Back Issue #75 by TwoMorrows Publishing

COMICS’ BRONZE AGE AND BEYOND!

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’80s INDEPENDENTS! Dave Sim’s Cerebus the Aardvark Richard & Wendy Pini’s Elfquest Indies on Screen & more with Denis Kitchen • Trina Robbins • David Scroggy

THE RETRO COMICS EXPERIENCE!

Edited by MICHAEL EURY, BACK ISSUE magazine celebrates comic books of the 1970s, 1980s, and today through recurring (and rotating) departments like “Pro2Pro” (dialogue between professionals), “BackStage Pass” (behind-the-scenes of comicsbased media), “Greatest Stories Never Told” (spotlighting unrealized comics series or stories), and more!

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“British Invasion” issue! History of Marvel UK, Beatles in comics, DC’s ‘80s British talent pool, V for Vendetta, Excalibur, Marshal Law, Doctor Who, “Pro2Pro” interview with PETER MILLIGAN & BRENDAN McCARTHY, plus BERGER, BOLLAND, DAVIS, GIBBONS, STAN LEE, LLOYD, MOORE, DEZ SKINN, and others. Fold-out triptych cover by RON WILSON and DAVE HUNT of Marvel UK’s rare 1970s “Quadra-Poster”!

“Bronze Age Backup Series”! Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Metamorpho, GOODWIN and SIMONSON’s Manhunter, PASKO and GIFFEN’s Dr. Fate, “Whatever Happened To…?”, Nemesis, Rose and the Thorn, Seven Soldiers of Victory, art and commentary by CARY BURKETT, JOHN CALNAN, DICK GIORDANO, MIKE GRELL, ELLIOT S! MAGGIN, DAN SPIEGLE, cover by GRELL and JOE RUBINSTEIN.

“Bronze Age B-Teams”! Defenders issue-byissue overview, Champions, Guardians of the Galaxy, Inhumans, PETER DAVID’s X-Factor, Teen Titans West, Legion of Substitute Heroes, an all-star chatfest of Doom Patrol interviews, plus art and commentary by ROSS ANDRU, SAL BUSCEMA, KEITH GIFFEN, TONY ISABELLA, PAUL KUPPERBERG, ERIK LARSEN, GEORGE PÉREZ, BOB ROZAKIS, cover by KEVIN NOWLAN.

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“Bronze Age Team-Ups”! Marvel Team-Up and Two-in-One, Super-Villain Team-Up, CLAREMONT and SIMONSON’s X-Men/New Teen Titans, DC Comics Presents, SuperTeam Family, HANEY and APARO’s Batman of Earth-B(&B), Superman/Captain Marvel smackdowns, plus art and commentary by BUCKLER, ENGLEHART, GARCÍA-LÓPEZ, GIFFEN, LEVITZ, WEIN, and a classic GIL KANE cover inked anew by TERRY AUSTIN.

“Heroes Out of Time!” Batman: Gotham by Gaslight with MIGNOLA, WAID, and AUGUSTYN, Booster Gold with JURGENS, X-Men: Days of Future Past with CHRIS CLAREMONT, Bill & Ted with EVAN DORKIN, interview with P. CRAIG RUSSELL, “Pro2Pro” with Time Masters’ BOB WAYNE and LEWIS SHINER, Karate Kid, New Mutants: Asgardian Wars, and Kang. Mignola cover.

“1970s and ‘80s Legion of Super-Heroes!” LEVITZ interview, the Legion’s Honored Dead, the Cosmic Boy miniseries, a Time Trapper history, the New Adventures of Superboy, Legion fantasy cover gallery by JOHN WATSON, plus BATES, COCKRUM, CONWAY, COLON, GIFFEN, GRELL, JANES, KUPPERBERG, LaROCQUE, LIGHTLE, SCHAFFENBERGER, SHERMAN, STATON, SWAN, WAID, & more! COCKRUM cover!

TENTH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE! Revisit the 100th, 200th, 300th, 400th, and 500th issues of ‘70s and ‘80s favorites: Adventure, Amazing Spider-Man, Avengers, Batman, Brave & Bold, Casper, Detective, Flash, Green Lantern, Showcase, Superman, Thor, Wonder Woman, and more! With APARO, BARR, ENGLEHART, POLLARD, SEKOWSKY, SIMONSON, STATON, and WOLFMAN. DAN JURGENS and RAY McCARTHY cover.

“Incredible Hulk in the Bronze Age!” Looks into Hulk’s mind, his role as a team player, his TV show and cartoon, merchandising, Hulk newspaper strip, Teen Hulk, villain history of the Abomination, art and artifacts by SAL BUSCEMA, JOHN BYRNE, PETER DAVID, KENNETH JOHNSON, BILL MANTLO, AL MILGROM, EARL NOREM, ROGER STERN, HERB TRIMPE, LEN WEIN, new cover by TRIMPE and GERHARD!

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“Tryouts, One-Shots, & One-Hit Wonders”! Marvel Premiere, Marvel Spotlight, Marvel Feature, Strange Tales, Showcase, First Issue Special, New Talent Showcase, DC’s Dick Tracy tabloid, Sherlock Holmes, Marvel’s Generic Comic Books, Bat-Squad, Crusader, & Swashbuckler, with BRUNNER, CARDY, COLAN, FRADON, GRELL, PLOOG, TRIMPE, and an ARTHUR ADAMS “Clea” cover!

“Robots” issue! Cyborg, Metal Men, Robotman, Red Tornado, Mister Atom, the Vision, Jocasta, Shogun Warriors, and Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot, plus the legacy of Brainiac! Featuring the riveting work of DARROW, GERBER, INFANTINO, PAUL KUPPERBERG, MILLER, MOENCH, PEREZ, SIMONSON, STATON, THOMAS, WOLFMAN, and more, behind a Metal Men cover by MICHAEL ALLRED.

“Batman’s Partners!” MIKE W. BARR and ALAN DAVIS on their Detective Comics, Batman and the Outsiders, Nightwing flies solo, Man-Bat history, Commissioner Gordon, the last days of World’s Finest, Bat-Mite, the Batmobile, plus Dark Knight’s girl Robin! Featuring work by APARO, BUSIEK, DITKO, KRAFT, MILGROM, MILLER, PÉREZ, WOLFMAN, and more, with a cover by ALAN DAVIS and MARK FARMER.

“Bronze Age Fantastic Four!” The animated FF, the FF radio show of 1975, Human Torch goes solo, Galactus villain history, FF Mego figures… and the Impossible Man! Exploring work by RICH BUCKLER, JOHN BUSCEMA, JOHN BYRNE, GERRY CONWAY, STEVE ENGLEHART, GEORGE PÉREZ, KEITH POLLARD, ROY THOMAS, LEN WEIN, MARV WOLFMAN, and more! Cover by KEITH POLLARD and JOE RUBINSTEIN.

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Volume 1, Number 75 September 2014 Celebrating the Best Comics of the '70s, '80s, '90s, and Beyond!

Comics’ Bronze Age and Beyond!

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michael Eury PUBLISHER John Morrow DESIGNER Rich Fowlks COVER ARTIST Paul Chadwick COVER DESIGNER Michael Kronenberg PROOFREADER Rob Smentek Stacey Kitchen Alan Light Deni Loubert David Miller Dennis Miller Mike Richardson Trina Robbins Patrick Rosenkranz Mark Schultz David Scroggy Dave Sim Anthony Snyder

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BACK SEAT DRIVER: Editorial by Michael Eury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 FLASHBACK: The Life and Death of Cerebus the Aardvark. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 A close look at Dave Sim’s trailblazing, long-running series PRO2PRO: ElfQuest Behind the Scenes: A Chat with Richard and Wendy Pini . . . . . . . . 23 How the husband-and-wife team crafted a fantasy classic from the ground up BEYOND CAPES: There’s a Rattler in Your Kitchen Sink, Man . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 An overview of Death Rattle, with Baron, Ellison, Holmes, Kitchen, and Schultz OFF MY CHEST: Pacific Comics Memories by David Scroggy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 A guest editorial recalling Pacific’s growth from retail shop to publisher—and a look at Steve Ditko’s “Stickman”! FLASHBACK: Stone Skin, Human Heart: Paul Chadwick’s Concrete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 From the banner year of 1986 emerged this dark horse hit BEYOND CAPES: Katy, Trina, and the California Girls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Behind the scenes of Trina Robbins’ reader-participation comic BACKSTAGE PASS: 1980s Independents: From Print to Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 From Bucky O’Hare to The Tick, these indies made it to Hollywood BACK TALK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Reader reaction to our Hulk issue (#70) and more

BACK ISSUE™ is published 8 times a year by TwoMorrows Publishing, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614. Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief. John Morrow, Publisher. Editorial Office: BACK ISSUE, c/o Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief, 118 Edgewood Avenue NE, Concord, NC 28025. Email: euryman@gmail.com. Six-issue subscriptions: $67 Standard US, $85 Canada, $104 Surface International. Please send subscription orders and funds to TwoMorrows, NOT to the editorial office. Cover art by Paul Chadwick. Concrete TM & © Paul Chadwick. All Rights Reserved. All characters are © their respective companies. All material © their creators unless otherwise noted. All editorial matter © 2014 Michael Eury and TwoMorrows Publishing. BACK ISSUE is a TM of TwoMorrows Publishing. ISSN 1932-6904. Printed in China. FIRST PRINTING. 1980s Independents Issue •

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All covers and related characters TM & © their respective copyright holders.

SPECIAL THANKS Bud Alligood Chuck Alligood Brook Anthony Roger Ash Mike Baron Alex Boney Jerry Boyd Tim Brown Paul Chadwick Dark Horse Comics Steve Ditko Jo Duffy Harlan Ellison Jackie Estrada Stuart Fischer Gerhard Grand Comics Database Heritage Comics Auctions Rand Holmes Denis Kitchen

As your comics-history guru here in the BACK ISSUE bunker, I’m fortunate—abetted by some of the most knowledgeable writers to have ever spun a squeaky spinrack—to guide you through two of the industry’s most influential decades in each and every issue of this magazine. The 1970s were a time of expansion, trial and error, and maturation. In a battle for shelf space, major and minor publishers opened a floodgate of titles. Some of these comic books changed the tide of the medium, and others … well, they polluted the waters (but ain’t that always the case?). A new generation of talent emerged, challenging conventional storytelling and producing material unlike anything readers had previously seen. By the time the 1980s arrived, the comic shop was supplanting the newsstand or the Mom and Pop’s store as the primary outlet for comics. This afforded writers and artists the opportunity to build upon the experiments of the previous decade and produce material for specific demographics, no longer beholden to a shaky distribution system chained to the previous generation’s target audience of elementary-school boys. Comics were elevated into something more than simply “kid’s stuff.” Much of the best material from the 1980s emerged from the independents, those upstart publishers that set out not to challenge the market dominance of Marvel or DC Comics, but instead to nurture individuality over a house style, and to embrace creator ownership over work for hire. In this issue, we spotlight a handful of indie series from the Big ’80s, particularly a trio of projects that helped define the decade for many readers: Dave Sim’s long-running Cerebus the Aardvark, Wendy and Richard Pini’s fantasy saga ElfQuest, and Paul Chadwick’s celebrated Concrete. Plus, there are some other gems featured in the pages following, and we’re honored to count Harlan Ellison, Denis Kitchen, Mark Schultz, David Scroggy, and Trina Robbins among the many voices sharing their recollections in this important edition of BACK ISSUE. Before I’m taken to task for calendar impairment, an editorial note about this issue’s “’80s Independents” brand: Yes, I’m aware that a few of the comics covered here actually premiered in the late 1970s—and in some cases, extended into the 1990s or beyond—but their emergence as market forces really occurred in the 1980s, hence our issue’s theme. Let’s not argue over dates, but instead enjoy these looks back at trailblazers that forever imprinted the world of comics. And for those wanting the BI treatment of some of comics’ other ’80s Independents, you’ll find the following articles in back issues of this magazine: 2 • BACK ISSUE • 1980s Independents Issue

Michael Eury

• Airboy (BI #26) • Alien Worlds (BI #26) • American Flagg! (BI #41) • Comico history (BI #2) • Dark Horse history (BI #22) • David Chelsea in Love (BI #39) • Destroyer Duck (BI #12) • DNAgents (BI #7) • E-Man (BI #13, 18) • Elementals (BI #24) • Flaming Carrot (BI #39) • Flare (BI #17) • Gladstone Disney comics (BI #22) • Grendel (BI #2) • Grimjack (BI #9) • Groo the Wanderer (BI #11) • Gumby (Comico) (BI #16) • Hellboy (BI #21) • Indiana Jones (Dark Horse) (BI #55) • James Bond (Dark Horse) (BI #26) • Jonny Quest (BI #59) • Jon Sable, Freelance (BI #10) • Milton Knight interview (BI #16) • MARS (BI #14) • Maze Agency (BI #2) • Miracle Squad (BI #47) • Miracleman (BI #28, 34, 46) • Michael Moorcock interview (BI #53) • Mr. T (BI #26) • Ms. Tree (BI #26) • Nexus (BI #9) • Planet of the Apes (BI #14, 49) • Reid Fleming, World’s Toughest Milkman (BI #39) • Rocketeer (BI #30, 47) • Space Ghost (Comico) (BI #2, 59) • Star Wars (Dark Horse) (BI #55) • Stig’s Inferno (BI #21) • Arthur Suydam interview (BI #11) • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (BI #22) • Vietnam Journal (BI #37) • Zot! (BI #22)

The Life and Death of

Roger Ash

A 24-Year Saga The beginning and end of Dave Sim’s Cerebus the Aardvark, comics’ longestrunning independent title: issue #1 (Dec. 1977–Jan. 1978), signed by its creator, and (inset) #300 (Mar. 2004). Cerebus TM & © Dave Sim.

