Broken Frontier

The funniest debut of 2007 (no, really) gets a follow-up second issue come January, and looks to top its last issue’s outlandish subject matter by placing Union regulars Jimmy the Snake and Lou the Pig inside the world of white collar businessmen.

Challenged by their boss’ niece, “Chi-chi”, that their costumed butts wouldn’t last one day in a “real” job inside the “real” world, tough-talking chain-smoking Snake puts on a tie and follows her to work the very next day.   Lou and a literal monkey in a business suit in tow, Snake tries to prove her words dead damn wrong.  What follows is everything one would hope, and, frankly, tops the first issue in every way.

To say the concept behind Division 18 is inspired would be an understatement, though to say it’s insipid wouldn’t be far off the mark, either.  On the one hand, it’s the frivolous coupling of two by-and-large unconnected things—costumed novelty performers and labor unions—and there exist plenty of stories, in print, webcomics, novels, cartoons, motion pictures, you name it, they’ve got it, that capitalize on just such an improvisational pairing.  What makes Division stand out beyond the others, especially in a world saturated by comedy tropes, is that Division ’s two elements actually jibe on more than a non-sequiter level.  Costumed novelty performers work for hourly or gig-by-gig wages, and they do the oddest jobs, wielding a mystique of anonymity and exhibitionism in concert.  Unions are plagued by the reputation of having ties to organized crime, strong arm tactics, and constant violence.  Story-wise, the two offer a natural plethora of possibilities, and yet the  combination is such a jarring mingle, nary a character can speak in-character and not be funny!

But credit where credit is due: Matt Bergin has, with this issue, scripted two downright hysterical book-length stories, lampooning the entire length and breadth of employment culture, simply by inserting men and women who wear ridiculous costumes throughout the entire spectrum of the workplace arena.  In issue #2, the lowlife attitude of Jimmy is set against the regimented underpinnings of the office environment, as well as Lou’s childish and anti-gastronome appetite set against the constant cheap-food availability that comes with.  The more obvious topics are broached, such as smoke breaks, internet porn, water cooler gossip, and floor-by-floor buffets, but Bergin’s truest strength, as a writer, comes from simply allowing his character’s characters to bounce off the story’s elements and pull the comic panel-by-panel through an honest to god three-act structure, a rare thing to encounter inside any pure humor mag.  The plot is actually captivating in event and pace, while never shirking or shying away from its primarily comedic intent.  The characters are lovable, detestable, and honestly cared for, though the content of any given issue hardly strives toward drama.  Comedy with causality: the perfectly sought-after result of any literal funny book.

But Bergin would suffer mightily if he weren’t accompanied by an artist of Jeremy Donelson's caliber.  I compared the man’s work in my review  for issue #1 to The Traveler’s Chris Moreno and Hero by Night’s D.J. Coffman, and the comparison yet stands.  Jeremy wields all the storytelling grace of Moreno with the greater absurdity of Coffman’s Monkey Man Unleashed .  With his wealth of expression both facial and body, Jimmy is the quintessential tough guy, Lou a truly sympathetic if pathetic pig, and the humor of every situation played with fine-tuned pitch.

Only one more issue to go, at least for this first Division 18 mini, but oh my lord there needs to be more.  Division 18 has single-handedly restored my faith in the power of the humor comic, which hasn’t seen flush times since Barry Ween and Boneyard .  (Please note: I am not promoting the idea that there aren’t good comics with funny bits in them anymore, but the through-and-through humor book has been conspicuously missing over the last few years).  Bergin and Donelson have a bona fide hit on their hands, and I hope for more, more of Division 18 , but frankly, just more of them, plain and simple.