Who is this Benjamin Marra? What is he known for?
His great illustrations for MLB.com and NYTimes.com
The GRAMMY nominated Warfaring Strangers: Acid Nightmares album from The Numero Group
His contribution to Cryptozoo (2021)
He is Jake Rhodes aka Space Cowboy (Channel Frederator)
His cameo in The Education of Fredrick Fitzell (2020)
The Indie Rock Universe special foldout in Rolling Stone magazine #1039
The title sequence for Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich (2018)
When the King Held Court (30 for 30 Shorts)
Masters of the Powerskull Sword in Adventure Time Comics #21
Robot Overlord Land in Little Nemo: Dream Another Dream
Hellcloud Awaits in Bloodshot Reborn Annual 2016
U.S. Agent vs. the Terror-Saur!! in Strange Tales II #3
Space-Werewolf Biker Gang Zealots Gone Wild!! in Twisted Savage Dragon Funnies
Beachhead in Heavy Metal Magazine #280-281
Teen Swamp Monster Love in I Feel Love
Casino Squat in Lethal Comics Presents: Psycho Goreman
Album cover art for Peter Peter (Bien Réel/Noir Éden), Rena (Rude Chick), Boulevards (Electric Cowboy: Born in Carolina Mud), Freddie Gibbs, Floored Faces, Madlib, Kaytranada, Bricc Baby, Lil B, Czarface, Brando Bambino, Big Lazy, Grave Bathers, Pleasure Gallows, FRACTURE (Justified Oblivion), Anyway Gang, Sakset, The Naked Heroes, Unpeople (Brisbane) and Zombii 2: Brea Grant & Zane Sing Their Hits
Optical disc packaging art for Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo (1970), Righting Wrongs (1986), Fair Game (1986), Viva Erotica (1996), The El Duce Tapes (2019), The Motivation (2013), Violent Cop (1989), Boiling Point (1990) and Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965)
Poster art for screenings of Feels Good Man (2020), Deadbeat at Dawn (1988), Empire of the Dark (1990), Abraxas: Guardian of the Universe (1990) and The Standoff at Sparrow Creek (2018)
Skateboard art for Creature (Martinez+Provost), Format and Terror of Planet X (Steven Cales+Mathis+Getz)
Illustrator for The Legend of Panther Girl (Victory Journal), American Psycho (Floating World Comics), Walking The Edge (NeoText), Rizzo (NeoText), Double Negative (NeoText), Blown or The Cotton Club Murder (NeoText) and the Wrong Side of the Screen (NeoText)
RPG content for Intermediary Mund (Exalted Funeral), Escape from the Shrouded Fen (Purple Sorcerer Games), Mystic Punks Quickstart Rules (Exalted Funeral), Night Land (Singing Flame), The Book of Antitheses (Lamentations of the Flame Princess) and a Game Master’s Screen in Study Group Magazine #4 deluxe edition
His Charles Bronson tattoo
Probably Space Beaver's biggest fan
His acclaimed graphic novels from Fantagraphics, publisher of the greatest cartoonists since 1976
AND NOW, without further ado, here's my Review of WWMBY Volume 1
Schoolteacher Bruce Barnes (born in the 1970s) gets disrespected by his student Rizzy Carter.
A pissed-off Bruce goes to the teachers' lounge to drink and smoke, but the cigarette he's offered is laced with methamphetamine.
Now a "High" schoolteacher, Bruce decides to drive home. Still on speed, Bruce tries to teach another driver about "the rules of the road"... but our pedagogue gets mugged instead.
Bruce arrives at his little apartment, watches The Office S2.E14 on TV, burns himself with his last cig, grabs his gun and gets back into his car.
Bruce stops at a convenience store, he buys a cherry (his favourite flavour) FREEZ-O DRINK-O slushy and a pack of smokes, gets overcharged but can't get refunded until the following day.
Out of nowhere his mysterious goth student, Mr. Kafka, gives him $300.
Bruce pulls his gun on the convenience store clerk, spills his drink, tries to get another one, but the machine is fresh out, slips on the floor, tries to hold back his tears and is given a pack of smokes on the house.
Bruce gets back in his car and tries to dry off his shirt.
Bruce furtively reaches Rizzy Carter's residence and decides not to murder the aspiring scholar from his car.
At the Historic Castle bar, bartender Wombat serves Bruce an old fashioned cocktail and mentions Oh-Dee's (as in an overdose of a drug), teens and Franklin County, Massachusetts.
He flirts with the power suit wearing Dawn, tries to pay off young Bippo Spumuncci (of Cosmopolitan limo services)'s gambling debt with Kafka's $300 and gets smacked (a term for a strong opioid drug) by bully Megmo.
Bruce, a boiling, overflowing reservoir of frustration, snaps, his inner King Cobra (The RAGE SNAKE), Eagle, and Wild Cat spirit animals combine and a bar brawl breaks out.
Bruce destroys Gene, Randy and Megmo's knee. Dawn tries to stop Megmo from liquidating Bruce with a glass to the face. Bruce knocks out Megmo with an 8 ball (8-ball is also a powdered psychoactive drug, get it?)
Bruce pays for the damages with Kafka's $300 and downs 3 shots of Jim Beam + 3 shots of Jack Daniel's. Dawn notices Bruce's Playboy bunny logo tattoo. Bruce gets his gun from his car and leaves with Dawn. Bippo mentions that his uncle is on his way.
Dawn introduces Bruce to HER HUSBAND, Peter, a cuckold!
Dawn brings Bruce to her "Play Room" and he takes a shower.
