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Writer's pictureByron O'Neal

WHAT A CROCK, ISSUE #1


Writer: Dino Caruso Art & Letters: Kacee Navarro

Publisher: Self-Published


What A Crock #1, cover, self-published, Caruso/Navarro

WHAT IS IT?

A light, slice-of-life comedy about Guy Crock and his girlfriend, Sandy.

It looks very PIXAR, and I am ALL ABOUT IT.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT?

(Minor Spoilers)

Guy Crock wants to wake up early to get his laundry done before the rest of his building. Why? Well, it would free up his day, not having to do a one load at a time along with everyone else doing their laundry at the same time.

His girlfriend, Sandy Iego, always gets her gas at the same gas station – the one that gives her air miles every time she spends money there. It's one of those places where someone pumps your gas for you, and unfortunately, the man in charge of that is very chatty. Sandy wants to get gas somewhere where she gets her miles, but doesn’t want to have a conversation with the man working the pumps every time.

Hijinks ensue.

WHAT WORKS?

  • Dino Caruso captures the everyday essence of humanity within everyday mundanity so well, I was hooked immediately

  • As a "secret introvert," Sandy's need not to have a conversation with someone, along with her solution, really spoke to me

  • Normal people care about how their time is spent, whether it's doing laundry or getting gas

  • At its heart, What a Crock is about avoiding human interaction, then making unexpected connections with strangers, which is interesting to introverts and extroverts in different ways

  • Again, Kacee Navarro's art reminds me of PIXAR's bright and approachable style

  • It's emotive and engaging and brought joy to my heart

  • It's a very nice, light break from heavier comics – the perfect palate-cleanser that still has texture enough to keep things interesting

  • The world needs more sitcom comics like this one!

  • With the slice-of-life style and everyday problems the characters tackle, I think there's a lot of fertile territory for What a Crock, and I'm excited to see where the story goes next

  • It's free! (for now)

WHAT DOESN'T WORK?

  • The comic's title might give you the wrong idea about the comic's contents

  • People who aren't city-dwellers may not fully comprehend how true the laundry situation is

  • Sandy's solution seems a little unethical – I wonder if future chapters will have the fallout of it, or if it's just a more real-world solution in a real-world comic

  • No color, if that sort of thing bothers you


What A Crock #1, page 2, self-published, Caruso/Navarro

WHY SHOULD I READ IT?

What a Crock spoke to me on a very personal level, and it may have the same effect on you. It's a highly enjoyable, easy-to-read and hard-to-put-down comic, and Kacee Navarro's art is an absolute delight.

HOW DO I BUY IT?

The image(s) used in this article are from a comic strip, webcomic or the cover or interior of a comic book. The copyright for this image(s) is likely owned by either the publisher of the comic, the writer(s) and/or artist(s) who produced the comic. It is believed that the use of this image(s) qualifies as fair use under the United States copyright law. The image is used in a limited fashion in an educational manner in order to illustrate the points of the author and not for the purpose of entertainment or substituting the original work. It is believed the use of this image has had no impact on the market value of the original work.

All Dino Caruso & Kacee Navarro characters and the distinctive likeness(es) thereof are trademarks of and copyright Dino Caruso & Kacee Navarro or their respective owners. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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