Written by Sean K. DoveIllustrated by Sean K. Dove
Four Star Studios (Self-Published)
A flight of fancy for a tired young boy and a few insights into the life of the creator await anyone who reads Fried Rice Issue one.
The main story, Goodnight, Marcel, was originally part of a 24 hour comic project that the author sacked after being extremely tired around hour 17. Polished up a bit here with an ending, Goodnight, Marcel is the story of a young boy who opts to go into a fantasy world of strange creatures rather than face the dismal prospects of an uncaring mother.
Dove's tale is rather nonsensical, changing every few pages from scene to scene, rather like a dream, which is appropriate given the context. It allows him to really have fun with the idea, giving us everything from a giant monster who has a beach on the other side of his butt to my personal favorite creature, described as a laser shooting pyramid crab.
This is a 99 cent PDF comic, folks. You really should consider picking it up just to get a dose of laser shooting pyramid crabs. Who says trying to put a comic together in 24 hours is bad idea?
The story itself buckles a bit as Dove tires, but it's still a whimsical story and a lot of fun to follow in its different twists and turns. I've never heard of Dove before, but I really like his illustrative style here. None of his characters show amazing precision, but the overall effect is quite good, especially given the speed at which he must have been working. I'd love to see what Dove can do when he takes a bit more time. His character designs are quite innovative!
The hourly comics are a bit of filler, but I always love to see what creators do when trying to chronicle their lives. If that doesn't interest you, go ahead and skip it.
Lovers of imaginary tales, however, should not skip out on Fried Rice, because Goodnight, Marcel is a great little story. At 99 cents, it is also extremely cheap and well worth the money. I'm glad to have the opportunity to sample Dove's work like this, and now I'd be happy to try something longer (and more expensive) from him. This is exactly what I like to see from mini-comics creators. Give me a Fried Rice to try, and if I like it, I'm a customer for life. I'm eagerly awaiting what else Dove puts out in the future.
