Sir PBJ: Traction Man and the Beach Odyssey

This is a sad job for Sir PBJ today, because the original Traction Man is Here! is simply irresistible! As is Traction Man meets Turbo Dog. All three written and illustrated by the very talented Mini Grey. But as it is his duty, Sir PBJ, the ‘Royal Test-Reader’ must inform his (very) young Queen of book elements gone wrong, and offer constructive suggestions. It is with heavy heart that he informs us of his findings:

“Ah, Traction Man. I still find the drawing technique and style superb, the sense of color, texture and depth exquisite. I love an action-packed adventure as any knight of the realm, but I found some spreads, especially the end papers, too busy even for my eager eyes. The character has such magnetic charm and the story plot is unique, but with the text displayed on collage-paper scraps often dispersed in a manner that adds confusion to the illustrations spreads, my desire to read all the bits waned. Occasionally I found a page to unwind and enjoy the view, but others reminded me of the feeling you get when the undertow catches your feet and you lose orientation for a minute before you break the surface and can breathe again. I recommend more negative space be added to the compositions and the text placed with more cohesion. This is my humble opinion.”