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Wizard Beach #1-5
Wizard Beach
What do wizards and witches do when they need a break from the cold, ice-capped mountains of their homeland? They go to the beach, of course! When Hexley Daggard Ragbottom, a high-strung young wizard, wants to put an end to the frost of dark forests he calls home, he seeks out his Uncle Salazar the greatest wizard of all time. But Uncle “Sally” has abandoned his old life for one of leisure, surfing and napping. Sally’s permanent vacation doesn’t sit well with Hexley, but maybe the young wizard is on the wrong mission. Maybe what “Hex” really needs is to learn how to chill out. Writer Shaun Simon (The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys) with artist Conor Nolan (Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Giants) and colorist Meg Casey (Adventure Time) combine their forces to create a sun-baked beach filled with surfing skeletons, wand ball games, and magical good vibrations! Collects the complete 5-issue series.
127 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 9, 2019
About the author
Shaun Simon
84 books24 followersShaun Simon is an American comics writer. He wrote The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys with Gerard Way, lead vocalist of My Chemical Romance, for Dark Horse Comics as well as writing Neverboy, also for Dark Horse. He also wrote Collapser with Mikey Way for DC Comics.
He is currently working on the upcoming The Umbrella Academy spinoff prequel series based on Klaus Hargreeves titled You Look Like Death due to be released starting June 2020
He is currently working on the upcoming The Umbrella Academy spinoff prequel series based on Klaus Hargreeves titled You Look Like Death due to be released starting June 2020
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 28, 2019
Are you tired of war and conflict? You are, put down your wand and head over the beach, sit down and relax man, enjoy the waves.
Wizard Beach is a breath of fresh air, a joyful story about taking a break and enjoying the fun things in life, it reminded me of Where's Wally for some reason, neat world building and cool artwork, loved the publicity ads between the chapters. This was a nice change of pace from the superhero comics I usually read. I'd like a sequel, make it happen!
Wizard Beach is a breath of fresh air, a joyful story about taking a break and enjoying the fun things in life, it reminded me of Where's Wally for some reason, neat world building and cool artwork, loved the publicity ads between the chapters. This was a nice change of pace from the superhero comics I usually read. I'd like a sequel, make it happen!
June 3, 2020
The beach Vaca I wish I had
A young wizard wants to end the war in his homeland but the only one who can help is his beach bum uncle. Hexley tries to ask his uncle for help but his uncle Sally thinks he should give the beach a try first. Really liked this one! It's five issues but the book is split into chapters. At first I thought it was kind of strange but it really did move the book along and even made it feel longer. The art is great, there's lots of fun details hidden in the panels. Most importantly, the book had a fun and great message. For kids and grown ups! Hopefully we'll get to revisit Wizard Beach someday...
A young wizard wants to end the war in his homeland but the only one who can help is his beach bum uncle. Hexley tries to ask his uncle for help but his uncle Sally thinks he should give the beach a try first. Really liked this one! It's five issues but the book is split into chapters. At first I thought it was kind of strange but it really did move the book along and even made it feel longer. The art is great, there's lots of fun details hidden in the panels. Most importantly, the book had a fun and great message. For kids and grown ups! Hopefully we'll get to revisit Wizard Beach someday...
January 16, 2020
I bought this one for my library since it seemed hilarious. For sure, this one does not take itself seriously. It is funny, but sometimes it missed the mark for me.
So many books now focus on needing to fight, it was nice to read a book about taking a moment to chill and how we can still get along.
It was an enjoyable read and one I'd recommend to others, but I can't say it is a favorite of mine. There were times I was bored or waiting for the next thing to happen.
So many books now focus on needing to fight, it was nice to read a book about taking a moment to chill and how we can still get along.
It was an enjoyable read and one I'd recommend to others, but I can't say it is a favorite of mine. There were times I was bored or waiting for the next thing to happen.
September 25, 2019
In a land where constant threats arise against the humble lands where magical creatures dwell, who will stand against the oncoming evil?
... not these wizards cause they said fuck it and went to the beach to live!
