Minimum Wage revolves around Rob Hoffman, a freelance cartoonist who frequently laments the work he does in the worlds of pornography and low-brow humor, his girlfriend Sylvia Fanucci, an emotional salon manager with more artistic passions and aspirations, and a colorful cast of friends that feature Rob’s odd and often depressed best friend Jack, a Godzilla-collecting, stripper-dating, off-the-walls- nut named Matt, Sylvia’s former teen lesbian flame with enormous breasts named Maddie, and man, many more. At first glance, these characters might seem too fantastical, but once you spend time with them, you’ll find that they are, in fact, ultra-realistic and very relatable individuals. In my case, by the end of the book, I was very connected with the characters, related to the drama of their everyday lives, and appreciated their various quirks and neuroses.



Of course, it is writer/artist Bob Fingerman’s excellent storytelling that brings these characters to life. I don’t mind admitting that before this release, I had never read this or any other work b Fingerman before. I had heard of him, Minimum Wage specifically, though, and heard great things, so when this book was announced and released, I made sure to order it (a special thanks to John the Doorman and Who’s on First!). My expectations were high, as I felt I had procured as piece of comic book greatness, a work that represented all that was great with the medium. I was not disappointed. Fingerman is a master of characterization and story pacing. He takes time to fill each issue and the overall story with realistic plots, subplots, and an overabundance of information and character development, yet at no point does any issue every feel convoluted or too condensed. In fact, Fingerman manages to make each issue and page breath. And all this is rendered in Fingerman’s simple yet impressively expressive artistic style.



As I alluded to before, this book is HUGE. If you’re one to take your reading material on the bus or subway, you might be deterred by this volume given how very tall and thick it is. It doesn’t even fit on my bookshelf! But the story within, along with its plentiful and entertaining back matter material, more than makes up for its enormity. Maximum Minimum Wage is an enthralling collection that definitely represents what makes comics so great.