Page 45 Review by Stephen
“Things you might see at the end of your garden: Tigers…”
Need I type any further? Thank goodness Lizz Lunney didn’t compile any of the I-SPY books I bought when young: I would have burst into tears. Thankfully it transpires that the next five aren’t quite so challenging: moss (my entire lawn is a flawless carpet of moss), bonfires (I’ve lit a fair few), squirrels (not quite as angry as hers), elves (I wiped them out years ago) and remains (see ‘elves’. Also: ‘bonfires’).
Moss proves to be a major issue this issue, featuring heavily on the cover, dominating its reverse and, at the time of typing, Lizz has festooned for free Page 45’s copies of this mental mini-comic with original, signed sketches of said spore-spawning greenery. And we thank her for that, I think. Hers, of course, is an anthropomorphic moss – far from bipedal, though it does get around and appears to be overwhelmingly at one with itself: content, at rest, like some colour-blind Buddhist.
Also this time: beware The Box Of Unmentionable Stress, a cautionary tale for those of you with both an over-acquisitive and over-inquisitive sensibility. There are always life lessons in Lizz Lunney comics, and I seriously suggest you take heed.
‘The Girl With The Lion In Her Hair’ is an ode not dissimilar to Kate Bush’s gentle and tender ballad The Man With The Child In His Eyes… only decidedly less metaphorical in nature. There is, in fact, a girl with a lion in her hair. I may introduce it to the tiger at the bottom of my garden and see if we can’t get some hot, hinnie-like action going on.
Most of these jaw-dropping gems barely overstay one or two panels but ‘Bum Cats Go Out’ is a veritable two-page epic. There are in fact five panels. It is a quest (“Yippee!”) for presents (“Yippee!”) as two balloon-bottomed bozos of the feline persuasion get up off their arses then sit down on them again to take tea (“Yippee!”). Which two presents do they choose, dear reader? More importantly which two would you choose?
Someone should turn that into one of those internet personality evaluations: which two trinkets you choose (note: trinkets include a gigantic solar entity emitting 384.6 yotta watts of energy per second) will determine exactly what sort of lunatic you are. I’d like to see Lizz set up this interactive service, and then take the test herself.