Shaun Simon gives us a fun and entertaining little book about not taking life so seriously and enjoying the simple pleasures all around. Wizard Beach is a small beach front where all kinds of magical creatures have gone to surf, lounge, tan, party, drink, and basically just be beach bums. Lead Wizard Salazar, known to his friends as Sally, lounges around and enjoys life without a care in the world. His nephew however, comes to Wizard Beach to learn powerful magic from his Uncle Sally to take back to the Wizard Lands and banish evil.
Of course he learns to live and love and not be held down by the dreary demands of normal Wizard life.
This is a book that definitely does not take itself too seriously and is a fun easy read. The art is cartoony which is perfectly keeping in tone with the rest of the book and the book is filled with additional information on how Wizards live in the world and the establishments located around the beach.
Again, a cool little fun story that will entertain you if you don't take it too seriously. Recommended for people who want to read something silly but good.
... not these wizards cause they said fuck it and went to the beach to live!
Shaun Simon gives us a fun and entertaining little book about not taking life so seriously and enjoying the simple pleasures all around. Wizard Beach is a small beach front where all kinds of magical creatures have gone to surf, lounge, tan, party, drink, and basically just be beach bums. Lead Wizard Salazar, known to his friends as Sally, lounges around and enjoys life without a care in the world. His nephew however, comes to Wizard Beach to learn powerful magic from his Uncle Sally to take back to the Wizard Lands and banish evil.
Of course he learns to live and love and not be held down by the dreary demands of normal Wizard life.
This is a book that definitely does not take itself too seriously and is a fun easy read. The art is cartoony which is perfectly keeping in tone with the rest of the book and the book is filled with additional information on how Wizards live in the world and the establishments located around the beach.
Again, a cool little fun story that will entertain you if you don't take it too seriously. Recommended for people who want to read something silly but good.
December 15, 2022
I bought this book by mistake and then decided to read it. First ever comic book that I’ve read in my whole life. The art is really good. The colors in the water scenes are beautiful. A fun storyline too.
June 16, 2026
A cute little book really enjoyed it
April 28, 2020
Wizard Beach es una novela gráfica que nos cuenta la historia de Hex, un niño brujo que decide emprender un vieja a la costa para visitar a su tío Salazar, quien es el mago más grande y poderoso de todos, y quien Hex cree lo ayudará a terminar con la helada que él y su pueblo están sufriendo. Sin embargo, cuando llega a la playa Hex no se encuentra con quien esperaba. Salazar se ha convertido en un brujo muy peculiar y que se toma la vida con calma. Él invita a Hex a que haga lo mismo,aunque el pequeño brujo está muy negado a tomarse unas vacaciones.
Este es un libro muy divertido. De por si las ilustraciones son super alegres y coloridas, y a lo largo de las páginas se pueden ver un montón de brujos, monstruos y curiosidades del mundo mágico. El tío Salazar es todo un personaje. Sus actitudes me hicieron reir mucho, en especial por lo nervioso que ponía a Hex cuando este le pedía ayuda y Sal solo quería convertirse en globo y ponerse a ver las nubes.
La historia estuvo bien. Me entretuvo y disfruté mientras la leía, aunque en algunas partes se me hizo difícil comprender qué estaba pasando y la forma en que estaban escritos los diálogos me resultó un poco tediosa. De todas formas, la historia estuvo bastante bien y me gustó. Logró convencerme y el mensaje que da al final me parece que está bueno y hace que uno reflexione un poco sobre su manera de ver la vida, y como a veces está bien tomarse un descanso y relajarse un poco.
Por último, algo que me re gustó de la edición de este libro es como entre algunos capítulos había páginas con panfletos de propaganda sobre distintos objetos, actividades y lugares del mundo de los brujos. Se me hizo super interesante.
Este es un libro muy divertido. De por si las ilustraciones son super alegres y coloridas, y a lo largo de las páginas se pueden ver un montón de brujos, monstruos y curiosidades del mundo mágico. El tío Salazar es todo un personaje. Sus actitudes me hicieron reir mucho, en especial por lo nervioso que ponía a Hex cuando este le pedía ayuda y Sal solo quería convertirse en globo y ponerse a ver las nubes.
