Wednesday, 1 May 2024

Cinebook Ltds: GOMER GOOF 11 - GOOF-OFF AT GOMER CORRAL

 


Authors: Franquin

Age: 8 years and up
Size: 21.7 x 28.7 cm
Number of pages: 48 colour pages
Publication: March 2024

ISBN: 9781800441286

£8.99 incl VAT

https://www.cinebook.co.uk/gomer-goof-goof-gomer-corral-p-4544.html


When Gomer isn’t unwittingly sabotaging all work at Spirou Magazine, he naps at his desk and dreams of being a handsome, fearless action hero for Miss Jeanne – not realising that this is already how she sees him! But outside the office, out in the city streets, well, that’s Officer Longsnoot’s territory, and between him and gomer – and most importantly Gomer’s often apocalyptically tweaked car – a merciless war of nerves is waged every day! 

First thing -I am not going back to find all of the links! There's a search box in the upper left and just type in "Gomer Goof" and you'll find what you need.

Which leads me to the same problem as with Marsupilami and that is what can I say about Gomer Goof?  Firstly, this is Franquin's work so you can compare how the style of Batem matches his. In fact, looking at the two side-by-side I think Franquin squeezes in just about as much detail as he can where necessary.  I found it funny when big mouths at comic events used to say this was a simplistic cartoony style and no work really went into it. Yeah, you'll find those types everywhere. Can they produce work of a similar style and quality? Only one ever did and he then vanished from comics.   As for the failures (if they even tried) there were all sorts of excuses including "It's a European style of course a British artist cannot copy it!" (yeah of course not).

So the art might look simple but it is actually quite detailed and a style that carries through on the visual gags -the library shown in a panel on p. 23 is a fine example.  As is the cop and taxi sequence on p. 38. It's all rather lovingly drawn and I can only imagine that Franquin must have enjoyed drawing all of this "clutter"!

Although colourful the colours are rather subdued rather than eye-popping bright and that helps.  So art and colour are okay -this is the best reprint I have seen of this volume but that is probably down to digital work and modern printing.  The humour and gags...do they work? D'uh! Of course they do and it's nice to see comic albums that adults and children can read and get giggles out of. 

Imagine kids getting a birthday or Christmas package of Gomer Goof Albums....or Marsupilami albums! In fact there is so much from Cinebook that covers the ages from kids to adults that you are spoilt for choice and after all of these years looking at Cinebook and what they have produced it's nice to think of the idiots who said and wrote "It's all European stuff. No one is going to bother buying this" 😂😂😂

Gomer Goof recommended.

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