little tables and use forks and knives at dinner.
It was confusing for me.
I'm sure this is delightful and hilarious. Sadly, I couldn't connect.
January 28, 2024
This is fun, but I'm blessed/cursed with a mind that thinks too much about the world.. why are there no little females, why do the cats not wear clothes, why do the little men not wear clothes, and so on.
Me being really quite boring, but there you go.
Me being really quite boring, but there you go.
January 28, 2024
Quirk Books proved to be an apt publisher for this quirky graphic novel about cats and humans having their roles reversed.
Steve Catson is a slacker who has a dead-end job but loves his man, Manfried. When his chubby ginger disappears out a carelessly left open window, Steve is distraught. He needs to own up to his failings and find his man, and in so doing he is able to help the local Man Shelter and find a new career path.
The artwork is clean, simple and attractive; typically with a six-panel layout per page. The cats who portray the pet owners walk on their hind legs and live just as you would expect humans would. It’s the little men, that will make you pause and laugh, as it’s quite odd to see naked men acting like cats. While the artist draws cats in various colors as you’d expect to see, it’s the men (never women) drawn with different body types, ages, and nationalities that make the panels distinctive. And instead of a meow, the men always say “hey” to one another or to their cats to get their attention.
The book proved to be more nuanced than I originally thought it might be. The front cover lets you know this is a graphic novel, not a collection of strips, as many might expect. While stand-alone strips with this role reversal would certainly be funny, this longer narrative lets you move past the juxtaposition of the roles, and you really start to connect with the characters. The story makes you root for Steve to grow up and get Manfried back. I definitely would welcome more stories about these two. Thanks to NetGalley for this clever book!
This review can also be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2018/01/2...
Steve Catson is a slacker who has a dead-end job but loves his man, Manfried. When his chubby ginger disappears out a carelessly left open window, Steve is distraught. He needs to own up to his failings and find his man, and in so doing he is able to help the local Man Shelter and find a new career path.
The artwork is clean, simple and attractive; typically with a six-panel layout per page. The cats who portray the pet owners walk on their hind legs and live just as you would expect humans would. It’s the little men, that will make you pause and laugh, as it’s quite odd to see naked men acting like cats. While the artist draws cats in various colors as you’d expect to see, it’s the men (never women) drawn with different body types, ages, and nationalities that make the panels distinctive. And instead of a meow, the men always say “hey” to one another or to their cats to get their attention.
The book proved to be more nuanced than I originally thought it might be. The front cover lets you know this is a graphic novel, not a collection of strips, as many might expect. While stand-alone strips with this role reversal would certainly be funny, this longer narrative lets you move past the juxtaposition of the roles, and you really start to connect with the characters. The story makes you root for Steve to grow up and get Manfried back. I definitely would welcome more stories about these two. Thanks to NetGalley for this clever book!
This review can also be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2018/01/2...
October 21, 2018
A first graphic novel based on a webcomic by Caitlin Major and illustrated by Kelly Bastow, for cat lovers, where a role reversal universe has cats rule and humans--exclusively male humans, for no clear reason to me--are ruled by cats. Men--naked men, some black, some white--act like cats. Our main guy, Manfried (remember the Brit Rock group from the sixties, Manfred Mann? Did covers of "Blinded by the Light," and "Spirit in the Night"? Me, neither) is ignored by an irresponsible owner whose life is falling apart, though his love for Manfried just might save him, especially when Manfried is lost!
The publisher description says the book is "hilarious," though I found it occasionally amusing, occasionally insightful about cat ownership/love but most often often kinda wincingly painful about this annoying loser cat owner. Okay, until the end. 2.5, rounded up for first novel encouragement, and the cute colorful drawings that made this easier to read.
The publisher description says the book is "hilarious," though I found it occasionally amusing, occasionally insightful about cat ownership/love but most often often kinda wincingly painful about this annoying loser cat owner. Okay, until the end. 2.5, rounded up for first novel encouragement, and the cute colorful drawings that made this easier to read.
