THOUGHT BUBBLE MONTH 2025! We like our Thought Bubble traditions here at Broken Frontier and Joe Stone and Matthew Dooley’s flipbook comics (one half by each cartoonist) are a staple of the event now. In past years their themed collections have covered Split, Splat and Sport. This year’s subject is Spite which gives them both something to turn their darker comedic talents to…
And they do so in style. In Stone’s half of the comic we get a laidback and slightly meta framing sequence strip into how the pair chose this year’s theme at Thought Bubble 2024. What seems a throwaway addition here is actually a very cleverly paced build-up to a well-timed punchline that is delightfully delivered later on.
The main feature in Stone’s half, though, is a James Bond parody ‘Jonathan Bard Vs. The Agents of S.P.I.T.E.’. If film parodies are not your thing fear not. What Stone provides here is an inspired twist on the ‘spite’ theme as our hero takes on a Blofeld-type villain whose plans are less concerned with conquering the world and more about using his technological genius to get the pettiest of revenges on those he has perceived to have wronged him. It’s very funny with Stone’s animated cartooning and able wordplay ensuring that both visual and verbal gags land every time.
From Matthew Dooley we get a true dream scenario – what if Elon Musk was a loser working in a dead end call centre job? This one hinges a lot on the satisfaction we get seeing the world’s most obnoxious man living a friendless life in a work environment he hates, suffering with a permanently dodgy stomach, and repelling almost everyone he encounters. It’s gloriously appealing, with the world of this parallel Musk being depicted in colours as drab as the existence he now endures.
It’s also incredibly bleak with any moments of joy or potential redemption being snuffed out in the most brutal manner. While Dooley’s success in the graphic novel arena has been marked with the acclaimed Flake and Aristotle’s Cuttlefish he still remains a much underappreciated talent. This is an excellent opportunity for new readers to discover his work in a more concise format.
Add Spite to your must-buy list for Thought Bubble. It really deserves your attention.
Joe Stone & Matthew Dooley (W/A) • Self-published
Review by Andy Oliver
Joe Stone and Matthew Dooley will be at Table F12 in the Bubbleboy Hall at Thought Bubble.
Thought Bubble 2025 runs from November 1oth-16th with the convention weekend taking place on the 15th-16th. More details on the Thought Bubble site here.
Read all our Thought Bubble 2025 coverage so far in one place here.
Poster by Ng Yin Shian
