Sharky Malarkey: A Sketchshark Collection

by Megan Nicole Dong

Sharky Malarkey  follows the adventures of Bruce, a washed-up shark actor, and a colorful assortment of dysfunctional people, animals, and inanimate objects. 

Bruce is equally outlandish and relatable—he’s vain but insecure; hotheaded but cowardly; craves attention but fears intimacy—his over-the-top antics are all too human. Based on Megan Nicole Dong’s popular webcomic, Sketchshark , her debut print collection mines the absurd in everyday life. 

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Humor, Graphic Novels Comics, Animals, Graphic Novels Manga, Art

224 pages, Paperback

Published September 18, 2018

Reviews

[Kay · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 52%

Maybe I'm just getting too old and disillusioned, but this sucked and tried to hard.



Does anyone remember Cow and Chicken? I am Weasel? You know, those really funny cartoons us millennials grew up with as babies in the late 90s and early 2000s?



Well, despite being crass, they still had so many good jokes and hilarious commentary in them. Sharky Malarkey is everything Cow and Chicken was - without the good stuff, that's it. So basically take the butt jokes and leave everything else

This is a very strange set of comics. This is from the first few pages:



The cartoonist's name is Megan and Megan has a fat cat named Chaos. It's always nice to know a little about the author. We get to see a lot about her cat's antics.





The illustrations can often be a bit strange...

And only occasionally do we get a funny comic.





This is the stereotypical "anxious young adult living in a modern world" set of web comics. So much of the humour and illustrations went right over my head. Maybe I'm just too old. Maybe reaching 20 means reaching maximum capacity for meme web comics. I'm over-saturated. I'm overflowing.

And of course, there's stuff about being "triggered". You can go stuff your triggers up your arse. Triggers are a serious thing that people with PTSD and trauma experience - not keyboard warriors. This tries so hard to be edgy and to be different, but it sucks.



Sarah Scribbles is so much better. Just go read her stuff. It's much more relatable and more grounded in reality.

I did not need to see a shark with a butt.





What the actual fuck. Yes, the staring just make me uncomfortable.



Look, this isn't for everyone. There are a lot of people who would love this (i.e. everyone else who reviewed this comic collection). Just not me. I think it these comics took a different direction I would have loved them.



I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Swaye · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was given to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What the heckin' heck did I just read...

In a nutshell, bonkerosity of the first order.

In between all the brain fart randomnosity there are some seriously relatable comics. That cat is totally my cat, it's so good to know that I'm not the only one coping with a busy schedule by gorging on streeehhsss cheeeeeezze, I too know the bane of having to poop at work and I think I may also have a bear secretly living in my house.

[La Coccinelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is, hands down, one of the stupidest things I've ever read. It's definitely not for kids, but it's so puerile that you might be confused at first glance.

If you enjoy looking at pictures of hastily sketched boobs and butts, then you'll love this. If you don't enjoy looking at such things, then you're in for a world of pain. The overall impression I got was of some kid who'd just discovered they could draw realistic body parts, so they went ahead and put them on everything. I am not kidding. The very last picture in this book was of our planet... with an ass.

As a result of all this tits-and-ass nonsense, the commentary on racial/societal issues in the last chapters was kind of lost, even though it was so heavy-handed as to be kind of insulting. And the synopsis? Well, that was a bunch of crap, too; the parts about Bruce the shark take up only a small portion of the book.

I probably shouldn't have read this so soon after one of Sarah Andersen's books, because this one paled miserably in comparison. I got the feeling that Dong was trying really hard to be like Andersen, but her obsession with drawing prehensile boobs and buttcracks on everything meant that her message was overshadowed by silly illustrations most of the time. There were a few gems in here, but the problem is they're hidden within the 90+ percent that's pretty much crap.

As a technical note, I found this really hard to read. It looks like all the text is written by hand (rather than done with a handwriting font), and it's not particularly neat. I had to zoom in (on a 21" computer screen) multiple times before I could make out what some of the words were. This book would be near impossible to read on a device like a Kindle!

