Liberty Meadows
Encyclopedia
Liberty Meadows is a comic strip
and comic book
created, written and illustrated by Frank Cho
. It relates the comedic activities of the staff and denizens of the titular animal sanctuary
/rehabilitation clinic.
, the student newspaper at the University of Maryland, College Park
.
Originally, it was syndicate
d and appeared in many newspaper
s, while also being collected in comic book
s produced by Insight Studios. At the end of 2001, Cho ceased syndication, partly because editors
kept censoring it, and announced he would publish it directly in comic book
format.
Cho self-published the comic book at first, with Image Comics
taking over printing and distribution with issue #27. The comic book went on a hiatus in early 2004, after issue #36. June 2006 saw the publication of issue #37, and Cho commented at the time that he would be "trying to have couple of issues of Liberty Meadows out per year". Issue #37 was the first issue that did not contain material previously published in newspapers and is the last issue published to date.
From around 2008 until May 2011, the rights to Liberty Meadows were in the hands of Sony Pictures Digital
which wanted to develop it as a downloadable series, and then Sony Pictures Television
which wanted to develop it as an animated television series. After a change in executives at Sony the projects went inactive, and the rights reverted to Cho, who hopes to now have issue #38 out in late 2011.
's anthropomorphic animals, borrowing Dave Stevens
's pin-up look for Brandy, and routinely throwing in savage musclemen, apes and dinosaurs in an elaborate homage to multiple illustrators, including Frank Frazetta
and Barry Windsor-Smith
's work on Conan the Barbarian. He also uses frequent literary and visual references from sources ranging from Michelangelo
to the movie Deliverance
to commercials for Crest toothpaste.
Cho also makes references to other comic strip characters. The Liberty Meadows denizens have found themselves sharing their strip with Calvin & Hobbes, Lil Abner, Hagar the Horrible
, Dilbert
, and Cathy
, among others.
’s Awards for Best Book Illustration (2001) and Best Comic Book (2001), the 2008 Eagle Award
, the 1994 Charles M. Schulz Award for Excellence in Cartooning, College Media Association for Cartooning, and Germany’s highest award, Max & Moritz Medal, for Best International Comic Strip. He was also nominated for the coveted Harvey and Eisner Awards.
Won the 2008 Eagle Award (category - "Art: Drawing"), during the Bristol International Comic Expo.
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
and comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
created, written and illustrated by Frank Cho
Frank Cho
Frank Cho, born Duk Hyun Cho, is a Korean-American comic strip and comic book writer and illustrator, known for his series Liberty Meadows, as well as for books such as Shanna the She-Devil, Mighty Avengers and Hulk for Marvel Comics, and Jungle Girl for Dynamite Entertainment...
. It relates the comedic activities of the staff and denizens of the titular animal sanctuary
Animal sanctuary
An animal sanctuary is a facility where animals are brought to live and be protected for the rest of their lives. Unlike animal shelters, sanctuaries do not seek to place animals with individuals or groups, instead maintaining each animal until his or her natural death...
/rehabilitation clinic.
Publication history
Liberty Meadows is the evolution of University² (University Squared), a strip Cho wrote during his college years for The DiamondbackThe Diamondback
The Diamondback is the independent student newspaper of the University of Maryland, College Park. It was founded in 1910 as The Triangle and renamed in 1921 in honor of a local reptile, the Diamondback terrapin...
, the student newspaper at the University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
.
Originally, it was syndicate
Print syndication
Print syndication distributes news articles, columns, comic strips and other features to newspapers, magazines and websites. They offer reprint rights and grant permissions to other parties for republishing content of which they own/represent copyrights....
d and appeared in many newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
s, while also being collected in comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s produced by Insight Studios. At the end of 2001, Cho ceased syndication, partly because editors
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
kept censoring it, and announced he would publish it directly in comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
format.
Cho self-published the comic book at first, with Image Comics
Image Comics
Image Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
taking over printing and distribution with issue #27. The comic book went on a hiatus in early 2004, after issue #36. June 2006 saw the publication of issue #37, and Cho commented at the time that he would be "trying to have couple of issues of Liberty Meadows out per year". Issue #37 was the first issue that did not contain material previously published in newspapers and is the last issue published to date.
From around 2008 until May 2011, the rights to Liberty Meadows were in the hands of Sony Pictures Digital
Sony Pictures Digital
Sony Pictures Digital is an operating unit of Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc....
which wanted to develop it as a downloadable series, and then Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television, Inc. is an American and global television production/distribution subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment. In turn, the latter is part of the Japanese conglomerate Sony.-Background:...
which wanted to develop it as an animated television series. After a change in executives at Sony the projects went inactive, and the rights reverted to Cho, who hopes to now have issue #38 out in late 2011.
