View source for Liberty Meadows

{{Short description|American comic by Frank Cho}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{No plot|date=April 2023}}
{{More citations needed|date=April 2023}}
{{Original research|date=April 2023}}
}}
{{Infobox comic book title <!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics-->
|image               =
|schedule            = Bimonthly (#1–3, #19–36)<br />Monthly (#4–18)<br />Irregular (#37–>)
|format              = [[Comic strip]]<br />[[Ongoing series|Ongoing]] [[comic book]]
|ongoing             = y
|publisher           = [[Creators Syndicate]] (when syndicated)<br />Insight Studios (#1–26, Wedding Special)<br />[[Image Comics]] (#27–present, Sourcebook)
|date                = Syndicated comic strip: March 30, 1997 to December 31, 2001<br />Comic book: 1999–2004, 2006
|startmo             = 
|startyr             = 1997
|endmo               =
|endyr               =
|issues              = 37 + 2 specials
|main_char_team      =
|writers             = Frank Cho
|artists             = Frank Cho
|pencillers          = 
|inkers              =
|letterers           =
|colorists           =
|editors             =
|TPB                 = Book 1: Eden
|ISBN                = 1-58240-301-5
|creative_team_month =
|creative_team_year  =
|creators            = [[Frank Cho]]
|subcat              = Image Comics
|altcat              =
|sort                = Liberty Meadows
|addpubcat#          =
| noimage            = yes}}
'''''Liberty Meadows''''' is an American [[comic strip]] and [[comic book]] series created, written and illustrated by [[Frank Cho]]. It relates the comedic activities of the staff and denizens of the eponymous [[animal sanctuary]]/rehabilitation clinic. The comic strip launched on March 31, 1997, and ran until December 30, 2001.<ref name=Holtz>{{cite book |last1=Holtz |first1=Allan |title=American Newspaper Comics: An Encyclopedic Reference Guide |date=2012 |publisher=The University of Michigan Press |location=Ann Arbor |isbn=9780472117567 |page=234}}</ref>

==Publication history==
''Liberty Meadows'' is the evolution of ''University²'' (University Squared), a strip Cho wrote during his college years for ''[[The Diamondback]]'', the student newspaper at the [[University of Maryland, College Park]].

Originally, it was [[Print syndication|syndicated]] and appeared in many [[newspaper]]s, while also being collected in [[comic book]]s produced by Insight Studios. At the end of 2001, Cho ceased syndication, partly because [[editing|editors]] kept censoring it, and announced he would publish it directly in [[comic book]] format.

Cho self-published the comic book at first, with [[Image Comics]] taking over printing and distribution with issue #27. The comic book went on a hiatus in early 2004, after issue #36. June 2006 saw the publication of issue #37, and Cho commented at the time that he would be "trying to have a couple of issues of ''Liberty Meadows'' out per year".<ref>{{cite web | last= Ong Pang Kean | first= Benjamin | title= Returning to the Meadow: Frank Cho on Liberty Meadows | url=http://www.newsarama.com/forums/printthread.php?threadid=67168 |publisher = [[Newsarama]] | date = April 17, 2006 | access-date= 2007-10-11}}</ref> Issue #37 was the first issue that did not contain material previously published in newspapers, also being the last issue published to date.

From around 2008 until May 2011, the rights to ''Liberty Meadows'' were in the hands of [[Sony Pictures Digital]] which wanted to develop it as a downloadable series, and then [[Sony Pictures Television]] which wanted to develop it as an animated television series. After a change in executives at Sony the projects went inactive, and the rights reverted to Cho, who in May 2011 announced plans to publish issue #38.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://apesandbabes.com/frank-cho-announces-liberty-meadows-is-coming-back/ | title = Frank Cho announces: Liberty Meadows Is Coming Back! | date = May 16, 2011 | first = Frank | last = Cho | work = Apes and Babes}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/comic-riffs/post/frank-chos-liberty-meadows-to-return-in-new-collection/2011/05/17/AFpJ4K6G_blog.html |date= May 17, 2011 |title= Frank Cho's 'Liberty Meadows' to return in new collection | first=Michael |last= Cavna | newspaper= The Washington Post}}</ref> On February 5, 2012, Frank Cho stated that work on ''Liberty Meadows'' had effectively stopped due to other commitments. "I thought I could do ''Liberty Meadows'' and my Marvel and outside work but I can't. I have a mortgage and child support that I have to pay each month. As much as I want to do ''Liberty Meadows'' (believe me I want to), the other jobs pay better".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://apesandbabes.com/frankchoforum/viewtopic.php?t=9052/ |title=Apes and Babes forum |date=February 5, 2012 |first=Frank |last=Cho |work=Apes and Babes |access-date=February 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202100203/http://apesandbabes.com/frankchoforum/viewtopic.php?t=9052%2F |archive-date=February 2, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Style==
Cho makes references to and parodies other comic strips, such as ''[[Dilbert]]'', ''[[Cathy]]'' and ''[[Peanuts]]''.<ref name=WashingtonPost>Shin, Annys (August 29, 2010). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/20/AR2010082003733.html "Personal Liberties: Comic book artist Frank Cho has made a career of being bawdy and bold"]. ''[[The Washington Post]]''.</ref>

