Minimonsters: Difference between revisions

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''But we are interested in another city. Maybe is not one of the biggest, since only live there fifty monster families. Maybe is not one of the most famous, since even in some monster maps doesn't appear. But as you get to know it... Sure it'll become your favourite! It's Villa Susto... where they reach the adventures of the Mini Monsters. Who are the Mini Monsters? If you want to know... keep reading.''}}

 

 

The plot takes in a small town called Villa Susto, where they live monsters who want to be far from humans. Victor Von Piro (A high-class vampire and main protagonist) moves to Villa Susto, much to his changrin. There he meets his new friends, the Frank’s Gang: Frank Einstein Jr. (The genius Frankenstein leader), Lupo (A narcoleptic werewolf), Momses (A sports-obsessed mummy), Gus (A cute, but fearful ghost) and Piruja (A very amorous witch). Together, they will live a lot of misadventures involving them and the rest of the people in Villa Susto.

* [[A Day in the Limelight]]: "El Perfeccionator" is focused on [[Gadgeteer Genius|Frank]].

** "Historias para no Dormir" (Sleepless Stories) is composed of several stories focusing on different characters.

* [[A House Divided]]: The principal reason why [[The Rival|Morty's Gang]] are a failure is because the members don't get along with each other, only being together to try to humiliate Frank's Gang, which they don't succeed due to disputes. This is clearly intended to serve as a [[Foil]] to the Frank's Gang's [[True Companions]] unit.

** [[Gadgeteer Genius|Frank]] is also this trope. As is [[Cute Witch|Piruja]].

* [[Adults Are Useless]]: Holy shit, yes. The only one who tries to act reasonably is [[Reasonable Authority Figure|Mr. Abra]], and is an [[Inept Mage]] who is quickly overruled by his students.

** Mienai is a fairly nice guy when [[The Sociopath|Morty]] isn't around.

* [[All-Ghouls School]]: Villa Susto’s local school. It’s a monster town, so…

* [[All of the Other Reindeer]]: Billy and Quasim, though they have very good reasons to be in this trope.

* [[All There in the Manual]]: There's several information about the characters and setting that isn't present in the comics.

* [[Amazingly Embarrassing Parents]]: If there's something [[Vitriolic Best Buds|Victor and Frank]] have in common, is that their families are embarrassing ''as hell''. In the third album's longest story, the Von Piros and the Einsteins meet and, needless to say, it doesn't end well.

* [[Anchored Ship]]: Frank and Henrietta. They're the [[Official Couple]] by [[Word of God]], but several setbacks like Henrietta's [[Super Powered Evil Side|personality issues]] and both characters' insecurities prevent them from fully hooking up.

* [[Anti-Villain]]: Guillotine is a Type I: She's very rude and mean to others, but shows her softest side with Piruja, being like an older sister to her. She will do anything to make her happy, such as hooking her with Victor, no matter how mean and sadistic are her ways. Mienai and Skin are a Type IV, with Mienai being also a Type II.

* [[Be Careful What You Wish For]]: In one story, Frank wanted a pet like his friends Victor and Piruja. He got it, of course... a [[Talking Poo|Living Poo]]. Ugh... Yay?

* [[Because You Were Nice to Me]]: The reason why Henrietta fell for Frank is because he helped her when she needed it most. {{spoiler|Namely, stopping her [[Super Powered Evil Side]] from causing more harm to the town.}} His general [[Nice Guy]] attitude just drives this home further.

* [[Beware the Nice Ones]]: The Frank’s gang are good most of the time, but mess with them and they will kick your ass, or at least try to do so.

* [[Big Brother Instinct]]: Frank has this with his gang, especially Gus.

** Lupo towards his younger siblings.

* [[Black Comedy]]

* [[Break the Cutie]]: Frank gets put through hell in "El Perfeccionator". He recovers, though.

* [[Brick Joke]]: In the third album's longest story, Frank makes a joke at his sister Francesca's expense by telling her [[Big Friendly Dog|Victor's dog Chopped]] is someone suited for her. Four pages later, we see her playing with said dog, and looking happy about it.

