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Mobsters and Monsters Magazine #1: The Nine Lives of El Gato Crime Mangler

By Leroy Douresseau
December 30, 2003 - 16:31

Yes, Virginia. Comics can be fun again, and sometimes those comics come from little self-publishers just doing their thing. Case in point - Michael Aushenker and his long-running, semi-annual adventures of the Mexican wrestler-like crime fighter, El Gato.

THE NINE LIVES OF EL GATO, CRIME MANGER collects Aushenker's very early adventures of his hero who is as much a menace to society as the villains he fights. El Gato encompasses a range of pop culture entertainment: 60's Hanna Barbera super hero cartoons, Japanese monster movies, Silver Age Marvel Comics, Jack Kirby comic art, and underground commix. In fact, El Gato feels like "The Powerpuff Girls" and Scott McCloud's DESTROY!! done as a cheapie underground comic.

Aushenker art is just a few steps above primitivism, but the artist has the confidence and flare of a master cartoonist. The manic joy of his work is infectious and makes El Gato as enjoyable as a wild ride at a demented theme park. Learn more about El Gato at www.elgatocomics.com.

[DRECK, DULL, READABLE, PRETTY GOOD, EXCELLENT

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12