The Rat Circus - a Mad Max (1979) doujinshi
Starring Johnny the Boy as the main protagonist, and set before the events of the film, The Rat Circus puts the spotlight on the adventures of the Armalite bikie gang. Here’s a higher res version of the series’ design for Johnny!
It’s currently in production - but I’d like some feedback. First off, it’s going to be fairly lighthearted. But how much mature content would you be comfortable with, in terms of cartoon violence and (very simply drawn/cutesy) cartoon nudity? Or should it be Saturday morning cartoon kid-friendly? Somewhere in between? Should I aim to hit a mark somewhere in between? Obviously, guns and car crashes are part and parcel of the Mad Max world. But how much is too much?
If we go the kid-friendly route, that doesn’t mean it can’t explore mature themes, such as fear of abandonment, losing loved ones, loss of control, wanting to be loved, etc., a la Adventure Time or Stephen Universe. What I’m saying is, a work can be kid-friendly and intelligent.
On the other hand - “mature content“ doesn’t necessarily mean that the work is going to be dongs and violence all the time. Nudity can be used for comic effect, or simply due to situational circumstances (think about the beach scene in Stone.)
I’d love your thoughts!
