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Gear
Four incompetent cats high-jack a Giant Killer Robot! The plans are made, the cats lay in wait, the Robot comes and everything goes el stinko. This book's got everything: robots, harpoon guns, talking cats, gun shots to the head -- the whole sha-bang!
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
11 people are currently reading
328 people want to read
About the author
Doug TenNapel
54 books507 followersDoug TenNapel is the Eisner Award winning writer/artist of over sixteen graphic novels. He is published by Image Comics and Scholastic/Graphics.
He's been married for 27 years to the love of his life and has four book-loving kids.
Doug's favorite authors include G.K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. He reads mostly philosophy but tends to get his fiction from audio-books.
His performs live art demonstrations on his Facebook page, and has animated using pixel art for clients like BlueSky software and Electronic Arts. He also regularly posts on his Youtube channel.
Doug tries to write and draw something every day as a discipline that also happens to be a career.
He currently lives in Franklin, Tennessee.
He's been married for 27 years to the love of his life and has four book-loving kids.
Doug's favorite authors include G.K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. He reads mostly philosophy but tends to get his fiction from audio-books.
His performs live art demonstrations on his Facebook page, and has animated using pixel art for clients like BlueSky software and Electronic Arts. He also regularly posts on his Youtube channel.
Doug tries to write and draw something every day as a discipline that also happens to be a career.
He currently lives in Franklin, Tennessee.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
June 3, 2016
I adore the video games Earthworm Jim and Skullmonkeys, particularly because of the bizarre art and demented imagination of their creator, Doug TenNapel. When I realized that he was now in the comics biz, I had to check that shit out. Gear is fun despite being disjointed and throwaway. The art is bizarre, and its world of cats vs dogs vs mantis people is certainly demented, but this definitely doesn't hit the weirdo highs of the aforementioned works. This is an early endeavor, so I hope for better results with his later comics...Oh no, he does mostly YA comics now? And he writes and executive produces Veggie Tales? Ugh.
July 21, 2016
This one did not float my boat. I got about a third through before throwing in the towel. I have had tween boys come in with some frequency asking for Doug TenNapel and I think I can see what parts of this might catch their interest, but for me, it was too disjointed and strange and sometimes the characters and their actions just don't make sense. The art was sometimes difficult to understand making it difficult to follow the vague storyline. I think I will try Ghostopolis or one of his other works and hope for a better outcome.
November 19, 2022
One of my fellow English Professors gave me this book to read with the caveat that I might not like it.
He was right, I didn’t like it. The story was choppy and hard to follow. The characters were not relatable. The art was gory and sloppy. Worst of all the story was shallow in my opinion. Yeah there are themes of self sacrifice and unity and peace and all those good things, but the wrapping was so garish and gross and mis proportioned that I couldn’t get past it.
Others might like this. I didn’t.
He was right, I didn’t like it. The story was choppy and hard to follow. The characters were not relatable. The art was gory and sloppy. Worst of all the story was shallow in my opinion. Yeah there are themes of self sacrifice and unity and peace and all those good things, but the wrapping was so garish and gross and mis proportioned that I couldn’t get past it.
Others might like this. I didn’t.
January 20, 2023
Two superpowers seemingly form a truce -- but they each really just want to dominate everyone else. Hmmm. Sounds familiar. Then there's the Newton Cats from whence our heroes hail. And the giant preying mantis type insects that send everyone into a tizzy. And - the guardians. Giant robots that become increasingly more deadly. Bigger, more weaponized, etc. And a secret weapon named - Gear. I always find TenNapel's work to be extraordinary and this book is no exception.
June 10, 2020
Four stars for the strength of the art and raw imagination on display. As a narrative, it's a bit bonkers and I did not enjoy whatever story it was trying to tell. As a daydream doodle in a sketchbook coming into its own zany world, highly enjoyable.
May 2, 2022
It's pretty dope, but the story is confusing as hell. Which should make sense when it's a book about cats piloting mechs, but somehow I thought it would be more, I don't know, linear?
Maybe it's because we had cats, dogs, and bugmen, and then we had different factions within each of those, which got to be a bit much.
Maybe I thought this was a turn off the brain thing, like when you play Earthworm Jim (developed by this author). When you play that game, you just have to sort of be like, "Look, none of this makes sense, so it ALL makes sense because it's uniform in its nonsense."
What a great couple of games. Maybe more than a couple, I don't know, I didn't fuck with it on the Nintendo 64.
You know what I love in games? When there's a weird thing you do, like one time. In EWJ you would launch a cow at some point in the first stage. For no reason.
Also, just describing some of the tasks...
There were sections where you had to get on one of those motorized chairs that carry elderly people up the stairs, and you had to speed up and slow down to avoid falling grannies.
