Manfried Saves the Day

Manfried the Man #2

by Caitlin Major, Kelly Bastow (Illustrator)

Things are finally looking up for average tomcat Steve Catson and his pet man Manfried. But when the local man shelter is short of funds, Steve's purrfriend Henrietta has to find a solution or close the shelter down forever. Can Manfried save the day? Or is he too busy fighting with his new roommate Garfield, a stray man Steve adopted?


Get ready for an all-new adventure starring web-comic sensation Manfried, the crabby but lovable pet man of slacker tomcat Steve Catson. Things seem to be looking up for them: Steve has a new job making comics and a burgeoning romance with his purrfriend Henrietta. Manfried is making new friends at the local man shelter, helping stray men become socialized so they can find new homes. But when a literal fat cat arrives to develop the neighborhood and shut down Henrietta's man shelter, the stress pushes Steve and Henrietta apart. Meanwhile Manfried is none too happy about sharing his home with a younger, cuter, friendlier rival for Steve's attention: a stray man named Garfield. Can Steve and Henrietta resolve their differences and raise the cash to save the shelter...and is entering Manfried into the Manflower Man Show the best way to do it? Fans and newbies alike will find plenty to enjoy in this funny, topsy-turvy cat tale based on the popular Manfried the Man tumblr.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Fiction, Humor, Graphic Novels Comics, Fantasy, Animals

224 pages, Paperback

Published May 14, 2019

Reviews

[Sara the Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I think its actually a good thing that I've gotten personally invested enough in the story of Steve Catson and his pet man Manfried that I'm really pissed of at his would be girlfriend Henrietta. I was initially going to give this book three stars until I realized that Caitlin Major has gotten me so caught up in the story of giant cats and their tiny, naked man pets that I'm actually angry with one of characters not the book itself.

When we last left Steve he'd pulled himself out of a life of boredom and unfilling work as a call center drone to realize his dream of being a full time artist. He'd even met a beautiful cat with the same love of men who ran the local man shelter.

Alas while everything should be coming up roses (or I guess catnip?) this latest chapter in Steve's life opens with him incredibly overworked but not wanting to risk his job by asking for help AND on the outs with Henrietta who thinks he's being "selfish" for not putting all of her issues with the shelter and the local "fat cat" who wants to put her out of business so he can have her land ahead of his own problems. Fortunately the local man show might provide the solution since the prize money will allow her to buy the shelter outright from the landlord. So Manfried and some of his friends are put into training to win best in show!

It's a charming set up for a story but the central conflict left me, well, conflicted. At first I thought I was supposed to sympathize with Henrietta, and I did, but she's so damn mean to Steve for like the entire story. He's already devoting every second of free time he has to helping her but its still not enough and she rarely lets an opportunity pass to yell at him about his selfishness or lack of caring for her problems. She comes off as catty (oh lord) and emotionally manipulative which is the last thing I want for Steve. And of course when I realized I've hit the point where I want a better girlfriend for the anthropomorphic cat Ms. Major is probably doing something right.

I have some hopes that my feelings of dissatisfaction with how things ended are exactly what Ms. Major wanted me to have so I am eagerly awaiting the next installment in Steve and Manfried's lives!

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Manfried The Man was a quirky graphic novel about cats and humans having their roles reversed. In this second graphic novel Steve, an anthropomorphic cat, and his pet man, Manfried return to save a man-shelter from being closed.

Steve’s cartooning work is taking off, as his drawings of his pet Manfried are becoming popular. A former slacker, he still struggles with work deadlines and life responsibilities, but his romance with his neighbor Henrietta is promising. When a rich developer puts Henrietta’s man-shelter in danger, the two of them plus some friends band together to raise money to save the shelter. An upcoming pet show with an unrealistically high money prize seems to be the answer to their prayers. Will Manfriend save the day by winning best in show?

The artwork is clean, simple and attractive; always with a six-panel layout per page. I am so used to graphic novels having layouts that vary from splash pages to atypically placed panels that this setup is refreshingly simple. The juxtaposition of the roles leads to clever sight gags with the little men. Seeing the men dressed up in adorable Halloween costumes, to aid in their adoption at the shelter, was by far the best part.

The first book was more nuanced than I expected, but this second outing was a bit trite and had a Hallmark movie feel. Yet, if you are a fan of Manfried from the first graphic novel or the author’s Tumblr page, you will enjoy this sweet story about the men’s adventures. Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read an advance online copy. Actual rating 3.5/5

(Aside- How do these men reproduce? No women or children pets have been shown. Curious minds need to know!)

