{"id":28572,"date":"2023-09-02T08:00:38","date_gmt":"2023-09-02T08:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=28572"},"modified":"2023-09-01T17:28:07","modified_gmt":"2023-09-01T17:28:07","slug":"evil-emperor-penguin-the-world-will-be-mine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2023\/09\/02\/evil-emperor-penguin-the-world-will-be-mine\/","title":{"rendered":"Evil Emperor Penguin: The World Will Be Mine!"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nBy Laura Ellen Anderson<\/strong>, with Kate Brown<\/strong> (David Fickling Books)
\nISBN: 978-1-78845-299-1 (Digest PB)<\/p>\n

A lifetime ago in 2012 Oxford-based family publisher David Fickling Books launched an \u201cold school\u201d weekly comics anthology aimed at girls and boys between 6 and 12. It revelled in reviving the grand old days of British picture-story entertainment intent whilst embracing the full force of modernity in its style and content. This comprised comic strips, humour, adventure, quizzes, puzzles, educational material and activity pages in a joyous parade of cartoon fun and fantasy.<\/p>\n

In the years since, the periodical has gone from strength to strength, its pantheon of superbly engaging strips generating lines of superbly engaging graphic novel compilations, the latest of which is this riotous romp starring a gloriously malign and inept arch-wizard of scientific wickedness who delights readers with a profound sense of mischief and unbridled imagination\u2026<\/p>\n

Conceived and created by illustrator and author Laura Ellen Anderson (Kittens<\/strong>, Snow Babies<\/strong>, My Brother is a Superhero<\/strong>, Amelia Fang!<\/strong>, Rainbow Grey<\/strong>, I Don\u2019t Want\u2026<\/strong>), these are the revived, remastered and extended exploits of Evil Emperor Penguin!<\/strong><\/p>\n

The bad bird lives in a colossal fortress beneath the Antarctic, working ceaselessly towards total world domination, assisted by his stylish and erudite many-tentacled administrative lackey Number 8<\/em> and cutely fuzzy, passionately loyal Eugene. <\/em>The latter is an endlessly inventive little abominable snowman clone. EEP had whipped up a batch of 250, but none of the others are quite like Eugene\u2026<\/p>\n

The penguin potentate appointed the hairy, bizarrely inspired tyke Top Minion, but somehow never managed to instil him with the requisite degree of evilness. Still, he is a dab-hand with spaghetti hoops, so it\u2019s not a total loss.<\/p>\n

Following an crucially informative\u00a0 pin-up of \u2018the Gang\u2019<\/em> and some recurring rivals and foes with an info-packed double-page map of the Evil Underground Headquarters <\/em>(disclosing all you\u2019ll need to know) another assortment of vile vignettes begins with \u2018Quantum EEP\u2019<\/em> as a mishap with time travelling commodes send the penguin and his tentacular deputy back in time to meet their younger hippie selves – and make them evil if they want to get home and conquer the world. If only their earlier selves weren\u2019t so seductively content\u2026<\/p>\n

Back in the present, Eugene and his substandard substitute assistant Neill are trying to fix the glitch but it\u2019s tricky with chunks of reality fading away as you reach for them.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, the wrong real is put right and EEP resumes his plans, leading to exploiting a radical new power source in \u2018Pomme de Terror\u2019<\/em> – which then evolves into a marauding horror made even worse by arch World Domination rival Evil Cat<\/em> popping in for a spot of smug mockery\u2026<\/p>\n

Eugene\u2019s secret passion for footwear inspires the Bad Bird\u2019s next plan for global enslavement in \u2018Shoe-Gene\u2019<\/em> and results in the good servant being captured by the moustachioed, top-hatted, perfidious puss whose \u2018Big Fat Doom-Button\u2019<\/em> seems certain to eradicate the top minion\u2019s benevolent guardian jolly unicorn Keith<\/em> and all his wondrous kin.<\/p>\n

Even an unprecedented team-up of EEP and the horned horsey isn\u2019t enough to quell the crisis and it needs the last-minute intervention of valiant narwhal Norman<\/em> and his finny chums to end the cat\u2019s plans, but at least the rescue has laid the groundwork for a future romance\u2026<\/p>\n

