Missing Misp

[seeker]

So are the younger Spuckler/Beeba due to time travel of Akiko to the past, or are the others affected by some type of youthening effect?

If the former, Spuckler sure lost his leg at a young age.

[danstro]

I would be suprised to find out that Spuckler lost his leg at such a young age. I always thought (mistakingly?) that he was an adult at the time when he lost it.

I love Beeba's wavy hair on the cover! ;D He must have been one hep cat when he was a kid! I assumed (again mistakingly?) that Beeba has always been bald on top of his noggin'.

It's also great to see Gax looking so shiny and new!

Can't wait for this book to finally hit the bookstores!

[Mark Crilley]

Thanks for the comments, Dan & Dan! It's a time travel story; Akiko ends up on the planet Smoo 25 years ago. You'll also get to see a younger King Froptoppit in the story.

I never said in the comics when Spuckler lost his leg, but somehow I couldn't see Spuckler as Spuckler without that old peg leg, even if he's little more than a teen in 'Misp'....

Thanks for being interested!

mark

[danstro]

Now we can come up with new theories on how "little Spuck" lost his leg.

Hmmm....

Maybe he bit the leg of a Bropka Lizard when he was three and the lizard returned the favor by biting Spuckler's leg off!

[dvandom]

Here's the cover image for those confused, or in case this thread lives beyond the point where the Missing Misp is at the top of Mark's homepage.

---Dave

[jacobii]

Hey Mark, it's jacob from messmore! do you remember me?? im the one who's a big fan and talk to you after the 5/6 presentation... anyway, in 'misp', will beeba be as smart and as much of a nerd as he is as an adult as a teen??

[seeker]

It's getting close - still in my Amazon ordrer list!

[seeker]

Got ads to buy this- but of course I've already ordered!

Two more weeks!

[seeker]

Got my copy today! Now to read it!

[seeker]

WARNING - I don't really feel I spoil too much in this review, but you may want to stay away if you want to read the book without my prejudices included.

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Ok - you were warned.

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(removed for the moment until I let Mark see this)

[danstro]

Akiko and The Missing Misp doesn't seem to be available at any of the bookstores I visited. It seems like the only way to get it is to special order it.

Call me old school, but I miss the old days of going in a bookstore and getting the book you want. Books delivered to your door via online ordering looks to be commonplace now.

*sigh*

Looks like it'll be a few weeks before I get a copy...

[dvandom]

Got my copy in the mail today, woot. I've only flipped through so far...Beeba's 80s hair slays me.

---Dave

[Mark Crilley]

Thanks Dave! To think Mr. Beeba could have been a member of Flock of Seagulls...

mark

Nov 19, 2008 21:46:54 GMT -5 dvandom said:

Got my copy in the mail today, woot. I've only flipped through so far...Beeba's 80s hair slays me.

---Dave

[dvandom]

Here's my review:

Akiko and the Missing Misp: Delacorte - Normally, despite being a 38 year old male, I enjoy Mark Crilley's Akiko Young Adult novels. Unfortunately, this time he stumbled a bit. I think the main problem is that he runs afoul of the law of character conservation. The main action of the book takes place 25 years in the past, which automatically makes any newly-introduced characters suspect (i.e. if they were important 25 years ago and we've never heard of them before, why weren't they still around?). Plus, of course, the word count on these novels isn't exactly huge, so Crilley has to be careful not to waste too much space introducing extraneous characters who won't be recurring in later novels. But of the new characters who appear on screen in the 25-years-ago scenes, all but one are involved with the badguys! I mean, it was obvious at least one of them had to be the Mysterious Villain of the piece, but there really weren't any red herrings to speak of, which weakened the central mystery plot. And even when I was the same age as the target audience for these books, I had some idea how the law of character conservation worked, as well as the need for misdirection. And no, it really didn't feel like a double-misdirect here. I never got the feeling that anyone who the lens of suspicion dropped on was actually innocent. Anyway, it was still an engaging read with lovely art interspersed with the text, and I look forward to how the Earth-side stuff is going to develop, but I found the plot to be on the weak side. Mildly recommended. $12.99 (hardcover)

[seeker]

Yeah Dave - my review didn't give Mark an "A" either on this go-round, but I decided to let Mark see it first.

Maybe it's just that Mark didn't intrigue old guys like us this time - but he's on the 'mark' for the younger crowd.

He hasn't replied, so I guess it's ok to put it up - otherwise I think he would have said something.

[seeker]

Or maybe it's just that folks from Kansas didn't like it as much as we normally do...

