The Creepy Case Files of Margo Maloo

by Drew Weing

Overview

The first volume of a new middle-grade series, Drew Weing's The Creepy Case Files of Margo Maloo delivers a fresh and funny take on the age-old battle between kids and closet-dwelling monsters.

Charles just moved to Echo City, and some of his new neighbors give him the creeps. They sneak into his room, steal his toys, and occasionally, they try to eat him.

The place is teeming with monsters!

Lucky for Charles, Echo City has Margo Maloo, monster mediator. No matter who’s causing trouble, Margo knows exactly what to do—the neighborhood kids say monsters are afraid of her. It's a good thing, because Echo City's trolls, ogres, and ghosts all have one thing in common: they don't like Charles very much.

A Kirkus Best of 2016 Book

"You're going to lie awake at night thinking about how fun this book is." –Adam Rex, author of The True Meaning of Smekday

"Margo Maloo is fantastic fun!" –Tom Angleberger, author of the Origami Yoda series

"Drew Weing’s Creepy Casefiles, with its quirky kids, sympathetic beasties and hand-rendered coloring, reads like a classic children’s title from decades past…if not for the astute, subtle observations on cultural dynamics within cities and the ripple effects of gentrification." —Paste Magazine

"Clever dialogue enhances this intriguing and multilayered story set in a fully realized world of monster and human coexistence."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"It’s a beautifully conceived and executed trio of stories, and readers will hope that more installments are on the way."— Publisher's Weekly, starred review

"The banter is brisk and witty, and humans and monsters alike boast a refreshing ordinariness unusual in fantasy/horror/hero comics."—BCCB

"With a saturated color palette, noirish dialogue, and a thought-provoking message about gentrification, this first in a series (originally published as a webcomic) is packed with warm laughs and smart, spooky mystery."—Booklist

"Weing’s colorful drawings reward extended examination; Echo City is rife with monster life, and creepy crawlies turn up in the most unexpected places, but domestic scenes and the city streets also show the artist’s keen eye for details."—SLJ

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250188267
Publisher:	First Second
Publication date:	09/11/2018
Series:	The Creepy Case Files of Margo Maloo , #1
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	618,985
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

About the Author

Drew Weing lives in Athens, Georgia, with his wife, cartoonist Eleanor Davis, and too many cats. He makes comics for print and online, among which are the nautical graphic novel Set to Sea, the infinite canvas webcomic Pup, the monster mystery series Margo Maloo, and the early reader comic Flop to the Top, which he co-authored with his wife.

Editorial Reviews

Weing's magnetic visual style is atmospheric yet friendly as he unveils the city's mysteries.

The New York Times Book Review - Maria Russo

★ 07/25/2016
Charles, a heavyset kid in a baseball cap, fancies himself a hard-hitting journalist; he already has his own blog. After his parents move to Echo City to renovate a decrepit apartment building, it doesn’t take long for a news item to emerge: a terrifying, snaggle-toothed monster looms over his bed on his first night. The next day, Charles’s new friend Kevin passes him a business card for one Margo Maloo, Monster Mediator. “They say monsters are afraid of her,” Kevin says. “Don’t show it to any grown-ups!” In the adventures that follow, Charles plays a bumbling Watson to Margo’s chilly Sherlock: “You don’t know how stupid you sound right now,” she snaps. The world of monsters Margo introduces Charles to produces endless surprises, as when he discovers that his building’s resident monster has a better collection of Battlebeanz figurines than he does. Weing’s (Set to Sea) artwork combines urban landscapes with an exhaustive interest in monster forms and the way they appear in the dim light of basements. It’s a beautifully conceived and executed trio of stories, and readers will hope that more installments are on the way. Ages 8–12. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

Included in Kirkus's "Best of 2016" list.

"You're going to lie awake at night thinking about how fun this book is." –Adam Rex, author of The True Meaning of Smekday

"Margo Maloo is fantastic fun!" –Tom Angleberger, author of the Origami Yoda series

"Drew Weing’s Creepy Casefiles, with its quirky kids, sympathetic beasties and hand-rendered coloring, reads like a classic children’s title from decades past…if not for the astute, subtle observations on cultural dynamics within cities and the ripple effects of gentrification." —Paste Magazine

"Clever dialogue enhances this intriguing and multilayered story set in a fully realized world of monster and human coexistence."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"It’s a beautifully conceived and executed trio of stories, and readers will hope that more installments are on the way."— Publisher's Weekly, starred review

"The banter is brisk and witty, and humans and monsters alike boast a refreshing ordinariness unusual in fantasy/horror/hero comics."—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"With a saturated color palette, noirish dialogue, and a thought-provoking message about gentrification, this first in a series (originally published as a webcomic) is packed with warm laughs and smart, spooky mystery."—Booklist

"Weing’s colorful drawings reward extended examination; Echo City is rife with monster life, and creepy crawlies turn up in the most unexpected places, but domestic scenes and the city streets also show the artist’s keen eye for details."—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

10/01/2016
Gr 3–6—When Charles and his parents move to Echo City, their new home is a mostly abandoned apartment building where the family can live for free while doing repairs. The boy is less than thrilled about his rundown surroundings but completely undone by the monster he sees in his room at night. A new friend puts him in touch with Margo Maloo, a young "monster mediator" who introduces him to the troll—Marcus—who lives in his basement, and Charles's opinion of life in Echo City skyrockets. Other stories in the volume involve a lonely, mischievous ghost and a kidnapped baby ogre whose mother thinks Charles is responsible for her child going missing. Throughout, tough, mysterious, motorbike-riding Margo tolerates Charles's bumbling, enthusiastic presence, eventually agreeing to take him on as her assistant, a move that promises future adventures for lucky readers. Weing's colorful drawings reward extended examination; Echo City is rife with monster life, and creepy crawlies turn up in the most unexpected places, but domestic scenes and the city streets also show the artist's keen eye for details. VERDICT This charming graphic novel is ideal for fans of Luke Pearson and Noelle Stevenson.—Stephanie Klose, School Library Journal

School Library Journal

★ 2016-07-02
In the grand tradition of childhood adventures executed free from adult interference, this graphic novel takes readers on escapades involving two young monster hunters and the ghosts, goblins, and other wicked beasties lurking in the underbelly of their city. Reluctantly relocated to a fictional location reminiscent of New York City, Charles takes up residence with his mother and father in a dilapidated historic hotel where he soon makes two new friends: Kevin, a black boy determined to set a world record of some sort, and Margo Maloo, self-styled “monster mediator,” a brown-skinned, pointy-featured girl whose glossy black hair flips in a manner strangely reminiscent of the collar of Dracula's cape. Charles is an endearing underdog, a chubby white boy who alphabetizes his personal library by subject and pours his aspiring journalistic ambitions into his blog. Over the course of three chapters, Margo helps Charles with the monster that emerges from his closet and, after some badgering, allows him to tag along as she answers pleas from other monster-plagued humans. Frequent humorous touches temper the fear factor for younger readers, while references to more advanced concepts such as gentrification add depth for older ones. Clever dialogue enhances this intriguing and multilayered story set in a fully realized world of monster and human coexistence. A tough, ambitious, and courageous heroine is always welcome, and Margo and Charles are an odd couple kids will enjoy rooting for. (Graphic fantasy. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews