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05/12/2021 3:22 am
Who Censored Roger Rabbit by Gary K Wolf
Spoiler
Warning: Major book spoilers ahead. If you haven't read the book and plan to, skip this review.
In some weird way I think this novel did a few things better than the movie did. I think where the movie has it over it is setting it as a period piece (this is set in "present day" 1981), and making the relationships between the characters more solid, and in the case of Jessica and Roger Rabbit sincerely loving. I'm seen interviews with Gary K Wolf where he laments he himself did not come up with a character as great as Judge Doom, and he was created exclusively for the movie and Wolf is kicking himself for that fact. After reading this book, I cannot disagree with him more. Doom is actually a drag on the movie and the entire premise. Why?
Because this is supposed to be a hard-boiled mystery. And not only is Doom the most likely culprit, he's guilty of practically everything. There is no mystery involved in that particular film mystery. You can argue about the wisdom of killing Roger off and having it turn out he was one of the murderers in the book. You can also bemoan that the genie (the other murderer) wasn't set up properly. But both of those revelations surprised me, which is what a good mystery should do. And what's amazing about Roger's guilt is that it SHOULDN'T have surprised me. He was the most likely culprit after all. What shocked me is that he was planning on framing Eddie Valiant for it before getting killed himself.
So, yeah, I like the characters in the movie better. I like the feel of the Film Noir period piece. As a mystery? The book has it all over the movie. In every way. Judge Doom IS a great and scary villain. But he's an improper villain to make the culprit of a mystery. Were I Gary K. Wolf, who DID strive to write a proper mystery, I'd object to that, not be envious of it.
It should also be pointed out that this version of Eddie Valiant has it all over the movie version. As the first person Narrator and the one character in every scene, it's fun to realize this version of Eddie has a REALLY good and wry sense of humor. It's outside of Toon humor, but I don't believe the film, with its somewhat childish notions about the power of laughter, would have been able to make or appreciate that distinction. As such I think if you don't count the Roger Rabbit cartoon at the beginning and all of his flailing hijinks in the film, in a lot of ways, the book is funnier. And Eddie is the funniest character.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit is one of my all-time favorite movies, top five definitely, possibly top three. It's interesting that the book, that was never quite as well-received as it was, actually points out a visible flaw in the film I never noticed before. As a mystery, the movie sucks. 4 1/2 stars.
Who P-P-P-Plugged Roger Rabbit? by Gary K. Wolf
Spoiler
This is SORT of a reboot of first book. I wouldn't call it canon to the movie, but it sort of fits if you squint your eyes. The original book is acknowledged as a dream had by Jessica which ended with Roger alive in the shower. Gary K. Wolf knows the right jokes to tell about retcons.
I thought most of it turned out right, although I would have explicitly given the Toon Tonic to Jo at the end.
Unlike the first book, there are some things I didn't like. There is some definite homophobia in the book. Not nearly as the level of cringe as Bill and Ted, but "Nancy" and "Queen" still hit my ear wrong, whether the book is set in 1947 or not. The other problem with the book is that I don't agree with the conclusions raised about Toon Tonic, especially in a day and age where being transgender has become accepted by much of society. Eddie bemoans that if Toons could become human and vice versa, you'd never be able to tell them apart. Ferd makes a third of a human's salary for doing the same job as a human. Explain to me what's wrong with leveling that specific playing field.
The mystery was fine, and I liked and was amused by the romance between Eddie and Jo, and I especially liked that it turned out Jessica was faithful the entire time and Baby Herman was alive. Which is another reason the "here we go again" cliffhangers were kind of annoying.
Roger becoming human for awhile and then becoming a father was very cool. I also really dug his friendship with Clark Gable. They wound up hitting it off and liking each other, and I thought that was cool.
Like the first book, the wrap-up addresses the idea that there was a secondary killer / Little Bad mucking things up. Instead of being Roger (who also almost dies twice in the novel) it's Eddie's third brother Freddy. And the hows and whys there sort of break my heart. I don't agree with Eddie or Wolf about Toon Tonic. But I see why Eddie hates what's become of his broken brother.
To be brutally honest, it's not as good as the first book. On the other hand, I liked the characters a lot more (except for maybe Baby Herman). Roger is not a murderous heel and Jessica is not a scumbag so that's nice. But I had some ethical concerns about some of the issues raised in the book, and a lot of the terms used in the book were insensitive, somewhat bigoted, and dated. It was good, but not great. 3 1/2 stars.
Who Wacked Roger Rabbit?
Spoiler
This was very similar in quality to the last book, but I for some reason didn't like it as much. I found some of the hard-boiled dialogue funny, but the toon puns wore thin after awhile. And while this book DID come out in 2015, Baby Herman's behavior is just all kinds of wrong and disgusting after MeToo. The book has references to Twitter via messenger birds, and it STILL feels totally dated because of that.
Fortunately Herman is only in a couple of scenes.
I have to confess I was sure they were going to kill Roger off at the end. I figured Wolf might use this novel to close the books on the character and that part of his career. And while I'm not SHOCKED he survived instead, the fact that I was unsure was why it was a canny plot twist. I'm sure Wolf was aware that the reader might remember Roger died in the first book as well.
