Critters #22

A blue-gloved hand holds up a large pocket watch whose face features a dapper black-and-white cartoon cat in red shorts, pointing confidently at the viewer — all set against a sun-warmed sidewalk backdrop with a fire hydrant and a ghostly cat-face apparition floating in the pastel sky above. The story title "Watchdogs" takes on a playfully punny dimension with that timepiece front and center, promising the kind of witty, character-driven fun that made Fantagraphics' Critters anthology such a joy in 1988. Tim Fuller handles the full art duties here, and his cover strikes a charming balance between vintage cartoon warmth and just a hint of the surreal.