May 6, 2018
Disclosure: I recieved an Advanced Reading Copy of this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Based on the book’s description and the introduction, I had expected the book to be humorous and cute. I was wrong. Instead, it was painful and awkward to read.
First I’ll start off by saying the illustrations were good, for the most part. However, was it REALLY necessary to illustrate genitals on the men? In real life cat genitals are not so blatantly visible like that, so it just detracts from the rest of the work.
Another thing I’d like to point out is that this graphic novel could be appropriate for youth or young-adult audiences, if not for the illustrated genitals. At the end of the day, it’s the parents’ responsibility to decide what is appropriate for their kid to read. However, although tastefully done, I would be inclined to label it adult because of the nudity.
Now on to the actual story.
Even though the book is called, “ Manfried the Man,” it should really be called “Steve the Irresponsible.”Despite the title, and the parallel storylines (perspectives from Manfried and Steve), the book really focuses on Steve.
Steve is that one friend everyone has who just can’t get it together, and won’t take responsibility for his actions. Being around him can be painfully awkward and/or infuriating at times, and reading this book was exactly like that. This book was advertised as cute and funny, but in actuality, it was just sad and depressing. Yeah, there’s a happy ending, but it’s actually the worst part of the whole story because Steve never actually grows as a character. Throughout the entire book Steve has one opportunity after another to actually learn something, and become a responsible adult, but all the things that happen are just examples of serendipity, and him taking advantage of the kindess of others:
- Instead of being thankful to his old boss for giving him (likely illegal) access to call center phone lists for his personal use, and trying to get his job back like his old boss suggested he might actually have the opportunity to get, he just ghosts her
- Instead of thanking the man shelter for allowing him to use their survey as an opportunity to find his man, he just sulks around because no one found his man
- Instead of being thankful for all the support he’s getting online, he just grumbles because he’s not getting any response about his man being found
- Instead of being kind to the old cat-lady who has been taking care of so many strays, he still acts like she’s some kind of creepy pariah
- He never properly thanked Henrietta for supporting him despite how poorly he treated her
- He never took responsibility for nearly poisoning his friend’s kid
- He never actually put forth any effort to get a job, one just magically fell into his lap thanks to his irresponsible actions garnering him massive media attention
Despite all he went through, Steve doesn’t actually learn anything or grow as a person. At the end of the book, he’s basically right back where he started. The only difference is he’s lucked out on few things, so he’s still not really putting forth any effort.
Manfried, on the other hand ,is the best part of this story (and the only reason it gets two stars instead of one). Manfried starts out as a fat, lazy, demanding, and selfish house-man. When he gets lost, though, he begins to change and grow. He learns how to socialize with other men, gets a little fit, no longer demands as much, and learns to share. Manfried should be the true main character of this story, like the title suggests. If it was solely about Manfried, and not Steve, I think this book would have been exponentially better. Think “Garfield Minus Garfield,” but instead “Manfried Minus Steve.” If that was the case, the story would have actually been cute and funny, and not the disappointment it turned out to be.
Based on the book’s description and the introduction, I had expected the book to be humorous and cute. I was wrong. Instead, it was painful and awkward to read.
First I’ll start off by saying the illustrations were good, for the most part. However, was it REALLY necessary to illustrate genitals on the men? In real life cat genitals are not so blatantly visible like that, so it just detracts from the rest of the work.
Another thing I’d like to point out is that this graphic novel could be appropriate for youth or young-adult audiences, if not for the illustrated genitals. At the end of the day, it’s the parents’ responsibility to decide what is appropriate for their kid to read. However, although tastefully done, I would be inclined to label it adult because of the nudity.
Now on to the actual story.
Even though the book is called, “ Manfried the Man,” it should really be called “Steve the Irresponsible.”Despite the title, and the parallel storylines (perspectives from Manfried and Steve), the book really focuses on Steve.
