Fuzz & Pluck

Fuzz & Pluck #1

by Ted Stearn

A New York cartoonist/animator, Ted Steam is a mainstay at MTV animation. His credits include Beavis and Butthead and Daria. "Fuzz And Pluck" is his first book collection and documents the hilarious adventures of a rather annoyed plucked chicken and a dull but lovable bear. Originally serialized in Zero Zero comics, "Fuzz And Pluck" showcases Stear's vivid imagination and meticulous draughtsmanship.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels

110 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Dominick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't realize this was a French translation when I bought it (that's why it was so cheap, I guess), but fortunately, the French is fairly simple, and most of what I could not glean from the text could be understood from the images, so I got through it pretty well. This is a funny, surrealistic, and somewhat disturbing picaresque tale of a plucked chicken and a discarded teddy bear (saved, dubiously, by less than reliable guardian angels) who form an unlikely friendship and have various adventures, including being sold into slavery, "battling" a hapless tree monster, encountering a philosophical monkey, and eventually getting jobs at a fast food restaurant. Stearn's style is fairly minimalist, with clear debts to the undergrounds, though the content avoids the extremes of comix. I look forward to reading more, preferably this time in the original English.

[Anne Mey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sorte de laurel et Hardy avec mix dénonciation de la maltraitante animale, de l'esclavage et de la malbouffe mais pas trop, les scientifiques qui étudient des specimen en prennent pour leur grade. Y a de l'absurde mais on avance toujours dans l'histoire en mode improbable aventure sans vraiment s'apesantir sur les personnages du coup je ne me suis pas trouvée impliquée dans l'histoire.

[Jeff Lewonczyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightfully nasty story about a discarded teddy bear and escaped soup chicken who struggle to survive in a cruel, oppressive world. Wonderful drawing and fairly timeless satire on the seamier side of the American Dream.

[Anadine Montro · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was alright. There's a lot of great pen and ink work but the story was a litte lacking and the dialogue a little clunky at times. Still pretty good though.

[Eric Stodolnik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this fun and funny little comic! It’s charming and goofy and I love fuzz. It would work well as a Comedy Central or adult swim style cartoon.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my introduction to Stearns, a collection of a serialized story he contributed to an anthology called Zero Zero. Fuzz and Pluck are a nervous teddy bear and an angry plucked chicken. I guess they're kind of a '90s comix Laurel & Hardy or something...
There's some nice moments of surrealism and satire of American culture, but it never really gelled for me to become anything really sublime. I think it works best when it's being surreal in a sub-Beckett stream-of-consciousness way rather than when it's trying to comment on society (see: Lardass, the proprietor of Lardy's, home of the famous Lard Sandwich...and Lo-Cal Sal who attacks him brandishing a giant carrot after her husband dies while eating there...yeah). I liked it enough to check out the follow-up: Splitsville.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ted Stearn's Fuzz and Pluck is rewarding without being overly showy. The artist has a sly way of interpreting the world around him, and the re-invented land that his heroes get to live in may be better or worse than our own - each reader will have to decide for themselves. The humor in these pages is understated but thought-provoking, and the sheer absurdity of the characters and the situations they find themselves in prevents the relaxed tone of the book from becoming monotonous. Stearn is a unique creator, and his work will appeal to those who enjoy comics that are offbeat, original, and just a little bit weird.

[Sharm Alagaratnam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like a twisted post-apocalyptic Get Fuzzy. Excellent.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

pure genius.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kterak si méďa a oškubaným kohoutkem vyrazili na sádlové sedviče. Absurdní černobílá rozkoš.

[Charles Hess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not a critic, but I found it to be very fun and engaging.

[Adam Šilhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Velmi příjemná záležitost, která potěší zejména fanoušky Anderssona.