[seeker]

WARNING - I don't really feel I spoil too much in this review, but you may want to stay away if you want to read the book without my prejudices included.

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Ok - you were warned.
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Ok, I read "Akiko and the Missing Misp" last night.
So, now for the review.
Ummm. Ok, now for the POSITIVE review:

"Akiko and the Missing Misp" was a fun kid's romp through the Akiko universe. Taking the tale of Akiko and her friends Spuckler, Beeba, Poog and Gax in a new direction, Akiko gets to find out what her adult friends were like 25 years earlier. Deposited into an earlier time, she recruits the younger friends she hasn't yet met to save Smoo once again, or in this sense, for the very first time. Kids get to experience younger versions of familiar characters that they can more closely identify with (like a 13 year old Spuckler), while adults can appreciate the numerous movie/cultural references that Mark Crilley includes throughout the story. In the end, it's a fun revisit to the Akiko universe, painting characteristic strokes over familiar characters, even given they are 25 years younger. Overall grade for kids: B

Hey, that sounded good, right?

I received the book yesterday, and was almost giddy. This was the first new Akiko story in, what, 1 year? 2 years? No - THREE YEARS! No wonder Akiko is now a sixth grader instead of fourth!

I have always been extremely impressed with Mark's ability to interweave a children's story with subtlety, complexity, pathos, romance, and just about every other emotion under the sun, without compromising the fun romp as one reads.

I have personally been 'too busy' lately, so last night I sat down for what I thought would be a comfortable two hours reading that which I had become familiar with, but in another sense, never familiar with - it was always something new.

I was to be disappointed.

"Akiko and the Missing Misp" was a one-dimensional revisit to what once was a complex universe with a central planet called Smoo. Telling a too familiar tale of saving the universe from the one ring (whoops, sorry wrong story) - I meant saving the universe from a person trying to revive an evil empire (whoops, sorry wrong story again) - we see Akiko visiting the younger versions of her friends, Spuckler, Beeba, Poog, and Gax. Or are they younger? Sure, they don't remember her - but other than being physically younger and not knowing her, they sure seem to be exactly the same. I guess you really don't learn anything or change at all once you've turned 13.

Spuckler has his peg leg, has Gax (even though the "Story Tree" had Spuckler and Gax being introduced at a much later age) and just about everything that makes Spuckler Spuckler has already occurred by age 13. And Beeba? Other than still having a head of hair - he's also pretty much the same. Poog might be different, but he plays such a small role it's hard to tell. And sure enough - after a bit of struggle - we have the entire gang as a team doing exactly as they (will) do in 25 years. You almost wonder if this really had to be a time travel story. More like "Peggy Sue Got Married" than "Back to the Future" if you ask me.

Oh, movies! That was the high point of this tale. Probably realizing his characteristic subtleties and texture were missing - Mark substituted movie and cultural references throughout the tale. And saved it, if you ask me. Probably more fun than the story itself was figuring out where Mark was taking a section from - Star Wars? Back to the Future? Harry Potter? The story dripped with such references. Maybe even some I made up - when Akiko arrived at Froptoppit's castle, I half expected Kooch or McBarp to say something like "I fart in your general direction, Akiko pig-tail!" (ok, instead of English pig-dog for those who don't get it. Ok, Monty Python and the Holy Grail for those who STILL don't get it.)

I've been told (once by one of Mark Crilley's editors) that if the story isn't unique to the characters, then it isn't right. Said another way - if you can substitute Joe, Bob, Deborah and Bill as generic characters into the tale - then it IS NOT a story about the characters you want to spin a tale about. And that's what has happened here - this isn't really about Akiko, Spuckler, Beeba, Gax, or Poog. Or even their counterparts of 25 years ago. With just a few word changes here or there, this could be a tale about anyone. Sure - Spuckler has a peg-leg, Gax is with Spuckler, Beeba wants to be emperor of libraries, and Poog is, well, Poog. But that's really the bit that proves the point. Mark had to paint broad stereotypes to prove that these were his characters. Spuckler HAD to have both a peg leg and Gax at 13. Otherwise, he was generic character #1002. And so on.

I so much wanted a new Akiko story. I'm afraid that *I* did not get one. But then again, what do *I* know? I thought Back to the Future II was the most complex and interesting movie of the series, whereas most people pan it as too complex and hard to understand. The truth is that Mark might have it 'just right' whereas I have it 'all wrong'. The proper way to tell a story in the future just might be generic repetition of familiar fun things that kids have grown to know and love. Maybe I'm just getting old (and crochety).

