Medical Mentions are a group of graphic works. The graphic works reviewed here are books whose primary topics are not medical, and yet they cover a medical topic with some depth at some point in the work. The rest of the work might be fictional or nonfictional, while the medical portion is often technical and five pages or more. The reviewer will usually neither recommend nor discourage reading the work, except when the rest of the work is deemed outstanding or terrible, respectively. Typically, six graphic works will be part of the review with one paragraph for each. Prior Medical Mentions can be found at I, II, III, IV, V, VI , VII, VIII, IX, X – Comic Strip Edition #1, XI, XII, XIII – Comic Strip Edition #2, XIV — Genre Fiction Edition, XV, XVI, and XVII. With that in mind here’s Medical Mentions XVIII.
Book Reviews by Kevin Wolf
2016 reissue cover: 
The Colossal Computer Cartoon Book edited by David H. Ahl; ISBN–10 (original): 0916688062 (Enhanced edition ISBN-13: 978-1365234880); Creative Computing Press (EE: Lulu.com); 1977 (EE: July 2016); paperback; 128 pages; Wikipedia’s link for the author (Downloadable copy with reissued cover).
David Ahl is the founder of Creative Computing (October 1974 – December 1985) magazine. I’m not familiar with that magazine, but it was meant to increase understanding of this new-fangled machine called a “computer.” If you’re of a certain age, you might know that computers once took up entire rooms, required controlled environmental conditions to operate, computer memories were small, and recording devices were big. Well, the comic strips that appear in The CCC Book cover those early days. The original book cover is pretty dull and uninspired, while the more recent cover has nothing—other than its title and a few titillating strips—to do with its contents and is intended to sell the book to those enticed by sexploitation. But even then, computers taking over one’s job or having feelings were part of the milieu and often came out in comics. The CCC Book includes strips from 36 cartoonists (David Ahl, Martin Bucella (not secure), George Crenshaw (Belvedere creator), Shary Flenniken (underground cartoonist of Trots and Bonnie), Cor Hoekstra (Dutch), Bertha Kogut, Virgil Partch, Marcelo Rodriguez, Paul Swan, and Tony Zaro, among them with informational weblinks, if I could find them). The CCC Book has several medical-related strips. There’s Trots and Bonnie strip for “spreading the word about the nasty fluorocarbons in these [hairspray and deodorant] cans … and eating the brave little ozone layer that protects us from the ultraviolet meanies [emphasis in original, pg. 9]!” Randy Hall provides the standard bearded doomsayer carries a sign that reads, “Computer projections predict 83% chance the world will end tomorrow [12].” There’s a two-pager (13 – 14) by Craig Johnson that discusses Spanovision, fictional (?) future where computer-generated-holographics “overload” society with an “informational glut,” but we’re rescued by a “Val-U-Graph Generator that measures “psychological stress” and lies in politicians’ speeches, and the people will act accordingly (“Once again the world is safe for democracy.”). The phrase “debugging” is misunderstood in a couple strips, including by Sandy Dean (41, when an exterminator is called) and Paul Swan (82, with a spray pesticide). An animatronic dog, that hates humans, might replace real ones in another Trots and Bonnie strip (47). A fallen cyborg is inebriated on oil (57). A computer upchucks paper tape when “programmed … to select the most honest political candidate [103, Michael Kim]. If you’re interested the back cover has an advertisement—for the defunct Creative Computing magazine—that was at least illustrated and maybe written by R. Crumb.
Vern – Custodian of the Universe by Tyrell Walters; ISBN: 978-1838742744; Flying Eye Books; August 5, 2025; paperback; 168 pages; author’s website: https://www.tartwurk.com/
Originally published in 2023 by Nobrow, Vern – Custodian of the Universe by Tyrell Walters was recently republished again by Flying Eye Books, previously an imprint of Nobrow. This book turns the stereotype of a black man as a behind-the-scenes custodian into a front-and-center critically important custodian. Vern was having trouble finding a job. After struggling to find work in San Francisco, Vern returns to his childhood home in Florida to live with his “Mom” and Granny” (grandmother). With no rest for the weary, Granny already has a job lined up for him at Quasar Industries, where she and Vern’s grandfather had met. The family (or maybe the reader) might think Granny has dementia when she keeps saying things like, “Your Grandpa will be glad you’re home [10]” though Vern tells her “Grandpa’s still dead [11].” But Granny shows no other confusion about seemingly real things. Quasar’s building with tubes coming out and going back into its structure and a large radar dish on its roof is strange, indeed. Their staff believe earth is dying because of climate change and, according to Jess, Vern’s new boss, “We’ve discovered parts of the universe you could only dream of. And now, our most important mission is to find a new home for humans to thrive in [23].” Vern wasn’t very excited to work, let alone as a custodian, but Jess tells him, “Custodian! The most vital member of the team [22]!” His grandparents had been custodians, cleaning up the scientists’ messes, when they had worked at Quasar. Quasar has developed a “jump pill” that Jess, again, “allows us to instantly teleport to other universes (the multi-verse).” Vern is given a slew of pills with the objective of finding a planet where humankind can be safely teleported. The rest of the book is a psychedelic Dali-like time-bending romp around universes (including alligator-run, AI-run and desert and other despoiled planets). Vern is trying to avoid the Void … a huge being that’s displeased with this space-time distorting travels. The story gives Walters’ freedom to play with the colorful imagery. Are the scientists making things worse; what about Granny and Grandpa; can earth be fixed; will Vern save humanity; and is a mop involved? And it’s often funny. Get Vern to find out.