If I never see another crappily drawn animal with a human butt, it'll be too soon. Where's the brain bleach when you need it?

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Silly, weird, and absurd cartoons about a odd scattering of topics -- cats, makeup, butts, prejudice, prehensile breasts, and Bruce, the shark actor from the Jaws film series.

I'm not sure this is for everyone, especially the humorously uncomfortable treatment of the concept of sexiness used throughout, but it tickled me. The fifth chapter, a short fable about racism, is particularly cutting.

I was surprised and disappointed to see that Megan Nicole Dong doesn't seem to have any more recent Sketchshark books, but I did find out that she was behind the equally bizarre Centaurworld series I watched for a while on Netflix.


FOR REFERENCE:

Contents: [Prologue] -- Chapter 1. Malarkey -- Chapter 2. There's a Shark in Los Angeles -- Chapter 3. Just Ladythings -- Chapter 4. The Animals and Plants Channel -- Chapter 5. A Toad Makes New Friends in the Forest -- Chapter 6. Some Sort of End

[Sunny D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful! Hannah and I used to send these comics back and forth on IG all the time. So happy that Megan has her own Netflix show now, that's amazing!

[Jessie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just a silly little collection of comics with a hilarious name

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is easy to relate to Megan Nicole Dong's comics. Almost too easy. Like she's got some kind of dark, unsettling power that allows her to comment hilariously on the problems of modern life. Watch out for her. She's probably a witch.

I received access to this title via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Phoebe A · Rating 2 out of 5]

This artist is obsessed with butts and animals. She likes combining human anatomy with animals. Her comics are random. Sometimes funny but I don't like most of it. I like the shorthand drawings with detailed serious look. I also like the "amphibian culture."

[Tori (alwaysbookphoenix) Kisamore · Rating 4 out of 5]

First things first, I received this as a free EARC through Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
This was fun and adorable. I have been unfamiliar with this comic but I am glad that this was my introduction to it. I thought the comics were quite fun and clever. I adore the talk about anxiety and the colors that were used were amazing. Sure, it has some dumb humor, but it was refreshing. It didn’t try too hard to be funny or refreshing, it just was. I will be following more work from this comic artist in the future!

[January Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, fun, and cute. Also a little weird at times, but that's the point ha ha! I enjoyed this book. Entertaining to say the least.

[Theresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some funny bits, but overall the humor was odd and disconcerting. The art lacked any refinement and the combination of human/animal anatomy was off-putting.

[Brenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love those sharks ya’ll they’re hilarious n delightful

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

the first 15 or so pages really set the bar high. I'm disappointed to say very few other pages even came close.

[Ea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have so many questions and none of them make sense. This is, hands down, the strangest thing that has happened to me this year. And it's been a strange year, folks.

An eclectic mix of characters and themes and some really, really strange stuff keeps this fresh for the duration of the book, which sometimes seems to be a problem for this type of graphic novel (Think Sarah's Scribbles, Hyperbole and a Half) - but there was definitely not enough shark. I went in thinking it would be mostly Bruce the shark, but there is not enough shark. The weird makes up for it though. Just about.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

I was so delighted when, a week or so ago (well, in June, as this review had to wait until today), Megan twittered about her brand-new book. I couldn’t wait to pre-order it and then read it. Now I don’t need to wait as long as Netgalley had the book and it was a read-now. Squee.

This book contains Megan’s comics and illustrations in all its glorious weirdness and hilariousness. Really, you will laugh your butt off. It is not, as the blurb may say, only about Bruce the shark. Yes, there are parts with him, but really this is much much more. It contains a lot of Megan’s comics, most (if not all) I already knew from following her on Twitter, there is a story about a toad (or is it a frog? :P), it is about Megan herself.

My favourites would be the normal comics about all sorts of hilarious stuff. And really, all sorts of weird stuff will pop up. Sexy butts, boobs in various yoga-ish poses (or used as pillows), cats, birds.

Bruce is just a tad bit annoying at times with his ego (then again I guess he is supposed to be like that). But I still had fun reading them as Bruce adventures are quite fabulous!

