| Title | : | The Glorkian Warrior Delivers a Pizza (The Glorkian Warrior, 1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1596439173 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781596439177 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 112 |
| Publication | : | First published March 25, 2014 |
The Glorkian Warrior Delivers a Pizza (The Glorkian Warrior, 1) Reviews
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Beautifully captures the spirit of childhood (at its zaniest)! Love it!
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The Glorkian Warrior is content to spend the evening resting on the couch. His pal, Super Backpack, had hoped for a little excitement, perhaps even an ADVENTURE. He gets his wish when the Emergency Space Phone rings.
It's someone ordering a pizza!
And the Glorkian Warrior just happens to have one! Well, half of one, anyway. So what if it's peanut butter & clam and the caller wanted pepperoni - you can't mess with DESTINY, can you?
So, they're off on an adventure to end all adventures - a pizza delivery!
They will meet newfiendsfriends along the way and there will be blasting, punching and even some Glorkian Kung Fu.
This is a hysterically funny graphic novel for kids of all ages.
No message here - just extreme silliness and fun times.
And pizza. -
James Kochalka is an absolutely brilliant artist. I’ve been reading his work for years having been introduced to it via his online daily diary strip, American Elf, (which he unfortunately discontinued after 31 December 2011) where he recorded his day-to-day existence in one to four panels, drawing himself and his wife Amy with elf-ears. He’s written and performed some amazing music with his band James Kochalka Superstar and as a solo artist, releasing several records, but my favourite is his record, Spread Your Evil Wings And Fly, which contains some really great pop songs like “Britney’s Silver Can” (the chorus of which is simply “Justin Timberlake” over and over), Why Is The Sky Blue? and the title track.
He’s also a really prolific artist who has written and drawn numerous other comics besides American Elf like Pinky & Stinky, a comedy about two spacefaring pigs, Monkey Vs Robot, a silent deathmatch style comic between a monkey and a robot (which also spawned a sequel), and the hilariously expletive-filled superhero parody-turned-internet cartoon, Superf*ckers (google the Superf*ckers theme song for a catchy burst of sweary pop, which Kochalka also wrote and performed).
In recent years Kochalka’s turned primarily to comics for young readers producing his hit series of Johnny Boo books, Dragon Puncher (incorporating photos of his children and cat into the comic), and, most recently, Glorkian Warrior Delivers A Pizza.
Glorkian Warrior is a computer game character he came up with along with some game developers a while back for a retro platform game and here he is in his very own book. Glorkian Warrior is a cheerfully idiotic alien with a talking backpack who’s his best friend and can shoot lasers. Together they spend over 100 pages trying to deliver a pizza, despite not offering a pizza delivery service. If that premise seems flimsy, you haven’t read Kochalka before. He can turn a minimal concept like pizza delivery into a completely engaging, adventure-filled story that’s enormously fun to read and features some of the most colourful and attractive art any comics reader could wish for.
One of the best things I love about this book, and really every James Kochalka book I’ve read, is how effortlessly easy he makes writing and drawing comics seem. His storytelling has this beautiful flowing quality to it that just radiates creativity. Glorkian Warrior and his backpack bounce happily from one situation to the next with Kochalka able to take anything that comes their way from fighting a monster to feeling lost to reacting to weather, and weave it masterfully into a narrative that never once bores, loses its momentum or feels contrived and out of place.
Tonally, Kochalka’s gentle humour and characterisation is appropriate for young children to read and enjoy but I’d recommend it to adult readers as well who simply love well-crafted comics, and Glorkian Warrior really is a well-made book. As enjoyable as the story is, the Twilight Zone-esque ending is so brilliantly conceived that it brings the chaotic book together into one cohesive whole. It’s a really inspired finish that belies the overly-simple beginning with Glorkian Warrior lying on his couch staring at his feet.
As much as I miss American Elf, its absence is easier to take so long as James Kochalka keeps making comics, especially books like this. Glorkian Warrior is a gloriously entertaining and fun comic by an artist at the peak of his craft. -
You guys, this book is nuts.
One of the things I really like about it is how there is an Epic Quest that is really mostly dependent on luck. Usually, you've got epic quests, and people are like, 'okay, this is going to be won because of my brains/brawn/birthright!' And good for them.
