Manfried the Man: A Graphic Novel (Manfried the Man, #1)

by Caitlin Major and Kelly Bastow

Kelly Bastow (Illustrator)

In this hilarious graphic novel, the roles of cats and humans are reversed, putting humanoid felines in charge of tiny, dimwitted little man-pets.

Manfried the Man was named one of the Best Comics of 2018 by A.V. Club and Paste

Meet Manfried, a stray man taken in by the likable but introverted tomcat Steve Catson. Stuck in a dead-end job and bemoaning a nonexistent love life, Steve depends on his pet man for friendship and support. But when Steve’s carelessness results in Manfried getting lost, Steve has no choice but to muster his meager resources to bring his best friend home safe. Can a cat who can’t even clean up his own apartment manage to find his missing man before it’s too late? In an all-new series based on the wildly-popular tumblr webcomic, classic comic strip layouts and colorful cartoon art make this a fun read. It’s a great gift for comics fans, pet owners, cat lovers, or anyone who appreciates a story full of humor and adventure, with a sweet friendship at its heart.

• ISBN10: 168369015X
• ISBN13: 9781683690153
• Publish Date: 1 May 2018
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Quirk Books
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 224
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9781683690153

Reviews

[wcs53]

This was a very enjoyable graphic novel, made so by the concept behind the story. The book is set in a world where humanoid cats have small dumb men as pets. The story centres around Steve, a cat, and Manfried, the man who is Steve's pet. Steve is kind of a loser and, due to his too laid-back and lazy way of living, Manfried runs away. The story goes on to show how Steve tries to search for Manfried and how the events that ensue change and affect his life.

It's a well-drawn and well thought out book. There are some really clever parallels with our world, such as when Steve is worried that unless he changes he will be seen as some kind of crazy man cat. Also there are lots of details in the background of the story that are picked up on if looked at closely enough.

It's a great story and worth picking up if you are looking for something different.

[Quirky Cat]

I received a copy of Manfried the Man from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I’ve been a fan of the Manfried the Man comics for ages, so when I saw that there was a book coming out with the same title; I knew I had to give it a try. For the sake of honesty I’m going to tell you that I was expecting this to be a compilation of the comics I’ve seen online. It wasn’t. It was so much more than that.
I should probably take a moment to explain the Manfried comics a little bit. This is a world where cats are anthropomorphized and humans are pets. So Manfried is basically this naked little dude (a tabby one, to boot), running around acting in manners that we would expect from a normal cat; while his owner, Steve is a cat the goes to work in order to afford his pet the best man food he can get. The flip is pretty hilarious, and I’m impressed by how far Caitlin Major and Kelly Bastow are willing to take it at times.
Manfried the Man is the story of Manfried and his cat owner (Steve Catson). Instead of being a series of short stories or one-shot comics, this is a full-fledged story about these two wonderful and adorable characters. I knew it was going to be cute and funny, but I honestly wasn’t expecting the level of emotions I experienced while reading this graphic novel.
I love the point behind this whole story; I won’t ruin it for you, you have to read it for yourself. But there actually is a moral to the story, and it’s really sweet and as an animal lover myself I’m so happy that it was included.
I’m so happy this graphic novel was created and is being published. I sincerely hope we see more along this vein from Caitlin Major and Kelly Bastow – they are seriously talented creative team. If you’re a fan of the comics you’ll enjoy this read. And bonus, if you pick up a copy you’ll be supporting an artist you love!

For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks