There’s something oddly amusing about two adult men sitting around and talking about nothing in particular. What they say tends to make perfect sense to them, but not necessarily to those who happen to eavesdrop on those conversations. In those rambling spaces lie a sense of connection as well as humour, for those who can capture it. In Appleguy & Beefwood, Cedar Van Tassel uses two unlikely protagonists — a guy with an apple for a head, and another with a block of wood — to draw out the understated comedy underlying seemingly aimless banter.
Where do Appleguy and Beefwood come from? What do they do? Why couldn’t they look normal? None of these questions are addressed or even acknowledged, nor should they be in a comic. The characters began making weekly appearances on Instagram in 2022 and this collection gathers the first 105 four-panel comics, allowing its strange and wonderful world to evolve. Slowly, sentient plants, strange townspeople, and assorted fruit start getting in on the action, that it all seems normal steps from Van Tassel’s wit, as well as the intelligence with which his characters dissect everything from art and the environment to religion, the absurdities of modern living, even porta potties.
In an essay on how to write a great buddy comedy, the Hollywood expert on comedy writing Steve Kaplan once said: “Either the pairing itself is the inciting incident, or something happens to them that changes their relationship, changes the way that they react to each other and they react to the world at large.” This isn’t exactly the dictum followed by Van Tassel, who is compelled by the nature of his medium to focus on moments rather than the evolution of a story, but the premise remains.
What Appleguy and Beefwood do while reacting to the world in their quirky way reveals more about each other. Consider the comic featuring them both in a cave. The experience spawns two thoughts in Appleguy’s head (“1. Every personal decision is doomed to be some degree of an over-correction; 2. Owning & operating a Ditch Witch would solve all my problems”) and one in Beefwood’s (“I’m gonna die in a cave”). It is these contrasting points of view that create dramatic tension while highlighting why it is critical for any buddy comic or comedy to work.
This isn’t the sort of book one ought to read through from beginning to end, because it is the act of dipping in that makes it more interesting. It could be because of the nature of a webcomic, where some days are better than others, but also because reading the strips at random allows one to find unexpected moments that are wry but also political. There are comments being made here about capitalism, society, as well as a general disillusionment with the way things work.
Cedar Van Tassel takes his place in a long line of comic artists who revel in absurdity and a rejection of conventional logic. This is traditionally done, at least in literature, to serve as a commentary on existential angst or our collective search for purpose. Given the fractured times we live in, Appleguy and Beefwood blur the line between normal and farcical, which is ultimately what makes the collection work. It’s astute, unafraid to laugh at itself, very funny, and highly recommended.
Cedar Van Tassel (W/A) Drawn & Quarterly, $22.00
Review by Lindsay Pereira
