“I guess if I was asleep and something bit me real soft…well, I couldn’t really be mad about that, could I?” Thus begins the symbiotic relationship between a lonely boy named Thum and an anthropomorphic large blood-sucking feederfly nicknamed Bleeder. Writer Thomas Stemrich and artist Patrick Keck (Peepers) follow this odd couple through multiple stories, now compiled in one comprehensive hardcover volume.
Buy Crusher Loves Bleeder Bleeder Loves CrusherWhen they first meet, Bleeder is attempting to starve to death, rejecting his nature rather than bringing any further harm to other creatures. Sickly Thum is mostly confined to his grandmother’s house due to his immunodeficiencies, making him both sympathetic to Bleeder’s deteriorating health and eager for any companionship. The pair are unlikely friends, but establish a promising relationship until Bleeder’s fellow feederflies find out about his sweet deal and demand a cut of the action.
Stemrich sets up Bleeder with a crisis of conscience, forced to choose between the continued survival of his new friend or his own kind. Thum may be nicknamed “Crusher” in reference to typical human reaction to bugs, but he’s so kindhearted that he won’t refuse any of his nightly tormentors, even as his body becomes covered with massive boils and he draws closer to death. It’s a deceptively simple and wacky story until it turns deadly serious, with a shockingly gruesome ending that fully resolves Bleeder’s plight.
In the second principal tale, the boys are enjoying their burgeoning friendship, spending long carefree days just hanging out around the estate until Thum asks Bleeder how long feederflies live, facing the realization that their relationship is rapidly drawing to a close. It’s a bittersweet tale, surprisingly poignant in the way Stemrich makes us care about a common pest. There’s also a brief short story to close the book, but its tightly spaced, illustrated lettering is too difficult to wade through for all but the most dedicated fans.
Much of the character appeal is due to Keck’s charming, left-field artwork. Bleeder may be a blood-sucking insect, but he’s disarming with his Mickey Mouse gloves, little boots, and human-like head including hair. His antennae that end in weird pacifier tips are a bit unsettling, as is his creepy transformation into vampire mode, but his kind heart shines through in Keck’s black and white art. He draws Thum as an average small-town boy, too wispy and sickly to ever be an athlete but an ideal non-threatening companion for a bug. Apart from multiple full-page panels, Keck sticks to standard rectangular panels for his page layouts, keeping a boundary on his otherwise unfettered imagination at play in the lively linework.
If you’re looking for an off-the-wall story with zine-adjacent art, this lush hardcover book has you fully covered. Stemrich’s affecting tales and Keck’s inventive cartooning deliver a richly rewarding comics experience well above expectations.
