Johnny Ryan's XXX Scumbag Party

Just released through Fantagraphics is Johnny Ryan's XXX Scumbag Party, the second collection of the fantagraphic issues of Angry Youth Comix. Containing issues 6-10, XXX Scumbag Party continues with the same low brow excellence of Ryan's previous works, returning to the disgusting adventures of characters such as Boobs Pooter, Loady McGee, Sinus O'Gynis and Blecky Yuckerella. If you've not read Ryan's absurd strips before, I strongly suggest also picking up his first collection What're You Lookin' At, if not to just get the issue containing Comic Book Skool. In this, Ryan's signature character Loady McGee teaches all the essential lessons of creating comics, including lesson VI:

Always have "panel after panel of ordinary, normal, run-of-the-mill sons-o-bitches being endlessly humiliated." Accompanied with a picture of one such average joe being barfed and peed on by a couple of slack jawed yokels. And this is one of the relatively tamed steps!

It might sound stupid but I guarantee it is hysterically funny all the way through.

The best quote to define Ryan's is by fellow comic oddball R. Crumb, "Generally speaking, (Johnny Ryan's) comics are really dumb & infantile, and prove beyond a doubt that chemical pollution, television, video games, pop music, ect. is making us all stupider by the minute..."

Regardless of the filth and the fury, Ryan's work returns indie comics to an unpretentious and funny good time, ignoring the sappy sensitivity now common of the genre.

Johnny Ryan will be at Star Clipper on September 8, accompanied by Peter Bagge and Jim Blanchard, for a Fantagraphics art show and book signing. Yep, all my favorite comic creators are coming in! So, don't miss it!

-Jon