Igaguri – Young Judo Master by Fukui Eiichi (translated from Japanese by Ryan Holmberg); 105 – 122, and other spots for medical mention; ISBN: 978-1737826422; Bubbles Zine Publications; 2024; paperback; 352 pages; author’s website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiichi_Fukui
Eiichi Fukui was a manga artist who died in 1954 at age 33. Igaguri (“a chestnut in its burr,” i.e., its spiny outer layer casing, which is a metaphor for crew cut) is the nickname of Igaya Kurisuke, a fictional prodigy and ethical middle school judo fighter. There’s a lengthy essay by the translator, Ryan Holmberg. Though this manga was one long story it was initially serialized with each fairly short chapter progressing the story from Igaguri’s initial appearance as a transfer student to East Middle School. Other students soon learn Iaguri earned trophies for his judo prowess at his prior school. The school judo captain, Kongu, a bully initially, loses to Igaguri and become fast friends with Igaguri humbly becoming the team captain. The battle for martial arts superiority occurs in sanctioned school meets and tournaments and unacceptable ways outside school in fields, back alleys, and elsewhere after threats and even kidnappings. Igaguri was taught to only show his prowess in acceptable ways, but is sometimes forced to fight to stop bullying or to save his friends. The two biggest medical events occur fairly early on. His mother had died before the story had begun and his father brought him up to honor his mother. Igaguri refuses to fight on the anniversary of his mother’s death; and another fighter readily accepts that as an honorable excuse and cancels a prior chit (i.e., money owed) on behalf of a peer student’s (Yama-Arashi’s) loan that supported that student’s father. Igaguri even accepts being humiliated in order to avoid physically fighting. Yama-Arashi, at one point, is injured and can’t use his right arm. Igaguri fights Yama-Arashi at a sanctioned event and wins, but his peer students notice that Igaguri beat Yama-Arashi and didn’t use his right arm. So, we watch Igaguri stand up for his friends, follow the rules, stop bullying, and do it all with a moral grounding. All represent righteousness.
The Snips – A Bad Buzz Day by Raúl the Third González; ISBN: 978-0316528689; LB Ink (imprint of Little, Brown and Company); January 2025; hardcover; 128 pages; author’s website: https://www.raulthethird.com/
The Snips (Nubes Cloudhead, Casco Hardhat, Letty Lentes, Patty Pomada and their pet dog, Flealix) are a haircutting (“dazzling dos and wacky hair” inventors, from back cover) crew and new superheroes. They appear for the first time in The Snips – A Bad Buzz Day. Their arch enemy are the Bad Buzz Boys (Biff and Boffo Buzzington, brothers), who egotistically put their initials (BBB) in bad haircuts all over Scissors City, where The Snips live. The BBB’s goal is to take back the world record of the greatest number of haircuts in a day, which their grandfather (G. Paw Buzzington) once had with 524 haircuts by using his just-invented Buzzitron 2000. Their grandfather’s record was surpassed by Nubes Cloudhead with 527 haircuts. The Snips provides some Spanish words and phrases (e,g., “¡A ver qué está pasando por allá!”) with their English translations (“Let’s see what’s happening out there [41]”). We learn roosters say Ki-Ki-Ri Kí!!! (The same in German!) What’s medical about all this? There are several medical aspects. First, Nube uses cybernetic prosthesis, since his wrists were damaged. Though the cause of that damage is never explained, the prosthesis looks like small barber poles connected to his lower arms below the elbow and include prosthetic white-gloved hands. Second, a local factory released a toxic sludge into a pit which caused a hair ball to grow into the gigantic Unruly Hairthing which torments the citizenry of Scissors City until The Snips wonderfully cut it down to cute little hairball (bolo de pelo) And finally, after The Snips come to the rescue—at the close of the book—we learn some real medical history about barbershops, including “barbers not only cut hair, but they also picked out lice, removed rotten teeth, and were bloodletters … [which] was often done when patients were sick with a cough or bubonic plague, so it’s thought that the blue on the [barber] poles signified veins, the red signified blood, and the white signified bandages used on wounds . The poles themselves symbolized the sticks used by patients … to grip on to so the barbers could find a vein to slice into [123]!” Dating back to medieval times in Europe, barbers were the early surgeons. This book is funny and primarily meant for middle schoolers or younger. It might become a series with further adventures to follow. By the way, we learn that the Guinness world record for most haircuts with 571 in 24 hours which were done on December 11, 2016 by Sheetal Kalpesh Shah, a beautician in India. Her record will likely be very difficult to exceed.
