Orlando Bloom Has Ruined Everything: a Foxtrot collection

Reviewed: July 13, 2005
By: Bill Amend
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
126 pages, $12.95

Just imagine being a dyed in the wool Lord of the Rings fan who reveled in secret Tolkien lore, wrote little notes in Elvish, had counted down the days until the release of each of the films, and generally felt yourself superior to lesser mortals (especially your sister) who just didn't understand all the fuss.

Then imagine that same annoying sister suddenly developing an obsessive interest in the LOTR film trilogy for all the wrong reasons - simply because she thought the guy in the elf ears was dreamy.

This is just one of the trials of 10 year old boy genius Jason Fox in this latest collection of “Foxtrot” wit.

Amend focuses on the foibles of family life with three children and a pair of reasonably intelligent parents. Unlike simple "joke a day" strips, Foxtrot features little story arcs and last a week or longer. Sure, there's a daily punch line, but it's the accumulation of things that makes the strip memorable.

Besides the continuing LOTR theme, there are sequences about computers, Microsoft, holidays, lots of good stuff about school, and a delightful series with snowmen which remind me so much of “Calvin and Hobbes”. Oh, yes, and then there's the Christmas tree that Jason carves into the Eye of Sauron's tower.

“Foxtrot” is both funny and intelligent stuff, and it's too bad that our local papers don't carry the strip.

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