Korgi

OK. I’ve got 3 words that will make just about any person with a healthy dose of curiosity want to check out Christian Slade’s cute cute cute graphic novel fantasy: fire breathing corgi.

Got your attention now?

I’m a bit shy to admit that overall, I liked this little book. First off, I’m not much of a corgi believer (I know everyone says they’re lovely creatures, but they just look wacko with their little legs and barrel bodies). How ’bout a village full of corgis, large and small, living in tree houses? (I swear I’m not making this up people). Be this weirdness as it may, I defy you not to fall in love with our doggy hero the first time you see him leap with his tiny legs out of a giant hollow log as he races through the forest. What spunk! What gumption! (What short legs!) So Sprout the Korgi lives in Korgi Hollow with his owner/companion, Ivy. In this first installment of the series, Sprout and Ivy are put to the test when they wander away from their village and come face to face with some right nasty characters.

As you might expect, the best part of this book is the art (considering it’s almost entirely wordless, you’d better hope the illustration kicks). The relationship between the girl and her dog, and the range of emotions they experience as they journey through this adventure comes across perfectly throughout the story in the delicacy of the facial expressions. I also found the narrative to move along at a brisk and satisfying clip (in strange directions, yes, but it sure kept moving). The best part? I’m thinking it might be the very end, when the weird, angry, giant dust-bunny character reports back to his leaders to tell them about the power of the corgi. Hilarious.

This series is brought to us by Top Shelf Comix (makers of Owly). Like Owly, I imagine that Korgi will have a wide readership. I doubt it will be confined to the younger set. So come on. Give corgis a chance.