Style
Cho freely mixes visual styles in the strip, drawing the majority of the cast like Walt KellyWalt Kelly
Walter Crawford Kelly, Jr. , or Walt Kelly, was an American animator and cartoonist, best known for the comic strip, Pogo. He began his animation career in 1936 at Walt Disney Studios, contributing to Pinocchio and Fantasia. Kelly resigned in 1941 at the age of 28 to work at Post-Hall Syndicate,...
's anthropomorphic animals, borrowing Dave Stevens
Dave Stevens
Dave Stevens was an American illustrator and comics artist. He is most famous for creating The Rocketeer comic book and film character, and for his pin-up style "glamour art" illustrations, especially of model Bettie Page...
's pin-up look for Brandy, and routinely throwing in savage musclemen, apes and dinosaurs in an elaborate homage to multiple illustrators, including Frank Frazetta
Frank Frazetta
Frank Frazetta was an American fantasy and science fiction artist, noted for work in comic books, paperback book covers, paintings, posters, LP record album covers and other media...
and Barry Windsor-Smith
Barry Windsor-Smith
Barry Windsor-Smith, born Barry Smith is a British comic book illustrator and painter whose best known work has been produced in the United States....
's work on Conan the Barbarian. He also uses frequent literary and visual references from sources ranging from Michelangelo
Michelangelo
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni , commonly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet, and engineer who exerted an unparalleled influence on the development of Western art...
to the movie Deliverance
Deliverance
Deliverance is a 1972 American thriller film produced and directed by John Boorman. Principal cast members include Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ronny Cox and Ned Beatty in his film debut. The film is based on a 1970 novel of the same name by American author James Dickey, who has a small role in the...
to commercials for Crest toothpaste.
Cho also makes references to other comic strip characters. The Liberty Meadows denizens have found themselves sharing their strip with Calvin & Hobbes, Lil Abner, Hagar the Horrible
Hägar the Horrible
Hägar the Horrible is the title and main character of an American comic strip created by cartoonist Dik Browne , and syndicated by King Features Syndicate. It first appeared in February 1973, and was an immediate success. Since Browne's retirement in 1988 , his son Chris Browne has continued the...
, Dilbert
Dilbert
Dilbert is an American comic strip written and drawn by Scott Adams. First published on April 16, 1989, Dilbert is known for its satirical office humor about a white-collar, micromanaged office featuring the engineer Dilbert as the title character...
, and Cathy
Cathy (comic strip)
Cathy was a comic strip drawn by Cathy Guisewite. It featured a woman who struggled through the "four basic guilt groups" of life — food, love, mom, and work — the strip gently poked fun at the lives and foibles of modern women. Cathy's characteristics and issues both made fun of and...
, among others.
The humans
- Brandy Carter - A beautiful animal psychiatristPsychiatristA psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
. - Frank Mellish - A nerdy veterinarianVeterinarianA veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon , is a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals....
. Frank is in love with Brandy but afraid to tell her. - Tony - An accident-prone maintenance man.
- Julius - Owner of Liberty Meadows animal sanctuary and an avid fisherman.
- Jen - Brandy's roommate. A sexy rocket scientist who enjoys toying with men.
- Al - Owner of the local bar where many of the other characters hang out. An educated man who believes in numerous conspiraciesConspiracy theoryA conspiracy theory explains an event as being the result of an alleged plot by a covert group or organization or, more broadly, the idea that important political, social or economic events are the products of secret plots that are largely unknown to the general public.-Usage:The term "conspiracy...
. - Roger - Brandy's ex-fiancé who's trying to win her back.
- Barbara Carter - Brandy's controlling, malevolent mother. Hates Frank. Schemes constantly to fix Brandy up with Roger.
- John Carter - Brandy's doting father. The complete opposite of Brandy's mother.
- Evil Brandy - Brandy's evil twinEvil twinThe evil twin is an antagonist found in many different fictional genres. They are physical copies of protagonists, but with radically inverted moralities. In filmed entertainment, they can have obvious physical differences with the protagonist—such as facial hair, eyepatches, scars or distinctive...
from a mirror universeParallel universe (fiction)A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
. A megalomaniacal criminal mastermind. In volume 3, she tied up Brandy, duct-taped her mouth shut, and shoved her in a closet in an attempt to impersonate her and kill Frank. - Alternate Frank / "Ace" - Frank's super-studly twin from a mirror universe. The most feared lawman in the world and Evil Brandy's arch-nemesis.
