Imaginary Gumbo #1 is the first issue of a new all-ages comics series by Abby and Dave Bulmer, which is published under the Dumpy Little Robot brand of books, magazines, illustrations and more. I was fortunate enough to get a copy of the new comic for review, and I’ve spent the past day or two getting stuck into this family-friendly adventure.
Please note that there won’t be any spoilers below, so keep reading if you’re curious about the book!
The first issue of Imaginary Gumbo is a forty page comic which tells the tale of Charlie, a young girl with a huge imagination who gets drawn into a world of adventure when her beloved treehouse is destroyed by a creature she’s never seen before. Whilst her Mum is insistent that the destruction was “nothing exciting”, a beautiful dramatic irony is played out over the course of some gorgeously illustrated splash pages, which show that everything in this world is not as it seems, and that a magical threat is looming over Charlie’s world.
The dialogue is peppered with humour that both adults and children will enjoy–from the adorable, whimsical language of the comic’s frog-like creatures that you can see above (no spoilers on who they are here: you have to read to find out!) to the regional humour of having no idea what the hell a smartphone is, let alone a ristretto, there’s something for everyone to smile at within the writing. I think it’s an issue that would lend itself well to being read aloud, perfect for bedtime reading between parents and children or, if you’re anything like me, perfect for someone in their early twenties to read out loud alone whilst doing silly voices.
It also makes sense that the book is being released so near to Halloween: the first issue is full of frightening fun, including a terrifying skeletal antagonist who looks as if he’s walked straight out of a Nintendo game and onto the pages of this adventurous and ambitious first issue.
The artwork is exaggerated just enough to really emphasise Imaginary Gumbo’s sense of movement: Charlie’s adventure has her running and jumping all over the place, and even “talking heads” panels are well-framed so that the comic remains visually interesting throughout. All of the panels have a lot of kinetic energy to them, which is perfect for a comic that centres around a kid with tons of energy–both physical and mental–and helps to make the issue appealing to younger ones who may not have mastered reading by themselves just yet.
Overall, the first issue of Imaginary Gumbo is a fun, exciting comic which will appeal to a wide range of readers. Its genuine, non-cynical sense of adventure and desire to thrill the reader will leave you wanting more, and you’ll leave the issue with a lot of love for the characters and their stories.
The comic will be available at the Thought Bubble comics festival, which is taking place from the 18th-24th of September 2017, in Leeds, UK. More information about the convention is available here, and you can find Abby on Twitter here.
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