- Tae Kwon Donkey
- Created & Written by Seth Balestrieri
- Illustrated by Ryan Best
- Letters by HdE
- Check out the Patreon page for updates
Philosophy. Absurdity. Consequence.
When creator/writer Seth Balestrieri contacted me for some coverage, these were the three words he used to sum up this outrageously left-of-center story. See, Tae is a donkey, and he’s a master of Tae Kwon Do. He’s also a bit of a slacker… which is unfortunate as there’s no room for complacency under the tyrannical rule of Crab Maga (baddun). For several long years, humanity has suffered under the rule of Claw & Order, leaving the world in the hands of a race of anthropomorphical- and often absurdly named- practitioners of martial arts… Nin Shigh Tzu. Hop Kido. Tai Cheetah.
Qi Kong (goodun), the All-Knowing. The one ape with the power, the drive, the sheer hutzpah to gather together a group of potential heroes and end the reign of terror. The one missing piece, the cornerstone to the uprising he’s foreseen? A lazy donkey who once, upon a time, won a world championship and is now reduced to battling his own laziness (very often losing, by the way).
Before you decide to write this one off as a crazy riff on some notable heroes in a half-shell, I need to point out that Seth Balestrieri is, himself, a practitioner of Tae Kwon Do. I’m not saying that as an empty claim of authenticity… well, it is a claim of authenticity. Still, it has more to do with a determination to layer the ridiculous with the true philosophy behind traditional martial arts. That’s the point where Tae Kwon Donkey shines. Its obvious humor, full of puns and turns of phrase, is given weight by the side of martial arts that often doesn’t make it into the mainstream. Jump-spinning-wheel kicks are cool, but traditional styles are rooted in the ideology that they’re more than punching and kicking.
Like, for instance, there are also some really great illustrations by artist Ryan Best. His work is cartoony, enthusiastically embracing the cool of bringing these kooky characters to the page. The first image posted below… without a doubt, the evil Crab Maga looks super cool, and for what it’s worth, there’s no way I’d be okay with bumping into him on a dark and gloomy night. Let’s face it, he’s kinda terrifying. The first issue doesn’t have much by way of action, but going into TKD #2, things shift into gear in a major way, and Ryan’s work shines. While his characters may lean into the goofy premise, there’s no denying that his panels hold layers of darker themes and explosive action waiting to happen.
Issue one, titled The Calm, laid the groundwork for a developing universe of action and meaning. Issue two, titled The Storm, makes good on that promise. Students of the martial arts, fans of hard-hitting action comics, and anyone who falls in between… Don’t sleep on this title. Hit up Balistrieri’s Patreon page for updates on upcoming Kickstarter campaigns. Anyone who’s been caught by a well-placed hook kick should recognize that he who hesitates, meditates… from a horizontal position.
(* If you happen to get the reference in the title of this review, please let me know… I’d hate to be left here, hanging in the wind and just trying to keep myself entertained.)**
**(If you happen to be a certain actor, who possibly spent some time in the late 80s working in the Miami Vice Stunt Show at Universal Studios, that was, in fact, me who jumped up and shouted “Bruce Leroy!”)***
*** (This reviewer has nothing but love and respect for a certain 80s martial arts musical masterpiece, unseen and unknown by FAR too many people in this day and age.)
Final Score: 11/13