I even shared a few of them with my boyfriend as he could use some laughter in his life these days, and I wonder how hard he had to hold his laughter as he was at work (I was whatsapping him with a shot of the page I loved).

Megan’s art is just the best. I also love the colours she uses in her works.

And I am just too happy that I can now have Megan’s art without having to check her twitter. Now whenever I have a bad day I can just grab this book (as yes, I am buying it) and laugh my butt off.

All in all, very highly recommended. Sharks, butts, boobs, birds, and so much more. You won’t be disappointed. The best book to read when you have a day where you need tons of laughs.

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[tiph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone's favorite internet weirdo shark, except more of him, and in physical form!
My favorite thing about Megan's comic strips is that she can convey SO MUCH emotion through a single panel. Her ability to pinpoint an exact je ne sais quoi with a sudden shift in style or the tiniest change in expression is legendary. The opening sequence showcases exactly what I mean - deceptively simple cartoon interactions, dry humor, bizarre circumstances, and the face of crumpled long suffering, all culminating in the character (author insert), being unceremoniously dumped back in an unknown place, not where she was intending to go. It sets the reader up to be slightly off balance, not *entirely* sure ebay to expect. It's clever, and Megan Nicole Dong knows how to use her medium of choice to put those little shifts and unexpected twists onto the page without slapping you in the face with it.

Sometimes the humor *does* slap you in the face though. The more cohesive "traditional" paneled comics are interspersed with concept work - like "what if boobs were prehensile?" followed by a few pages of random prehensile boob shenanigans. There's not too much concept work to get tedious or feel too filler, and I especially liked the random Shark poses.

My favorite comic from this book is the one where the shark meets a cat while chilling on a couch, and both of them come out of the experience unnerved and upset.

It's a silly book for the sheer enjoyment of it, to appreciate the artist's manipulation of style and medium to explore the sillier forms of visual nuance, and fundamentally is meant to be Fun rather than anything else. Sharky Malarkey is unique, ridiculous, stupid, clever, and fundamentally: I liked looking at it.

[Paul Franco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since it’s a collection, there are different sections, some better than others. They shall be named: Megan, shark, lady, and dance party.
Obviously Megan is the first, which serves as a good intro for the kind of humor in this book. One of my favorite lines was, “Interrupt me again and I will leave you at the nearest Scientology center!” Another good one is “He’s a Man’s man!” Some of the jokes don’t work, some are too meta, but for the most part this is an entertaining collection. The best jokes are probably the most ridiculous ones.
BUT. . .
It’s bad enough that Megan has the cat from hell—oh, wait, that’s all of them—but she keeps a cat while being ALLERGIC to them? See that flying out the window? That’s any sympathy I might have had.
I didn’t find the shark section funny at all. The only one where I nodded had to do with dogs and babies. Oh well, guess I can’t make a “jumping the shark” remark there.
On to the lady section. The “vertical mermaid” is going to give me nightmares. When someone likes you because you’re “real,” don’t ask them what they mean.
Even the finale dance party gets meta.
I wish I could give it a higher grade, because I did enjoy parts, but there were other sections that I would have skipped over had I known how much I wouldn’t like them. Oh well.

[Hannah Woycik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts are my own.

“Sharky Malarkey follows the adventures of Bruce, a washed-up shark actor, and a colorful assortment of dysfunctional people, animals, and inanimate objects.

Bruce is equally outlandish and relatable—he’s vain but insecure; hotheaded but cowardly; craves attention but fears intimacy—his over-the-top antics are all too human.”
Oh. My. God. This collection, based on the webcomic, WAS SO GOOD. Holy shit, man. The title and cover had me pulled in immediately and I was hooked from page 1. I laughed out loud throughout, and my 13-year-old brother even loved it. I’ve been telling all my friends about how hilarious it is, and I can’t stop gushing!
The art is beautiful and silly, the humour is slightly political and hard-hitting, but done in a really classy way. I loved how real it was, while still being about an actor shark. I cannot wait to see what’s coming next from Megan Dong; whatever it is, I want to read it.
Sharky Malarkey comes out September 18th, 2018, and I highly recommend you preorder or pick up a copy.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 2 out of 5]

'Sharkey Malarkey: A Sketchshark Collection' by Megan Dong is a collection of the artist's webcomic.

