It really doesn’t get much more delightfully surreal than Juni Ba’s critically acclaimed Monkey Meat anthology, and we’ve got an exclusive first-look preview of the anthology’s next entry right here! Monkey Meat: The Summer Batch will be hitting stores on March 5th, and will invite readers to the popular vacation spot of Monkey Meat Island. Granted, the island itself is run by a rather questionable corporate entity, and everything (and more importantly everyone) isn’t exactly what they may seem, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have some fun an soak up the sun right? You are correct, and you can check out the full preview in the images below.
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Juni Ba couldn’t wait to get back to this world, though it didn’t hurt that the Monkey Meat Company does have an interest in seeing their stories published for the world to see after all.
“The Monkey Meat company owns 95% of the real estate of my mind,” Ba said. “I thus felt an urge to revisit those unhinged comics (and a pressure from shareholders to ensure a return on their evil investment.) The result is something I hope will be both great fun and delicious, and just a tad addictive! (No artificial flavors added).”
The new preview shows how everything can change in an instant, with a mysterious stranger from the future suddenly arriving and setting out to teach those now under his care how to survive on their own with his self-made tools. They felt safe with him, even if there were questions regarding the future scenario he was fleeing. You can find the official description of The Summer Batch below.
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“Written and drawn by Ba—with special authorization from the Monkey Meat Company—the tasty, critically acclaimed anthology is back for a second serving! In Monkey Meat: The First Batch, readers visited Monkey Meat Island—where the infamous Monkey Meat Company’s wacky experiments and processed goods have taken their toll on the local, magical fauna. What was once a lush and magical island is now a hyper-capitalist hellscape wherein even demons have to pay rent. Now, in Monkey Meat: The Summer Batch, readers are invited to vacation on Monkey Meat Island for what promises to be an entertaining and gonzo escape. What could be more diverting than a vacation to a hellish west African fantasy island run by a corporation of questionable intent? Embark on a brand new set of adventures to amuse (and mentally scar) the whole family! Exotic locations, debt-collecting forest witches, and a superhero monkey suing the corporation that owns him. All these and more await our guests.”
“I’ve needed this! Monkey Meat is where I get to have fun, shed the corporate expectations and rules, and conceive comics that are cartoonish, experimental, and infectious. Hopefully they are as enjoyable to read as they are to draw,” said Ba. “This is by far the comic I get the most requests to continue making, and I’m happy to oblige. This new batch goes for a more underground feel. Like a comic you’d find dusty and ruffled on the floor of a Senegalese dibiterie meat restaurant. Dig in!”
Monkey Meat: The Summer Batch will land in comic stores on Wednesday, March 5th, and Monkey Meat: The First Batch is in stores now.
What did you think of the preview? You can talk all things comics with me in the comments or on Bluesky @knightofoa!