But this epic quest . . . is an epic quest for pizza. As such, I'm not sure that any of those qualities is really the one that deserves to win the day.
So luck (and utter madness!) it is! -
Sometimes you have to take a journey...not to get somewhere...but to learn where you have been. I love anything by James Kochalka, and this book put a big smile on my face:)
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When trouble is near and there is much to fear who will we turn to, but the Glorkian Warrior and his mighty backpack! The heroes of the galaxy. Ok, ok...he isn't quite the brightest dude out there, but he's just gotten a new mission over the phone. Deliver a pepperoni pizza! The G Warrior has no idea what a pepperoni is, but figures that everyone will like like a peanut butter and clam pizza, mmmmmm good. Along the way of trying to deliver it the Warrior and his backpack make some new friends, travel in time a bit, improve the pizza along the way (ash and tears are great toppings!) and....but wait...who does the pizza belong to?
If you haven't heard of James Kochalka before, you really are missing out. His previous books have all been published by TopShelf and during that time period he's won an Eisner award, multiple Ignatz awards, and is Vermont's first ever Cartoonist Laureate. And while he hasn't always been my favorite writer/artist (he does get a bit goofy) he really, really does understand the sense of humor that a young kid has. His Dragon Puncher books from Top Shelf, are whimsical and funny and incorporate pictures of himself, his children, and his cats into them. And the Glorkian Warrior is of the same mold. Bright, cheerful, colorful, and a laugh a page at the quest that the Warrior takes and the weird adventures he has. And while James's writing style never takes itself too seriously, there is an excellent and well paced story in the books. In this one it feels like we're watching a master improv player at work as he takes suggestions from the audience on what the Glorkian Warrior should do next. It just makes for an interesting and enjoyable read.
This is James's first book for First Second (his previous have been published by TopShelf) and I really hope he continues to do more for both companies. And that we get to see more of the Glorkian Warrior and his trusty backpack! It appears that there will also soon be a video game based upon the Glorkian Warrior (which sounds like a great deal of fun.) While this is not going to be a book for everyone, especially if you don't like a goofy, weird sense of humor, it is one that I think a number of other folks will enjoy. I give the book 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for young readers and young at heart readers alike.
ARC provided by Gina at FirstSecond -
Really, really stupid, which is what I like about it, and what has my three kids snorting milk through their noses about it. This is one of two Glorkian Warrior stories, both terrific, and I wanna say, he makes doing these comics look really easy, but if you have read a lot of them, as I have with my kids, it is really really not easy to do well, to make kids laugh. To make me laugh is a bonus, because I am not the primary audience and Kochalka doesn't really care what adult reviewers think of his work, I bet. But this is funny, just in case you are an adult reading this….
Kochalka gets kids and parenting such as when Gonk says his Happy Word is pie. You know then pie is then going to be part of what makee you smile all through this, it gets repeated throughout, that's how to do a kid joke, just repeat it until it is silly. The art is bright and fun and on the last page Kochalka includes a photo of a stain on his mother's wall that looks like it is in the shape of the Glorkian Warrior. Funny guy. Goofy. -
Never will I ever get enough of this book. It is non-stop hoots. Read it aloud to a kid and make your day the best ever.
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James Kochalka has always had a penchant for the outright silly. If nothing else his
Johnny Boo series of books have said as much. He’s not afraid to go for the obvious gag, but at the same time his sheer willingness to get ridiculous sort of becomes his strength. I picked up The Glorkian Warrior Delivers a Pizza uncertain if it would be honestly funny or just trying too hard, and you know what? There was more than one time I thought this book was actually, honestly really funny. It’s the kind of funny best appreciated by younger kids too. Your
Captain Underpants /
June B. Jones crowd. Humor is, admittedly, so completely subjective that adults have a hard time remembering what it’s like to be a kid and to find just the most ridiculous thing in a story freakin’ hilarious. But reading about The Glorkian Warrior I couldn’t help but feel like this was one book where Kochalka really put his finger down firmly on the pulse of kid-humor. Nothing against Johnny Boo or any of his other funny books over the years but with The Glorkian Warrior Delivers a Pizza I feel like the man has finally hit his stride. His funniest and most ambitious bit of space-based lunacy to date.
