{"id":35172,"date":"2026-04-01T17:41:27","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T17:41:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=35172"},"modified":"2026-04-01T17:41:27","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T17:41:27","slug":"megalomaniacs-the-invasion-begins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2026\/04\/01\/megalomaniacs-the-invasion-begins\/","title":{"rendered":"Megalomaniacs: The Invasion Begins!"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nBy Jamie Smart<\/strong>, with Sammy Borras<\/strong>, coloured by John Cullen<\/strong> (David Fickling Books)
\nISBN: 978-1-78845-384-4 (PB)<\/p>\n

Everybody loves rampaging monsters right? So what happens when someone too clever for his own good wants a go at the old traditional yarn-spinning and combines thrills and chills with manic intervention, all-ages cheeky vulgarity and excessive invention?<\/p>\n

That\u2019s right, kids – you get Megalomaniacs<\/strong>!<\/p>\n

The Next Big Thing (that\u2019s irony there, but you won\u2019t get it yet) from multi award-winning cartoon wizard, comics artist and old-fashioned novelist Jamie Smart (Bunny vs. Monkey<\/strong>, Flember<\/strong> Looshkin – the Adventures of the Maddest Cat in the World!!<\/strong>, Max & Chaffy<\/strong>, Fish Head Steve!<\/strong>, Corporate Skull<\/strong>, Space Raoul<\/strong>, and many brilliant strips for The Beano<\/strong>, Dandy <\/strong>and others) is vividly vibrant, compellingly contagious comics nonsense in the grand manner which feels sublimely nostalgic to old attention-stunted duffers like me, who also demand constant engagement and entertainment… and bright shiny colours…<\/p>\n

Yet another magnificent graduate of UK kids periodical The Phoenix<\/strong>, this unsavoury-starred silly saga thematically resembles the wonder years of fantasy yarns: delivering a series of wicked spoofs of Silver Age superhero comics liberally ladled with classic B-movie sci fi schmutter…<\/p>\n

In the dark of night over go-getting metropolis Bobbletown, the sky is lit with sinister sky-fire as a rain of asteroids delivers fiercely competitive monsters and mechanoids to menace our already-embattled planet. Constantly-warring rival conquerors irregularly arrive, all intent on making our world theirs. The assorted fiercely combative rivals are fantastically powerful beasts, boggles, robots, devils and worse… but are also unfortunately quite teeny-weeny and have some trouble making themselves feared, obeyed or even noticed… at first…<\/p>\n

Rendered as complete insert minicomics – complete with dramatically deceptive covers! – the legend of the Megalomaniacs<\/strong> opens with super special prologue chapter \u2018They Came From Outer Spaaace!\u2019<\/em> and features an \u201cIdiot Human\u201d and \u201cSome Pigs\u201d who become spectators\/victims\/participants in the advent of our future overlords. Primary peril is laser-emitting, mesmerising Queen Eyeball<\/em> arriving mere moments before her despised archfoe Lord Skull <\/em>and who immediately does battle with the mystical space vampire… until rowdy robot ravager Crusher<\/em> crashes to Earth and joins the fight.<\/p>\n

These marauding terrors from beyond the stars are insanely single-minded and awesomely powerful and just keep coming, as seen in \u2018Welcome to the Town of Bobbletown\u2019<\/em> wherein catastrophically cute Cyber Kitten<\/em> joins the ever-expanding melee, but is equally unprepared for the beguiled response of the cretinous colossi stomping about and \u201caww cu-uuute\u201d…<\/p>\n

The witless humans are less sanguine when another meteor delivers bug bloodsucker Mozzz <\/em>who pillages their plasma in \u2018Prangs for the Memory!\u2019 <\/em>prior to icily animated gruesome gelato taste-treat Mister Scoopy<\/em> bending minds through the massed morons\u2019 tastebuds in \u2018Oh, What a Meltdown!\u2019<\/em> after which extraterrestrial oik\/bovver boy from beyond The Fist<\/em> belts Lord Skull and late-arriving literal hottie Sun-Girl<\/em> in \u2018Who Will Escape… the Hand of Fate?\u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n

