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Writer's pictureByron O'Neal

PLAYGROUND – ATTACK OF THE GURGLEBOTS!!!, VOL. 1


Writer: Adam Rose Art: Charles Toefield

Colors & Letters: Shauna Klebesadel

Additional Art, Colors & Letters: David Pentland, Trevor A. Smith, Shauna Klebesadel Publisher: Markosia


Playground, Vol. 1 (tpb), cover, Markosia, Rose/Toefield/Pentland/Smith/Klebesadel

WHAT IS IT?

An all-ages graphic novel that spotlights going outside, playing childhood games, and eating your vegetables.

It reads like a wholesome-yet-fun '90s cartoon.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT?

(Minor Spoilers)

Felix is out trudging around his elementary school's organic garden and stumbles upon a growing stalk of broccoli. Without knowing this broccoli had gained mysterious meteor powers, he eats it and gains playground-related abilities.

He uses these to fight against the school principal, who uses candy powers to control and sedate the children. Felix and his friends must stand up to the principal and his army of Gurglebots (snack- and soda-machines that transform into robots) to free all the kids from his clutches.

WHAT WORKS?

  • As a parent, I love comics my kids can read, especially when they glorify vegetables and getting away from the screen

  • While at first I questioned Felix fighting the principal, I do think it's important to teach our kids to challenge authority that is corrupt

  • Many indie comics don't have color, but the bold and bright color inside are perfect for young audiences

  • Rose & Toefield do well creating an approachable all-ages title that can actually resonate with kids

  • From the action-packed, low-dialogue story to the age-appropriate subject matter, it really feels like they understand their audience

  • Robust backmatter includes activity pages for kids, character close-ups, and even a whole other story, called "Hobby Squad"!

WHAT DOESN'T WORK?

  • The upfront section explains the powers, but I wonder if it's too dense and copy-heavy for young readers, especially positioned in the front of the comic before the action starts

  • I also worry that kids who haven't played these games might lack a frame of reference to grasp the powers' concepts

  • That being said, as an adult and a parent, I liked seeing the "rules" of the world upfront, and feel like I could easily paraphrase for my kids

  • "Rude" humor, like a squirrel peeing on a meteor (shown below) may play well with kids, but sensitive parents may not want their kids reading that

  • It seems like there's a lot of white space on the pages – I'm not sure if this is a style choice or an issue with the digital file, but it takes away from room that could be spent on more comic

  • A professional letterer could help save some room on the page and cut white space within word balloons


Playground, Vol. 1 (tpb), Markosia, Rose/Toefield/Pentland/Smith/Klebesadel

WHY SHOULD I READ IT?

"Playground – Attack of the Gurglebots!!!" is a solid comic for a younger audience. Fun, funny and wholesome without coming across as boring or out of touch.

HOW DO I BUY IT?

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The image(s) used in this article are from a comic strip, webcomic or the cover or interior of a comic book. The copyright for this image(s) is likely owned by either the publisher of the comic, the writer(s) and/or artist(s) who produced the comic. It is believed that the use of this image(s) qualifies as fair use under the United States copyright law. The image is used in a limited fashion in an educational manner in order to illustrate the points of the author and not for the purpose of entertainment or substituting the original work. It is believed the use of this image has had no impact on the market value of the original work.

All Adam Rose characters and the distinctive likeness(es) thereof are trademarks of and copyright Adam Rose or their respective owners. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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