Simpsons Illustrated #24 from Bongo Comics review

“I want to read the Bongo”, he said. Our oldest son has no idea who The Simpsons are. He just knows that he likes reading any of the Simpson’s titles that Bongo Comics publishes. I’ve tried numerous times explaining to him that Bongo Comics is the publisher and that the actual name of the book is different. We purchased Simpsons Illustrated #24 from our local comic book store and he immediately said that he wanted to read it,-which led our younger son screaming the same thing and go running to where we got our copy. A child screaming is bad enough, but to the employees at a comic book store it’s   kryptonite to Superman. We quickly paid for our comic, went to the car and had another discussion about inside voice, as well as the Bongo Comics vs. Simpsons Illustrated overview.

Simpsons Illustrated is published six times a year and is jammed with 44 pages of vivid Bart, Lisa, Maggie, Homer, Marge, Smithers, Barney and Flanders fun. The stories in Simpsons Illustrated are reprints from slightly earlier issues of Simpsons Comics.  Each issue costs $4.99, however it has 44 pages of content, which is 33% more comic goodness than the monthly Simpsons Comics which cost $3.99. The cover of the comic usually doesn’t relate to any of the stories in the comic. For example the cover to issue #24 has Homer stealing an ice cream cart, but that image or story line is not featured inside.  In this issue there are four stories of varying length, all of which are funny for adults and appropriate for any age reader.

The disclaimer on the front that says, “A bunch of stuff happens inside” is a subtle wink and nod to the audience. Most any other comic would have to have an image that affirms the basic plot. Simpsons Illustrated doesn’t need to do that because the stories are so creative, bizarre and fun that it would require a checkerboard image of every plot turn.

For example the first story starts out with everyone on a ship that happens to be carrying toxic waste. Mr. Burns is going to dump it into the water, but falls over into it instead. Smithers jumps in, as do many others, but they can’t swim and are all saved by Homer’s body mass. Fat floats, vegetables then get banned in Springfield-much to the chagrin of Lisa, animal activists free a whale who meets Homer who is swimming to raise awareness that the water is not polluted. Unfortunately for Homer he mocked the whale many years ago, the whale remembers, chases Homer and is about to eat him, but is saved at the last minute by a giant carrot suit that Lisa was wearing.  That only works for a moment because the whale has evolved; growing legs and chases everyone on land where the ban on vegetables is lifted.

These stories are laugh out loud funny. They bring an absurdity and surreal nature that the television show doesn’t. Some parents don’t want their kids to watch The Simpsons on television because of the sass or attitude that the characters might have. With Simpsons Illustrated (and The Simpsons Comic) any of that attitude is muted because it’s not being said aloud. Young readers can follow along via the words that they know, discover new ones (that are all age appropriate) and this is one comic book that mom or dad will want to read too.