It’s a slow day for The Glorkian Warrior. No amazing adventures on the horizon. Nothing much going on. And though his Super Backpack is bugging him to go out and do something heroic, until the Emergency Space Phone rings our hero is out of ideas. Turns out the phone call is from someone ordering a pepperoni pizza and, not one to back down from a challenge, our Warrior sets off to complete this mission. Granted, the only pizza he has in his possession is the partially eaten peanut butter and clam concoction in his fridge. And granted, nothing seems to go according to plan. But between busting up his Supercar, blowing up a little bully (don’t worry, he’s not hurt), acquiring a baby space cat head sucker thing, and encountering a Magic Robot capable of mucking up time itself, it’s all in a day’s work for The Glorkian Warrior and his newfound pals.
I’m not one of those children’s librarians that claims to have the sense of humor of a 9-year-old kid. There are folks out there that can say this in perfect seriousness and though I do understand where they’re coming from, it’s not really my thing. After all, there are some works of children’s literature that just baffle me with their popularity. That said, I found myself grudgingly really liking what Kochalka was doing here. It’s no mean feat to create an honest-to-goodness quest novel that fills itself from tip to toe full of silliness. The tone in this book is also consistent throughout. It has a clear vision, even if the reader does not, and even manages at the last minute to pull a little surprise coup on the reader. So while it will not be to every adult’s taste, I have absolutely zippo problem with the kiddos picking it up. Heck, I’ll be recommending it to them myself. This is for the kid who wants something along the lines of Adventure Time but without the existential philosophy.
Not that there wasn’t at least one element that struck me as particularly fascinating. Put a little time travel into a book and you’ll find folks like myself examining it from every angle, no matter how silly it is, for inconsistencies. I’ll repeat that. I, a 35-year-old woman, read a children’s graphic novel called The Glorkian Warrior Delivers a Pizza and when I hit on the time travel aspect I looked for mistakes. Just put that in your pipe and smoke it for a while. For me, the only possible problem I could come up with was the fact that if The Glorkian Warrior called himself to order the pizza, why did he call his own number thinking it was a pizza delivery place? So, yeah. Continuity-wise it’s a bit shaky, but honestly if that’s what you take away from the book you’re probably looking at it from the wrong angle anyway. Besides, I love the philosophical quandary of how The Glorkian Warrior learned about the existence of pepperoni pizza from himself rather than some outside source.
You can’t help but love a book where the Don Quixote of space is accompanied by a Sancho Panza-like talking backpack. And yes, it’ll get its own fair share of objections from various quarters. Not every parent will get it, but it’s awfully hard to find anything to object to here. It hasn’t the scatological warning signs of a Captain Underpants or the “bad” language / “bad” attitude of a Junie B. Jones. Instead it’s just a good-natured tale of a dumbo making a date with destiny. It’s not going to blow you away with its insights into the nature of humanity itself, nor would it want to. It’s just here to make kids laugh. And honestly, we could do with a couple more books along those lines these days.
Delivers.
For ages 7-11. -
A pretty good book about a creature that delivers a pizza. I found this book absolutely hilarious. I have read this book 5 times it's so good. I love the characters and the wonderful world they are in.
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Thanks Netgalley and First Second for this advanced copy! The Glorkian Warrior has a secret mission... One night while pondering the complexities of warrior life, Glorkian Warrior receives a phone call. This very important phone call has but one instruction, for the safe delivery of a pepperoni pizza.
Eager to set out on his quest, there's one major obstacle in his path: He doesn't know where he's going or even what this "Pepperoni" is. Finding a half eaten clam and peanut butter pizza in the refrigerator, the Glorkian Warrior and his trusty talking backpack set out where? To meet their destiny of course!
Jokey-laugh-fun-time for parents and children alike, James Kochalka(American Elf, Johnny Boo) is at the top of his game here. Creating a hilarious adventure for all ages without compromising any of his trademark absurdist wit. Glorkian Warrior is a rare kind of character who instantly finds a place in your heart. Full of childlike wonder and an array of memorable characters, Glorkian Warrior Delivers a Pizza is a must buy.
