Shred or Dead is written and illustrated by D. Bradford Gambles and published by IDW Publishing.
Shred or Dead is available now, in print and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your digital copy from Amazon Comixology UK right here.
Synopsis
Can skateboarding save the world?! Sam and her misfit friends are about to find out, as they level up from total noobs to cosmic heroes. Packed with unforgettable characters, mind-blowing action, and more twists than an X Games street course, Shred or Dead is the story of four weird kids with a chance to become legends… if they don’t garf it up.
Review
The days of Saturday morning cartoons and playing Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater on the PlayStation are fond memories for many of a specific age. These also happen to be things D. Bradford Gambles has used as inspiration for this new comic, Shred or Dead. The question is, will this approach feel more like borrowed nostalgia, or has Gambles managed to put his own stamp on this creation?
From the opening few pages, you know you’re in for a treat. Through his artwork, Gambles really embraces the angular look of classic Cartoon Network shows such as Johnny Bravo, Samurai Jack and Dexter’s Laboratory without it ever feeling like a blatant copy of those programmes. Thanks to the use of bold, singular colours and expressive illustrations, he really gives this comic a personality that feels familiar and fresh at the same time.
The story, on the other hand, is quite interesting. What starts as a typical feud between skateboarders and their territory gradually morphs into a wacky and over-the-top adventure to save the world through the power of skateboarding. This comic runs with every bizarre idea it can think of. It never loses sight of its own style and even goes one further by referencing the very things that inspired it along the way. Hell, there is a character called Tony Hawke for crying out loud…Gambles knows exactly what he’s doing.
Shred or Dead always manages to stay on the lighter side of things. It could have very easily leaned into the crude and crass humour that engulfed the skating scene courtesy of stuff like Jackass, but thankfully the writing plays up to its childish charm while continually teasing the cruder elements without committing to them. Gambles even goes one further by creating his own skateboarding lingo that borderline parody’s the terminology from the time with words like garf, globstopper and baff.
However, at the centre of this story are the four friends led by Sam and her little sister Gearhead. The relationship between these friends and the conflicts that came along with the world-ending stakes remain at the forefront of the story at every given chance. Their dynamic with each other is what glues all the fun hijinks together and gives readers something to latch onto emotionally besides the vibrant artwork and the self-referential humour.
Each chapter feels like it’s delving into something completely different from the last, yet it all works as a cohesive whole by the time you get to the final page. This story really does play out like a cartoon where one strange encounter leads to another, but each one feels different in its own wacky way, with the final chapter acting as some sort of season finale.
What Gambles has created here with Shred or Dead is pure, unadulterated fun. It’s quirky and, at times, quite heartfelt as it bounces from one weird thing to the next but never loses sight of the characters it’s telling the story through.
Verdict
If you’re looking for a burst of late 90s/early 00s, Cartoon Network-infused skateboarding fun, then Shred or Dead will be right up your street. It’s equal parts charming as it is funny, and the artwork will give you that nostalgic kick you may need in your life. This one is definitely worth a read.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
