The Three Stooges, Volume 1: Bed-Bugged!

In 2012, the Farrelly Brothers, directors of Dumb and Dumber, released a reboot of The Three Stooges. Starring Sean Hayes, Will Sasso, and Chris Diamantopoulos, the film was expected to be a smash hit. While the movie did bring in about $20 million more than it's production budget, based on expectations, the film was not a major success. (Oddly enough, a sequel is supposed to be in the works. But whether it will be a box office release or go straight to DVD is another matter.)

To cash in on the predicted buzz, Papercutz purchased the rights to not only create all-new Stooges comics, but the reproduction rights of the Dell Comics series from the 1960s. For the publisher, the move was a mixed bag of success. The Best of the Three Stooges Comics Books, Volumes 1 and 2 were critical hits. Fans who grew up watching the Stooges as kids and read the comics, snatched up these collections. They're actually pretty hard to find now. 

On the flip side, Papercutz released 2 volumes of new material to coincide with the Farrelly Brothers film. They didn't do as well as while the comics were marketed to kids, the film was a little too adult for them. As a result, these books have ended up at discount outlets over the years, which is where I found this book.

Bed-Bugged is filled with several short stories of the Stooges either taking on menial jobs and failing miserably or attempting to cash in on get rich schemes. Written by Jim Salicrup and George Gladir, these adventures include training to become sumo wrestlers, guarding a shopping mall from a horde of zombies, creating a haunted house in what very well may be a haunted house. Archie Comics legend Stan Goldberg illustrates all of these stories, such as the title story in which the Stooges are pest control workers. Also included as is a reprinted story from the 1960s written and illustrated by Norman Maurer, who coincidentally was married to Moe's real life daughter, Joan Howard.

The 1960s story was the best. Only instead of starring Larry, Moe, and Curly, this tale featured Shemp. By the time that story was published, Curly had passed away and Shemp was long gone. Instead, by this time new Stooges adventures were being created with someone named Curly Joe. Why wasn't he in this story instead of Shemp?

And why am I complaining? I love Shemp. My Yahoo! handle is a blotched tribute amalgam of my favorites Stooge's name and also my favorite bounty hunter. I guess it's just the comic book historian in me.

Normally with a book like this, the rating I give would not pursuade me to buy volume 2. But volume 2 is holiday themed and since I have a collection holiday comics, whether good or bad, the sequel is on my wish list. 

A okay read that is entertaining but not 100% my Stooges. Well, that last story is, at least.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.