This review can also be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2019/02/1...

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

Manfried is one of those concepts better suited to its original strip format then a long-form story. This series is such an odd mix of a kids level plot but adult-level worries and realistic stresses but cartoon villainy that I have a hard time figuring out who the audience for this would be.

This also suffers from the same problem as the last volume where the cat characters are downright unlikable. Henrietta is trying to save the shelter from closure but she's horrible to the two cats helping her-- who are fighting to pay off student loans to avoid getting kicked out of school and working like crazy to meet deadlines for their job-- and at the end they both apologize *for not putting her problem first*. Kitty, please.

[Juushika · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing here is just ... not very good. Silly montages and a cartoony antagonist clash with a grinding depiction of over-work which, tellingly, lacks meaningful resolution. But it bothers me more that the men feel less like cats. Sometimes they feel like dogs, which is fine; sometimes they lean into the uncanny valley element of "miniature pet men" (wearing clothes! using tools! understanding language well enough for pep talks and verbal instructions, I guess...?). This could be delightful if it were smarter, more self-aware, or just more humorous (contrast the way Beastars nods at or even centralizes its bizarre/fridge horror worldbuilding elements)--but it's not, and so it's weird without payoff. That's a lot of criticism to throw at a silly comic with a uniquely strange and delightful premise, and much of the pleasure is still present: there's still pet men, the cognitive dissonance is playful and inviting, the art is gently rounded. But this isn't as successful as the first volume.

[Sara (A Gingerly Review) · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an adorable book! I laughed, I swooned, I pet my fur babies. Highly recommend.

**thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy! **

[Leah Rachel von Essen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steve Catson and his pet man have to help their friends save the Catlanta Man Shelter from being forcibly relocated. They enter the Manflower Man Show to try and win enough money to keep their doors open, but exhausted from over-commitments to both the shelter and his comics, Steve struggles to juggle his obligations. Works as a standalone—a lot of fun, and a fast read! I love the lil man love story between Manfried and Garfield.

[Metin Yılmaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Manfried ve maceralarına devam ediyoruz. İnsanların kedi olması, kedilerin insan olması durumunda bir süre sonra kedilerden soğutabilir :) İnsan hiç bir canlının formunda iyi ve güzel gelmiyor nedense.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an adorable book! This is the second book about Manfried the Man and his cat owner, Steve. Steve writes comics for an online cat humor page called Cheezeburger and also helps out at the local shelter which is run by Henrietta Catface. The main crisis for this book is that the owner of the man shelter wants to sell the shelter to a greedy cat who wants to tear the shelter down! So the gang of friends decides that they will raise the money to buy the shelter out from under the business cat. They decide to enter a man show to try and win best in show for the prize money.

I really enjoyed this book just as much as the first one. I like the premise of the story about everyone trying to band together to save the shelter from the evil business cat. The story is great and flows very well and naturally. I liked getting to know the characters better in this book as well. As someone who has dealt with student loans it was nice to see that reflected in the Chelsea Meowmers character and the struggle that she was going through about money and trying to take care of herself and her men. I didn't really think I would find anything to relate to in this book but I really did! I loved watching the various characters deal with the men and trying to get them to all get along. I've definitely been there with my two cats. I would highly, highly recommend this book to anyone but especially if you are a fan of cats!

[Misti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Steve’s a busy cat. His job is going pretty well, but he’s having a hard time striking a good work-life balance. When the pet man shelter that his girlfriend manages is in danger of being sold to a developer, they hatch the plan of entering Steve’s pet Manfried and some of the shelter men in the Manflower Man Show. The prize money would be enough to save the shelter — but can Steve carve out the time to help without missing too many work deadlines? Also, the developer who wants the shelter property has his own shady schemes...

I didn’t like this graphic novel quite as much as the first book: the things that bothered me about that book continued to niggle at me, and in addition I thought the plot was kind of thin. I also wished the characters could be kinder and more understanding toward each other. I think readers who loved the first book and the whole concept of human-size cats owning tiny men will still enjoy this. However, those who, like me, found the first book just okay, can probably skip it.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Quirk Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this magnificent slice of comics gold in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, Kelly Bastow's art continues to be some of the most charming art in the comics landscape today. If you're a fan of the medium, or just adorable art, be sure to keep an eye on their work!

