Fu Manchu's mustache
has nothing on Thaddeus,
& his four-fold beard.
Is this where I'm forced to admit that I've never read American Born Chinese? I probably should rectify that at some point, huh? After finishing A Feast for Crows on the subway this morning, I knew I'd need to fit something into the lacunae it left in my commute home, so I grabbed this & gave it a whirl. I enjoyed it! A short form collection of strips originally appearing in the New York Times Magazine, it doesn't have the oomph of a longer form work like Anya's Ghost, but the strictures of the format bring an almost Charles Schultz energy to the comic-- though the protagonist & his adventure are more Bill Watterson. I liked the conceit of a baby that only speaks in prime numbers-- "ga," "ga ga," "ga ga ga," "ga ga ga ga ga," "ga ga ga ga ga ga ga," etc-- & I like the slug monster's smiles & happy feelings. Outcast Thaddeus has a misanthropy that I can certainly understand, as a weird kid myself. The edition I have is a "collector's edition" by First Second, & it is really nicely bound. I appreciate a nice book binding!
