Review: Pirate Fun #1-3

How about some puntastic high-sea adventures for all ages? You'll laugh, you'll sing, or at the very least develop a grin, it's so good the clues in the name and the arts charismatic to boo!t Well, no need to walk the plank, you want Pirate Fun from Colin Bell and Neil Slorance.

Colin Bell is the writer and letterer for this one. His previous lettering work includes Boom! Studios, Dark Horse and Image Comics, he has also written for Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor and 2000AD Regened, but most significantly in this context, he also wrote Dungeon Fun (more on that in a second).

Neil Watson-Slorance is a Glasgow based illustrator and comic artist, best known for illustrating the aforementioned award winning Dungeon Fun (still more to say soon) and his work on Doctor Who comics. Neil has been publishing his own comics for fifteen years, with works like Plant Daddy, as well as working as a political cartoonist for STV and The National Newspaper.

David B Cooper is a cartoonist and artist also from Glasgow, best known for "Lenny" with other work including Doomed Love, Mixtape and Wah Wah Wa Luigi, to name but a few. He provides colours on this one. A delightful, dashing gentleman introduced a quick word about this one. (Told you there'd be more).

Pirate Fun is actually the sequel to Dungeon Fun from the same team. Now you don't have to have read Dungeon Fun to be able to enjoy this one. They are quite separate adventures, and Pirate Fun clearly lays out the previous adventure plot by way of introduction to this one, but nonetheless, I'd highly recommend it. If you like anything you read here about Pirate Fun, the same would apply there, just more dungeony. Dungeon Fun is full of classic dungeon exploring RPG vibes with the same charming art, just a looser but no less entertaining plot. One that incidentally comes together fun-fabulously in the end. You can get a copy here, which would be much better than getting it from that big tax-dodging corporation.

Dungeon Fun has everything this one has, but as I said, in a Dungeon/fantasy setting and adds some marvellous extra endearment to the cast, you'll learn the power of the story and how sometimes it's ok to not know who you are and what you want or not to be constrained by self definition. It's capital FUN. Right now you're back from getting yourself or someone you care about, it's time for this.

So, let's start with the art. Neil Slorance and David B Cooper present eye-popping, cutesy art full of fun and humour. It's thoroughly disarming art that is full of distinct delight. There's cutesy cartooning designed characters with designs to delight all ages and serves up lashings of fun in every moment. There's something really accessible about this style that I think speaks volumes to the wonderful qualities this comic offers. It's art that's inviting and clear with strong visual storytelling and an impossible to ignore sense of fun and enjoyment inherent happiness that is intoxicating. With art like this, you can't help but smile, and that's a very special quality. Adorable art aside, how about the story?

Colin Bell has created a rip-roaring tale for all with Pirate Fun. The adventures of young Fun Mudlifter continue to enthral across three glorious issues of fun-tastic satisfaction. This swashbuckling adventure centres around the pursuit of a pirate licence and the continued voyage of self-discovery for Fun Mudlifter. There's puns aplenty, high seas action, shanty singing, visual comedy and comedy to suit all ages, great quests, mystery, intrigue, blooming great whales and some solid family-oriented moralistic messages. Colin manages all these elements with great aplomb, weaving a balance that results in really well-executed, escapist entertainment. It's bound to put a smile on any reader's face for the whole read and even force a good chuckle or three. It's silly fun in the best sort of way and one to share with the whole family.

Dear reader, sorry to interrupt but if perchance your enjoying this content then firstly thank you for your attention secondly I hope it's persuaded you to support these talented creators and thirdly may I also bring your attention to our Ko-fi - we know times are hard but if you can it would mean the world to us for any donation to help keep things ticking along here. Thanks again, just for being here, we know that makes you good people.

For fans of fun, pirates, wholesomeness, punnery, elaborate beards, daring quests to complete three completely improvised on the fly trials to obtain administrative Pirate approval, swords, mystery, eye-patches and more pun-tastical hijinks in art to enchant and delight with cutesy appeal and strong technical delivery then Pirate Fun is the best choice.

To get your copy, check out Neil Slorance's Etsy page here. It's a great time to absorb this series as the final chapter comes this summer.

Review: 4.5/5