Ice Cream Man # 20 For Kids (A Parody in 3-4 Parts)
Image Comics
Written By: W. Maxwell Prince
Art By: Martin Morazzo
Colors By: Chris O’Halloran
Lettering By: Good Old Neon
I can’t imagine a visit from the Ice Cream Man providing any help in easing into dreamland. I imagine that rather than presenting a pretty picture of the world outside, our narrator would rather bring the nightmare fuel front and center. Twisting the premise of some well know childhood stories, the Ice Cream Man’s “children” are our means of measuring how close fantasy is to reality.
For Prince, this seems to present the perfect opportunity to dissect the controversial portions of these stories. The ICM (Ice Cream Man) starts with “Goodnight You”. This isn’t a look at an innocent nighttime ritual. We are given a glimpse of how a mind, a life, is lost. But instead of a thank you note, for all the pieces of the room represent, the girl is giving a suicide note. “The Loving Tree” removes any room for the same conversations that take place with the original story. This is all take and no give on the part of the boy. However, in this story, the tree is only a reminder that no matter what, some people can never been shown enough love. The holes in the heart of the “boy” just keeps getting bigger.
As the title suggests, there are 4 stories in this wonderful issue. Our frame story becomes clearer while the “children” share the 3rd tale. While searching for Jane, we see the horror this series is known for. Martin Morazzo slowly expands what we see of this house, and we realize that things are far worse for this family. With the combination of the colors from Chris O’Halloran, the artwork feels so dark and horrifying.
While Jane’s tale is the main focus of this issue, bedtime story 3 is my favorite. Fans of Seuss and Snoop should enjoy. As for me, all I can say is “I won’t I won’t oh Gremloke like Rick James said it ain’t no joke”.