Tiny tyrants trying to topple Earth, the invaders experience \u2018A Bad Case of the Sniffles!\u2019<\/em> when ambulatory ambulance-filler The Sickness<\/em> plagues the already-engaged Megalomaniacs in beleaguered Bobbletown, before the beaches disgorge diminutive diabolist demon of the depths K-Thulu<\/em> in \u2018The Wet Terror!\u2019<\/em> after which human resistance is mustered by school nerds the Bobbletown Science Club<\/em> (Rosie<\/em>, Debbie<\/em> & Fibius<\/em>). They contest Crusher, whose plan to \u2018Destroy All Science!\u2019<\/em> is proved to be a non-starter…<\/p>\n

\u2018Stay Cool!\u2019<\/em> sees star-borne snowball Chillax<\/em> mutate into a so-far-from-massive marauding \u00a0snowman after which the duelling dilemmas detail \u2018The (Not So) Great Escape!\u2019 <\/em>as the already entrenched\u00a0 old foes meet hirsute newcomer The Hound<\/em> prior to a petite pause as Bonus comic \u2018A Wheel-y Good Idea\u2019 <\/em>sees Lord Skull find a better way to keep his cumbersome coffin close before we segue into \u2018Unicool vs The Fist\u2019<\/em> wherein a new pointy headed horsey horror who\u2019s good with rainbows blasts down to kick up a fuss…<\/p>\n

\u2018A Beautiful Day on the Farm!\u2019<\/em> introduces spoiled-brat smarty-pants Riley <\/em>who thinks the invaders are perfect pets… until Grandpa becomes the latest meat-chariot for Queen Eyeball.<\/p>\n

As alliances form, shift and inevitably shatter, \u2018What a Hot-Head!\u2019<\/em> greets explosive new guy Bombybo<\/em> who scuppers his own bid for stardom by making a fireworks shop his lair even as Cyber Kitten and The Hound endure a rematch in \u2018The Fur and the Fury!\u2019 <\/em>and the mechanical misanthrope gets a bizarre, gender-challenging upgrade into deadly debutante Posh Crusher!<\/em> in \u2018How Delightful!\u2019<\/em> whilst \u2018Bob, the Invisible Blob!\u2019<\/em> debuts and almost bows out when Chillax ambushes him…<\/p>\n

Things get nasty in \u2018Slime for a Bite!\u2019<\/em> as Zombie Mary<\/em> stumbles into town in search of new – but necessarily living – fwends: an offer Lord Skull and Chillax are delighted to decline, before the star voyagers discover the delights of go karts in \u2018Mega Racers\u2019<\/em> and the Mayor of Bobbletown gets organised enough to mount a resistance effort…
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\nThings get really dicey in \u2018How My <\/u>Invasion Began by The Goofy Carrot!\u2019<\/em> when the smartest vegetable in the universe co-opts the local observatory, whilst \u2018Sun-Girl!\u2019<\/em> stops humanity\u2019s mass-escape to Croydon but still finds \u2018Time to Shine!\u2019 <\/em>after barbarous oaf Gurf <\/em>literally hits town and Zombie Mary shambles back still craving \u2018Fwends!\u2019<\/em> to boss about in the local human school.<\/p>\n

Still keen to corner the paralyzing fear concession, Lord Skull overdoes things with his \u2018Spooky Scheming!\u2019<\/em> and is overwhelmed when the Mayor retaliates in \u2018Bobbletown Fights Back!\u2019<\/em> With an astronomer doing science-y things with lasers, the advent of astral interloper The Sandwich<\/em> is missed by most, but not the hairy space horror Terry Beard<\/em> who determines that \u2018Everyone Looks Better… With a Beard!\u2019<\/em> His Megalomaniac cohort disagree but what do they know, really?<\/p>\n

The closest thing to space Satan surfaces next as corrupting conjuror Shazm-o! <\/em>goes to birthday party and confirms the sense of the adage \u2018Don\u2019t Try This At<\/u> Home!\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018The Pigeon\u2019s Barely in the Episode!\u2019<\/em> – but Riley is – and observes Eyeball\u2019s elevation to bad beast Oculus<\/em> (the All-Seeing Eye!) in time to team up with other, lesser alien outcasts, prompting \u2018A Brief Recap – Riley, Saviour of the World!\u2019<\/em> as the united contestants war against the peepy blinder. Sadly, they soon learn \u2018None Shall Escape… the All-Seeing Eye of Oculus!\u2019<\/em> and it\u2019s all up to Riley and her favourite heavy kitchen utensil to save the day and the world…<\/p>\n

