Images © Boom Entertainment & Roger Langridge.

I’ve enjoyed Roger Langridge’s take on The Muppet Show, but I like this new creation even better. (I was about to say original, and it certainly is that, but as you’ll see, it’s built on the work of another writer.)

Wilburforce J. Walrus is your typical shady con-man with a clever mind and a quick tongue. His associate, carpenter Clyde McDunk seems to have no gifts in either department…in fact no gifts of any kind. While they’d rather be enjoying the fruits of their petty thievery, the pair are commandeered by a willful young princess Scarlett to help find her missing father. The king has been away at sea for months, and her supposed “advisors” are plotting to take over the kingdom by appointing her baby brother the king and themselves as regents.

Before long the royal children have escaped the palace and are hiding out with the dubious pair, planning a sea voyage of their own with a dangerously mad crew you might have read about in Lewis Carroll’s “The Hunting of the Snark.” That’s right, these are characters drawn from Carroll, but all with a decidedly new and often quite funny twist by Langridge.

Roger’s art is just as charming and funny as his storyline and characters, cartoony in an animated way, but full of personality and theatrical expressiveness. This is a great read including issues 0 to 4, and a nice helping of additional poetry and game pages. I have the next few issues, and am looking forward to reading them.

Highly recommended!