Bruce eats long expired DEMERSAL BOTTOM FEEDER potato chips.
Bruce tries Dawn's favourite dart gun administered mind expanding drug: Animal Crackers.
The illicit substance enters his system.
With no time to get into the swing of things, the intense high sucks Bruce into outer Space.
Dr. McGillis informs Mr. Turner (a renamed Bruce) that he has a lungworm infection.
Bruce gets in his Corvette and wins a race against teen drivers.
At the convenience store, he forces himself not to buy a slushy.
A gun materializes in his hand, police officers shoot him in the lung, a nematode busts out of Bruce's bullet wound.
Back to streaking in outer space, Bruce sees himself with Dawn... and she's holding a reptilian infant.
Back to reality, Dawn raids her husband's closet for some clean clothes for Bruce.
Bruce starts tripping again, he kills Peter, a micro-sun emerges from Bruce's forehead and Bruce observes the birth of a new galaxy.
Back to reality, Peter is taunting Bruce, Bruce stops himself from really wasting Peter, he just beats Peter up.
While leaving, Bruce spots some Wanda Pluff paintings on the walls.
A snake saves Bruce from an attack dog.
Reggie, Peter's brother, gives Bruce a ride back to his high school.
Wombat's wife Sheri calls Bruce at work. Wombat is missing!
À suivre!
What is Bruce actually listening to on WXQP The Rock? What's his playlist?
Fortunate Son by Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969)
Melissa by the Allman Brothers Band (1972)
Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd (1973)
Hold on Loosely by 38 Special (1981)
Jump by Van Halen (1984)
Good Times Bad Times by Led Zeppelin (1969)
Desperado by Eagles (1973)
Take It Easy by Eagles (1972)
Hey Hey, My My by Neil Young (1979)
Judy Blue Eyes by Crosby, Stills & Nash (1969)
The Pass by Rush (1989)
Peace of Mind by Boston (1976)
Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd (1975)
Whipping Post by The Allman Brothers Band (1969)
Can't Find My Way Home by Blind Faith (1969)
What I did like:
You've always wanted Mr. Raditch (English teacher at Degrassi Junior High (1987–1991)) to have his own bonkers daily comic strip? Your wish has been granted.
A big beautiful book. A Marra masterpiece of massive proportions! Weighty! I've already added 2 inches to my arms just by toting it around. Bullies at the beach do not kick sand in my face anymore.
For those who are sick and tired of mainstream comics.
Marra is once more exploring the depths of hypermasculinity.
Bruce is on speed, Ben is drawing faster and faster. Can you dig it?
The tremendous strain on Marra's wrist. Ben sacrifices his body to entertain the masses. Respect.
The police badge is flipping Bruce off.
We get 3 pin-ups at the end of the book.
Demersal? A groundfish? Ben's father is a scientist in biological oceanography.
Women follow WWMBY. Even my mom thinks that Bruce is cute.
Two Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead (1994) homages!
A King Ghidorah homage.
Two H.R. Giger homages (Alien (1979) & Killer Condom (1996)).
A reptilian baby! Lizard people also appear in Terror Assaulter.
A Cypress Hill (hip hop group) fan is among Bruce's students.
It reads like a storyboard for a film noir/stoner movie or even an animated show for the Adult Swim channel.
The myriad of influences are crystal clear: Hergé, Roy Crane, Rebel Studios, Charles M. Schulz, Paul Gulacy, Raymond Pettibon, Lawrence Hubbard, David Mazzucchelli, Gary Panter, Gary Larson, Gilbert Hernandez, Johnny Ryan, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero and Heta-uma mangas.
Very similar in style to Ripper & Friends.
A Spuds MacKenzie parody appears.
Autostereograms are made fun of.
Cigarette smoking is mocked constantly.
What I did not like:
No proto episodes of What We Mean By Yesterday from VICE.com.
No intro by actor Dan Woods.
No outrageous author photo at the back of the volume. Very disappointing!
No one reading Blades & Lazers in the background! We don't see a Lincoln Washington statue at Bruce's school. No one finds a Glitz Glam business card. Bruce never encounters Sexy Scanners. No Robo Person toy commercials on TV. It needed more Marra easter eggs, more references to prior projects.
No brand new painted cover by Benjamin Marra.
The typos are still present. Kinda lazy.
I wanted more story. Volume 1 will leave you hungry for more volumes.
No Traditional Comics logo anywhere!
We only get 3 pin-ups.
Still no EXPLO graphic novel?
I give it an 8/10. Ben and Fantagraphics bring home the difference, indubitably. But be advised that this is not your typical Traditional Comic normally found on spinner racks at Caldor. It's a unique experiment in tenacity, intuition, efficiency and productivity. How fast can a Canadian cartoonist get his unique gonzo stories out into the world? Who is the fastest draw in Canada? Is faster better? Is it more rewarding/enjoyable for an artist to speed up his process? Will we ever find answers to these conundrums?
For this webcomic, Ben was much less concerned about the quality of the finished work. The doodles are distilled to the max... the art has never been more rustic, but thankfully the Marra imagination remains as fertile as ever. It is still Ben being Ben without any filters.
For readers looking for more refinement and less wham, bam from Ben, let's just say that I would recommend seeking out Benjamin Marra's very best, namely, Night Business (inspired by Fear City (1984) and Giallo movies), American Blood, Disciples, Jesusfreak, his Macbeth (Verdi) adaptation and Terror Assaulter: O.M.W.O.T. (inspired by American Hunter (1988)).
I have to go, teens are spray painting my car. Stay gold and may the roaring fire of independence never go out!
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