Kukuburi
By: Ramon Perez
Updates: Tuesdays
http://kukuburi.com
Rated: PG

Webcomic Review by: Crystal "Lady" Yates
Posted: January 7, 2008
Spoiler Alert Level: None

Scott of Dreamland Chronicles reminded me of this gem of a comic that I had found a little while ago and hadn't kept up with.  Shame on me, to be sure.  But before you get excited, I should warn you that Kukuburi has nothing to do with the kookabura bird though... which is what I thought it meant when I first read the title, but alas, my repertoire of children's folk music leads me astray once more.  Instead  you'll have to get excited about uber stylish art and a lush, creative fantasy setting.

I'm sure you're over it already ^_~

In brief, the story follows the adventures of Nadia and her chameleon, Mister Bojangles, in a world that has not quite yet been explained to us.  They walk through a gate and bang!  They're there.  Mister Bojangles seems to know what's going on, but he hasn't let us in on it yet.  It's getting there though and the wait has been enjoyable, so that's hardly a criticism.


One of the things I love about Kukuburi is how Ramon plays around with the notion of the stereotypical evil villain. 

Nadia pokes a lot of fun at the skinless antagonist for being cliche, and even he himself insists on there being a set way for hero and villain to do things, as illustrated in the clip above.  This tongue-in-cheek approach is a great way to "get away" with having a classic villain in a modern fantasy.  'Cause let's face it, we all love a good villain.  You know it's cliche, but you want it anyhow.  Over-the-top evil is just so ridiculously enjoyable... in a narrative fantasy setting, that is. 

Also, red sunglasses?  Awesome.  Fantasy Battleship?  Even better.

Forty-five pages long, Kukuburi is just getting started in terms of the webcomic world,  but it's got fabulous potential and an experienced pro behind the drawing board - fans of Butternutsquash will undoubtedly recognise the style of it's remarkably talented (and Canadian [yes!]) artist. Ramon may be cutting loose from his popular slice-of-life comic with this foray into the fantasy realm, but he keeps the humour along for the ride, adding a  little sass to the charming  world that he's created. 

And in conclusion, I have to say that any comic that makes a Magritte joke is A+ in my book.