My Boyfriend Is a Bear by Pamela Ribon (writer), Cat Farris (illustrator & color), Saida Temofonte (lettering); ISBN: 978-1620104873; Oni Press; April 2018; paperback; 176 pages; author’s website: https://pamie.com/ (Ribon), https://cattifer.com/ (Farris)
My Boyfriend Is a Bear (MBIaB) is a strange fictional tale about exactly what the cover shows; a woman (Nora) has a black bear boyfriend (BBB). We learn Nora had lots of prior frustrating relationships with male humans (pages 20 – 21 shows “Douchebags I’ve dated* … *not a complete list!”) just before we see how Nora and BBB met on a nature hike with her very last human boyfriend attempt. BBB remains nameless and does act like a bear, except he doesn’t try to kill Nora or other humans or even Nora’s cat (Nutso, and terms of endearment, including Sweet Kitty), and he doesn’t talk except with grunting emotional sounds that Nora learned to interpret (grah = hungry (favorite phrase), frah = nervous, rrahr = being grumpy, rrrr = found spot that needed scratching, Eeerh! EERH! Eeeeeerh! Click! Click! = “We are out of jelly,” among others (54)). Bear destroyed fifteen mugs, sunglasses, a cat toy, cell phone, Nora’s toothbrush … twice, the zipper to her favorite dress, among other stuff (10). Initially, Nora’s friends and parents weren’t very accepting of Nora’s boyfriend, because he met her desires: being a good listener, nice, strong, cute, and loves her (33). He’s handy around the house … building stairway shelves to Nutso’s food perch that Bear created. So, what’s medical? Bear has claws causing physical injury (74). Nora narrates “Sometimes we spend our nights in separate rooms because it’s safer that way. I don’t think that’s all that different from any other couple and I’m very defensive about it, so there [75].” Nora enjoys alone time. Carly, Nora’s friend, enjoys watching da Bears (football) with Bear with beers (85). After relationship struggles, there are very tender moments (e.g., Bear snuggling with Nutso in the cat’s final hours and comforting grieving Nora, 118 – 123). And Bear overeats, gaining lots of weight, in preparation for winter hibernation of 3 – 5 months. I enjoyed seeing the pseudo-split screen of seeing the days passing with hibernation at the bottom of the pages and Nora’s life above (130 – 141). Who might Bear be hibernating with? Will Nora be jealous? Will Bear even remember Nora? Can their love survive the separation?
The Worst Ronin by Maggie Tokuda-Hall (writer) & Faith Schaffer (art); ISBN: 978-0358464938; HarperAlley (imprint of HarperCollins); May 2024; paperback; 336 pages; author’s website: https://www.prettyokmaggie.com/ (Tokuda-Hall) & https://www.faithschaffer.com/ (Schaeffer)
There’s a mix of medieval and modern in The Worst Ronin. Medieval are the samurai, their academy’s training to kill, linkages to communities, regions or royal houses, and ronin (unlinked or masterless samurai of feudal Japan; and abolished since 1868 by Emperor Meiji). Modern are martial arts, cell phones, movies, and guns. This is the fictional story of Chihiro (age 16) who’s father was a samurai and she wants to be a samurai herself. Her hero is Tatsuo Nakano (“first woman to be accepted into the Keisi Academy, a prestigious school,” from the back cover). In reality the Keisi Academy (now Kaisei Academy) was founded in 1871 and closed in 1878 and reopened as a private boarding school and renamed; and there have been female samurai dating back to Empress Jingū (169 – 269 C.E.). The weapon used by Tatsuo in The Worst Ronin is a traditional one, called a naginata, and is a pole with a curved blade on the tip. And, according to the same website, females were common among samurai from the 12th to 19th centuries. Enough of a history lesson (which isn’t provided in this book). Instead, we see a stubborn sixteen-year-old (Chihiro) making her way to Tatsuo and struggling to win her over to be taught about sword fighting. Back home Chihiro’s parents are killed by a seemingly unethical band of samurai that overwhelm her family’s community. Chihiro learns very late in The Worst Ronin about the death of her parents; and her grief translates into the desire for vengeance but she doesn’t seem to have enough fighting skills as shown with her earlier skirmishes with Tatsuo, her tiredness in training, and early battles with hooligans. The drawings are action-filled, including flashbacks to Chihiro’s childhood with plenty of parental support. Here and there we see ancestors’ ghostly images standing behind the protagonists listening to their doubts and trying to provide comfort. Tatsuo has to fight Yamauba (“mountain hag”) who “… were once human but became corrupted and transformed into monsters … [and like her appearance in The Worst Ronin] look just like ordinary old ladies with no sign of their evil nature—until they attack.” According to The Worst Ronin, “Yamaubas are grief made flesh [147].” Tatsuo ends Chihiro’s romanticization of samurai through a blunt conversation about Chihiro’s favorite movie. Tatsuo tells Chihiro, “We tell all these lies about bravery and sacrifice and skill, and then we wonder why all our sons are dead … all our friends [261].” There is still some romanticism, but this time in favor of female fighters. I recommend The Worst Ronin for its entertaining story, modernizing samurai, providing self-affirmation, creating a new family for Chihiro in working through her grief, realistic portrayal of violence and death, and showing one positive outcome of social media (did I mention a cell phone appears?).
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