No amount of shlorping or burning feet should stop you from reading this. Blarg. -
James Kochalka’s graphic novel, The Glorkian Warrior Delivers a Pizza is an outrageously wacky, giggle-inducing read!
The Glorkian Warrior and his talking backpack set out on an unforgettable journey to deliver a peanut butter and clam pizza...at any cost! This dangerous, twisty mission is full of mishaps, monsters, and mayhem!
In The Glorkian Warrior Delivers a Pizza, Kochalka takes readers on a zany, kooky ride with an even zanier and kookier hero. Kochalka clearly “gets” his middle-grade audience and delivers a story that has everything young readers want: gross-out humor, weird characters, exciting adventure, and pizza! Over-the-top silly and amusing, in the way young readers love, I found this graphic novel’s humor infectious and endearing. Young readers will delight in the Glorkian Warrior’s fun antics and mishaps, and love the illustrations. The illustrations are wonderfully bright and spirited, and capture the fun essence of Kochalka’s story perfectly.
The Glorkian Warrior Delivers a Pizza amused and delighted me from beginning to end and I think younger middle-grade readers will find Kochalka’s hero and storytelling to be addicting. -
The Glorikian Warrior Delivers a Pizza -a Middle Grade Graphic Novel Guaranteed to Make You Laugh
James Kochalka has created numerous successful comics over the years and has earned the Ignatz Award, the Eisner Award and the Harvey Award. He was also named cartoonist laureate for the state of Vermont. Therefore it’s no surprise the his latest book, The Glorkian Warrior Delivers a Pizza, is a huge success for Middle Grade (grades 2-5), readers.
The Glorkian Warrior is an alien clothed in a blue jumpsuit. He has three eyes, and three teeth and is bored. His partner in crime is his talking backpack. A phone call comes to their home ordering a pizza and they decide to make the caller’s wish come true. They will deliver him a pizza.
The illustrations are clear, bright, simple and just plain fun. There are stars, explosions, surprises and lots of silliness. This is a fabulous choice for a read-along as the characters are verbally and visually expressive. This book also offers English teachers loads of examples of literary tools: rhymes, onomatopoeia, puns and irony are just a few. -
The Glorkian Warrior Delivers a Pizza is an interesting graphic novel from the point of view of an alien who gets a call to deliver a pizza. Instead of telling the person that he's not a pizza place, he embarks on a journey to deliver said pizza. This graphic novel was a nutty adventure full of random encounters and an ending that had me laughing.
I love the design of the characters and world and especially the talking backpack, which seems much more intelligent than the hero of the story. The comedy of the story is very slapstick and a book that will have many young, eager readers. The colors in the book are very bright and create a unique world for readers to explore. While it wasn't a favorite of mine or gave a lot of depth in a story, I'm sure my students will love every aspect of this book.
I'm hoping we will see future adventures of The Glorkian Warrior as it's a character that really came to life and sparked some hilarious moments. -
It took me about ten minutes to finish reading this comic book. Time well spent, because I thoroughly enjoyed it. It made me laugh aloud (in public!), to my great surprise. The plot makes no sense and the humour is inane, but therein lies its charm:
The book’s title is an accurate summary. The reluctant Glorkian Warrior and his spirited backpack go on an adventure. Their mission? Deliver pizza! Simple as that. Yet Kochalka somehow infuses his characters with an excitement that infects the reader, too.
The artwork is fantastic. Kochalka uses unusual, arresting colours and kids are sure to find his vision of space attractive as well as accessible. But, while I love that the ending neatly ties everything together, I fear that it’s too smart/complex/confusing for kids. -
I finished reading The Glorkian Warrior Delivers a Pizza a few minutes ago and I am still shaking my head and chuckling. A simple task - delivering a pizza - is not so easy an task in this graphic novel. The first step, finding a pepperoni pizza to deliver, is really the hardest step. I think many readers will laugh and chuckle throughout reading this simple but yet hilarious graphic novel. The brightly colors illustrations, entertaining dialogue, and bright, purple text further enhance this comical read.
