What happens if you mix the Roadrunner cartoons with Kafka’s Metamorphosis? What happens when a half-egg half-man is the least strange thing in a dream?
You end up with a wonderfully absurd, mind boggling treat like 2 STORIES – both involving an egg, the latest, thoroughly enjoyable but utterly mad new comic from Edward Taylor, that’s what. Yes, the same Edward Taylor who brought us the brilliant Godzilla’s Lockdown Diary and Godzilla Tries to Get Out, also available from his web shop, both published by Lakes International Comic Art Festival.
An A4-sized, full colour 50-page book featuring two wildly different stories, the first opening as the writer finds himself turned into an egg, a situation that seems to faze no-one he meets, and involves a trip to the Sahara desert, a valuable pot and an elaborate chase.
The second story features a party that’s got out of control and a set of reflections which seem to have a life of their own.
Both are superbly bizarre, funny and wonderfully told, Edward Taylor again giving us uniquely told stories that are a sheer delight to read. For me, the storytelling echoes the absurdity of “Little Nemo” and “Krazy Kat”, with, perhaps, a dash of “Calvin and Hobbes” thrown in.
You’re never really sure, of course, if the protagonist in Edward’s eggs-cellent adventures is really an egg (come on, allow me one egg pun, I did resist!), or if he’s victim to some unfortunate misperception of his own identity. In the end, however, it doesn’t really matter, because these inventive tales are, simply, a delight.
Almost eggs-quisite, some might say.
Oh, all right, that’s two puns. That’s more than enough.
Tell you what. I’ll go to work on an egg, possibly chocolate this weekend, while you head to Edward’s web shop and buy this new book.
John Freeman
• 2 STORIES – both involving an egg is available here from Edward Taylor’s official web site
Edward Taylor has spent 38 years touring nationally and internationally with the Whalley Range All Stars, a street theatre company he formed with Sue Auty. Drawing plays an important part in the early stages of every company production.
In the last few years, Edward has worked on a variety of comic strip stories as a side-line to the theatre shows.
“Ideas breed ideas,” says Edward of his work. “I draw pretty constantly – sometimes an idea presents itself as a bad idea when I’m drawing it but I carry on as if it doesn’t end up on paper it hangs around in your brain and interferes with other better ideas.”
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The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: British Comics, British Comics - Collections, Comics, downthetubes Comics News, Features, Reviews
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I’m not sure those are alliterations (phrases in which each word starts with the same letter), rather they’re puns – egg-scruciating in some cases, egg-ceedingly egg-ceptional in others.
I stand corrected, thank you. Amended alliteration to pun. Well, I say stand. The cat is being a limpet and I can’t move right now!