Paglia, Kimberly – Kick in the Butt #11

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Kick in the Butt #11

Dammit, I really wanted to like this one, especially after loving the “My Life in __” comics. Then there’s the fact that even getting to #11 in a series impressive in comics (it looks from the website like this made it to #13, put out on a mostly monthly basis, before vanishing). But when large chunks of a tiny book look rushed and sloppy and when only a few of the strips were genuinely funny, well, I’d have to say you’re better off getting one of the “My Life in ___” books to see what Kimberly’s really capable of. Unless, of course, this was just an off-issue, as she was moving and GW Bush had just been reelected (which removed all hope in the world from a lot of people). Comics in here deal with said election and her response, her dog, moving, trapeze artistry, turkey, Erkle, cold weather, and barfing. I did like the slowly accumulating mound of dishes, that was done very well over the course of a daily strip. Other little bits also made me chuckle, like her boyfriend (husband?) dreaming about puppets and her take on a Marilyn Monroe movie. All in all she’s done better work, and I’m hoping that the sudden stop of these has more to do with her not updating her website than giving up on comics altogether. $1.50