I chose this book almost solely by the cover and the title. How could I not?!! It's not like it was a true gamble because the publisher (Fantagraphics Books) puts out great work, it cost me nothing (Viva la Library!), and graphic novels just don't take that long to read. But I had no idea just what a treat I was in for...

Luce creates an entire universe of mostly hirsute "bears" in San Francisco revolving around the quite "wuvable" Oaf. He's a doll-maker who stuffs his creations with his own body hair (which he can grow back by force of will alone):


He's also a self-proclaimed cat-philanthropist. Out of dozens of cats, he cares for one special-needs kitty named Pavel. Pavel only calms down when in direct physical contact with Oaf. Here is what he is like when left alone in his own private, padded room:


But before Oaf became Oaf, he grew famous as a professional "wrassler" known as Goteblud:


Oaf is looking for love and acceptance. He has a musky scent about him that almost never leaves. His first kisses often involve an awkward clashing of teeth. He loves hard metal, but also Morrissey. He falls for a disco grindcore metal singer name Eiffel. Eiffel's singing is described as a combination of the following artists:


What the hell does all this add up to? A truly bizarre and hilarious self-contained world complete with beard contests judged by Yukon Jack, gay metal band love trapezoids, and riffs on all manner of media and culture (a celebrity chef's restaurant called Rage Against the Cuisine where diners get to kill their own dinner, a pro-wrestling subculture, various tributes to the '80s, and sub-universes based on Oaf special- or one-time issues). Fun, funny, and disgustingly adorable.