There was a level inside an anthill where you dug out by shooting a path in the dirt.
There was a level where you were a floating blind cave salamander. For no reason.
It was just so stupid and fun.
Maybe it's because we had cats, dogs, and bugmen, and then we had different factions within each of those, which got to be a bit much.
Maybe I thought this was a turn off the brain thing, like when you play Earthworm Jim (developed by this author). When you play that game, you just have to sort of be like, "Look, none of this makes sense, so it ALL makes sense because it's uniform in its nonsense."
What a great couple of games. Maybe more than a couple, I don't know, I didn't fuck with it on the Nintendo 64.
You know what I love in games? When there's a weird thing you do, like one time. In EWJ you would launch a cow at some point in the first stage. For no reason.
Also, just describing some of the tasks...
There were sections where you had to get on one of those motorized chairs that carry elderly people up the stairs, and you had to speed up and slow down to avoid falling grannies.
There was a level inside an anthill where you dug out by shooting a path in the dirt.
There was a level where you were a floating blind cave salamander. For no reason.
It was just so stupid and fun.
June 14, 2013
First, I'll just say this book is *not* for children because of what I guess the industry would say "disturbing images": the first page has a guy being shot in the head execution style, later someone's neck is bloodily sliced, and so on. This is a hard book to review, I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. I guess I'll work it out as I write about it. I really liked it but ... it is pretty weird. The day after I read it, I felt better about it than when I had just completed it, though the ending was completely satisfying. So I picked it up again and didn't quite re-read the whole thing but browsed through the book reading certain scenes, pages and sections while looking at the art. It grows on you and more understanding came to me. The story certainly does have allegorical meaning which I appreciate as a Christian even though it is very strange. I was first alerted to this when a character calls on Jesus, not blaspheming, but actually calling on the Lord for help. This made me open to any symbolism and I got the connection of Gear being a Christ-like figure. While I'll still plead to some plot confusion, such as what that first scene has to do with anything, I was utterly taken in with both the art and the characters.
Originally published in 1998 as b/w, this re-issued coloured edition is fantastic. Honestly I just can't imagine TenNapel *not* in colour as his work is so big and bold and would simply cry out for colour in my opinion. Done with a Japanese brush and ink, this is not TenNapel's stylized form we are used to from his most recent work but something much more wilder with an abandon to it which I am very attracted to artistically. I fell in love with the characters, especially Waffle and the other two cats but I also loved the self-sacrificing Gear and the insectoid Chee. I am going to continue reading TenNapel's backlist; he is a surprising artist, with a penchant for the strange and creepy but tells an eloquent story.
Originally published in 1998 as b/w, this re-issued coloured edition is fantastic. Honestly I just can't imagine TenNapel *not* in colour as his work is so big and bold and would simply cry out for colour in my opinion. Done with a Japanese brush and ink, this is not TenNapel's stylized form we are used to from his most recent work but something much more wilder with an abandon to it which I am very attracted to artistically. I fell in love with the characters, especially Waffle and the other two cats but I also loved the self-sacrificing Gear and the insectoid Chee. I am going to continue reading TenNapel's backlist; he is a surprising artist, with a penchant for the strange and creepy but tells an eloquent story.
July 30, 2007
Gear is an interesting work in a number of ways. The story and art, taken for themselves, are entertaining, however they do not hold up to the standard of quality that Doug TenNapel has set for himself with his subsequent works. What really make Gear a valuable read is that it is his first book, and as such you can see a truly masterful storyteller learning the craft and developing his style. This work also became the source material for the animated cartoon show Catscratch, which adds to the importance it had on Doug's career. Chee the preying mantis seems to be the ancestor of a later preying mantis character in Creature Tech and the loose style reflects later works like Tommysaurus Rex. Add to that that this is simply a story that only someone as crazy as Doug could write and you have a quality read. So if you like stories about kitties and doggies in giant robots brutally murdering one another as they brace for a war with an army of giant preying mantis' than this is your book.
March 23, 2018
TenNapel's first comic series is back. I used to have the original issues when Fireman Press put it out years back, but this version is colored and on MUCH nicer paper.
The story isn't TenNapel's best, but it's a fun ride. A community of cats and a community of insects battle each other, while the dogs plot to take out both weakened sides when the initial conflict is over. It has a nice "Hobbit"-like sequence when the cats and insects realize that they must band together to fight the common foe.
It's also got giant robots, a savior who must sacrifice himself, plenty of great humor and some strong action. TenNapel's art has gotten much better, but it's still strong here.
Good stuff.
The story isn't TenNapel's best, but it's a fun ride. A community of cats and a community of insects battle each other, while the dogs plot to take out both weakened sides when the initial conflict is over. It has a nice "Hobbit"-like sequence when the cats and insects realize that they must band together to fight the common foe.
