Patrick McDonnell

A brilliant love letter to the early days of Marvel Comics, McDonnell pulls from multiple titles and stories to create an all new meta-story, juxtaposing his lifelong love of comics with the characters and creators that first sparked his imagination as a kid. If you're a fan of Marvel, especially the early years, this is an absolute must read.

Self-indulgent pap.

Mutts creator Patrick McDonnell takes a pair of scissors to a bunch of 1960s Marvel comic books to cobble together a half-assed story about Dr. Doom's new invention to spread negativity waves throughout the world, causing a bunch of superhero infighting and setting Uatu the Watcher and Reed Richards on a quest to bring back peace and calm. Between the panels written by Stan Lee and illustrated by the likes of Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, McDonnell self-inserts with some show more scenes from his own childhood, plasters in a bunch of inspirational quotes, and appalls with his own scribbled renditions of the superheroes with the stated intent to "capture the feeling of childhood."

Looks like garbage. Reads like garbage. Must be garbage.

(Best Graphic Novels of 2023 Project: I'm trying to read all the books on the Washington Post 10 Best Graphic Novels of 2023 list. Eight down, two to go! How many have you read?) show less

A little cave boy named Tek remains stubbornly absorbed in his various electronic devices in this tongue-in-cheek picture-book examination of technological addiction. Nothing anyone can do, from his desperate parents to his hopeful best friend (an alligator named Larry), can tear him away. He misses everything from evolution to the Ice Age, until finally the local volcano has had enough and erupts, thereby separating Tek from his gadgets, and forcing him to see the beauty of the world around show more him...

An entertaining look at an ever-growing problem with today's younger generation - namely, an addiction to technological devices, and a resultant inability to interact with the non-digital world in a healthy way - Tek: The Modern Cave Boy manages to be quite thought-provoking, without ever feeling preachy. Everything, from the format of the book itself - it is formatted like a tablet, with cardboard covers designed to approximate such a device - to its title (surely a reference to people staying in their "caves" with their computers?) offers a commentary on the issue at hand. Recommended to anyone looking for stories that will prompt discussion about computer/TV addiction, and the importance of getting out into the natural world, as another means of education and entertainment. show less

This absolutely delightful simple biography recounts Jane Goodall’s early childhood fascination with animals, beginning with the stuffed animal chimpanzee, Jubilee.It tells of her obsession for caring for animals and her decision early on to go to Africa to work with wild animals. Included are actual drawings and self-created games that Goodall drew as a small child, including the ‘Aligator Society’. McDonnell the creator of the comic strip Mutts, uses a simple and wonderful comics show more style to illustrate this book, to charming effect. The book ends with little Jane falling asleep and awaking as her adult self...in Africa. show less