La historia estuvo bien. Me entretuvo y disfruté mientras la leía, aunque en algunas partes se me hizo difícil comprender qué estaba pasando y la forma en que estaban escritos los diálogos me resultó un poco tediosa. De todas formas, la historia estuvo bastante bien y me gustó. Logró convencerme y el mensaje que da al final me parece que está bueno y hace que uno reflexione un poco sobre su manera de ver la vida, y como a veces está bien tomarse un descanso y relajarse un poco.
Por último, algo que me re gustó de la edición de este libro es como entre algunos capítulos había páginas con panfletos de propaganda sobre distintos objetos, actividades y lugares del mundo de los brujos. Se me hizo super interesante.
August 5, 2020
4 stars, rounded up to 5 for the pure fun of it all. Hexley Ragbottom, a high-strung, teenage wizard visits his Uncle Salazar to learn awesome, powerful magic to end a war, but Uncle “Sally” (as he prefers to be called) is a zen beach bum who wants nothing to do with it. Sally teaches Hexley how to chill out and enjoy a life on the beach; playing wand ball, hanging out with friends, and eating sandwiches. If you’re looking for a truly fun, all-ages fantasy escape comic, you can’t do much better than this!
August 28, 2020
The story is whimsical, a tale of wizardry and magic in a seaside setting. It's an inspired inversion of a reader's standard wizard-fantasy expectations. But what really sells this volume for me is the artwork and colors. I love the drawings in this comic. They art is, to my eyes, reminiscent of some of the classic EC Comics and Mad Magazine artists. Most particularly, the panels put me in mind of Bill Elder's famed "chicken fat" style: filled with humorous, charming, details that make the close scrutiny of each page a lingering delight. Brilliant material.
March 12, 2021
For those who appreciate the underground comix style and substance of this oddball story about a wizard who hangs with his strange uncle at the beach, then there's a lot to love here. But if you're not on that wavelength? Not so much.
December 2, 2024
I purchased this graphic novel because my friend, an incredible illustrator, did the illustrations. The only reason I didn't rate it the full 5 out of 5 is because I found the story landed a bit flat and lacked substance.
That said, Conor Nolan's art made this book worth the purchase.
That said, Conor Nolan's art made this book worth the purchase.
May 14, 2026
Great trope breaking story about fantasy stories. Would have liked more
Time to really play out the story. Also the girl at the beach storyline with Agnes was a bit tired and lacked chemistry. But overall, the visuals and the message were outstanding!
Time to really play out the story. Also the girl at the beach storyline with Agnes was a bit tired and lacked chemistry. But overall, the visuals and the message were outstanding!
July 16, 2021
Meh, meh. The visuals were great but the story was played out and dumb and obvious. Skip it!
August 11, 2021
I can give props to Shaun Simon. He does have some creative ideas
September 30, 2022
dnf @ 17%
December 31, 2023
Not much to the story, but it was a fun read. Not deep, not hilarious, not earth- shattering, just a mildly amusing story with interesting art and a few Hallmark moments.
September 8, 2025
Meh, not as entertaining as I was hoping for.
May 11, 2021
Let’s just chill and get along.
Hexley Daggert Ragbottom leaves his homeland in the cold mountains to find his uncle Salazar, a powerful wizard, so he can help the people in Hexley’s homeland put a stop to the persistent cold.
Uncle Sally left the cold for the beach years ago and now leads a life of rest and relaxation at Wizard Beach, where all are welcome. When Hexley arrives there, he is surprised at his uncle’s lifestyle and that he has befriended their known enemy — the frost giants. Uncle Sally even seems to be friendly with spice demons! Intent on finding a way to aid his homeland, Hexley at first doesn’t see the appeal of the beach but later learns it is better to just chill and get along with others.
It was a quick, fun story that was also entertaining because of its silliness. There’s so much going on at Wizard Beach and much to do too. You can go ballooning — use a balloon spell to make yourself into a balloon and just float in the air while taking in the views — or play wand ball, which I think of as similar to volleyball except only magic can touch the ball to make it go, build amazing sandcastles or surf on a broom board.
