Pipeline Special | The Cowboy Wally Show
Scott A Cederlund
Blieck Jr) wrote:
> "The Cowboy Wally Show"
> by Kyle Baker
> published by Marlowe & Company
> ISBN: 1-56924-834-6
> Publication Date: March 1996
> Price $14.95
>
>
Augie, did you get a preview copy or is the book actually out? Guess it's
another thing I'll have to go looking for. As a semi-respectable member
of the RAC community, I feel that it is my duty to get this book.
Off the the comic shops...
scott cederlund
Augie De Blieck Jr
by Kyle Baker
published by Marlowe & Company
ISBN: 1-56924-834-6
Publication Date: March 1996
Price $14.95
I didn't know what I was getting myself into.
It was practically a net.legend. "The Cowboy Wally Show" is
something I had heard about and read of only on the Internet in
my short time (year and a half or so) here. So when the
publisher was offering reviews copies, I jumped at the chance.
I'm glad I did.
"The Cowboy Wally Show", by Kyle Baker, is a compilation of
the four chapters originally published in 1986, judging by the
copyright. It is some of the funniest and most entertaining
comic book fare I have ever read.
The cover may be a bit mis-leading. When I first opened the
envelope to see the cover, my first fear was that I had waded
into something sexual. (Well, there's a big fat guy on stage on
the cover with a trio of Vegas-like women, in front of a crowd
with spotlights shining.) However, that fear proved unfounded.
And the cover actually fits in perfectly with the story.
What is the story? It's a documentary of Cowboy Wally, "a
slightly lewd, always rowdy fictional combination of W.C. Fields
and a Texas oil magnate, with a bit of Mr. Rogers thrown in for
good measure." That's what the back cover tells us. It's right.
(Although one could also argue that at times he looks like a fat
Rush Limbaugh.) Cowboy Wally's success story involves a series
of questionable movies and TV shows, as well as a Congressional
investigation or two.
The first chapter, and possibly the funniest, is an
interview with Cowboy Wally as he tells us about his humble
beginnings and his first children's television shows. Not all of
them were successful, mind you. But all of them will have you
laughing. I don't think I ever got more than a page at any one
time into the story when I had to put down the book to laugh.
This chapter is more like a skit-show, without a main story-line,
really, but jumping back and forth between the interview and
clips of the old TV shows.
The second chapter is perhaps the slowest, "Sands of Blood."
It is Cowboy Wally's first starring role in a movie, and tells
the story of a gang of French Foreign Legionnaires. Some funny
stuff in here, as well, but nothing on the level of chapters one
or four.
"Chapter Three: The Making of Hamlet" is perfect for those
of us who had to go through that play in high school and hated
every minute of it. (Cowboy Wally makes a brilliant defense for
those of us who didn't like it.) Due to a series of mishaps,
Hamlet becomes a twenty minute film in modern lingo filmed in
prison. Yes, it is as funny as it sounds.
"Chapter Four: Cowboy Wally's Late Night Celebrity Showdown"
gives chapter one a run for its money for funniest chapter. Let
me quote the first page of it, to give you a general idea of what
this chapter is about:
Special repeat presentation of one of the most requested
episode of the popular late-night talk show.
Cowboy Wally and his guest, actress Linda Mason, are joined
by former announcer Eddie Foy and old-time, singing cowboy
Skeets Palomino for a night of memories, anecdotes, and
small-arms fire.
This single episode increased the ratings of the show to
such a degree that the following episodes were shown without
commercials because no one could afford the advertising
rates. The show was canceled two weeks later.
It starts of funny and builds momentum as the story goes
along, before crashing to its finale, as well as the book's.
Baker uses a four-tier, 8 panel a page system to tell the
story. It is all in black and white. There are no word
balloons. This is the part of the mechanics of Baker's
storytelling that I found most interesting. He's left the top
quarter of each panel for just the dialogue. The words being
spoken by a character show up just over his head. It works for a
really nice effect and it pretty easy to read, except for a
couple of sections in chapter two when the crowd scenes make it a
little more difficult to tell who is talking. (Even then it is
still mostly obvious, since the characters who are talking
actually have their mouths open!) So, yes, the book is filled
with interesting talking heads.
Marlowe & Company have done a good job packaging this, as
well. It is square-bound in a glossy-finish cardboard cover.
The paper it is printed on is heavy white stock which shows less
bleed-through than most papers. This is an especially good thing
considering all the heavy blacks used in certain segments of the
book. Simply put, it is well worth the $14.95 cover price.
-Augie
--
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Augie De Blieck Jr. - http://daniel.drew.edu/~adebliec/index.html
au...@nic.com - "Sometimes a core dump is a feature, not a bug."
adeb...@drew.edu - -Mark Schnitzius
Augie De Blieck Jr
: Augie, did you get a preview copy or is the book actually out? Guess it's
I have a preview "Reviewer's Copy - Uncorrected Proofs." Ooh, does this
mean if they find some outrageous error and corret it before the book
goes to print, I'll have a real collector's item on my hands?? ;-)
: another thing I'll have to go looking for. As a semi-respectable member
: of the RAC community, I feel that it is my duty to get this book.
Hell, just do it because it is such a great book. Although I know what
you mean - why do you think I offered to review it?
Augie De Blieck Jr
: WHEN is Cowboy Wally Show shipping? With "Why I Hate Saturn" on my
: eternal top comics list, I can't wait to see more of Baker's work--
Check rec.arts.comics.info for the recent post - it has gone to the
printers, so it will probably be in comics shops next week! =)