Comics Everyone Should Read: Street Angel

Continuing my trip down the Cartoonist Kayfabe vortex, I've not only been watching hours of the YouTube channel, but I've been reading all of Ed Piskor and Jim Rugg's work. So of course I picked up all the Street Angel books. After flying through 400 plus pages, my expectations were far exceeded.

I sat back wondering, what took me so long to pick up this awesome series

"Street Angel aka Jesse Sanchez, aka Shiraz Thunderbird, is a homeless ninja on a skateboard and the deadliest girl alive."

From the very beginning we are dropped into this world of insanity where Street Angel, a 12-year-old girl, who's a martial arts expert, the world’s greatest homeless skateboarder and his an unending hunger. She fights ninjas, crime, time-traveling pirates, and nepotism deep in the heart of Angel City. She's feared amongst some of the biggest and baddest the town has to offer. She's the epitome of never judging a book by it's cover. To round out this cast of misfits, Jim Rugg & Brian Maruca introduce us to a one-armed, no-legged skateboarder named Bald Eagle (probably my favorite side character), Afrodisiac ( another creation of Rugg's), and an Irish astronaut named CosMick. Seriously. Every single page of this series is absolutely insane. This is a no-holds-barred, punk rock, underground book that can't be missed.

This book is full of humor and action that goes at a breakneck pace and hit's you like a ton of bricks. The art in particular is incredibly dynamic and gets better with each issue. Which I don't even know how it's possible, since it's great from the get-go. The images seem to move right off the page, especially when Street Angel fights ninjas and demons. While their are moments that the story can seem a little over the top, Rugg balances those with moments of seriousness that gives the book so much heart. The book doesn't have one cohesive narrative, but hey that's what makes this such a fun book to read. Who needs to be hampered down by some long drawn out storyline that's "written for the trade". Each issue is one complete story, that when read together delivers a gut punch of laughter and joy.

While I may be a little late to the game, better late than never. I have to give a little shoutout to Eli Schwab for pushing me over the edge and making me become a Kayfaber. After editing Wizɘrd: The Comix MegaZine #1 (which he curated), I had no reason anymore not to jump all the way in. If you haven't checked out STREET ANGEL or the Cartoonist Kayfabe YouTube channel, go do that shit right now. Oh, yeah and READ MOORE COMIX!