Dave Sim, his girlfriend Deni Loubert, and Deni’s brother and sister, wanted them to look and exactly what I wanted in terms of content.” Michael and Karen, set out to make a fanzine called Cerberus. They (Worlds of Westfield, Nov. 1995) decide to publish their fanzine under the Aardvark-Vanaheim banner, The early issues of Cerebus are parodies of the sword-and-sorcery combining the suggestions of Aardvark Press and Vanaheim Press. Sim genre, with the Roy Thomas/Barry Windsor-Smith issues of Marvel’s drew an aardvark mascot and designed the logo, but the fanzine never Conan the Barbarian as a major influence. The early issues also included made it to print. After noticing that Deni misspelled Cerberus essays called “The Aardvarkian Age” by Michael Loubert, as Cerebus, Sim decided that was the name of the aardvark. which looked at the world of Cerebus. The first issue features “It was a small step from this point to penciling a many of the tropes one expects to see in sword-andpage of Cerebus bouncing merrily atop a horse (yay) sorcery stories: the barbarian thief, the bar fight, the and sending it to Mike Friedrich as a new feature betrayal by your partners, and the epic battle with a for Quack [a funny-animal anthology], which he mystical foe. However, seeing these things carried was quick to refuse (boo),” wrote Sim in the out by an aardvark is quite ridiculous. introduction of Swords of Cerebus vol. 1. There were a few things introduced in the first This was the setup that led to the publication issue that would stay around for the rest of the of Cerebus #1 (Dec. 1977–Jan. 1978). I asked Sim as series, the most obvious being Cerebus speaking in part of a self-publishing roundtable in 1995 why he the third person. Second is the term “earth-pig,” decided to self-publish Cerebus. “Largely because I which is used interchangeably with “aardvark.” was in that category of third-, fourth-, or fifth-string (Earth-pig is the meaning of the Afrikaans word freelancer with a lot of the (as we called them at from which we get aardvark.) Finally, while Cerebus dave sim the time) ‘ground level’ comics: Star*Reach being is the protagonist of the book, that does not mean the foremost ‘ground level’ publisher. And it did he’s the hero. He can be just as amoral as those he occur to me that perhaps I should make an effort to put something fights against. His motivations usually stem from what’s best for him. down on my own and see what kind of success I could have with I’m going to be discussing story elements in Cerebus, so if you that. The very worst that would happen is that I would end up with plan to read it and don’t want to know what happens, go read it first some more published samples of my work exactly the way that I and come back. I’ll wait. 1980s Independents Issue •

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FAMILIAR FACES (SORT OF)

The Eye of Turim and the Duck of Gerber (left) Page 14 of Cerebus #2 (Feb. 1978). (right) Sim’s aardvark meets Marvel’s Howard the Duck in this 1981 fanzine illustration. Courtesy of Anthony Snyder (www.anthonyscomicbookart.com). Cerebus TM & © Dave Sim. Howard the Duck TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

Issue #3 (Apr.–May 1978) introduces the first of the major supporting characters in Cerebus, Red Sophia, a parody of Thomas and Windsor-Smith’s Red Sonja. Sophia’s father is the sorcerer Henrot, who looks like artist Frank Thorne, who is considered by many fans to be the seminal Red Sonja artist. In fact, Henrot is an anagram of Thorne. The fourth issue (June–July 1978) introduces one of the most popular characters in the series, Elrod of Melvinbone, a parody of Michael Moorcock’s Elric of Melnibone. While Elrod looks like Elric, he has the personality of Warner Bros.’ loudmouthed rooster, Foghorn Leghorn. Elrod’s self-important and blustery personality always seems to land him and Cerebus in a fix. These issues marked the first two times Sim used characters that were based on other characters, something that would continue through the run of the book. “Characters who are based on other characters in Cerebus tend to be the easiest to write,” Sim wrote in the introduction to #4 in Swords of Cerebus vol. 1. “Once you catch the rhythm of their speech, you’re halfway home to the kind of interaction that sells comic books.”

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While Sim was working on Cerebus, Loubert was working in the office. “As the business side of the company, I handled everything that wasn’t actually involved with creatively producing the titles,” she recalls. “In the beginning, it was simply helping Dave get the book to the printers, shipping the books to our initial distributors Phil Seuling and Bud Plant, and paying the bills. As time progressed, that got more complicated. It involved developing a marketing plan; negotiating with distributors; talking to foreign-language publishers and any other secondary markets that approached us about Cerebus; planning for trade shows, conventions, and signings; or anything else that needed to be done. If it was going to take Dave away from the creative work of writing and drawing Cerebus, then it was my job to take care of it. It also meant that sometimes Dave came to me with an idea for something he wanted to do, and I had to figure out how we would do it.” The fifth issue (Aug.–Sept. 1978) continues to round out Cerebus’ universe with the introduction of the Picts. When a scouting party discovers Cerebus, they are amazed and insist on taking him to their leader, Bran Mac Muffin, which is a nod to Robert E. Howard’s Bran Mac Morn. Cerebus soon learns why the Picts were surprised when they found him when he sees a statue of their coming god-king—an aardvark. The following issue introduces a character who would become the most popular supporting character in the series, as well as a potential love interest for Cerebus: Jaka. A pair of thieves believes Cerebus has information they require. They take him to a bar, drug him, and attempt to get the information from him when the drug takes effect. Unfortunately for them, Cerebus instead falls under the spell of the dancer at the bar, Jaka. Eventually the drug wears off, and Cerebus has no memory of Jaka or their evening together. Aside from fleshing out Cerebus’ world, Sim had been making another change in the book: the look of Cerebus himself. In the first issue, Cerebus looked a bit

gangly with a very long snout. He was wearing a horned helmet and medallions. As the series progressed, Cerebus’ snout became much shorter and his body became stockier. While the medallions remained, the helmet disappeared after issue #3. He gained his signature vest in issue #4. There was a big change in issue #7: “This issue is my first radical departure from my intention to be a major Barry Smith sequel—the cross-hatching on the splash page,” wrote Sim in the introduction to #7 in Swords of Cerebus vol. 2. “I was trying to find a Barry Smithstyle texture that would allow me to render the webbing in two different shades. I broke down and did tight-weave cross-hatching even though Smith never used it. “Suddenly I was free.” In this issue, which features a cover by Frank Thorne, Cerebus is on his way to the Temple of the Black Sun to find a treasure when he runs into Elrod. The cult of the Black Sun is very dangerous, so keeping Elrod quiet so they don’t get noticed is important, but a fool’s errand. Important to Cerebus’ future is that the nameless god of the Black Sun is an aardvark. “I resolved to stay away from the ‘Cerebus as Messiah’ stories when I was done with this one. It is an aspect of Cerebus’ future, but it by no means influences his present actions to any large degree. Issues #5 and 7 were intended as complimentary stories.” When Sim wrote that in Swords of Cerebus vol. 2, I don’t think anyone aside from Sim realized just how major a part of Cerebus’ future that would eventually become. Cerebus #8 (Feb.–Mar. 1979) is another story that is important in the future. Cerebus is used by a group of Conniptin conspirators to wrest power from their foppish leader and CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT have Cerebus put in his place. While Issue #10 (June–July 1979) features the plan succeeds, Cerebus isn’t the return of Red Sophia. She finds pleased to be in charge of a group Cerebus wandering in the snow after he thinks are morons. Their ideals parting from the Conniptins and sound more cheerleader-ish than ropes him into helping her and a menacing: “Might makes right! couple of others steal a powerful deni loubert Might for right! Might for might! mystical artifact, the Black Blossom Right for Might! Fight, fight, fight!” Lotus. Cerebus plays against both While it is common today for fans to have all kinds sides against each other and ends up with the Black of access to creators through social media, web pages, Blossom Lotus for himself. and blogs, that wasn’t always the case as the Internet There was an important development for Sim in this is a fairly recent invention. That said, both Dave and issue. “This was also the first issue where I consciously Deni maintained a very open presence with the readers built tension between a number of characters by in each issue through Deni’s “Note from the Publisher,” molding four individual points of view at complete odds and later, Dave’s “Note from the President,” as well as with all others,” he wrote in the introduction to the story in the very lively letters column, “Aardvark Comment.” in Swords of Cerebus vol. 3. “Very little actually happens Why this openness with the fans? in the story, but I was beginning to lose my compulsion “For me, I think it is just in my nature to be open to change locales and situations simply for the sake with people, and that includes things like publishing,” of variety. Instead I was beginning to emphasize the says Loubert. “The whole idea was because I always personalities involved. The relationships between the found the editorials in magazines to be an interesting characters became the priority and the framework.” insight into the world of publishing and wanted to do The next two issues introduced a character that the same. I tend to view them today as early blogs, was to become another major player in Cerebus, and he since they have much the same function as a blog was partly inspired by Sim meeting artist Marshall would today for a publishing business. Somehow there Rogers at a comic convention in Toronto. Rogers is was always something happening that we felt we fondly remembered for his work on Batman, especially wanted to share with our fans.” his work with writer Steve Englehart in Detective Comics.

Aardvarkian Vigilance From the Heritage Comics Auctions (www.ha.com) archives, an undated Dave Sim Cerebus illustration in graphite, ink, and fine-line marker on paper. (inset) Cover to Cerebus #6 (June–July 1978). Cerebus TM & © Dave Sim.

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Back in Print Dave Sim’s original art to the wraparound cover of the first Swords of Cerebus edition, courtesy of Heritage. When compared to the printed version (inset), you’ll note that Dave made several changes to his art. Cerebus TM & © Dave Sim.

Rogers’ view of the Batman/Bruce Wayne relationship he presented to Sim at the convention intrigued him. “Simply put, he sees the Batman as a sicko—off the deep end,” wrote Sim in Swords of Cerebus vol. 3. “This otherwise normal millionaire who every night starts to slowly metamorphose into this deeply disturbed Figure of the Night.” Sim wrote later in the introduction, “I started wondering, ‘What if Bruce Wayne is a nutbar, too? What if he didn’t remember being the Batman?” And thus was born the Cockroach, or more commonly, the Roach. Or as Cerebus likes to call him, Bug. In the story, Cerebus sells the Black Blossom Lotus to a wealthy businessman. Cerebus discovers that when the businessman goes to bed, he doesn’t sleep but becomes the avenging Cockroach! He has a huge stash of gold from his nightly exploits, but the businessman has no idea it’s there as he has no memory of being the Cockroach. Cerebus uses this information and concocts a scheme to get his hands on the gold. Once Elrod gets added to the mix, things become disastrous. By the end of the story, Cerebus has lost more gold than he can count—and his sword. A couple of things happened between these two issues. First, Sim moved his studio out of his home and into an office. Second, he had a nervous breakdown. “It was the culmination of many different threads in my life coming together at once,” wrote Sim in Swords of Cerebus vol. 3. “Personal stuff, professional stuff, problems, ambitions, accomplishments, and failures.” Later in the introduction he wrote, “It was a warning that I am only human and it was an indication to me of just how fragile humans can be. I’ve learned to accept only as much pressure as I can comfortably handle, and to keep my own feelings as the primary focus for my decision-making.”

