"Yeah," remarks Torg pointing to a newspaper story on the Y2K computer "bug", "they are fixing all the major systems, but some are low on the totem pole, like..."

"Beer distribution," finishes Riff.

"In the year 2000, beer may be impossible to get," adds Torg.

"We can't RISK being vague on this!" moans Riff, the inventor of their time machine. "We HAVE to know what the future holds!"

What it holds for readers is a bucketful of yucks based on wild parodies of movies in "When Holidays Attack", the third Sluggy Freelance comic strip collection from Plan Nine Publishing.

Torg and Riff are two twenty-something slackers who spend their days doing mundane chores. Battling demons from Hell. Slow-dancing with a mummy. Feeding Bun-Bun, the switchblade totting bunny rabbit. Flirting with Muffin, the Vampire Baker. You know; the usual stuff.

Not to be outdone by their supporting cast, they also tote. Their weapon is the human tongue, always firmly planted in the human cheek.

The adventures of Riff, Torg, Gwynn, Zoe and Aylee (Torg's alien secretary) are drawn in a scratchy style that lies somewhere between Peanuts and Archie Andrews. Just for variety, lots of ink washes are effectively applied to some strips for God-only-knows-what reason.

It is probably to make Santa Claus more ominous looking that he sends a mechanical rabbit to destroy the Easter bunny.

"I present to you MECHA-EASTER-BUNNY!" screams Santa. "This unstoppable force has but one goal...to destroy Bun-Bun!"

An elf whispers in Santa's ear.

"Two goals!" adds Santa. "To destroy Bun-Bun and DELIVER EASTER EGGS!"

The elf whispers yet again.

"Three goals!! To destroy Bun- Bun, deliver Easter Eggs and DESTROY TOKYO!"

You get the idea.

Sluggy is sprinkled with infrequent profanity (which means this strip never ran in mainstream newspapers), but is still recommended for all but the youngest of readers.

Sluggy Freelance #3 "When Holidays Attack" is 159 pages and priced at $12.95. By cartoonist Pete Abrams, it is sold in book stores and at www.plan9.org.

--Review by Michael Vance

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