cover image Rascal Raccoon’s Raging Revenge

Rascal Raccoon’s Raging Revenge

Brendan Hay and Justin Wagner. Oni, $24.99 (144p) ISBN 978-1-934964-71-2

An angry cartoon villain finally defeats his arch enemy only to discover victory isn’t all he wanted it to be, in this madcap exploration of the metafictional world of cartoons, a territory previously explored by Roger Rabbit. Rascal Raccoon, a “meanie,” has spent a lifetime trying and failing to outwit Jumpin’ Jackalope, a “merrie.” One day Rascal accidentally shoves Jumpin’ in front of two oncoming trucks, making him the first Toonie Terrace inhabitant to ever be permanently killed. But Rascal’s life loses all meaning with his rival no longer around to battle. So he forms an uneasy alliance with Jumpin’s widow, Janey, to travel to the land of the Pen Man, who created them all, telling Janey he wants to bring Jumpin’ back to life, but actually seeking to kill his maker. Their journey into reality takes them to a theme park, an overseas animation studio, and finally to Burbank, Calif. Rascal must face the fact that his violent, miserable life was a story created to entertain children. The story steps around the deeper philosophical implications of a fictional character confronting its creator and sticks to a zany, high-energy cartoon. Wagner’s art capably evokes that feeling of a Saturday morning cartoon gone wrong. (Dec.)