==Characters==

===The humans===
* '''Brandy Carter''' – A beautiful animal [[psychiatrist]].<ref name=AboutLB>{{Citation | last = Cho | first = Frank | url = http://apesandbabes.com/about/ | contribution = Liberty Meadows | title = Apes and Babes | access-date = January 15, 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150810090814/http://apesandbabes.com/about/ | archive-date = 2015-08-10 | url-status = dead}}.</ref> Her appearance is based on that of actress [[Lynda Carter]], [[Bettie Page]], and women Cho was attracted to in his youth.<ref name=WashingtonPost />
* '''Frank Melisch''' – A nerdy [[veterinarian]]. Frank is in love with Brandy but afraid to tell her.<ref name = AboutLB />
* '''Tony''' – An accident-prone maintenance man.<ref name=AboutLB />
* '''Julius''' – The owner of Liberty Meadows animal sanctuary and an avid fisherman.<ref name=AboutLB />
* '''Jen''' – Brandy's roommate, a sexy rocket scientist who enjoys toying with men.<ref name=AboutLB />
* '''Al''' – Owner of Al's Treetop Tavern, the local bar where many of the other characters hang out. An educated man and believer in various [[Conspiracy theory|conspiracies]].<ref name=AboutLB />
* '''Roger''' – Brandy's ex-fiancé who's trying to win her back.<ref name=AboutLB />
* '''Barbara Carter''' – Brandy's controlling, malevolent mother. She hates Frank, and is constantly scheming to fix Brandy up with Roger.<ref name=AboutLB />
* '''John Carter''' – Brandy's doting father. The complete opposite of Brandy's mother.<ref name=AboutLB />
* '''Evil Brandy''' – Brandy's [[evil twin]] from a [[parallel universe (fiction)|mirror universe]]. A megalomaniacal criminal mastermind. In volume 3, she tied up Brandy, duct-taped her mouth shut, and shoved her in a closet in an attempt to impersonate her and kill Frank.{{Citation needed|date=January 2012}}
* '''Alternate Frank / "Ace"''' – Frank's super-studly twin from a mirror universe. The most feared lawman in the world and Evil Brandy's nemesis.{{Citation needed|date=January 2012}}

{|
|-
!colspan="8"|A ''Liberty Meadows'' gallery<br />[[Image:Liberty Meadows Gallery.jpg|800px]]
|-
!width="12.5%"|Tony
!width="12.5%"|Ralph
!width="12.5%"|Dean
!width="12.5%"|Julius
!width="12.5%"|Leslie
!width="12.5%"|Jen
!width="12.5%"|Truman &nbsp;
!width="12.5%"|Oscar
|}

===The animals===
* '''Ralph''' – A midget circus bear with a perpetual squint and a penchant for inventing dangerous gadgets.<ref name =AboutLB />
* '''Dean''' – A former fraternity house mascot rescued by Brandy, Dean is a lecherous, sexist pig with a drinking problem and an addiction to cigarettes. Dean is at the clinic for detox but keeps breaking the rule forbidding smoking.<ref name=AboutLB/> A recurring segment has him hitting on various women in bars, only to have them beat him for his boorishness.{{Volume needed|c=y|date=January 2012}}
* '''Leslie''' - A dim-witted frog with [[hypochondria]], and Ralph's friend.<ref name=AboutLB />
* '''Truman''' – A cute, naive young duck who always addresses the humans as "sir" and "ma'am."<ref name= AboutLB />
* '''Oscar''' – A mischievous [[dachshund]] and Truman's best friend. Oscar is the only animal in the strip who is not anthropomorphized, and does not speak aside from typical canine vocalizations.
* '''The Cow''' – A psychotic villain who suffers from [[mad cow disease]].<ref name=AboutLB />
* '''Khan''' – A giant catfish who serves as Julius' constant nemesis. He appears in strips that depict the characters fishing.<ref name=AboutLB />
* '''Mike''' – A raccoon with [[obsessive–compulsive disorder]].

===The author===
* '''Frank Cho, aka "Monkey Boy"''' – Creator of the strip. Appears in the strip as a chimpanzee to break the [[fourth wall]].

