Spookids, Reviewed. Pure, Unapologetic Fun Just in Time For Christmas.

A for all ages Stranger Things story with the delightful looks and feel of your favourite childhood Saturday morning cartoons? Marc Jackson dishes this up with the thoroughly joyful Spookids.

These feel like troubled times in the real world, and facing this current climate I for one have felt the Christmas joy slipping. Just when you need it most, however, Marc Jackson offers a really super antidote with Spookids. A fun for all, four-issue mini-series with a lovely mystery story at its heart and exciting eye-popping art. A comic everyone can share and enjoy on these snuggle up evenings.

Ok, let’s start with the art. So Marc Jackson presents some real jump off the page screaming art. Incredibly bold lines give all the simplistic delightful charm of a Saturday morning cartoon. That warm fuzzy feeling of something that’s going to be just pure fun. The character design while simple is still individualistic while all detail is focused on the immediate foreground. It’s minimalist in its childhood qualities but certainly not lacking in impact. Minimalist would also describe Marc's colour palette, in that there are literally only two colours, but it's no bad thing. The muted blue and orange work perfectly alongside those bold lines to define the extra details inside them. Overall cementing and emphasizing the feel-good nature of this comic. In another, very literally big way, Marc's lettering is a dominating feature of the art. Its style screams for your attention while still complimenting and somehow without overpowering the art in each panel. The lettering also emphasises the feel-good family cartoon aesthetic nature of this story. While simultaneously driving the fun conversational story. This comics looks screams at you, in such a joyous way it demands to be picked up by all ages that glance its way.

Now Marc Jackson's story. To match that loud art you really need a captivating one. Marc gives us exactly that. It’s a real skip along tale, perfectly pitched for joyful escapism. Spookids is centred around a trio of pre-teens. There’s Eric the fledgeling inventor, his hapless friend Bud and the confident Nellie. So it’s Halloween, 1985 to be precise, and Eric is testing his latest invention on the, certainly unwilling, volunteer Bud. Cue potential for high jinks, which coupled with an ominous news report, offer up those interesting questions. Did Eric's invention work? What's with the strange electrical faults being reported? Are the two coincidental? What’s in the woods? Why is Eric nervous?... Wait, hang on what’s in the woods?

This is a story that’s part Scooby-Doo, part Peanuts with a bit of Stranger Things. Its wonderfully charming narrative plays out in a really engaging way. While the looks and its opening pages may suggest a very simple, kids cartoon type story. This is something with a bit more meat with a very captivating mystery bubbling under and out of this disarming package. Marc Jackson has created a potentially very special comic series here I think. It is a story you can read to the smaller children in your family or share with the slightly older ones. Even if you don’t know any children and you could just do with some really joyous, mystery adventure storytelling with warm and inviting as a hot chocolate covered in marshmallow looks comic experience. Spookids is the perfect addition to any comic book fans holiday gift list.

For truly pure, unapologetic fun head to Marc Jacksons Etsy store, Marcmakescomics and keep your eyes peeled for issue two expected February 2020.

Review 4.8/5