Hobgoblin and the Seven Stinkers of Rancidia

Starred review from July 15, 2019
A "Snow White" parody--substituting smelling grossest for fairest--about taking down a tyrant. The seven districts of Rancidia once existed in harmony, the people enjoying the blend of everyone's individual odors and governed by democracy. This putrid peace was shattered when ogre Fiddlefart conquered Rancidia and declared himself both king and Grossest Smelling in the Land. When Fiddlefart's magical Burping Bullfrog sees a new challenger for stinkiest--the humble Hobgoblin, a bean farmer from the neighboring Unincorporated Mucklands--the outraged ogre sends his top scent-assassin, Huntress, to scrub Hobgoblin so clean he'll never stink again. Instead of de-odorizing Hobgoblin, Huntress whiffs him into hiding with the Seven Stinkers, the ousted elected former government of Rancidia, who invite him into the resistance. Amiable but essentially an isolationist who tries "to stay out of politics," Hobgoblin initially takes action only for self-preservation (while Huntress warns: "Anytime a creature is treated unjustly--no matter who they are or where they're from--it's everyone's business"), but the fairy-tale plot trajectory pulls him in so he can join the effort to liberate Rancidia. The bodily functions and other stinky-things-based humor amp the kid-friendliness, frequently put the "pun" in pungent, and occasionally dip into parody musical numbers and sly self-awareness. Happy, rounded, nonthreatening cartoon illustrations make Hobgoblin's delighted tooting downright charming. Some of the Seven Stinkers are female, and one has two mothers. As the stench-loving Rancidians would say: It stinks! (Fantasy. 7-12)

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