Broowaha Review: A Gopher I Couldn't Defuse

by Joseph M (writer), July 16, 2009

music , broowaha

Credit:

A deep look at the Illustrated Uncle Sal Chronicles (Year 1), Gary Schwind's 1st book.

The creator of the bowling hat deserves a biscuit. The true fans of bowling hats deserve much more. Uncle Sal, in some sordid interpretation, is part Mr. Magoo, part The Dude, part Confucious, part Leisure Suit Larry, part Gandhi, part interior designer and part softball playing punk.

"Hunnerds" of readers of his chronicles might even agree, or at very least offer up a bottomless mug of interpretations of Gary Schwind’s favorite beer chuggin, mauve robe wearin false protagonist in 'A Gopher I Couldn’t Defuse'.

Admittedly, as excited as I was to receive my very own signed copy from Schwind, one of Orange County’s best reviewers of some of the strangest psychobilly bands you’ve never heard of, the curious offering somehow got stuck with my growing stack of bathroom readers. But Gopher made the difficult upgrade from its stay on the toilet time-passing list to my night-stand, where 100 episodes of the curious journey of Uncle Sal were devoured with much more interest (and promptitude).

Always take delight in the writer who can abuse a short-attention span and still make the reader feel like a pro at deciphering insightful illustrations. Staying true to “the quirky humor and slanted perspective on things” that inspire his writing, Gary Schwind will entertain the reader with an inner urge to own his or her own black stovepipe hat, thinks he knows how to speak to the ladies or fancies herself as a voluptuous, polka dot blouse wearing feline with a craving for some of Uncle Sal's mutton chops.

In the few years of checking in on eccentric Sal's weekly adventures, it was a great surprise to see a collaboration of his distorted wisdom, with the only disappointment being that we must wait to see what comes of his UFO landing pad.

[$12.95, Published by: Groovy Rutabaga Publications, 2009]