Cereal

Cereal
Ahoy Comics
Writer: Mark Russell
Art: Peter Snejbjerg
Colors: Peter Snejbjerg, Angelica Ingio, Ole Comoll

In Cereal, writer Mark Russell takes iconic breakfast cereal mascots and re-imagines them as characters facing terrible dangers in their respective homelands. Count Chocula, for example, is The Marquis de Cocoa, a local lord known for hosting breakfasts feasts. Recently he has become a vampire, but refuses to cancel breakfast. So he sits at the table and hosts his guests as the sun slowly creeps across the table toward him. And when it does arrive as it always does if his guests linger too long he sits and bears the pain lest his people discover the monster he has become.

The Leperchaun Kingdom houses the fabled Crown of Four Wisdoms. “The pink heart stands for courage in battle. The blue diamond represents prudence with wealth. The yellow moon…”, well, you get picture. Toucan Sam is depicted quite grotesquely. Tony the Tiger is very dapper. Dig ‘Em Frog of Honey Smacks fame is a gravedigger.

It’s all lovingly depicted in a dark tale that is more serious than it is funny; but, it’s oh so clever. Peter Snejbjerg takes the story seriously, too. Strong emotions accompany the character designs. Lots of mood, too, thanks to the colorists. (Chad Boudreau)