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Percy Gloom #2
Wake Up, Percy Gloom
Cartoonist and animator Cathy Malkasian follows up her 2007 graphic novel Percy Gloom (a minor classic) with the further adventures of the small, immortal man with a light-up head. In Wake Up, Percy Gloom, kindhearted Percy awakens from (what he thinks is) a 200-year nap and finds himself in a strange new land. As Percy goes on a quest to locate his mother, he encounters many inspired inventions and bizarre, and sometimes dangerous, characters and situations, such as singing goats and furniture parades. Through it all he pines for his long-lost love and soul mate, Miss Margaret--but his love may not be as doomed as he thinks. Malkasian's lush and detailed pencil drawings, surreal humor, absurdist characters and stunning visual storytelling ensure that fans of the first graphic novel will find the sequel just as fantastical, touching, and hilarious; new readers will discover a gorgeously rendered world of luminous landscapes, gentle humor, and a cast composed variously of wise, naive, and flawed characters in a wide-ranging story that stands on its own.
187 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2013
About the author
Cathy Malkasian
18 books31 followersCathy Malkasian's alternative comics career began at age four, with the covert distribution of sketches to an unreceptive neighbor (“Keep your brat’s pamphlets off my porch!”). Hot on the heels of this and various kindergarten triumphs, she became overbearingly enthused, teaching herself to sketch and paint, pursuing music lessons, play auditions and somehow ending up with a degree in musicology. Her blend of goofiness, sarcasm, and rumination has carried her through the years.
In the early 1990s Malkasian began her career in animation, starting in design and storyboarding, then directing series episodes and pilots, and eventually co-directing the Wild Thornberrys Movie in 2002. Soon after she turned her efforts to novel and graphic novel storytelling, and returned to animation to direct many episodes of Curious George TV.
In the early 1990s Malkasian began her career in animation, starting in design and storyboarding, then directing series episodes and pilots, and eventually co-directing the Wild Thornberrys Movie in 2002. Soon after she turned her efforts to novel and graphic novel storytelling, and returned to animation to direct many episodes of Curious George TV.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 29, 2014
This is incredibly sweet, unrealistic, and "feel good." I suppose that's why Dan hated it. Great art, I highly recommend it
August 16, 2013
When I saw a follow up to the horribly insipid and utterly un-enthralling Percy Gloom at my local library, I desperately rubbed my eyes hoping it was nothing more than a mere mirage, a bizarre hallucination created by a speck in my eye or, more likely, an unpleasant externality of my guzzling a whole pot of strong coffee earlier that morning. Unfortunately, I found myself vomiting in my mouth repeatedly to see a follow up to the literary fecal matter that was, Percy Gloom. After I cleaned up by vomit, I loudly cursed my local library, with everyone else present taking notice, for ordering this foul sequel! I have nothing but disdain for my public library system spending taxpayer dollars on such a waste of paper and ink! Where was the oversight to prevent such a wasteful spending?! Makes me sick to my stomach!
But I am a generous person, Wake Up, Percy Gloom! has one good part! While the first Percy Gloom suffered from a complete lack of plot until it was fortuitously shoved into the book about a half-way through- Wake Up, Percy Gloom!; actually has a plot from the beginning! And that's about the only leg up this has over it's primitive predecessor.
Once against we find our utterly unlikable, hyper-autist and hyper-hypochrondiac protagonist, Percy Gloom in his bizzare-o world that is saturated with psychedelic imagery but illustrated with the most drab palette of darker-brownish hues. The enormously odd contrast of setting and hues used to flesh it out is nothing short of mind-boggling. Could you imagine the psychedelia bequeathed to us by the 1960's merely in browns and light blues alone? Hell no. And neither could I make sense of this other-wise post-modern pastiche of imagery and colour. Maybe Cathy got her hands on some of that legendary Brown Acid leftover from Woodstock after. That would certainly help explain the bloody mess that this book is.
So Percy goes on a quest to return to his mother, even though an unbelievably easy to spot plothole, way to early on, makes this entire quest null and void- SPOILER: Would have saved me an extra half-hour. HUR
Anyways, he gets caught up with a strange character who is something of a mix of one of the munchkins from the Lolly-Pop guild from the Wizard of Oz and a satyr and they go on a horribly boring and utterly nonsensical journey to return whence they came- in order for Percy to get back to his mom. Strangely, some of the imagery in these misadventures, are perversely similar to some early Dr. Seuss works in the illustrations themselves and tone , of course sans the wit and warmth that made him popular and beloved. Cathy is thinly bordering on plagiarism in these depictions.