Overall grade for adults (who really still feel like kids - we never REALLY grow up): C-


Mark - don't kill me!

[dvandom]

Just a note to those wondering how to give constructive negative criticism, seeker and I provide you some examples here. We don't just say, "I didn't like it," we give concrete (and different!) reasons why. I felt the plot was weak, and went into as much detail as I could without giving everything away. Seeker was more bothered by the characterization, and detailed the ways in which it gave him reason to be disappointed. And this is all constructive because they offer ways in which things could be improved next time around, should Mark decide the problems are really there.

---Dave

[seeker]

To give Mark credit, this is the VERY FIRST story about Akiko that he's written that just didn't work quite right for me.

[danstro]

I finally got Akiko and the Missing Misp in the mail!

Now I just gotta find the time to read it...

[danstro]

***MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!!***

I enjoyed Akiko and the Missing Misp as much as I would a sequel to a popular “popcorn” movie franchise. Yeah, it was much shorter than the ones preceding it (and a little more expensive), but I still found it a fun ride although not the best in the series. I would have to say that I enjoyed it a little bit more than both Dave and Dan (I guess my expectations were a little bit lower), but they both make some valid points:

Dave said:

...of the new characters who appear on screen in the 25-years-ago scenes, all but one are involved with the badguys! I mean, it was obvious at least one of them had to be the Mysterious Villain of the piece, but there really weren't any red herrings to speak of, which weakened the central mystery plot.

I think Dave hit that one right on the nose! I kept looking for a logical reason for Hwinny to help complete strangers escape; strangers that had been accused of high-crimes against the empire, but I couldn't come up with any. I really was hoping that at least one of the suspicious types would turn out to be on Akiko's side. But that obviously wasn't in the cards.

Dave said:

Anyway, it was still an engaging read with lovely art interspersed with the text, and I look forward to how the Earth-side stuff is going to develop, but I found the plot to be on the weak side.

I found the prospect of Akiko telling Elizabeth all about her adventures to be the most interesting development in the book. I’m not really sure that this will be followed up, but if it is, this just might be what happens:

*After Akiko tells Elizabeth all about her astonishing adventures on the planet Smoo, Elizabeth tells her doctor father (who just happens to be a psychiatrist). Soon after Akiko is locked away at the Middleton Juvenile Psychiatric Facility where her only hope for freedom is her Smoovian Friends! Strap yourself in for Akiko’s most mind-blowing adventure yet: “Akiko Flew over the Yagling’s Nest."*

Dan T. Davis said:

we see Akiko visiting the younger versions of her friends, Spuckler, Beeba, Poog, and Gax. Or are they younger? Sure, they don't remember her - but other than being physically younger and not knowing her, they sure seem to be exactly the same. I guess you really don't learn anything or change at all once you've turned 13.

This might have been an editorial decision. The “keep it short and simple” approach embraced by a few editors sometimes works against an authors attempt at creating character complexities that engage and inform the reader.

It kind of reminds me of a sitcom where a character goes back in time and sees all the younger versions of the cast as just mini-versions of their present selves. I’m guessing that the reasoning behind these silly scenarios would be to make sure the folks watching don’t have to “strain their brains to recognize who these people are supposed to be.”

Now isn’t that just a bit silly?!

Dan T. Davis said:

Spuckler has his peg leg, has Gax (even though the "Story Tree" had Spuckler and Gax being introduced at a much later age) and just about everything that makes Spuckler Spuckler has already occurred by age 13.

I have always thought that the novels and the comic book series were in completely different universes. Therefore, I don’t think that all the stuff revealed in “The Story Tree” would apply to the novels.

Dan T. Davis said:

Oh, movies! That was the high point of this tale. Probably realizing his characteristic subtleties and texture were missing - Mark substituted movie and cultural references throughout the tale. And saved it, if you ask me.

Yeah, pop culture references have made it into the Akiko books before, but not as much as this one. I especially loved the way Professor Norkenhoozen looked like a certain “Doc” in the Back to the Future movies!

Dan T. Davis said:

I thought Back to the Future II was the most complex and interesting movie of the series, whereas most people pan it as too complex and hard to understand.

I remember when Back to the Future II was first released. Friends told me that it was too hard to follow. Even the local newspaper movie reviewer called it “somewhat complicated and convoluted at times.”

I never felt confused by the story either, Dan. I did think it was a little too overstuffed, but not at all complicated. For the record, my favorite one was the third one. I’m a sucker for westerns.

