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Stupid Comics Collection
All four issues of the fan-favorite Stupid Comics under one cover! Including the rare, out of print Stupid Comics #1! Plus: 30 pages of all-new, never-before-seen strips! Political and social satire at its finest!
- GenresComics
Paperback
First published June 27, 2006
About the author
Jim Mahfood
152 books30 followersJim Mahfood, a.k.a. Food One, is an American comic book creator.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 12, 2009
In an ironically self-deprecating move, underground artist Jim Mahfood titled his slightly-obscure work Stupid Comics. The funny thing is, Jim Mahfood does not feel that his comics are "stupid" in the least.
A collection of his comics culled from local (Phoenix, Arizona) sources as well as self-contained issues of comic books of the same name, Stupid Comics by Jim Mahfood serves up a platter laden with recriminations against popular culture and anti-war diatribes.
Unfortunately, it has a heaping helping of disappointment served on the side.
In Stupid Comics, Mahfood sinks his teeth into a litany of obvious targets: Goth kids, George W. Bush, the War on Terror, religion, mass media, ad nauseum... Again and again, Mahfood delivers such trite commentary, pausing only to depict his own struggles with comics deadlines, conversations about his dearth of ideas at a given time, or the dreaded Series Of Panels Featuring Nothing But Inside Jokes.
Mahfood's calculated anarchy feels somewhat immature, taking digs without any attempt at creativity. For instance, Mahfood depicts the host of a certain entertainment TV program baldly stating "People of America, if you don't have a million dollar record deal, if you're not a Hollywood agent, and if you're not a top fashion designer or pro athlete, you're a complete waste of skin!" In another sequence, entitled "You Look Like A Big Fat Fucking Poser On Your Gay Ass Fucking Cell Phone," Mahfood deconstructs a series of cell phone facilitating citizens with such phrases as "cocksucker," "retarded moron," "meathead," "jerk-off," etc. And in one of his relatively deeper pieces, Mahfood pontificates that "I'm smart enough to realize that God does not exist. Because God is me. God is you. God is everyone." (Shades of Charlie Manson, anyone?)
For as many attacks on modern society as he initiates, Mahfood offers no viable solutions or alternatives. The opposite of the deteriorating global situation is, apparently, smoking weed while listening to jazz and drawing comics, or drinking beers at a party comprised of like-minded individuals. Pabst as a feasible substitute for war. Mary Jane instead of a failing foreign policy. The ultimate slacker rationalization -- only, without admitting to it.
Inasmuch as he hides no hatred for the "socially retarded morons" of the world, Mahfood goes so far as to depict he, himself, waiting all alone at the evolutionary ladder. He looks upon the foibles of humanity alongside an otherworldly visitor, nodding his learned assent: "Shit man," says an extra-terrestrial being to Jim Mahfood, "We don't even need to take over your planet. You guys are already FUCKED."
Perhaps the weakness of Mahfood's work is that it is brimming with the sort of in-your-face satire one expects from a teenager's underground newsletter, and as such has not had the chance to grow into the adulthood it needs in order to thrive. True, not everyone has the ability or drive to draw a comic of the stature of Jim Mahfood's...
...But almost anyone at all can point out clear flaws in a system by oversimplifying an issue, and/or paraphrasing in order to reflect one's own views. For an artist as talented and as wide-read as Mahfood, it truly is disappointing to see mere jejune recitations and repetitions of socially-accepted counterpoints on society.
A collection of his comics culled from local (Phoenix, Arizona) sources as well as self-contained issues of comic books of the same name, Stupid Comics by Jim Mahfood serves up a platter laden with recriminations against popular culture and anti-war diatribes.
Unfortunately, it has a heaping helping of disappointment served on the side.
In Stupid Comics, Mahfood sinks his teeth into a litany of obvious targets: Goth kids, George W. Bush, the War on Terror, religion, mass media, ad nauseum... Again and again, Mahfood delivers such trite commentary, pausing only to depict his own struggles with comics deadlines, conversations about his dearth of ideas at a given time, or the dreaded Series Of Panels Featuring Nothing But Inside Jokes.
Mahfood's calculated anarchy feels somewhat immature, taking digs without any attempt at creativity. For instance, Mahfood depicts the host of a certain entertainment TV program baldly stating "People of America, if you don't have a million dollar record deal, if you're not a Hollywood agent, and if you're not a top fashion designer or pro athlete, you're a complete waste of skin!" In another sequence, entitled "You Look Like A Big Fat Fucking Poser On Your Gay Ass Fucking Cell Phone," Mahfood deconstructs a series of cell phone facilitating citizens with such phrases as "cocksucker," "retarded moron," "meathead," "jerk-off," etc. And in one of his relatively deeper pieces, Mahfood pontificates that "I'm smart enough to realize that God does not exist. Because God is me. God is you. God is everyone." (Shades of Charlie Manson, anyone?)
For as many attacks on modern society as he initiates, Mahfood offers no viable solutions or alternatives. The opposite of the deteriorating global situation is, apparently, smoking weed while listening to jazz and drawing comics, or drinking beers at a party comprised of like-minded individuals. Pabst as a feasible substitute for war. Mary Jane instead of a failing foreign policy. The ultimate slacker rationalization -- only, without admitting to it.
