I hate being so harsh on this, but there's just not that much here. The art is fantastic and the story cute, but there just isn't much beyond the fluff. I'm sure there is enjoyment to be had, but life's short. To quote Carl Sagan,
"If I finish a book a week, I will read only a few thousand books in my lifetime, about a tenth of a percent of the contents of the greatest libraries of our time. The trick is to know which books to read."
Obviously, kids she get a choice in what they want, but if I was buying a gift where it was up to me, this isn't the kind of book I'd buy. I want a good story with a stronger message or at the very least, a story that might inspire some form of passion or excitement in something,

'Attack of the Stuff' with story and art by Jim Benton is an odd graphic novel about a duck with a weird problem.

Bill Waddler has a problem. All the stuff in his house talks to him, including his toilet. His other problem is his nightmares about being strangled by farting snakes. He doesn't have many friends, and his job working at the Hay Store gets weird comments. Then one day someting happens and Bill may be the only one who can help.

Somehow, this is the book I needed to read at this moment. It feels like it was written by a child, and I mean that in the best possible way. The characters and the story are just so weird. The art is pretty great for a wacky story like this. Bravo!

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Papercutz and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

I'm not sure of the right audience for this book. The protagonist is an adult, dealing with self doubt. His desire to return to nature is indicative of the oppression of capitalist society. These aren't kid issues and I don't know that the humor therein will really land with a young audience. BUt there's also a fair bit of toilet humor and the simplistic solution is more typically of a kid's book.

Attack of the Stuff is just weird. The main character can hear what everything, including his toilet, is thinking. I’m not sure we will get this in my library and if I did who I would even hand it to.

Jim Benton is a bestselling cartoonist and author. Elementary aged audiences know him for Catwad, Dear Dumb Diary, Clyde, Dog Butts and Love, Franny K. Stein, his Victor Shmud books or something else that’s most likely funny, cartoonish or creative. In Attack of the Stuff, Benton offers up a standalone all-age graphic novel that is unlike anything you’ve ever read. Some readers’ fingers will burn with anticipation through the pages of the book so quickly you’ll need a cup of ice next to it to cool them down at the end of it. Other readers will simply laugh at the puns, illustrations and sheer ridiculousness of the plot. We’re firmly in the first camp and have read the graphic novel several times, finding something new to laugh about each time.
Bill is the main character in Attack of the Stuff. He’s a duck who’s having a bad day. Actually it’s been a long time since he had a good day. You see, things talk to him. More specifically, inanimate objects complain to him, belittle his appearance and make jokes at his general expense. Sometimes the items have harmless requests, like the toilet who wants a hat. Other times they’re surly, like the alarm clock who won’t let him sleep or the chair in the living room.
For his job Bill sells hay. He sells some to a pig and then he goes to the orange juice store. As Attack of the Stuff moves along we see the fabric of our everyday world start to wear thin. The internet is not working, nobody can get a connection and Bill has taken a potentially bad time to go commune with nature. Thankfully for the world Bill is being attacked by snakes, but we know that because on the very first page of the book we see Bill on the forest floor being assaulted by dozens of red and yellow snakes.
That is where the book hooks you. Why is this anthropomorphic duck being attacked by snakes in the forest? It’s after that when we read about the fact that objects can complain to him and the graphic novel plots its course to Trip Town, USA, population, whoever is reading Attack of the Stuff.
In the first chapter, older readers will debate their inner self about whether or not Bill is insane. As the graphic novel continues you’ll think that it’s an allegory about modern technology and how dependent we are on it.
It could be best to just simply enjoy Attack of the Stuff and don’t over think it. Adult readers will see shades of The Far Side in its absurdity. They might also channel scenes from Monty Python. There’s one character in particular who could be played by a young John Cleese. Younger readers will draw parallels to Laser Moose and Rabbit Boy. This graphic novel brings the unpredictability of that series, but ramps up the oddness to an 11 on the Spinal Tapometer.
There is more to the plot than I’ve mentioned here. Much like you don’t want to spoil things in a movie for those that haven’t seen it, we’re keeping some of the plot points left for you to discover. Unlike Benton’s elementary favorite graphic novel, Catwad, this is long form storytelling. At 116 pages, he manages to craft a story that you’ve never seen before into a graphic novel that you won’t forget.
At times the humor is dry, so those elementary fans of Catwad might scratch their heads at some of the jokes that you older readers get. Its humor is in line with his cartoon collection, Dog Butts and Love. There are moments where it smacks you over the head with a pun and there are some simple frames with only subtle eye movements.
It’s an all age graphic novel that will entertain-at some level, those readers aged 8 and up. We enjoyed the book more than our 10 year old. The 8 year old enjoyed the physical gags and puns that were in the book. After reading Attack of the Stuff I tried to introduce them to The Search for the Holy Grail, but was met with moans of “we’re going to watch a movie from 1974?”. Attack of the Stuff is like that, but years ahead of its time.

This book was funny and original. My kids ages 4-12 (and I) couldn’t stop reading once we started. Colorful, Simple, and fun illustrations. Easy to read dialogue. Made us laugh a few times.

I read just a sample of this. I found the main character too hapless to be funny, thought some of the humor was offensive or over the heads of the target audience, and the art was good but not notable.

Attack of the Stuff was not what I expected. I enjoyed it but I have to admit I'm not sure about the age level. I think it might be better for someone a little older than that eight year old experiencing fever dreams. All in all I was expecting something more giggly-silly than it turned out to be.

