Category: Frivolous Fables

One of a set of 10, originally produced as a series of gift cards, telling the tragic story of a working clown’s professional and private life

Many odd characters appear in “Frivolous Fables“.

Wally is only one of them. You do believe me, don’t you?

Adolf Hitler knitting at the Twilight Home for Weary Dictators (late 70s).

It seems unfair that “Der Dickpotato” should have avoided the often grim old age and deterioration that awaits the elderly. An imaginary rectification of history.

There are a couple of dozen of these pithy, meaningful captured moments scattered throughout both Empanelled books.

A seminal, highly serious work in which the Captain reveals how he discovered the cure for this insidious affliction, which subsequently led to his involvement with the Church of SubGenius.

The Rest, as we now know, is still to come — he has since been a perpetually busy Adherent of and Advisor to the High Epopt, J. R. “Bob” Dobbs. [AAHE Gr3]

Imagine being born into a 400-year-old dynasty, with certain duties and commitments that simply do not interest you.

This rebellious miscreant breaks with all the family traditions he is heir to — well, all he can get away with.

The World’s Greatest Drummer was known for his feistiness, demonstrated frighteningly here in this visual transcription of clandestine recordings made on the band bus — a solid lesson in the Realities of the Professional musician’s Duty to the Muse —it is no joke.

The Captain’s ‘major opus’, Doctor Gumbo’s One True Jazz Comic follows the seedy little jazz presenter on his mysterious quest around Sydney, in company with an entourage of jazz legends such as Joe Lane, Gunjo Paterson, and the spirits of departed greats.

Out of concern for the sanity of readers, this 60-page epic has been kindly serialised for the sake of Jazz veracity.

Book 2 of Empanelled collects R.Nold’s works of comicstrip Fantasy, featuring a serialisation of his epic Doctor Gumbo’s One True Jazz Comic, based on the 1970s ABC radio series on Sydney’s 2JJ, leavened with shorter stories of imagination.

A “Reality Interlude” comprises a panel by panel transcription of the 1980s notorious-among-musicians recording of drummer Buddy Rich castigating his recalcitrant band. A shocker.

The “P’Funktory P’Fantom” episodes are a sad indictment of what can happen when a comicbook Hero loses interest in his destiny as a Good Example.

Besides these Main Features, there are 28 shorter stories, plus more of Nold’s Flash Frames, gags, paintings, and full page reproductions of the famous Card series “The Act”, featuring the lachrymose clown, Boppo — and more arcane secrets from the Church of SubGenius!

Colour coded pages allow easy reference to serialised or single stories, but mainly continue a thrilling rainbow effect from Book 1.

“A perfect gift for Clowns, Fools and Numbskulls!”
— Dr. C. Gumbo