Fuzz & Pluck

Fuzz & Pluck #1

by Ted Stearn

"Stearn is an exceptional artist whose work is far too seldom seen." -- The Comics Journal

Ted Stearn is a New York cartoonist/animator who is currently a mainstay at MTV Animation, his credits including Beavis and Butthead and Daria . Fuzz and Pluck -- his first book collection -- documents the hilarious and existential adventures of a rather annoyed plucked chicken and a dull but lovable bear. Originally serialized in the leading alternative comics anthology Zero Zero, Fuzz and Pluck features ten new pages of never before seen material (including a parody of Cervantes' Don Quixote ). Fuzz and Pluck is a picaresque romp through a surreal world that continually thwarts our protagonists' attempts to live simply and peacefully.

"Ted Stearn's farcical tale of a struggle for survival is as cruel as it is funny, as absurd as life itself. This is a remarkable, beautifully drawn book by one of my favorite artists." -- David Mazzucchelli, Rubber Blanket

" Fuzz and Pluck is like Luis Buñuel, Samuel Beckett, Lewis Carroll, and Abbott and Costello having a circle jerk in Ted Stearn's brain." -- Kaz, Underwater

"Ted Stearn's Fuzz and Pluck possess more life and humanity than most humans. Plus, they are ursine and foul and artfully hatched." -- Gary Panter, Jimbo

" Fuzz and Pluck is a highly qualified addition to the Fantagraphics roundtable of `Haute Couture." -- Chris Ware, The ACME Novelty Library

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels

80 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Dominick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't realize this was a French translation when I bought it (that's why it was so cheap, I guess), but fortunately, the French is fairly simple, and most of what I could not glean from the text could be understood from the images, so I got through it pretty well. This is a funny, surrealistic, and somewhat disturbing picaresque tale of a plucked chicken and a discarded teddy bear (saved, dubiously, by less than reliable guardian angels) who form an unlikely friendship and have various adventures, including being sold into slavery, "battling" a hapless tree monster, encountering a philosophical monkey, and eventually getting jobs at a fast food restaurant. Stearn's style is fairly minimalist, with clear debts to the undergrounds, though the content avoids the extremes of comix. I look forward to reading more, preferably this time in the original English.

[Jeff Lewonczyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightfully nasty story about a discarded teddy bear and escaped soup chicken who struggle to survive in a cruel, oppressive world. Wonderful drawing and fairly timeless satire on the seamier side of the American Dream.

[Anadine Montro · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was alright. There's a lot of great pen and ink work but the story was a litte lacking and the dialogue a little clunky at times. Still pretty good though.

[Eric Stodolnik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this fun and funny little comic! It’s charming and goofy and I love fuzz. It would work well as a Comedy Central or adult swim style cartoon.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my introduction to Stearns, a collection of a serialized story he contributed to an anthology called Zero Zero. Fuzz and Pluck are a nervous teddy bear and an angry plucked chicken. I guess they're kind of a '90s comix Laurel & Hardy or something...
There's some nice moments of surrealism and satire of American culture, but it never really gelled for me to become anything really sublime. I think it works best when it's being surreal in a sub-Beckett stream-of-consciousness way rather than when it's trying to comment on society (see: Lardass, the proprietor of Lardy's, home of the famous Lard Sandwich...and Lo-Cal Sal who attacks him brandishing a giant carrot after her husband dies while eating there...yeah). I liked it enough to check out the follow-up: Splitsville.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ted Stearn's Fuzz and Pluck is rewarding without being overly showy. The artist has a sly way of interpreting the world around him, and the re-invented land that his heroes get to live in may be better or worse than our own - each reader will have to decide for themselves. The humor in these pages is understated but thought-provoking, and the sheer absurdity of the characters and the situations they find themselves in prevents the relaxed tone of the book from becoming monotonous. Stearn is a unique creator, and his work will appeal to those who enjoy comics that are offbeat, original, and just a little bit weird.

[Sharm Alagaratnam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like a twisted post-apocalyptic Get Fuzzy. Excellent.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

pure genius.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kterak si méďa a oškubaným kohoutkem vyrazili na sádlové sedviče. Absurdní černobílá rozkoš.

[Charles Hess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not a critic, but I found it to be very fun and engaging.

[Adam Šilhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Velmi příjemná záležitost, která potěší zejména fanoušky Anderssona.