Steve is that one friend everyone has who just can’t get it together, and won’t take responsibility for his actions. Being around him can be painfully awkward and/or infuriating at times, and reading this book was exactly like that. This book was advertised as cute and funny, but in actuality, it was just sad and depressing. Yeah, there’s a happy ending, but it’s actually the worst part of the whole story because Steve never actually grows as a character. Throughout the entire book Steve has one opportunity after another to actually learn something, and become a responsible adult, but all the things that happen are just examples of serendipity, and him taking advantage of the kindess of others:
- Instead of being thankful to his old boss for giving him (likely illegal) access to call center phone lists for his personal use, and trying to get his job back like his old boss suggested he might actually have the opportunity to get, he just ghosts her
- Instead of thanking the man shelter for allowing him to use their survey as an opportunity to find his man, he just sulks around because no one found his man
- Instead of being thankful for all the support he’s getting online, he just grumbles because he’s not getting any response about his man being found
- Instead of being kind to the old cat-lady who has been taking care of so many strays, he still acts like she’s some kind of creepy pariah
- He never properly thanked Henrietta for supporting him despite how poorly he treated her
- He never took responsibility for nearly poisoning his friend’s kid
- He never actually put forth any effort to get a job, one just magically fell into his lap thanks to his irresponsible actions garnering him massive media attention
Despite all he went through, Steve doesn’t actually learn anything or grow as a person. At the end of the book, he’s basically right back where he started. The only difference is he’s lucked out on few things, so he’s still not really putting forth any effort.
Manfried, on the other hand ,is the best part of this story (and the only reason it gets two stars instead of one). Manfried starts out as a fat, lazy, demanding, and selfish house-man. When he gets lost, though, he begins to change and grow. He learns how to socialize with other men, gets a little fit, no longer demands as much, and learns to share. Manfried should be the true main character of this story, like the title suggests. If it was solely about Manfried, and not Steve, I think this book would have been exponentially better. Think “Garfield Minus Garfield,” but instead “Manfried Minus Steve.” If that was the case, the story would have actually been cute and funny, and not the disappointment it turned out to be.
November 4, 2019
I zoomed through this in one sitting. This comic bit is for CAT LOVERS!
I wish I had cat friends, I'd buy every single one of them a copy. This book captures the essence of exactly what it would be like if the roles were reversed between humans and cats. I hope the authors of this book go on to do more types of animals, like dogs!!
The only thing I had a really hard time getting past was the Naked man. I wished he would have had a diaper or idk something on. It was very strange looking at fallaces almost every page. That's the only bad thing I have to say about this book. Otherwise, I truly loved how the story captured the emotions and bond between humans and animals in mostly pictures. Skills ladies! Hats off to the writer and illustrator. I loved how their personal story of how this book came to be and the hardships that came along, it makes you appreciate the work that much more.
Honestly, I had the same best friend for yrs, but stopped talking to her almost 2 years ago, she's a cat lady, but I seriously want to send her this book anonymously even though we aren't in each other's lives anymore, because I know she would adore this book!!!😂
I wish I had cat friends, I'd buy every single one of them a copy. This book captures the essence of exactly what it would be like if the roles were reversed between humans and cats. I hope the authors of this book go on to do more types of animals, like dogs!!
The only thing I had a really hard time getting past was the Naked man. I wished he would have had a diaper or idk something on. It was very strange looking at fallaces almost every page. That's the only bad thing I have to say about this book. Otherwise, I truly loved how the story captured the emotions and bond between humans and animals in mostly pictures. Skills ladies! Hats off to the writer and illustrator. I loved how their personal story of how this book came to be and the hardships that came along, it makes you appreciate the work that much more.
Honestly, I had the same best friend for yrs, but stopped talking to her almost 2 years ago, she's a cat lady, but I seriously want to send her this book anonymously even though we aren't in each other's lives anymore, because I know she would adore this book!!!😂
Read
March 23, 2023I knew this was going to be weird but it is extremely weird. I kept wondering if the next page was going to turn into a furry manifesto.
