Summary: Australian cartoonist Tim Whyatt takes up Gary Larson’s torch.
Ever since Gary Larson retired, there’s been an aching hole in our heart for hilarious single-cell comics, and though many contenders have attempted to take his place, none have succeeded. Oh sure, we’ve got political cartoons aplenty, but they are only funny if you are abreast of the issues, and they could just as well piss you off, depending on what political line you decide to take. Other funnies just aren’t all that gripping – Larson’s a tough act to follow. And while Australian comic Tim Whyatt hasn’t quite taken the mantle, his attempts are at least noteworthy.
We are struck immediately by some unfortunate divergences in Whyatt’s work: his sexual preoccupations limit the appropriateness of his work for children or the newspaper, and also his tendency to make fashionable pop references will soon enough be out of fashion pop references. Despite these limitations, Whyatt’s comics offer some respite in our Larson longings, and remind us that the art of single panel humor isn’t dead.
The chubby, bespectacled figures are completely Larsonesque, though the themes tend to regard adult issues such as male sexual frustration.
The penchant for animal humor is also a direct Larson carry over.
