reading notes

by James Kochalka

Issue 1 Peanutbutter & Jeremy

Issue 2 Peanutbutter & Jeremy: The Flibbledibble File

Issue 3 Peanutbutter & Jeremy: Nest and Window Exchange

I had originally decided to write only reviews of books here, as this is after all a book log. Then I read Peanut Butter & Jeremy and decided that the rest of the world–okay, all six or seven of you–should know about this comic book. Hey, comic book, so it fits after all.

There are three issues of PB&J. The story revolves around the (mis)adventures of an adorable cat, Peanut Butter, and a nasty crow, Jeremy, who lives in the tree outside Peanut Butter’s house. One of the conceits is that Peanut Butter calls his owner “Boss” because he thinks he has a job and is worried he’ll get fired for making mistakes. Because he is at work, he wears a collar and tie.

The drawing style is simple and bold–like most of Kochalka’s work–and he captures great expressions on the faces of the cat and the crow. To me this is one of the marvelous things about comics: the way they capture a look, especially on the face of an animal or monster, that the reader can instantly recognize and connect with as human.

For people who are not usually comic readers but are cat people, I highly recommend any and all issues of PB&J. These stories are an accessible entry point for comics as well as wonderful fun for cat people. If you are a comic reader but your taste usually runs to the more twisted and/or superhero side of things, you should check this out for the disarming humor. It is cute without being cute-I-want-to-throw-up-now cute.

It looks like it has been released one issue every summer, but I refuse to believe I may have to wait one whole year for #4 because I love this comic so much.

This entry was posted on Friday, September 6th, 2002 at 12:22 pm and is filed under comics/graphic novels.