The one gag doesn't really go anywhere and while it's funny/cute/unsettling initially, it literally has no impact on the plot, and that makes me wonder what is valuable about this story at all. This is the story of a sad lonely cat-person in which not much happens and nothing is learned. Reversing the species of the characters depicted doesn't make it any less uninteresting. Sorry.
The one gag doesn't really go anywhere and while it's funny/cute/unsettling initially, it literally has no impact on the plot, and that makes me wonder what is valuable about this story at all. This is the story of a sad lonely cat-person in which not much happens and nothing is learned. Reversing the species of the characters depicted doesn't make it any less uninteresting. Sorry.
Read
June 14, 2018Won in the Goodreads Giveaways - looks a fun and interesting read!
January 16, 2019
This was a lot of fun. Imagine a world where cats are in charge (yes I know they're in charge here too, ha ha ha) and men are kept as pets! Manfried is the beloved "man" of Steve Catson, a slacker who works (barely) in a call center and spends most of his time doodling clever cartoons and falling asleep on the sofa. Manfried is really all he has in a world where all his friends are married and having kittens and no one cares about looking at his funny man photos on Catstagram. Then Manfried disappears and Steve is going to have to get his act together if he wants to find his pet and change his life for the better.
I honestly wasn't expecting this to be as charming and engaging as it was. It seems like an idea that might be fun for a few pages of clever comics but would probably wear pretty thin expanded to an entire book. But Caitlin Major and Kelly Bastow are terrific story tellers who have taken a clever gimmick and turned it into something with genuine heart. I was sincerely routing for Steve to grow up a little and get back to realizing his college dreams of being an artist and while it was indeed hilarious to watch Manfriend yelling "Hey!" for his food in place of "meow" I also really wanted these two knuckleheads to get back together!
This is fun and very funny and surprisingly relatable for a book about a man sized cat and cat sized man and their daily misadventures.
I honestly wasn't expecting this to be as charming and engaging as it was. It seems like an idea that might be fun for a few pages of clever comics but would probably wear pretty thin expanded to an entire book. But Caitlin Major and Kelly Bastow are terrific story tellers who have taken a clever gimmick and turned it into something with genuine heart. I was sincerely routing for Steve to grow up a little and get back to realizing his college dreams of being an artist and while it was indeed hilarious to watch Manfriend yelling "Hey!" for his food in place of "meow" I also really wanted these two knuckleheads to get back together!
This is fun and very funny and surprisingly relatable for a book about a man sized cat and cat sized man and their daily misadventures.
February 23, 2022
Belki kedi insanı olmadığım için fazla işlemedi bana ama kediciler eminim bayılacaktır.
January 28, 2019
Manfried the Man was nominated as one of the best comics of 2018 on a couple of lists that I found. Since I've been reading more comics lately, and had just fallen head over heels for Jeff Smith's Bone series, I decided to peruse such lists and devour as many of the comics mentioned as I could get my hands on. Which leads me to Manfried the Man. This comic may look like a very strange choice for a Best Of list that includes titles like Sabrina, but after the first blush it begins to fall into place. This is a fun comic, very well illustrated, and quite unique. Caitlin Major took a fairly ridiculous idea, and turned it into something with a vast amount of heart and insight into modern day life.
The general concept is pretty obvious from the cover. In the world Major created cats are people and people are cats. Cats keep their little man pets, watch man shows, buy they Hungry Hungry Man food in flavors such as "Winner Winner Chicken Dinner" and"Taco Tuesday". Instead of kibble scattered for the stray men it's french fries. Let's be real, there's something innately hilarious about a cat rubbing a man's tummy until the man suddenly punches him in the face while yelling "Hey!" "Hey" is obviously what men say instead of Meow, right?
Beyond the concept, there's the story of a cat and his man. Steve Catson has Manfried the Man. He's a bachelor (i.e. Tomcat) at an age where many of his friends are married and having kittens. He wants to be an artist, draw comics, but he's stuck in a dead end job at a call center where he can't even muster the enthusiasm for work. His coworkers are viewing him as that weird "man person" always "talking about his man." Eventually fired from his job, his life a mess, things only get worse when Manfried runs away. Manfried, his best friend and the only good thing in his life. What will he do?