As far as continuity goes, the reviews at the beginning make it sound like it ignores the first books completely. Personally? I can easily fit it into the second book's continuity in my head-canon. And the second explains the first as a dream. I don't feel as if Wolf has been ignoring what came before. He's not quite that lazy.
I'll tell you what I don't like. That Eddie STILL hates Roger Rabbit. That drives me nuts. Although Eddie seems to have conflicting opinions about Toons to begin with. He hates them all supposedly, but all throughout the book we see and learn about Toons Eddie likes and admires. These inconsistencies lead me to believe that as far as what he likes and hates goes, Eddie is an Unreliable Narrator.
For Pete's sake, he finally takes in the lovable cartoon puppy Mutt at the end, and can't even admit to the reader he actually likes him, let alone loves him. Eddie strikes me as far less emotionally healthy in this book than he was in the first two.
It was fine, but not mind-blowing. I suppose I'd be down for another one of these by Wolf in 2035. That should be enough time to keep things fresh. 3 1/2 stars.
ThunderCats Ultimates! Wish List: Safari Joe, Turmagar, Tuska Warrior, Topspinner, Ram-Bam, Cruncher, Red-Eye, Tug-Mug, Driller, Ro-Bear Belle, Ro-Bear Bert, Nayda, Mumm-Rana, Dr. Dometone, Stinger, Captain Bragg & Crowman, Astral Moat Monster, Spidera, Snowmeow, Wolfrat.
Check out Gilda And Meek & The Un-Iverse! Blog with every online issue in one place!
Topic starter
23/02/2022 9:48 am
The Road To Toontown! Best Shorts Stories Of Roger Rabbit Creator Gary K. Wolf
Spoiler
The collection of short stories is a mixed bag, to put it mildly. All of the Roger Rabbit material was written after the movie, and very little of the other stories really show a huge progression to the world Wolf created in "Who Censored Roger Rabbit?"
You will notice something interesting about this review. The final (passing) grade I give this book doesn't match the fact that I (severely) pan most of the stories in the book. The fact is, most of the awful stories are VERY short and most of the decent ones are novellas and take up a ton of page space. And the fact that I think "The Unhardy Boys In Outer Space" is better than all three Roger Rabbit books means the grade of the entire book will be far higher than most of the following individual reviews would indicate. Collection Overall: 3 1/2 stars.
Love Story
This is a creepy-ass story (It's the first Wolf ever sold). I did not like it at all. 1 star.
Pop
Another extremely dark and unpleasant story. 1 star.
In Memory Of Lindy Lovely:
That was an appalling concept with a fascinating, execution helped by an amazing twist ending. The first of the stories in the book I really liked. 4 stars.
Dissolve
This story is not just depraved and depressing. It's badly written and nigh impossible to follow. It is significant for containing Wolf's first dabbling with cartoon characters. 1 1/2 stars.
Therapy
This is supposed to be a funny story, but it's so ludicrous it's actually stupid. 1 star.
Slammer
This logic of this comical story does not hold up to the slightest bit of scrutiny. And yet, it's fake-hard-boiled characters and situations is the closest Wolf has so far gotten to the premise of Who Censored Roger Rabbit. He's not there yet, and as stories go, it's kind of crappy. But it's a significant step on the road to Toontown. 2 1/2 stars.
The Bridge Builder
I didn't understand a thing about this story. It's either about transporters or the idea of the internet before it existed. Unclear. 2 stars.
Doctor Rivet And Supercon Sal
It's a nice story (a novella actually) but it's poorly constructed, and the twists and turns and doublecrosses at the end feel random and arbitrary (which is frankly also true of the Roger Rabbit books).
I'm also disappointed in a couple of instances of blatant racism and homophobia (but both passages were brief).
Sal is very clearly Wolf's first effort at a Jessica Rabbit-type character. Like Freddie, it's clear Wolf knows absolutely nothing about how women act. And he freely admits as much in the forward of the book.
Pretty good, but sort of turned a bit ridiculous by the end. On brand for the creator of Roger Rabbit. 3 1/2 stars.
A Riverworld Runs Through Toontown
This was apparently written in 2001 and features Roger and Jessica Rabbit. I couldn't really make hide nor hare of it (Groan!). ***.
Hare's Lookin At You, Babs! Barbara Walters Interviews Roger Rabbit
Cute.
Literally, it's because of Gary K Wolf I know what Hassenpfeffer is. The opening to Laverne and Shirley is now SLIGHTLY less confusing.
I like that Roger wears pants to keep his suspenders down.
I like the idea that Roger's next project is a remake of Harvey, but this time the human's invisible.
Like I said, cute. 4 stars.
Stay Tooned, Folks!
Weak and a little embarrassing. Also a little bit homophobic which is not okay.
I guess for me, Roger Rabbit stories just aren't Roger Rabbit stories unless they are narrated by Eddie Valiant. And that's where I stand on the subject. 2 1/2 stars.