A LOFTY GOAL It was also around this time that Sim announced that Cerebus would run 300 issues. That’s quite a promise to make this early in a run of any comic, let alone one that was self-published. Issue #13 (Dec. 1979–Jan. 1980) has Cerebus encountering the mad wizard Necross, who has built a large stone-being named Thrunk, who kinda looks like the Thing but much, much larger. When Necross is killed by a mob led by a local priest, his soul ends up inhabiting Thrunk. Things changed quite a bit at Aardvark-Vanaheim between Cerebus issues #13 and 14. First, Sim contacted The Buyer’s Guide for Comic Fandom (later The Comic Buyer’s Guide) about running a 6 • BACK ISSUE • 1980s Independents Issue

Cerebus strip. Secondly, Sim decided to move the book from its bimonthly schedule to monthly. “I waxed enthusiastic to Deni about my idea and, of course, she was not crazy about it. She reminded me that less than a year before I had had a nervous breakdown, ostensibly, from overwork,” wrote Sim in Swords of Cerebus vol. 4. “The real decision came when we were looking at what it would take for me to quit my job working at a local print shop and become a publisher fulltime, “recalls Loubert. “Dave did little advertising gigs on the side and I had a fulltime job that supported us. We did the numbers, decided that if we went to monthly we could do it. It was a big step.” The strip Sim did for TBG ran 11 installments and was a parody of Hal Foster’s Prince Valiant. It introduced Silverspoon, the pompous and spoiled son of the leader of the city of Palnu, a powerful city in Escataron. While Silverspoon did not become a major character, his father, Lord Julius, did. Lord Julius is based on Groucho Marx, Julius being Groucho’s real name, and has the same penchant for wordplay. This ability for keeping people off balance, being intentionally noncommittal, and speaking a lot but not really saying anything makes Lord Julius a perfect focal point for Sim’s look at politics in the next three issues. In the “Palnu Trilogy” (Mar.–May 1980), for helping save his son, Lord Julius makes Cerebus his Kitchen Staff Supervisor. While this may not sound like an important position, in Lord Julius’ government, it is. Job titles have very little to do with what the job entails. As Lord Julius says, “When you’re running a bureaucracy, the best way to safeguard your job is to make sure you’re the only one who knows how the whole thing works…” Cerebus’ job is to make sure that no one assassinates Lord Julius. This is an important job as there is a conspiracy against him. Aside from being an exciting tale, these three issues are also incredibly funny as Sim has Groucho’s speech patterns and mannerisms down quite well. We learn at the end of the story that Jaka is Lord Julius’ niece. Something that should be mentioned is Sim’s use of dialogue. As he gets more comfortable with the recurring characters, they take on a vocal pattern of their own. Cerebus, Lord Julius, Elrod, Bran Mac Muffin, Red Sophia, and all the others each have a unique voice. Sim also uses dialect well when appropriate to the character. This can add to the humor and, at times, it makes the reader slow down to get the full effect of the dialogue. The characters are really the driving force in the book.

BEING “NORMAL” An important thing to remember is that Cerebus was self-published and there was not the big machinery of a Marvel or DC behind it. So, what was a “normal” day like at the Aardvark-Vanaheim offices? “To tell you the truth it is hard to remember, so many years later,” says Loubert. “I went to the office several hours earlier than Dave went to his studio. I answered the mail (this is before computers or emails) and was generally on the phone all day long. I could be dealing with everything from a truck of comics that got lost in a snowstorm (actually happened) to talking with a distributor to plan signing tours. “I took the books down to the printers personally every month and went over the pages. If it was summer, then we were often gone to a convention and ran the office with my assistant Karen staying to keep things rolling and stay in touch via the phone. “I also took care of the books, the accounting, so there was always that side of the business to watch.” In the book, Cerebus leaves Palnu and there is a shift in mood for the next three issues. Cerebus encounters a band of T’Gitans whose leader, Gudre, talks a lot like Sgt. Schultz from Hogan’s Heroes. They are planning on attacking Palnu and after hearing their strategy, Cerebus decides to join them. Issue #19 (Aug. 1980) features the return of the sorcerer Henrot, though he’s now going by the name Hortne. He has created a woman named Geet-a who resembles Sophia and is a parody of Thorne’s then-current work, Ghita, another warrior woman. At the end of the issue, Cerebus is drugged and falls into a coma. Issue #20 (Sept. 1980) takes place on another plane of reality. While on this other plane, Cerebus is involved in two conversations. One is with a Cirinist named Wenda. A Cirinist is a follower of Cirin and they are militant matriarchs. The other conversation is with Suenteus Po, the founder of Illusionism. Cerebus himself is a Taramite, a worshiper of Tarim. Artwise, the layout for the issue is very nontraditional, and if you put all the pages together into one piece of art, you would discover a giant Cerebus in the background. In addition to the comic itself, Cerebus merchandise was produced that ranged from buttons to portfolios to Diamondback decks (Diamondback was Cerebus’ favorite card game) to The First Fifth prints to a stuffed Cerebus doll made by Dave and Deni’s friend, Sally. There was a Cerebus Fan Club for a while, as well. “It started from an idea Dave and I had for a short story and kinda grew from there,” says Loubert. “Like a lot of stuff that happened at A-V, Dave and I jumped in without thinking about what it would take to make it happen. We announced a newsletter with a Cerebus short story and offered subscriptions. Fred Patton took over for a while, but then when he had trouble keeping it going we looked at having someone else take it on. In the end it came back to A-V because it is a lot of work and gets complicated if you want to keep Dave connected to the newsletter.”

In issue #21 (Oct. 1980), Cerebus awakens in the Northern city of Beduin and finds adventures, and annoyance, at the return of the Roach and Elrod as Captain Cockroach and Bunky (Captain America and Bucky). They are selling war bonds to help beat the Hsiffies, a derogatory term for the Hsifan Khanate. Their strings are being pulled by President Weisshaupt of the United Feldwar States. Weisshaupt is making a power play and ropes Cerebus into the proceedings. By the end of the story, Cerebus manages to escape and leaves the other three to their fate. Issues #23–25 (Dec. 1980–Mar. 1981) are a turning point, as they are the last in the barbarian phase of Cerebus. Cerebus stumbles upon a small school for girls run by Madame DuFort. He learns that DuFort is actually Professor Charles X. Claremont in drag (a reference to Professor Xavier of the X-Men and their then-current writer, Chris Claremont). Claremont is using three students to help create an apocalypse beast, the Woman-Thing! Claremont embarks on his quest for vengeance with Cerebus and Woman-Thing in tow. They encounter an artist and a being named Filbert. Filbert turns out to be an apocalypse beast as well, Lord Roth-Sump’s Sump Thing! When the two beasts meet, they engage in what appears to be battle, but it is actually amorous in nature and Claremont is crushed between them. As Cerebus progressed, it became more popular and demand for back issues rose. Early issues were in such high demand that counterfeit copies of #1 hit the back-issue market in 1982 despite the creation of Swords of Cerebus, a series of six trade paperbacks collecting the first 25 issues. It was after this that the more commonly known Cerebus “phonebook” collections began. Cerebus would also be reprinted in single issues for a short time as Cerebus Bi-Weekly, Cerebus High Society, and Cerebus Church & State, which went to issue #30 before that experiment ended. Each Swords volume included introductions to the stories by Sim as well as new and rare material. Collaborators on the new material included Marshall Rogers, Joe Rubinstein, Gene Day, and Gerhard. Rarities included the “Demonhorn” story from Nucleus #1, an unpublished story, and the Silverspoon strips. Volume Four featured covers and a story by Barry Windsor-Smith. All of these stories were eventually collected in the Cerebus World Tour Book 1995, which also included a new collaboration between Sim and Chester Brown. There were other collaborations to come in Cerebus Jam, which featured work by Bill Sienkiewicz, Scott and Bo Hampton, Murphy Anderson, Terry Austin, and a Spirit and Cerebus story by Sim and Will Eisner. Collections were not as prominent in the early ’80s as

Cerebus Collectibles Early Cerebus merchandise: Diamondback cards and buttons, from 1978. Courtesy of Roger Ash. Cerebus TM & © Dave Sim.

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Dark Night, Bright Light (left) Cockroach and Cerebus in Sim’s 1979 tribute to Jack Burnley’s iconic Batman #9 cover (inset). Courtesy of Heritage. (right) A star-spangled salute in Cerebus #21 (Oct. 1980). Cerebus TM & © Dave Sim. Batman TM & © DC Comics.

they are now, so why did they decide to publish the Swords volumes? “I guess we mostly decided that people needed a way to get into the story,” recalls Loubert. “The early issues had become collector’s items, and that made it hard for people to get their hands on them. The push and pull between the collector’s market and the reader’s market is always a source of friction for comic-book publishers. “The format of doing the little introductions where Dave talked about how the stories evolved was stolen from Harlan Ellison, who was a big hero for both of us,” Loubert continues. “We both loved his little introductions to his short stories that told his readers a bit about how the story came about.”

HIGH SOCIETY The story arc High Society marks a real change in Cerebus. Up to this point, storylines in Cerebus topped out at three or four issues. “High Society” ran 26 issues and started the extended storylines that would be the norm up till issue #300. Also, beginning in issue #34, backup stories were added for a time. Under the heading of “Unique Stories,” these backups included “Welcome to Heaven Dr. Franklin” by William Messner-Loebs, Bob Burden’s Flaming Carrot, and Valentino’s normalman, among others. How did these backups come about?

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“I think they came from Dave and I meeting Bill Loebs (before his hyphenated name of Messner-Loebs) at a party,” says Loubert. “We had been talking about adding a story at the end of Cerebus, something to do with our print run and the number of pages we could use. So why not offer those extra pages to other artists?” Eventually, many of these backups expanded to monthly comics published by Aardvark-Vanaheim. There was an A-V in 3D comic touting the line that included a short Cerebus story. Later, when Sim and Loubert divorced, Cerebus stayed at A-V and Loubert continued to publish the other titles as Renegade Press. At this point, the now-extended stories are best discussed as they appear in the phonebook collections. High Society from Cerebus #26–50 (May 1981–May 1983) begins with Cerebus at the Regency, the swankiest hotel in Iest and, much to his surprise, he’s welcomed with open arms. He learns the reason is the fact that he’s Lord Julius’ Kitchen Staff Supervisor and people see Cerebus as a way to get in Lord Julius’ good graces. This is start of a very funny look at politics and comics that has remained a favorite storyline among fans. The Roach also returns as Moon Roach (a parody of Moon Knight), fighting against financial inequality by dropping crescent moon-shaped boulders on those he feels deserve it. His strings are being pulled this time by his “girlfriend,” Astoria. Astoria is a major player in Cerebus, and manipulates Cerebus to her own ends, but she also brings him great power and wealth. On top of all this, she is the founder of Kelvinism, which is analogous to feminism. High Society introduces a number of other new characters including Dirty Fleagle and Dirty Drew. Imagine if Yosemite Sam had a brother, and you have a good starting point for understanding these characters. There’s also the Regency Elf, a pixie-like elf

who inhabits Cerebus’ room in the Regency and is a fun companion— but don’t make her angry. We also meet Duke Leonardi, who is based on Chico Marx, so you can bet there are some fun exchanges between him and Lord Julius. In the story itself, Astoria helps Cerebus rise to a point where he can run for Prime Minister. Lord Julius has issues with the way things are going, so he makes Elrod the new ranking representative for Palnu in Iest. At the same time, Cerebus is surprised by the return of Bran Mac Muffin, now looking much more dapper. He wants to be around Cerebus to see his destiny fulfilled. The reintroduction of Elrod into the story, and Cerebus’ attempt to keep his campaign going, plays out at Petuniacon. The event is preceded by a moving return of Jaka. Things don’t go well, but she brings Cerebus a surprise—his sword. Petuniacon is a fun parody of comic conventions. The hoi polloi who attend get really excited when Elrod starts doing free drawings of bunnies. Cerebus counters with his drawings of trees. While Cerebus loses his ranking, the campaign continues on. Lord Julius counters by running a goat against him. Cerebus wins, barely, but things are not well. There is internal strife and news comes in of the approaching Hsiffie army. As more cities fall, the situation gets grimmer until the army is at the gates. Cerebus goes to meet them and discovers they are the Compitians. He does their cheer, and they go away. But things are a mess, and Cerebus has had enough and walks away from the whole exasperating situation. The next storyline is the massive Church & State, but there was something prior to that. There are four issues of Cerebus that are not collected in the phonebook trades. They are collected in Cerebus Number Zero. Cerebus #51 (June 1983) is the very funny story of Cerebus leaving Iest in the hold of a ship and being stuck there with Lord Julius, Elrod, Duke Leonardi, Moon Roach, and Lord Rodney, who is based on Rodney Dangerfield.

