Fred the Clown

Roger Langridge’s Fred the Clown is a long-running, single-issue series from Fantagraphics that distills deadpan absurdity into a single, perfect punchline. Since 2004, Langridge has written and drawn the misadventures of its hapless, silent protagonist, a downtrodden clown whose minimalist world is built on failed gags and existential pratfalls. A masterclass in economical storytelling and visual comedy, the series matters as a showcase for Langridge’s singular wit and a cult favorite that proves a whole world can fit in one issue.