Teen Boat!

Teen Boat! #1

by Dave Roman, John Patrick Green (Illustrator)

High school can be a time of terrible angst: Fs on tests, bullying jerks, broken hearts, and late-stage puberty are just some of the potential issues that all teen boys face. But what about the issues facing a Teen Boat? In this hilarious send-up of teen story tropes, the best-selling author Dave Roman and the cartoonist John Green deliver high school and high seas drama with a boatload of laughs.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Young Adult, Humor, Comics, Fantasy, Fiction, Middle Grade

144 pages, Hardcover

First published May 8, 2012

About the author

Dave Roman is the author of several graphic novels including Astronaut Academy: Zero Gravity, Teen Boat!, Jax Epoch, and Agnes Quill: An Anthology of Mystery. He has contributed stories to Explorer: The Mystery Boxes, Nursery Rhyme Comics, and is the co-author of two New York Times bestselling graphic novels, X-Men: Misfits and The Last Airbender: Zuko’s Story. Roman is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts and worked as a comics editor for the groundbreaking Nickelodeon Magazine from 1998 to 2009. He lives in Astoria, NY with his wife, and fellow comic artist, Raina Telgemeier.

Dave has had stories in Flight volumes 3, 4, 5, & 7 (Villard) and Bizarro World (DC Comics). His website is Yaytime.com

Reviews

[Stefanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating on behalf of the ravings of middle school boys. They thought it was hilarious. I feel like my opinion doesn't matter in this instance. :)

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The tagline of this graphic novel is quite catchy and is permanently ingrained on my brain: The angst of being a teen, the thrill of being a boat.

And with that, you get an idea of the quirky humor and ridiculous yet intriguing premise: a teenager who has the ability to transform into a boat at will. Upon first reading, I'm sure I missed all the symbolism permeating the story because I was just so delighted by the quirk factor. I think I will have to encounter a second reading very soon because I know there will be things I missed the first time around.

This book was a delightful surprise and I'm looking forward to reading more of Roman's work, especially after getting the chance to talk to him at NCTE.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I needed a book with a boat on the cover for a bingo I am participating in. This was the first thing that came up on Hoopla. It is about a teenage boy who can turn into a boat. Yes, you read that right, a boat. It is the strangest graphic novel I have ever read.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're looking for a deep, tense, dangerous super-hero graphic novel, go read "Watchmen". If you're looking for somehting silly, pun-filled, quirky, and humorous, stay right here because "TeenBoat" is for you. TeenBoat must deal with all the usual teenage problems -- peer pressure ("pier pressure", actually, as that's the title of the first chapter, to give you an idea of the tone here), trying to impress a girl (or a gondola), getting a job, learning to drive a car, and more -- while also dealing with the problems of being a boat -- barnacle break-outs, changing unexpectedly into a small yacht, an intense phobia of icebergs, etc. etc.

[louislouis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teen Boat! is a book about a boy who can turn into a boat!
Teen Boat is a book for science fiction readers and just people who wan't to laugh a little.
Teen Boat is a boy who always wants to impress people by doing crazy things.
The Author and Illustrator Dave Roman creates wonderful chapters with great cartoon drawings.
I recommend this book to 6th graders and 7th graders!

[Hannah]

hahahahahahaha

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well done. I didn't love it, but I can see how kids totally would, so bonus star. I wouldn't have it in my 2-3 classroom library, but I totally would if I skewed older!

[Jacquelyn Egemo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of Teenboat is marvelous. Truly a timeless tale that will carry through the ages. I await anxiously for the next in its series.

[Erika Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book I have ever read in my life. Great message and story. 10/10 would read reccomend to everyone ever.

[Fermin Liborio]

teen boat like other girl, he want date her but other boy got her. then teen boat try diff way to got her.

[Peter Derk · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fun. Y'know, the illustration is pretty great. I'd give it a boost there. How someone illustrates ideas like this, that's miracles. I don't care what ICP says.

The story is pretty one note. It's a funny note, so it works. But, you know.

It made me think, though. Teen Boat(which is the kid's actual name)is unlike a lot of super-powered people in that he seems pretty pleased with his powers. Even though the power to turn into a boat doesn't SEEM all that useful or awesome.

It made me think, how would I feel if given various, lousy powers from other comic books?

+Paste Pot Pete
Hey, we have the same name! That makes this simpler. Unless I have to change my name. Is Pete his real name or his villain name? Anyway, this guy shoots a glue gun. Not like a hot glue gun for arts and crafts. A blobby paste gun that is good for crimes and crafts (crafts are universal). Although this isn't so much a power as a special gun, it would make for an interesting case in terms of weapons laws, I suppose.

