Tom

Boy, I enjoy a rebus, and figuring out the gimmick was fun, I would rather an enjoyable grid than anything else. I sometimes wonder if these sorts of themes ultimately detract from the puzzle. Outside of clues involving those eight rebuses, the rest of the puzzle involved more cramped sections and uninteresting fill than I would like (not to mention the absolute deluge of proper nouns). I don't know, this one felt like it missed the forest for a handful of really well crafted trees.