* [[Brilliant but Lazy]]: Lupo is slow due to his constant sleepiness, but he is very far from being stupid.

* [[The Bully]]: Quasim is the fearsome bully of Villa Susto, being a [[Dumb Muscle|dumb]] [[The Brute|brute]] with [[Super Strength]] who picks on little kids (particularly poor [[The Cutie|Gus]]). The only one who has been able to knock him out is Henrietta's evil [[Split Personality]] [[Jekyll and Hyde|Miss Hit]].

* [[Cannot Spit It Out]]: Frank and Henrietta definitely have feelings for each other, but they can't tell their feelings because of [[Twice Shy|shyness]]. Also, [[Super Powered Evil Side|Miss Hit]] does not help at all. Unsurprisingly, all people think [[Everyone Can See It|they're a couple]], and Frank constantly [[She Is Not My Girlfriend|denies it]].

** The cover of the second album [http://dreamers.com/davidramirez/PortadillaMiniMonsters2.jpg confirms this].

* [[Characterization Marches On]]: A lot of the characters in the comic had shown progress and depths starting with the second album.

* [[Chekhov's Gunman]]: Again, also used in the story-driven albums.

* [[Close-Knit Community]]: Being a [[Quirky Town]], to put it mildly, Villa Susto fits this despite its [[Dysfunction Junction|dysfunction]].

* [[Comedic Sociopathy]]

* [[Cool Big Sis]]: Guillotine is this to Piruja, being one of her redeeming qualities.

* [[Crap Saccharine World]]: Villa Susto. Cute and rosy (somewhat) on the outside, but [[Quirky Town|there's a lot of weird shit underneath]].

* [[Darker and Edgier]]: Downplayed in "El Perfeccionator". While the story remains comical, things like split personalities and Frank's [[Character Development]] makes the story slightly darker compared to the other ones. Not to mention the character of [[Knight of Cerebus|Miss Hit]].

* [[Down to the Last Play]]: {{spoiler|How the fourth album's pumpkinball match ends.}} Being an [[Affectionate Parody]] of sports movies, what did you expect?

* [[Dressing as the Enemy]]: Played with hilariously in the first album, when Victor dresses himself as a beetle in order to trick Rattus Sapiens.

{{quote|'''Victor''': Stop complaining and kneel... AT THE BEETLE GOD!

'''Rattus Sapiens''': The Beetle God [[Comically Missing the Point|GOES IN UNDERWEAR?!]]}}

* [[Dysfunction Junction]]

* [[Extreme Omnivore]]: Lupo and Skin, especially the former.

* [[Everyone Has Standards]]: Piruja may be clingy and easily-infatuated, but she ''definitely'' can't stand her mom's [[Extreme Omnisexual]] behavior.

** Piruja's mom herself may be an [[Extreme Omnisexual]] who hits on married men and even ''giant spiders'', but if said suitor tries to hurt her daughter, [[Mama Bear|she WILL turn on them without second thoughts]].

* [[Face Palm]]: Many characters do that, but Frank does this more than anyone. Being the [[Only Sane Man]] has its consequences...

{{quote|'''Frank''': ''*After Momses accidentally breaks his invention*'' Thanks for finding it, Momses... ''*facepalm*''}}

** And then there's Mr. Abra.

* [[Fictional Sport]]: Calabacesto (Pumpkinball). It’s the main theme of the fourth album.

* [[Flanderization]]: Frank being a ([[Bungling Inventor|sort of]]) [[Gadgeteer Genius]] was merely alluded in the first album. From the second album onwards, this has become Frank's main character trait. [[Tropes Are Tools|And that is a good thing, actually]]. Same with Lupo's [[Sleepyhead|constant sleepiness]], among others.

* [[Foil]]: Many examples.

