Check Out ASS MUNKET – A Free 24 page Online Comic by Jamie Smart

Jamie Smart is the insane genius behind Bear, Ubu Bubu, Bondate, Angry Little Robot, Whubble, Space Raoul, and the comic anthology, Fat Chunk. I first discovered Jamie’s work last year, with his Ubu Bubu series, which tells the tale of super cute cat, possessed by a demon, who wreaks all sorts of Hell and incredibly fucked-up hilarity upon the people around him.

A few months ago Jamie made made a comic called Subverssive Eden available to download as a .pdf from Literate Machine. Click here to see my review. Sadly, only about 30 people downloaded the $1 comic. Jamie, not discouraged by this has decided that with this next effort he will offer the comic absolutely free to view online! This new online comic is called Ass Munket, and is about four friends at art college trying to avoid metal decline, brutal romantic injury, and any concept of adult life in the struggle to just find something interesting to do.

Here is what Jamie says about the comic on his blog:

Well, here it is, a full comic for your perusal up HERE. In this comic I think i first started to find my way, playing with brush strokes and the use of dark space. It’s also thinly veiled representation of my actual useless life at the time, something which has repeated itself in every comic I’ve since done (though the metaphors get more obscure :p)

This is my continuing effort to find a way to put my work up for free, and yet still possibly claw a few pennies in. I love that this comic is free to view, I don’t expect people to pay for it, and I’m totally happy with that. If anyone does donate (as much or little as they want), then obviously I’ll be very appreciative ^_^ lets see how this works as to whether I do it again.

Enjoy!

The story is really quite odd and has lots of rather colourful characters in it, including: Stan, who has taken a mysterious pill and is now flipping out, thinking himself to be the Angel of Death; Billy, a ‘local’ who is determined to punish himself for all of mankind’s sins; Stan, who somehow ends up in Russia before hitting the nightclub; D’arcy, who gets Stan to drink a pint of piss; Butch, who seems to think he is a pimp; and last but not least, Jamie, who just want to get close to Lhys, the love of his life, but is continually having to deal with all the nutters that surround him.

Ass Munket is quite a twisted little tale with lots of bizarre scenes, and interludes, and quirky margin notes. Apart from all the insanity, it reminds me of many drunken, disappointing nights spent in clubs during my time at University. I would definitely be Jamie, hanging out with my semi-mental flatmates who would always be sticking their bollocks in pint glasses, slapping people with dildos, and lots of other stupid shit ;P

So, head on over and give the comic a read. It’s free for fucks sake! I you decide that you like it, feel free to donate some money. Jamie is a fantastic, hilarious cartoonist, and deserves your hard, or not so hard, earned dollars.