JAKE SPOOKY AND THE WOLVES WITHIN HIM

A goofy, punk rock–playing ghost boy has an odd case of tummy trouble.

Jake Spooky—depicted as a classic sheet ghost—has wolves inside him. Literal wolves. He keeps vomiting them up, much to the consternation of his roommates and fellow band members: a TV-headed dude named Brand-o and Quincy, an unassuming cat clad in a pair of underpants. Jake didn’t ask for this burden, and he knows he’s making life tough on everyone, especially when a threatening notice arrives from the landlord. Brand-o suggests that Jake swallow himself and enter his own stomach to determine why the wolves are there. An exquisitely trippy sequence ensues as the self-assured specter descends into his own “sparkly nothingness” only to discover a slew of angsty, combative wolves. Playing music just might soothe these savage beasts—a task to which Jake is perfectly suited. Set in a slightly otherworldly tropical locale on the verge of a hurricane, this truly unique story leans hard into its own highly specific and bizarre vibes—the strange tensions among these improbable housemates, a weather reporter held hostage by hostile beasts, and a restless wolfpack that personifies our protagonist’s inner turmoil. Accompanied by high-contrast black-and-white drawings with ultra-cool hot pink, Jake’s tale unfolds at a leisurely pace that perfectly fits the off-kilter tone.

Absurd, surreal, and confidently crafted, a delightful diversion.