Review by Ian Keogh
A couple we eventually come to know as Stan and Kaye are in Spain on holiday and fall out. Moping on the beach, Stan finds a large haul of cannabis that’s been temporarily stored there, sees an opportunity, and the now drunken couple manage to move it to their hotel room, intending to smuggle it back to England and sell it. They have a plan, Stan has a brother with a van, and it’s only a couple of thousand miles from Spain to England.
Considering Jason Wilson had never previously produced a comic, and seemingly hasn’t done so since, Him & Her’s Smuggling Vacation is a monumental achievement. It’s plotted in the tradition of British farcical comedy, and drawn with the finesse applied to European cartooning. Wilson is a natural cartoonist, extremely expressive and with an innate sense of comedy timing as the story progresses from panel to panel. The only fault is relying too greatly on the single viewpoint during some sequences when variety would have produced a smoother reading experience.
From their squabbling introduction Stan and Kaye are believable characters, and idiots to root for as they bumble their way homeward. So is Stan’s brother Mark, representing the fly-by-night self-confidence so many idiots have. Far from being the cunning mastermind he believes himself to be, he’s flagged by officials from the start, so adding an additional level of personal danger for Stan and Kaye. The danger level’s already set high as gangsters want their stash back, and only their continuing incompetence prevents success on several occasions.
Tony Spencer is credited for “crime consultancy”, and not much online research is required to discover who he is and his connection to Wilson, itself a pretty amazing story. His advice ensures the criminal activities possess a reality, although the comedy tone ensures more gruesome moments either occur off panel or are toned down.
Wilson’s plotting is exceptionally developed. Through sheer luck, and instances of misfortune that turn out to work in Stan and Kaye’s favour, there’s never a moment of certainty to their 74 page nail-biting journey. There’s even room for a cameo from the cast of the greatest of UK sitcoms Only Fools and Horses. Given the high standards that set, it might be felt Wilson’s chancing his arm, but he pulls off an appropriately funny homage.
Him & Her’s Smuggling Vacation is a joy from start to finish. Why has there never been a film?
