My First Big Book of Utter (C)RAP

 

•  US Letter, 8.5×11 in, 22×28 cm
  Pages: 20

£5.00

https://www.blurb.co.uk/b/11910794-first-big-book-of-utter-c-rap?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR11wCNsZS29dm4UmM93SWpML_bQMNHdK0nj3WoypFS0GDRAlMLjt4_Wo54_aem_ATv8BppvDEGO4pcpAJm9HTYoG7vpBkP_eYTxyP-TJvuwAqEBsz80_f2Vdd7dgxPDfEwzroAoUiKzFUmeFBDWbhmX

Underground comic legend Richard Pester brings us a new magazine featuring his groundbreaking graphic novel Trials of the Cosmic Oddity, also featuring material from over three decades of art.

Just to explain (though it should be obvious) the title is a humorous play on the creator's initials -RAP- and (c) so "CRAP".  Some of our non-English readers might have wondered about that!

That does not tell you much but when I received this along with issue 2 the first thing that hit me were the covers -the image here does not do it justice at all. Then I did what I always do and that is look at the production quality from paper to printing and binding (old habits die hard). It is very nicely put together and the colour reproduction is as good as you'll get with, say, Cinebook Ltd.

Having seen the original Cosmic Oddity (all three parts) I was hoping that it might get combined into one book -it would be the British equivalent to Harvey Pekar's American Splendor. What I want and what I get are two different things, however -so my mother always said. In this abbreviated form it still works and this time in colour and that I was not expecting.

There is a text piece about The Cosmic Oddity and two pages of Pester's other character Derna and tracing her history.  Plus there is a homage to Saphire and Steel -possibly one of the best ever supernatural/sci fi ITV serials of the 1970-1980s. 

For me this was a breath of fresh air and at £5 well worth it. I have seen the second issue and it's just as good and will review it once the ordering details are to hand.

Above: Derna in colour along with Joanna Lumley and David McCallum as Saphire and Steel

Above left: The Cosmic Oddity has words with...The Cosmic Oddity and a little (above and below) slice of life in full colour.

Give yourself a treat and maybe some inspiration and try a copy because £5 these days is not a lot to spend on a comic especially one as unique as this.