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Porcellino, John – King Cat Classix #2

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King Cat Classix #2

If the quality of the first collection of King Cat comics was a bit spotty at times (the guy was, after all, just starting out), that problem is taken care of in this second volume.  It collects the best bits of #11-20 (in case you can’t read that on the cover) and even has a few stories taken from anthologies or previously unpublished, so even if you were awesome enough to collect these when they first came out you’re likely to run into something you haven’t seen.  Stories in this issue include whether or not mice turn into money over time, a dream of dancing with the Throwing Muses, a jam comic involving penises pulled too hard, a silent shortie about a family picnic (barely), attending an art school party that ends with John going to the bathroom and being drunk enough to see two penises (definitely the first time I’ve used “penises” twice in one run-on sentence), a fantastic center spread, a dream involving John as a detective that is impossible to describe, teaching a cat to jump from car to car, rescuing a cat from a roof, his job that he could only take for 2 1/27 days, The Mouse getting in trouble, a giant dream cat and a bloody nose.  That’s the bare bones of it.  If it’s true that I have even the tiniest voice in the land of mini comics, somebody make this so: put these old minis back in print!  If Fantagraphics can put out a huge collection of comics from the 80’s, why not put all of these comics into one huge volume?  It’s not like you’d be hurting for material.  Oh well, most likely wishful thinking.  If you can find this for the love of Jehovah buy it, but you probably know that already…

Porcellino, John – King Cat Classix #1

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King Cat Classix #1

The trip down memory lane continues, as today I’m reviewing another out-of-print comic.  Or at least it looks like it’s out of print,  judging by his website.  Of course, judging from his website it looks like most things are sold out, which is just a shame.  So anyway, this one collects the best of King Cat #1-10, and raise your hand if you were awesome enough to buy any of those when they were available.  Unless you really had your artistic act together in 1989, I doubt it.  For anybody who has ever complained that John’s style was too simplistic (those people who have missed the point entirely), it’s very clear that his art has improved from these issues.  Everything is a lot more raw, he’s clearly experimenting with thicker lines, and he eventually ended up where he is now.  So what’s in this?  Dream comics, stories of his time as a mosquito abatement guy (are these in the eventual collection?  If so did he clean them up when they were collected?  I should probably know these things), a simple story that is almost too perfect called 3 balls, John running into a guy trying to get to Chicago by walking along the railroad tracks, his new discovery of the reality of ticks, a drunk comic, a short piece about his dad, and his detailed (and hilarious) description of a sleepless night.  I’m way too biased to offer any kind of objective criticism of this series, which should be painfully obvious by now to any regular readers of the site.  Still, somebody should at least put these Classix volumes back in print (even though there are only 3 that I know of, so maybe add on a couple more), or maybe they should get in touch with Top Shelf or somebody and put the whole series out as a phone book type graphic novel.  Hey, a guy can dream…