Zoot!

(Fantagraphics, 1992–1994)
™ and © 1992 Roger and Andrew Langridge

This madcap collection of cartoons from New Zealand creators (and brothers) Andrew and Roger Langridge features an insane cast of exaggerated characters. Art d’Ecco and the Gump, a sort of triangular pinhead reminiscent of Bill Griffith’s non-sequitur spouting Zippy, engage in a variety of outlandish conversations and routines. The team of Gentle Annie, Mister Fussy and Mister Coffee live “on the edge of the world.“ The debut issue also sets the stage for an eclectic mix of abstract escapades and semi-autobiographical features. In one tale, the “redoubtable“ Tarquin interviews a singer who gets much more than she bargained for. In another, “The Journey Halfway,“ a hapless fellow loses his car in the grinding gears of bureaucracy. With a mix of artistic styles from the absurd to the sublime and a healthy dose of wit, lunacy and a few puns, Zoot provides a wide-ranging sampling of comedic cartooning from another land.

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