[Writer Post] I Have Strange Taste in Comics – or – Why Mark Tatulli Rocks
I have strange tastes – but y’all knew that, right? Well, maybe not strange as…eclectic. Yeah, that’s it…eclectic. My iPod is a random selection of music from Phineas and Ferb to Dr. Horrible to Nickleback and Bobby Darin. I like action movies (and television) and musical. And I love Mark Tatulli’s comic strips.
In fact, while killing time before going to see an all youth theater production of The Hobbit for our wedding anniversary last week, I found a copy of Tatulli’s Lio’s Astonishing Tales on the bargain table at a comic book store. I had to buy it. I’ve been giggling ever since – mostly from the commentary, but also from the strip itself. [asa]0740785419[/asa]
Mark Tatulli writes and draws two completely different daily comic strips (which is amazing in its own right) and I love them both. Heart of the City is “girl” oriented but with super geek references. Dean rocks with his constant SF pop culture lifestyle. Heart, herself, is an Apocalyptic Redhead in Training – probably vying for Bunny’s job eventually. I love her and her long-suffering mom. But it’s Lio that I truly adore.
Lio does fantastic sight gags with aliens and Death (as a character) – which warms my heart as an Apocalyptic Redhead writing Death. There are props in the strip I would love to have – like Danae’s laptop in Non Sequitur, Lio has a skull lamp beside his bed that ROCKS. The fact he does it all with almost NO DIALOG amazes and astounds me. I’m learning a lot from his commentary on pulling off the strip. Though I have to work in the opposite direction – pulling off the gag with ONLY word (and as few as possible).
What I like most about both strips is the functional – if unusual – relationship Heart and Lio have with their parents. Both kids see consequences to their actions – but the parents are neither stupid nor the joke. They are supportive – within reason – of their children. They do their best for their kids, but are Parents not “best friends”. And though they’re very spirited and creative (in vastly different ways), Heart and Lio respect and mind their parents. It’s very refreshing.
Tatulli also has a couple of other running themes in his strips: 1) it’s okay to be different – geeks rule in Heart of the City, and Lio is self-explanatory. 2) It’s okay to be creative in different ways – whether it’s through dressing up and being dramatic or in a more… scientific and exploratory manners. 2) The monsters under the bed may not always be a bad thing. Sometimes they can be our friends. 3) Bullies should never, ever win.
Tatulli has a new LIO book coming out later this summer or early fall, and he will be at San Diego Comic Con. Until we found out Jimmy wasn’t going this year, a Tatulli book/autograph was on the list of “Sorry I went to SDCC without you” gifts to be brought back. Ah, well, there’s always next year.
1 Comment
Nothing like eclecticity (is that a word? – utilitas is, ergo est) in humor. Rather than try to describe what I find funny, I’ll just say LiÅ ranks in the top tier with Pearls for Swine, Calvin & Hobbes, Herman, The Far Side, The Addams Family (the cartoon, not that revolting TV series) and The Katzenjammer Kids. I’ll have to get that book, thanks for the heads-up.