Ralph Wiggum Comics # 1
“The Man of the House”
Writer: Mary Trainor
Artist: Mike Kazaleh
Colorist: Nathan Hamill
Letterer: Karen Bates
“Ralph’s Room”
Writer/Artist: Sergio Aragones
Colorist: Nathan Hamill
“Ralph Wiggum’s Day Off”
Writer/Artist: Carol Lay
Colorist: Art Villanueva
Letterer: Karen Bates
“Ralph The Role Model”
Writer: Jesse McCann
Penciller: James Lloyd
Inker: Andrew Pepoy
Colorist: Art Villanueva
Letrerer: Karen Bates
“Where’s Ralph?”
Artist: Sergio Aragones
Colorist: Nathan Hamill
Publication Date: February 2012
Rating: 10/10
This week I’ll look at Ralph Wiggum Comics # 1 from Bongo Comics. This issue came at a time when Bongo was putting out any one-shot starring a random Simpsons character (And I’m sure given a chance, Sideshow Mel would’ve gotten his own one-shot); Ralph Wiggum, Springfield’s # 1 oddball gets the spotlight to himself and in my opinion, he’s one of those rare characters that has already establish himself as a fan favorite due to his insane mannerisms and let’s be honest….we can’t get enough of it (He’s just hilarious in every Simpsons episode he’s in) so this one-shot celebrates everything Ralph Wiggum as the stories presented here takes you on a fun-filled yet bizarre trip to Ralph’s mind.
First off, “The Man of the House” finds Ralph home alone and making breakfast (making waffles by adding Milk and Eggs in a toaster while putting dirt in a coffee maker and heating it up ……in an oven!) while doing complete and utter damage to his house; then in “Ralph Wiggum’s Day Off”, Ralph inadvertently skip school then makes his way into town where his optimism brings joy to everyone he meets (He’s no Ferris Bueller but he did live in the moment); Two of the “Ralph’s Room” segments find Ralph explaining how his mother gets him to eat his breakfast via the airplane trick which he overexaggerated to no end when he explains it. He decides to make a horse costume out of paper but somehow ends up as a mummy. Finally, “Ralph The Role Model” sees our hero taking on a mentorship position to a young boy who ends up being the leprechaun (The same one who told him to start fires when he’s at his sandbox)
These stories really showed Ralph in his element and are the perfect reminder of how much humor can come out of a character like Ralph who marches to his own beat even though his actions can bring some sense of pain and misery. Most of the stories stick to the basic Simpsons formula of storytelling, the two that impressed me the most are the “Ralph’s Room” segments which were written and drawn to perfection by Sergio Aragones, who after working his magic on “MAD” magazine for years, can take the absurdity of everyday life and turn it into comedy gold plus, Aragones’ humor work well within the Simpsons world so these two stories alone will have anyone seeking out this one-shot. Simpsons fans will love EVERYTHING this issue has to offer even if the current seasons of the show aren’t to your liken, this one-shot will definitely keep you laughing even if you do decide to read this again but will also make anyone a lifelong Ralph Wiggum fan.
Not liking Ralph?!……. That’s Umpossible ! (heh heh…..had to throw that in!)
Well, that’s it for me this week. Thanks for sticking around and I will see you all next time.
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