Get a SPOONFUL!

Good Morning!

Even if it's not morning, Good Morning! nevertheless.

I just came across a fantastic piece of work.

BRAVO! to Brendan Douglas Jones!

This talented writer and artist has created a epic adventure out of...yes, breakfast cereal characters. Whatever you're thinking, the concept goes way beyond your expectations. It's a tour de force of research from the dawn of advertising repackaged into a storyline that pours out deliciously and never gets soggy. A true masterpiece.

We've all seen the comercials growing up... and if you're as old as I am (or older) you're bound to have seen a hell of a lot of 'em. (Dig 'Em.) And if you're like me, you somehow retained a bunch of elements. Such as that Cap'n Crunch resides at Crunch Landing. Or which characters disguise themselves. Or which visual gags and their timing as attributed to which characters. Truth is, many of the cereals had a cohesive structure throughout. Real character and scenic design went on there.

And that's precisely what Brendan Douglas Jones pays homage to in Breakfast of the Gods. Pouring every "old school" (and some "newer") cereal character and background into the same bowl, Jones concocts the world of Cerealia, where all of the characters live. He's seamlessly blended and maintained the crispy little details (personalities, vehicles, locations, catchphrases) into a smooth creamy fluid adventure. And a damn good one, too. Jones states outright that he pays tribute to the dedicated, talented and unsung team that created entire worlds within little boxes.

I would like to thank them for a childhood of inundation, coercion and wonder as I both consumed their products and eagerly watched the 30 to 60 second adventures of their animated spokespeople and spokesanimals every Saturday morning.

For those of us who grew up with the lure and lore of breakfast cereals, no greater tribute exists. To fully appreciate the work, one must, of course, have grown up with them. Part of the treat is that it's not all just the marshmallowly fluff you recall. Like you, the storylines and characters have matured. Yes, there's violence, language and blood. Tastefully.

And I'll just give you a little taste of the general (mills) idea. I don't want to spoon feed it to you, since you really should go consume it yourself. The evil Count Chocula is hatching a scheme to put an end to the Eternal Morning of Cerealia. Fearless leaders like Tony the Tiger are at the ready to keep their sugary sweet lives part of a balanced existence. But only the wise old Cap'n Crunch knows the truth about the coming of Chocula oh so long ago.

And just so you have an example of how it combines the characters and storyline: Remember Sonny, the Cuckoo Bird? He's cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs, you know. He gets crazy for that stuff. Crazed. Eyes swirling with color, reckless abandon... it's crack. And who can supply him with all the Cocoa he needs? Chocula, who keeps him enslaved to do his bidding. Sonny is locked up in a straight jacket, lamenting over the awful things he has done. But the master... his master Count Chocula gives him the stuff...
It's immensely fun. It's also a blast to be made to bring to mind characters you hadn't thought of in what seems like an epoch. And for anyone who reads it and wonders who the hell some of the characters are... trust me, they are ALL from the big bowl of cerealm. (Jones also lists the characters in the back covers.)
Naturally, I'm focusing on the storyline. The artwork - it's GrrrrrREAT! So faithfully and reverently drawn, but not without a new design flair. And what fun to see these characters with other expressions. (Like horror!) Extremely well done.
Once again, BRAVO! This, my friends, is pure genius.

The Breakfast of the Gods is FREE to read online!

Grab a spoon and go!