(Knockabout)

While he might come across as a hippy Garfield, Fat Freddy’s Cat actually predates the lasagne-obsessed ginger tom by nine years. Springing from the pages of the ultimate stoner’s comic – The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers – which was full of laconic humour, slapstick and Cheech & Chong-style gags. Now this bumper tombstone of a book collects all this smart-assed feline’s free-wheeling adventures.

Not as drug-obsessed as his obese owner, FFC is far more interested in food, sex, battling cockroaches and proving his superiority to his so-called ‘master’ while still making time for the odd bit of catnip. The fast-paced one-page stories are sharp and punchy, far superior to the longer rambling tall tales, but even these are never less than entertaining. Very much locked in the 70s (even the later stories still reek of free love and tie-dye), it’s stupid, goofy and extremely funny.