THE TICK

So I guess it's no surprise to any of my loyal readers, that I indulge myself in reading comic books (ahem! Graphic Novels). I honestly don't recall owning some (although I must have) in my pre-teens. By high school, I rather took to them.

I always enjoyed Marvel, but am more of a DC/Vertigo fellow in my later years. As a HS stoner, my first real exposure to the medium was actually the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers (that's what I recall). Those, and Roger Crumb comics (boy, is that guy a misogynist, or what?). Some pretty warped stuff (yeah, yeah, it explains a lot: what-EVAH, dude!), Mr. Natural, Wonder Warthog, etc.

I realize this might exclude me from the 'intelligentsia' circle of select atheists, but then, I've not been a big joiner anyways.

Or, to quote Clive Barker in Imajica: "Never explain, never apologize." You like what you like.

Anyways, I stumbled across the Tick. Utterly surreal, utterly hysterical. Obviously a satire of how the world would REALLY be like if we had actual super-heroes and super-villains. Created by Ben Edlund, it's just...side-splitting. I can pick up the 'Night of a Million Zillion Ninjas', and re-read it, and it STAYS funny.
Anyways, a few quick previews:

Tickisms

The Tick:
"He stands…like some sort of…pagan god or deposed tyrant. Staring out over the city he's sworn to…to stare out over…and it's evident…just by looking at him…that he's got some pretty heavy things on his mind. "

"Ninjas aren't dangerous. They're more afraid of you than you are of them. "

"I'm going to throw a chimney at them…"

Needless to say, just go out, and get this. It's well worth the price of admission by itself.

Then, they came out with a regrettably short-lived Saturday morning cartoon:



Which, as far as I was concerned, was floor-pounding hilarity. Quick snip:
"Destiny - destiny's powerful hand has made the bed of my future. And it's up to me to lie in it. I am destined to be a superhero. To right wrongs, and pound two-fisted justice into the hearts of evildoers everywhere. You don't fight destiny, no sir! And you don't eat crackers in the bed of your future, or you get all...scratchy.
(addresses the bus' moaning occupants) Hey! I'm narrating here!"

It can still be viewed via Adult Swim on the Cartoon Network, for those interested.

Then they came out with a (regrettably) short lived series (on Fox - what IS it with these guys? They can produce all these great comedy/animation series, but their reality shows and news just SUCK):



Here's a bit of back story:
In this episode, Tick and Arthur confront the Terror, who's been the scourge of super-heroes for going on...fifty years. I found it terribly amusing. A snippet:
(Tick telling a story)
Tick: "The gnashing of his mighty teeth, the flames shooting from his nostrils, he was ten feet tall if he was an inch!"
Arthur: "He wasn't ten feet tall!"
Tick: "He was SEVEN feet if he was a day!"
Arthur: "He was a head shorter than me! You're making this up."
Tick: "No I'm not, I'm making it GOOD."
(Cut to confrontation)
Terror: "HAHAHAHA! You've been paralyzed by my Terror Gas! Now, you're at my mercy!" [maniacal laughter]
Tick: "No, we're not." Sips his drink.
Terror: "HMMM! WHAT! Wrong skull."

Nestor Camborell as Bat-Manuel was exquisitely funny: "Ah! A soccer mom! My only weakness!"

Episode portions can be found at youtube (of course).

So, enjoy. Caution: don't drink anything while viewing, else you'll have to buy a new keyboard.
I'm serious.

Go forth, and laugh thy asses off.

Till the next post, then.