Extra Credit: Emo Boy #9
All of SLG's creators put a ton of time and effort and talent into their comics, but once in a while, one of them will turn in an issue that makes you say, "Holy crap, that's cool," so I'm starting a new little feature called "Extra Credit" to recognize those issues. Launching this new feature is Emo Boy #9: "Choose Your Own Emo."
If you're an American of a certain age, Choose Your Own Adventure books were a staple of your childhood, along with Voltron, Super Mario Brothers and wearing your Keds with no shoelaces (I totally started that trend at my elementary school!). When you read a CYOA book, you take on the role of the protagonist and choose how the action progresses. Most often, your story ends in your death or at least your disillusionment, but if you persist and make good choices, you get the coveted "good ending." My favorite Choose Your Own Adventure book was one in which you somehow conjure up a griffin, but the only ending I can remember is the one where the griffin eats you alive because you tried to feed it dog food. Its beak sinks into the soft flesh of your stomach, as I recall.
My new rejection line. So what better homage to the awesomeness that was childhood than Choose Your Own Emo? In Emo Boy #9 you take on the role of Emo Boy, making such momentous decisions as "If you want to stay in bed, turn to page 13. If you want to wake up, turn to page 9. If you want to spy on Maxine in the shower, turn to page 25." The first ending I got was the "AWESOMELY BAD ENDING"--all because I felt sorry for a monkey. That'll teach me.
Not only did Steve do quite an astounding amount of work for the interior of the book, but he's also doing a "Where's Emo?" back cover, featuring fans of Emo Boy who sent in their pictures. Progress of the back cover is up at Steve's journal.
Emo Boy #9 will be in stores in October, but it is available for pre-order NOW! The Diamond order code is AUG06 2940.
And just for fun, here is what purports to be a picture of Conor Oberst in the 7th grade.
