Go Cerebral (Literally) With Gingerbread Girl

I think I have made it pretty clear that I enjoy comics that fall, shall we say, outside the norm. Something other than Superheroes I mean. I like Supes fine, it’s just that I like diversity in any medium. Too often it seems that comic media is full to choking with be-latexed (I just invented that) individuals that are as gods. Sometimes I am not in the mood for it. Often I want stories about people.

Thankfully there are comic creators like Paul Tobin and Coleen Coover. I got a little sneak peak at their upcoming graphic novel Gingerbread Girl and was quite impressed. Tobin tells the story of a 26 year old Annah who has an, interesting, idea about her life. She believes that her sister Ginger was created by her mad genius of a father by removing the part of her brain known as Penfield’s Homonculous. The interesting tale is told through a series of fourth-wall breaking narrators that includes Annah herself as well as other characters that cross paths with Annah through the course of the story.

Is Annah’s sister homonculous real? Or just imagined. Despite being a strict rationalist, I like stories that play with themes of reality vs belief and the meaning of what sane or insane. The idea of the Penfield’s Homnculous itself seems to be more a macguffin to drive the story than the integral piece. It sets things in motion, but it doesn’t really matter if the characters understand the scientific aspects or validity of what they are discussing. What matters most is Annah’s belief in her sister, and how it affects those around her.

I also have to give kudos to Coleen Coover, the artist behind it all, for presenting a refreshing art style. I sometimes grow wearing of staring at said belatexed men flaunting their engorged… well, you get the idea. Coover’s illustrations are simple, pretty, and skillfully done. The characters are different and recognizable instantly while maintaining a consistency that makes them feel like they all belong to the same world. The characters are cartoony, but not in a hyper distorted way that would diminish from the gravitas of the comic. The drawings compliment both the lighheartedness and the complex emotional issues presented and it is obvious that Tobin and Coover are on a certain wavelength together.

If you are looking for a break from capes, or want a more stimulating comic, you can’t go wrong with Gingerbread Girl. The characters are all believable as people, and the story never feels to preachy or convoluted but will leave you thinking about it after you have finished the story. If you have been following the webcomic version over at Top Shelf Productions then you know what I am talking about. 😉

Gingerbread Girl hits stores in May if you just have to have one for your shelves (I know I do).

Well, if you have made through my raving and are still with me I wanted to discuss a few other things as well. First, I would ask that you extend well wishes to AJ Herrera and Lynn Paulus. They work tirelessly to make Forbidden Panel what it is and are always striving to make it better. Also, please, please contact me about new Geek Girls episodes. Or if you know some geeky ladies that want to get their voice out there for the world to hear, refer them. I will grovel if I have to (please don’t make me). I have some ideas for the show and I really want it to take off as its own feature rather than just an extremely infrequent affair. Call me. ( or email bryan@forbiddenpanel.com)

One more thing. I mention Trade Reading Order on Panelcast 80, but I wanted to take a moment to talk about it here because I think it is an excellent and thoughtfully nerdy resource. If you are lost in a confusing cloud of innumerable titles to choose from at your local comic shop (I always am and end up staring dumbfounded most of the time) then you should hop on that link and create an account because TRO is set up just for that reason. The site is broken down by publisher, era, and genre, to make the once daunting task of figuring out where to start with a particular series much simpler by telling you what titles are important to read for a particular arc or offshoot. The site itself takes a little getting used to, but it is constantly being updated and improved and I am sure that it will soon become one of your most visited bookmarks (after Forbidden Panel of course ;).