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The Infernal Hulk and Merleau-Ponty: Body Schemas and Structuring Absence

Won't the Real Hulk Please Stand Up? The Infernal Hulk comic series grants Bruce Banner his wish of separation from his monster, but the progression of the story reminds us to be careful of what we wish for. One of the most unsettling ideas in The Infernal Hulk is not that Bruce Banner loses the Hulk, but that losing him doesn’t bring relief. Banner is free of the monster, yet he is weaker, disoriented, and haunted by something that refuses to stay gone. The Hulk persists, not as a body, but as an absence that still shapes Banner’s life. This dynamic closely mirrors what philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty describes through the phantom limb. Amputees often continue to feel sensations in limbs that no longer exist. For Merleau-Ponty, this happens because the body is not merely a physical object, but a lived structure, a body schema through which we orient ourselves in the world. When something is removed, the body’s orientation does not immediately adjust. Banner’s condition in The ...
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Uplift Your Spirits with 'Cyanide & Happiness' Humor in Tough Times



Don't I Know You From Somewhere? 


Cyanide and Happiness have been a common fixture in the life of the average social media frequenter for years, and many may very well have cracked a smile or three at these quirky comics without ever knowing their names. Well, if there ever was a time to become better acquainted with these little dollops of joy, then the time is now. 

The three masterminds behind these crudely drawn delights, invite readers to accompany them down memory lane in Cyanide and Happiness: Twenty Years Wasted(A Questionable Recollection of Two Decades). Kris Wilson, Rob Denbleyker, and Dave McElfatrick stand as the prime culprits in the line-up and fill these pages with old and new pieces, as well as photographs documenting a remarkable journey from unassuming knuckleheads, to internet sensations.






Spoonful of Cyanide Makes the Medicine Go Down 

Indeed, what readers can look forward to is not only the impressive collection of some of their finest work, but also how these unmistakable and iconic characters have found their way into art galleries, tattoo shops, and everywhere in between. Yet, the pictures also speak to a remarkable bond between the three creators, one strengthened through the common goal to bring joy to the world, one amusingly offensive and violent comic at a time. 

Said comics slap with incredible hilarity, showcasing the punchy dark humor of its authors, and is tied up nicely with a bow and presented in both hardcover and paperback form, with narration by the Almighty himself as the cherry on top. Positioning itself as both a strong work of art in its own right and a wonderful addition to the coffee table, C&H is an invaluable collection of pick-me-ups that show the power that little doodles can wield. 

In times where one need not look far for the dark and depressing, C&H positions itself as a welcome title to turn those frowns upside down.
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