For many people, including myself, the haunting yet whimsical lyrics sung by GlaDOS at the end of the critically acclaimed 2007 computer game Portal were our introduction into the mind of Jonathan Coulton and the unique universe he has constructed within his songs.
Code Monkey Save World is based around the character from another popular Coulton song, ‘Code Monkey,’ which centers on a monkey who works as a computer programmer and details an accurate portrayal (Coulton worked as a computer programmer in the past) of working in a corporate environment. That’s where the similarities to the song end, and the comic takes Code Monkey off on an adventure to save the secretary from his office (who he secretly loves), and save the world in the process with help from Skullcrusher, a supervillain from another Coulton track who also pines for the affections of a girl.
The writing, by Greg Pak (Batman/Superman), does a great job of sprinkling in many other Coulton references (the half monkey/half pony created by Skullcrusher, for instance) while helping to move the story forward, and keeps it interesting while expanding on popular characters, including the secretary (now known as Matilde) and Laura the Robo Queen (from the song ‘The Future Soon’). Pak is provided a deep well of source material from Coulton whose lyrics are burned into the pages with each frame.
The artwork (drawn by Runaways Takeshi Miyazawa) is very well done, and carries a good flow with the writing so as not to appear disjointed or confusing on the eyes. The Coulton universe comes alive in front of you, and it’s interesting to see how Pak, Miyazawa, and their team interpreted what these characters should look like. Facial expression is important to convey how a character is feeling, and is something which the artist completely captures. The colors match the mood and themes of the various scenes while making sure to keep the action alive and popping.
The idea for the comic began on twitter when Pak was encouraged by Coulton to create the project after joking that the supervillain characters from Coulton’s songs would make for an interesting team. Together, they formed a Kickstarter for the project and after receiving over $300,000 from backers (after asking for only $39,000, making it 872% successful) work went underway. The comic will be 96 pages and Coulton will also accompany the book with an acoustic soundtrack of his songs that inspired the series.
There are so many unique songs Coulton has cooked up that could be used in this project. His ability to capture the best ideas from various pop culture examples combined with his own life experiences and creative touch means that this series can be the visual equivalent of listening to his music, but with the added bonus of his musical world becoming intertwined together to create a lasting story.
The premiere issue of Code Monkey Save World scores a clear 9 out of 10, and I can’t wait to see what Pak has in store for the code crunching monkey. The issue hits Comixology on Wednesday, October 15th, and a hard-copy trade paperback will be available once all four issues have been released!
Be sure to let us know what you think of the book once you pick it up!