It's also got giant robots, a savior who must sacrifice himself, plenty of great humor and some strong action. TenNapel's art has gotten much better, but it's still strong here.
Good stuff.
October 17, 2009
This short graphic novel, TenNapel's first, was fantastic! The art is messy but very fun and expressive, having been Doug's first work done with an ink brush, and the story retains the freshness and cartoony-ness of his zany imagination that seems to have been diluted (or perhaps retread) in his more recent work. The story introduces the reader to all of Doug's trademark elements - sentient mantis-like bugs, huge animal-like robots, wild alien landscapes, and a wicked sense of humor.
February 4, 2009
Entertaining but doesn't go anywhere much.
November 12, 2014
This was great!
It's a bit dark and gritty, but TenNapel explores summer great themes with great characters! The ending needed a bit more character closure, but it still worked.
It's a bit dark and gritty, but TenNapel explores summer great themes with great characters! The ending needed a bit more character closure, but it still worked.
April 9, 2025
It reminds me a lot of Bone. Both because some of the dog characters are very early disney goofylike and because it has a similar animation style and tone. This one has more of an early 90's cartoon flair to it though which i like.
At times I was a little confused as to what was going on because the plot is introduced slowly and without exposition...also similar to Bone. It also has a cult and an old prophesy like Bone. It also reminds me of Dav Pilkey it's less childish and less potty humour but the cartoon style is a little similar and it encapsulates that fun for the sake of fun big stuff fighting trope.
Doug also seems fixated on the concept of smaller creatures using tech/mechs to fight their battles. Earthworm Jim was basically a worm in a mechsuit, this was written back when he didn't have the rights to earthworm jim while it was still very popular, so I can see the creative gears turning as he tries to find ways to write similar stories and avoid copyright. It's a little bit of Disney, a little bit of Bone, a little bit captain underpants and a little bit of Earthworm Jim but it all blends into something that still feels unique and in Doug's personal style of comic. It's a good blend of serious and comedy, the comedy doesn't make you lose interest in the plot and the plot isn't so serious it ruins the fun.
I liked that it was fairly short, where Bone was dragged out way too long and got overly complicated this one was just all important bits it was succinct. It left it feeling a little rushed to completion at the end though.
Overall I really enjoyed it, when I was looking to find Doug's new Earthworm Jim kickstarter comics I didn't realize he also had a bunch of older already published comics to dig through, look forward to checking more out.
At times I was a little confused as to what was going on because the plot is introduced slowly and without exposition...also similar to Bone. It also has a cult and an old prophesy like Bone. It also reminds me of Dav Pilkey it's less childish and less potty humour but the cartoon style is a little similar and it encapsulates that fun for the sake of fun big stuff fighting trope.
Doug also seems fixated on the concept of smaller creatures using tech/mechs to fight their battles. Earthworm Jim was basically a worm in a mechsuit, this was written back when he didn't have the rights to earthworm jim while it was still very popular, so I can see the creative gears turning as he tries to find ways to write similar stories and avoid copyright. It's a little bit of Disney, a little bit of Bone, a little bit captain underpants and a little bit of Earthworm Jim but it all blends into something that still feels unique and in Doug's personal style of comic. It's a good blend of serious and comedy, the comedy doesn't make you lose interest in the plot and the plot isn't so serious it ruins the fun.
I liked that it was fairly short, where Bone was dragged out way too long and got overly complicated this one was just all important bits it was succinct. It left it feeling a little rushed to completion at the end though.
Overall I really enjoyed it, when I was looking to find Doug's new Earthworm Jim kickstarter comics I didn't realize he also had a bunch of older already published comics to dig through, look forward to checking more out.
January 28, 2023
Well, that was unexpected! I've read nearly all of Doug TenNapel's work, but I can't say I was expecting a war between cats, dogs, and insects, especially when the cover of the book is a goofy mech. The story is all over the place, the characters don't have super clear intentions or much relatability, and the conclusion comes quick and without satisfaction. Still, I found Gear to be a page-turner, mostly because of an unexpected "whoa" factor that I can't quite explain. If you go into this book expecting anything at all, you'll be disappointed. If you expect a wild fever dream of crazy cat violence, backstabbing dogs, mechanical explosions and a bit of mysticism, well, like me, you might want to see what happens on the next pages, too! While the story isn't entirely cohesive, the bonkers art and wild themes make it engaging, or at the very least a fun curiosity.
Read
August 21, 2023I read it because I liked Catscratch as a kid and wanted to know the source. Obviously, the only point in common is the three protagonists (one of them dies in the first issue pretty early, which was funny and unexpected), but the story itself is entertaining enough, like a prototype of Attack Of Titans, but way simpler.