The crisis may have passed but there are still tales to tell such as late-maturing saga \u2018If You Cheese!\u2019<\/em> as Riley and her chastened new pals meet animated fearsome fromage Stink-o <\/em>just before Halloween Special \u2018What Spooks the Spooksters?\u2019 <\/em>sees all concerned, very concerned indeed, when deadly drop-in Pumkinella<\/em> starts marshalling her arcane forces, after which the terrors temporarily terminate in \u2018Meanwhile, Back on the Farm!\u2019<\/em> as body-hogging Queen Eyeball (nee Oculus) merges with Grandpa again to form the mesmerising Meatbag<\/em>, but forgets to stay away from the pigs at feeding time…<\/p>\n

As always, wrapping up these sidereal shenanigans and cosmic contumely are opportunities to gt involved via activities offered under the aegis of the Phoenix Comics Club<\/strong>. Bring paper, pencils and you to a compact online course in all aspects of comic strip creation supervised by Jamie Smart detailing \u2018How to draw Lord Skull\u2019<\/em>, \u2018Zombie Mary\u2019<\/em> and \u2018The Goofy Carrot\u2019 <\/em>, before closing with an extensive plug for the aforementioned Phoenix Comics Club <\/strong>website complete with instant access via a QR code, plus previews of other treats and wonders available from M Smart and The Phoenix<\/strong>, to wind down from all that cosmic furore\u2026<\/p>\n

Another book for your kids to explain to you, Megalomaniacs<\/strong> is a zany zenith of absurdist all-ages (and species) cage-fighting delight, whacked up on weird wit, brilliant invention and superb cartooning, all crammed into one eccentrically excellent package. Make your move now if you think you\u2019re hard to please enough…
\nText and illustrations \u00a9 Fumboo Ltd. 2026. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n

Today in 1917, certified comics genius Sheldon Mayer<\/strong> (Sugar and Spike<\/strong>, all things DC) was born as were Doggyguard<\/em> creator Michel Rodrigue<\/strong> in 1961, Mark<\/strong> (Northguard<\/strong>) Shainblum<\/strong> and James<\/strong> (London\u2019s Dark<\/strong>, Starman<\/strong>) Robinson<\/strong> in 1963, and Brad<\/strong> (Identity Crisis<\/strong>) Meltzer<\/strong> in 1971.<\/p>\n

Reading wise, in 1961 Eric Roberts<\/strong>\u2019 Winker Watson<\/em> debuted today in The Dandy<\/strong>, David Sutherland<\/strong>\u2019s Billie the Cat<\/em> launched in 1967\u2019s weekly Beano<\/strong>, and TV Action<\/strong> (the reboot of Countdown<\/strong>) began in 1972. In 1973, Zach Mosely<\/strong>\u2019s The Adventures of Smilin\u2019 Jack<\/strong> ended today, followed one year later by Go Nagai<\/strong>\u2019s final instalment of robot revenge manga Cutey Honey<\/strong>. In 1997, 46 US strip creators traded places for a day in the unbelievably tricky but cool publishing event Comic Strip Switcheroo<\/em> (AKA\u00a0 the Great April Fools’ Day Comics Switcheroonie<\/strong>)…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Jamie Smart, with Sammy Borras, coloured by John Cullen (David Fickling Books) ISBN: 978-1-78845-384-4 (PB) Everybody loves rampaging monsters right? So what happens when someone too clever for his own good wants a go at the old traditional yarn-spinning and combines thrills and chills with manic intervention, all-ages cheeky vulgarity and excessive invention? That\u2019s … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Megalomaniacs: The Invasion Begins!”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[191,42,113,125,362,97,396,107],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35172","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adventure","category-best-of-british","category-comedy","category-humour","category-jamie-smart","category-kids-all-ages","category-monsters","category-science-fiction"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4AFj-99i","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35172","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35172"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35172\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35175,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35172\/revisions\/35175"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35172"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35172"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35172"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}