Raiders Of The Lost Longbox – Cyko Ko
In this edition of “Raiders Of The Lost Longbox” I am taking a look at a lighthearted three issue miniseries from Alterna Comics entitled “Cyko Ko”. Written and Illustrated by Rob Feldman, “Cyko Ko” follows the exploits of the titular robotic hero and his sidekick / co-star “Peachy Keen” (this name alone makes me smile) as they embark on a series of whimsical adventures ranging from a surfing competition to stopping a giant spider. Aimed squarely at the “all ages” market (like many of Alterna’s offerings) “Cyko Ko” is a lighthearted read with simple easy to follow dialogue and bright vibrant colors, and while Alterna prints all their books on old school newsprint in an effort to not only preserve the medium that the entire industry was founded on, but also keep production costs down, with “Cyko Ko” it adds an EXTRA element of nostalgia that I don’t think would translate the same on modern paper.
I’m not really sure how to frame these books as they are their own individual stories (the way it SHOULD be in this “boomers” opinion) so lets take a look at all of them individually. OH!! and on final note before we dig in: These books are from the first volume in the series from 2018, there is a second volume from 2019, but I haven’t read those yet (“Lost Longbox” and all)
Issue 1: Tangled Up In Doom!!!
The best way to describe this issue is: Blue Hawaii meets James Bond, we find our titular hero and Peachy on the way to the beach for a surf off against his nemesis Cuda Cano, but unbeknownst to Cyko Ko, Cuda has a mechanical squid that captures him during the competition, of course he is taken to Cuda’s secret island base (which is in a volcano) where Cuda vows to kill him in an “overly elaborate manor”, this issue sports a wonderful 50’s vibe, with of course TONS of fourth wall breaking, and as you would expect Cuda’s plan goes horribly awry when his evil sidekick gets involved and they are forced to surf down the volcano to escape it explodng.
Issue 2: Attack of the Cy-Clone
In the second issue Cyko Ko is tasked with protecting famous actor Steve Mackinaw (who also happens to be Cyko’s idol) from the evil machinations of Chen, who not only blames Mackinaw for his cinematic flops costing him tons of money, but also for the horrible “accident” that dyed his skin and hair. So OF COURSE Chen creates a “Cy-clone” (get it??) to infiltrate the hospital and eliminate him (complete with the ubiquitous evil mustache). As you would expect all manner of shenanigans ensue, eventually ending with Mackinaw and Cyko Ko joining forces to go after Chen.
Issue 3 : Trapped By The Devil Spider
In the third and final issue of this mini series, Cyko Ko is sent to Mount Shiverest to take out the Devil Spider, the SAME spider that killed Cyko’s father (and Super Earth’s greatest hero) Mega Ko. Cyko and Peachy travel to the mountain complete with a “super weapon” that Cyko created, but couldn’t test because it’s a one time use gun (you see where this is going). Well of COURSE the gun doesn’t work the way it’s intended, and suffice to say some inter dimensional hilarity ensues!!!
Look… There was a time when Batman fought crime with a smile on his face and wasn’t a lunatic in a cowl, there was a time when you could buy a Fantastic Four book on a spinner rack at a grocery store and not have to worry about the fifteen issues that came before it, or the ten that will follow, there was also a time where comic books were FUN, and ACCESSIBLE, where the stories were easy enough for kids to read, but had plenty of references and jokes that only an adult would get. Cyko KO is this type of book, no brooding superhero’s, alcoholism, Stockholm Syndrome, or un-diagnosed psychological disorders. Just a pure, simple, fun book. Is it for you?? depends on whether you still think back fondly on the early days of comics. I CAN tell you this though, it is MOST definitely for ME.
Until Next Time Everyone,
Be Good To Your Fellow Nerd,
Lou
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