Britney dumps K-Fed?

Branjolena adopts the entire Third World?

Paris Hilton announces her biography, the first to be done entirely in “scratch-n-sniff”?

I say, whooooooooo cares?!

Few subjects are as ripe for skewering as this country’s celebrities, with the possible exception of America’s unquenchable obsession with them. Which is why I jumped at the opportunity to work on Divalicious!, the giddily over-the-top manga by T Campbell and Amy Mebberson.

When I read T’s and Amy’s Rising Stars of Manga entry (the precursor to Divalicious!, entitled “PopStar”) I was immediately on board with their lampooning of Celebrity Culture. Both T’s rapid-fire wit and Amy’s impressively versatile art worked so well together that I found myself laughing out loud as I pored over the entry. But what made me want to pursue turning this story into a full-length manga was the main character, Tina Young. As pathologically fixated on fame as Tina was, I still found her appealing. She was like Jessica Simpson channeling the ghost of Lucille Ball!

I thought she was adorable. And I wanted her to come out on top. I was rooting for her to virtually crush her pop-diva-princess rival, Bit Fencer. I wanted to see her finally acknowledge her much-beleaguered, but always-faithful assistant, Shaquille, as the one person she could trust. Heck, maybe Shaq would even work up the courage to admit he was in love with her! But above all, I wanted to see Tina finally figure out that it was all a big stupid game. And I wanted to see her win. Big Time.

Hopefully, that’s what will happen in the forthcoming pages of Divalicious!. Even as Tina makes one horrifying, unintentional gaff after the other, we can only cheer her on as she pursues her dream.

Will Tina ultimately find happiness, both personally and professionally? Who knows? As Shaquille can attest, Tina is a true force-of-nature, unpredictable and impossible to control. All I do know is that Divalicious! is the one tabloid tale I’ll be eating up with a spoon!

~ Bryce Coleman, Editor

P.S. Tina even has her own MySpace page now! Friend her and she'll write you back.

Divalicious! follows teenage pop princess Tina Young in her endless pursuit of fame, aided by her hapless personal assistant, Shaquille. It’s a coming-of-age story set in the stranger than fiction world of modern American music—where glamour and fame can come overnight, but maturity often proves much more elusive.

For our heroine, Tina, it’s all about overcoming the odds (think Lucille Ball meets Kelly Clarkson). She’s up against the likes of the sleek and beautiful Bit Fencer and the shadowy, Machiavellian music corporation A Few Notes. However, not all of Tina’s obstacles come from outside forces. Her own unbridled enthusiasm and leap-before-you-look attitude often land her in hot (albeit hilarious) water.

Tina is the lovable underdog, a girl from a decidedly unglamorous background, who’s traded in her love of music for an all-encompassing quest for fame. Part of the joy of Divalicious! comes from following Tina’s missteps as she stumbles down the road to both artistic and personal fulfillment. Throw into the mix over-top-personalities like Tina’s “sometimes” band mates The Rrrrestless, Tina’s strategically placed “boyfriend,” Chad—and possibly the biggest loose cannon of them all, Tina’s self appointed #1 fan, Stephina—and well, let’s just say that hilarity most definitely ensues.

Campbell & Mebberson were runners-up in the fifth volume of TOKYOPOP'S Rising Stars of Manga collection. That entry, titled, "Pop Star" is the basis for Divalicious!

Before signing on with TOKYOPOP, Amy worked for Disneytoons Sydney as an assistant animator and co-created the now-retired webcomic As If! She recently relocated to the States and now lives in Oregon with her husband, Scott.

T is the writer/creator of the comics series Fans, Rip and Teri, Search Engine Funnies, and Penny and Aggie. He’s also edited several websites, run several blogs, podcasted and done whatever else strikes his fancy. Check out his authoritative 2006 book, The History of Webcomics.

Tina Young      
Driven by an insatiable desire for fame, Tina’s Lucy-like antics may seem over the top and misguided at times, but it’s her no-holds-barred, unfiltered zest for life that make her so appealing. There’s a lot more to Tina than most people—even Tina herself—have yet to realize.

Shaquille         
Tina’s much-beleaguered assistant, he’s probably the only person who truly understands, or cares for, Tina. Shaq’s also one of the few people who can exert any kind of control over her—something the execs at her record label are eager to change.      

Chad "Chaddy" G      
Chad G. is as image-conscious in his way as Tina is in hers-- trying to start trouble (but not TOO much trouble) for the sake of his brand. Somewhere on the inside he really is the gentleman-- or at least the gentle man-- that Tina imagines, but he has to maintain that tough "street cool" if he's going to stay on top.

Bit Fencer        
Tina’s main rival for the media spotlight. She’s taller, sultrier and more media savvy than Tina. But for all Bit’s polish and pizzazz, Tina still has one thing Bit may lack…lots and lots of heart.
  
       

Divalicious! from Comics Unlimited
Divalicious! is a frothy, episodic ramble through the life of a self-obsessed teen pop star. Tina's got it all—career, fans, a rival, and manager Shaquille. Watching her overreact to all of it is hilarious.

Writer T Campbell covers the gamut of modern celebrity culture in content-packed chapters, while Amy Mebberson's art more than keeps up with how over-the-top everything is. Her characters are friendly, even when they're self-absorbed or stupid.

Tina's into every trend, whether re-teaming with her former bandmates for an Africa charity tour or dating a rapper. The chapters are short, suitable for the short-attention-spanned, but jam-packed. Those obsessed with pop and stardom will find a lot to enjoy here, as will those who only want to laugh at them.

I found the wannabe fangirl chapter particularly amusing. It's All About Eve for the American Idol internet generation. Attempted murder can be a tough topic for humor, but Campbell keeps it lightly menacing while making points about the entertainment industry machine. Creepy manager dads, the marketing of sex, and the strangely symbiotic relationships between stars and managers also come in for barbs.

Campbell writes lyrics that support the storylines and evoke typical song formats. It's hard to handle music in comics, since there's no sound, but here it successfully contributes to the package. There's even a Big Bad villain, after the first few chapters, who provides the motivation for the cliffhanger ending.
- Comics Unlimited review by Johanna Draper Carlson


"Pop Star," Rising Stars of Manga winner & predecessor to Divalicious!
That "Pop Star" is a runner-up is a pretty good indication of the caliber of talent working on Rising Stars, because this is a fun, funny and beautifully-illustrated story that neatly skewers pop culture princesses like Britney, Christina and Ashlee, all the while giving the whole thing a more outrageous twist.

The heights to which fictional pop star Tina will go to in order to best her rival Bit Fencer are hilarious (one of them involves a chainsaw), and the awkwardness with which she tries to emulate is even funnier.

 Tina is shallow and vain, but she's so hapless that you can't help but love her. Mebberson's artwork is also a delight, with crack comedic timing and a light, attractive look that reminds me of one of my favorite artists, Takeshi Miyazawa. I'd love to see more from these creators.
- www.thefourthrail.com