“I DON’T KNOW. LET’S GIVE IT A TRY”

There were a couple important things that happened at A-V during the course of Church & State. One has already been mentioned: Sim and Loubert were divorced. The second was the arrival of background artist Gerhard. How did he come to work with Sim? “We met because Dave was married to the sister of a friend’s wife … and I brought him dots,” says Gerhard. “Dave’s wife at the time was the sister of a friend of mine, Karen, who is married to Bob, a friend since high school (and appears as the ‘Boobah’ character in Church & State). So there’s that connection. I had met Dave and Deni at a few of the ‘Woolner’ parties I used to host at my home in the back woods of Kitchener. “Also, I worked at the Artstore of Waterloo, making deliveries, and Dave was on my regular route. I would deliver art supplies including Letratone—the dots which give Cerebus his grey color,” reveals Gerhard. “I was aware that he was doing a comic book and I had read a couple of issues. He was aware that I was doing pen and ink illustrations, mostly landscapes, with a watercolor wash. I had framed a bunch of those to display and sell in shows and they were hanging up at Camp Woolner. “Dave saw the illustrations and told me that the editor at Epic Illustrated, Archie Goodwin, had asked Dave if he would be interested in doing some colored Cerebus stories [for Epic]. Dave wasn’t very big on color, so he wanted to know—if he drew the characters and word balloons, would I be able to fill in backgrounds then color the whole thing? With my usual level of self-confidence, I said, ‘I don’t know. Let’s give it a try.’ We did a few and they went over pretty well. “This led to Dave asking me if I’d do the backgrounds on the monthly book, and with my usual level of self-confidence I said, ‘I don’t know. Let’s give it a try.’” As Gerhard mentioned, there were a series of stories that ran in Marvel’s Epic Illustrated magazine. The first was issue #16’s “Arnold the Isshurian,” a two-page Little Nemo parody that starred Arnold, who briefly appeared in Cerebus and seems inspired by Arnold Schwarzenegger’s portrayal of Conan. The jo duffy next story, “His First Fifth” [Epic #26], is the first story that Gerhard worked on and features young Cerebus and tells the story of his first encounter with alcohol. The story is told completely in pantomime, with the few word balloons there are containing pictures instead of words. So, how did Sim come to do these stories for Epic? “I had not known Dave that long, but I admired the dickens out of him because his work was so darn good and he is just such a funny, charming, personable, dry guy, and always has been right from the start,” recalls Epic managing editor Jo Duffy. “I had been up at a conference in Ottawa. Dave was there and I think he may have handed me a complimentary copy of Cerebus. I went over the moon about it and wanted to write about it in the ‘Bookview’ column. I was the book critic for Epic, and frankly, writing about books was all well and good, but what I really loved to do was if I discovered a fellow creator who Marvel Comics fans might not be familiar with

Livin’ Large Pen-and-ink drawing of the duded-up Cerebus by Sim. Courtesy of Heritage. (inset) High Society began in issue #26 (May 1981). Cerebus TM & © Dave Sim.

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Bitter Homes and Gardens Gerhard’s handiwork, as seen in images kindly contributed by the artist: (top) a drawing of Jaka’s living room, and (center) a 3D architectural illustration that was transformed into (bottom) this Cerebus sketch. This is the room seen in The Last Day. Art © Gerhard. Cerebus TM & © Dave Sim.

yet but who I thought they would enjoy, I would do columns about them. “I may be speaking out of turn, but I think there was a cash flow issue with Aardvark-Vanaheim because somebody who owed them money was late paying,” Duffy continues. “I had turned Archie on to Cerebus, and when he overheard me talking about this with Dave, he said, ‘Hey! If a few bucks in his pocket would equal a few pages in our magazine, take that deal to him.’ And that was how it came about.” Dave Sim tells BACK ISSUE, “Actually that was because of the split with Deni where part of the deal was that I took on the $16,000 worth of debt from The Animated Cerebus Portfolio and I needed to pay it off. There was the Epic stories, The First Fifth, color and black and white. All in addition to keeping the monthly book on schedule.” There were four “Young Cerebus” stories in all, plus a portfolio feature showing the ages of Cerebus, including one with an Asian theme that was never followed up on in Cerebus itself. [Editor’s note: Cerebus appeared in Epic Illustrated #16, 26, 28, 30, and 32.]

THE SIM/GERHARD COLLABORATION How did Sim and Gerhard work together? “Dave would start with a blank page (the most difficult step of all) and lay out the lettering, sound gerhard effects, panels, and characters. When he was finished inking everything, he would hang the page by a clip from a nail on ‘The Wall.’ There were two rows of ten nails for the interior story pages and one nail for the cover. These 21 spaces would have to be filled every month. “From ‘The Wall,’ I would take the page down, place it on my drawing board, then sit and stare at it … usually long enough to get Dave wondering, ‘What the hell is he doing?!!? Doesn’t he know we’re on a monthly schedule here??!’ “Before I would pick up a pencil I would carefully consider, for each panel, where Dave had positioned the characters, what the ‘camera angle’ was, what you would see behind the characters from that angle, where the horizon line would be, the direction of the light source, how to get either solid black or solid white behind Cerebus since he was gray, and, most importantly, how to get that all done by lunch time. “Occasionally, Dave would draw a horizontal line to represent the edge of a table or he would write the word ‘window’ in pencil where a window should be,” Gerhard adds. “He had mentioned in an early interview that the backgrounds were completely up to me and that if I wanted to draw the interior of a submarine then that’s what I could do. He would occasionally give me suggestions or show me some reference material if he had a specific idea. Plus, I would refer back to the earlier issues to try to keep some continuity to the backgrounds. The story was always 100% Dave’s and I had no real input into that. Unless a story point directly influenced the backgrounds, I found out what was going to happen one page at a time just like everybody else.” What was a normal day for Gerhard? “I tried to keep it to a regular job: go to the post office, pick up the mail; get in around 9:00, give Dave

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The Sorcerer’s Apprentice Dave Sim produced a series of color portfolio plates in 1982 titled The Animated Cerebus, in conjunction with a proposed but unrealized Cerebus full-length cartoon. Shown here is one of a sequence called “Add One Mummified Bat.” Courtesy of Heritage. Cerebus TM & © Dave Sim.

his mail and go through the rest; see that the office assistant had her work for the day, or, after she quit, do it myself; take my page down and stare at it; get as much drawing done as possible before lunch (we used to go out for lunch and have a couple beers, but then we got too old for that); finish drawing the page; take the next page down, stare at that; get as much done as possible before going home for supper; go home, eat, have a couple drinks, and fall asleep in front of the TV … just like most people. Dave lived, breathed, ate, and slept Cerebus. He was always working. “I don’t think there ever was a ‘normal’ day,” Gerhard confesses. “Each page would have its own unique challenges and requirements and because we were also running the publishing company, every day—depending on what had to be dealt with on the business end— was a whole new ball game. There was very little conversation while we were drawing. It was pretty much just the two of us hunched over our drawing boards trying to do 20 pages a month to the best of our ability. Every once in a while, as we were drawing, I’d say something like, ‘I guess we’d better notify Diamond today about a returns policy on those damaged books. If you draft something up, I’ll send it out this afternoon.’ And Dave would say, ‘I guess there’s no use in discussing things if you’re just going to read my mind.’” What was a normal day for Dave Sim? “Before Gerhard, I have memories of meeting Deni and Karen and Dan Graham for breakfast at Chaggares and that this happened probably more often than was wise,” Sim says. “I also remember opening the mail next to Karen’s desk and then going down from the sixth floor to the fifth floor to

my studio. Before Karen—she started in early 1983—I don’t really remember office/studio stuff, just the studio. For what seemed like a long time, Deni actually hauled all the books to the post office in big mailbags, until we were making enough to actually have the shipping done for us. Very un-chivalrous of me, letting my wife haul all those books. I was conflicted about it but, as Deni recalls, the deal was anything that wasn’t writing or drawing was her job. I couldn’t do that now. Chivalry wins out every time. “After Gerhard arrived, I would say the thing that stands out in my mind is the going out for lunch every day and, as he says, having a couple beers and very often a liqueur with our coffee. Sometimes a good two hours, depending on whether it was a favorite—i.e., prettiest—waitress of mine. Ten-minute walk over and back, that’s a good chunk out of the day. Since I fast pretty much from sunrise to sunset these days, I sometimes wonder if that break actually helps, in a way that’s counterintuitive.”

CHURCH & STATE Church & State ran from issue #52–111 (July 1983–June 1988). Sim wrote in the introduction to vol. 1, “In much the same way that High Society reflected my genuine affection for the realities of political campaigning, elections, and government, Church & State reflects a genuine affection for and interest in the effect of power on belief and vice versa.” After leaving Iest, Cerebus is attempting to write his memoirs when he meets the Countess and her “uncle,” the Roach, as well as Marvel’s lawyers. In this incarnation, he is the Wolveroach and he was

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In the Mighty Marvel Manner Four Bronze Age Marvel stars and the Cerebus characters they inspired: Red Sonja, as seen in a 1976 poster by Frank Thorne, and Red Sophia, from Cerebus #3 (Apr. 1978); Moorcock’s Elric, guesting on the Barry WindsorSmith cover of Conan #15 (May 1972), and Sim’s Elrod, on Cerebus #4 (June 1978); Bill Sienkiewicz’s cover of Moon Knight #1 (Nov. 1980), and Moon Roach, in Cerebus #31 (Oct. 1981); and Frank Miller’s iconic cover of the miniseries Wolverine #1 (Sept. 1982), and Wolveroach, seen on Dave Sim’s 2005 recreation of his Cerebus #54 cover. Art courtesy of Heritage Comics Auctions (www.ha.com). Cerebus and related characters TM & © Dave Sim. Red Sonja © Red Sonja LLC. Elric © Michael Moorcock. Conan © Conan Properties LLC. Moon Knight and Wolverine © Marvel Characters, Inc.

featured on three covers that were parodies of the covers to the Chris Claremont/Frank Miller Wolverine miniseries. Marvel Comics’ lawyers were not happy about this and Sim was sent a ceaseand-desist letter, and the Wolveroach was no more. Before he went away, Cerebus learned that the spirit of Charles X. Claremont is now residing in the Roach’s body. After leaving the Countess, Cerebus falls into the clutches of Weisshaupt. Cerebus is drugged and awakens in bed with Red Sophia and learns that they are married and he will be hanged if he tries to leave. His mother-in-law, Mrs. Henrot-Gutch, is the battle axe of all battle axes, and is a very funny foil. This marriage is the first part of Weisshaupt’s plan to make Cerebus prime minister again. The next few issues feature an assortment of shorter stories that paint a picture of life in Iest, including Cerebus’ home life, his life as prime minister, Weishaupt’s goals and arsenal (he has a number of massive cannons), and struggles within the church, as well as Weisshaupt’s struggle with the church. After a pontiff is executed, Bishop Powers demands Weisshaupt name a new pontiff, but he refuses. To add fuel to their struggles, Powers takes it upon himself to nominate Cerebus for the position. This backfires as Cerebus is tired of being taken advantage of and sets up shop on his own with his family and his old military comrades, Bear and Boobah. As Most Holy, Cerebus tells the people that unless they give him all their gold, Tarim will destroy the world. There’s also a tower of misshapen heads that seems to be growing. Cerebus’ reign as Most Holy contains one of the most memorable moments in the series. While on the front steps, a crowd throngs around Cerebus and a lady keeps trying to get him to bless her bawling child. Finally relenting, he takes the child, blesses him, and then flings him away into the crowd. “The valuable lesson,” he says, “is that you can get what you want and still not be very happy…” Weisshaupt doesn’t take all this lying down, and he turns his arsenal on Cerebus and demands the gold. However, Weisshaupt’s heart gives out on him before much damage is done. Jaka also enters into this vast storyline. Cerebus is ready to give up everything and run off with her, but she refuses as she is married and pregnant. A dying Weishaupt sends for Cerebus and drops a real bombshell—there are two other aardvarks and Cerebus is the chosen one. Even though Weisshaupt doesn’t tell him who they are, it is soon revealed that they are Suenteus Po, the founder of Illusionism, and Cirin, the founder of Cirinism. Things take a turn for the worse when Necross in the body of Thrunk (remember them from issue #13?) arrives, proclaiming himself Terim on Earth and wanting Cerebus’ gold for himself. He grabs Cerebus and gets rid of him by dropping him into the lower city. In the lower city, Cerebus encounters all sorts of old “friends” including the Sacred Wars Roach, a parody of the black-suited Spider-Man from Marvel’s Secret Wars; his soldiers Fleagle and Drew, who are also both in spider outfits; the Countess, who is looking after all three of them; and Elrod, who arrives in a spider costume as well. We’re also introduced to Princes Mick and Keef, who are parodies of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. The tower is still growing and Cerebus learns of the

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Final Ascension and the incarnation of Tarim on Earth, though there are arguments over who that is. Weisshaupt knew a lot about what was going on as he left a posthumous message for Cerebus on how to beat Necross, which he does. Cerebus also learns that he needs a gold sphere to make it to the top of the tower which will take him to Vanaheim/Heaven/What Have You at the Final Ascension to meet Tarim, who will tell him how things should be on Earth and then send him back as his messenger. Cerebus isn’t sure he wants that, but better he than someone else. Things get even more complicated when Astoria is brought to trial before Cerebus for killing the Western Pontiff. Before the trial, Cerebus interrogates Astoria alone. During part of their discussion, she gets Cerebus all hot and bothered, but as a good Taramite, he cannot have sex with her unless they are married. So, as pope, he declares himself divorced from Red Sophia and married to Astoria and has his way with her. Their discussion also centers around male/female relationships even to the god level with Tarim, the male god, and Terim, the female god. Bishop Powers wants Astoria sentenced to death, but Cerebus is not prepared to go that far and says Powers can have her killed. That presents a problem, as the law states that if someone kills the Western Pontiff, they become the Western Pontiff. Since Astoria killed him, she is the pontiff and if Powers has her killed, he will be the pontiff. However, if Cerebus does it, he will unite the church as both the Eastern and Western Pontiff. Then something strange happens. Cerebus sees himself as a human female and Astoria as a male aardvark (Suenteus Po). This has all happened before, and it always ends the same. Except this time. Cerebus finds a golden sphere left for him by Weisshaupt and jumps through the window and onto the tower of heads, which detaches itself and heads into the sky. It’s also helpful to know that whenever you read the phrase “something fell” in Cerebus, be prepared for something major to occur. Cerebus’ trip to the top of the tower is a strange one, involving Bob Burden’s Flaming Carrot and his rival on the ascension, a mash-up of Woman-Thing, Sump Thing, and the artist who watched them

crush Claremont between them. Cerebus is sly and manages to prevail, but he does not end up in Heaven, but on the moon. He does not meet Tarim, but a man known as the Judge. In his talk with the Judge on the moon, Cerebus learns how all things came to be (Tarim created the universe, including Terim), how the world will end, and some important bits that happen in between the two extremes. It is the Judge who famously tells Cerebus that, “You die. Alone. Unmourned. And unloved.” Before sending Cerebus back to Earth, the Judge informs him that in the time Cerebus has been away, his deadline for the end of the world passed and most of his followers have deserted him. Also, the Cirinists have taken over by force and all of his gold is gone. Cerebus returns to a world much changed. There is a special double issue #112–113 (July–Aug. 1988) that is not collected in the Church & State vol. 2 phonebook, but is reprinted in Cerebus Number Zero, that features Cerebus walking around and taking in his new reality. When Cerebus was at its highest popularity, Sim was at the center of a highly visible group of self-publishers including Jeff Smith (Bone), Colleen Doran (A Distant Soil), James Owen (Starchild), and Martin Wagner (Hepcats). They would often appear together at retailer conferences put on by distributors such as Capital City and Diamond, and produced a few jam prints for these shows. Sim was outspoken in his promotion of self-publishing and no editorial interference.

