At the core of Art d'Ecco is the dysfunctional relationship between Art and his idiot sidekick (and embryonic Fred the Clown prototype), the Gump. They are in fact a classic double-act, Art's offhanded sadism and the Gump's cheerful obliviousness bringing to mind Peter Cook and Dudley Moore. Added to the mix is the surreal and manic presence of Art's negative twin, Art Nouveau, dragging an air of bewildering unpredictability in his wake. The stories casually use issues such as censorship, religious fundamentalism and even Marxist theory as a skeleton around which to build a relentless series of verbal and visual gags, laced liberally with postmodernist winks and nudges. The overall effect is something like a rollercoaster ride with an Oxford Don after a particularly good cocktail party. From the author (and his brother) of the Eisner and Harvey-nominated Fred the Clown.
