Pink Panther Volume 1: The Cool Cat is Back

Check, S.A., Lash, B., Davidsen, K., Gallant, S.L., Robb, A. (artist), Galvan, B. (artist). (2016). Pink Panther Volume 1: The Cool Cat is Back. American Mythology Productions.

Graphic Novels / Comics / Humor
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Blurb (Edelweiss): The cool cat is back! Generations of kids grew up loving the Pink Panther’s unique style and wit on Saturday morning cartoons. And now today’s best writers and artists are delivering original comic book stories that bring the trademark Pink Panther flair for confounding The Inspector and The Little Man to legions of new families and fans! This graphic novel is packed full-a pink with new stories by Batton Lash, S.L. Gallant, and YA author S.A. Check with amazing art by Disney animator Adrian Ropp, Archie artist Bill Galvan, and G.I. Joe illustrator S.L. Gallant! We also include for the first time ever, the original Free Comic Book Day story “The Mighty Pan-Thor!” along with some classic tales, design sketches, and more! Get more pink for your green with American Mythology’s new Pink Panther series! Join the Pink Panther, The Ant and the Aardvark, The Inspector, and a host of other favorite cartoons for the all-ages event of the year! This volume collects Pink Panther #1-3, Trick or Pink Halloween Special, and the Pink Panther Free Comic Book Day issue. 

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Hall Ways Review: 

Just like the oldies! I had forgotten I was a Pink Panther fan. This graphic novel is so much fun to read and brings back fond memories of watching the Saturday morning cartoons in the 70s.  

With multiple artists, it is interesting to see the slight variations in the drawings of the familiar characters: Pink Panther, The Inspector, The Little Man, and the Ant and the Aardvark.  It is also interesting to see familiar artists (like Disney's Adrian Ropp and Archie's Bill Galvan) and their signature styles adapted to these stories. (Especially, readers will see an Archie-type character in the cavewoman in Jurassic Pink.) This volume includes a bunch of already published stories but also some new original stories that fit right in. As a bonus, there are pages of single images and artists' sketchbook images.

Old schooler that I am, my favorite stories are ones where Pink Panther doesn't actually have dialogue. On the stories where he had dialogue, he seemed like a gentlemanly (err, gentlepantherly) British fella, which just hadn't occurred to me before.  Of course, the Inspector will forever have an OUTRAGEOUS French accent in my head. No avoiding that. :-)

The book is well-written and well-edited (HOORAY!) with the only error I found to be on the back cover -- artist Bill Galvan's name is misspelled as "Gavlan." Unfortunately, the error seems to be on every promotional and sales blurb, too. Bummer. The recommended audience is readers ages 9-12, and they will enjoy the stories even if they're unfamiliar with the Pink Panther (or even the movies with Peter Sellers and then Steve Martin). It's good, clean, and clever humor and has special appeal for those of us nostalgic of that original Pink Panther era.

I was not solicited to read or review this book; I happily found it while browsing the Edelweiss catalog and couldn't resist!

Click to visit author S.A. Check's 

Website and Amazon Author Page