JAKA’S STORY The next storyline, Jaka’s Story, ran from issue #114–136 (Sept. 1988– July 1990) and tells both of Jaka’s current life and of her life growing up. The story of Jaka’s past is told through pages of text usually accompanied by a single illustration. The story features her relationship with her nurse and her constant companion, her doll, Missy. Later, we come to learn that these pages were written by a new character, Oscar, who is based on Oscar Wilde. The story is a “Read,” which is the equivalent of a comic in Cerebus’ world. Jaka’s early life was not an easy one, and the story shows why she decided to run away and become a dancer. The story of Jaka’s childhood was told to Oscar by her husband, Rick. About Rick, Sim wrote in the introduction to the book, “I am

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not Rick. I have little else to say about the character except that he is the nearest I will ever come to the portrayal of a good and thoroughly decent human being; completely without guile or malice.” Cerebus runs into Jaka by chance at a market/bar owned by Pud Withers. Pud has hired Jaka as a dancer even though he has no clientele yet and dancing is illegal under Cirinist law. Pud may seem like a nice man, but he has ulterior motives—and what he intends to do to Jaka is not nice at all. As Cerebus has no place to stay, Jaka invites him to live with her and Rick. She’s also aware that the Cirinists are looking for Cerebus and fears what would happen if they found him. When Cerebus asks Jaka what happened to her child, she tells him she had a miscarriage. Rick still longs to have a son someday. A normal day involves Rick and Cerebus hanging out with Oscar, and Jaka working at home during the day and at Pud’s at night. Since this story has such a limited setting, how much pre-planning did Gerhard do for the environments? “If I knew that we were going to be in one location for an extended time, I would create floor plans to use as a reference and in some cases build physical models out of foam-core and cardboard,” Gerhard says. “Later in the series I also used an early 3D home-architect program. I would design the room. Within the program there were a few elements that I could edit and manipulate, so I made a bunch of floor lamps to represent the characters. I would have a three-foot-high floor lamp for Cerebus and a five-foot-four floor lamp for Jaka and place those in the room where Dave had placed the characters. “This would help me gauge relative size of the characters to their surroundings, and I could place the ‘camera’ at the correct height and distance to replicate what you’d see behind the characters. This replaced the ‘sitting and staring time.’” Something interesting happens in this story, as Cerebus is not in the book for roughly a third of the saga. Cerebus leaves to find some paint and the story continues on without him. A huge party is planned where Oscar and Rick will go to the bar to see Jaka perform. Cirinists burst in. Pud is killed, Jaka and Rick are taken away for questioning, and Oscar is sentenced to two years hard labor for writing without the proper authorization; he has no artistic license. Jaka is interrogated by Mrs. Thatcher, a take on British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. After signing a statement that she did wrong, Jaka is reunited with Rick and they are told they can leave together if they want. That’s when Mrs. Thatcher reveals that when she was pregnant, Jaka took an herb that is used for birth control. However, taking it during pregnancy causes abortions, and that is what happened to their son. Rick flips out and strikes Jaka, as such behavior is against the law, which earns him a broken thumb, and the two go their separate ways. Cerebus returns with the paint to find everyone gone.

Cerebus and Friends (top) Gerhard and the building model used in issue #139’s (Oct. 1990) art. (bottom) A Sim Cerebus/Arn Saba Neil the Horse/Joshua Quagmire jam cover. Cerebus © Dave Sim. Neil the Horse © Arn Saba. Cutey Bunny © Joshua Quagmire. Amazing Heroes © Fantagraphics.

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MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS, AND MORE This leads to the last story that isn’t collected in the phonebooks but that you’ll find in Cerebus Number Zero from Cerebus #137–138 (Aug.–Sept. 1990), “Like A Looks.” The basis of the story comes from the idea that throughout history, there have been rumors that certain leaders have had doubles that attend public functions in case someone tries to kill them. So why not Lord Julius? If you think a story filled with Lord Julius clones who all think they’re the real thing is all kinds of fun, you’d be right. Melmoth, from issues #139–150 (Oct. 1990–Sept. 1991), is another take on Wilde, this time dealing with his death. Looking at the Afterword, you can see how much research Sim put into this story. On the Cerebus front, the aardvark spends most of his days at a table outside a café, holding the doll Missy and staring blankly into space. This story also sees the return of Mick and Keef as well as the Roach, who is now normalroach, a parody of Jim Valentino’s normalman. At the end of the story, Cerebus hears two Cirinists talking about Jaka. She is alive and one of them hurt her. Both the Cirinists are quickly dead as Cerebus has snapped back to reality and is pissed. However, Cirinists seem to know whatever happens to each other, and soon others arrive. The next big storyline is Mothers and Daughters, which begins with Flight in issues #151–162 (Oct. 1991– Sept. 1992). The story picks up with Cerebus on a rampage against the Cirinists. He rallies the people to his side, but they don’t fare so well. The Roach gets in on the action, too, as Punisheroach, a parody of the Punisher. And then, suddenly, Cerebus disappears. As the machinations between Cirin, Astoria, and others play out, Cerebus has traveled to another realm where he finally “meets” Suenteus Po, or at least a projection of him. They play a game of chess while Po explains the relevance of many things that have happened and shows Cerebus the results of

some of his actions. When Po wins, he sends Cerebus back to Earth. This leads into the next part of Mothers and Daughters, Women, from issues #163–174 (Oct. 1992– Sept. 1993). The story moves along briskly as Punisheroach morphs into his new identity of Swoon, a parody of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman, with Elrod as his “sister,” Snuff (Death). Cerebus has moved into a bar, as they are off limits to women, and he’ll be safe there. Cerebus also demonstrates an odd ability. When he’s asleep/passed out, he causes the tower of heads (there’s another ascension coming) to grow a spire. He makes it snap off and when it falls, it crushes a good portion of the Regency. In addition to all of this, Astoria is preparing for a meeting with Cirin. In the end, she is joined by Cerebus and Suenteus Po, and they go to meet Cirin together. Reads, the next volume in Mothers and Daughters, ran from issues #175–186 (Oct. 1993–Sept. 1994) and is probably the most famous—or infamous, depending on your point of view—section of the story. “Reads is a 1980s Independents Issue •

Aardvark of Bronze (left) An innovative mixed-media cover by Sim and Gerhard for Cerebus #173 (Aug. 1993). (right) A 1994 team Cerebus collaboration turning our hero into Doc Savage. Courtesy of Heritage. Cerebus TM & © Dave Sim. Doc Savage TM & © Condé Nast.

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mixture of autobiography,” wrote Sim in the introduction to the book, “a meditation on the traditional role of a creator in a capitalistic society, the nature of creativity itself, a re-examination of the conclusions reached at the end of Church & State, and a big fight. Although each of these parts is separate, they spill over into one another. Each of the parts represents the other parts allegorically.” The first of the three stories is that of Victor Reid. This is done in the Reads format with text and illustrations. Victor Reid is a writer of Reads. His tale revolves around his desire to tell his own story, but in the end, that story is abandoned for fame, fortune, and a wife and family. Along the way, there are pointed parodies of retailer conferences, comic companies, and editors. The second story is what’s happening with Cerebus. All four of the main characters meet in Cirin’s throne room. Po tells them why he lives the simple life he does and tells some important truths to the other three about themselves. Then he departs to live his life. Astoria decides the simple life that Po described is what she wants and goes to find it for herself. Before she leaves, she reveals that Cerebus is a hermaphrodite, though he can’t give birth due to an injury he suffered when he was a child. That leaves Cerebus and Cirin alone, ready to tear each other to bits, which they proceed to do, with Cerebus losing part of his ear in the process. We also learn that two of the characters in the series, one of them a major one, don’t actually exist, but were created by Cerebus. During the fight, the “camera” pulls back, revealing a man at a drawing board. This leads into the story of Victor Davis. Davis’ story is told entirely through text and is a rumination on creativity, with Davis often speaking directly to the reader. His observations reach their climax in issues #186 with his examination of the Female Void and the Male Light. This essay on female and male relations, emotions vs. reason, and how they impact society angered a number of people, most famously Bone creator Jeff Smith, and caused many to label Sim a misogynist, a charge he flatly denies. However, this was hardly the first time these ideas had been presented in Cerebus. In Church & State, Cerebus’ interrogation of Astoria prior to her trial and the Judge’s story of Tarim and Terim present similar thoughts. But what of Cerebus and Cirin? Their battle continues as the throne room falls away, leaving them standing next to the throne as they rocket into the sky. This leads us into the final chapter of Mothers and Daughters, Minds, from issues #187–200 (Oct. 1994– Nov. 1995). The platform Cerebus and Cirin are standing on eventually breaks apart, sending them in different directions. Alone, Cerebus meets his maker. Well, it’s actually just a voice in his head. And it isn’t Tarim … it’s Dave. Dave explains a lot to Cerebus that he never knew before, including the history of Cirin, though she believes it all to be lies. Dave also tells Cerebus that his relationship with Jaka will never work out. Cerebus is convinced that Dave could make her love him, so Dave tells two stories of what could happen, neither ending well. The second one involves Cerebus having an affair with his neighbor Joanne, which causes Jaka to commit suicide. This leads Dave to have Cerebus attack himself for being an idiot and taking no responsibility for himself. Eventually, Cerebus repents and asks to be sent back to Earth, where he finds himself at a bar.

Cheers! Courtesy of Heritage, Dave and Gerhard’s original art for the cover of Amazing Heroes #201. (inset) A sloshed aardvark, on the cover of Cerebus #201 (Dec. 1995). Cerebus TM & © Dave Sim.

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Guys, from Cerebus #201–219 (Dec. 1995–June 1997), takes place in said bar. Bars have become places where men basically drink their lives away. As morbid as that is, there’s’ a lot of humor in this story. It features numerous parodies of characters from self-published comics including takes on Martin Humble (basically Marty Feldman) from Starchild by James Owen; Eddie Campbell’s Bacchus and Alec; Rick Veitch’s version of himself from Roarin’ Rick’s Rare Bit Fiends; Hilly Rose by B. C. Boyer; Genital Ben from Marc Hempel’s Tug & Buster; and Don Simpson and his comic, Bizarre Heroes. The bar is jointly run by Harrison Starkey and Richard George (Beatles fans should get the references), and old friends Bear, Boobah, Mick, and Keef are also along for the ride. Mrs. Thatcher appears occasionally to make sure that things in the bar are running smoothly. Most of the story is about the relationships between the men in the bar, which are both fun and sad and, based on my experience, very real. When Bear’s ex, Zig, appears, all the others decide to leave because she is highly unpleasant and Bear decides to leave with her, leaving Cerebus alone. He decides to take over the bar. Things really get weird when Joanne, the woman from the vision produced by Dave, appears. They have a brief fling, but Cerebus kicks her out after a dream he has shows her taking over. This dream proves to be oddly prophetic. Alone again, a strange man enters the bar. It turns out to be Rick, Jaka’s former husband.

RICK’S STORY

GOING HOME … AND PHOTO COVERS (?)

