Hmm-Mmm

If Kevin Shelley asked me to join his revolution, I would do it in a heartbeat not even knowing what cause he was fighting for. What I have gleaned about this mad genius is that he knows packaging and promotion.

Armed with a pair of suspenders and a finely-waxed mustache (pictured on the left), I was charmed into buying his book for the Schulz Library. How can you deny those book displays? Not only did its strong blue-red-white design remind me dearly of the postal system but the various extras such as bookmarks and matching patch sealed the deal. Please enjoy the front of the book and bookmarks, then the back! How many smiling cherries can you find?

The visual content of the book itself is truly mellifluous poetry. Whereas a rigid computer font or more-forgiving letterpress usually holds lines of lyrics captive, Shelley’s easy script are hand-drawn and absolutely beautiful in his comics.

Shelley’s work is also rather intense with a story in the gutter (the space betwixt the panels) running parallel or affecting the story of the panels.

Part of the charm of Mmm-Hmm is the use of easy language, slang and so forth woven into each line with hard consonants striking a beat, not unlike the sound of your spoon at the bottom of an ice cream dish. If you find yourself wishing for modern illustrated rhymes with adorable characters (unicorn, anyone?), look no further than Kevin Shelley’s Mmm-Hmm.

-Jen Vaughn