+Super Pro
I had the first couple issues of Super Pro, the story of a man who was...gassed? Covered in acid? The story of a guy who got fucked up in some unimportant manner and then crawled to safety into an NFL super football player suit, which he then used to fight crimes. I guess, at least, I could make money playing football. That's something. But the idea of being a branded superhero is fairly repellant.

+Vibe (original)
I say "original" because Vibe came back in 2013, and Batman taught him how to fight. Having Batman teach you how to fight, that's got to be pretty much the best, right? It's like Wonder Woman teaching you how to deflect bullets or Superman teaching you how to...be folksy and make faces like mischievous kids in The Saturday Evening Post. Vibe does something with vibrations, but he's also an awesome breakdancer. I think this is a great skill. Who is the hero of EVERY wedding now? Who actually LOOK FORWARD to a wedding invitation as it's a chance to pop, lock, and BREAK? Yeah.

+Squirrel Girl
Aw, man. How's this for bad, I always thought Squirrel Girl was cute and nice. I don't want to make fun of Squirrel Girl.

+Teen Boat
Hmm...I guess I'd have to move to the coast. Or become a key player in the filming of nudity videos filmed at spots like Lake Powell and Lake Havasu.

[Liviania · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collaborators Dave Roman and John Green originally published the TEEN BOAT! mini-comic through their own Cryptic Press. You can still visit the old websites associated with that version of the comic. TEEN BOAT! won an Ignatz Award and now it is available in a full color version with extra comics and other bonus material.

The art of TEEN BOAT! is clean with easy-to-distinguish and consistent character designs. The girls aren't overly sexified either. They look like teen girls and their designs are stylized the same as the guys. The art doesn't stand out from the crowd, but it is definitely not hideous. And believe me, you'd be surprised how many comics and graphic novels get published with awful art.

TEEN BOAT! first came onto my radar when I read the AV Club review praising its light parody of Saturday morning cartoons. After reading it myself, I cannot come up with a better description than that. TEEN BOAT! is an updated, self-aware Saturday morning cartoon that invites the reader to laugh at the ridiculous premise and plots and enjoy the story anyway.

The protagonist of TEEN BOAT! is actually named TEEN BOAT! He's a high school student who can turn into a boat at will, but must turn into a boat when wet. He gets in and out of trouble, dates an Italian gondola, and runs for class president. Like most teen guys, he's pretty self-absorbed. One of the running gags is how he doesn't notice that his best friend is both into him and has shape-changing abilities of her own.

Older teens will probably find TEEN BOAT! too short and silly. But hey, I'm an adult and thought it was cute. TEEN BOAT! is probably best for tweens, especially ones that still enjoy the cheesiness of Saturday morning cartoons. There is some underage drinking and gambling, but it the protagonist does not partake and the behavior is punished.

[Jennifer Bacall · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I first saw Teen Boat! By Dave Roman and John Green, I thought that it was written by John Green of YA lit fame (it isn’t), and I was sucked in by the slogan “The angst of being a teen; the thrill of being a boat!” It is a quirky and fun albeit unfocused and repetitive premise.
The premise is that a boy strangely named Teen Boat, transforms into a small yacht but can continue to communicate while he is in boat form. How and why hes able to do this is never discussed. At some points of the book, like when he is trying to impress his crush, Nina Pinta Santa Maria, he can simply will himself to become a boat. In other sections of the book he has to wet the pog in his ear which states “Nautical Activation Don’t Get Wet” to become a boat. He constantly tries to impress Nina Pinta who is easily charmed by numerous other boys for stupid reasons; Harry Cobbs because he is big and powerful, Bitemark because he is "so punk rock", etc. Meanwhile his faithful friend, a girl named Joey, obviously likes him and waits steadfastly by his side.


The illustrations are bright and full of action and expression but there just isn’t enough substantial story to keep a flow. It’s difficult to decipher what age audience the book is seeking. It’s labeled as being for ages 12, (grade 7) and up but the illustrations mimic current cartoons that are for younger viewers. The subject matter skews older as well with a party including drinking alcohol and illegal gambling, a chapter entitled “The Horror of Wet Dreams” and a frame which features Teen Boat with his pants down showing his Mom the “propeller” that he woke up with. If you pick it up for a fun, light read then Teen Boat! won’t disappoint. In this way, its pre-summer release is a good choice.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teen Boat is a collection of comics that follows a teen named Teen Boat, who is seemingly your average teen but who transforms into a boat. As you can imagine, this comic collection is filled with hilarious adventures where Teen Boat gets into trouble because of his unique abilities. One of the funniest escapades was where it chronicled Teen Boat getting his drivers license. Teen Boat is not comfortable in cars, so he has put off getting his license. However, he wants to impress a girl so he decides to try and get his license. He has to wear floaties when he starts to learn how to drive. Then, when he takes the test, he spills his instructors coffee. The coffee spills into Teen Boat ear (which holds his nerve center for turning into the boat) and then turns into a boat inside the car! Teen Boat as a boat with a car underneath him then crashes into a semi carrying a tanker of gas. Is this the end of Teen Boat!? You'll have to pick up this laugh out loud comic to find out.