==Collected editions==
The comics collecting the daily strips have themselves been collected into a series of books:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! ISG Hardcover !! Collects !! Deluxe Signed !! Unsigned Trade
|-
| ''Liberty Meadows: Big Book of Love''
|align="center"| # 1 – 5
| {{ISBNT|1-889317-15-2}}
| {{ISBNT|1-889317-14-4}}
|-
! [[Image Comics]] !! Collects !! Hardcover !! Softcover
|-
| ''Liberty Meadows Book 1: Eden''
|align="center"| # 1 – 9
| {{ISBNT|1-58240-301-5}}
| {{ISBNT|1-58240-390-2}}
|-
| ''Liberty Meadows Book 2: Creature Comforts''&nbsp;
|align="center"| #10–18
| {{ISBNT|1-58240-333-3}}
| {{ISBNT|1-58240-432-1}}
|-
| ''Liberty Meadows Book 3: Summer of Love''
|align="center"| #19–27
| {{ISBNT|1-58240-401-1}}
| {{ISBNT|1-58240-534-4}}
|-
| ''Liberty Meadows Book 4: Cold, Cold Heart''
|align="center"| #28–36
| {{ISBNT|1-58240-502-6}}
| {{ISBNT|1-58240-720-7}}
|-
| ''Liberty Meadows: Cover Girl''
|align="center"| <small>#1–37 (covers)</small>
| {{ISBNT|1-58240-640-5}}
|
|-
| ''Liberty Meadows 10th Anniversary Edition''
|align="center"| # 1 – 9
| {{ISBNT|1-58240-929-3}}
|
|-
| ''Liberty Meadows Sunday Strips'', vol. 1
| || {{ISBNT|1-60706-132-5}}
|
|-
| ''Liberty Meadows Sunday Strips'', vol. 2
| || {{ISBNT|1-60706-150-3}}
|
|-
|colspan="4"| ''Big Book of Love'' included an all new introduction piece and the Sunday strips, both in color.<br />''Eden'' also included the intro piece (in black and white), but did not include the Sunday strips.
|}

==Awards==
Frank Cho has won many awards, including: the prestigious [[National Cartoonists Society]]’s Awards for [[National Cartoonists Society#Book Illustration Award|Best Book Illustration]] (2001) and [[National Cartoonists Society#Comic Books Award|Best Comic Book]] (2001),<ref name="NCSAwards">{{cite web|title=National Cartoonists Society's Awards |url=http://www.reuben.org/divisions.html |publisher=[[National Cartoonists Society]] |access-date=2010-11-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101231014238/http://www.reuben.org/divisions.html |archive-date=2010-12-31}}</ref> the 2008 [[Eagle Awards|Eagle Award]],<ref name="EagleAwards">{{cite web|title=Previous Winners 2008 |url=http://www.eagleawards.co.uk/category/previous-winners/2008/ |publisher=[[Eagle Awards]] |access-date=2010-11-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023120223/http://www.eagleawards.co.uk/category/previous-winners/2008/ |archive-date=October 23, 2013}}</ref> the 1994 Charles M. Schulz Award for Excellence in Cartooning,<ref name="CharlesSchulzAwards">{{cite web |title=Previous Winners |url=http://www.scripps.com/foundation/programs/nja/previouswinners09-10.pdf |publisher=[[Scripps Howard Foundation]] |access-date=2010-11-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306085010/http://www.scripps.com/foundation/programs/nja/previouswinners09-10.pdf |archive-date=2012-03-06}}</ref> College Media Association for Cartooning,{{Citation needed|date=May 2010}} and Germany’s [[Max & Moritz Prize]] for Best International Comic Strip.<ref name="Max und Moritz - Nominees and Winners">{{cite web | title = Max und Moritz - Nominees and Winners since 1988 | url = http://www.comic-salon.de/index.asp?FsID=65&spr=2 | publisher = [[Comic Salon]] | access-date = 2015-07-19}}</ref> He was also nominated for the coveted [[Harvey Awards|Harvey]] and [[Eisner Awards]].<ref name="2000 Eisner Nominees">{{cite web|title= 2000 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award Nominees Winners | url=http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/eisner00.php|publisher=[[Comic Book Awards Almanac]]|access-date=2015-07-19}}</ref><ref name="2009 Harvey Nominees">{{cite web|title=2009 Harvey Awards |url=http://www.harveyawards.org/previous-awards-nominees/2009-harvey-awards/ |publisher=[[Harvey Awards]] |access-date=2015-07-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131108094154/http://www.harveyawards.org/previous-awards-nominees/2009-harvey-awards/ |archive-date=2013-11-08}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Citation|url = https://www.gocomics.com/libertymeadows | title = Liberty Meadows | type = daily strip reruns}}
* {{Citation|url = http://www.apesandbabes.com/ | first = Frank | last = Cho | type = official website | title = Apes and Babes | access-date = 2018-12-24 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070210094115/http://www.apesandbabes.com/ | archive-date = 2007-02-10 | url-status = dead}}. ''Liberty Meadows'' daily strips and Frank Cho's art blog.

{{Creators Syndicate Comics}}

[[Category:1997 comics debuts]]
[[Category:2012 comics endings]]
[[Category:American comic strips]]
[[Category:Comics about women]]
[[Category:Gag-a-day comics]]
[[Category:GoComics]]