Writer: Ryan K Lindsay
Art: Sami Kivela
Mad Cave Studios, May 2024
A large deer is an investigative journalist in a large semi-rural town, dealing with the consequences of looking too closely at government corruption. Yes, you read that correctly. Here is the promotional copy for Deer Editor from publisher Mad Cave Studios:
A John Doe slaying lures a journalist into a world of political intrigue, a wi-fi-enabled grotto, and a station locker full of secrets. For Bucky, an editor of the crime beat at “The Truth,” it’s all in a day’s work…
…but he also happens to be a deer.
Will he chase down his last story in this antler noir series? Deer Editor is perfect for fans of Blacksad and Chinatown.
“Antler noir”? Puns aplenty from Mad Cave’s marketing team, but this summary glosses over the story. Bucky (the deer’s name, of course) is a likeable protagonist who commands the respect of his fellow characters as a consequence of his relentlessness. Bucky is not willing to let go of a story even though it places him in personal jeopardy. The plot ticks almost all of the boxes of a good detective noir: the hard-bitten champion who can take a punch; the arrogant politician wallowing in his power together with his thugs who try to intimidate our hero; an illegitimate child; and a not-quite satisfactory conclusion. Bucky himself is put through the wringer by the mayor’s bruisers.
All of this is accompanied by clean, dynamic, often very detailed artwork from artist Sami Kivela. On Mad Cave’s website, writer Ryan Lindsay has this to say:
“Deer Editor is the story that has always lived rent-free in my heart,” said author Ryan K Lindsay, “When Sami and I created Bucky, we knew we’d be with him for life. Telling his initial story has been fun and personal and a place of growth for us both. To now bring him to Mad Cave feels like the perfect next step to amplify this fun, personal nature, and our growth as storytellers. We cannot wait to share Bucky with the world as a release with colour for the very first time, we hope people dig this antler noir tale of journalism and dark truths, and we look forward to working with Mad Cave to give the iconic editor his 12-point place in the spotlight.”
The most amusing aspect of this entertaining crime story is (to muddle our quadrupeds) the elephant in the room. All of the characters accept that Bucky is a deer. Some of them even make jokes about it. But at no stage do any of the characters question this state of affairs, and at no stage are we told how this has come to be. Bucky has been modified by the creative team to enable human interaction: he stands upright and wears clothes, his hooves are prehensile, and as a journalist obviously he can speak and write. But Bucky is strong like a stag, has a deer’s acute sense of smell, and uses his antlers to great effect. It is thoroughly enjoyable surrealist anthropomorphism. The story reminds us, for no good reason, of the cult 1980’s TV series Twin Peaks, where the inexplicable is simply accepted as part of the experience. This is underscored by the semi-rural landscape and, unexpectedly, the appearance of vampires.
The only box not ticked in the noir checklist is the femme fatale. What Bucky’s romantic life looks like is not revealed. It would be awkward to see Bucky flirt with a voiceless, unclothed doe in a flowering field.
Deer Editor is available for purchase from Mad Cave Studios’ website: https://madcavestudios.com/product-category/series/deer-editor/