Rick’s Story, from issues #220–231(July 1997–June 1998), fills us in on what’s happened to Rick since the end of Jaka’s Story. Rick is not the same person he once was. He is unstable, and religious overtones work their way into his life. But how much is real and how much is imagined? His Book of Rick will become a major aspect of the religious world of Cerebus for the rest of the series, as is his revelation that the real name of Tarim is God. Cerebus plans to leave and go back to where he grew up—Sand Hills Creek. With Rick there, the time he plans to leave keeps getting pushed back. Joanne appears again and Rick falls for her. This does not sit well with Cerebus, and it does not end well as both end up leaving, separately, and Cerebus is once again alone. Unexpectedly, Dave reappears, though Cerebus doesn’t realize who it is until after he leaves. Cerebus vents about how he wants to leave, but can’t. This leads to a fun sight gag of Gerhard’s drawing tools, page numbers, and the bar’s floor plan and Dave saying, “You might be surprised at who you’re driving crazy. Staying in one place this long, I mean.” How accurate is this joke? “It was very true,” says Gerhard. “That’s why Dave put it in the story. We’d been in that boring little bar for something like 29 issues … that’s almost 2 years? It was a very small location. The bar was austere. There was nothing fun in there, so it wasn’t a whole lot of fun to draw. Plus, I had drawn it from every conceivable angle. “Although, on that page with the gag about being there for so long, I did get to throw in an ‘interior of a submarine’ background for one panel.” When Dave leaves, he leaves behind a package which contains the doll, Missy. This heralds the return of Jaka. Cerebus and Jaka decide to head to Sand Hills Creek to spend the rest of their life together.

The next storyline is Going Home. It runs from #232–265 (July 1998–Apr. 2001) and consists of three books, Sudden Moves, Fall and the River, and Form and Void. It is collected into two of the phonebooks. There was a change in the look of Cerebus at this point as it switched to photo covers. “The photo covers were done partly as a timesaving stratagem so that I wouldn’t have to draw and color a cover every month,” says Gerhard. “Some covers could take me a week to complete by the time I had penciled and inked and colored it. That would leave me only three weeks to do the 20 pages for rest of the issue. “It was also done because that part of the storyline involved Jaka and Cerebus travelling through the countryside. We even considered putting a yellow border around the cover to make it look more like a National Geographic cover. “The vast majority of the photos were from my collection of 6,000 or so slides that I had taken over the years,” Gerhard says. “There were a couple I had taken specifically for the covers, but for the most part they were my photos that ranged everywhere from my backyard to photos from across North America, the Caribbean, and the UK. “After Going Home, Dave took over the cover duties and continued using photos. It truly was a timesaver; you could get a year’s worth of covers done in week instead of just one [cover].” Dave Sim laments, “My only regret was the loss of the F. Scott Fitzgerald cover—#240. Exactly 120 issues after the Oscar Wilde cover, it would have made a great ‘bookend.’ But Gerhard was adamant: No more drawn and painted covers.” 1980s Independents Issue •

Rick’s Story (left) Yes, that’s Dave talking with Cerebus in this page from Rick’s Story. (right) A 1993 holiday jam cover from The Westfield Newsletter scanned from the original art. Featuring Cerebus by Dave Sim, Fone Bone (from Bone) by Jeff Smith, Mr. Spook (from Tales from the Beanworld) by Larry Marder, and Erica (from Hepcats) by Martin Wagner. Both courtesy of Roger Ash. Cerebus © Dave Sim. Bone © Jeff Smith. Beanworld © Larry Marder. Hepcats © Martin Wagner.

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Bosom Buddies (right) From the collection of Tim Brown, a Dave Sim-signed 1996 hockey print. (below) Even male aardvarks hate to ask directions! Original Sim/Gerhard art to page 15 of Cerebus #234 (Sept. 1998), Going Home Part 3, featuring Jaka. Cerebus TM & © Dave Sim.

The Going Home collection includes issues #232–250 (July 1998–Jan. 2000) and the stories Sudden Moves and Fall and the River. While things initially go well for Cerebus and Jaka, it is soon apparent that Cerebus’ plan to live out their lives in his home village isn’t really what Jaka wants. Also, their disparity in rank—Jaka literally being a princess— is shown quite blatantly. Their journey north is taking longer than expected, and with winter coming, they decide to go south and head north when the weather is better. “Fall and the River” finds Jaka and Cerebus on a boat trip, and one of their fellow passengers is F. Stop Kennedy, a take on F. Scott Fitzgerald. The story of Kennedy is mainly focused on Cerebus’ infatuation with Jaka and a fictionalization of Fitzgerald’s real-life relationship with Zelda. Sim follows up this chapter with “Chasing Scott,” a heavily annotated look at his work on this story. There are other passengers on the boat as well—Cirinists who are keeping a very close watch on Cerebus and Jaka. Form and Void concludes Going Home and contains issues #251–265 (Feb. 2000–Apr. 2001). Cerebus and Jaka are again heading to Sand Hills Creek, this time with guides Ham Ernestway and his wife, Mary, takes on Ernest Hemingway and his wife Mary. It is clear in Sim’s annotations of this book, “To Ham and Ham Not,” that he is not a fan of Hemingway’s writing. However, to Cerebus, Ernestway is the epitome of manhood and he is thrilled to meet his hero. As they travel north, a large part of the story is taken up by Mary telling of the time she went on safari to Africa with Ham, which is based upon a real event. It becomes apparent through the story that this was not a place where she fit in well, although she believed she did. Things turn bad when Ham—like the real Hemingway—commits suicide. Shocked, Cerebus and Jaka continue on their way, but their relationship is strained at best. They finally reach Sand Hills Creek, and Cerebus finds his home closed to him. When he gets a neighbor to talk with him, he learns that his parents have died and if he hadn’t gone south with his “hussy,” he would have gotten home in time to say goodbye. Cerebus is inconsolable and tells Jaka to leave. A Cirinist coach is waiting nearby to take Jaka away. 18 • BACK ISSUE • 1980s Independents Issue

DAVE SIM GETS RELIGION Sim read and studied the Bible and the Koran and went from being a secular humanist to a man of faith. Religion became, over time, a very major element in Cerebus, even more so than in Church & State. Nowhere was that more apparent than in the final two books, Latter Days and The Last Day. Latter Days collects Cerebus #266–288 (May 2001– Mar. 2003) and begins with the story of what befell Cerebus in the first few years after his break with Jaka. It’s obvious that this story is being told to someone, though we do not know who that someone is. Cerebus is eventually found by Three Wise Fellows, Moshie, Loshie, and Koshie, fun parodies of the Three Stooges, Moe, Larry, and Curly. They are devout followers of Rick and, thinking Cerebus to be the same being mentioned by Rick, they take him back to the sanctuary they are building, which is based on Rick’s description of the sanctuary (the bar from Guys and Rick’s Story), though much more opulent and church-like. There, Cerebus is bound and gagged and read to from the Book of Rick. After a long questioning process, they release Cerebus and take him as their leader, and he develops war plans to defeat the Cirinists. During this time, Cerebus also becomes infatuated with a Read called Rabbi, a cross between Garth Ennis’ Preacher and the original Superman. The Three Wise Fellows are distressed that another follower is doing more than Cerebus orders, though he is effective. So the three of them and Cerebus go to meet Todd “Far Lane” McSpahn, a take on Todd McFarlane. Sim had previously written Spawn #10 for McFarlane. Cerebus’ meeting with McSpahn leads to creating the Book of Cerebus, which becomes a major religious book, and Cerebus’ last scam, becoming Spore, a demon a la Spawn. There is even a call back to the baby tossing from Church & State. Spore leads a slow and deadly advance against the Cirinists and his followers become known as Spore’s Spores. He also institutes a yearly judging of women. If a majority of men believe them to be women or angels, they are fine. If they are judged to be devil, viper, or scorpion, they will be killed. “As I said in my response to an open letter in the Comics Journal,” wrote Sim in the notes on this volume, “I was as serious as advocating this as a piece of social engineering as Jonathan Swift was in advocating cannibalism as the solution of a food shortage [a reference to Swift’s A Modest Proposal]. But there are several ‘kernels of truth’ within the exaggeration to make a point. The first, that men have to stop being afraid of women and (particularly) being afraid of women’s disapproval.” McSpahn eventually drops out of sight, and once his power is secured, Spore disappears and Cerebus returns. Cerebus’ world seems to be at peace, but there are still dangers lurking. The second half of Latter Days begins with the arrival of Konigsberg, a take on Woody Allen (Konigsberg being Allen’s original last name), with the Torah. Cerebus begins a lengthy examination of the Torah played out against the life of Koingsberg. The irony of using Allen was not lost on Sim, both of whom were often told “I like your earlier, funnier stuff better,” a running gag from Allen’s film Stardust Memories. “In a lot of ways, I was mirroring what most people would see as career suicide,” wrote Sim in the notes on Latter Days. “A guy with a successful career in making wacky comedies suddenly goes serious on everyone and decides he’s going to become an auteur.”

At the end of the book, we finally learn who Cerebus is telling the story to: a young reporter who bears a striking resemblance to Jaka. They end up having sex and, like most of Cerebus’ relationships, this would not lead to anything good. This volume, like the two previous and the one following, features extensive notes by Sim, which are quite interesting and explain some of the references that may not be apparent to all readers and reveals Sim’s thoughts on the stories.

THE LAST DAY In The Last Day, we reach the end of Cerebus’ story from issues #289–300 (Apr. 2003–Mar. 2004), and it does, in fact, take place over one day. The story begins with Cerebus having a dream that tells how things came to be, which is an interesting mix of religion and science. When he awakens, he is determined to write it down. It’s now that we realize a lot of time has passed since the last book and Cerebus is really old. He is confined to his room as it is too dangerous for him to go outside. The Sanctuary is now encased in a military or prison-like enclosure against the reality of the world which is based around the teachings of “the New Joanne,” the woman he had sex with at the end of the last story. And this is not a pretty future. Cerebus knows he will die soon and desires only to see his son, Shep-Shep, again. They had a major falling out years ago and Cerebus hasn’t seen him since. Cerebus 1980s Independents Issue •

AARP-vark An aged Earth-Pig recalls his glory days on this Gerharddrawn page from Cerebus #272 (Nov. 2001), Part 7 of Latter Days. Courtesy of Heritage. Cerebus TM & © Dave Sim.

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Cerebus the Adventurer Sim, with Gerhard, returned to his barbarian-spoofing roots in 2006 for this take-off of Frank Frazetta’s legendary cover art to Conan the Adventurer (below). The aardvark, Jaka, and Red Sophia are joined by a pile of DC and Marvel characters who have seen better days. Courtesy of Heritage. Cerebus TM & © Dave Sim.

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Sailing Away (above) Roger Ash, Dave Sim, and Colleen Doran at a Capital City Distribution trade show, circa 1993. Courtesy of Roger Ash. (left) A 1984 Church and State-era specialty illo by Dave and Gerhard. Courtesy of Heritage. Cerebus TM & © Dave Sim.

eventually is able to see Shep-Shep, though like he told the woman back in Church & State, you can get what you want and still not be happy. Shep-Shep was actually a name of affection and his real name is Sheshep Ankh. He is very creepy. He informs Cerebus that Cirin is still alive and being tortured for her secrets, one of which involves being able to splice genes, and they have used that technology to create a lion/human hybrid with Sheshep. Once it is perfected, they will bring back the Egyptian Empire. Cerebus tries to stop Sheshep and leaps to the attack like in the old days, but forgets how old he is and plunges to the floor. When he lands, his neck snaps. His spirit rises from his body and sees a light filled with people he has known through the years and he goes to join them. When he realizes that Rick isn’t among them, he panics, but it’s too late. He is gone.