The art style was good, although sometimes the action scenes were confusing and I didn't know what was happening, and the plot and characters were... Just ok. Far from memorable or a masterpiece, but with only six issues you will read the whole story in 2 hours, so if you liked Catscratch or Earthworm Jim as a kid and want to know about the other projects of the creator, this is a nice read, just don't expect anything amazing.
The art style was good, although sometimes the action scenes were confusing and I didn't know what was happening, and the plot and characters were... Just ok. Far from memorable or a masterpiece, but with only six issues you will read the whole story in 2 hours, so if you liked Catscratch or Earthworm Jim as a kid and want to know about the other projects of the creator, this is a nice read, just don't expect anything amazing.
December 16, 2018
An odd little story of a town full of loser cats whose are subject to attacks from another cat kingdom, which has teamed up with a dog kingdom, all while the insect kingdom on the other side threatens to finish them off.
TenNapel is an amazing inker. It looks like there are few lines anywhere, everything is done with black and white fields. Mostly I can parse it. (I have similar problems with Lone Wolf and Cub.)
It's a dense story with a lot of interesting characters, and feels like one I'm likely to read again.
TenNapel is an amazing inker. It looks like there are few lines anywhere, everything is done with black and white fields. Mostly I can parse it. (I have similar problems with Lone Wolf and Cub.)
It's a dense story with a lot of interesting characters, and feels like one I'm likely to read again.
February 5, 2021
The Contrast...
Both heavy plot contrasted with drop dead humor. This is a wild ride through a beautiful yet violent world not too unlike our own in some ways. Will read more by this author.
Both heavy plot contrasted with drop dead humor. This is a wild ride through a beautiful yet violent world not too unlike our own in some ways. Will read more by this author.
January 9, 2024
I do like this one, but I didn't love it. What I do love is the heart and the messages tucked into TenNapel's stories. He tends to lean into the themes of friendship, good vs. evil, and the heart of sacrifice, which help build good stories.
October 25, 2025
A simple action/adventure story.
Doug has a very expressive art, but in this comic, his narrative is still messy. He jumps from present to flashback chaotically, and it takes a while for even an experienced reader like me to understand what is happening.
Doug has a very expressive art, but in this comic, his narrative is still messy. He jumps from present to flashback chaotically, and it takes a while for even an experienced reader like me to understand what is happening.
April 9, 2018
The art is great as usual, but I have to say I didn’t really see much of a story arc here or even much character development. This one just didn’t grab me at all.
July 9, 2018
Impenetrable rubbish. As useful as the G in LASAGNE, as someone once said.
July 7, 2020
Weird and fun. Love the wild inks and vibrant colors.
March 4, 2021
Brilliant
April 12, 2021
Gorgeous and dynamic art
March 18, 2023
Not my favorite of this author's but it does show how pointless divisions between people for the sake of egomaniac power is just never good for anyone.
April 22, 2023
This was...very weird. And also, a difficult story line to follow.
February 15, 2024
2.5 Stars
November 12, 2024
it was so fun and silly! there were just a couple things i didn’t like about it, but overall it was a good time. the artwork is amazing!
November 17, 2015
Doug has been one of my favorite artists since I was about 9 playing Earthworm Jim. His artwork graces the cover of albums for my favorite band of all time, Five Iron Frenzy. Years after I first encountered his art, I picked up this little book with a smile, having no idea who he was by name, but knowing how happy it made me to look at the cover. That's how I found his comics and found that old feeling again. Gear was the first one I grabbed.
I thought it was about time to reread him this year, because I am thinking more seriously about doing comics myself. There is something about the wild Japanese brush, the soft, childlike expressions, and the knobby little limbs that I have always found pleasing to the eye. Gear in particular is fun, because you can start to see the groundwork of later creative works by TenNapel. It wanders around, but I'm always happy to wander with it.
Sometimes, a story doesn't have to be super-grounded to be worth reading.
I thought it was about time to reread him this year, because I am thinking more seriously about doing comics myself. There is something about the wild Japanese brush, the soft, childlike expressions, and the knobby little limbs that I have always found pleasing to the eye. Gear in particular is fun, because you can start to see the groundwork of later creative works by TenNapel. It wanders around, but I'm always happy to wander with it.
Sometimes, a story doesn't have to be super-grounded to be worth reading.
February 26, 2017
Re-read this book, a humorous, cartoony, gonzo, violent, heartfelt little story about giant robots, death and heaven, a war between various factions of cat, dog and insect peoples over a dangerous artifact from a war between angels that has feelings and doesn't want to actually hurt anyone. Basically vintage Tennapel.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews