Adventure Time : 2014 Annual
Written By Frank Gibson
Art By Becky Dreistadt
Letters by Britt Wilson
Published by Kaboom!
At the core of Adventure Time lies childhood unbridled: a boy and his dog live together in a tree fort, defend a kingdom made of candy and a bevy of strange princesses (notably no queens) from all sorts of monsters. Their only real imperative is, like the title suggests, adventure. And that’s definitely part of it. The other part is the other part of childhood, discovering out who you are, who you want to be with, and who you will be. Adventure Time: 2014 Annual takes a time out to refocus the themes and stories on the early childhood of fan favorite female analogs Fiona and Cake.
The annual cements itself into the world of picture books from page one, where readers find they have to turn the book sideways to get the long, bedtime story book feel of the first narrative, itself a bedtime story in a kid’s book. As with the best Adventure Time stuff, the formatting change both captures the spirit of the show’s spirit and expands it. Here is a world with a young Fiona, being fostered by Cake’s parents on the eve of a birthday, told in the colors and format of a children’s book, using the conventions of comic books and the sinister sense of humor that makes the show so appealing across generations.
The first and longest portion begins as Cake tells the story of how Fiona’s forgotten by her adopted parents and more well-behaved sister and ends with Fiona admitting that she wanted to devour Cake’s likeness via a Cake-shaped-cake. In between, the girls must rescue Prince Bubblegum from the Ice Queen (incidentally documenting they’re first meetings). Four comedic shorts follow the main story, depicting toddler Fiona, but its the birthday story that really shines.
Frank Gibson does an excellent job of exploiting the medium, even the specific annual form, to tell a story that couldn’t be on screen. At five years old, the only thing Fiona wants for her birthday is an adventure in the night. A bedtime story opens the book, laying down the themes of maturity and knowing one’s limits. The ensuing plot is simply adorable, culminating in a birthday party, because isn’t that what annuals are all about? The plot finds Fiona heading into the dark woods, like all good fairy tales. With no black lines, soft water colored pallets, and nearly flat rendering, Becky Dresistadt captures the feel of a children’s picture book beautifully. Britt Wilson’s letters emphasize the cross-over between mediums, using blocked sound effects, frilly dialogue fonts and a particularly expressive sigh. Every element backs up the others elegantly and the over all effect is nothing short of delightful.
As Finn and Jake continue to grow in Adventure Time, the show has dealt with increasingly adult themes through eyes of a child: death, fatherhood, dismemberment, just to name a few. It’s great to see those same eyes turned to a simpler time, especially with such craft and artistry.