Title: "All My Warners"

Writer: Jeff Seuss
Penciller: Leonardo Batic
Inker: Scott McRae
Letterer: John Costanza
Colorist: Prismacolor

Release Date: March 11th, 1998
Cover Price: $1.95 U.S./ $2.75 Canada

Summary:
A soap opera send-up.

Description:
Wakko comes into Scratchansniff's office pretending to be sick, and his prank results in Scratchy getting hit in the head by a Freud bust and experiencing amnesia. Now he's funnier, but he's no good as a straight man. So they decide to give him a few more blows to the head to fix him…

Pages (out of 32): 6 pp. (wraparound; 2 pp. at the beginning of the issue, 2 pp. between the two stories in the issue, and 2 pp. at the end of the issue)

Quote of the Story:
DOT: [Reading a book.]: It says here that the sure-fire way to cure amnesia is to recreate the trauma that triggered it.

WAKKO: So we need to whack him on the head.

YAKKO: Is that a medical journal?

DOT: [Holding up the book.]: No, Gilligan's Guide to Sitcom Cliches.

Review:
For a wraparound, not terrible, but it's still not very good. Most of the jokes are unfunny and/or older than dirt, and the pacing is just all wrong. Misc. notes: "Scratchansniff" is misspelled "Scratchensniff." A special coloring effect is used here, painting over the black ink lines in the background with color. This effect was first used in "Matchmaking Maniacs," and is used in all stories this issue. It really clashes with the rest of the artwork and creates an overall odd look.

Rating:   ˝

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Title: "Li-Hippo-Suction"

Writer: Dana Kurtin
Penciller: Leonardo Batic
Inker: Scott McRae
Letterer: John Costanza
Colorist: Prismacolor
Cover: Leonardo Batic & Rubén Torreiro

Summary:
The Hip Hippos make their comic debut, as they decide they must lose weight.

Description:
Flavio and Marita, upon noting that they are overweight, try several diets, none of which work. When the personal trainer fails too, they go to a plastic surgery clinic, where they realize that they like themselves just as they are.

Pages (out of 32): 6 pp.

Quote of the Story:
[The Hippos see how they'd look thin in funhouse-style mirrors.]

MARITA: Gasp! My triple chins! How can I wear all my diamonds with only one?!

FLAVIO: Great Scott! My million-dollar figure has been devalued!

Review:
Most fans probably won't like this story any more than they like the Hippos' TV cartoons. Despite Batic's depiction of the Hippos being dead-on, the writing follows the cartoons closely, and as a result, they come across as annoying and unfunny as ever.

Rating:   ˝

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Title: "Mr. Brain's Neighborhood"

Writer: Jeff Seuss
Penciller: Walter Carzon
Inker: Jim Amash
Letterer: John Costanza
Colorist: Prismacolor

Summary:
Another guest appearance by the mice. Brain gets a kids' series on PSB as part of a plan to take over the world.

Description:
Brain stars in a Mr. Rogers-style kiddie show on PSB. After Pinky messes up the cue cards, we take a trip to the "Land of Suspended Disbelief." Brain attempts to hypnotize the audience with a "Hypnotic Genuflector," but at the integral moment, the show is interrupted by a pledge drive, with Dot! A guy tries to sell Brain some encyclopedias and Brain throws him out. Then Dot informs Brain he's been cancelled—they need the slot for an infomercial, promoting the Hypnotic Genuflector, which will star the encyclopedia salesman.

Pages (out of 32): 12 pp.

AYPWIP:
BRAIN: Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?

PINKY: I think so, Mr. Brain, but if the sun'll come out tomorrow, what's it doing right now?

Quote of the Story:
[Pinky interviews Bob, the encyclopedia salesman.]

PINKY: Bob, you sell books. Um, can you spell ensickleopoit? Ah ha ha!

BOB: Encyclopedia? Yes, of course.

PINKY: Oh, neat!

BOB: Look, are you interested--

PINKY: Oh, oh, can you do cartwheels and shoot milk out your nose?

BOB: Is this Mr. Brain's house or Mr. Bean's?

Review:
A great concept, nearly ruined by some sloppy writing. Dialogue is always a key part of P&tB scripts, and here it's nothing to scream about. But the setup is still quite good, and the bits involving the "Land of Suspended Disbelief," the pledge drive, etc., are still highly amusing in concept, even if they aren't all that well-written. Carzon's Dot has improved greatly since he last worked with the Warners. A side note: writer Jeff Seuss seems to watch a lot of non-mainstream television, having done spoofs of Dr. Who, PBS nature specials, daytime soap operas, Judge Judy, and now Mr. Rogers.

Rating: