Captain Anchovy app review: a comic book about a whacky pirate

Introduction

In the book section of the App Store (which is a completely different section than the iBooks app) you can find all kinds of different digital and interactive books. Some of them are interactive while others simply try and monetize their work as an app rather than as a book. You can find a lot of educational apps in here as well, ones that can help your children learn how to read, but every once in a while you can find something silly here that is purely for entertainment. Captain Anchovy by developer Rovingbird is an app that allows you to come into the world of Captain Anchovy, a cartoon pirate who is well known in Belgium, but not so much in the rest of the world. The app is compatible with both iPad and iPhone.

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Art Style and App Design

First of all I’d like to say that the style in which the comic of Captain Anchovy is drawn is unique. I haven’t seen anything like it anywhere. The app itself is designed pretty well too. When you start, you see the whole crew and cast of the comic. Tap on any of the characters and a short bio appears with more information about the character and his or her background. Tap on the comic section and the list of short comics will show up. There is a total of 60 different short comics available, all free of charge. All these comics are available in English, Dutch, and French.

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An App for Kids? I Think Not.

In Belgium, Captain Anchovy has appeared in many kids magazines over the years. Even if the humor in the short cartoons isn’t very mature, I don’t necessarily think these are meant for children. If you are a parent and you are downloading this app for your children, make sure you check the comics yourself first, as some of the jokes can be a bit offensive or even deemed distasteful. As I’m from the lowlands myself, I don’t take offense easily, but if you want to be sure, read them yourself first.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• 60 free short comics
• Great artistic design
• Background on the whole of the supporting cast of the cartoon
• Available in three languages

Cons

• The humor isn’t really for kids
• Some of the jokes are without taste

Conclusion

For any fan of Belgian comics I would recommend this app. The art is great, and it’s absolutely free with no hidden costs. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this app for kids, but it’s not up to me to lecture about parenting. There is plenty to do and read in the app and the introduction of all the cast members is pretty well done. The humor is a bit hit and miss, but since they’re only short strips there will be one to your liking. The app is compatible with both iPad and iPhone and is 152 MB.