Review- PERFECT NONSENSE- THE CHAOTIC COMICS AND GOOFY GAMES OF GEORGE CARLSON

PERFECT NONSENSE- THE CHAOTIC COMICS AND GOOFY GAMES OF GEORGE CARLSON (Fantagraphics, First Printing, 2014; Hardcover)

Collects material from Jingle Jangle Comics #11, 13, 15, 16, 19, 20, 22, 23, 25, 28, 31, 35, 36 (cover dates October, 1944- December, 1948)

Writer and Artist: George Carlson

Word to the wise: This is more of an art book than it is a collected edition. Only 69 out of the 318 pages are reprints of comic books. The rest of the book is a compilation of Carlson's artwork across various publications over the course of about 40 years. Carlson did 700 pages of comics among many other things. Since this is a comic book review site, I'll lean on that section of the book more heavily than the rest.

Carlson is considered a forgotten legend of the Golden Age of comics. His artwork has a whimsical, childlike quality to it. His comic book work leans heavily on anthropomorphic animals and bad puns. To be fair, his work was intended to be read by children nearly 80 years ago, not dissected by a middle aged man in the 21^st century.

His artwork graced many children's publications, and he was probably most famous for his work on the Uncle Wiggly children's books. It's wild to think about how an artist who was once so popular and beloved is now nearly forgotten. This is the purpose of this book, to remind people how important Carlson once was.

His comic book work leaves me cold, though. I do not enjoy “kiddie” comics but I understand their historical significance. This book just isn't my cup of tea, even if it is beautifully made and thoughtfully put together.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 2.5 out of 5.

The OCD zone- This is the part where I go into tactile sensations and materials used in physical media. Those with heart conditions, high blood pressure, or women who are pregnant should exit my blog at their earliest convenience, as their safety cannot be guaranteed beyond this point.

Linework and Color restoration: The restoration is tricky. They tried to keep the “Ben Day” dots intact for nostalgic purposes, but they clearly used computers to correct off register printing. The reds and the yellows are redone in solids, adding an odd contrast that most folks won't notice but which drove me nuts. Fully restore comics or scan and print them warts and all, but this weird hybrid approach doesn't work for me. Your mileage, as always, may vary.

Paper stock: Bright white uncoated stock.

Binding: Sewn binding.

Hardback cover notes: The image is printed on the matte casewrap. The white logo on the front cover actually appears on the first page of the book, as the hardback has a huge die-cut on it. The back cover appears to have either a descriptive sticker or it is spot varnished, but my gut feeling is the former.