Journey into manhood told in hilarious vignettes


By Lian Goodall
The St.Catharines Standard-Spectrum
July 19, 2003

Cheeseburger Subversive is a rare book for ages 14 and up.  The adventures of the teenaged male hero, Dak Sifter, make the reader snigger, even laugh to the point of snorting - almost in Jim Carrey fashion.  However, Carrey's yuk-yuk humour can become tiresome.  Author Richard Scarsbrook doesn't push any of those "that was funny, but that's enough now" buttons.  Scarsbrook can be silly, but he also delivers moments of humbleness.

Cheeseburger Subversive recounts the life of Dak from grade seven to first year university.  Dak's dad worries that he isn't raising a "well-rounded boy".  

"As a high school teacher, he is concerned," Scarsbrook writes, "that when I enter grade nine there will be the very real danger of me getting my ass kicked frequently by hormone-addled goons."  In the first story, Dad tries to put his son "in contact with the world of real manhood."  He gives Dak the summer job of cutting the lawn on a new riding lawn tractor.  Dak runs over roses, flips the tractor, and publically embarasses himself.

In the second story, Pushing Pickle, Dad has secured Dak a summer job at the pickle factory.  Dak misunderstands his duties and stops the line.  The supervisor expresses his anger by throwing a jar of pickles at his new employee.  Dak, the hero of the teenage semi-nerds, triumphs when the supervisor is given early "retirement".

After a few chapters, the reader suspects that these are complete stories, linked together in book form.  Indeed, Scarsbrook has previously published a number of these.  However, the collection works as a book because of the development of the themes and the growth of the main character.  the first few stories have Dad edging Dak towards "manhood."  The is a gradual shift as the book shows Dak taking independent steps on the path to becoming an adult - from looking for his own solutions with the neighborhood bully as a young adolescent, to finally seeking out a quiet place to pop a beer as an older teen.  Dad is no longer Dak's main influence - Dak is in control.

However, Scarsbrook hints that there are some things that individuals cannot always control.  One chillingly serious story is about Benjamin, a boy Dak met at age eight.  At a sleepover, Dak discovers Benjamin and his mother are beaten by the father.  Dak starts to understand why his freind is trying to contact aliens who he believes will take him away.  Benjamin continually risks his life trying to escape.  At age fourteen he dies, trying to catapult up to the aliens.  Scarsbrook doesn't write this story with his pen dipped in the ink of black humour.  The author lets the naked absurdity of the situation affect the reader with its full impact.

Scarsbrook dresses up his 'cheeseburger' with lots of spicy pickles and tangy mustard, without being afraid of adding a meaty message.