Tales Designed to Thrizzle

    (Fantagraphics, 2005-2010)
™ and ©2005 Michael Kupperman

Blast the copywriters that made cliché terms out of "oddball, wacky, zany" and other such cheese-invoking triggerwords. They've mutilated all the terms that should be saved for Michael Kupperman without negative connotation.

A beautiful, pop cover seals a collection of mostly non-sequiteur humor that anyone should be able to appreciate for the art even if their funnybone is broken. If the book has a weakness, it's staying in a tight confine of punchlines, and while one can never predict what that payoff will be, and it's always good, the reader risks a little desensitization to the out-of-left-field humor.

Perhaps smaller doses are better, but by no means should you miss a single gag from the creator of Snake 'n' Bacon. It takes a steely character to stifle a guffaw at running gags like "Sex Blimp" and "Jesus' Half-Brother Pagus," who looks like an extra from Jack Kirby or He-Man.

It's true laughter, and we need more of it in comics… and life.

— Brendan McGinley
Jump to issue:
  • 1-3
    #1 - 3rd printing
    Jul 2005
    Cover: $4.50
    W: Michael Kupperman  ·  A: Michael Kupperman
    January 2008
    1 copy for $19.95
  • 2-2
    #2 - 2nd printing
    Oct 2006
    Cover: $4.50
    W: Michael Kupperman  ·  A: Michael Kupperman
    2 copies from $17.95
  • 3/A
    #3 Variation A
    Oct 2006
    Cover: $4.50
    W: Michael Kupperman  ·  A: Michael Kupperman
    Red background
    2 copies from $9.95
  • 4
    #4
    Aug 2008
    Cover: $4.50
    W: Michael Kupperman  ·  A: Michael Kupperman
    2 copies from $3.50
  • 5
    #5
    Mar 2009
    Cover: $4.50
    W: Michael Kupperman  ·  A: Michael Kupperman
    1 copy for $9.99
  • 6
    #6
    May 2010
    Cover: $4.95
    W: Michael Kupperman  ·  A: Michael Kupperman
    1 copy for $9.99
  • 7
    #7
    Sep 2011
    Cover: $4.95
    W: Michael Kupperman  ·  A: Michael Kupperman
    1 copy for $24.99
  • 8
    #8
    May 2012
    Cover: $4.95
    W: Michael Kupperman  ·  A: Michael Kupperman
    2 copies from $8.64