oaf-undies wuvable oaf

Wuvable Oaf

I’ve always wanted to read Ed Luce’s Wuvable Oaf, and now it’s a Fantagraphics book it’s easier and cheaper than ever! (I got mine via WHSmiths, but check online, seems to be available online and off in many places, bookstores etc.).

It’s the story of Oaf Jadwiga, a bearish kitty-loving Morrissey fan from San Francisco with a secret. He has problems with dates, so it’s trying to hook-up with Eiffel, a short stocky singer from a ‘disco grindcore’ band called Ejaculoid, and also involves wrestling, some very cutting and funny comments about the art and music scene in SF, loadsa references (think a queer/metal Scot Pilgrim in places), beard contests, a Kerry King of Slayer guest appearance, Van Halen jumps…alternate elf/ogre universes…AI futures where cats rule the world…it’s honestly hard to describe. I’ve never been that big on comics or graphic novels, because to paraphrase Moz ‘they say so little about my life’, but this is the funny, queer, sweet and relatable series I can get behind, without the lycra undies and superhero powers.

I read the whole book in one sitting…not that’s it’s short, you get a LOT of book for your money – but it’s really good! Only criticism is that there is a Oaf vs Eiffel ‘will they? won’t they?’ arc which gets to the first shag but then seemingly abandoned half way through for background, friends and random diversions…I hope Ed returns to that in future because I want to find out more about those two! It’s very touching. I think Wuvable Oaf will appeal to many people of different persuasions, it’s not just for queer people…but if you know even a little of the strange bubble that is S.F., oddness of bear queens and music/art scenes, you will definitely relate. Like the art gallery scene below during Oaf & Eiffel’s first date – having been to 101 and all that, and a frequent visitor to art galleries (was at The Tate for the Sonia Delaunay / the massive Disco in the main hall! Yes even Tate has a disco ball now…how gay!) it made me laugh aloud. ‘Don’t look! Experimental video. It might steal your soul’ – I’m borrowing that. This and the longer piece is basically my interior monologue when I walk around art galleries…(click for bigger)

wuvable oaf gallery

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