As for the book, it's just as sweet and fun as the first book, but the story feels more fleshed out. than the first. Cat owners will see themselves in Steve and Henrietta, and those who, like myself, do work with animal rescue, will be touched by this book as well.

Fair warning, there are nude cartoon men in this book, so if you're uncomfortable with cartoon genitalia, you may be a little uncomfortable.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Still cute but I didn’t like this one as much. There’s a lot more conflict and a lot less sweet moments, or so it felt. I think I was hoping for cute, feel-good owner-pet moments and this volume is honestly kinda stressful between Steve working on deadlines and the shelter so determined to win the contest.

[Marj · Rating 3 out of 5]

The charming art and ongoing men-as-cats joke holds up in this new story following Manfried. This time they must try to save the man shelter from a greedy developer. The plot is not terribly unique, but the novelty of the joke and the quality of the art makes it worth a read. This volume features a man show (think cat show, not a a shitty Comedy Central show) and costumes for men.

[Kelcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so cute.

[Elyse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read during April 2021 Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon. The silliness continues. It doesn't escalate but it continues. Again, perfect for Dewey's.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite as entertaining as the first book in this series, "Manfried Saves the Day" is still a delightful read. Caitlin Major really captures slackers/pet owners well. This time, the gang has to enter their men is a Man Show to win money to save the Man Shelter. Do they succeed? Check the title folks.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hope we get to see more of Manfried and Steve! The story and characters are simply amazing. It seems like a typical role reversal type comic but you'd be surprised when you dig deeper into the story. Yay Manfried!

[Georgette · Rating 3 out of 5]

The few times I encountered Manfried the Man on Facebook left me with a feeling of amusement mixed with the uncomfortable feeling of how I don't want to see naked men being owned by cats .... although the very idea was full of hilarious potential. Doubly so when the men (no women?) here says "hey" (rather than "meow").

Manfried's owner Steve Catson has a job making comics and a girlfriend Henrietta Catface who runs the local man shelter. Things were looking rosy, until a fat cat arrives in the neighbourhood wanting to develop the area, including the land where the man shelter is. Henrietta refuses his offer to relocate. She and her friends enter their men into the Manflower Show, aiming for the prize money to buy the land so they won't be run out. Meanwhile, Manfried struggles with having to share his home with a new stray man named Garfield.

To be honest, the man antics (man-tics?) on the side were more interesting than the cat drama carrying the story forward. Maybe older people like me are prone to rolling our eyes when asked to choose between work and helping the friend/SO's cause; not the kind of thing I want to think about when I just want to LOL at a chubby man trying to one-up a younger competitor while hey-ying for attention.

Perhaps what this comic succeeds in doing is making me think about how we treat our animal companions and vice versa in a "Things that your cat does that would be creepy if you did it" way, or "things we do to cats that we won't do to people".

ARC courtesy of NetGalley.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Manfried Saves the Day

After reading the original Manfried novel, I didn’t think this creative team could outdo themselves. BUT I LOVED THIS ONE EVEN MORE.

While the first book focused primarily in Manfried and his relationship with his owner, Manfried Saves the Day focuses on saving the local shelter and ensuring Men have a safe space until they find new Cats. To do this, the Men participate in a pageant.

Manfriend Saves the Day has:

- Cute Men doing pageant things
- A mystery storyline
- Friends coming together!
- Adorable art that draws you in

If you find humor in:

- cats as people
- men as cats 
- typical cat behaviors

This might be the book for you. With even more heart that Manfried’s first foray into the book world, every cat lover is sure to aww over Manfried saving the day. He really is a hero!

I hope we get more Manfried in the future!

[Alice B · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this for National Adopt a Cat Month. This book is silly. Now, I enjoy silly things, but this was too silly. I loved the imagery of all the naked men running around, but am so confused as to why there are so many of them?? How do they breed?? Henrietta was mean.

[Liz (Quirky Cat) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of Manfried Saves the Day through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Odds are if you've spent anytime online, you've seen a Manfried comic or two. The premise of the comics online is very simple, yet effective. They follow Steve Catson and his pet, Manfried. In this altered reality though, Steve is actually a cat, while the pet is a human. It's a fun little twist on things, and is the sort of humor that cat lovers in particular adore.
The graphic novels for Manfried are slightly different, however. These books contain one compete plot, as opposed to a series of quick events. It's a bit unexpected, but honestly they have been a lot of fun. I think they're absolutely worth buying and reading (and they'd make a great gift for the crazy cat lover in your life – trust me, I am one!).


