Reviewed by Jeanne
I’ve loved both comic books and strips from even before I
started reading. I can remember my grandmother reading the strips to me from the newspaper, including her favorite strip which was, appropriately, called Grandma. Now I like to start my day
with a cup of coffee while reading a selection of my favorite daily comic
strips. Recently, I have picked up two
collections in a row, starting with Tom Gauld’s Revenge of the Librarians.
The next thing I knew, I was reading the new Georgia Dunn collection, Pucky,
Prince of Bacon. While these two are very different, I thoroughly enjoyed
both.
Dunn’s daily strip Breaking
Cat News runs in some newspapers (not the Bristol Herald Courier, alas) and features the adventures of an
assortment of felines and their friends who act as reporters for “news that’s
important to cats.” The three main reporters are Elvis, a needy and neurotic
Siamese; Puck, a three legged black cat who is very zen except when it comes to
bacon or ham; and rambunctious Lupin, a deaf white cat who rushes in where
angels fear to tread. They live in the Big Pink House with The Man, The Woman,
and The Toddler. Pucky, Prince of
Bacon collects several months of these strips, including the Sunday
ones. This time around, our intrepid
reporters take on the terror of pets everywhere, the vacuum cleaner,
investigate Fourth of July cuisine to answer the question, “Can cats even eat
potato salad?” and wonder why The Woman is getting very round.
Sweet, funny, and gentle, these books are marketed to
middle school students but I know many adults who are also addicted. I think of
them as being like Mutts or Peanuts: kid friendly but not
juvenile. I love Dunn’s attention to
detail in the panels, from decorations on the walls, and the lovely color
palette.
This is the sixth book in the series and while it can stand
on its own, for full enjoyment I’d recommend starting with some of the earlier
titles where you can read the backstories of some of the other characters. I’m particularly fond of Tommy, who lives at
another house with Sophie, an artistic feline soul who does not care for
Tommy’s adoration. The story arc where
Elvis is lost and meets Tommy always brings tears to my eyes. Yeah, I’m a softy.
Breaking Cat News
Lupin Leaps In
Take It Away, Tommy
Elvis Puffs Out
Behind the Scenes with Burt
Pucky, Prince of Bacon
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