By Matt Dannerand Tony Millionaire

Sock Monkey

A Tony Millionaire’s Sock Monkey Book

Fantagraphics Books, Inc.

For Anna and Catherine

Editor and Associate Publisher: Eric ReynoldsBook Design: Tony OngProduction: Paul BareshPublisher: Gary Groth

FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS, INC.Seattle, Washington, USAwww.fantagraphics.com

Sock Monkey: Into the Deep Woods is copyright © 2014 Tony Millionaire and Matt Danner. “Tony Millionaire’s Sock Monkey” is copyright © 2014 Tony Millionaire. This edition is copyright © 2014 Fantagraphics Books, Inc. Permission to reproduce content must be obtained from the

author or publisher.

ISBN 978-1-60699-746-8

First printing: October, 2014Printed in China

Fantagraphics Books would like to thank: Randall Bethune, Big Planet Comics, Black Hook Press of Japan, Nick Capetillo, Kevin Czapiewski, John DiBello, Juan Manuel Domínguez, Mathieu Doublet, Dan Evans III, Thomas Eykemans, Scott Fritsch-Hammes, Coco and Eddie Gorodetsky, Karen Green, Ted Haycraft, Eduardo Takeo “Lizarkeo” Igarashi, Nevdon Jamgochian, Andy Koopmans, Philip Nel, Vanessa Palacios, Kurt Sayenga, Anne Lise Rostgaard Schmidt, Christian Schremser, Secret Headquarters, Paul van Dijken, Mungo

van Krimpen-Hall, Jason Aaron Wong, and Thomas Zimmermann

A NOTE FROM THE CO-AUTHOR

I met Matt Danner in 2006 while he was directing The Drinky Crow Show for Adult Swim. We became very close, making deci-sions about the show for hours every day. Matt is able to adapt to any project he works on, to really understand what makes it work. So I asked him if he’d like to collaborate on a project in-volving the Sock Monkey. He agreed and we proceeded to work RQ�LGHDV�IRU�D�6RFN�0RQNH\�ÀOP��$V�WKH�VWRU\�FDPH�WRJHWKHU��,�realized just how talented Matt is at writing long-form stories. I have learned quite a lot from him. We soon realized that the idea ZH�KDG�IRU�D�ÀOP�ZRXOG�PDNH�D�JUHDW�DGYHQWXUH�ERRN��0DWW�GLG�most of the writing, as I sat with him, suggesting ideas, develop-ing characters and making sure it all stayed true to my original Sock Monkey books. It wasn’t hard because Matt really under-stood the work. I went to the drawing table and cranked out lots of illustrations, mostly ink, some in pencil, and even one or two old images I borrowed from previous projects. The result is in your hands: a captivating long-form story with all the charm of the Sock Monkey and his friends Mr. Crow, Inches, and their beloved Ann-Louise.

— Tony Millionaire,June 2014

P.S. The below link contains an animated preview which Matt and I have been working on. Matt is an animator and was ob-sessed with the thought of the Sock Monkey coming to life in Ann-Louise’s house. “I like the Glass Doorknob story,” he said, “with all its crystal prisms and tiny rainbow effects.”

www.tonymillionairesockmonkey.com

Keep your eyes peeled for future work.

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Odd. I’m having that dream again. I think it’s

a dream. It has to be. There I am, in the jun-

gle, scampering on a vine through the rub-

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colored mango hanging like an ornament. I pluck the

fruit from its branch and hungrily sink my teeth into

it. Like electricity, a searing pain shoots through my

body to the core of me.

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A wild monkey stares back at me. I pull my lips back

to inspect the pain. A tooth screams to be released

from my gums.

Riding on the back of a wildebeest, I clutch its

bristly mane. Combing through its long coarse hairs,

I swiftly pluck just the right one.

Later, in a shady glade, I carefully tie the wiry

hair to my throbbing tooth and pull as hard as I can.

Now I am a tooth falling from a monkey’s jaw.

Falling through the jungle. Falling into the moist

earth beneath a delicate orchid. The ground shakes

and a large boot stomps the earth beside me. Large

hands scoop me up with the prize orchid and drop

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8

9

named Professor Rimperton, gently carries me to a

ship, which carries me to a city and into an old house.

There, I sit on a shelf in a lush greenhouse and

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and the lights go dark. I am alone.

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VHH�KHU�URV\�IDFH��WKH�IDFH�RI�$QQ�/RXLVH��+HU�EORQGH�

curls softly bounce as she sneaks toward my pot. She

stares right at me, but doesn’t recognize me yet.

“What is it, Mr. Crow?” she says to an old plush

FURZ�ZLWK�EXWWRQ�H\HV��+H�KREEOHV�EHKLQG�KHU��

“It appears to be an orchid for your birthday,” he

replies. “But, I’m sure you’re not supposed to see it

until tomorrow.”

“It looks like a bug!” says a little ceramic baby

doll, climbing onto the edge of the pot.

“It certainly does!” Ann-Louise smiles. “Be care-

ful, Inches. Don’t break it.”

“I won’t break it!” Inches proclaims as she

proudly stands on the edge of the pot. It tips over.

I am falling again, tumbling through the air,

around and around. I smash into stone tiles.

“You clumsy bruiser! Let’s get out of here!”

shouts Crow.

They scamper away, leaving me alone in the

cold dark.

10

In his nightgown, the professor

storms in and steps on me with red-

heeled socks, and I get stuck

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Flames!” he yells. “It’s

all ruined! And what’s

more, I’ve soiled my

new socks!” The

Professor crouches

down and griev-

ously scrapes up

the broken frag-

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and orchid.“Give

me your socks,” says his glowing wife from the door.

“I’ll take care of it. Just go to bed.”

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the sock and places me on a nearby dresser. From

there, I sit and watch her work. She carefully sews

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monkey! It’s me! My body! It feels odd to see myself

from the outside.

8SRQ�ÀQLVKLQJ�� WKH� JUDQGPRWKHU� JHQWO\� SODFHV�

me into a hidden breast pocket on my cotton body.

Suddenly I can feel my arms and twitch my ear. I am

a monkey again. The old woman gently lays my new

11