Yeah yeah yeah, I knows Johnny Boo is for the kiddles and isn’t for (supposedly) grown-up men like me but I still read it anyway. I’ve been a James Kochalka fan for years now and one thing that could definitely be called his style is the innocent, child-like look and tone of his comics whether he’s writing them for the youngs or the olds. That means that, if you’re a fan like me, you’ll always get something out of reading his comics, whatever audience he’s aiming for as they’re always pure Kochalka.
Alright, enough justifying why I read a comic that would be challenging for the average Trump voter. Johnny Boo Goes Like This! sees Johnny Boo and his buddy Squiggle discovering a pencil that makes whatever he draws with it real. Then the Ice Cream Monster shows up and steals his hair-do!
The distinction between Kochalka’s grown-up comics and his kid’s stuff like Johnny Boo is the absence of any real plot in the latter. He can get away with having almost nothing happening in Johnny Boo because it’s for readers who are barely paying attention whereas he actually has to plot comics like Glorkian Warrior or Pinky & Stinky (still the definitive book on swine astronauts). The lack of anything really happening and the magic pen idea that’s been done a zillion times before are the only complaints I have about the comic aimed at babies.
Otherwise, it’s pure Kochalka zaniness with characters shouting out their superpowers and a delightful talking tiger suddenly appearing. The drawing style remains appealing, especially for kids, with the characters looking very cute and lots of bright colours everywhere. And if you’ve ever wondered what an Octopus Cupcake Computer Volcano Bicycle Wizard Skyscraper Fire-Breathing Dragon Hairdo with a Cherry on Top looks like, you’re not gonna want to miss this!
Johnny Boo Goes Like This and Kochalka does it again - fun comics for kids and mildly diverting for older Kochalka fans who are young at heart. Alright, I’m off to get a nappy change and have a rusk or two.
Johnny Boo, Book 7: Johnny Boo Goes Like This!
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