The Kid

This is a brilliant, twisted, and witty view of the world through the eyes of a somewhat cynical 10 year old boy, and his pals. Mr. Wilson has taken great pains to bring all of our childhood fears out into the open in this piece.

But he isn't dead, so it's puzzling how he'd allow something this bad to bear his name (as well as a bastardized slapdash imitation of his unique drawing style).

Gahan Wilson is one of my all-time favorite cartoonists, his gag panels for Playboy, The New Yorker and many other periodicals having provided many laughs over the years. He is also one of the first cartoonists whose work so moved me I was inspired to become a cartoonist myself. When I first encountered the comic strips, "Nuts" -- which featured the "The Kid" -- in National Lampoon back in the '70s, it was revelatory. I marveled at the subtlety, empathy, and truth in these strips. When they were collected as a trade paperback I saved my allowance money and bought a copy, which I still have.

So, suffice it to say I've been a fan of Wilson's oeuvre since I was about four. I'm now almost 38, so it's been a long-term love affair with his work. More's the pity then, that this animated made-for-TV abomination is so horrible. From the irritating and oft-repeated "nya-nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah" song that introduces each of the segments, to the wretched animation, this thing is a total disappointment. I can't imagine that Wilson was happy with it. He didn't write it, so at least he isn't to blame for the script. Made for Showtime, this is one of those premium cable offerings that overuses cursing for cursing's own sake. I have no problem with cussing; in fact, when used well it can achieve a certain poetry, but sometimes, as in the case of this piece of &^%$, it's only there because they could put it there; it adds nothing.

It really is a shame that "Nuts" wasn't tapped as direct source material, because that would have made for a thoughtful and infinitely funnier offering. This thing comes off as a very poor imitation of "South Park", a show that does everything well that this does so poorly. "South Park" understands kids, understands taboos (and how to make and break them and keep it hilarious).

Avoid this at all costs.

For those of you who've read "I Paint What I See" and truly gotten inside Gahan Wilson's view of the world, this animated bit of insanity will be the best thing since sliced, mold-ridden bread with worms crawling in it.

With a viewpoint both childlike and abysmally twisted, Wilson takes the viewer on a tour through a boy's life, from undead dissected alley cats to two-dimensional nude waitresses ... and beyond.

I loved the way this movie shows a child's slightly skewed vision of what adults say to them and how they see the world. This movie has a great story line and group of characters that show various perspectives. Definitely a must see comedy for all adults who had a strange childhood.

I saw this movie like 20 years ago and couldn't remember the name. I thought it was really funny and crazy with my kind of humor...It's definitely worth a watch.