Poor Bill the Duck. How would you like it if as you went about your business during the day, you were able to hear the complaints of the stuff you own and that you use each day. Bill’s toilet talks to him. Yeah. That is creepy I know. He also catches it from his clock, his blanket and other items around him. Even when he goes to the orange juice store, the toilet there has something to say. Bill finally decides that perhaps his best option to go into the wild, away from all of the “things”. And as it turns out, this is a good idea for him. However, this respite does not last long. Soon he called upon to come back to civilization and use his special power to help the country. Do you want to know what happens next? Pick up the book.
The story is cute, the illustrations colorful, and there is even a lesson or two found within the story. Children will enjoy the book. The illustrations and corresponding story will definitely hold their attention and cause them a giggle or two. The chapters are small, and the book will be good for those moving to chapter books. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

It was a really smooth and nice story, but I got lost in the middle a few times. I loved the concept and style of the story. It was nicely written. Good story.

Bill the duck only hears complaints from the stuff he owns. He goes to the juice store to use the rest room but is told he must buy orange juice first. When he returns for his orange juice, there is a four gallon orange juice. Bill refuses it and runs home. He decides he needs to move and live in nature. In nature, he makes friends with snakes. Meanwhile the internet goes down, then the electricity. The orange juice clerk goes to find Bill to get the internet to work again. Will Bill help? What is going to happen?

This delightful graphic novel is so funny. It gave me many episodes of laughter while reading it. If you need some happiness or laughter, this is the book!

Attack of The Stuff is great and would be even greater with a kindle version!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was like a weird fever dream of a book. The humor was there and I enjoyed the art. However if this is geared toward middle grade i have some issues on the bullying of the duck by the instigate objects living in his house (wow, never thought I'd write a sentence like that). I get the objects didn't like Bill but they called him dumb and an idiot. Just didn't seem necessary to the overall plot. Otherwise, I really enjoyed this graphic novel.

I hope Jim Benton has a million more Bill Waddler books planned, because Attack of the Stuff is going to fly off the shelves! Seriously, this book is an instant classic and will soon be THE ONLY THING teens and young readers talk about!

Somehow I can relate so much with this particular book. The book may seem to be really straightforward when it comes to mundane life. It shows well how dependent we are on several things and what these things might say to us on a normal day if they have a mouth to speak. I specifically liked the second chapter where it shows how overly dependent on the internet (like I always am!) and feeling like there's no life where there's no internet!!! (Bless the internet, peace!) If ever there's something called satirical comic strip series, I would gladly call this one that. This collection somehow shows the intolerance to almost everything in general: our impatience, our attitude, our ways of living and thinking, biases in everyday life and opinions. However, some dialogues and illustrations might offend some people and I find them rather tasteless as well.
Well, I didn't mean to feel that deep while reading this one but I felt what I felt.

Enjoyed it!
Thank you #NetGalley for the copy of #AttackoftheStuff

This book is incredibly hysterical and honestly one of the most clever well-written books I've read in a long time, and this would be the fourth book I've read this week alone. Bill is a hilarious character that you can't help but feel for, Kris is the best friend you could ask for, and all the stuff talking is so darn clever. Likewise, the pacing is perfect, the drawing style fits the narrative so well, and the narrative is wonderful. I can easily see kids in classrooms everywhere devouring this book and demanding more like it. I am excited for this to come out so I can buy it for all my friends' kids. Jim Benton has absolutely knocked it out of the park with this amazingly clever, hysterically sincere, and all-around fantastically designed and written work of art.

The Right Stuff

Deadpan Dumb equals clever fun.

We start with an intro into Bills' life, listening in as appliances, electronics, and random grumpy things let him have it as he soldiers through his strange days. From a star-crossed toilet to a blanket that isn't ready to go to bed yet, Bill has to put up with a non-stop litany of gripes and complaints. After that setup we learn about Bill's job, (running a sidewalk hay stand that only accepts cash), and then follow Bill as he tries to buy an orange juice, (which he doesn't want but has to buy so he can use the shop's restroom and its more polite toilet).

At this point, which is fairly early on, you wonder where this could possibly go. Well, surprise, we then get a plot. SPOILER!! It appears that the internet is broken and only Bill can talk to it to find out what's wrong. Try walking into the "internet company" and explaining that.

No more spoilers, but you get the idea. Bill is an engaging, laid back, everyduck. He ends up with a sidekick who livens things up and opens up the story a bit. The ending is clever and sort of satisfying. And some of the panels are like mini-cartoons, and work as just quickie one-off jokes. The whole thing is an upbeat, cheerful, and appealing hoot.

I didn't think I'd care for the art, which seems simple and cartoony. But it actually supports and complements the action, and is more engaging and expressive than you might expect. There are some imaginative little drawn jokes and Easter eggs, but it still turned out that the dialogue is what carries the tale.

So, this turned out to be a pleasant surprise and a cheery laugh. That's not a bad thing.
(Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

This one was super weird but I liked it! It has such a unique plot, colorful illustrations, and plenty of dry humor, I would recommend for adults with a kiddish side.

I was not a huge fan of this graphic novel personally, but could see the children at my library enjoying it. I don't think it's very memorable, but entertaining nonetheless.

Visual awesomeness. I would love to have a physical copy to share with teachers and young readers. Creative and fun!