The hit comedy Dumb and Dumber is making a comeback, but it won’t be on the big screen. Dumb and Dumber: Irrational Treasure is an upcoming graphic novel from Scholastic that places Lloyd and Harry in a new adventure – in middle school.
Released in 1994, Dumb and Dumber starring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels tells the misadventures of a pair of friends as they go on a road trip to return a suitcase. The prequel film, Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd (2003), revisited the two main characters as teenagers in high school when they were first introduced to one another. Now, this upcoming graphic novel will make the iconic duo meet sooner than the films originally suggested.
On Twitter, Shadia Amin and Steve Foxe shared their latest graphic novel projects, one of which includes Dumb and Dumber: Irrational Treasure. The pair previously worked together on the Spider-Ham graphic novel, Great Power, No Responsibility. Their Dumb and Dumber graphic novel will seemingly parody the film, National Treasure, based on the currently revealed details. Additionally, it will introduce Tini, a new character who will find herself unexpectedly along for the ride. The cover has been revealed, as well as a release date.
The cover for this new Dumb and Dumber adventure features Lloyd riding in the basket of Harry’s bike, which is decorated like Harry’s future ride – his Mutt Cutts van. Ironically, this could reveal that Harry may have always wanted to have a job involving dogs, since the customization clearly wasn’t purely for the company. Lloyd is holding a treasure map, while Tini seems visibly irritated with her situation. This is an original story, based on the original film, but it likely isn’t what fans would have expected had they been informed that a new story was on the way. It is also sure to be devoid of the adult humor Dumb and Dumber so prominently included, considering the shift in audience.
There has been a significant increase in graphic novel offerings for YA, middle-grade, and primary school readers in recent years. More and more franchises are expanding their stories to include these demographics. This seems especially true since even adult films with cult followings are now making shifts to appeal to tweens and teens in new ways. However, Harry and Lloyd are a dumb pair with lots of room to entertain and even they would have been kids once. Their latest misadventure could be very humorous for the next generation to enjoy. This introduces an interesting departure from the films, beginning the iconic Dumb and Dumber friendship at an earlier point in their lives. Young readers will get a fresh taste of Harry and Lloyd’s antics when Dumb and Dumber: Irrational Treasure releases June 28.
