Don't be scared, it's only a cartoon

Everyone has deep, dark fears.  Some we probably all have in common (spiders, public speaking, clowns), but others remain unspoken -- either because we are embarrassed or unable to put into words that which frightens us.  The author and illustrator Fran Krause asked people to share their fears with him.  The resulting book The Creeps: A Deep Dark Fears Collection is a graphic novel where 97 fears are illustrated and explained.  Somehow, in comic form, they don't seem so scary (to me at least!).

Most of the fears are illustrated on a single page in a 4 panel format.  While the title of the book and the scary claw give you the feeling that the fears included will be of the horrific or supernatural variety, that isn't the case.  Take, for instance, fear #20 which is that you will throw away something you later need. Or fear #72, that you'll die before the really great inventions arrive.  My personal favorite was fear #54, that you'll be buried looking like you're "going to a job interview" instead of being comfy for all eternity in a t-shirt and sweatpants.

While I couldn't identify with most of the "fears" in the book, it was interesting to see what strange ideas lodge themselves in the brains of others!  I can honestly say I've never worried about my knees bending backward (#71) or that my "muscle will roll up like a window shade" (#27) if I cut myself shaving my legs.  Maybe your own irrational fears won't seem so silly when you see what scares everyone else.

Disclaimer:  I received a copy of The Creeps from Blogging for Books in exchange for this review