Writer, Dave Roman, and cartoonist, John Green, have created a interesting and easy to read collection of comics that, I have to admit, I have not seen or heard anything like this before. The style of the art of Teen Boat reminds me of Archie comics. It is a traditional comic, thankfully in color, but Green adds to Roman's sidesplitting humorous writing by adding his own funny imagery. Included at the end of this book is the description of the creation process between Roman and Green. They both worked very closely on Teen Boat, and there was a lot of back and forth between the author and the cartoonist. You can really tell how much they were both in sync. Teen Boat is definitely a great read for those who like out there comics that are filled with humor and ridiculousness.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

TEENBOAT is quirky and strange, but definitely makes those work for it. The premise involves a teen boy, named TeenBoat, who can transform into a boat. See? Strange. Aside from that, TeenBoat’s adventures all revolve around typical teenage things, thus the tagline: The angst of being a teen, the thrill of being a boat. The book is made up of a series of adventures that comprise one or two chapters each. The adventures begin with TeenBoat having some teenage angsty issue, such as wanting to be accepted by the popular kids or needing money for nice, trendy clothes. These everyday problems start TeenBoat on a path that introduces new problems that ultimately require him to transform into a boat.

The book is silly, but relatable, and the artwork is fun and cartoony (as well as full-color). The storytelling is a bit shallow, but I doubt anyone picking up a book about a boy who turns into a boat is really looking for depth. It’s fun, which is what I was expecting.

I enjoyed all the nautical references snuck into the artwork and dialogue. It’s clear the author and illustrator had a fun time working on this book. There is a sequel out, but I haven’t read it, yet.

Overall, the book is clean, though there are a couple of mild innuendoes. The book is targeted for a teen audience.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

My Summary: Being a teenager can be tough - there are so many things to worry about that making it through high school can feel like the ultimate achievement. But what if you had to go through all these things with the added burden of transforming into a boat?

Readers will love the hilarity of Teen Boat as he struggles to get make it through some tough teen issues without getting shipwrecked (sorry, I had to).

My Thoughts: I had no idea what to expect when I opened up the package that contained Teen Boat!. I read the premise, and all I could think was that I had to read this novel and figure out what the whole teen-who-turns-into-a-boat thing was about - and I'm really glad I did. There were some great lines that made the book really enjoyable, and the way they poked fun at (while also sympathizing with) teen life was awesome.

Final Thoughts: I recommend you check out this book if you're a fan of graphic novels and want something light and funny that's quick to read.

[Christina Getrost · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny all-ages graphic novel about a teen boy named--Teen Boat! He can transform into a small yacht ("I"m not a schooner!"), or involuntarily transform whenever water gets in his ear. He has typical teen problems, but they're boat-related (he breaks out in barnacles, not zits, haha!). Some of his classmates tease him, but everyone knows what he is. He has relationship issues: a crush on an exchange student (not a boat-person, but she is named "Nina Pinta Santamaria"! Snort!) ; his best friend has a crush on Teen Boat but TB is oblivious; TB goes to Venice on a class trip and falls in love with a gondola who can talk to him. He tries to get a driver's license but--what will happen if he transforms while driving a car?? OMG this is the silliest thing, but so. much. fun! I adore the art, my favorite kind of graphic novel art, nice clean bold outlines and bright colors, just a little stylized but mostly realistic, I dunno, traditional comic-book-comics.

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Navigate through this awesome book “TeenBoat”! This book is about a Teen called Teenboat who can turn into a boat. He is really special but the fact that he can turn into a boat doesn’t change that he is a teen. So, he passes through many adventures such as fighting with pirates, getting a job, going through school and the worst of all falling in love. The main places where the story occurs is in the sea and in school. He falls in love with a girl named Niña Pinta Santa Maria who doesn’t really puts attention to him.I think that Teenboat is an incredible person because it might be difficult to be the only teen that can turn in a boat of the world but after all he overcomes his problems. Finally, I honestly think you should read this book especially if you are a Teen it might entertain you a lot.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this one up after listening to John Green speak at ALA 2013. I thought he was hilarious and decided I had to read the book. I'd seen it before and dismissed it. A boy who could turn himself into a boat just didn't seem to be my thing. Boy, was I wrong. I'm so glad I read it. It's a cute and funny story about the agony of being a teen and the thrill of being a boat. The duo of writers did a great job of making a fun and, oddly realistic, view of a teenage boy and his normal teen issues (love, acceptance, etc). The only thing I wish was that they added more about his best friend. It feels like there should have been another story in there or something.

