The Kinky Cartoon Network

We secretly enjoy reading the comics in the paper, and it’s not such a secret that the voyeur in us loves thumbing through the local alt-weekly to check out the raunchy personal ads. Now Ellen Forney has combined the two and — it turns out — they’re two great tastes that taste great together!

Forney has taken real classifieds from Seattle’s The Stranger, added clever illustrations, and the resulting combos have been compiled in the book Lust: Kinky Online Personal Ads from Seattle's The Stranger, out January 31. Though the collection is “dedicated to perverts everywhere,” Forney’s sketches are more playful than porno. An ad for a “trashy” male looking for a “redneck with months-old B.O.” is depicted on Oscar the Grouch’s garbage can. For a gentleman seeking a partner to watch each other pleasure themselves, Forney draws a box of “HandBugger Helper.” Flavors: Muffin’ Buffin’ and Chicken Chokin’. (Somewhere, Betty Crocker is blushing.)

Forney also segues from cartoonist to journalist, asking probing questions of people who have placed ads. In one exchange, “Laila” cops to a kinky experience: Penetrating her boyfriend with a sex toy while chatting on the phone. (“He told me later that that was the most awesome experience.”) If that’s your idea of a good time, experience Forney’s Lust — and steer clear of eHarmony.com.

Lust: Kinky Online Personal Ads from Seattle's The Stranger is available January 31 from Fantagraphics Books.

Bookmark this article

MORE WORDS ON MODERN TONIC

Happy Campers

What’s more camp than lip-synching to Queen’s “Bicycle Race" while sporting a rugby shirt with the collar flipped up and knee high tube socks? Why, the entire ... more

Birkin for a Living

Remember Sex and the City’s Samantha trying to get an Hermès Birkin bag — one of those coveted purses with a two-year waiting list and the five-figure price tag — ... more

Let Them Eat Cake

The word "essay" can make us uneasy, conjuring up memories of "How I Spent My Summer Vacation" and college applications. But Sloane Crosley's debut essay collection, I ... more

Vodka Tonic

For the record, we need to imbibe a lot of booze before we pick a fight with a 14-year-old girl or remove our pants in the middle of a restaurant. Comedian Chelsea Handler ... more

The Book of David

Ever misunderstand a foreign nurse in a doctor’s office and return to the waiting room wearing only your underpants? David Sedaris has, and with his sixth collection of essays, When You ... more

High Flying, Adored

Whether you realize it or not, you know Mario Testino’s sensational photography. The cover of Madonna’s Ray of Light? He shot that. The iconic images of Princess ... more

Theater of the Absurd

Two stereotypes about acting school students: 1) They love show tunes. 2) The drama doesn’t stop when they get off stage. And Juilliard student Edward Zanni is guilty ... more