** [[The Hero|Frank's Gang]] and [[The Rival|Morty's Gang]]. The former may seem like a dysfunctional [[Ragtag Bunch of Misfits]] (and they ''are''), but they're also a [[True Companions|close-knit group of friends]] who have a strong sense of [[The Power of Friendship|teamwork]] when things are tough. The latter may seem like a cool [[Gang of Bullies]] in the surface, but deep down are a complete mess, with its members [[Teeth-Clenched Teamwork|only united over their dislike of the Frank's Gang]], and [[A House Divided|utterly failing]] at working together. This is best shown in the fourth album with their respective Pumpkinball teams.

** [[Cute Witch|Piruja]] and [[Perky Goth|Guillotine]]. They're the only girls in their respective gangs, and their personalities are wildly different, with Piruja being an [[Adorkable]] [[Nice Girl]] and Guillotine a [[Jerkass]] [[Alpha Bitch]]. In an ironic twist, the two are [[Heterosexual Life Partners|the best of friends]] in spite of their differences.

** [[Justified Trope]] with {{spoiler|Henrietta and Miss Hit, as they're [[Jekyll and Hyde|two sides of the same coin]].}}

* [[The Friend Nobody Likes]]: Victor is this to the Frank's gang (Except [[Hopeless Suitor|Piruja]]), only admitted because of pity. Frank even tells him this to his face.

* [[Getting Crap Past the Radar]]: ''Dear God.''

* [[Hair of Gold]]: Frank is blonde, and he’s a very nice person. [[Beware the Nice Ones|Most of the time]].

** And then there's [[The Pollyanna|Billy]].

* [[Hair-Trigger Temper]]: Victor's main trait besides his narcissism.

* [[Heroic Self-Deprecation]]: Despite seeming otherwise, it turns out Frank's opinion of himself is total crap.

** How much? We have this exchange in the second album:

* [[Heterosexual Life Partners]]: [[Gadgeteer Genius|Frank]] and [[Bedsheet Ghost|Gus]] are described by [[Word of God]] as "inseparable", and it shows. [[Sleepyhead|Lupo]] and [[Lovable Jock|Momses]] also have a very close relationship.

** [[Light Feminine and Dark Feminine|Piruja and Guillotine]] are a weird case. They belong to rival gangs, which would make them enemies. This doesn't stop them for being best friends, with Piruja asking Guillotine for love advice, and Guillotine gleefully helping her.

** Guillotine has one too, only showing her loving side with her best friend Piruja, and sometimes Henrietta.

* [[Hollywood Homely]]: Ruthlessly parodied with Piruja. She's seen as ugly and undesirable by everyone... because she has a wart in her face. She could be very well the minimonster version of [[Family Guy|Meg Griffin]] (only less of a [[Butt Monkey]]).

** Frank's physical appearance is so awful it breaks mirrors, creating a serious [[Heroic Self-Deprecation|inferiority complex]] on him. Except, apart from several scars, he doesn't look so much different from other minimonsters. Like with Piruja, this seems to be deliberate.

* [[Humans Are the Real Monsters]]: Taken Up to Eleven. In this comic, humans are the "monsters", and the monsters "humans".

* [[Hypocritical Humor]]: A staple of the comic. A concrete example would be in " El Perfeccionator", when Gus doesn't join the Gang in their confrontation against [[Big Bad|Miss Hit]]:

{{quote|'''[[Dirty Coward|Victor]]''': What a coward!

'''[[Deadpan Snarker|Lupo]]''': [[Lampshade Hanging|Look who's talking]].}}

* [[Intelligible Unintelligible]]: Momses talks in mummy, and only his closest friends and family can understand him. Lupo and Frank usually translate what he says to the other people.

* [[Ironic Name]]: Piruja’s black cat, “Buena Suerte”, which means “good luck” in Spanish. [[Sarcasm Mode|Riiiight]].

* [[Karma Houdini]]: Quasim, due to his [[The Bully|intimidating nature]], doesn't get much comeuppance for his awful actions, especially in the first album. The second album, however, [[Karma Houdini Warranty|gives him some well-deserved punishment]].