The characters are also interesting, like Sally’s friend Barry Wonder, who’s actually a corpse kept alive by his wand because the wand doesn’t want to accept his death, lol! I liked how Hexley’s character develops from such a serious, suspicious, high-strung boy to someone who’s more relaxed, accepting, and open-minded about things and the many mishaps Hexley gets into at the beach.
ART STYLE
I liked it. It’s detailed, and there’s much to look at in each panel. The art style can be as silly as the story sometimes, so you’ll see skeletons surfing and what looks like Baba Yaga’s chicken-legged house walking along the beach in the background.
I also liked how Hexley and his Uncle Sally are drawn. Hexley is easily distinguished by his big ears, which I actually didn’t notice until he got to the beach. As for Uncle Sally, the dude walks around in swimming trunks and his wizard’s hat all day. I got the impression that he only wears a shirt on special occasions, lol!
The art style actually isn’t one I typically like since it’s heavy on the inks and has so much going on in some panels that it feels crowded and jumbled, but I didn’t mind it much in this because it works well with the story. Wizard Beach, the place, seems to have many people and creatures there and loads going on, so it makes sense that the illustrations should capture that.
OVERALL: ★★★☆☆
A quick, fun read that just about anyone who picks it up will like, but it’s definitely for middle grade readers.
As posted on Zezee with Books.
Hexley Daggert Ragbottom leaves his homeland in the cold mountains to find his uncle Salazar, a powerful wizard, so he can help the people in Hexley’s homeland put a stop to the persistent cold.
Uncle Sally left the cold for the beach years ago and now leads a life of rest and relaxation at Wizard Beach, where all are welcome. When Hexley arrives there, he is surprised at his uncle’s lifestyle and that he has befriended their known enemy — the frost giants. Uncle Sally even seems to be friendly with spice demons! Intent on finding a way to aid his homeland, Hexley at first doesn’t see the appeal of the beach but later learns it is better to just chill and get along with others.
It was a quick, fun story that was also entertaining because of its silliness. There’s so much going on at Wizard Beach and much to do too. You can go ballooning — use a balloon spell to make yourself into a balloon and just float in the air while taking in the views — or play wand ball, which I think of as similar to volleyball except only magic can touch the ball to make it go, build amazing sandcastles or surf on a broom board.
The characters are also interesting, like Sally’s friend Barry Wonder, who’s actually a corpse kept alive by his wand because the wand doesn’t want to accept his death, lol! I liked how Hexley’s character develops from such a serious, suspicious, high-strung boy to someone who’s more relaxed, accepting, and open-minded about things and the many mishaps Hexley gets into at the beach.
ART STYLE
I liked it. It’s detailed, and there’s much to look at in each panel. The art style can be as silly as the story sometimes, so you’ll see skeletons surfing and what looks like Baba Yaga’s chicken-legged house walking along the beach in the background.
I also liked how Hexley and his Uncle Sally are drawn. Hexley is easily distinguished by his big ears, which I actually didn’t notice until he got to the beach. As for Uncle Sally, the dude walks around in swimming trunks and his wizard’s hat all day. I got the impression that he only wears a shirt on special occasions, lol!
The art style actually isn’t one I typically like since it’s heavy on the inks and has so much going on in some panels that it feels crowded and jumbled, but I didn’t mind it much in this because it works well with the story. Wizard Beach, the place, seems to have many people and creatures there and loads going on, so it makes sense that the illustrations should capture that.
OVERALL: ★★★☆☆
A quick, fun read that just about anyone who picks it up will like, but it’s definitely for middle grade readers.
As posted on Zezee with Books.
May 9, 2023
This isn't ground breaking writing or anything, but it did give me exactly what I needed when I needed it. It was fun, light, and beautifully drawn while also hitting us with some hard truths about how we control who we want to be in the world. I can see myself going back to this little trade over and over again when I need a little pick me up. I just had so much fun!
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews