Too Much Coffee Man: How to be Happy

    (Dark Horse, 2005)
™ and © Dark Horse Comics, Inc.

This latest Too Much Coffee Man collection has been made to look as much as possible like one of those cartoon guides to life that are the staple of chain bookstores’ humor sections. But, otherwise, it’s pretty much business as usual for both TMCM and creator Shannon Wheeler.

This means all the strips are various exercises on the single theme that life is futile, so you’d better wake up and accept the pain. Except here Wheeler has added weak political commentary to his usual repertoire of tricks—a good idea of what those opinions are can be inferred from the introduction by commentator and cartoonist Ted Rall.

This is mostly seen in a largely flaccid chunk about the Iraq war and through a new character named Fisticuffs. Somehow, he’s simultaneously the President, a personification of American foreign policy, and just plain dumb male aggression. Although his work can be moderately amusing in small doses, here, it quickly becomes dismal: just the sort of thing when you don’t want comedy to be either fun or particularly funny.

— S. A. Bennett
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#1

July, 2005
Cover Price: $12.95
1 copy available for $10.50 		Shannon Wheeler, Ted RallShannon Wheeler