** In the second album, [[Perky Goth|Guillotine]] mentions her boyfriend [[Alpha Bitch|Morty]] skips school constantly, getting away with it [[Screw the Rules, I Have Connections|due to him being the son of the school's principal]].

* [[Kick the Dog]]: Victor does this frequently, and ''always'' [[Laser-Guided Karma|pays for it]].

** More seriously, {{spoiler|[[Evil Redhead|Miss Hit]] rejecting Frank cruelly via letter, pretending to be her good self Henrietta}}, sending him into an [[Heroic BSOD]].

** [[The Bully|Quasim]]'s bullying of [[The Cutie|Gus]] and [[Ridiculously Cute Critter|Lupo's siblings]] definitely qualifies.

** [[Manipulative Bastard|Morty]] does this constantly in the fourth album.

** Quasim himself has a moment in the first album when {{spoiler|he punches [[Big Bad|Rattus Sapiens]] down the sewers, bringing him back to a normal rat.}}

* [[The Klutz]]: Momses. He doesn't have Buena Suerte’s "luck", but he’s extremely clumsy due to his physical strength.

{{quote|'''Victor''': ''*after Momses destroys Frank’s invention*'' AAAAH! WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS GUY?!

* [[Laser-Guided Karma]]: In the fourth album, Morty’s dirty tricks to win the match take a toll on him and his band. {{spoiler|They got beaten by Henrietta’s father; their rivals won the match, Morty lost his tickets to Miedópolis and he ends up with a thermometer in his ass}}. All of this is well-deserved, at least for Morty.

** Victor is an ''epic'' target of this trope.

* [[Love At First Sight]]: This is how [[Cute Witch|Piruja]] fell for [[Spoiled Brat|Victor]]. This is also true with [[Gadgeteer Genius|Frank]]'s crush on [[Rose-Haired Girl|Henrietta]].

* [[Love Hurts]]: The main reason why Frank wants to create the Perfeccionator, alongside his self-esteem issues.

* [[My God What Have I Done?]]: Frank has this reaction when he discovers his latest invention is used to kill the girl he loves. [[Tear Jerker|It's really depressing]].

* [[Nice Guy]]: There's a lot, usually to contrast with the [[Jerkass]] characters.

* [[Not So Different]]: The comic's [[Power Trio|spotlight trio]], [[Spoiled Brat|Victor]], [[Gadgeteer Genius|Frank]] and [[Cute Witch|Piruja]], are wildly different from one another, yet they have some things in common. Both have to deal with [[Amazingly Embarrassing Parents]] (who are [[Good Parents|well-intentioned]], but still), and they have very dysfunctional pets as their companions.

* [[Odd Friendship]]: Victor and Frank, constantly picking each other. Also Lupo and Momses, but they get along much better than the other two. Basically, all the members in Frank's Gang, really.

** Piruja and Guillotine. Very little in common, yet they're best friends.

** Also, in the end of the first album, the Frank's gang after {{spoiler|accidentally drinking the poison. They end up with a big case of diarrhea}}.

** Morty's face expresses this perfectly in the fourth album when {{spoiler|Frank shoots and scores the winning goal}}.

* [[Pet the Dog]]: Guillotine trying to help Piruja in conquering Victor (with underhanded methods, but still), shows her [[Hidden Heart of Gold]] behind her bitchiness.

** Victor gets a huge one at the end of the second album, by joining Frank, Lupo and Piruja in confronting Miss Hit and save everyone. Considering he has spent the entire album being a prickly coward, and how lowly he thinks about the people in Villa Susto, this surprisingly selfless act may be the greatest example of this trope in the comic.

** Morty is pretty much [[The Sociopath]], but he treats his girlfriend Guillotine well, and is genuinely worried when one of his pet worms disappears.

** In the third album's longer story, Frank suffers one. As to how it ends... well, see below.

** {{spoiler|In the [[All Just a Dream]] story,}} Henrietta makes Lupo experience one of this to expel Victor, since he accidentally ate him when he was transformed into a sandwich ([[It Makes Sense in Context|don't ask]]). [[Sleepyhead|He falls asleep in the middle of it]].