Manfried Saves the Day was a fun and quirky read. It's hard not to adore Manfried and all his man friends, as well as the cats that take care of them. But this graphic novel brings things to a whole new level, showing us the good and the bad of owning cats and running shelters.
It was surprisingly emotional at times, but in a good way. I'm impressed by the amount of depth they were able to put into this series, as it always seems to lighthearted and relaxed. I ended up reading the whole thing in one sitting, simply because I absolutely had to know what was going to happen with the shelter.
I was also curious about Steve's plot as well. It was a fun twist to have him going along with that career, and I love just how far they pushed it. Though I'll confess that I got a bit defensive for him at times. I guess that just proves how invested I became in this plot!
I really enjoyed reading Manfried Saves the Day, and I'm looking forward to seeing more plots like this. I haven't heard if they're going to do more, but I sincerely hope so!


For more reviews check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[Hallie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this ARC at ALA Midwinter, so thanks to Quirk!

I really enjoyed this comic as a quick read in between more serious novels. It's a clever concept, that men and cats switch places, and it's overall well executed. The art is clear and cute and the writing is direct. Even though I haven't read the first book, Manfried the Man, I was never lost - explanations were clear without being overbearing. Of course the proof is in black and white, which makes it sometimes harder to distinguish between characters; I'm sure it's even cuter in the actual book. The plot was also engaging. I felt for the characters and wanted them to win out over Mr. Meow. I especially felt for poor Steve, trying so hard to please everyone and making everything worse! I've been there, my dude.

I had some quibbles; mostly that it's sometimes unclear how serious the book is meant to be. In one scene poor one-eyed Garfield is abandoned overnight at the shelter, and later he gets sick with a man-version of kennel cough. One character is at risk of losing her education because her student loans are called in by a cruel bank. But at the same time, the world is fairly surface-level? We never question how men reproduce if they're all male, the villain is called out on the page for being cartoonishly evil, and the happy ending feels a bit like a kid's show. And the problems of being an "up-and-coming webcartoonist" felt like they were transparently just drawn from the author's real life without any deeper examination.

At the end of the day, though, it was an entertaining bit of brain candy. I'll definitely pass it along to cat-loving friends!

[Theediscerning · Rating 3 out of 5]

A second visit to this wacky universe, where very feline adults with jobs, arguments in coffee shops and so on all have pet men, short little things that either lick or fight each other, get in the way when you're working, and come down with 'man flu' (which is a lot more serious than in our world, at least). There are even man sanctuaries for stray men, and when one is faced with closure the concerned cats decide to enter the man show and try for the top prize. Seeing as it's still clever and witty and good with the incidental detail, I felt a little underwhelmed by this book, even with the 'hang everything, we just have to perform to save our club!' shtick in full evidence. The cats seemed too interchangeable, and their bickering seemed too much a driver for the plot. In all, I don't think the whole way the world of Manfried and his human had been opened out to concern others is a great thing. A more insular, nuanced social commentary could have been had from the creature-swap. The books want an all-ages, sweeping drama, but I think something that showed us more of ourselves and less concern for page count requirements would have been better. Still, three and a half stars.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Manfried is back! And just as adorable (albeit mildly NSFW) as ever! In this new adventure, things are starting to work out for Steve Catson. He’s got a popular web comic series about his pet man, Manfried. He’s dating the Catlanta man shelter runner Henrietta. It’s not too bad. But then the man shelter is threatened by a skeevy land developer. Mr. Meows has made an offer on the land that our cat protagonists can’t seem to match. However, there’s one hope: the Manflower Man Show. With the cash prize, the crew should be able to save the shelter. Manfried is the shelter’s best shot due to his notoriety from his last adventure. But Steve’s success is starting to catch up with him. His workload is increasing and he’s struggling to juggle all his responsibilities. However, with a little reflection and help from his friends, Steve and Manfried just might have what it takes to save the day!

Aw, I really do love Manfried. He and Steve have such a cute, realistic pet-owner relationship. Still a little odd for me to see little naked men running around, but still worth the read.

[TammyJo Eckhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

The idea of flipping the funny, sad, frustrating, yet reward life with cats on its head was amusing. I liked the drawing style, inking, and text of the story. That story? A group of friends trying to safe a man pet shelter from an evil businesscat... yup, businesscat. The emotions and conflicts between characters felt real and were touching.

I did have a couple of questions that bothered me in the story.

Why do so few of the cat people wear clothes? Humans don't run around naked all the time in our reality.

