Patrick the Wolfboy

Patrick the Wolfboy by Art Baltazar and Franco (Blind Wolf Studios)

Patrick is a typical little boy in a typical suburban family, except…oh yeah, he’s a werewolf. The only word he says is “RRARGH,” which could mean anything from “I love you, Sasquatch!” to “Would you like a bite of my squirrel, Ozzie?” He “wolfs up” once in a while, chases his local squirrel, tortures the old lady next door (who he thinks is a witch), wrecks lots of stuff and interprets the world around him in his own little-boy way.

Patrick reminds everyone of some little boy they know – overly curious, a little troublesome, and cute as heck. Franco and Art’s stories are giggle-inducing and sweet. The black and white art is clean and fairly simple, in the tradition of Peanuts, Dennis the Menace, and Calvin and Hobbes, and Art Baltazar, the smiliest guy in comics, is great at on-the-page slapstick humor.

Patrick originally appeared in “Specials” -- there are several Halloween Specials, Specials for most major holidays, Father’s Day and Wedding Specials, Sci-Fi, Rock-n-Roll, and Superhero Specials (my favorites) , and even an After-School Special (rimshot – ba-dum-pum). Each Special is full of short vignettes instead of one long story, so it’s great for little kids (short-attention-span theater). Devil’s Due is now publishing Patrick compilations, so you can read more Patrick all at once!

There are a few faux-swears, like “fricken,” “sunsa-bishus,” and “#@*@!!”, and the old lady next door is prone to saying, “Crap!” but that’s the worst of it. The cute quotient is very high here, from the way Art numbers the pages (ate-teen), to photos of family and friends on the back cover. The humor works on both kid and adult levels, and you’ll definitely find yourself chuckling, if not laughing out loud.

Shelby says: Patrick the Wolfboy is a boy who can turn into this wolf-looking thing. He likes to chase squirrels and dump water on his neighbor, an old grumpy lady, because he thinks she’s a witch. He gets in trouble all the time for cheating at games or jumping in a lobster tank while getting his parents wet. All he says is RARGH. He doesn’t know anything which is like my little six-year-old cousin. I love this comic! It’s for anyone!

Sarah says: It’s funny because they have a costume contest and Patrick turns into the wolfboy and wins. And they go to the wax museum and Patrick looks for a string in the wax Frankenstein’s head because he thinks he’s a candle. He always messes around and just says, “RRAHRG.” His parents understand him, but the neighbors don’t. The “Grim Repair” is Patrick’s friend and I like him ‘cause he’s cute.