Adventures in Babysitting, Brenda & the Frost Giants Style.

Back in 2006 is when I first met Matt C. Ryan (Bigger). Then in 2006 he illustrated the first chapter of my Wűlf Girlz storyline. We went on from there attending Comic Cons, related events, swapped comics we produced (and he illustrated the second chapter if the initial trilogy in 2008). So, yep, I have known him for a while now and sure we’re friends and all, which is why at a recent comic show in Manchester, CT I purchased from him his most recent minicomic, Brenda the Frost Giant Babysitter a comicbook targeted for young adults.

Matt has a very straightforward storytelling style that is ideal for this particular market. His very distinct art is fun, bold, and clean, as it carries the story through the tale being told. As for the story itself, it is a fun, entertaining romp swirling around a young Viking girl who already sees herself as a warrior even though her father, a Viking chief, still sees her as his little girl. Needless to say (and much to our own delight), Brenda has a very different view of her place in the Steelhammer clan.

This comic contains two stories, The Four Ages and High Adventures in Babysitting (the first, shorter, story is in black & white, while the second, longer story is in full color). The first tale gives some background of the world in which Brenda and her kin lives and tells us a bit about the four ages of that world (The Dragon Exiles, the smaller lizards that came to replace them, the rise of mammals, and finally the appearance of Men), as well as the resulting wars and conflicts between each race of beings as one declined and the other ascended.

The second, main story, relates how Lord Greyton Steelhammer (Brenda’s doting father) must conduct some business away from camp and leaves his precious Brenda in the capable hands of Ruby, her teenaged babysitter. Well, as previously stated, Brenda doesn’t believe herself to be a child in need of being watched over, but as a full-fledged warrior woman who has every right to go off on her own adventures, so what we are treated to is Brenda doing everything she can to elude her babysitter, and go off to join her father on the trail in search of some quest.

For her part, Ruby does her level best to attempt to restrain Brenda but all to no avail. (Imagine if you will another frenetic comic youth and his hapless babysitter – I speak of course of the Mischievous Calvin and his hapless babysitter, Susie.) Well, for what it is worth, Ruby has as much luck detaining Brenda as Susie did Calvin, with as much hilarity ensuing in the process. As for how the story winds up, you’ll simply have to acquire your own copy to learn that.

The comic itself not only comes with a number of variant covers, each one promoting and supporting a different part of Matt’s business model (a move we found quite engaging), but with a mini Food Fight Value Stamp . The version we purchased is targeted towards Cliff’s Cons which are held nearly monthly in Plainsville, CT at the VFW Hall on 7 Northwest Dr. We’ve attended a few of Cliff’s cons, and have always found them friendly, and full of wicked cool comic-related Tchachakas. Matt has his own studio (Fee Lunch Comics) in Granby, CT which offers classes and workshops in comicbook art and design.