Let me ask you a few questions: Do you often experience insurmountable obstacles in your daily life? Do you find yourself in need of advice on rather mundane issues, but are too afraid to ask for help? Are you in need of some adrenaline-fueled advice on how to be a badass? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then my bet is that you are in need of “Help is on the Way” by Scott Meyer.
From the rather demented mind of Meyer comes “Basic Instructions,” a series of step-by-step instructions for dealing with everyday life. Need some help winning an argument? Great! There are instructions about that. How about advice on applying the laws of physics to your personal relationships? Awesome! Or maybe even applying video game skills to real life? That’s in there too!
Now when I say Meyer gives you advice, it’s not your garden variety, new age, self-empowerment kind of advice. This is hard-hitting, pun-filled, off-the-wall kind of advice here! This is the kind of advice I would advise against for all those with a heart condition or are or will become pregnant.
For instance, what if you needed to talk to your child about smoking? We all know a big reason why kids start smoking is peer pressure, so just say, “I know all the mature, popular kids at your school smoke. That doesn’t necessarily mean you should. You’re probably too much of a baby.” And you know, he probably never will.
“Basic Instructions” in fact began as, to use the somewhat pejorative term nowadays, a “Web comic.” Web comics, in and of themselves, are actually a really great thing. I mean hey, they’re free! And who, to use a term coined by Will Eisner, doesn’t like a bit of sequential art?
But I’m afraid along with everything else on the Internet, Web comics have been saturated with loads of crap. And well, being in print just gives a sense of legitimacy to a comic. With that in mind, Meyer’s work was picked up by Dark Horse Books. I mean, they put out “Hellboy.” It has to at least be worth a read, right?
So when you’re scanning through that self-help section at your favorite bookstore just remember that it’s all lies and schemes to steal your money. Do the right thing and march straight to the comic book/graphic novel section and pick up a copy of “Help Is On the Way.” If they don’t have a graphic novel section, then why are you even wasting your time in there in the first place? Get out of there as quick as you can!
Or if your wallet is as empty as mine is, you should at least visit the Web site, basicinstructions.net. You’ll be glad you did.
If I’ve been boring you all this nerd banter, then you may just want to read my article for next week, on Craig Thompson’s “Good-Bye, Chunky Rice.” It’s basically one of the most heart-wrenching, cutesy and wonderful comics out there.
Jon Monteith is a history senior and the Mustang Daily’s comic book columnist.