The search for Manfried brings people together, and might even be just what Steve needs...
This is a sweet comic, hilarious, and very well illustrated. It was an extremely fun read and I look forward to the next volume coming out this May!
The general concept is pretty obvious from the cover. In the world Major created cats are people and people are cats. Cats keep their little man pets, watch man shows, buy they Hungry Hungry Man food in flavors such as "Winner Winner Chicken Dinner" and"Taco Tuesday". Instead of kibble scattered for the stray men it's french fries. Let's be real, there's something innately hilarious about a cat rubbing a man's tummy until the man suddenly punches him in the face while yelling "Hey!" "Hey" is obviously what men say instead of Meow, right?
Beyond the concept, there's the story of a cat and his man. Steve Catson has Manfried the Man. He's a bachelor (i.e. Tomcat) at an age where many of his friends are married and having kittens. He wants to be an artist, draw comics, but he's stuck in a dead end job at a call center where he can't even muster the enthusiasm for work. His coworkers are viewing him as that weird "man person" always "talking about his man." Eventually fired from his job, his life a mess, things only get worse when Manfried runs away. Manfried, his best friend and the only good thing in his life. What will he do?
The search for Manfried brings people together, and might even be just what Steve needs...
This is a sweet comic, hilarious, and very well illustrated. It was an extremely fun read and I look forward to the next volume coming out this May!
November 24, 2018
I think any cat lover would appreciate this book but for me, it could have been better.
There was too much focus on Steve (the cat) instead of Manfried (the man) where I think the most potential for humour lies. It would have worked better as a series of anecdotes as opposed to one complete story as well.
The story ends up being a bit mundane since it focuses on Steve, his unhappiness with life and reliance on his pet man for companionship. It's just all too normal though there are a few humorous moments with Manfried such as his tinned man food of burgers, his tiny kitchen table for eating at and toy cars for playing with. They're just too rare to make the book as a whole entertaining.
Read more reviews and other bookish content on my blog https://elainehowlin.wordpress.com
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December 14, 2017
It took a little while getting used seeing cats as humans and men as pets. I'm actually surprised it took so long for someone to put this onto paper and turn it into a comic so thank you Caitlin Major and Kelly Bastow for the enjoyable read and adorable illustrations that work very well for this f(el)ine comic!
Certain quirks, truths, and stereotypes of men and cats are turned upside down... like, instead of meowing or purring, the men HEEEEEYs at everyone and everything. Or chips being the catnips of our men-pets. The comic adventures of Manfried the Man and Steve Catson will definitely tickle the fancy of cat-lovers, and could possibly be the start of a fan-favourite franchise.
Certain quirks, truths, and stereotypes of men and cats are turned upside down... like, instead of meowing or purring, the men HEEEEEYs at everyone and everything. Or chips being the catnips of our men-pets. The comic adventures of Manfried the Man and Steve Catson will definitely tickle the fancy of cat-lovers, and could possibly be the start of a fan-favourite franchise.
July 1, 2018
The concept of this graphic novel is fantastic! Basically it’s a world where cats and humans have reversed roles. Cats work, drive and have pet human men! The men are naked, domesticated, little pets who are fully dependent on their cat owners. They’re fed tiny Hungry Man meals, taken to special Man hospitals and strays are sent to Man shelters.
