Review: SHARKY MALARKEY by Megan Nicole Dong

I enjoy reading comics of all different types. I love "Peanuts" but also enjoy many of the strips done online at "The Oatmeal." I have a pretty good sense of humor and, for the most part, enjoy it in many of its forms. I had never heard of the webcomic "Sketchshark" before, but was looking forward to reading the book SHARKY MALARKEY (which is a collection of mostly "Sketchshark" comics) based upon reviews and comments I had read. Unfortunately, I was sorely disappointed.  The author is talented and does a great job with facial expressions. However, outside of a few comics here and there, SHARKY MALARKEY isn't very funny. It's not even very entertaining.

 

The book is divided into four chapters. The first chapter isn't titled, but is mostly about the author, Megan, and her life. The second chapter is entitled "There's a Shark in Los Angeles" and deals with the major character of Sketchshark, Bruce. The third chapter is entitled "Just Ladythings" and is another chapter dealing with Megan and issues she faces as a female. The last chapter is entitled "The Animal and Plants Channel" and has comics revolving around animals and plants. The strongest chapter in the book is the first unnamed one. However, even that has more misses than hits. "Just Ladythings" is the next best chapter, although some of the humor there is more absurd than anything else (you know things are messed-up when you have high-heeled shoes that talk). As for the other two chapters, I honestly thought they were garbage.

 

I guess there's an audience out there for SHARKY MALARKEY, but I just didn't get it. It's the first book of any kind I've read in a long time that I just kept reading so I could get to the end because it was so bad (once I start reading a book, I have to finish it, no matter how bad). I guess there are places in the world where stuff like this is considered comedy gold, but for the rest of the world, it's almost all drivel.

Book: BIG NATE: WHAT'S A LITTLE NOOGIE BETWEEN FRIENDS

WHAT'S A LITTLE NOOGIE BETWEEN FRIENDS is another collection of "Big Nate" comics. There's the usual Big Nate hijinks, but some of the storylines include Nate trying to take a decent school picture, his soccer team suffering a humiliating defeat, his dream girl Jenny moving to Seattle, and Nate trying to make an invention to make him super rich. I enjoy reading "Big Nate" comics, but I'm not a huge fan. They have pretty good storylines that capture much of the comedy and tragedy of the middle-school years. It's light, but entertaining comic reading.

STAR TREK 2019 WALL CALENDAR

The STAR TREK 2019 WALL CALENDAR features 12 images from the original Star Trek series. In addition, on the actual calendar part for each month, there is a quote from one of the characters. Unfortunately, the images chosen for this calendar aren't the greatest.  First of all while, Scotty, Bones, Uhura, Chekov, and Sulu each have a solo image, there are no solo images of Kirk and Spock (there's an image of Kirk with android Kirk). While there's a picture of the Enterprise, it's a horrible image of it. In addition, most of the images really don't fit with the months they are with. For instance, there's an image of the White Rabbit, but instead of being in April with Easter, it's in July. In short, while it's not to see some less than famous images, it seems like whoever put this calendar together, really didn't put much thought into it.

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. 2019 WALL CALENDAR

Martin Luther King Jr. was born in 1929, so 2019 would have been his 90^th birthday. The MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. 2019 WALL CALENDAR features 12 images of Dr. King with various quotes made that he made in his writings and speeches. It's a nice calendar featuring one of the greatest Americans of the 20^th Century.

JIM HENSON'S THE DARK CRYSTAL 2019 WALL CALENDAR

THE DARK CRYSTAL 2019 WALL CALENDAR features 12 images from the movie THE DARK CRYSTAL. Both Skeksis and Mystics get their due as do Jen, Kira, and Aughra. The Chamberlain gets a month, too, as does Fizzgig. Great for any fan of THE DARK CRYSTAL.

THOMAS KINKADE SPECIAL COLLECTORS'S EDITION 2019 WALL CALENDAR: A PERFECT DAY

The THOMAS KINKADE SPECIAL COLLECTOR'S EDITION 2019 WALL CAENDAR: A PERFECT DAY features 13 (one for each month in 2019 and one for the months of September – December 2018 that are combined on one page) different Thomas Kinkade paintings. The settings of the paintings are quite varied and range from small cottages in mountain valleys to a houseboat on calm waters to a busy city scene in Winter. Each month has a Bible passage at the start of the month and the side columns feature various quotes.  The special edition calendar includes a ready-to-frame gift print, a hand-numbered certificate of authenticity, and a gift envelope.