Review – Bedtime Stories For Impressionable Children Annual #1
Review – Bedtime Stories For Impressionable Children Annual #1
Writers: Andrew Sands, Mark Ricketts, Art Holcomb, J.C. Vaughn
Illustrators and Letterers: Micah Clark Farritor, Ed Catto, Marshall Dillon, Brendon and Brian Fraim, Mark Wheatley, Michael Malbrough
Publisher: American Mythology Productions
Release date: April 2021
It is back, Bedtime Stories for Impressionable Children is here at last! Covid-19 may have postponed its release in 2020 but now released in this giant edition with 48 pages of interesting and yes inappropriate stories for children.
All of my ex boyfriends are monsters! Really!
Uncle Alonzo is back with his awkward stories designed to teach children a lesson. The first story, written by Andrew Sands and illustrated by Joanna Estep focuses on love and bad relationship choices.
It’s a fun and interesting take on relationships and some of the flaws we have to look past… or through in the case of the invisible man! Perhaps 4 heads would have been better than 2, who knows but it’s also, in its simplistic way, quite a deep and meaningful story.
From the girls arrogant approach to dating men who like comics, to her need and want for the scariest and most different monster out there. It speaks volumes about her own conceitedness and mental health issues underlying her choice in partners. There is a lot more too it as well; for such a short piece it packs a punch that could give psychotherapists a field day, let alone kids!
Renee
This second story told by Uncle Alonzo was a real play on emotions. Truly, heartbreakingly sad. Written by Mark Ricketts and illustrated by Micah Clark Farritor. It revolves around a poor, young, adolescent lad, falling for a girl whose family are rich, catholic and basically snobs.
It deals with class differences, religion, love and breakups that are hideously unfair. It’s a beautiful, pencil drawn, work of art. I really do think this was my favourite, in terms of art. The story is depressing as hell and the art is just as heartbreaking. There is just something that captivates you with this story and the artwork combined. It doesn’t need colour where as some of the other stories could do with it.
Pua
Uncle Alonzos next story is another dark one! Pua is written by Art Holcomb, illustrated by Ed Catto and lettered by Marshall Dillon. It revolves around Zack, the all American jock, with the classic conceited attitude to life.
He has finally, after 3 years of polishing his grandads sports car, managed to get behind the wheel. Zack is of course going too fast, takes a phone call and crashes! Classic, lesson learnt the hard way you think, but oh no! When a Pua, a dashboard Hawaiian doll, comes to life and tells him he can get away with it. Of course he takes the easy option and a chance on her, but magic always comes at a price doesn’t it! She releases herself and turns Zack into the doll.
This is one hilarious and apt act of revenge, as it turns out, gramps was the one that trapped her originally. It ends with Pua running off naked from the scene of the crash. Perfectly appropriate for children right?!
The art for this one was fun, it shows off Ed Catto’s ability to draw movement, for example, the erratic car driving scenes. It’s apt the art should show off as that’s what Zack was doing in the story, luckily Catto’s drawing didn’t have the same fate and was great to the end! His naked lady covering her modesty will be the highlight for many teens reading this!
Preserved
On the face of it, I wonder how the hell people come up with these crazy stories, but actually, it’s not that hard to figure out where the inspiration comes from. From the preserved mummies of ancient Egypt, to bog bodies found in the U.K. to Ozti the ice man. Of course there is the laying in state of some of our past kings, queens, hero’s and villains! Our human past and death has fascinated us for millennia and the archaeologist in me could talk about it for hours but we are here to talk comics!
The story is about a man we get to know as Uncle Ted who worked in chemicals and preservatives. One day in his old age he simple passed away in his favourite chair. Aunt Thelma left him in situ and he has sat there preserved ever since. It develops from local press story into a movie about him. Ultimately this story is a tale about love, loss and not wanting to let go. As well as the human fascination with death which, as an added bonus for Aunt Thelma, resulting in her making money.
The writer did a great job towing a fine line between funny and being sensitive to the subject matter. The art by Brendon and Brian Frain was funny but not crass or insensitive. As most of the stories in this collection, it could have done with some colour and was repetitive but hey I am being picky. It was a story right up my alley, so I am generally happy with how it dealt with the subject.
Toothpick Warriors
Now this is an interesting one, I felt like I was about to delve into a once upon a time, kids fairy tale. Firstly, there was a mention of princesses and warriors. Secondly, the art was set behind the text like a scroll, however, in comes the dirty little scamp of a princess, picking her teeth and launching the picks all over the floor of her room. Only for the toothpicks to be stolen at night by mouse riding warriors! It’s a cute story written by J.C Vaughn and illustrated really well by Mark Wheatley.
It’s probably the most appropriate story of all, teaching kids not to be dirty and to throw their rubbish in the appropriate bins… better yet kids, recycle!
Final thoughts
It’s a fun, little, comic collection of shorts, they all work individually. Yes, some are more brilliant than others but as a gaggle, put together into a collection, for me, it is all apt and most importantly, works. In conclusion, it’s worth the wait during lock down to get a collection of comics, with this quality. It is rare for one that has been sitting on a shelf for over a year to not have been over thought or over done in anyway, they are simple tales of right and wrong and the art fits them. It is clever and I enjoyed it.
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