Anyhow, as I was reading the book I think I found more cool things to enjoy than stuff that didn’t work quite so well for me. I do appreciate Mark keeping the adventures of Akiko alive and I hope her adventures will return in one form or another, but I think her tales are better told through the comic book medium than the children’s books currently being done.

Let me end this post by listing five things about Akiko and the Missing Misp that made me chuckle:

1) Natalaurianna. I swear I’m gonna name my next female pet that wacky name!
2) Mr. Beeba’s cool swagger with that funky hairdo. Makes me want to start a rock band called “Flock of Beebas.”
3) “I am you. Follow me.” Ooooo-kayyy…
4) Spuckler calling Beeba a “nasty old ball of spit” and smackin’ him across the cheeks repeatedly. Well, I thought it was funny…
5) Visualizing Hwinny “howling like an animal, hungrily drinking it all in” left an image in my head that would probably only tickle my particular funny bone. I can’t really explain why…

That's all for now, folks!

[Mark Crilley]

Hey Dan, thanks so much for the review--I'm so glad you enjoyed "Misp"; it was a bittersweet feeling to see that book go out, since it might just be the last Akiko story of them all. You never know, though--perhaps there will be a revival of interest in our Smoovian pals at some point, let's keep our fingers crossed.

I really appreciate longtime readers like you and Dan Davis and our fearless leader Dave ("All Hail Dave!!") continuing to get my books after all these years. You've seen all my ups and downs over the years, and I do appreciate you sticking with me!

All my best,

Mark

ps-Glad you liked "Natalaurianna," Dan--that was one of my personal favorite bits!

[seeker]

Mark

If Missing Misp is the end of the Akiko stories, then that is very sad, because there is so much potential in the Akikoverse.

What makes it even sadder (for me) is that Akiko (my wonderful sheltie) was just diagnosed with congestive heart failure and has been given .... 6 maybe 9 months.

Maybe they'll be going out together, and that is doubly sad for me.

[danstro]

Hey, Dan. Sorry to hear about Akiko. I am quite familiar with the pain of losing one's pet. Just be thankful for all the time you got to spend with her.

I know you will miss her but you'll always have the memories of all the joyous times you've had with her. She was lucky to have you as her "human."

[seeker]

Akiko is still here - and begging me to go to bed so she can get her 'snack'.

I'll enjoy every moment I still have with her - however long that will be.

[seeker]

As an aside - I did indeed name her after "THE" Akiko - and yes - my Akiko is now over 12 years old.... time flies.

[Thauib]

6 - 9 months that's too soon you should spend time with her and make it good for her.

[superkid52]

Well, after months of procrastinating, I finished Akiko and the Missing Misp this evening. I bought the book in November, but, out of fear of finishing the last Akiko novel, put off beginning it for quite some time. Last week, I decided that the time was right and began reading it. I took it in slowly, reading only a few chapters a day, in an attempt to savor what I understand to be Akiko's final adventure on Smoo.

Being the Crilley fan that I am, I should have known better than that. The book was so exciting I struggled to put it down. I'm happy to say that it lived up to my expectations, and is now proudly sitting in the center of my bookshelf, tucked in with all of my other Akiko novels.

Without giving too much away, I really enjoyed the plot of the book. I thought the glimpse into the pasts of Mr. Beeba, Spuckler, Poog, Gax, and King Froptoppit were all very interesting, and the new characters fit in well with the many others Mark has created. The book's many action scenes were all thrilling, balanced out well with the humor I've come to expect from an Akiko story. I do wish that Akiko and her friends had done more together, like in the previous novels, but it was fun to see Akiko take on the challenge of finishing the mission on her own.

Overall, I just wanted to say "thank you" to Mark. I picked up my first Akiko book in 2001, when I was finishing up with the third grade. Now, as I enjoy the summer before I enter my senior year of high school, I've finished the final book in the series. Along the way, I've enjoyed the numerous other works Mark has created, from Billy Clikk to Miki Falls to the comics on the pages of Nickelodeon Magazine. But Akiko will always hold a huge place in my heart: it is still my absolute favorite book series, one of the only comic book series that I read regularly, and Akiko on the Planet Smoo remains one of my top five favorite books.

I can't imagine what my life as a reader would have been like without having Akiko, Mr. Beeba, Spuckler, Gax, and Poog there with me. Thank you, Mark, for introducing those characters to me, for making them a part of my life, and for always providing me with an escape to Smoo when I needed it.

--Tim