CEREBUS IN SUMMATION Cerebus stands as an important story in comics history. Cerebus was a self-published, 300-issue, almost 6000-page story that was the brainchild of a single creator. That is an accomplishment and singularity of vision that I highly doubt will ever be reached again. And yes, it did change along the way, but who is the same now as they were 24 years ago? Plus there is the fact that Sim brought a level of attention to self-publishing that was unknown up to that point. This article only scratches the surface of the story. It is still a part of many lives today. There was a successful Kickstarter campaign for an audio/visual version of High Society. Loubert will be taking part in that. “A friend told me about the Kickstarter project and I checked it out,” says Loubert. “When I threw in a few bucks they contacted me and asked if I was willing to read my editorials for the High Society book they were doing. So that is really all I am doing but it was fun to read them and remember those crazy days.” “Kickstarter worked and it didn’t work,” states Sim. “It brought in $63,000 but most of that went in postage. There is nothing more expensive than mailing individual packages. What money there was paid for my time signing the books and doing the sketches and commissioned pieces and after they were done … I had to figure out a way to make money again. No way to run a railroad. “While I was still doing all the Kickstarter stuff, there was a huge fire at Sandeep Atwal’s place which destroyed all 500 High

Society negatives which he was converting to digital,” Sim reveals. “He got out with the clothes on his back and his wallet. It seemed an omen to steer clear of Internet-based stuff. Just write and draw and think of physical things to sell. I’m pre-Internet and there doesn’t seem to be any good reason to pretend otherwise. There are things I have to do on the Internet so I go to a local coffee shop and do them. After the Kickstarter nightmare of spending literally months in the coffee shop just making sure everyone got everything they were supposed to, I keep my Wi-Fi Internet stuff to about an hour a month, sometimes less.” In 2013, Gerhard released a series of prints based on Cerebus, some with Sim and some on his own. “I wanted to try to make something available that was accessible to collectors and fans,” Gerhard says. “I was also interested to see what some of these scenes from Cerebus would look like in color. Check out www.gerhardart.com to see what’s available.” “It’s definitely not much fun being the Lone Cerebus Custodian,” says Sim. “It becomes less fun as I get older. It gets in the way of writing and drawing The Strange Death of Alex Raymond. All it seems to have done is to generate a fierce hatred of me and my work in the comic-book field. I co-created it, though, so I think it’s my duty to preserve it to whatever extent that’s possible for however long that’s possible. If things go according to plan, my life insurance—if I can make it to age 86—will be used to preserve the house and contents as they were when I died. There are still a small handful of people out there who will be interested in that. It’s very tough to arrange, though. How do you preserve something so that it doesn’t get devoured by hate? On a barebones basis, it can be sustained for maybe 100 years. If that isn’t long enough to outlive the hate, then I guess the haters can just have a big bonfire out in the street when the money runs out.” My thanks to Dave Sim, Deni Loubert, Gerhard, and Jo Duffy for agreeing to be interviewed for this article. Thanks also to KC Carlson and Brook Anthony. ROGER ASH lives in Cross Plains, Wisconsin, where he works for Westfield Comics. He spends an inordinate amount of time at the local comedy club.

1980s Independents Issue •

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In the following interview, you will be privy to a rare glimpse of how the ElfQuest series was developed and expanded over a 36-year period. You will learn who the creators are, how the series was born, and what the connection is between ElfQuest and Warp Graphics. For those readers who are not familiar with the series, I’ll include a brief summary below, taken directly from the www.ElfQuest.com authorized website: “ElfQuest is the longest-running independent fantasy series, with more than 15 million comics, graphic novels, and other publications in print. The story of Cutter, chief of the Wolfriders, and his quest to find others of their own kind on the World of Two Moons, ElfQuest was first published in 1978 by creators Wendy and Richard Pini. The Wolfriders number only 17 at the outset, but come to know hundreds of other elves, trolls, and humans as the quest unfolds. The latest cycle, The Final Quest, is being published by Dark Horse Comics.” – Shaun Clancy by

Shaun Clancy conducted via email.

SHAUN CLANCY: Can we start off the questioning with Warp Graphics itself? I’d like to know when it was formed; who were the partners in it? What was the relationship between Warp Graphics and Apple Comics? Who came up with the name Warp Graphics? I also recall a comic book in the 1980s called Warp, which had Rich Buckler stories and art … was that ever a problem? RICHARD PINI: I’ll start off and take the questions about Warp Graphics. Warp Graphics the company was formed in 1977, once we realized that we were getting serious about trying to publish the embryonic ElfQuest comic series. We figured we were going to become involved in all sorts of business relationships not only with other people but with other companies (and especially the IRS). So since I’d often heard it said that incorporating a business is smarter than doing things as individuals, that’s the direction we decided to go. In the beginning it was just Wendy and I, as the sole officers of the corporation, and that’s how that aspect of it has stayed ever since—even though over the years we grew as a publishing company to the point where we had half-a-dozen fulltime employees and worked with over two-dozen freelancers. The name was my idea. By now, everyone knows (or should) that it’s an acronym made from “Wendy and Richard Pini.” It had (and has) a science-fiction-y, kind of edgy sound to it. I thought it was one of the most clever ideas I’d ever had—even though later I realized that my so-called wit would cause our listings to be way at the back of the various distributors’ catalogs! In that regard, Dave Sim was far more sly, naming his company “Aardvark-Vanaheim.” WENDY: The name “Warp” as a co-credit did get used once, a few years before the birth of our company. In the early to mid-1970s, I was providing cover paintings and interior illustrations for well-known science-fiction magazines such as Galaxy and Worlds of If. For one cover, that appeared in 1974, I needed some airbrushed smoke and clouds, and

“Fantasy’s Newest Sensation” From the collection of Richard and Wendy Pini, cover art to the con booklet for the 1979 Comic Art Convention in New York City. ElfQuest TM & © Warp Graphics, Inc.

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Galaxy Quest Early examples of Wendy’s art: (left) The cover of the digest-sized sci-fi magazine Galaxy, for the July 1974 edition. (right) An alternate cover design, drawn 12" x 17" with mixedmedia on paper. Courtesy of Heritage Comics Auctions (www.ha.com). Galaxy © 1974 World Editions. Art © Wendy Pini.

since Richard was playing with the airbrush where he worked at the time, he chipped in and added his artistic two cents. I insisted we split the credit, so that unique painting is signed “WaRP.” RICHARD: In 1984, after we’d completed the 20-issue “Original Quest,” which took the ElfQuest characters to the conclusion of their first big adventure, Wendy needed to take a couple of years off to have hip-reconstruction surgery. And I found myself in the role of publisher without anything to publish. So I began seeking other non-ElfQuest titles to take up the slack. We always knew there would be more ElfQuest coming as soon as Wendy was ready to get back in the saddle, but in the meantime, I didn’t want our company’s momentum to flag. By this time, we’d already brought on additional staffers to help with the day-to-day running of the business side of things—Joellyn Kopecky (nee Dorkin) was our administrative assistant, and Michael Catron headed up production. By 1986, Wendy was ready to start on the next ElfQuest arc, subtitled “Siege at Blue Mountain.” By then, though, she and I were starting to feel the stress of trying both to be creative and to run the business. Mike, who had come to us from a long stint at Fantagraphics, suggested that we and he form a

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partnership between Warp Graphics, to provide the art and story, and his nascent publishing company Apple Comics, which would take care of the actual publishing (dealing with printers, distributors, billing, freelancers, etc.). It did take a load off Wendy’s and my shoulders, by putting a firewall between us and everything that was draining our creative energies. On the other hand, there were some people whose work we published who, for whatever reasons, didn’t get along with the new arrangement, so that added its own stresses. We kept the Warp/Apple partnership in place for as long as it served, maybe half-a-dozen years, and then let it go. Right now, Warp Graphics is back to the basics of how it began, Wendy and Richard Pini. The Warp Comics thing, that was a comic-book series published by First Comics, based on a science-fiction play that [was art directed] by Neal Adams. We had a brief relationship with First (because of Wendy’s work on the two Beauty and the Beast graphic novels that she wrote and painted, which First published) in the late 1980s. I remember one time Rick Obadiah, the head guy there, joking with us that they were worried about us (Warp Graphics) suing them (for publishing the title “Warp”) because we were clearly around much earlier than the play or the associated comic. And even though I thought it mildly odd that some other comic-book entity should be using our company name, I knew even then that there were really no grounds—or reasons— to get upset or bring any kind of action, because a comic-book title and a company name are two very different things in the eyes of the trademark office. Besides, Warp the comic is long gone, and we’re still here. SHAUN: Cerebus beat ElfQuest to the stands by a few months. Did you know at the time of publishing ElfQuest that Cerebus was also going to be independently published? Were you in communication with Dave Sim or know of his plans? Did it ever occur to you to try and join forces in publishing? RICHARD: When we started this project in the spring/ summer of 1977, we had no idea anyone else was doing anything like this. Well, that’s not strictly speaking

Neighborhood Watch Another glimpse of the artist’s emerging talent, produced in 1974 for Worlds of If magazine. (inset) Wendy’s cover art, for Worlds of If vol. 22 #7. Worlds of If © 1974 UPD Publishing Corporation. Art © Wendy Pini.

true—we knew that Bud Plant was publishing Jack Katz’s First Kingdom, and had been since about 1974. And Mike Friedrich was doing his anthology comic Star*Reach at the same time. And, of course, we knew about the undergrounds from the 1960s. But Bud was already known as a comics distributor to the fledgling direct market, so in our minds he was already “connected” in the comics business. And Mike had worked for the comics, and we assumed he knew a lot of people … so he, too, was connected. We had no thought that anyone else was pursuing what we felt was a small-time Mom & Pop operation the way we were. We knew about science-fiction and comics fandom and fanzines, because Wendy was a member of a number of APAs (Amateur Publishing Associations)… WENDY: I had been a member of one called K-a (which stood, oddly, for Capa-Alpha—the K was the Greek letter I guess that sounded like the first name). Richard was totally new to fandom at that point, but he caught the bug and joined himself for a while. RICHARD: Yeah, that was a strange little interlude. But we were looking somehow to break into “real” comics publishing with ElfQuest. So no, we didn’t know about Dave Sim at all. In fact, our first awareness of Cerebus didn’t come until about a year into that title’s run. I remember seeing copies of the comic in some head shop (you have to keep in mind that in the early days of the direct market, head shops were a significant point of sales) and picking up the first several issues out of curiosity. A little later, we came to hear from friends who knew both us and Sim that because ElfQuest hit the stands so close after Cerebus, and so outsold it, that he felt we’d stolen his thunder—when in reality, we never knew he and Cerebus existed. It was purely independent (pun intended) parallel evolution. But even if we had known about Dave Sim and Cerebus, we don’t think it would ever have occurred to see about joining forces. We didn’t think of ourselves as any kind of pioneers in those days, though we’ve learned since that Dave did so consider himself, wanting from the start to demonstrate that a single individual could “take on” the big guys and produce a monthly comic book solo. We simply wanted to tell a story and get it out there to be seen and, hopefully, enjoyed. And to that end, we simply set out to reinvent the wheel over and over, on our own. We’ve never been good at joining others’ efforts or causes. One of the many things we had to learn in those beginning days was how to get the comics from the printing press into the hands of

the reader. We’d found someone local (a web newspaper printer) who could produce the books for us, but after that, we were clueless. We knew of a few comics shops back then—certainly we were familiar with the Million Year Picnic in Cambridge, Massachusetts, near where we used to live. But the mechanism of getting copies from press to shelves seemed arcane and daunting. WENDY: Here’s where I have to give many thanks to two people, Bud Plant and Phil Seuling, for helping give birth to ElfQuest. I had already made a name for myself via my science-fiction and fantasy illustration, which I sold quite a bit of at convention art shows. Plus, I was also doing professional assignments for newsstand magazines such as Galaxy and Worlds of If. SHAUN: Who distributed your books at the beginning, and does Diamond handle your books today? Was it always a direct-market book, or did the series ever reach the newsstands? And regarding issue #1: What was the print run, and did it go back to press? RICHARD: By 1977, Wendy’s was a known name, and a talent to be reckoned with. It turned out that both Bud Plant and Phil Seuling (who ran Seagate Distribution), the two major distributors to comics shops at that time, knew of Wendy’s work and respected it. Somehow—it was probably at one of Phil’s comic-book conventions right around then, the summer of 1977—we worked up the nerve to approach both Bud and Phil with a little mock-up of the first issue of ElfQuest and simply asked if they’d be interested in carrying the title. They were, and it was that expression of interest that gave us the impetus to go ahead with making the first issue actually happen. Here’s the most interesting part: We had no idea how many copies to print. We knew that fanzines of the time had print runs of, at most, a few hundred copies. We didn’t really want to get involved with an enterprise that small, and my inquiries to printers had taught me that no one was really interested in a print run that low. As it turned out, Bud and Phil jointly committed to take 10,000 copies. We thought that was really cool, even though we knew that Marvel and DC titles were selling many times that number. Still, for us, it seemed like an auspicious start. We wouldn’t know until sometime later just how auspicious it was, but it did point the way for us. Our initial print run on issue #2 was 20,000 copies, and with every new 1980s Independents Issue •

