Poor Rocko. After his star turn in the ’90s, not much has really changed for the poor, beleaguered wallaby. Still hanging out with his old friends. Still navigating the surreal messiness of contemporary existence. At least now, thanks to Boom! Studios, he’ll get to do it all in comic book form.
All images via Boom! Studios. Illustration by Nick Pitarra.
As reported yesterday by the Los Angeles Times, the ennui’d wallaby will grace the comic pages this December, with writing by Ryan Ferrier (Kong on the Planet of the Apes, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers) and art by Ian McGinty (Adventure Time, Bravest Warrior) and backup stories by illustrators like KC Green (Invader Zim, that wonderful This is Fine dog), David DeGrand (SpongeBob Comics), and Tony Millionaire (Sock Monkey).
The first issue will feature three covers, a main cover by Jorge Monlongo (Adventure Time), what Boom! is calling a “look-and-find” cover by Bachan (Bill & Ted Save the Universe), and a variant cover by NIck Pitarra (The Manhattan Projects).
All is not well in the world of O-Town. According to Boom, a job shortage is underway, and Rocko will face all the calamities of postmodern life: unemployment, the uncertainty of a career at the crossroads, cell phones.
Like the upcoming Nickelodeon special slated for 2018, the focus of the comic is on Rocko’s arrested development and his displacement in the strange 21st century.
“The linchpin of the series is that Rocko hasn’t really advanced much,” Ferrier told the LA Times. “That [sounds] very grim, but it’s also very funny too.”
It’s ok, Rocko. We haven’t grown up all that much either.
The original Rocko’s Modern Life television show ran from 1993 to 1996, and was notable in its ability to meld a surrealist take on the adult sitcom with a format and mood that still somehow managed to get children watching. It will return to TV next year, and you can check out Boom’s comic when the first issue hits stands in December. Check out the covers below.
Illustration by Jorge Monlongo
Illustration by Bachan.
Illustration by Nick Pitarra.