** One of these gives "birth" to Frank's pet [[Talking Poo|Caca Einstein]]. Yeah...

* [[Red Oni, Blue Oni]]: As a group, The Frank's gang (Blue) towards Morty's gang (Red).

* [[Rotating Protagonist]]: Although Victor is the lead character, the story focuses on other characters as well.

* [[Sadist Show]]

{{quote|'''Gus''': V-Victor, can we scream l-like little girls now?

'''Victor''': ''*running away*'' [[This Is Gonna Suck|YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!!!!]]}}

* [[Slapstick Knows No Gender]]

** One hilarious example of this:

{{quote|'''Lupo''': Frank, help me! When I try to remember, I see everything black!

* [[Stalker with a Crush]]: Piruja is this to Victor, and nearly every guy she meets; much to their dismay. Her mother is [[Really Gets Around|even worse]].

* [[The Starscream]]: In "The Perfeccionator", after Frank is unable to lead the gang due to an [[Inferiority Superiority Complex|issue]]-[[Love Hurts|ridden]] [[Heroic BSOD|depression]], Victor takes the opportunity to make himself the leader of the gang, putting Frank's depression against him and [[Screw the Rules, I Have Money|bribing Morty's gang to make himself more competent]]. [[Hero Worshipper|Gus]] is ''outraged'' at this, while [[Fur Against Fang|Lupo]] actively sabotages his attempts by arranging a match between him and [[The Bully|local bully]] Quasim, [[Batman Gambit|knowing full well Victor is really a coward and a weakling, and thus will get beaten up and humiliated no matter what]]. {{spoiler|While Victor didn't get beaten up, the plan still worked, helped by the fact Frank had recently recovered from his depression, and is clearly back in charge.}}

* [[Stepford Smiler]]: Frank is revealed to be a Type A, putting a happy mask to cope with his task as a leader and hide the fact that he has huge self-esteem issues due to his physical appearance. He gets better, though.

* [[Stepford Snarker]]: Lupo, being incredibly snarky and dealing with a very poor family at the same time.

** Frank gets snarkier when he has to deal with [[Amazingly Embarrassing Parents|his family]].

{{quote|'''Victor''': This gang... is more pathetic than Frank's...}}

* [[Surrounded by Idiots]]: Victor thinks this constantly. Not that he's much better, though.

** [[The Heart]]: Gus.

** [[The Chick]]: Piruja.

* [[Three Amigos]]: The main characters [[Spoiled Brat|Victor]], [[Gadgeteer Genius|Frank]] and [[Cute Witch|Piruja]].

* [[Toilet Humour]]: The comic has a lot of this, mixed with Spanish humor and [[Black Comedy]]. Well, considering the author's sense of humor is based on [[Akira Toriyama]]'s...

* [[Token Good Teammate]]: Mienai to Morty's Gang. He's not a saint, but he's undeniably the nicest and most friendly member in a gang full of [[jerkass|jerkasses]] (Although Guillotine is revealed to be a [[Jerk with a Heart of Gold]] later on).

* [[True Beauty Is on the Inside]]: Parodied in "El Perfeccionator". Frank tries to defend himself over his sister and best friend's (who is Lupo's older sister) mean comments about his physical appearance with this. It doesn't work out.

'''Victor''': Bobblehead!

'''Frank''': Snot!}}

* [[Walking Disaster Area]]: Buena Suerte’s causes great accidents when he’s around. The only thing that could stop his disastrous luck is {{spoiler|being inside Lupo’s stomach.}}

* [[Wham! Line]]: In the second album, we have this, which sets a notable [[Mood Whiplash]] and things become [[Serious Business]] (This doesn't quit the comedic elements totally, though).

{{quote|'''Frank''': [[Rose-Haired Girl|She]] came to see me... That means she cares! I wonder when I could see her again...

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Comic Books]]

[[Category:Fantasy Comic Books]]

[[Category:Comedy]]