Rob reviews Crackpot...
Crackpot is a brand-new all-ages comic compendium that's coming from the team behind Sentinel.
Following Sentinel's success, the team have decided to crowdfund Crackpot via Kickstarter. At the time of writing the project is currently at £508, and has been backed by 50 backers - myself included. Considering the success of Sentinel I have full confidence that Alan Holloway and Ed Doyle will smash their £600 target for Crackpot.
What's more interesting is that the comic will adopt the same sizing style seen within the USA. This means that Crackpot will not only look different to pre-established all-ages comics but will also fit into the standard comic bags and boxes...
Taking inspiration from titles such as; The Pheonix, Buster, and Krazy, Crackpot aims to appeal to an all-ages audience. As such the 31-page comic is packed full of humour and general light-heartedness.
Taking place over ten stories, Crackpot is a bit of a mixed bag. You could arguably compare it to an old-school bag of Woolworths pick n' mix, as we've got everything from space pirates, to samurai-ninja cats (not of the pizza variety).
Joining both Ed Doyle and Alan Holloway is quite an incredible roster of talented writers and artists. Some of whom will be familiar to readers of both Sentinel, 2000 AD, Blazer!, and The77. The team is joined by writer Michael Carroll (2000 AD) and writer/artist John Farrelly (Deadly Irish History). As well as artists Morgan Gleave, Paul Spence, Stephen Matthews, David Metcalfe-Carr and Andrew Richmond.
So, with introductions out of the way let's take a look at...Crackpot.
Ivor
Naturally, every comic needs its editor character. 2000 AD has Tharg, The77 has Benksy, and Blazer! has Dom-Tom. Crackpot's editor is a juvenile character called Ivor. Ivor's introduction is brought to us by Stephen Matthews and centres on Ivor dealing with a disgruntled customer. It's a very tongue-in-cheek look at the current issue that surrounds cheap plastic gifts, and two staples are far more useful!
Neil Lithic & Tim
Alan Holloway and Ed Doyle team up to bring us a prehistoric tale of pet rivalry. We've introduced to caveman Neil and his pet sabretooth tiger Tim. Neil soon introduces us to the families new edition, the T-Rex looking "Little Claw". As the pets play fetch, Tim devises a plan to rid himself of Little Claw. But things don't go according to plan.
Neil Lithic & Tim reminded me a lot of Alan Holloways Bad Kitty tale for Sentinel. It's that basic Cat Vs. Dog tale with a prehistoric twist. It's short and sweet and is backed up by Ed Doyle's signature art style, and some gorgeous colours.
Illegal Aliens
At a not-so-secret Government facility, there's been a breakout. Aliens are on the loose and they won't stop until they've seen the sights of Birmingham!?
Alan Holloway teams up with Paul Spence to bring this daft "Great Escape" tale to life. It's a fun little tale that flows from cell to cell. Spence' pencil work is simple, yet looks incredible. Each cell is packed full of action, which showcases the talents of this unique range of characters.
Madd: Scientist
Weird Science meets The Great British Bake Off as scientist Madd creates the "ultimate baker". The catch? Well, the body may just be from the wrong graveyard.
Anything that takes a swipe at Paul Hollywood is good in my book. And it seems that myself and Madd share a common enemy. This one did make me laugh. Holloway throws in enough humour to poke fun at both Paul Hollywood and humanities competitive spirit and ties it all together inside a hammer horror. Andrew Richmond also crafts some wonderful scenes as this experiment goes bad.
iKidd
India Kidd has had her phone confiscated and as such it's been locked in her teachers draw (we've all been there right?!). She's awaiting an important phone call so she hatches quite an elaborate plan to get her phone back.
iKidd is that one tale that every parent and child can relate to. From the somewhat Future Shocks inspired ending, to Morgan Gleave including the Bash Street Kids teacher. This one was a great relatable tale.
Tammy's Troubles
Tammy is a young homeless girl who has a penchant for Football. After being forced to move on by the local council, Tammy stumbles across a way to show her hidden skills.
Tammy's Troubles is a somewhat serious strip that does well to break down the stigma that surrounds the UK's homeless. Whilst we don't get into the details of Tammy's homelessness, I feel this could be easily adapted into a future Sentinel with the mini digest being able to open the story up more and bring a positive message with it.
Furious Four
Ever wonder what goes on in a cats head when you're not home? Alan Holloway and Morgan Gleave attempt to answer that question. What follows is...well great for the cats, but not for their poor owner...or that mouse.
All in all, a great fun strip that again could be adapted into something longer. Plus it's always a treat to see more of Gleave's art.
Buck O'Neer
After an encounter with a fellow time-pirate, Captain Buck O'Neer finds himself trapped in the Jurassic era. With plenty of "time" the captain and his faithful to-bosun - cog, not only have to repair the ship but also find their lost chrono-quartz.
This one is my highlight of the issue and John Farrelly is really onto something with Buck O'Neer. It's a fantastic tale of time-travelling pirates that feels very akin to Time Bandits. Much like Tammy's Troubles, Buck O'Neer could easily make the jump into Sentinel and I hope it does.
Gamester
Ever wanted a smartphone that was so smart you didn't need any friends? Well, Gamester has and he's about to get into a whole heap of trouble.
Again, another fun little strip that's incredibly simple and offers a couple of chuckles. Steve Matt offers a somewhat different art style when compared to the other Crackpot artists. But even with the rough felt tip style, it's detailed and does the job.
Bear Minimum
Mini has been asked to tidy her room. If she does then her parents have promised her a reward. But in true child fashion Mini takes the easy way out and gets her cousins to do it for her. The catch is they Mini is quite a comic collector so her cousins promise to clean, for a chance to read her collection. But it doesn't go to plan. And as Mini finds out sometimes it's worth the "elbow grease".
Mike Carroll teams with Ed Doyle for Bear Minimum. If you've read my 2000 AD reviews you'll know I'm a big fan of Carroll's work and I always enjoy reading his strips. Doyle's art is great as always, and it's great seeing the two come together.
Trixter
Want an easy bet? All you'll need is a Chicken costume, a gullible friend (or parent), and a swimming pool with a high-dive.
I did chuckle at Trixter. It's a scenario that I've been in a few times with my 11-year old, although I'm far too clever to fall for them...
I quite enjoyed Crackpot. Whilst it's not perfect, it's a serious jab in the direction of the 'big two' all-ages comic books (Beano, Dandy). Whilst the 31-page format works overall there are a couple of strips that could have done with more pages. I would argue that Crackpot could be better off being an annual release which would benefit from having a few more pages. But what we do have are ten fun and simple strips which appeal to younger readers.
Rating 8/10
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Rob Lake - For more comic book and video game chat why not follow Geek Culture Reviews on Twitter and Facebook @GeekCultureRev
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