Tue 28 Apr 2009
TONY MILLIONAIRE PRESENTS DRINKY CROW’S MAAKIES TREASURY AT FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKSTORE & GALLERY ON MAY 9
Celebrated cartoonist Tony Millionaire will appear at Seattle’s Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery on Saturday, May 9 for an exhibition of original artwork and signing of his new book Drinky Crow’s Maakies Treasury.
Millionaire’s “Maakies” is among the best and most popular weekly comic strips in America, running in over a dozen of the largest U.S. weekly newspapers including the Village Voice, L.A. Weekly and Seattle’s The Stranger. The strip has also been adapted into the hit animated series “The Drinky Crow Show” on the Cartoon Network.
“Maakies” chronicles the intoxicating high-seas adventures of alcoholic corvid Drinky Crow and his equally-inebriated simian sidekick Uncle Gabby, blending vaudeville-style humor and a magnificent rendering quality that recalls the glory days of the American comic strip. Designed by publishing’s foremost graphic artist Chip Kidd, with an introduction by acclaimed author Dave Eggers, Drinky Crow’s Maakies Treasury collects the second five years of the strip (previously reprinted in Fantagraphics Books volumes When We Were Very Maakies, The House at Maakies Corner and Der Struwwelmaakies) in a deluxe landscape hardcover format that complements the strip’s classic style. According to the New York Times Book Review, “Millionaire is the closest thing we have to George Herriman of Krazy Kat.”
Millionaire’s appearance on Saturday May 9, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM will include an exhibition highlighting 10 years of original Maakies strips, complemented by a screening of episodes of the animated “Drinky Crow Show.” The artist will be available to sign copies of his many books and informally discuss his influential body of work. Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery is located at 1201 S. Vale Street at the corner of Airport Way S., just minutes south of downtown. This event coincides with the festive Georgetown Second Saturday Art Attack featuring visual and performing arts presentations n dozens of locations throughout the historic arts community. Open daily 11:30 to 8:00 PM, Sundays until 5:00 PM. Phone 206.658.0110.
It’s a damn shame then that this meticulously crafted, psychedelic visual-journey isn’t matched with a screenplay that was given just as much effort. The inbuilt metaphors of the Alice tale are still there however writer Linda Woolverton adds very little in the way of character development or plot undercurrents, seemingly intent on relying on the visual effects wizards and actors to contribute the extra layers. Her biggest missed opportunity is further exploration into the Mad Hatter or even the White Queen – both of whom are half-baked caricatures – with the Hatter coming off as a mere chance for Depp to be quirky, rather than the cleverly-written character with an interesting back story that he should have been. To Woolverton’s credit though, she did manage to concoct some deliriously amusing dialogue for the Hatter and the Red Queen; a small highlight of her script which partially redeems her lack-lustre attempts elsewhere.