The comics do include a shark. They also include lots of weird garish faces and tons of butt jokes. So many butt jokes. There is commentary on owning cats. There are comics about relationships. There are even comics about animals. Along with those are a lot of butt jokes.

If you like butt jokes, perhaps this will strike you as a lot more fun than I did. I did finish the collection and I did like some of the humor. The art is a bit underdeveloped, but there is potential. For me, though, there were way too many butt jokes.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

[Gazala · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a illustrated book with a shark as it's protagonist. Apart from this, there are also girly comics that one can relate to and general life situations especially talking about introverts and such.
Some of the illustrations are nice and relatable, but generally it wasn't a very appealing read to me. It was way too colourful! A bit too crowded and had one too many things to say!
Having said that, I think the only saving grace was the shark bit.
Overall, not the best of the illustrated books that I've read in a while! And I usually find them to be a great way to break away from traditional reading. But not this one. It was a burden to my eyes and mind.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book cover with a shark on it always catches my eye. I couldn't wait to see what the shark was up to but it turned out it was a book about all sorts of topics and not so much about sharks. Nevertheless, the illustrations were good and there were some stories I liked. A few times I laughed out loud. Overall a good book and quick read that makes you laugh about things life throws your way told through some interesting characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and Megan Nicole Dong and Andrews McMeel Publishing for a free electronic ARC of this book.

[Nia Ireland · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of weird, wonderful and eccentric panel strips. 

The book is split up into chapters, including Bruce the Sketchshark and his shenanigans, 'Just Ladythings' which includes a hilarious theme of ways in which men can be fooled by makeup, and an oddly touching story of racism and bigotry as told by a cartoon toad.

The humour was a bit hit and miss for me, but there were some real gems!

*Thank you Netgalley for a free copy of this title*

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Im pretty biased in my opinion because I already knew I liked Megan Dong's comics and humor before I read this book since I followed her on social media. I still really liked this compilation of her work. It was the perfect mix of ridiculous, sarcastic and strange. Be prepared for so many animals with long, sexy legs, hyper realistic eyes and/or large floppy butts.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute and silly. You would think by the title that the shark would be the best character but my favorite was the cat. Cat owners will recognize so much in her behaviour. I laughed out loud when she turned her whole face inside-out to avoid taking a pill! These cartoons are funny, strange and sometimes bizarre. Sharky Malarkey is a nice, light collection and good for a laugh or two.

[Bree | alibraryforone · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 stars
Not exactly my cup of tea. Some parts were funny, others not so much. A pretty quick read overall. Unfortunately the comics did not mesh well with my sense of humor. I prefer to view these comics in a standalone format, due to the fact that they become slightly much when all read back to back.

*Thank you Net Galley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review*

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

I especially liked
* The page showing people's responses when you go out without makeup
* The story of the toad who just wanted friends, but kept being confused for a frog, or being told that they knew all about him, or that they were burdened with his woes
* The stories of men tricked by makeup
* The common kinds of shark attacks (turning on read receipts!)

[R.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't really post my proper review here because of the embedded pictures, but you can check out this review and more at lucieninthestars.ca.

[Jeimy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me laugh aloud in an airplane. I had to stop reading it because it was late, people were sleeping, and I was guffawing. I picked it up again at my neighbor’s house and interrupted everyone by sharing the hilarious panels. I loved it!

[Nena Gluchacki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Um...okay.
Not exactly sure what I just read. I can chuck that up to maybe not being the chosen demographic, or I have a case of old people humor.
But even the artwork was kinda meh. Not to mention the text being very difficult to read.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a long-time follower of Megan Nicole Dong's Instagram, I really enjoyed this book. It's ridiculous, weird, and hilarious (and surprisingly relatable?), and I think the facial expressions of the characters are what really make everything funny.