[Trade Winds] Shmobots OGN

Posted by Graig on August 9, 2008

(BOOM! Studios)

I hope writer Adam Rifkin isn’t really trying to make some serious or pointed cultural analogy in his first graphic novel, Shmobots, because if he is, it’s the most racist comic I’ve ever read!

That get your attention? I’m not totally serious, but I did find myself wondering just what the point Rifkin was trying to make while reading the book. Shmobots takes place in an alternate world where the government decided to have robots perform all tedious labor (picking up trash, cleaning dishes or toilets etc.). The problem is they sourced it out to the cheapest firm, who skimped on the manufacturing process (must be set in America, because in Canada, our government always pays way too much for everything), but instead of receiving a tireless workforce, society wound up with a whole new class of citizens (”mechanical-Americans”), lazy slackers, given a programmed sense of free will which has evolved into an unjustified sense of entitlement (Shmos - defined as “a stupid or obnoxious person”, hence “Shmobots”). They’re angry, they’re useless, they’re annoying, and it’s hard to escape the parallels to stereotypes of some immigrant populations. You also have to wonder about the inspiration/motivation behind taking away jobs that are usually performed by an immigrant population (the jobs “regular folk” are too good for), both legal and illegal alike. Sounds like a grand Republican scheme to deter further illegal immigration, but that’s neither here nor there. To its detriment, the book doesn’t actually tackle such delicate matters, but instead is a variation of the slacker/stoner movie and is out to have a good time, and (I believe) sincerely means no harm.

Though the satire may be lacking, the exploration of the Shmobots and their integration into society is a lot of fun (especially once I relaxed a little). Centered around three robots - Rusty, Eyeballs and 69.5 - and their equally slacker human roommate, Miles, the quartet rehearse in their garage, pine over women, discuss topics inanely, and generally loaf around failing to contribute to society. Rusty has his eyes set on a human cashier at the egg salad fast-food joint they frequent, despite the fact that she absolutely despises him. 69.5 goes out to get an actual job, but finds that he can’t overcome society’s prejudice towards his kind. Miles goes to see his dad, a doorman at a hoity-toity building, to hit him up for cash, instigating only conflict. Eyeballs, well, he has the car. Meanwhile, there’s a Shmobot Killer in town, which has the bulk of the human public rather enthused and glued to the media coverage, but remains the police’s top priority. In another sub-plot, there’s Marshall Rumplebaum, a balding husband and father who discovers his wife has been cheating on him… with Linc, the robot who messed up painting all the house numbers on their street. Marshall is sent into a tizzy, both about the cheating and what she was cheating on him with. It all coalesces nicely as the quartet gear up for their “big gig” upon which all their hopes and aspirations lay. Of course, given the tone of the book, it’s not going to fare well. Along the way they find themselves harassed by rednecks, getting kicked out of strip bars, and winding up before the bolt cutters of the Shmobot Killer.

Although far from groundbreaking, Rifkin has created an sub-genre that takes all the clichÃƒÂ©d conversations of pot-addled college drop-outs and puts it in the mouths of robots, and the effect is actually quite hilarious. The exploration of the many ideas behind the general public’s reaction to Shmobots is present, but thin, but the decision probably was made that further exploitation of the “racism” theme would be, like, a bummer dude.

The art by Les Toil is ingenious, capturing a retro-50’s pastiche in the robot designs and color scheme (and even sound effects), even though the book is set in a contemporary setting. Toil is able to get nuance out of static robots brilliantly, each having their own peculiar physical or facial quirks which allow them to emote, but unlike normal human expression (think of the variety of robots in Futurama and you’re on the right track). His designs are wonderful (not just on the robots, but on buildings, cars, signs, clothes, tv shows) and his storytelling fluid and engrossing. Toil also seeds the book with a lot of clever backgrounds and nuanced imagery to nice comedic effect. He’s not a flashy artist, but he certainly knows his way around the page, and sells the story way beyond what I’m sure even Rifkin imagined.

I would be more impressed by Shmobots had it actually approached some of the more serious themes it sidesteps, but as it stands it’s tremendously entertaining. Plus, it gives us Kitten TV, which may be an even greater pop-culture invention than the Shmobots themselves.

4 out of 5 Vikings

( Note: BOOM! is currently serializing Shmobots on their website, updating a page a day)

[Trade Winds] Shmobots OGN

Filed Under: Trade Winds

Tags: 4/5, Boom, Humor, Sci-Fi

Add A Comment

Meta

Comic Sites

Digital Comics

Professionals

Publisher

Raiders

More Information Can Go Here