A confession first: some of my tastes aren’t the most macho out there. I usually look forward to figure skating during the Olympics, I’ve been able to get through the odd chick flick without my eyes bleeding, I coo over cute animals constantly- and while I’ve yet to delve into full bore bronyism I do enjoy the odd My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic episode (though like most older fans, I have no interest in the prior, far girlier versions). And when it comes to video game heroes, even though I do believe a good character is a good character no matter what their design is, I nevertheless have a soft spot for androgynous looking protagonists found in games like Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts. It’s their stark contrast to the usual western culture norm that I’ve always found the most fascinating about them.
So Kelly Turnbull’s Manly Guys Doing Manly Things, which chronicles the misadventures of a temp agency for underworked macho video game and a few comic book characters, clearly is not made for me in mind, due to it being a clear rejection of the softening (or “bishification”) many characters undergo in fanart – as well as its prominence in many genres. However, it’s not a celebration of idiotic machismo and stupidity either, if the lead character and usual voice of reason Commander Badass is anything to go by. He’s accompanied by Jared, an idiotic former layabout turned Pokémon trainer who’s somehow managed to train a pretty powerful Gyarados, and Jonesey, a fairly generic girl. Other game characters make prominent appearances, like God of War’s Kratos who’s portrayed as a complete buffoon, Link from Legend of Zelda who takes a good beating in most of his cameos, and Duke Nukem who’s presented as an annoying womanizing poser. One joke about the Final Fight hero Cody had me almost choke on my Pepsi.
Most of the comics are standalone gags with hints at gradual character development, save for a story arc where the cast comes down with a “Nomura virus”, in reference to a famed video game designer known for his often effeminate looking men, and heads out to find the source of it. It’s Badass’s generally tolerant attitude and likability that carries the comic throughout all this. He’s clearly meant to be the author avatar in many respects, but Turnbull gives him enough quirks and silly moments to keep that from being too much of a bother. He worships Marlon Brando as a literal religion, delights in violence and manliness and has little patience for anything cutesy, but has the patience of Job when it comes to Jared’s stupidity and is also shown to be a doting father to his two small kids. At times Badass seems like a more aggressive Hank Hill with red goggles and sideburns. That’s a comparison he would clearly despise, as the latest comic makes clear, but then again King Of The Hill is one of my all time favorite shows so he’ll just have to live with it.
Turnbull’s artwork is easily one of the biggest highlights of the comic. All of the character are very well rendered with great detail, her faces are distinct and extremely expressive, all of the action scenes have a very nice flow to them, and the coloring’s good. I will say this though, her style gives Badass (who, at this point I should mention, I am convinced sounds exactly like Patrick Warburton. I doubt much will convince me otherwise) a very handsome yet “rugged” face. His look during his brief bishonen infection still has somewhat masculine features, only with a more streamlined appearance.
The humor in the comic usually hits the mark, never in poor taste as the usual targets tend to be idiotic meatheads and not so much unmanly men (unless you’re Japanese musician Gackt). It goes well out of its way to avoid championing dunderheaded behavior as what defines masculinity, and instead celebrates common sense, empathy and hard work as proper manly values. Jonesey is pretty weak but there’s a chance she’ll get more character development down the road. Jared carries things in the pratfalling buttmonkey department, and he remains pretty likable in spite of his uselessness.
Manly Guys Doing Manly Things honestly surprised this JRPG and Square Enix fanboy. Its definition of what defines manliness is a lot more reasonable than the title implies and far more sensible than how the less bright among us perceive it. If you’re interested in a very funny and very well drawn strip with a fun cast, click this here link. The web address is very, very appropriate.