In this story Steve the Cat is down on his luck and pretty depressed. He’s irresponsible in general. He watches his friends Man and almost loses him. Then he loses his job and loses his own Man. The story itself is a bit anticlimactic but the mannerisms and actions of the Cats and Men are what make the book. Overall it’s a fun read. 3.5 stars
In this story Steve the Cat is down on his luck and pretty depressed. He’s irresponsible in general. He watches his friends Man and almost loses him. Then he loses his job and loses his own Man. The story itself is a bit anticlimactic but the mannerisms and actions of the Cats and Men are what make the book. Overall it’s a fun read. 3.5 stars
April 26, 2020
Çizgi roman okumayalı uzun zaman olmuştu. Tam da kedi sevdalısı bir okur olarak çok eğlenerek okuyacağımı tahmin ettiğim bu çizgi romanı nihayet okuyabildim. Okumaya başladığım gibi elimden bırakamadım, pat pat sayfalar geçerken başladığım gibi bitirdim desem yalan olmaz. Tam anlamıyla adeta bir paralel evrende geçen Adam Manfried çizgi romanı kedilerin insanların yerine geçtiği ve insanlardan da erkeklerin de evcil adamlar oldukları bir dünya. İlk başta Adam’ı isim zannetmiştim ama meğerse kelime olarak kullanılmış. Okuması gerçekten çok keyifliydi. Eleştirebileceğim tek kısmı konusunda ana karakter kedimiz Steve’in evcil adamı Manfried evden kaçtıktan sonra değerini anladığından söz edilmesiydi ama Manfried kaçmadan önce de Steve’in hayatında evcil adamının ne kadar büyük yeri olduğunu defalarca kez görmüştük. Orijinal konusunun da böyle olduğunu görünce bana bir tık absürt geldiği için yorumumda da değinmek istedim. Bir de evcil kadınlar nerede? Farklı bir şeyler okumak isteyenlere kesinlikle öneririm. Devam serisini merakla bekliyorum.
October 20, 2019
Cute graphic novel, especially for cat lovers. Recommended for adults since the men (aka the pets) are naked and you can see certain body parts.
July 3, 2018
It was a great read!
January 28, 2018
Better in small doses, maybe? (Check out the tumblr.)
(Full disclosure: I received a free ARC for review through Goodreads.)
Steve Catson is kind of a fuck up. His apartment is a shithole, he hates his job at a call center, and he doesn't have m/any real friends. He's at that age when his peers are growing up, marrying, and having kittens of their own - but Steve is chronically single, socially awkward, and quite possibly depressed. The only bright spot in Steve's life is his pet man, a chubby little ginger number not-so-creatively named Manfried. So when Manfried goes missing - thanks to Steve's own carelessness, no less - Steve is beside himself with grief, panic, and self-loathing. Yet in his search for his beloved man, Steve might find even more than he could have hoped for.
I really dug the absurdist vibe of Manfried the Man, but I think the idea would have been better served by a series of self-contained strips as opposed to a singular narrative. I love those "if humans acted like dogs/cats" videos that occasionally make the rounds, and Manfried is very much in this vein. However, I didn't find the storyline terribly interesting, and Steve is just plain irritating. I empathized with him initially - I too struggle with anxiety and depression, and sometimes feel like I'm just not doing right by my furry friends - but by story's end I wanted to throttle the guy. Blaming your man's escape on someone else, pffft. If I'd done that I'd be begging random strangers for a tongue lashing to feed the guilt.
Anyway, Manfried has its cute moments (#NotAllMen ftw; naked little men running around with their naked little twigs and berries), but overall I found it kind of meh. I do wish the whole "cones of shame for men" thing would catch on, though.
http://www.easyvegan.info/2018/05/01/...
(Full disclosure: I received a free ARC for review through Goodreads.)
We’re trying to get volunteers to take part in the annual man count so we can keep track of all the stray men in the neighborhood.
If he’s only been missing a day he’s probably just holed up somewhere nearby. Men like to find small spaces and hide out.
Not all men though. Some men like the open space.
No not all men, obviously.
Steve Catson is kind of a fuck up. His apartment is a shithole, he hates his job at a call center, and he doesn't have m/any real friends. He's at that age when his peers are growing up, marrying, and having kittens of their own - but Steve is chronically single, socially awkward, and quite possibly depressed. The only bright spot in Steve's life is his pet man, a chubby little ginger number not-so-creatively named Manfried. So when Manfried goes missing - thanks to Steve's own carelessness, no less - Steve is beside himself with grief, panic, and self-loathing. Yet in his search for his beloved man, Steve might find even more than he could have hoped for.
