Review by Frank Plowright

There might not seem to be much that’s creepy about Creepy just looking at the cover, but look again, closely, and the creepiness is present.

Much the same applies to the content. It’s presented in the form of a cautionary children’s picture book, with a single page illustration accompanied by a just the one line of text, informing us from the start that the featured lady is creepy. This isn’t immediately apparent as the pictures show a normal looking woman in everyday situations. The sample art shows her primary meal. How does she acquire the ears required for her daily diet? This modern day fairy tale provides the unpleasant answer.

Lee Sensenbrenner and Keiler Roberts mimic the form perfectly, keeping everything horrifyingly simple and presenting a parade of children unknowingly in danger as they watch TV, listen to music or play games on their phones. Could it be these devices aren’t as good for children as we’ve been told. Roberts has the perfect art style for Creepy, lacking complexity, yet presenting everything needed on a page without exaggeration, leaving the combination of text and illustration to provide the dark humour. Publishers Drawn and Quarterly extend the joke with a sturdy hardcover package complete with ear-motif endpapers.

The only drawback is that however well the pastiche is carried out, Creepy is a three minute read costing $17 at cover price that you’re never likely to look at a second time. With the production an essential component of the overall parody there’s no way around that problem, and the cost will severely restrict the sales.