The Unhardy Boys In Outer Space By Gary K. Wolf And Archbishop John J. Myers
This is not just the best story in the book. I'd argue it's better than all three Roger Rabbit novels.
It plays things refreshingly straight, while having a great sense of humor about science fiction and its tropes. How can you dislike any sci-fi story that reference Gul Dukat as a great sci-fi villain? Answer: You can't.
About the only genre misstep I noticed was Wolf and Myers misspelled Xena Warrior Princess as Zena, but truly, only Men Of God get everything right. Oh, wait. 5 stars.
Who We Need Here Is Mister Thomas Edison
It's definitely an interesting story. Also played pretty straight. 4 stars.
Inspector Timber And The Three Pigs:
God, that was awful. I was disliking the story more and more as it went on, but I figured it was being set up as some grand joke with a punchline, and I'd give it a passing grade if it had a good ending.
No such luck. Bitter, sucky story. 0.
Which Witch Is Which? Jessica Lizbeth Rabbit Interviews Shannen Maria Doherty, Holly Marie Combs, And Alyssa Jayne Milano With Minor Editing Help From Gary Kenneth Wolf
This old Rolling Stone article is a novelty and also a bit of a puzzle to me. When Charmed was on the air, Roger Rabbit was hardly a hot properly. It makes little sense to use Jessica Rabbit to do this bit of promotion for that specific show. Jessica Rabbit doesn't even have anything to do with witches.
Well, at least we learned her middle name is Lizbeth and that the K stands for Kenneth.
I have to say, the Jessica as written by Wolf has always struck me as far more stuck-up and conceited than the one in the movie. Which is saying something because Kathleen Turner hardly played her as Down-to-Earth. But Wolf's Jessica always strikes me as unusually unpleasant.
A curiosity. Mo more. 2 1/2 stars.
Kiss Me Goodbye
It's an Eddie Valiant story, seemingly set in a world without Toons. Eddie's last name is never mentioned, but his Secretary being named Dolores and one of the cops being lieutenant Hoskins is pretty compelling evidence it's him. Frankly, the story is only so-so. 3 stars.
"The Warhol Of The Worlds" A Radio Drama As Performed By The Toontown Theatre On The Air
This radio play parody of War Of The Worlds, done with the Roger Rabbit characters, was something I thought was super dumb. Until the last brilliant joke. Then I was like, "Oh, I get it." 3 stars.
ThunderCats Ultimates! Wish List: Safari Joe, Turmagar, Tuska Warrior, Topspinner, Ram-Bam, Cruncher, Red-Eye, Tug-Mug, Driller, Ro-Bear Belle, Ro-Bear Bert, Nayda, Mumm-Rana, Dr. Dometone, Stinger, Captain Bragg & Crowman, Astral Moat Monster, Spidera, Snowmeow, Wolfrat.
Check out Gilda And Meek & The Un-Iverse! Blog with every online issue in one place!
Topic starter
15/07/2022 7:23 pm
Jessica Rabbit: XERIOUS Business by Gary K. Wolf
Spoiler
Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever read a novel that's so dumb that you KNOW you could write something better? Not like theoretically someday under the right circumstances, but like in the here and now? That happened to me while reading Gary K Wolf's fourth Roger Rabbit book. I wouldn't consider any of the previous three novels high literature, but the storytelling was fine because each book was narrated by Eddie Valiant, and the Earthy tone and rough speech in them was appropriate. When Wolf narrates the book himself, he simply sounds dumb and incompetent for it.
I was very unhappy that Robbe turned out to be Roger simply because the character is so gross and loathsome to start off with. I knew it was a possibility but I had hoped I was wrong. One of the biggest problems I have with the book is that one of the ways Wolf shows Jessica struggling is having her objectified and leered over by the other male characters including Robbe. A good writer should not need to humiliate a woman in order to ostensibly empower her.
I will say this much. This heavy-handed and cringe approach to the battle of the sexes still beats Jessica's appearances in the three previous books. She's essentially nothing more than a shallow, obnoxious philanderer there. She's also equally objectified without any of the male characters being put in their place for doing so, so I guess this is SOME kind of progress. I do not remotely recognize the appealing and funny Jessica from the film in the previous three books. It's to this book's minor credit I DO recognize her here.
Considering Wolf's age (he's 82!) this is probably the last Roger Rabbit book, especially considering they seem to only come out every ten or fifteen years. What a lousy one to go out on. I would have been happy not knowing what a deeply flawed writer Wolf was since he was better able to hide that in the previous books. It bums me out and angers me a bit knowing I can write circles around the guy who made a story that became a movie that's made nearly a billion dollars at the box office over the decades. It pisses me off a little. *.
ThunderCats Ultimates! Wish List: Safari Joe, Turmagar, Tuska Warrior, Topspinner, Ram-Bam, Cruncher, Red-Eye, Tug-Mug, Driller, Ro-Bear Belle, Ro-Bear Bert, Nayda, Mumm-Rana, Dr. Dometone, Stinger, Captain Bragg & Crowman, Astral Moat Monster, Spidera, Snowmeow, Wolfrat.
Check out Gilda And Meek & The Un-Iverse! Blog with every online issue in one place!
