When my editor asked me to review this book, I knew the exact reason why: It takes a dick to know some dicks.
"Superbad: The Drawings" is a collection of the cock and balls drawn and shown during a hilariously awkward scene in the movie "Superbad." You know, all of those big veiny ones.
This book was probably one of the longest and hardest books I've read in the past few weeks. David Goldberg's illustrations seem to jump off of the page, thrusting their cultural significance into your face.
More importantly, after reading it, the book doesn't leave a bad taste in your mouth.
In the importance of full disclosure, I think it's important that you know I have a perpendicular pipe of my own, but I promise that won't affect my book review. Us journalists have standards,
you know?
Let's start with the forward: Seth Rogan (a guy I bare no resemblance to who happens to play chubby curly-haired guys) and Evan Goldberg ("Superbad" writer and producer) joke about drawing each other's wangs while they were young. Somewhere during the process of writing "Superbad," Rogan came up with the reason the characters Seth and Becca would dislike each other.
"Seth should have a dick-drawing problem that he constantly tries to hide," writes Rogan in the forward. "Becca should end up seeing one of his drawings and tattle on him. Then he gets in trouble with the principal and has to see a shrink, and that is why Seth hates Becca."
Then came the legal ramifications of having pictures of so many tallywhackers on the screen.
Wrote Evan: "Apparently it's not legal for underage kids to see cartoon images of penises."
Anywho, Evan Goldberg's brother David ended up drawing most of the uptight citizens.
My favorite torch of cupid is "Che Dick," which satirizes that all-too-often-seen-on-T-shirts-of-kids-who-like-Rage photo of
Che Guevara.
The best part about the crotch cobra drawings is that most of them are drawn on loose-leaf paper. That's how they were presented in the film, but it's
still awesome.
For religious flavor, there's a "Penis Chanukah." This would've been a lot funnier if Lumiere from Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" was drawn instead of a menorah, with scepters of sodomy for hands. But whatever, it's cool that David Goldberg tried to include several religions in his drawings.
I have a problem with one taco torpedo drawing. Its title is "Penis Rancor," and it's a recreation of that fateful "Return of the Jedi" scene, where Luke Skywalker was dropped into the pit by Jabba the Hutt.
First off, Skywalker did not have a lightsaber in that scene. And second off, the rancor looks more like a melting zipper ripper. C'mon David Goldberg, I
expect better.
All in all, this book is definitely something to buy your significant other - unless they're easily offended by pictures personifying babymakers. Then you probably need a new mate.
Andy Boyle is a senior news-editorial and broadcasting major. He hopes his mother never reads this. andyboyle@dailynebraskan.com