Through a series of stupid misadventures and all too convenient plot-development, our dull hero reunites with his mum- the munchkin hybrid goes off to sulk for no good reason and predictably the ending is wrapped up in a neat ribbon for all the literary neophytes that enjoyed this.
I just don't understand this work and I have absolutely no idea why a sequel was merited for any reason. While crappy, disposable, and eventually forgettable pieces of inane pop-culture have been, are, and will continue to be created for mass consumption- their reasons for existing are axiomatic. The stupid, unwashed masses crave their equally stupid fictions and adventures to escape from the drudgery and banality that is everyday reality. As much as I may loathe the Twilight series, for example, it's presence makes sense. Crappy, faux-romance stories exist for consumption by stupid, fat, most likely lovelorn-preteen and teen girls; because that's what they are missing in their lives and insatiably crave. There is a market for this bullshit and there will inevitably be an industry, in many forms, to manufacture these illusions in response. Totally makes sense.
But who is the target audience for this work? Clearly there had to be one for this to be published? Can anyone tell me?! Fat girls?! Emos? Goths! Who would like this character and this story and why? Is this an allegory to the depravity to of modern culture?! Is this a complex Roman a Clef for our current political climate?! My brain is collapsing on itself! Someone help me!
Percy Gloom, in both incarnations, are utterly baffling to me. Ms. Malkasian has attempted to create an utterly and unashamedly frail and needy character to suck people into her bizzare-o world (read:manipulative) and to purchase her literary rubbish. No different from small kittens and puppies- Cathy has given as an ugly duckling that is just so unnervingly deprived, physically and mentally, that we're supposed to automatically feel sorry for him and ignore the story altogether.
Which, admittedly wouldn't be a problem if this work, and it's prequel for that matter, weren't nothing more than series of vignettes of Percy going on some short adventures in his world and are bound together by some loose plot or whatnot with some laughs and lessons along the way. This is her second work within this universe, where is the improvement in her understanding of writing a story? Instead, in both works we are presented with a sprawling world that isn't explained, yet highly detailed. It's interactive, but totally otherworldly. Sans an interesting plot or any sense of direction we are dropped into a world like, Alice in Wonderland but, without a magical rabbit or a Beatrice - a la the Divine Comedy, as a mentor to lead us a long and help us make sense of where we are when we are lost.
This review might seem unabashedly petty, which I admit it is. And it might also seem unnecessarily vituperative, which it is not.
I thoroughly enjoy reading. And I also thoroughly understand that time is my most importance resource. And of paramount importance, I have a genuine care for my fellow literati. If I hold all these truths to be self-evident, I am bound by integrity to review honestly, without reservation all literature I peruse for consumption.
Therefore I wish none of my peers waste their hard-earned time this this rubbish. If you want to read something better in this niche; please visit my 5 star pages and avoid this!
Ciao!
But I am a generous person, Wake Up, Percy Gloom! has one good part! While the first Percy Gloom suffered from a complete lack of plot until it was fortuitously shoved into the book about a half-way through- Wake Up, Percy Gloom!; actually has a plot from the beginning! And that's about the only leg up this has over it's primitive predecessor.
Once against we find our utterly unlikable, hyper-autist and hyper-hypochrondiac protagonist, Percy Gloom in his bizzare-o world that is saturated with psychedelic imagery but illustrated with the most drab palette of darker-brownish hues. The enormously odd contrast of setting and hues used to flesh it out is nothing short of mind-boggling. Could you imagine the psychedelia bequeathed to us by the 1960's merely in browns and light blues alone? Hell no. And neither could I make sense of this other-wise post-modern pastiche of imagery and colour. Maybe Cathy got her hands on some of that legendary Brown Acid leftover from Woodstock after. That would certainly help explain the bloody mess that this book is.
So Percy goes on a quest to return to his mother, even though an unbelievably easy to spot plothole, way to early on, makes this entire quest null and void- SPOILER: Would have saved me an extra half-hour. HUR
Anyways, he gets caught up with a strange character who is something of a mix of one of the munchkins from the Lolly-Pop guild from the Wizard of Oz and a satyr and they go on a horribly boring and utterly nonsensical journey to return whence they came- in order for Percy to get back to his mom. Strangely, some of the imagery in these misadventures, are perversely similar to some early Dr. Seuss works in the illustrations themselves and tone , of course sans the wit and warmth that made him popular and beloved. Cathy is thinly bordering on plagiarism in these depictions.