Overall, a fun book that I will definitely recommend.

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

This graphic novel doesn't seem like a novel at all, more like a series of episodes that are loosely related. Most frustrating to me is that it doesn't end so much as it just stops. No resolution at all, so perhaps it's a setup for a sequel.
The idea behind Teen Boat, a teen that can turn into a boat at will, is kind of fun. I like the artwork. "Kind of a fun idea and I like the artwork", however, is about it. When I hover over the rating of two stars, it says "it was okay", so there ya go.

SPEAKING of which... the star system Goodreads uses sucks. They should be: Hated it, didn't like it, neutral, liked it, loved it. Why doesn't the star in the middle indicate a relatively neutral opinion? Weird.

[Jez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I met the authors at ALA and enjoyed their presentation and livereading immensely, enough to buy a copy of the book. It's hilarious, even going beyond the ridiculous tag line "The angst of being a teen...the thrill of being a boat!" With a tag like that, how could you go wrong? There are a lot of really clever plays on words and good jokes. At his presentation, John Green said there would be spoilers for those of us who could read Italian, but I have to say, the Italian only confirmed my theories. I figured out Joey's secret pretty early on in the book, but I look forward to seeing how it plays out in Book 2.

[Synia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been wanting to read this book for a few years but only got ahold of a copy now. It did not disappoint. It's exactly what it sounds like. I worried maybe there'd be a veneer of hipster bitterness to it like Henchgirl, but it's actually a straight forward high school dramedy about a teen who can turn into a boat. He has to grow up during the course of the novel from a boy into a man, though in this first installment he doesn't quite figure it out. Thankfully, there's an equally delightful sequel where he gets it together. Teen Boat is charming read with solid artwork and flawless panel flow. Definitely worth an afternoon.

[Dolores · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have very mixed feelings about this one. On the one hand, I think this could appeal to a certain segment of teen guys. It is LOADED with every cheesy boat pun in existence. I could hear them snickering. On the other hand, I kept thinking, "Really?" I could imagine the scene in my mind. The creators had a bit too much to drink and were playing the "what if" game. Then, when they hit on the silliest scenario they could find, they wrote down every boat pun they could come up with. Then they wrote the book around the puns. The resulting book is a bit dinghy.

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

It lives up to the silliness of it's premise and the tagline "The angst of being a teen, the thrill of being a boat!" Enjoyable and quirky, though at times the protagonist is almost unbearably annoying, especially in his interactions with his childhood friend who has a blatant crush on him. But also simply because he acts like a generic teenager; having not been a typical teenager myself I rarely find those sorts of issues compelling. This story works because usually they play the angst as ridiculous and a bit over the top, but it is sometimes irritating.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This makes me think of every crappy, cheesy, poorly-conceived 80s Saturday morning cartoon I loved as a kid. The premise is ridiculous, and its execution even more so. But every awful joke made me smile with nostalgia (I particularly enjoyed the coffee cup driving test method employed in License to Drive). And they made me want to pick up the next book to see just what Joey's secret it (like we don't already know).

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you thought to yourself "I loved Turbo Teen as a kid and the only thing missing is a fancy yacht", then this is the book for you. I have no idea what to make of this graphic novel. It is at times hilarious and at times stupid and mostly hilariously stupid, in sometimes the best and sometimes the worst senses of that phrase. Is all this hinting about dark secrets setting it up for a sequel or just part of the joke? Probably both.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daffiest premise ever--an otherwise average teen can turn himself into a medium sized boat at will. The authors take that premise and deliver any number of perfectly logical developments and totally wacko twists in this graphic novel. All that keeps it off the top shelf for me is the downright cruel and thoughtless way Teen treats his loyal, obviously smitten best friend Joey (Josephine?).

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I can't believe how good this actually was. I was rolling in my seat almost the whole time. Great foreshadowing techniques, wonderful use of the absurd, and fantastic Shrek-style moments where there are jokes that the majority of readers (teenagers) are too young to fully appreciate. This book might sound ridiculous (and it is), but it is also fantastic.

[Renata · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this more than I did? From what I knew about it it ("the angst of being a teen! the thrill of being a boat!") seemed like a very tongue-in-cheek satire of teen drama but it's pretty slapsticky. I think tweens and young teens will really love this. Am I too grown up for this? That's a TERRIBLE realization but possibly true.

[Elisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I thought it was weird, Teen Boat? Really? But then I got used to the idea and it turned out to be pretty funny. Although it is set in a high school, I think my middle school students would enjoy reading it. I am always on the look out for good graphic novels to recommend to reluctant readers--I would recommend this one.