Shuck Unmasked

    (Top Shelf, 2003)
™ and © Top Shelf

The story’s main character is an other-worldly demon who once bore the responsibility of keeping souls of the recently deceased from escaping Purgatory. So the last thing anyone would expect is a heartwarming story about friendship and love, but Smith and Menesse pull off a surprisingly emotional tale about how such bonds cannot be destroyed, even in death.

Shuck is the demon, who is now “retired” and living quietly in mortal guise in a typical suburban neighborhood. But many of the souls he formerly guarded are running loose, among them his former neighbor, whom he invites over and reminisces with on Halloween, when the wall between this world and the afterlife is at its thinnest.

Another soul on the loose is that of his departed wife, and Shuck’s understated sense of loss and undying love are what makes the entire novel a sad but endearing treat. Smith’s Little Orphan Annie-style caricatures and strategic usage of silhouettes further strengthen the book’s subdued emotions.

One major annoyance, though, is practically unforgivable. The writers’ insistent usage of Herriman-esque quotations and spelling makes reading this book the literary equivalent of walking through a swamp. The 160 pages of such college-level baby-talk as “Yer potentate concokshuns allus keps the ristliss dead at bay” make getting through this a chore, despite this story’s other merits. It’s worth it, though; just don’t imagine the voice of Jar Jar Binks while reading.

— Jim Johnson
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#1

June, 2003
Cover Price: $14.95
1 copy available for $7.99 		Rick Smith, Tania MenesseRick Smith