Through a series of stupid misadventures and all too convenient plot-development, our dull hero reunites with his mum- the munchkin hybrid goes off to sulk for no good reason and predictably the ending is wrapped up in a neat ribbon for all the literary neophytes that enjoyed this.
I just don't understand this work and I have absolutely no idea why a sequel was merited for any reason. While crappy, disposable, and eventually forgettable pieces of inane pop-culture have been, are, and will continue to be created for mass consumption- their reasons for existing are axiomatic. The stupid, unwashed masses crave their equally stupid fictions and adventures to escape from the drudgery and banality that is everyday reality. As much as I may loathe the Twilight series, for example, it's presence makes sense. Crappy, faux-romance stories exist for consumption by stupid, fat, most likely lovelorn-preteen and teen girls; because that's what they are missing in their lives and insatiably crave. There is a market for this bullshit and there will inevitably be an industry, in many forms, to manufacture these illusions in response. Totally makes sense.
But who is the target audience for this work? Clearly there had to be one for this to be published? Can anyone tell me?! Fat girls?! Emos? Goths! Who would like this character and this story and why? Is this an allegory to the depravity to of modern culture?! Is this a complex Roman a Clef for our current political climate?! My brain is collapsing on itself! Someone help me!
Percy Gloom, in both incarnations, are utterly baffling to me. Ms. Malkasian has attempted to create an utterly and unashamedly frail and needy character to suck people into her bizzare-o world (read:manipulative) and to purchase her literary rubbish. No different from small kittens and puppies- Cathy has given as an ugly duckling that is just so unnervingly deprived, physically and mentally, that we're supposed to automatically feel sorry for him and ignore the story altogether.
Which, admittedly wouldn't be a problem if this work, and it's prequel for that matter, weren't nothing more than series of vignettes of Percy going on some short adventures in his world and are bound together by some loose plot or whatnot with some laughs and lessons along the way. This is her second work within this universe, where is the improvement in her understanding of writing a story? Instead, in both works we are presented with a sprawling world that isn't explained, yet highly detailed. It's interactive, but totally otherworldly. Sans an interesting plot or any sense of direction we are dropped into a world like, Alice in Wonderland but, without a magical rabbit or a Beatrice - a la the Divine Comedy, as a mentor to lead us a long and help us make sense of where we are when we are lost.
This review might seem unabashedly petty, which I admit it is. And it might also seem unnecessarily vituperative, which it is not.
I thoroughly enjoy reading. And I also thoroughly understand that time is my most importance resource. And of paramount importance, I have a genuine care for my fellow literati. If I hold all these truths to be self-evident, I am bound by integrity to review honestly, without reservation all literature I peruse for consumption.
Therefore I wish none of my peers waste their hard-earned time this this rubbish. If you want to read something better in this niche; please visit my 5 star pages and avoid this!
Ciao!
March 1, 2019
“Here are few reminders:
1. The world has changed.
2. The world has stayed the same.
3. Proper hygiene is never out of fashion.
4. When meeting the humorless, endeavors to humor them.
5. True smiles do not bloom from false hearts.
Your mom loves you boundlessly.”
Καλή τύχη Περσυ!
1. The world has changed.
2. The world has stayed the same.
3. Proper hygiene is never out of fashion.
4. When meeting the humorless, endeavors to humor them.
5. True smiles do not bloom from false hearts.
Your mom loves you boundlessly.”
Καλή τύχη Περσυ!
January 14, 2018
This book is too disjointed and absurd.I would definitely not like My kids growing up thinking that they control the weather with their freakin' minds.Borderline schizophrenia is possibly similar to the nonsense in this book.
February 11, 2024
It'd been about fifteen years since I'd read the first Percy Gloom book—out of the gate I had to remember what that universe was like—but this sequel caught me up pretty quickly. The misty, dreamy universe seemed familiar again; Malkasian's drawing style sweeps you up into it. The landscapes are surreal but spare, the plot lines seem simple but deep.
December 26, 2013
Cathy Malkasian is the modern day Jim Henson in terms of being a creator. Her universes showcase an inventiveness steeped in kindness and fighting against the dumb, fearful and humorless that is always a pleasure to read. Can't wait for the next one.
February 22, 2015
This is an odd little book, and creative. Sometimes that works, but this one was so odd that it was hard for me to follow.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews