''Idiotland'' is a surrealistic

comic a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicat ...

book by Doug Allen and Gary Leib published by

Fantagraphics Fantagraphics (previously Fantagraphics Books) is an American publisher of alternative comics, classic comic strip anthologies, manga, magazines, graphic novels, and (formerly) the Erotic comics, erotic Eros Comix imprint. They have managed sev ...

in 1993–1994. It is noticeably more surreal and Dada-esque that Allen's more-famous work, the ''

Steven Stephen or Steven is an English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; he is widely regarded as the firs ...

'' comic strip and its compilations. ''Idiotland'' was low on plot and high on bizarre characters of unusual anatomy and memorable names, such as Margarita Schnapps and Lavender Sachet, a pair of mean-spirited, middle-aged shopaholics in

anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics to ...

animal form, or Milkshake Gravy, a nosy, unattractive, cross-dressing mailman. It also includes the serialized, three-part story, "Morties," about a small community overtaken by parasitic, mind-controlling fish, called Morties, which bubble up from the brain and burst through the skull. After "Morties" concluded, a new serial began in issue #4, called "Lunch Money." Both stories starred the creators Allen and Leib portrayed as children. ''Idiotland'' was nominated for a

1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...

Harvey Award The Harvey Awards are given for achievement in comic books. Named for writer-artist Harvey Kurtzman, the Harvey Awards were founded by Gary Groth in 1988, president of the publisher Fantagraphics, to be a successor to the Kirby Awards, which were ...

for Best New Series. It ran for seven issues.

References

External links

* * Fantagraphics titles 1993 comics debuts {{Comics-stub