The Muppets seem to be everywhere these days, and one enjoyable form in
which they have surfaced is the comic book. Roger Langridge has crafted
several books in The Muppet Show Comic Book series, one of which is the
Halloween-themed Muppet Mash. Each of the four sections is meant
to be an episode of the show, and each focuses on a particular type of
monster, making this a silly, spooky collection fitting for this time of
year.
In Chickens of the Night, Gonzo begins
displaying some very strange behavior after his trip to Transylvania.
While weirdness is Gonzo’s trademark, his new choice of attire and his
secretive habits begin to make his friends suspect that he has returned a
vampire. Are they jumping to conclusions, or does this mark a dramatic
change for Gonzo? While the main story is fun, my favorite part of this
segment is Casey Was a Bat, a parody of the beloved baseball poem Casey at the Bat.
That’s a Wrap
introduces a woman with an Egyptian vaudeville act. Statler and Waldorf
both fall for her immediately, as she reminds them so forcefully of a
performer they saw in their youth. Could she actually be that same
Cleopatra wannabe? This one is a lot of fun because it’s so odd to see
the crusty curmudgeons attempting to be romantic, all the while
undermining each other’s efforts in that department. I also enjoyed all
the Egyptian puns, many of which I only got because of the crash course
in Egyptology that accompanied my LOST immersion last year.
Monster Munch
finds the members of the Electric Mayhem ecstatic that the legendary
blues musician Howlin’ Jack Talbot will be sitting in with them for this
episode. Their enthusiasm soon fades, however, when he is unable to get
through a song. Similar in some ways to the first story, it revolves
around the growing suspicions that this musical hero may, in fact, be a
werewolf. Will the band ever manage to complete a performance with their
special guest?
Finally, The Curse of Beaker is a
Frankenstein-like story in which Bunsen, never particularly concerned
about the welfare of his lab assistant, orders him to place his brain
inside a gigantic robot he has constructed. Beaker concocts a clever way
to subvert this unpleasant plan, but will the results lead to disaster?
This story integrally involves a small creature called a poob, which I
don’t ever recall encountering before this book. Were these cheerful
furry creatures a part of the Muppetverse all along, or did Langridge
invent them? This is a fun showcase for Beaker, and it also affords the
entertaining opportunity of seeing the ominous-looking Sweetums in a
dress.
Each story contains a hefty dose of Muppet mayhem, and
as a result, it all feels a bit chaotic. There’s an ongoing story in
each, but we also get regular Muppet Show segments like Veterinarian’s Hospital
and the cooking corner with the Swedish Chef. It’s a little odd to see
the Muppets in this flat format, but they are just as dynamic as ever,
and their expressions are wonderful. Some of them look closer to their
proper versions than others, but all of them are easily identifiable. Of
course, you’re not getting any audio cues, and that is particularly
noticeable during the many musical numbers, but the songs included here
are a lot of fun anyway.
Only one of these stories takes place
on Halloween, but the creepy holiday is obviously the prevailing theme.
This gives the story added seasonal appeal in the fall, but it would be
just as entertaining at any other time. Muppet Mash uses horror
staples but transforms them into something goofy, much like the
Riddikulus charm in Harry Potter. If you have trouble laughing in the
face of fear, see if these Muppets might be able to help you out.
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