A Liberty Meadows gallery |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tony | Ralph | Dean | Julius | Leslie | Jen | Truman | Oscar |
The animals
- Ralph - A midget circus bear with a perpetual squint and a penchant for inventing dangerous gadgets. He also seems to be the subject of many physical harm inducing jokes. In many strips he is physically hurt or insulted, even once having all of his fur removed in a prank that was not even meant for him. Both Ralph and Leslie seem to antagonize Frank and/or mooch off him.
- Dean - A lecherous, sexist pig with a drinking problem and an addiction to cigarettes. He' is at the clinic for detox but keeps breaking the rule forbidding smoking. Brandy found him in a college and rescued him. A recurring segment has him hitting on various women in bars, only to have them punch him in the face for his boorishness. Frank Cho stated in one of his comics that he was based on a friend of his, but he later attributed inspiration to Ted Kennedy.
- Leslie - A dim-witted frog with hypochondriaHypochondriaHypochondriasis or hypochondria refers to excessive preoccupation or worry about having a serious illness. This debilitating condition is the result of an inaccurate perception of the body’s condition despite the absence of an actual medication condition...
. Ralph's sidekick. - Truman - A cute and naive young duck. Unlike most of the main animals, Truman seems to care about the conditions of his caretakers and is constantly polite. He calls the humans "sir" and "ma'am."
- Oscar - A mischievous dachshundDachshundThe dachshund is a short-legged, long-bodied dog breed belonging to the hound family. The standard size dachshund was bred to scent, chase, and flush out badgers and other burrow-dwelling animals, while the miniature dachshund was developed to hunt smaller prey such as rabbits...
and Truman's best friend. Oscar is the only animal in the strip who is not anthropomorphized. - The Cow - A psychotic villain who suffers from Mad Cow Disease.
- Khan - The Biggest Meanest Catfish in the Tri-State Area, and Julius' constant nemesis. He appears in strips that depict the characters fishing.
- Mike - A raccoon with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
- Sheldon - A turtle who mostly serves as a filler character.
The author
- Frank Cho, aka "Monkey Boy" - Creator of the strip. Appears in the strip as a chimp to break the fourth wallFourth wallThe fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
. In the early newspaper strips, Cho often portrayed himself as Frank, a professional, bespectacled member of Liberty Meadows' medical staff. The main characters with their various issues and exploits were constantly getting Frank into trouble.
Collected editions
The comics collecting the daily strips have themselves been collected into a series of books:| ISG Hardcover | Collects | Deluxe Signed | Unsigned Trade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty Meadows: Big Book of Love | # 1 – 5 | ||
| Image Comics Image Comics Image Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains... | Collects | Hardcover | Softcover |
| Liberty Meadows Book 1: Eden | # 1 – 9 | ||
| Liberty Meadows Book 2: Creature Comforts | #10–18 | ||
| Liberty Meadows Book 3: Summer of Love | #19–27 | ||
| Liberty Meadows Book 4: Cold, Cold Heart | #28–36 | ||
| Liberty Meadows: Cover Girl | #1–37 (covers) | ||
| Liberty Meadows 10th Anniversary Edition | # 1 – 9 | ||
| Liberty Meadows Sunday Strips, vol. 1 | |||
| Liberty Meadows Sunday Strips, vol. 2 | |||
| Big Book of Love included an all new introduction piece and the Sunday strips, both in colour. Eden also included the intro piece (in black and white), but did not include the Sunday strips. |
|||
Awards
Frank Cho has won many awards, including: the prestigious National Cartoonists SocietyNational Cartoonists Society
The National Cartoonists Society is an organization of professional cartoonists in the United States. It presents the National Cartoonists Society Awards. The Society was born in 1946 when groups of cartoonists got together to entertain the troops...
’s Awards for Best Book Illustration (2001) and Best Comic Book (2001), the 2008 Eagle Award
Eagle Awards
The Eagle Award is a series of awards for comic book titles and creators. They are awarded by UK fan voting for work produced during the previous year. Named after the UK's Eagle comic, the awards were set up by Mike Conroy, Nick Landau, Colin Campbell, Phil Clarke and Richard Burton, and launched...
, the 1994 Charles M. Schulz Award for Excellence in Cartooning, College Media Association for Cartooning, and Germany’s highest award, Max & Moritz Medal, for Best International Comic Strip. He was also nominated for the coveted Harvey and Eisner Awards.
Won the 2008 Eagle Award (category - "Art: Drawing"), during the Bristol International Comic Expo.
External links
- Liberty Meadows official website Liberty Meadows official website.
- Frank Cho official website Liberty Meadows daily strips and Frank Cho's art blog.