Too Much Coffee Man's Guide for the Perplexed

Too Much Coffee Man #2

by Dark Horse Comics

Too Much Coffee Man is not so much about coffee as it is about life and figuring things out; there`s a lot of free-thinking, bad puns, slapstick humor, and nickel philosophy. This unique collection features three, eight-page stories, a 32-page DHP story, the notorious seven-page, bullet-hole story, at least 65 individual, one-page strips, and an introduction by Beavis and Butthead creator, Mike Judge. Available in both softcover and limited-edition hardcover collections, both fully caffeinated!

Genres: Comics, Humor, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Comic Book, Superheroes, Comedy

144 pages, Paperback

First published May 13, 1998

Reviews

[Jan Philipzig · Rating 3 out of 5]

"If you can't be happy naturally, force it," the Too Much Coffee Man recommends while knocking back another cup of coffee, desperately trying to lift his mood. Sounds almost like the slogan of a pharmaceutical company, doesn't it? Shannon Wheeler's humorous stab at our ridiculously individualized and commercialized ways of dealing with problems is generally insightful, occasionally hilarious, but becomes a little repetitive towards the end. Definitely worth checking out, just don't down the whole cup with one gulp.

[Malbadeen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book:
I love it because it's bits and pieces from other collections and spans everything from the just-silly-and makes-me-chuckle-enjoyable to the makes-me-consider-appreciate-recognize-fear-cringe-at-be-apart-of-run-away-from-laugh-at-the-world-myself.

TMCM in general:
It's kind of amazing to me how well Wheeler captures that perpetual unease, or manic kind of thought process that can go on when we're trying to apply logic to life.

And to do that while being funny, just makes me want to yell "YES!" at the end of most of his comics. Because I don't understand how people do life with out acknowledging the funny.

I think maybe that's what I love about TMCM, it's such a great balance between the frustrating, inconclusiveness parts of being a person and the hilarity inherent in it.

[Devin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book on impulse (and in the name of my undying addiction of coffee) when I saw it at a used book store for only $3. The humor and delivery is at times reminiscent of other indie comics I really enjoy (like Johnny the Homicidal Maniac and Lenore the Dead Girl, minus the horror themes) and it has quick, witty segments one after the other. It was hard to put the book down once I started reading it, it's personal, it's hilarious, it has social commentary, it has satire, it has nonsense, it has meaning, really it has it all. I like the art a lot, too, it's black and white and stylistic. I have a weakness for stylized black and white art. Shannon Wheeler also puts a lot of effort and design into the formatting in a lot of his pages. Panels will form a big circle surrounded by panels outside the circle, the panels will form the shape of a house, panels will have drawings for borders, etc. Every page has a visual concept to it. Also the title panels (that say Too Much Coffee Man) display a wide array of cool designs too. It's a well written, well thought out and formatted comic book and I have no choice but to pursue more books of this title. As well as more coffee, my mug's nearly empty...

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things I love:

Coffee
Self-loathing
Undercutting serious ideas with jokes
Sitting alone in my apartment
Black & white comics
Wearing a onesie
Existential crises
Meta jokes
Hatching

So this comic is almost perfect for me. Unfortunately, I don't smoke so I had to deduct a star.

[Kurt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been drinking an awful lot of coffee lately. The spirit of TMCM rides shotgun with me every morning of the work week.

[Avivi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Epic brilliant hilarious comic about umm... existential despair?

[Jonathan Pavan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a nice light read. Some of the commentary and satire is still very applicable 20 years later. Flew through this!

[H.L.H. Pattison · Rating 5 out of 5]

It wouldn't be a huge stretch to say "this book changed my life".

TMCM:GftP is a collection of many of the original Too Much Coffee Man strips, and they are hilarious. There's a darkly whimsical intellectualism to TMCM that has always appealed to me. It's incredibly smart material, presented in a very silly, self-mocking form.

I think I still quote lines from this book on a daily basis.

"Would you rather work retail or have a nail driven through your hand?"
"How big of a nail?"

One of my all-time favourite graphic sagas. A bit of Bill Watterson, a bit of Robert Crumb...

TMCM is a truly wonderful comic. I heartily endorse it to anybody who enjoys a good read.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A comic I can actually enjoy...hilarious!

[Christian Lipski · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the earliest days of TMCM, read Wheeler's strips from Jab magazine and one-pagers. Great satire and humanism.

[Justus · Rating 4 out of 5]

both absurd and cynical.....just pure awesomeness.