Animal Crackers: A Gene Luen Yang Collection

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Animal Crackers: A Gene Luen Yang Collection

• author & illustrator:  Gene Luen Yang:  http://geneyang.com/
• medium:  pencil & ink
• year of publication:  2010
• publication city:  San Jose, CA
• publisher:  SLG
• ISBN:  978-1-59362-183-4

Annotation:  A not-very-deep-thinking high school student has his life as a bully disrupted when a tiny alien aircraft lodges in his nostril and he must make an ally of his former prime bullying target.

 

Personal Thoughts:  This graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang, has a very obscure sense of humor.  Completely random events occur to drive the narrative.  In “Gordon Yamamoto and the King of the Geeks”, we are introduced to big dumb lug, Gordon who continues to pick on the Geek King, even if his conscience is telling him not to.  When a tiny spaceship lodges into his nose, Gordon has to meet up with the Geek King to dislodge the vessel.  Unfortunately, Gordon ends up ingesting all of the Geek King’s evil childhood memories and knowledge.  When he finally gets the evil memories out, they possess a box of Gordon’s favorite snack, Animal Crackers, anthropomorphosisze them and wreak havoc about town.

This book made me laugh out loud!  I think Yang’s goofy personality comes out in his writing and he was probably that funny, goofy kid in high school that served as a class clown.  With that plot, you know you are not dealing with a traditional story.  Anything seems to go and everything that happens is strange, involving nose-invading flying saucers, demonic donuts, and possessed animal crackers.  Gene Yang is definitely a good author to read if you’re in the mood to laugh.