I really dug the absurdist vibe of Manfried the Man, but I think the idea would have been better served by a series of self-contained strips as opposed to a singular narrative. I love those "if humans acted like dogs/cats" videos that occasionally make the rounds, and Manfried is very much in this vein. However, I didn't find the storyline terribly interesting, and Steve is just plain irritating. I empathized with him initially - I too struggle with anxiety and depression, and sometimes feel like I'm just not doing right by my furry friends - but by story's end I wanted to throttle the guy. Blaming your man's escape on someone else, pffft. If I'd done that I'd be begging random strangers for a tongue lashing to feed the guilt.
Anyway, Manfried has its cute moments (#NotAllMen ftw; naked little men running around with their naked little twigs and berries), but overall I found it kind of meh. I do wish the whole "cones of shame for men" thing would catch on, though.
http://www.easyvegan.info/2018/05/01/...
July 25, 2018
The concept of mostly naked cats keeping entirely naked little men as pets left me feeling too uneasy and vaguely horrified to enjoy this book at all. I know it's supposed to be a goof, trying to find a new spin on cat humor, but I found little to laugh at and much that left me confused.
Like, where do all these little men come from if there are no little women with which to breed? Are most of the female pets euthanized with only a few brood queens kept isolated in baby mills in the countryside? And I guess a big dog like the one I own could be dangerous if he turned on people, but why is it so much more terrifying that the pets in this universe can fashion spears that they use to kill prey at a distance? And why bother making a pants joke near the end of a comic where no one wears pants, and pants are shown to be a failed fad in a background gag in one panel early in the book?
Anyhow, I'm not a cat person, and I probably shouldn't have tried reading this.
Like, where do all these little men come from if there are no little women with which to breed? Are most of the female pets euthanized with only a few brood queens kept isolated in baby mills in the countryside? And I guess a big dog like the one I own could be dangerous if he turned on people, but why is it so much more terrifying that the pets in this universe can fashion spears that they use to kill prey at a distance? And why bother making a pants joke near the end of a comic where no one wears pants, and pants are shown to be a failed fad in a background gag in one panel early in the book?
Anyhow, I'm not a cat person, and I probably shouldn't have tried reading this.
February 2, 2018
Not quite sure what I just read but I think I enjoyed it?
April 12, 2020
Bir çırpıda okunabilecek çok cici bir çizgi roman. Anlamadan sayfalar akıyor. Çizimler de güzel ve akıcı. Aynı zamanda sevgili hayvan dostlarımızla empati yapabilmek için güzel bir fırsat.
April 29, 2018
My husband brought an ARC of this home, and I immediately fell into reading it because it was such a cute play on cat-obsessed people, with a man-obsessed cat. I thought it was clever and well thought out. There is an actual story, replete with plot, and even though it started to drag ever so slightly, it sustained enough interest to make it feel like a worthwhile read. Quick read. Much quicker than the three months it appears to have taken me. I got distracted by so many other books (as I am wont to do), that this one got pushed further and further (literally) to the bottom of my bedside table. Glad to have finally pulled it back out and finished it. Cute, often funny, creative little tale.
June 7, 2018
I received an Advanced Reading Copy of this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
I think this is really a book for cat lovers who I'm not, but I have some questions like why all the mancats are male?, why all the catpeople and the peoplecat walk in four legs, the catpeople have genders? and why whyyy all the mancat are male, other wise I think if you are a cat person you will enjoy it, it not only jokes and mancats doing funny stuff, it talk about the social pressure of having kids, how depression and cleaning your house is connected and not to ever give up and you make all your wish come true, or something like that.
I think this is really a book for cat lovers who I'm not, but I have some questions like why all the mancats are male?, why all the catpeople and the peoplecat walk in four legs, the catpeople have genders? and why whyyy all the mancat are male, other wise I think if you are a cat person you will enjoy it, it not only jokes and mancats doing funny stuff, it talk about the social pressure of having kids, how depression and cleaning your house is connected and not to ever give up and you make all your wish come true, or something like that.
