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Appleguy & Beefwood
Appleguy & Beefwood by Cedar Van Tassel, published by Drawn and Quarterly, is a comic strip compilation that combines a classic pair-up comedy with world-building that’s altogether new. It’s set on the Great Plains in the distant future when all humans have disappeared and a new race of plantlike people have taken over.
Beyond that, their world is not much different from ours. They live in houses, shop in markets, read books, watch shows, and go about their daily lives with varying degrees of existential dread. Fortunately, someone is always close by with a zinger to keep things light.
The characters in the world of Appleguy & Beefwood fill it with light and laughter as well as plenty of bitterness, rage, and unanswerable questions. Appleguy, literally a guy with an apple-head, is too smart for his own good. He criticizes society and the world around him endlessly, while carrying cynicism that drives him to dream of popping inflatable Christmas decorations or setting up a camera for a time-lapse of termites consuming a porch to show the inevitable end of all things.
Beefwood is much more down-to-earth, keeping Appleguy grounded with sly remarks and practical advice, such as to just hire an exterminator for the termites so the pair can have a porch to enjoy. However, even Beefwood can get carried away, like learning dark magic to curse someone out of vengeance for them not specifically mentioning Beefwood in a thank-you speech.
Beyond the titular duo, the town of Gravel in Appleguy & Beefwood is populated with all kinds of characters. Wealthy Goutstalk spends her free time exploring art and composing music, and Ballnut works ever harder to elevate himself as a writer. The comedic twists in their passions come from eccentricities, with Goutstalk going into ever-weirder subgenres of music and Ballnut turning to YA fantasy for profit. Even septic-tank caretaker Tuber finds quiet pride in having immediate access to thousands of gallons of pressurized sewage in case anyone crosses him.
Van Tassel’s wit is clear, as is his dedication to the hatching and details throughout the strips. Each one has a unique font for its title, and the references might take some outside research, like when Appleguy starts listing country songs like “Okie from Muskogee,” “Chicken Fried,” and “I’ve Been Everywhere.” Several strips are dedicated to the theological question of what snakes were like before the Fall in the Garden of Eden, leading to the cover image of bipedal snakes who love to cuddle.
Appleguy & Beefwood combines clever dialogue and deep thinking with down-home country jokes that folks living in rural America will recognize as all too real. Driving through town might include the sight of an “Asbestos is Natural” protest sign, or the major event of the week might be finding possums in the shed.
Best of all is the multi-strip storyline resulting from the mockery of someone who does not know the difference between a bale of hay and a bale of straw. That perfectly captures the obscure spirit and delight you can find throughout Appleguy & Beefwood.
