Shaky Kane's Monster Truck

'I could ride this trail blindfold' ...................

That's the text you see when you open this graphic novel. An unattributed quote, sounds almost like a Clint Eastwood/John Wayne grizzled old cowboy. Or a cocksure hotshot racing driver. Well you are both wrong (or I am both wrong...or something....) Because as far as i'm concerned it's the big yellow Monster Truck talking. And he is one mean son of a bitch.

Shaky Kane doesn't so much weave a story or set up a narrative here. It's a psychedelic stream of conciousness delivered in single comic sized pages oriented on their sides you know, 'landscape'.......all brash Kirby heft and Frank Kozik-esque zombies and penis-proboscis'd blue bottles whizzing around and astronauts and big wind-up robots and floating giant eyeballs.......and so much more!

Landscape is a key word when looking at this book. Each page leads directly on from the last, you could actually cut each page out and mount them sequentially and it would be one continuous frieze. Once the first page is turned, you cannot stop until the end (and even then you can't stop).

clowns, aliens, pick-up truck full of dolls...what more could you want?

You are never really sure whether what you are seeing in Monster Truck is real or not. Is this truck racing across this barren, trippy desert for any reason? Does it even really matter? The answer you are looking for is 'No, it doesn't matter' There are no damsels in distress that need rescuing here (unless you count the 'anorexic teenage dolls' in the back of the pick-up truck) There is no universe shattering showdown awaiting the truck and it's driver. Only the road. The unending Mobius strip road. Obvilion and nirvana.

This amazing page is the one that precedes the previous page above. loving the 'martian death-machine'

We only see the driver of the truck one time. He appears in a sequence of pages that pulls the focus away from the monster truck LSD fun ride for a few panels and makes us question what is going on. I feel it is implied that the journey of the monster truck is being guided by an external force. A child at play maybe. But its no 'play time' flight of fancy. Shaky Kane's Monster Truck is a psychedelic road trip around a head full of silver age madness, pop culture over kill, sex and death and brightly coloured robots, starfighters and dinosaur. It pure Id, but it isn't base or crude. It's perfectly paced and creeps along and takes you through familiar pop culture signifiers from the last 50 years or so. Classy stuff.

you would not accept a lift from this gentleman

Monster Truck is a joy. i've thumbed my way down the dusty highway twice and it holds up with repeated readings. If you want respite from the spandex brigade or are just looking for an interesting graphic novel free from back story that stands alone then grabs this now. Especially grab this if you just did a bunch of LSD cos you will LOSE YOUR SHIT!

BEAUTIFUL!