Silly Kingdom: Alengrimrickshaw's 211. Geburtstag

by Katie Shanahan

Es ist der 211. Geburtstag des grantigen alten königlichen Zauberers... und er wird alles in seiner Macht stehende tun, um die Party zu stoppen.

Genres: Comics, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Magic, Canada, Graphic Novels Comics, Humor

40 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Katie Shanahan is a cartoonist, animator and story artist from Toronto, Canada.

Reviews

[kavreb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and funny with clean, endearing drawings, it doesn't carry much weight in theme or subject, but is perfectly joyful for the whole of its short read-time.

Ostensibly a story about hosting a birthday party for a person who is easily and deeply offended by the nature of the party and goes out of his way (and depth) to ruin it, and truly about little more, the tale’s relative innocence makes it suitable for small children while the slight cynicism used for humour makes it enjoyable for everybody. The story is so small while the world feels so well-realized that at first I actually thought it was a spin-off from some cartoon I don't know; but it's fully standalone, with an seemingly equally standalone sequel, which unfortunately seems long since out of print. That this one is not the beginning of a long run of short comics with these fun characters in their cartoonish world, delighting both kids and their parents, is truly the crying shame here.

[Annemarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute comic, but not amazing. The character designs are rather simple, with the exception of Alen Grimrickshaw. I did like the Prince and Princess not having any names. The humour was really hit or miss for me. Some of the jokes I really liked, others fell very flat. The story itself is light-hearted and kinda simple, but fun enough. It's a quick easy read that I'd recommend especially to younger readers, who will probably get more out of it than I did.

[Melanie Gaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wizard learns of a surprise party planned for him and tries to thwart the festivities. Very funny and satisfying short story. I loved the character designs and facial expressions.

[Vonze · Rating 5 out of 5]

If your a comic or graphic novel fan and your not currently following the work of the Shanahan siblings, then you should be!

In their first self-published comic, Katie and Steven (Shaggy) Shananhan give us a short tale of a grumpy, old wizard, Alengrimrichshaw, and the young royals who conspire to give him a 211th birthday party. What results is a comic with hilariously expressive scenes and a timeless, kid-friendly Saturday morning cartoon feel.

I only wish it was longer! I'm hopeful that there will be more Silly Kingdom volumes in the future.

To check this comic out for yourself, visit: http://sillykingdom-comic.blogspot.com/

[Raven · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this when it first came out, I was a part of the inegogo campaign. I promptly lost my copy, still haven't found it, I'm pretty sure I lent it to someone I no longer speak to.

Irregardless, I found this at Word on the Street this year, I re-purchased a copy, got it signed by Steven Shanahan and I laughed at it while I walked around getting all sorts of weird looks from pretty much everyone.

And it was totally worth it.

[Lemon Ginger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved it! It’s hilarious and the art is gorgeous and very expressive.

Also, I totally relate to the last minute panic shown in the “making of” comic in the end of the issue :)

I can’t wait for Issue #2!

[Michelle Gram · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this a couple of years ago and just loved it!! Hilarious- like, laugh-out-loud hilarious, and so carefully drawn & executed! Super expressive characters and silly in the greatest possible ways!

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very short but does a great job of setting up characters and situations. Each expression is perfect. I look forward to further Silly Kingdom volumes.