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Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. I've said it several times before, I am not a fan of graphic novels but I read them so I know what the kids at school are reading. This was a fun story, with great illustrations. Is it something I would buy for my school? Probably. Is it worthy of recommending? Yes. Not something I would own for myself, but this time the hat I wore when reading it was all about the kids. I think they will like the fun nature of this book.
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James Kochalka is a master of weird and silly, and this book continues in that tradition. I am a fan of his, but not the intended audience of Glorkian Warrior, methinks. While it is cute, and a joy to look at, younger kids will enjoy this silly, spontaneous adventure. Although, I do have to say, the twist ending was delightful! Good for kids that love characters that are nonsensical, and are just beyond reading picture books.
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This graphic novel will grab young readers from the start! The Glorkian Warrior and his Super Backpack are trying to decide on their next adventure when a mysterious phone call comes in, asking for a pepperoni pizza. As they rush into their mission, they encounter one hilarious obstacle after another. Perfect for readers in 1st & 2nd grade, looking for a stepping stone between picture books and chapter books.
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Man, is the Glorkian Warrior silly. In this first installment, the Boss, the Backpack and their little sidekick try to deliver the most ridiculous clam, peanut butter and steering wheel (to start) pizza and the number of self-induced punches and Kung-fu kicks are too numerous to count. I can just imagine how this appeals to second and third grade boys.
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Silly slapstick dumbness at its best with great word play and a twisty goofy hero's journey to go with it all. I would have loved the Glorkian Warrior books as a kid, just like I do now.
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"Our stupid destiny awaits." This was a really fun, nonsensical book with ridiculous characters. And yet the ending seemed to tie up nicely and give it more depth. Recommended for fans of Adventure Time. -
Silly, fun, and lots of laughs read aloud at bedtime. Robots, aliens, time warps, and pizza. What's not to like there?
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The Glorkian Warrior Delivers a Pizza by James Kochalka – Graphic Novel- My son loved this book. It wasn’t quite for me. Rolled my eyes and chuckled throughout.
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The Emergency Space Phone is ringing. Will the Glorkian Warrior stop napping and staring at his feet to answer it? What if the call is a request for a pizza? And what if the only pizza he has is topped by peanut butter and clams, rather than pepperoni, as the caller requests? Not even a bonking Gonk can stand in the Warrior’s way.
Kochalka is known for bright colors, guileless (and not necessarily intelligent) characters, and wacky plots. And this is no exception. The Glorkian Warrior is helped along by his helpful sidekick – his (talking) backpack. There are fights, there are silly-looking hats, and there’s even a few plot twists and turns! Anyone looking for a light-hearted adventure will crack a smile at these hijinks, and it’s nice to see Kochalka stretching his universe. The absence of photographic content is welcome, and the reader will hope to see the Glorkian Warrior in other goofy adventures. This will be a great addition to many all-ages graphic novel collections. \\pro review
I was surprised how charmed I was by the Glorkian Warrior.
This is definitely my favorite character Kochalka's made. -
The library was fresh out of Johnny Boo titles, so I stepped up to graphic-novel chapter books for James Kochalka Superstar's Glorkian Warrior series. I heart pizza, so The Glorkian Warrior Delivers a Pizza caught my eye. Just like Johnny Boo, we have a hero (three-eyed kinda dumb Glorkian Warrior) and a sidekick (his talking backpack). Though backpack thinks it's a wrong number, the Glorkian decides it's their destiny to deliver a pizza. During this quest they encounter some kooky creatures and face some wacky challenges.
The book has all the Kochalka trademarks — totally fun art, screwy humor, slapstick stuff, banter — even if I didn't find it quite as delightful as Johnny Boo. Still, it was a very enjoyable read with a surprisingly clever ending. Who knows what I'll find at the library this week! -
Good for reluctant readers and for goofy fun for kids. Super weird in the way kids love, for sure. This one was a bit more palatable than the mustache one.
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A warrior trying to deliver a pizza is sure to have something happen to "warrior" against. He stays determined if his plan gets altered. Fun to read.
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Fun book! I love the illustrations (especially the coloring!!) and the ending made me laugh.