May 6, 2023
MANFRIED THE MAN
Caitlin Major
Steve Catson is a CAT... and Manfried is Steve's pet man. I know I know... it sounds weird... and trust me it was a bit WEIRD. Think of reading and watching in the beautifully done panels your life with a twist.. the Cat you love is the owner of YOU. You are the whiney, pet that rubs on your cat's leg to get fed, plays all night, and then scratches at the door to be let out... oh wait... that is what my cat does.
If for one moment this could be true, I would make Thomas and Charles miserable in the middle of the night screaming and yelling and scratching the house down.
4 stars
Happy Reading!
Caitlin Major
Steve Catson is a CAT... and Manfried is Steve's pet man. I know I know... it sounds weird... and trust me it was a bit WEIRD. Think of reading and watching in the beautifully done panels your life with a twist.. the Cat you love is the owner of YOU. You are the whiney, pet that rubs on your cat's leg to get fed, plays all night, and then scratches at the door to be let out... oh wait... that is what my cat does.
If for one moment this could be true, I would make Thomas and Charles miserable in the middle of the night screaming and yelling and scratching the house down.
4 stars
Happy Reading!
December 6, 2017
In the world of this story, cats rule. They often keep a man (or a few men) as pets. Manfried the Man is particularly treasured by his owner, Steve, though Steve also worries about being branded a crazy man-cat. Manfried escapes through an open window and panic ensues for Steve, who embarks on a frantic search for his man . . . and discovers a lot about himself along the way. It's a delightful concept, but I did find myself a bit unsettled by all the tiny nude men behaving like cats. They're fantastically drawn and *very* cat-like, but definitely a bit disturbing.
March 29, 2018
I like weird stuff, believe me. But this book kind of pushes my threshold. In this bizarre graphic novel, we are introduced to a world where cats are human sized and human men are kept as House pets. The only thing they can say is “hey.” The book is as bizarre as this sounds. I applaud the author on her creativity as well as her art style. I did not however enjoy the plot and felt the “joke” got old rather quickly.
June 22, 2018
It’s a pretty boilerplate story wrapped around a single gag but... it’s a pretty good gag.
May 20, 2019
I was charmed by the premise here, initially. Big human-like cats with tiny little derpy men as pets. It's sweet! It's silly! I was expecting a rollicking good time, but instead I got this weirdly serious, depressing story that did not deliver any of the elements I would expect a story like this to provide. This was... not fun to read.
And it's not as though it delved into some deeper social issue here... it was basically like "Steve Catson is sort of bad at everything, and his friends and coworkers are super mean to him on top of that, and he's irresponsible with his pet. Then he randomly goes viral for drawing a mediocre lost pet sign, and ultimately learns nothing."
Manfried is charming, in the way that a fat naked man acting like a cat would be, but it wasn't enough to carry this awkward story through. The art was good, but I'm wondering as well why they cut out all potential younger readers by adding such specific genitalia to the men? The themes in the book would have mostly been acceptable for younger readers, so it seemed like a strange choice.
Anyway... this was an awkward book. I'm not sure what exactly it was trying to do for readers.
And it's not as though it delved into some deeper social issue here... it was basically like "Steve Catson is sort of bad at everything, and his friends and coworkers are super mean to him on top of that, and he's irresponsible with his pet. Then he randomly goes viral for drawing a mediocre lost pet sign, and ultimately learns nothing."
Manfried is charming, in the way that a fat naked man acting like a cat would be, but it wasn't enough to carry this awkward story through. The art was good, but I'm wondering as well why they cut out all potential younger readers by adding such specific genitalia to the men? The themes in the book would have mostly been acceptable for younger readers, so it seemed like a strange choice.
Anyway... this was an awkward book. I'm not sure what exactly it was trying to do for readers.
June 5, 2018
This was fun. It’s a GN with a man as the pet of a cat. Role reversal at its best.
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