Broken Frontier

Much like N’Sync, the Backstreet Boys and Menudo, the boy-band 110 Per¢ have taken the world of pop music by storm. Just ask their fans!

If you’ve never heard of 110 Per¢, they’re the titular group in the background of Tony Consiglio’s recent Top Shelf release. The real story centers around Cathy, Sasha and Gertrude, three members of a group called the Mature Older Fans of 110 Per¢. They’re a group of adult shut-ins who quibble and fight and who fawn and get nothing done at their meetings. Gertrude is a mother of two, whose fanaticism goes so far as stealing the band’s fast food trash to sell on eBay. Cathy, a lonely office worker, is a little too easily stepped on. Sasha tortures her husband Harry with videos of her beloved boy band. With the upcoming concert and the release of the band’s third album, 2 Good 2 "B" 4 You, the trio’s lives are going to change forever.

Underneath it all, it’s worth asking whether the ladies know how victimized they are. For a story about three characters who verge on the delusional, there’s a surprising amount of heart. Tony Consiglio isn’t afraid to show his main characters in the least flattering light. They’re occasionally mean-spirited, criminal, selfish, pathetic and greedy. Yet there’s something emotionally compelling about each of them. Their real-world lives are strained by their fascination with pre-packaged for tweens proto-stars. It’s not hard to relate to the humiliating moments in their lives. In some ways parallels can be drawn between MOFo 110 Per¢ and a group of comic book fans.

Consiglio’s simple cartoon style is at first a bit distracting, but settles into a comfortable space of its own. The characters’ geometric faces keep them distinct from each other while also defining their personalities. When reading some of the more fly-on-the-wall ugliness or intentionally awkward moments, the iconic style gives way to the maturity of the work. While Consiglio isn’t by any means the cleanest cartoonist in the world, he certainly has a few tricks up his sleeve to draw you in to the world of his characters.

Cathy, Sasha and Gertrude are three misfits who are about to consider where their places are in life. Tony Consiglio has crafted an unlikely pop music story that questions the value of fan-worship, friendship and civil behavior. 110 Per¢ is a surprisingly warm book about some characters who might not rate your attention in real life.