Simpsons Comics Barn Burner

Thanks to a trip to a funky Wilmington, NC used books shop, I found a couple of treasuries devoted to Matt Groening's comedic genius. I reviewed the Futurama find a few days back. Now, I wanna talk about America's favorite dysfunctional family- The Simpsons!

Five issues from the late great Bongo Comics series are reprinted in this volume. Stories include Bart running afoul of Jimbo and his cronies after getting ratted out to Chief Wiggum, Homer winning the services of Smithers in a poker game with Mr. Burns, and then Homer running for mayor after Mayor Quimby bans beer on Sundays. There's also a clever entry in the long-standing Burns vs. Lisa storyline when the nuclear mogul attempts to turn protected woodlands into an exclusive golf course. 

And then there's the 5th story...

In that tale, Homer sees dollar signs when he creates a boy band made up of Bart, Ralph, Nelson, Rod Flanders and cool guy Roy. Hmmm... This sounds an awful lot like an episode of The Simpsons. And it is!

If you are a longtime fan of the show, you might remember the episode in which Bart, Ralph, Nelson and Milhouse were recruited to form a boy band. Their big hit 'Yvan Eth Noij' turned out to be a ploy by the US Navy to up recruitment rates. While this print story doesn't follow the plot of that episode- and no NSYNC doesn't make a cameo either, its awfully similar to that classic episode. 

So which came first?

 It turns out that the episode beat the comic story by about 2-4 months. I'm not 100% sure as comic books often are released 2 months prior to the cover date as a sort of sales trick with retailers. The Bongo story was released June, 2001. But I am not sure if now defunct Bongo Comics released it's books out of date or not. 

You might want to say that the Bongo story was a rip-off of the cartoon. But in this case, with how close the release dates are to each other, I really don't know. Maybe writer Eric Rogers learned that such an episode was in the works from Fox and so he took inspiration. But based on my knowledge of comic book production history- this whole event could very well be a coincidence!

I loved this collection. As with any grouping of Simpsons comics, the fun was over way too soon. It was a fast read and I was completely to blame as I just can put these fun times reads down. But it was so worth it!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Simpsons Comics Supernova

Another fantastic collection of Simpsons Comics!

The first story is a parody of that classic 80s cartoon (and most recent reboot) DuckTales! Smithers is unable to go on Mr. Burns' annual treasure hunt. Thus, Homer and the kids are hired to help Burns navigate a slew of obstacles such as a giant squid and underwater bandits. 

Next up, Lisa seeks to find a name for herself while Marge is hired to be the next weather girl on the local news. 

Fans then experience a number of parodies as we sit in on the latest meeting of the Springfield Book Club. 

Lastly, Bart, Milhouse and Martin tour the town dump on the hunt for a fabled horde of collectible garbage. 

As I continue to say, Simpsons Comics manages to be what The Simpsons TV show hasn't been in quite a while- funny. Well, this most recent season has been humorous. Maybe it's because all of the talent who used to work at the new defunct Bongo Comics are writing for the show now.

This collection of Simpsons Comics reiterates a pressing need in the comic book industry- namely more Simpsons Comics. Bongo went out of business because of the high cost of shipping and printing. Since Disney now owns The Simpsons, either IDW or Dark Horse needs to take on the role as the main supplier of Springfield hi-jinx. Someone needs to take over the imprint or the last 90 issues or so will never be released in collected form!

Not all of this book was pure comedy gold. For one thing, the table of contents lists a story called 'The Duffman Cometh.' However, that story is nowhere to be found. I'm not sure if Bongo made a publishing error here or not. Could it be that "Duffman' the true name of 'Lisa's Book Club' which I assume was instead published in the previous story's lieu? Or is this proof that another publisher was needed to better navigate the exploits of America's favorite dysfunctional family?

Come on, House of Mouse! You do this! Bring back Simpsons Comics! Do it well and I'll forgive you for the last 2 Star Wars episodes!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

C Montgomery Burns' Handbook of World Domination

Have you ever found yourself wondering how to command the business world to the point of total earthly dominance? Unless you work for Congress, you probably don't have a framework how to get started in your quest for power. That is until now!

The C Montgomery Burns' Handbook of World Domination is your textbook to becoming a titan of industry, a sultan of international affairs, and potentially a member of a shady secret society that controls everything from behind closed doors!

This book will teach you how to dress for success, arm your business office from intruding regulatory agents and annoying employees seeking raises, how to train a lackey, and much, much more. 

From the Vault of Simpsonology line of books (a more interactive offshoot of the Simpsons Library of Wisdom), this one was a hoot. A very uncomfortable hoot, but a laugh nonetheless. I think it would have been funnier if without the current political climate. Yet, some of the gags, a couple of which involve Donald Trump, are eerily close to real life now. 

Here's the really scary thing: this book was written in 2014! Yet, with very creepy perfection, a bunch of jokes about world dominance having wrung true in the past 24 months in American politics. It's like Simpsons creator Matt Groening is a comedic genius with the power of clairvoyance. And unlike most psychics, Groening is right an alarming amount of the time. 

Please don't think that my review nor this book is intended to bash President Trump. It's just that this manual, while written as a gag, hits very close to the headlines, what with the Monty Burns School of Business (Trump University) and selections from Mr. Burns' reccomended reading list read like the current administration's take on finance, ecology, and net neutrality. 

If you have an Ollie's Discount Outlet nearby, this book can be found for less than $4. If you are a Simpsons fan, you are going to love this book. But if you are a fan of conspiracy theories, then this book just might become the newest one to keep you up at night.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.