Ratfist Revisted

Picture a grown man dressed in a rat suit. Then picture that man becoming a rat/human hybrid with a talking rat and a talking severed rat tail (yes, you read that right) as his companions. Such is the latest wacky and wonderful creative vision of graphic novelist Doug TenNapel, the creator of Earthworm Jim, who brings his unique style to Ratfist.

Promoting the production of quality artistic products that engage the culture with positive messages is a hallmark of our work here at The Clapham Group and Ratfist is a great example. We helped secure funding for this original 150 page webcomic late last year and are pleased with the robust following the webcomic has received over the course of seven months, an average of 10,000 daily readers, as they were treated to a free new page every weekday and can still access the entire, recently-completed 150-page story for free at www.ratfist.com.What makes Ratfist special is the seamless integration of a traditional superhero, or “anti-hero,” story with messages about the positive influence innovative businesses can encourage within society. Our hero, Ricky (a.k.a. Ratfist), initially works to destroy successful businesses under the assumption that if they’re successful, they must be doing something evil, and the wealth they are creating needs to be shared by all. He takes his marching orders from a government “czar” who wears a tutu over his business suit. This unelected official is just one of many quirky, colorful characters Ricky interacts with as he begins a journey of discovery about the positive, life-changing power successful businesses can generate. Along the way, our ratman hero also confronts a monkeyfish, space tiki, dogman, and even “Miterspam.”Though still available for free viewing online, Image Comics will be publishing Ratfist as a 176-page graphic novel, complete with bonus pages specially drawn for this publication. Look for Ratfist at a comics store near you in December.Article by Michael Leaser