Review by Frank Plowright

Roman Dirge is best known for the eccentric stylised gloom of Lenore, with the adventures of the frequently resurrected little dead girl a cultural phenomenon. It might surprise, then, to learn Dirge has turned his attention from teenage gloom to a learning book seemingly aimed at young children. It isn’t aimed at them, though, just using the form, and anticipating complaints, Dirge includes a full page disclaimer as the opening page.

Boofles are featured, the cute creature on the cover being one of them, in fact the boofle introducing themselves as number one. Similar cheerful creatures show up, but the problems begin with the fourth, whose intentions are more by way of looking for their next meal. The result is a funny subversion of form sustained to the end, with the joke being other boofles keep arriving as per a schedule and each meets a gruesome fate.

As seen on the sample art, Dirge produces a variety of simple cute boofles as cannon fodder, with the malevolent and hungry number four a great hairy inkblot with teeth. There’s no artistic reluctance in showing the results of its hunger, with the innards of assorted boofles seen as squishy, bloody and pink. However, as I Can Count to Ten continues, we see not all of them are victims.

Contrasting the ongoing carnage, Dirge supplies a series of phone calls ranging from the intransigence of bureaucracy to one boofle trying to explain in vain to their partner why they’re unable to pick their child up from school.

I Can Count to Ten is a hilarious and very silly celebration of excess, and even if you’re not keen on Lenore, it should hit the spot.