As anyone who has read my Daily Life postings knows, I love parenting and parenthood. It’s a wonderful time full of all manner of sights, sounds, and general silliness. Luckily, there are all sorts of comic books and graphic novels that deal with children and childhood these days. While I enjoy books like Amelia Rules and others, those books are predominantly told from a child’s perspective. I like those books because it reminds me of when I was young, and in some limited way, gives me insight into what my kids may, or may not, be thinking.
But, I have found there are few books that capture the joy of parenting from a parent’s perspective. It’s one thing to capture what a child thinks, it’s an entirely different matter to capture what a parent has to deal with. Well, deal with and remain sane.Anyway, this week I read the Planet Saturday Comics tpb and it captures the joys, and silliness, of parenting better than any other book on the market right now. And it does it in incredibly heartwarming fashion.
The Planet Saturday Comics tpb is a collection of the online comic created by Monty Kane. Each story revolves around a man named Emory and always deals with some aspect of parenting. The stories alternate between Emory as a young child, and as a 40 year old father dealing with his daughter. Because these stories are soooo close to my experiences as a parent, I bet Emory is more than loosely based on Monty’s own experiences.These stories are so universal to fatherhood and parenting that I couldn’t help but smile when I read them. My personal favorite is titled “Loud” which is soon to happen at my own house. This segment answers the question "What happens the first time you tell your child to 'Turn the music down!'?” I could explain it but the 8 part story are right here for you to read. Just click on the images and you can read the entire sequence. I particularly identified with coming to grips that I'm not the rock star I once was.
Monty’s art really compliments his stories. The art is loose and cartoony which fits perfectly. At the same time, his backgrounds are still full of detail. I never saw a panel with a white background. With his great sense of comic timing, Monty manages to make each panel/page seem full of energy. Monty shows particular talent for exaggerated facial expressions which is key for this type of story.If you’re already a parent, then these stories will bring back some glorious memories that you might have forgotten, or missed along the way. If you aren’t a parent, then you should read this so you know what you’re in store for. Either way, this should be required reading for any parent, or soon to be parent because it is such a great read.
You can read many of the stories at the Planet Saturday website here.Planet Saturday isn’t available from Diamond but can be ordered through the website. I’ll say it again, it’s a great book, and worth taking the time to order! Finally, if a good story isn’t enough, $1 from every copy of “Planet Sunday Comics, Volume 1” sold goes to help uninsured kids get health care.
You get a great comic and do a good deed all at the same time. It’s a win-win for everyone.
Part 6
Part 7
Looks good, thanks.
ReplyDelete