Out Now: ‘Monster Fun’ #2 For The Summer Holidays

by Richard Bruton

The second issue of the first new kids comic in the longest time here in the UK is out right now, with the new ‘End of School’ Monster Fun #2!

Monster Fun #2 – cover by Neil Googe, colours by Len O’Grady

We’ve already given you a heads up on release day about the comic’s release but now we’ve got hold of a copy of the second issue and are happy to share a preview with you..

Inside, there’s the madcap silliness from the rich history of Brit comics with all-new tales of Kid Kong, Steel Commando, Frankie Stein, Draculass, Martha’s Magical Make Up, Hire A Horror, and the continuing new adventures of our very British superhero, The Leopard From Lime Street. But Monster Fun‘s also got two completely new strips, perfect for the comic, Hell’s Angel by Chris Garbutt and The Sun by Juni Ba – 36 pages of out-and-out fun stuff, great comic characters of old brought up to date, new strips with a Monster Fun theme, and all from the best creators around!

So here’s just a few highlights for me, although every strip has plenty of laughs, each one a winner in its own way, plenty for kids (and adults) to get into.

There’s fun to be had with Draculass suffering one of those terrible rainy holiday days, Martha getting into monster trouble with her Magical Make Up at a sleepover, Juni Ba’s The Sun finds Count Dracula finding an unusual solution to his daytime problems, and Hire A Horror sees the staff on their annual summer field trip, leaving a literal skeleton crew in charge. It doesn’t go too well, with a few pages of chaos on the field trip and back at Hire A Horror, Matt Baxter‘s stylish artwork an absolute treat…

Hire a Horror in holiday mode – by Matt Baxter

Kid Kong‘s nan’s decided that she’s entering the Iron-Nan competition, which in itself is one of those absolutely daft ideas that were the bread and butter of these classics back in the day.

Chaos, calamity, surfing sensations, inflatable bananas, and plenty more all through the three pages here from Alec Worley and Karl Dixon…

Kid Kong – totally bananas! By Alec Worley and Karl Dixon

Steel Commando is one of two continuing tales, way, way funnier (by design) than Leopard from Lime Street, it picks up with Steel Commando Mk I destroyed by the Mk II robot, traitorous swine that he is. Plenty of great gags here from Ned Hartley and great comedic moments from Dan Boultwood‘s immaculate comedy timing as Steel Commando Mk I gets a new body, Penny finds a great us for a threateningly big spanner, there’s a bat-lady on the loose, another deadly enemy returns, interdimensional portals, and finally, a surprise appearance from another old favourite superhero!

Steel Commando by Ned Hartley and Dan Boultwood

Frankie Stein‘s adventures are as silly as Kid Kong, just with more grotesquery and less bananas. Anyone fancy a chicken and cobweb sandwich? Meanwhile, the Prof’s invented the cube clonotronic and then leaves Frankie Stein alone to clean up the lab… what could go wrong? Lots. And lots. Loads of silly fun from Cavan Scott, loads of wonderful artwork from John Lucas.

Frankie Stein(s) by Cavan Scott and John Lucas

And ending it all, we have more from Chris Garbutt‘s Hell’s Angel, where Garbutt takes everything from the past, including a mean Faceache homage, mixes it all up with various artistic influences including a dash of Baxendale and a smidge of Patterson, and brings us some hellish fun as the demon child decides to spend some time mixing it up with the school bullies.

Chris Garbutt’s Hell’s Angel… getting into a hella trouble wherever she is

And of course, Leopard from Lime Street is doing wonderful things, with Furman and LeFauvre giving Billy Farmer an update and a mysterious backstory, along with a new villain and a sister he never knew about in a tale that’s going darker and darker, right into poor Billy’s nightmares.

As the one serious strip in Monster Fun, it’s doing amazing things, with Furman really delivering on his desire to flesh out Billy Farmer’s history and make the strip relevant – although quite brilliantly Leopard is determinedly set out of time, not quite modern, not quite back in the day, just taking it’s own place in comics history as it should.

Meanwhile, Lefeuvre’s artwork is simply wonderful, angular, unusual panel shapes driving the action with the Leopard, darkness everywhere, great flow of the story, storytelling and experimentation done just right…

Leopard from Lime Street by Simon Furman and Laurent Lefeuvre

Next issue – 3rd August 2022 – perfect summer holidays fun! Make a date in your diaries now!

Monster Fun #2 is out right now, and don’t forget about the Comic Creation Competition that’s running all summer, with a chance for readers to submit their own ideas for their story that could end up created and printed in a future Monster Fun.

The second issue of ‘Britain’s kookiest kids comic,’ Monster Fun, is out right now, available on newsstand shelves here in the UK or via the Monster Fun website, where you can also get your hands on annual subscriptions.

Okay then, now time for a preview…

KID KONG – by Alec Worley and Karl Dixon