STUNT CAT TO THE STARS

Mr. Puffball longs to be a star. Will Hollywood welcome him?

Mr. Puffball thinks that El Gato, star of the movie Cow-Cats & Aliens, is the greatest movie star ever. He is determined to be just like his idol, and when he discovers star power is in his genes (his great-grandmother starred in Cleocatra Meets the Mummy) and there are open auditions for The Great Catsby, he decides to head for Hollywood. Several interesting stops later (Roswell and “Hobowood” among them), Mr. Puffball lands in Tinsel Town ready for his audition at Metro Golden Meower. Unfortunately, he's years too late (the audition announcement was from an old newspaper). The oldsters at MGM point him toward Purramount. After some training, he lands a gig...as a stunt cat for El Gato. Mr. Puffball learns the dangers of meeting a hero, but purrhaps with the right cattitude, he'll earn his Hollywood ending. Lombardo's debut, a series opener, is replete with multipanel comics and other illustrations that advance Mr. Puffball's tale. Unfortunately a fair amount of the fun relies on punning riffs on old Hollywood. There are explanations in the aftermatter, but if you have to explain a joke....

"Diary of a Wimpy Cat" or maybe "Lynda Barry's Cat Goes Hollywood," it’s decent enough fare for graduates of Bad Kitty but not nearly as funny or inventive.