Almendrala, Donna – Chimps in Space #1

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Chimps in Space #1

Is it a good sign or a bad sign that a cover like this is all it takes to get my full attention for reading a comic? I did get an ego boost of a guess about my age at work today, but the sad truth is that I should be too old to get excited about chimps/zombies/robots. Eh, screw the people who say it’s a bad thing, it’s not my fault that their ability to experience any bit of a child-like sense of wonder at monkeys has been burned out of them. Anyway, there is a comic here that I should mention, seeing as how those are the point of this website and all. Donna recently got her degree from the Center for Cartoon Studies, which continues to churn out some seriously talented artists. Their plan to comically take over the world is proceeding nicely. I’ve learned to expect books that are a little rough around the edges when I get a “#1” from students, but her skills already seem pretty damned polished in this one. The story details the adventures of a crew of four chimps and one tiny monkey (I thought those were the same thing, but the chimps can talk and the tiny monkey cannot) in a hilariously accurate monkey spaceship. Well, accurate in regards to the old space monkey ships with buttons that produced pellets when pressed. A murder is committed, everyone is suspicious of everyone else, and we spend the rest of the issue learning some strange secrets about the other monkeys. I mean chimps! This story seems to end in a fairly final spot, but I am curious to see where it goes from here. Future covers (and she did send along two more issues so I’ll find out for sure soon) indicate that events will take place on land, but she’d better be careful not to stray too far from that “in space” part of the title. $3