Mr. Amperduke
Encyclopedia
Mr. Amperduke aka Mister Amperduke is a fictional comic and graphic novel
created by Bob Byrne
.
Sherman Amperduke is a retired senior citizen
whose hobby
is creating and tending to the miniature world
he has created and keeps in his basement. The inhabitants of Amperville closely resemble Lego
minifigures due to the plastic casing that is applied to them, yet they are living, sentient
creatures. The buildings and vehicles are also made from a Lego type building system. He has appeared in three stories: a six-page story in issue 3 of MBLEH! published by Clamnut Comix in 2003, a 160-page A5 size graphic novel released in 2008 (which also included the original story), and a six-page story in 2009, in issue 271 of the Judge Dredd Megazine
(which had reprinted the first story in issue 247 (2006)).
The original story deals with the reaction of the larger community when three new citizens are introduced without the casings. The graphic novel deals with Mr Amperduke begrudgingly taking care of his young grandson, Scampi, one summer. After a disagreement, Scampi throws a garden vermin, a Nechradon, into Amperville as revenge. The creature causes havoc among the mini utopia
.
The stories are notable as they are all told silent, without words and use the same 16 panel layout for each page.
The graphic novel features themes of man's willingness to play God, and the role of science and eugenics
(the sophisticate technology used to create and sustain life for Amperduke's simple 'hobby') versus Mother Nature
(the Nechradon, the unstoppable force that ruins Amperville and ultimately devours its inhabitants).
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
created by Bob Byrne
Bob Byrne
Bob Byrne is a comics writer, artist and independent publisher, based in Dublin, Ireland.-Biography:Bob's first published comics were the self-published series MBLEH!, which ran to 3 issues and was the first Irish comic to be distributed by Diamond...
.
Sherman Amperduke is a retired senior citizen
Senior citizen
Senior citizen is a common polite designation for an elderly person in both UK and US English, and it implies or means that the person is retired. This in turn implies or in fact means that the person is over the retirement age, which varies according to country. Synonyms include pensioner in UK...
whose hobby
Hobby
A hobby is a regular activity or interest that is undertaken for pleasure, typically done during one's leisure time.- Etymology :A hobby horse is a wooden or wickerwork toy made to be ridden just like a real horse...
is creating and tending to the miniature world
World
World is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth....
he has created and keeps in his basement. The inhabitants of Amperville closely resemble Lego
Lego
Lego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts...
minifigures due to the plastic casing that is applied to them, yet they are living, sentient
Sentience
Sentience is the ability to feel, perceive or be conscious, or to have subjective experiences. Eighteenth century philosophers used the concept to distinguish the ability to think from the ability to feel . In modern western philosophy, sentience is the ability to have sensations or experiences...
creatures. The buildings and vehicles are also made from a Lego type building system. He has appeared in three stories: a six-page story in issue 3 of MBLEH! published by Clamnut Comix in 2003, a 160-page A5 size graphic novel released in 2008 (which also included the original story), and a six-page story in 2009, in issue 271 of the Judge Dredd Megazine
Judge Dredd Megazine
Judge Dredd: The Megazine is a monthly British comic magazine, launched in October 1990. It is a sister publication to 2000 AD. Its name is a play on words, formed from "magazine" and Dredd's locale Mega-City One.-Content:...
(which had reprinted the first story in issue 247 (2006)).
The original story deals with the reaction of the larger community when three new citizens are introduced without the casings. The graphic novel deals with Mr Amperduke begrudgingly taking care of his young grandson, Scampi, one summer. After a disagreement, Scampi throws a garden vermin, a Nechradon, into Amperville as revenge. The creature causes havoc among the mini utopia
Utopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
.
The stories are notable as they are all told silent, without words and use the same 16 panel layout for each page.
Themes
The original 6 page story has been described as a 'powerful allegory,' dealing with racism and intolerance.The graphic novel features themes of man's willingness to play God, and the role of science and eugenics
Eugenics
Eugenics is the "applied science or the bio-social movement which advocates the use of practices aimed at improving the genetic composition of a population", usually referring to human populations. The origins of the concept of eugenics began with certain interpretations of Mendelian inheritance,...
(the sophisticate technology used to create and sustain life for Amperduke's simple 'hobby') versus Mother Nature
Mother Nature
Mother Nature is a common personification of nature that focuses on the life-giving and nurturing aspects of nature by embodying it in the form of the mother. Images of women representing mother earth, and mother nature, are timeless...
(the Nechradon, the unstoppable force that ruins Amperville and ultimately devours its inhabitants).