Florida Hippopotamus Cocaine Massacre (FHCM from here on out.) comes to a rip roaring, line snorting conclusion in its fourth issue. Seriously, I could read 44+ more Fred Kennedy penned, James Edward Clark drawn, and Becka Kinzie colored issues of the adventures of the Laser Drug Force fighting various random illegal substance-connected enemies, but I’ll settle for one hilarious, basically hour long animated length animated yarn for now. FHCM #4 channels night soap operas, violent 80s action schlock, Saturday morning cartoons, and just a touch of war cinema (Think Hawkeye, not Private Ryan.) to craft an epic conclusion. Kennedy and Clark throw everything but the kitchen sink at this story, and it all sticks.

Whereas the previous issues of FHCM had things like backstories, political intrigue, and even a look into the inner workings of Walt Disney World’s coked and disco ducked up theme park cousin, this comic is predominantly action with a slight twist that wouldn’t be out of place in a Steven Seagal film with an eco-friendly Ted Turner/Jane Fonda-approved twist. There are so many chases, even more gunplay, and one-liners galore. For such a silly series, Fred Kennedy gives each cast member their own sense of humor and voice from Miquel’s old school action hero charm to Agent Nebraska’s G.I. Jane crash-outs (Her origin issue is my favorite of the series.) and the cheesy earnestness of Bea, who stands up for worker rights and the Jungle Cruise style puns even while all her co-workers are senselessly gunned down around her.

And, then, there’s the literal Big Bad, Mr. Discau, who is a corpulent stand-in for every Global South dictator that the United States has propped up over the past century with plenty of Donald Trump and Walt Disney too. All he cares is making money off cocaine and controlled substances, but he’s also a disco diva who wants to make a show out of it while his bikini-clad minions are more straight to the point, Baywatch outfits aside. He openly confesses his wrongdoings in front of God, the strung-out-on-cocaine hippopotamuses, and the U.S. government, but old fashioned revenge is what takes him down. It’s so cathartic to see him get perforated after being an annoying piece of shit for four straight issues even though his amusement park and evil plans are comedy gold, especially when contrasted with Bea just trying to do her job and pay rent. Kennedy wisely winds down the evulz and monologuing and gives an epic showdown worthy of this book’s reputation.

Clark and Kinzie’s work on the visual aspects of FHCM truly make it great. Her day-glo palette and his over-the-top art style make this book a proper fever dream like some weird show on a channel that you rarely watch at 2 AM and can never find again. (This is also what makes the First Lady Laser VHS framing narrative work so well too.) There’s so much big hair, big punches, buckets of blood, sound effects, speed lines, and every cartoonist’s trick thrown into the mix in the service of telling the origin of a task force that makes ICE and the DEA look like pathetic losers. Sorry, none of y’all have hair and swagger like Miquel or karate kick action like the real Midwest princess (With apologies to Chappell Roan.) Agent Nebraska. I think classic action figure ads (Thank you Ronald Reagan and deregulation.) are also a major element of FHCM’s DNA crafting outlandish scenarios no reasonable suburb dwelling child could dream up. (It was a sad day when I learned that unfortunately the Buzz Lightyear toy couldn’t fly and didn’t include matches or explosives.) However, after their crazy antics, First Lady Laser puts them back in the toy box for some more adventures and propaganda just like the blurry photographs of the actual toys the hyperactive commercials were selling.

Florida Hippopotamus Cocaine Massacre is a bat shit crazy story that could only exist in the world of creator-owned comics. Fred Kennedy, James Edward Clark, and Becka Kinzie turn the script, art, colors, and letters up to eleven and tell a story that lives up to its incredibly memorable name, premise, and cover art. It’s the rare grindhouse movie that actually lives up to the sordid pleasures promised by its poster and is freaking hilarious too. Now, pretty please, I need a “Hippo Harder”, “Cocaine 2: Electric Boogaloo”, or a sequel with a much more clever title.

Story: Fred Kennedy Art/Letters: James Edward Clark Colors: Becka Kinzie
Story: 9.2 Art: 8.8 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

Mad Cave Studios provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

The hippos are LOOSE! Yes, an entire amusement park filled with ravenous hippopotami chomping on families and destroying property values! It’s a good thing Miquel Senecoza and Clarke Nebraska are on the case. Although it’s a shame that Nebraska has Miquel tied to a chair while she beats him with a phone book and reveals her tragic backstory that left her hungry… for justice! So adjust your karate belts, and get ready for more derring-do… Florida style! Florida Hippopotamus Cocaine Massacre #2…. America, fuck yeah.

If a comic could be on cocaine, it would be Florida Hippopotamus Cocaine Massacre #2 which takes the insanity of the first issue, says 11 is too low, and turns it up to 12 while dosing LCD and doing bath salts. The comic is insane… completely batshit insane. It’s everything you’d want if you enjoyed the first issue and more. Written by Fred Kennedy the comic is satire, absurdity, commentary, and action all rolled into one.

Florida Hippopotamus Cocaine Massacre #2 is more than pure chaos, it also lets readers get to know Miquel and Clarke, again playing into tropes and craziness, diving into their tragic stories… that aren’t all that tragic and really and far more absurd.

The art by James Edward Clark delivers the insanity perfectly. Kinetic doesn’t even begin to describe the art which is more infused with pure cocaine and a heavy dose of acid. It’s loud, it’s exaggerated, it’s hyperbolic, it’s fantastic. Becka Kinzie is the flatter and Clark handles lettering and this is a comic where the art perfectly matches the script/story. It’s just loud and over-the-top and delivers over and over.

Florida Hippopotamus Cocaine Massacre #2 is a comic that knows what it is and leans into it heavily. It’s a send-up of the 80s, satire, commentary, and just balls to the wall action all mixed together. The comic is completely insane in all of the right ways delivering a comic that feels like it has ADHD while dialing everything up to the max. It doesn’t take itself seriously and having tons of fun and it shows on every page.

Story: Fred Kennedy Art: James Edward Clark
Flatter: Becka Kinzie Letterer: James Edward Clark
Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25 Recommendation: Buy

Mad Cave Studios provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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Purchase: Zeus Comics