Attitude Featuring: Minimum Security

I love this book. The politics are great, the writing superb, the drawings extraordinary. Part of the beauty of the drawings is how straightforward and simple they seem. But they're not. They're actually incredibly complex, and incredibly well-composed. In addition, she captures both overt and subtle emotions better than any other cartoonist I've seen. Even more important than all of this though is the author's bravery. She is a voice of sanity and courage for the oppressed.

Is this book environmentally friendly? Definitely! And that's not just because it's populated with a fair amount of level-headed, nature-loving characters (along with many other kinds), either; you could recycle it, but why would you? If you did, you'd deprive yourself the chance of being amused again and again by its brilliant, yet all-too-true jokes about our modern society and its ills. Are there serious moments, too? There are, and there should be, for our world is in dire need of help. Not one of the strips, be it humorous or strict, is without its place; only the most backward folk could walk away from this reading experience untouched. As if that weren't enough, the author herself isn't content to simply sit and write; unlike too many people in the world, she does more. Plenty more, although her excellent comic is a great and inspiring work in of itself, which probably pushes its readers to do the same. On top of that, it's educational! So many of its statements are based on facts that, surely, most of the readers didn't know as much coming in as they did going out. If it's ignorant and arrogant to state the importance of saving the environment, appreciating the natural world, calling out the greedy monsters of upper society for what they are, and having fun while doing it, you better label me a moron, because I'm proud to be associated with such things. Whew! Run-on sentences, anyone? I have to admit, though, it's difficult to stop yourself when you're talking about something this good. This book is definitely a work of art, and in more ways than one. Highly recommended to anyone who cares about the future of not only the United States, but humankind, and the world.

Bananabelle. Bunnista. Rainbow and Karla. A floating pug that quotes Zen. These are just some of the far-out characters in Stephanie McMillan's comics. Using animal and human characters, McMillan does a hilarious job of allowing us to see ourselves through her characters. One character asks "Do you ever wake up and feel total contentment, like everything is right with the world? Me neither". Her characters comicly confront many issues that are dear to libertarians, such as the Blair-n-Bush crime alliance and their illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq, the slippery slope to a Nazi Amerika through the continued deterioration of individual liberty, and corporations waging economic fascism and tearing up the environment. She also pokes fun at the callousness and screwed-up values of corporatists; for example two upper middle class ladies pass by a homeless mother and her children, and stop when they see their dog: "Poor thing! How could someone leave you sitting out here in the hot sun?" . Dogs, and cats, often have lifestyles that are the envy of many humans caught in poverty: many dogs and cats live in air conditioned dwellings and are attended to by voluntary servants who freely feed them, bathe them, and provide personal fitness training. "Minimum Security" will delight and entertain as it offers a smorgasbord of memorable characters and lessons learned from their encounters with the absurdities of the world. Through heart, humor, and wit, the reader learns to reflect on things that otherwise leave us feeling discontented.

McMilllan's anger and outrage are fueled by a deeply held sense of compassion for the powerless and the voiceless. Her visceral renderings of power elites and ignorant masses express a righteous contempt of greed, corruption and complacency; yet one gets the sense that McMillan may be holding back. She could go for the throat, but her deep love of humanity has convinced her that a better tack is to just kick the bastard in the balls. A recently added cast of characters has allowed McMillan to explore more positive ideas and different concerns, such as the environment, spirituality, sexuality and so on. And story lines! Her work continues to grow and it's well worth watching

McMillan is absolutely amazing, using a surreal world populated with animated stuffed creatures and odd people to comment on life, politics, and a little bit of everything else. Frequently laugh out loud funny, her strips have the benefit of not facing the watering down influence of corporate oversight. They come straight from her brain to your page, and that gives her room to play that you can't find in the corporate approved stuff you see in the newspaper. Hell, throwing all that crap aside: its worth the price for the belly laughs you'll get from reading it. Pick it up. You won't be sorry.