Why are there only male men? How are they reproducing without females? You can tell they are male because you can see genitals (you are now warned about full-frontal, folks, don't complain about it if you've read this review). Why aren't the man pet neutered? We talk about the need for this all the time in our reality.

This is a hint in the story that something meta is going on but the novel ends before that is resolved or my above questions answered. If there is a follow-up book that answers those questions, mark me down for wanting to read it.

[Terry Mulcahy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An odd little graphic novel sequel to Manfried the Man about a world run by cats, where the roles of cats and men are reversed. There's even a Man show where the little men are put through their paces. Funny. The obvious is all there: the little men playing with their toys, demanding attention and food. Fighting with other men, or playing with them, licking each other, sleeping together. Normal behavior for cats, so in this world it's men instead. Naked or dressed up, the men are cute companions. Drawn and inked by two female creators, the story makes good points about the behavior of humans towards their pets, and the attention and affection the pets need, even when their humans are distracted by deadlines and bills, but more than that, the story makes fun of human male ideas about women, who many men find cute when they're naked or dressed in cute clothes, but maybe don't take seriously otherwise? But, maybe it also reveals a bit about the way women think about the men in their lives too. ☺♂♀!

[Kitten Kisser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Silly & Stinky

This is one of those utterly ridiculous items that I didn't know I had to have until I saw it. Little naked man pets? Big cat owners taking care of them? Men sleeping in a box on a desk while the cat works, men doing tricks for the Manflower Man Show? Yes, yes, & yes! I'm so in!

This was a mostly fun read. Some pages were a bit "Meh" but for the most part it was a fun novel way to break up my reading.

This type of nonsense is the sort of thing I'd be thrilled to receive as a gift.

One thing I don't care for is the ink used. The smell is ghastly. It really could use a good airing out.
If you know someone with a totally silly sense of humor (maybe you?) who also loves/owns cats, they (you?) are sure to enjoy this goofy comic as much as I did (unless they/you have multiple chemical sensitivities - then run screaming).

[Lynette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to love these because the idea is hilarious and the drawings are suitably giggle-worthy. However, the story doesn't have a lot of humor in it, and the bahavior of the adult cat-people is really immature and annoying. I mean, who would be okay with a significant other being super pissed off because you prioritized your blossoming career over their problem? Why give up a bigger, nicer facility because of it being a little further away, especially when the place you are in is an obvious health hazard and the story started out with there not being enough room for all the men at the shelter? Those elements of the story were real turn-offs for me. Three stars are purely for all the pictures of little pantless men (especially when they inexplicably have on shirts) and for the adorable bromance between Manfried and Garfield.

[Sergiy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my review.

I would give this book a 2.9 to round up to 3. I don't think I liked it as much as some of the other reviewers here did. This may just b because I'm not a huge fan of comics or graphic novels (although I have read some Manga)., or it could be because I'm more of a dog person. Whatever it is, now that I'm writing my review and flipping through the book I can't quite put my finger on it.

The book deals with some very real issues of trying to balance your work with all of your other responsibilities, while also being about cute cat people and cute man cats. The book culminates in a man competition (like a cat show, but with pet men) where the main characters lay everything on the line. Does Manfried pull through in the end? Read the book and find out. ;-)

[Melanie Page · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved that Manfried was friendly after learning to rely on his fellow men after getting lost in the first book. However, I thought the plot was a bit mean and plodding. Steve's girlfriend, Henrietta, is so angry that he's not devoting more volunteer time to help save a dumpy, gross man shelter. It's like she's basically saying, "Donate all your time to my cause or we're through." She calls him selfish for working on projects that he's committed to -- you know, his job? And I was very confused by why Henrietta wouldn't agree to a brand-new man shelter, albeit one located further out of the city. The one she's fighting for is gross and should be condemned. The plot really needed more though, Henrietta needed better motives, and Steve needed to be given more respect. At no point did I think he (who is meant to represent the author) should feel bad about wanting to meet deadlines.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Manfried Saves the Day' by Caitlin Major with art by Kelly Bastow is the continuing adventures of a world where cats talk and have men for pets.

Steve Catson is finding some small fame with his art. He is also helping out at the local man shelter. When the shelter is in danger of being closed, he and all his friends find themselves in all kinds of crises. They decide to train some men to participate in a local man show to raise money to save the shelter.

It's still a clever concept, and I like it, but this story was not as good as the first volume. The art is pretty hilarious with all the men putting on silly Halloween costumes and still running around with no pants on.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Quirk Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.