Fully restored and ready for more evil, \u2018Marshminion Surprise\u2019<\/em> sees EEP attempting to turn humanity into gooey taste treats, but instead transforming Eugene after Evil Cat interferes again. No sooner is abnormality restored than reality television inspires even greater horror when the penguin produces hyper-judgemental talent show \u2018The Yay Factor\u2019<\/em> before Eugene\u2019s love of a Farmer\u2019s Market leads to EEP\u2019s invention of brain-shrinking fruit in \u2018An Epple a Day\u2019<\/em>. Naturally, nothing goes right and Antarctica soon is imperilled by a giant hairy head\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2018A Penguin\u2019s Christmas Carol\u2019<\/em> sees the villain forced to examine his own past present and future in the traditional spoofish yet moving manner before a new year welcomes fresh terror as EEP unleashes carnivorous wheelie-bins in \u2018Time to Take Out the Trash\u2019<\/em>, prior to the debut of the politest murderous minion ever as \u2018Flegburt\u2019<\/em> introduces himself and Evil Cat\u2019s scheme to destroy the penguin\u2019s beloved Invention Room of Evil. Of course, even good manners can\u2019t compensate for Eugene\u2019s unique charm\u2026<\/p>\n

A critical postal cock up triggers \u2018The Great Chase\u2019<\/em> across the icy continent – consequently disrupting Keith and Norman\u2019s first date – before the status quo between potential world tyrants is restored and EEP attempts to subjugate elected world leaders with genetically modified \u2018Flower Power\u2019<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The threat level then drops as the penguin suffers a dearth of inspiration in \u2018Evil Block\u2019 <\/em>and takes out his frustrations on everybody until he builds a relaxation machine and really goes off the deep end. Drenched in chaos and worse, EEP must join with Evil Cat and unknown rival Evil Rat enduing countless terrors and discovering the awful truth about pigeons\u2026<\/p>\n

With Flegburt having turned turncoat and now minioning for the Evil Penguin, \u2018Plan Poover\u2019 <\/em>finds young unicorn Colin<\/em> doing his work experience placement with Number 8, thanks to a recommendation from his uncle Keith. It soon looks like he\u2019ll never get that precious Sparkle Scouts Career Badge after designing the Super Epic Human Rainbow Vacuum\u2026<\/p>\n

More upset occurs after the unwary penguin plugs in the \u2018Evil Printer\u2019<\/em> and reality starts rebelling, even as the discovery of \u2018Flegburt\u2019s True Calling\u2019<\/em> triggers fashion, shopping and a major career change after which brainwash chemical \u2018Shampoogene\u2019 <\/em>is unleashed. It\u2019s meant to clean humanity\u2019s heads\u2026 and brains!… but there\u2019s a little unwelcome side effect\u2026<\/p>\n

Eugene\u2019s love of blowing bubbles sparks \u2018The Unpoppable Plan\u2019<\/em> and almost ends everyone until Keith and Norman intercede, before – with \u201cbubblegeddon\u201d averted – master and servants settle back for \u2018A Christmas to Remember\u2019 <\/em>when the bird decides to steal Santa\u2019s job and position\u2026<\/p>\n

Rocket-paced, hilariously inventive, wickedly arch and utterly determined to be silly at all costs, this tome of terror also has educational merit as it offers lessons on \u2018How to Draw EEP\u2019<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Evil Emperor Penguin: The World Will Be Mine! <\/strong>is a captivating cascade of smart, witty funny adventure, which will delight readers of all ages.
\nText and illustrations \u00a9 Laura Ellen Anderson 2023. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n

Evil Emperor Penguin <\/strong>The World Will Be Mine<\/strong>!<\/strong> will be released (but not for good behaviour) on September 7th<\/sup> 2023 and is available for pre-order now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Laura Ellen Anderson, with Kate Brown (David Fickling Books) ISBN: 978-1-78845-299-1 (Digest PB) A lifetime ago in 2012 Oxford-based family publisher David Fickling Books launched an \u201cold school\u201d weekly comics anthology aimed at girls and boys between 6 and 12. It revelled in reviving the grand old days of British picture-story entertainment intent whilst … <\/p>\n

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