Overview

An outrageously cruel cat versus a wily mouse: a rivalry as old as time, popularized by the beloved Tom and Jerry cartoons of the '40s and '50s. In the hands of renowned Italian cartoonist Massimo Mattioli, however, this classic premise is infused with a whole new perverse and anarchic energy. Laying full-on slasher horror onto wacky cartoon violence, Mattioli's characters embark on a sadistic bloodthirsty rampage, leaving a trail of mangled corpses and pools of blood in their wake. And the comic's gratuitous bloodshed is not to be overshadowed by its crude humor and over-the-top sexcapades. In sum, a tour de force of unrelenting transgression, rendered in clean line art and dazzling pastel colors. Conceived in the early '80s, Squeak the Mouse was originally serialized in the Italian underground comics magazine Frigidaire to much acclaim. This silent comic series gained notoriety in the US when customs agents seized a shipment of Mattioli's books; deemed pornographic, the work was subsequently made the subject of an obscenity trial (which was won by the publisher). Best known today as the precursor to the Itchy and Scratchy characters in The Simpsons, this cult classic comic series is finally coming back into print in a gorgeous and affordable hardcover.

Full Product Details

9781683964858

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Reviews

I can't emphasize enough that it's not for the squeamish, but it really is a first-class parody of a classic cartoon genre by a master cartoonist.-- Forces of Geek Mattioli pushes the raging libidinousness and exaggerated violence found in many classic cartoons to berserk extremes in this thoroughly demented, wildly entertaining dark comedy.-- Library Journal For fans of Itchy & Scratchy, The Simpsons and subversive art (who don't mind the sexual content, slasher movie style kills and lots of zombies), a must-read.-- Screen Rant

Mattioli pushes the raging libidinousness and exaggerated violence found in many classic cartoons to berserk extremes in this thoroughly demented, wildly entertaining dark comedy.-- Library Journal

Author Information

Massimo Mattioli (1943-2019) was an Italian cartoonist known for his humorous children's work and adult comics series. Along with several contemporary artists, he co-founded the groundbreaking underground comics magazines Cannibale and Frigidaire. He was awarded the Phénix award in 1971, the Yellow Kid in 1975, and the Romics d'Oro in 2009.

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