Comics Double Review: Salt Water Taffy Volume 1

Salt Water Taffy, volume 1
Matthew Loux, story and art
Oni Press

David U.: This is a fairly charming kids’ OGN that, like all good work in this genre, successfully entertained me on both an emotional and cerebral level and gave me the distinct impression I would have felt equally fond of it had I been five, eight or twelve. Really, this is pretty much the biggest praise an adult can give a children’s book.

It’s not a particularly unique story - as a matter of fact, it’s fairly tried-and-true, from the basic premise of “dreary family ‘vacation’ turns into boundless adventure” to the stereotypes that inhabit the fictional world of Chowder Bay. However, Loux’s enthusiasm is infectious, buoyed significantly by a light and kinetic art style that manages to imbue the same sense of motion and excitement in two kids jumping out of a car that you usually don’t see outside of a knock-down drag-out Kirby-style battle royale.

However, there really isn’t - at least with this first volume - much to see below the surface. There’s a clear videogame influence, from the rather specific (and unlikely to resonate with today’s children) Metroid II references to the swarthy sailor’s sea stories that more than resemble retellings of fetch quests. The two main characters, Jack and Benny, aren’t particularly nuanced; one is younger and more enthused while the other is older and considerably jaded.

In the end, it’s solid escapist entertainment, entertainingly written and charmingly drawn. It won’t change your life, nor the life of your child, but it’ll put a smile on the reader’s face and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

David B.: The way I see it, the best things in the world are all ages. Yeah, lit comics are good and all, but have you ever sat down and read a comic book about dinosaurs fighting other dinosaurs with a four year old? One of them works your brain. The other is tons of fun. Now that my labored metaphor is done, I can safely say that Matthew Loux’s Salt Water Taffy is tons of fun.

I’ve never been north of Virginia, but the book has a very familiar and comfortable feel. It’s every summer trip I ever went on or heard about, from the GameBoy to the parental orders to go play outside. The art is good, but in a way, the story is my favorite part. Two brothers, complete with sibling rivalry, are the main characters. One’s bubbly, the other is more subdued, but they both latch onto the mystery in the book with a quickness.

The art is also a high point. It’s cartoony, expressive, and the facial expressions are wonderfully cartoony. It’s neat to see how the characters interact, since a decent portion of the book is made up of conversation. Despite that, Salt Water Taffy moves along at a fast pace.

I never found myself bored, and I was actually surprised at how fast I finished the book, in the sense that I wish that there were already more of it to check out. The story wraps up cleanly, with a few last minute humorous plot twists. There were a few quality surprises during the story, as well. I’m definitely interested in seeing the forthcoming volumes of Salt Water Taffy, based on the quality of this one.