Americanjism

Posted: Tuesday, July 27, 2004
By: Darren Schroeder

Cover of Americanjism Creator(s): Joe Denny
Publishers: Pipe Dream Comics (Self Published)
From: USA
Price: $12 (in US), $16 Int (US)

Grownkidman and his sister Veronica are the children in a very strange family. Their mother was a sexually abused nun who became a prostitute then married one one of her clients. He works at the border office for US Immigration service. The family all engage in a fairly constant flurry of explicit sexual acts, sometimes with each other, occasionally with other people/objects/animals.

This book seems to go out of its way to be as offensive as possible, with the opening chapter set in a church where various sex acts occur on stage and the lay-minister ejaculates on the bible. On the way home one of the kid pee's on the door of a synagogue and the daughter gets a drive through abortion. There isn't really much in the way of plot, just a series of gross-out moments. The characters occasionally launch into extended diatribes in support of the American Way, which is satirically portrayed as misogynist and racist.

Masturbation plays a big part in the life of Grownkidman, and we get to see more than we really want to of him spanking the monkey and sending eruptions of bodily fluids all over the show while experiencing some very freaky hallucinations.

Joe's artwork is of a high quality, successfully displaying the characters in a range of positions and situations. The simplified character designs he uses are three dimensional and display a wide scope of emotions. They succeed as comedic characters. He mixes thin line work with bolder inking very successfully. Many budding comic creators could learn a lot from Joe's work - if they are over 18 and have a strong stomach.

The social satire in this book goes too far in its ambition to gross out the audience. Shocking the middle classes so they realise their economic reality is one thing, making them physically sick is another.

In a Word: Unsavoury.



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