Written by: Christophe Cazenove, Hervé Richez
Illustrations: Yrgane Ramon
Publisher: Ballon Media
Kathy’s Kat #4 – Comic Book Review
Cats, either you love them or you hate them. If they’re up for it they can be a real joy, sitting on your lap while purring, and you’ll be able to stroke their soft fur. But if they’re not, you might as well forget about it, because it’s just not going to happen. They can also be a real bother, for example when they cling to your favorite shirt, or play around with the cable of your vacuum cleaner. It’s exactly that kind of strong willed cat that steals the show in the comic books of Kathy’s Kat.
There isn’t really that much story value, as the comic book consists of short, one page long gags with Kathy, Kathy’s dad and her cat Sushi in the lead. Nonetheless, there is a Red Thread, namely the fact that they moved, and will all have to adapt to a new house and new environment. Other than that, some gags do succeed each other, adding a bit of story value after all.
The gags are quite original and not too predictable. Sometimes they don’t even need that many words to be funny. A nice touch here is that the speech bubbles have different colors, and don’t always fit the words.
The panels aren’t sharply defined, which gives the comic book quite a resourceful look. The pages often look like one big whole of illustrations, where you will have to find some order yourself. This undefined look matches the illustrations very well, which are often quite absurd and funny. It also allows Yrgane Ramon to be more creative with the placement of the panels, as they often seem to overlap a little. The shape of the panels is never the same, which keeps it interesting to look at, while adding to the chaotic feel. Also the characters themselves are rather deranged. Even Sushi is often very hyperactive. All of this makes for a nice (slightly turbulent) looking whole to match the gags.
The point of view is not always that of Kathy or her dad. Sometimes we get a glimpse into the mind of Sushi as well, which is a welcome variation, as there are only three lead characters, and a handful of side characters.
Conclusion
Kathy’s Kat #4 is a funny comic book, full of one page long gags. The writers (Christophe Cazenove and Hervé Richez), as well as the illustrator (Yrgane Ramon) tried very hard to keep things interesting and add variation in loads of different ways. Truth be told, they managed to do so. Although, by the looks of it, this comic book might seem only for children, the gags are not that predictable, making it fun pastime for both young and old.
Kathy's Kat #4 - Comic Book Review,
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