Fred the Clown

Roger Langridge's Fred the Clown, published by Les Cartoonistes Dangereux since 1999, follows the hapless, silent-era-style misadventures of its titular character in a single, self-contained issue. Langridge, the series' sole and defining artist, brings his signature blend of slapstick pantomime and deadpan absurdity to the book's charmingly crude cartooning. Though brief in length, the series stands as a cult touchstone for its inventive, wordless storytelling and its affectionate parody of early 20th-century comedy.