Inasmuch as he hides no hatred for the "socially retarded morons" of the world, Mahfood goes so far as to depict he, himself, waiting all alone at the evolutionary ladder. He looks upon the foibles of humanity alongside an otherworldly visitor, nodding his learned assent: "Shit man," says an extra-terrestrial being to Jim Mahfood, "We don't even need to take over your planet. You guys are already FUCKED."
Perhaps the weakness of Mahfood's work is that it is brimming with the sort of in-your-face satire one expects from a teenager's underground newsletter, and as such has not had the chance to grow into the adulthood it needs in order to thrive. True, not everyone has the ability or drive to draw a comic of the stature of Jim Mahfood's...
...But almost anyone at all can point out clear flaws in a system by oversimplifying an issue, and/or paraphrasing in order to reflect one's own views. For an artist as talented and as wide-read as Mahfood, it truly is disappointing to see mere jejune recitations and repetitions of socially-accepted counterpoints on society.
June 14, 2009
"Stupid" in the title is meant to be ironic, but it is not.
January 30, 2019
The definition is the word "offensive" is "causing someone to feel deeply hurt, upset, or angry".
Someone offensiveness can be filtered to convery a serious message, through blatant realism or sometimes artfully through satirical or morbid humor. This book is the sad attempt of the latter.
It was last month. I had jury duty. Lunch break was called and I was right down the street from a used book store and conveniently, I had just finished all of the comics I'd brought with me. After eating, I strolled into the book store, straight to the comics section. Nothing caught my eye immediately, but then the bold words "Stupid Comics" came up and I pulled it out. Now, I'm a huge fan of self-aware humor, 4th-wall breakage and mordibity so when I saw this I got really excited. And it was only seven bucks! I walked out of that store stoked that I had found such a cool looking book for so cheap. Score, right?
Nah.
3 o' clock rolls around and I'm back in that waiting room. I flip it open and slowly it sets in that what I bought was indeed stupid, but not the kind that makes you feel like a proud spender.
Mahfood's sense of humor consists of picking out certain cultural groups and making fun of them (which can sometimes but funny, if it's clever and it's done to point out an ego issue or something) but this dude doesn't even do it right! I ended up reading 30 pages of filthy, slur and language-ridden sludge. I was more than bummed out later on.
Needless to say, the book has sat on my nightstand untouched for the last month. Every time I try to crack it open again, I'm cruelly reminded how poor my spending choice was that day and I put it back down again. It's tough because I SO wanted to like this book, but I really hate it.
Call me a cheater, but I didn't actually finish this book. I'm just not strong enough. In the meantime I've got other, better things on my nightstand. If you need me, I'll be somewhere with my head deep in a Hellboy volume.
Someone offensiveness can be filtered to convery a serious message, through blatant realism or sometimes artfully through satirical or morbid humor. This book is the sad attempt of the latter.
It was last month. I had jury duty. Lunch break was called and I was right down the street from a used book store and conveniently, I had just finished all of the comics I'd brought with me. After eating, I strolled into the book store, straight to the comics section. Nothing caught my eye immediately, but then the bold words "Stupid Comics" came up and I pulled it out. Now, I'm a huge fan of self-aware humor, 4th-wall breakage and mordibity so when I saw this I got really excited. And it was only seven bucks! I walked out of that store stoked that I had found such a cool looking book for so cheap. Score, right?
Nah.
3 o' clock rolls around and I'm back in that waiting room. I flip it open and slowly it sets in that what I bought was indeed stupid, but not the kind that makes you feel like a proud spender.
Mahfood's sense of humor consists of picking out certain cultural groups and making fun of them (which can sometimes but funny, if it's clever and it's done to point out an ego issue or something) but this dude doesn't even do it right! I ended up reading 30 pages of filthy, slur and language-ridden sludge. I was more than bummed out later on.
Needless to say, the book has sat on my nightstand untouched for the last month. Every time I try to crack it open again, I'm cruelly reminded how poor my spending choice was that day and I put it back down again. It's tough because I SO wanted to like this book, but I really hate it.
Call me a cheater, but I didn't actually finish this book. I'm just not strong enough. In the meantime I've got other, better things on my nightstand. If you need me, I'll be somewhere with my head deep in a Hellboy volume.
November 16, 2018
Stupid indeed. This comic sucks.
July 10, 2014
This is pretty early stuff by Jim Mahfood, and doesn't really resemble what he's doing now. There's some good stuff here and there, but the biggest thing I took away from "Stupid Comics" is how much Mahfood's early work owes a debt to Evan Dorkin.
September 18, 2014
Funny as sh*t! The drawings are sometimes very basic but the message is always the same - do your own thing and don't let the man get you down. Mahfood is too cool for me but i like to think i can hang.
January 17, 2009
This guy is my hero.
March 3, 2015
Bob Crumb for the modern age...
But a more depreciating sense of humor.
But a more depreciating sense of humor.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews