Septimus LePlage is on the run from debt collectors when he hits upon the idea of gainful employment as cartoon pirate Captain Yarmouth in a kid's cartoon feature. This offers him the means of disguise, coffers, and a reluctant attraction "to the devastatingly gorgeous and dangerous Captain Kat." Its not plain frame sailing though, as Linn-Cole employs menace for LePlage too, in new on-set skullduggery from a mysterious extortionist with his eye on the protagonist's coins.

Gurkin Trifle, I suspect, may be out of print, which would be sad. For here is an epic over 200 pages in 6 serialised volumes, introducing Linn-Cole's main comics cast. The follow-up one volume pieces - The Killer Frock of Doom, Gurkin Trifle Gets Steamy and Gun-Boat Diplomacy, focus on variant aspects of character that are established from this. Its one of the great gems of the photocopied comics boom, and the lack of a collection may also be that movement's loss.

Linn-Cole plays with the animated aspect for all its worth: somewhere between Morrisson on Animal Man and McCrea on Hitman. The story of the cartoon allows and justifies this perfectly. Character' reaction to cartoon-ability - shock and delight. By maneouvering her characters the author strips the dual labour processes of cartoon and comicbook, allowing for interest, chuckle, psuedoworry and marvel. For the processes are easily observable and never confusing. For example the suggestion early on that the extortionist may be Linn-Cole herself. I suppose by giving this my praise, I'm letting the cat out of the bag on this one. Linn-Cole supplies her own cat in the narrative. Visually, Gurkin Trifle contains a lot of 'strip gags' form, but also Eisner-like page layouts and some very laboured morphics of taverns and other buildings meticulously realised and animated.

This is really deserved of a Lulu collection or an agent proposing to Jenny it be put online. It may still be available as print on demand. Drop Jenny a line via her website, were you can check out a number of LePlage's further adventures and other great comics and animations shes worked on. The address is http://jennylinncole.myartsonline.com/ and if I haven't convinced you to click on that link you obviously shouldn't be here.