Q-R-T. Der neue Nachbar
Ferdinand Lutz
Another comic book for children and another one from Reprodukt. I like this one even better than Kiste. It's aimed at slightly older children (though not much). There's more text and it's slightly more complex. It contains 130 pages, most of which contain 5 or 6 illustrations. That makes it noticeably meatier than Kiste. The high production standard is the same, making Q-R-T equally desirable.
Q-R-T is an alien. Because he's from the planet Rzzz he's a child and will be all his life. He was sent to planet earth, together with his shapeshifting pet Flummi to observe earth and its inhabitants. The first story is about Q-R-T trading places with the former observer, who comes from Ramtamtam and is happy to leave. His instructions are rudimentary and Q-R-T still has lots of things to figure out.
This figuring-out thing is one recurring theme in the book. The other is where some of his neighbours suspect Q-R-T is an alien and try to reveal his true identity. Luckily for him it's mainly an elderly man that is regarded to be a lunatic by everyone else and a little girl, who's secretly in love with him. No real threats therefore. Whenever he finds himself in a real pickle, his shapeshifting pet Flummi useally manages to bail him out.
Q-R-T is great. The book consists of several short stories, that were apparently published separately in a German kids magazine. Each story contains some 10 pages. Ferdinand Lutz is a keen observer and has a pleasantly twisted mind. He really manages to bring the kids world of Q-R-T to life. Q-R-T's amazement over earth life is probably shared by many of his readers. Lutz also knows how to tell a story. His texts are funny, his pacing is right and his timing is great. He uses silent panels to great effect, something many of his peers are afraid of doing. Especially with comics for kids.
