Writers: Various
Artists: Various
Publisher: Bongo
In "Bart's Got Spirit" James Bates gives Bart a new position in life that's directed by the underused Assistant Superintendent Leopold. This isn't a very comedic story. Instead, Bates uses the tale to strengthen the ties between the Simpsons. It comes off as sweet but not sappy. Art by John Delaney, Howard Schum and Art Villanueva becomes extra animated as the story deals with athletics.
Tony DiGerolamo returns to the Simpsons fold of Bongo first with "Nelson's Guide to Grown-Up Nerds" then "The Kiss of Blecch!" and finally and my favorite of his three "The Maggie and Moe Mysteries."
The first short is exactly what the title describes. Nelson gives the reader a tour of the adult Nerds of Springfield. Though I would term them geeks. Nerds are virgins, which is also why the term usually only applies to young awkwards. Still, we can't really expect Nelson to know this, and DiGerolamo gives a honed sampling of each of the Nerds' characteristic dialogue in one panel along with a Wile E. Coyote type classification system. Jason Ho and Phyllis Novin with Art Villanueva expertly further distinguish these characters through body language and expression.
"The Kiss of Blecch" takes a peck from an early Simpsons episode in which Bart alone among slumber partiers becomes the target of kisses from Sherri and Terri. Mr. DiGerolamo makes Bart again the gourami of unwanted affection, and Lisa is once again in on the game. DiGerolamo however does not repeat what has gone before and comes up with an amusing variation on the theme as well as a good throwaway gag between Milhouse and Nelson. Ho and Mike Rote with Villanueva offer a notable selection of wild takes depicting horror as well as disgust.
"The Maggie & Moe Mysteries." Well, where do I begin? I suppose it goes back to the seventies when you couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting a cop or detective show. Some of these shows were brilliant--Columbo for instance. Others were dubious and slightly demeaning--McMillan and Wife. There was a helluva lot of them, and almost anybody it seemed could be a detective. License or badge often unnecessary. So if there be a Barnaby Jones why not a bartender and a baby?
DiGerolamo takes another established bit of continuity, Moe likes Maggie and at one time did babysit her, then extrapolates the concept into the Cheesy Television Detective Zone. It's kind of like The Twilight Zone, but this door opens to a dimension of cockatoo feathers, porn-styled wakka, wakka guitars, friendly pimps and dead Hawaiian hookers at every beach. Hmmn, I guess those pimps weren't so friendly after all.
DiGerolamo begins this bizarre exercise with naturally an opening and a theme song that could have come from any one of a thousand cop/detective shows airing in the period. Incidentally, the Simpsons television series does establish that Maggie is one helluva a good shot. Seeing her handle .45 automatic is about the least bizarre thing in the story.
There's a double-joke in this tale. DiGerolamo begins with the idea of a streetwise excursion into the world of say Chico and the Man. What? Not a cop show? Are you sure? Well it should have and could have been. He then logically--meaning Bizarro logically--continues the tale as if Maggie and Moe were amateur sleuths like the awful Spinster Sisters who while emptying cat boxes happen upon bodies. Bad enough, but then DiGerolamo brings the uncouth sleuths--well Moe is uncouth--to a stately manor where yes, a body is provided, thus completing the mutation to English cozy usually seen on PBS and produced by the BBC.
James Lloyd, Andrew Pepoy and Nathan Hamill further strengthen the wacky state of affairs. They cast dramatic shadows to give the opening an even more uproarious feeling, and they even nail the poses of the characters involved in the more gentle type of such mysteries--always standing around and doing nothing. Truly this one must be read to be believed.
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