“Yesterday’s” Comic> Adventures of the Mask #1

Just wanted you all to know this cartoon does in fact exist.

They play extreme leap frog in Edge City.

Adventures of The Mask #1

Dark Horse Comics (January 1996)

Adventures of the Mask is based not on the regular comics, but the animated series that aired on CBS and in syndication at the time. The cartoon was also not based on the comics, but loosely adapted from the Jim Carrey movie The Mask. (Minor changes were made, such as Stanley’s girlfriend going unmentioned and Peggy now being friends with him, but only because following the Mask around gave her good news stories.) There was even a crossover story with the animated version of Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, which (I’m sad to say) also aired on CBS at the time.

An adaptation of the pilot episode, The Mask’s antics causes his current love interest, Matilda, to quit the bank and leave Edge City while crooks rob the bank. This causes Stanley to decide to get rid of the mask that turns him into The Mask, but a mad scientist named Pretorius has learned of it and sends his henchman, the indestructible mute Walter, to retrieve it.

What they got right: Splitting the episode into two comics allows for a full adaptation instead of the usual trying to stuff it all into one comic approach you usually see. I like the addition of Stanley narrating, as it allows for backstory without derailing the narrative.

What they got wrong: Apparently the writer also felt the need to add a character, Lars the organ grinder and his monkey, which serves nothing and I don’t recall ever really being of much use to the comic. (I also don’t recall him in the cartoon.)

Recommendation: If you thought the original comic was too dark and violent, this is a more fun alternative.

Tomorrow’s Comic> Adventures of the Mask #2, the second half of the episode.