BACK ISSUE • 25

Dynamic Duos (left) Rare artwork by Richard Pini! This painting, titled “Nightwatch,” featuring the Golden Age Human Torch and his sidekick Toro, was produced while Richard was working at a planetarium. Courtesy of Heritage. (right) Many fans carried the torch for Wendy during the 1970s when she was fandom’s most famous cosplayer, as Red Sonja. She’s seen here with the “Wizard” himself, Frank Thorne. Human Torch and Toro TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

issue, we had to bump up the number of copies. Word of mouth and nearly unanimously glowing reviews in the fan press (remember, this is all print; there was no Internet, no blogs, no review sites) told us that ElfQuest was reaching more and more people with every issue. And, as the number of direct-sales shops increased, and the number of comics fans frequenting those shops increased, so did the number of distributors. I remember Steve Geppi ran several comics shops in the Baltimore, Maryland, area back then, and when he decided he wanted to get into distribution, we were very happy to have another player, because there was so much room to grow. We exploited every avenue we could to get as many copies of ElfQuest out there. Did we go back to press? Most certainly we did. From the very beginning, I as publisher had made the decision that I didn’t like the fact that if I wanted to read earlier issues of a continuing storyline in any other comic-book title, I had to go to the collector back-issue market and— depending on the scarcity of what I was looking for—pay a premium. Even though I was a collector, I was a reader first, and if someone discovered ElfQuest at issue #8 and wanted to go back and read what led up to that point, then I wanted that someone to be able to find issues #1–7 at cover price. My thinking was driven by the retail book market. I might discover a series of detective or Western novels midway through the run, and with little trouble I’d be able to buy all the stories I’d missed. So, over the years, as the first ElfQuest series progressed, we went back to press on issue #1 at least five or six times. Other numbers were handled similarly, to the point where by the time the first series concluded in 1984, there were on average 100,000 copies of each number in print. SHAUN: Has the ElfQuest audience changed over the last 35 years and if so, how? Is there a target audience you write for when doing an ElfQuest storyline, meaning an age group, or do you write what you like and hope everyone else does, too? WENDY: If anything has changed about the audience for ElfQuest over the past 35 years, it’s that it’s grown multi-generational. When we started, we got a lot of readers who were in their teens and college years and early 20s—equal mix of female and male readers, too, something we’ve always been proud of. There was a bit of a hippie

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vibe that permeated the ’70s, and something in ElfQuest spoke to a youthful (and youthful-feeling) audience. As time went on, and the story grew and evolved, we as storytellers found ourselves exploring ideas and themes that were, perhaps, a bit more sophisticated, maybe a little bit darker—but still always centered around the ideas of tribe and family, and the strength to be had within such groups and relationships. We also discovered, as we went to conventions and gatherings over the years, that the young people who’d started out reading ElfQuest when we began publishing were now becoming parents in their own right, and were telling us that they wanted to read ElfQuest to their own kids when they got to be the right age. We’re at the point now where it’s being passed to a third generation! Some of our first readers, who were a little older when they started, had kids of their own they could share the comics with—and now THOSE children are young parents, too, and they’ll read ElfQuest to their kids. We’ve started saying that we (Richard and I), even though we never had flesh-and-blood children of our own, have children and grandchildren now through the stories we’ve told and continue to tell. We’ve never set out to target an audience; we wouldn’t have known what our target might be, in those early days. So we simply set out to tell the best, most heartfelt, most rousing tale we could, one that we would enjoy reading ourselves (and still do), and we hoped that others would want to jump on in. Judging by the response that the initial story got simply by word of mouth, and by the response we’re getting once again, with the launch of the newest story arc, we’re still hitting chords within people who are hungry for a tale told well about what it means to have friends and family. SHAUN: I have to ask the usual question you probably have heard a thousand times: How did the two of you meet? Was it a quick courtship? RICHARD: Yeah, we’ve been asked the “How did you two meet” question a lot, but it’s okay. We want this to be a stellar issue!

Back early in 1969, I was a freshman at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts— WENDY: —and I was a high school senior in my hometown of Gilroy, California, about an hour south of San Jose. We were both comics fans, and both pretty much fans of Marvel. RICHARD: Every week I’d go bug the newsstand near my dorm for the newest releases. WENDY: As did I, but we didn’t know that about each other then. We were comics geeks before the term existed the way it does now! RICHARD: One comic I picked up was Silver Surfer #5, from that wonderful post-Kirby Lee/Buscema run. In the back was a letter from one Wendy Fletcher that scolded Stan, in essence, for always making humanity seem so crude and brutal in its treatment of the Surfer. As a reader, I found that letter intriguing, for two reasons: First, it wasn’t the usual “Who’s stronger…?” kind of fan letter, and second, it was by a female fan—and those were rare and mythical creatures in those days. So I thought, “What the hell?” and wrote a letter back—they used to print full addresses with the letters back then—complimenting her on her own letter, and giving away nothing of myself other than the hope she’d want to write back. WENDY: I also received dozens of letters from other guys looking for a female fan pen-pal, and almost without exception they went into great detail about what comics they read, how many zits they had … but there was one that didn’t. It was much more mysterious and intriguing than the others, and said only, “I liked what you wrote but if you want to know more about me, you have to write back.” That’s the one I responded to. We began a snail-mail correspondence that lasted for four years, until he graduated college; in that time, we only were able to visit each other four times. But we knew there was good chemistry there, so we got married back on the East Coast— RICHARD: —on the very same day [June 17, 1972] that the Watergate break-in happened! SHAUN: What are your technical/professional backgrounds prior to working on ElfQuest … did you attend Pratt, or some other art institute? Do you have any family members in the business? Did your parents think you crazy for choosing comic books as a career? WENDY: I’ve been an artist and a storyteller all my life. I have drawings I did when I was literally two years old. Not a day would go by that I didn’t find something to doodle onto a blank sheet of paper. People have asked over the years, did I ever take art classes? And the answer is no—I simply learned by doing, by practicing, by looking at what other artists were doing … at first, fine illustrators like Arthur Rackham and Edmund Dulac, and then later, a wide range of talents from Disney to Kirby to Toth to Wildey to Tezuka. I studied what they were able to do with shape and light and shadow and mass and form and weight, and emulating, and I learned from that. RICHARD: Me, I was always an avid reader but, like Wendy, never took writing classes or business classes either, for that matter. Everything we’ve done from the very beginning, we’ve learned how to do simply by looking at those who’d gone before and taking whatever bits of knowledge would help us in what we wanted to do. Finally, no, none of our parents (or anyone else along the family tree) was ever remotely in the publishing or printing business. We had a dream we wanted to pursue, and like so many other times in our lives before and since ElfQuest, we simply were determined to do it, and to gather up whatever resources we needed to get it done ourselves. Now, there is one exception to this: Back when we were gearing up to print and publish our own first issue, we didn’t have the available money to pay for the print run. This was 1978; I’d just started a day job teaching high school, and the $2,000 that it would cost was a lot of money. So I did ask my parents for a loan of that amount. We’re certain they figured they would never see it paid back, but to their credit they did write the check. What they didn’t know, but we did, is that we knew we had the entire print run already sold and knew it would be paid for within 30 days. (That was the beauty of the direct market back then—only two distributors and payment was in full and fast.) So my parents were completely caught off guard when I repaid them very quickly after the issue came out. And I never had to ask them again because the profit from that issue’s sales more than covered the next issue’s printing—and so on, and so on.

Norrin Radd, Matchmaker (top) The Pinis at Seattle’s Emerald City Con in 2013. Photo by Shaun Clancy. (bottom) This letter by Wendy Fletcher in Silver Surfer #5 attracted the attention of fellow fan Richard Pini. Silver Surfer TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

1980s Independents Issue •

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Introduction to ElfQuest (above and opposite page) Courtesy of the Pinis, the cover to their ElfQuest pitch, a character introduction page for Cutter, and two conceptual pages. ElfQuest TM & © Warp Graphics, Inc.

SHAUN: I would love to hear about the first printer you used … did you take ElfQuest to Marvel or DC first to see if they had any interest? RICHARD: Actually, I think you mean to say “the first publisher”… Once Wendy had outlined the skeleton of what would turn out to be the first major ElfQuest story arc (what we now call “the Original Quest”) and we’d decided that the comic-book panel-continuity format was the best vehicle to present it, we set about looking for someone to publish it. The simple reason was that, at that time, neither of us knew diddly about publishing. We were both fans of comics (mostly Marvel) and knew on some level that it took real people to make the comics appear every month, but there was still a strong element of “it’s magic” about the whole process. Even though we knew about writers and artists (and even knew several personally), we certainly had no knowledge of the business side of things— where comics got printed, how they got distributed to the comics shops and newsstands, how Marvel and DC got paid. So we figured, as long as Marvel and DC were already set up to do all of that, why not see if they’d be interested in adding something new to their roster. I don’t recall who we approached at DC. We knew a lot more of the people at Marvel (who had been fans like us and who had “graduated” into the big time), and somehow the ElfQuest presentation package got shown to Archie Goodwin. Both DC and Marvel passed, saying that it was too strange for them. Then we tried submitting the package to Bud Plant (who was at that time publishing Jack Katz’s First

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Kingdom) and to Mike Friedrich (who was publishing Star*Reach). We figured, maybe these guys, because they’re more independent, less mainstream than “the Big Two,” would be more interested. But as it turns out, neither of them wanted it either. WENDY: I remember their exact words were, “It’s too peculiar for us!” RICHARD: Usually, when we’re telling this story, this is the part (if we want to keep it short) where we say, “…and so, we decided to do it ourselves.” But there is, in fact, an entire adventure between being turned down by Marvel, DC, Bud and Mike, and Warp Graphics taking up the reins. Again, memory in a little hazy on just how we met up with Tim Donahoe. (I thought it was supposed to be “Donahue,” but he pronounced it like it’s spelled.) It may be that, as we tried courting the bigger publishers, word of mouth through fandom brought our own quest to the attention of other, smaller publishers. However it happened, he got in touch with us and presented himself as the owner of a small publishing company called “Independent Publishers Syndicate,” or IPS. He’d already published about half a dozen titles, among which was Power Comics—this was, if memory serves, an anthology title that spun off some of its features into titles of their own. Tim Donahoe talked a good talk, and as we were feeling a little self-generated pressure (we really wanted to see ElfQuest in print), we signed a deal with IPS and sent Wendy’s artwork for the first issue out to East Lansing, Michigan, which was where IPS was headquartered.

Our book came out later than it was originally supposed to, though by how much, we don’t remember. What we do recall is that from the time we sent IPS the artwork, there were at least a couple of delays in the release of the issue. I remember being on the phone to Donahoe off and on for weeks, asking him where the book was, and getting evasive answers. It got to the point where I felt I had to attempt an end run. We know that both Phil Seuling (who ran Seagate Distributors) and Bud Plant (who had his own distribution company) were between them taking the entire print run of 10,000 copies of Fantasy Quarterly #1 [featuring the first appearance of ElfQuest]. Wendy and I were starting to feel, even when the book appeared, like we might have trouble getting paid, so we approached both Phil and Bud and asked them if they would pay us what we (by contract) were owed and then send along the remainder to IPS. I recall getting a bit of a lecture from Phil that that wasn’t the way things were done—but then he agreed to do it anyway (I suspect because he knew us outside of the new comics business arena). At any rate, come February 1978, we finally got our copies of Fantasy Quarterly #1 “featuring ElfQuest” with Wendy’s artwork on the cover. And it was a letdown. If you’ve seen the book, the rubyliths for the color separations were sloppily cut, and the printer used a screen that was so coarse that the flesh tones (red dots on white or yellow background) were so big… WENDY: I remember looking in horror and saying, “They’ve all got the measles!!” RICHARD: Yeah, that was shock number one. Number two was that Donahoe had also covered Wendy’s signature in the lower right corner and—we were stunned to discover when we saw it—added his own name “Tim” to the cover (thank heaven he didn’t deface the

original art; he did it in the plate) rather the way Hirschfeld would hide “Nina”s in his caricatures. Still, it was our very first real issue of ElfQuest, and we were glad it was out. But then the troubles started. We didn’t get paid, and didn’t get paid, and finally had to enlist Bud and Phil, who graciously—if not entirely, according to Hoyle—sent us what we were owed directly, and paid IPS the rest. Now, we had already— back when we thought things were still going smoothly—sent IPS the artwork for issue #2. Once the shenanigans over payment started, however, we realized that this arrangement wasn’t going to work, and we began sending letters and leaving phone messages to IPS that we were not happy, we were terminating the contract for non-performance, and we wanted all of Wendy’s artwork back immediately. Nothing happened. This went on for at least a month, until one Saturday (it had to have been late March or early April) I decided I had to act. I remember clearly waking up one Saturday morning and telling Wendy that I was going to drive up to Boston’s Logan Airport, fly to Michigan, and confront Tim Donahoe in person, since our letters and phone calls were not being answered. WENDY: This is Richard’s way—it may take a lot to get him to this point, but once he reaches it, just don’t get in the way! RICHARD: She was totally behind the notion, thank heaven, so that’s exactly what I did. At that time, it was very easy to walk up to the ticket counter of whatever airline flew into Detroit and get a roundtrip ticket on the spur of the moment. Also, there were great discount fares as small regional carriers were trying to steal business away from the big airlines. I think I paid $29 each way, Boston to Detroit. When I landed, I rented a car, drove to the address for IPS in East Lansing, knocked on the door, and when it became clear there was no one

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The Original Quest Begins (left) ElfQuest’s first appearance, in 1978’s Fantasy Quarterly #1. (right) Wendy’s amazing cover to ElfQuest #1. ElfQuest TM & © Warp Graphics, Inc.

there, I sat on the front porch prepared to wait until someone showed up. A couple of hours later, Tim Donahoe arrived and the look on his face when he saw me was priceless. I told him I was there for Wendy’s art and didn’t leave until I had both issues’ worth of originals under my arm. And that was the end of our involvement with IPS; we never heard from Donahoe again. But the experience galvanized us into making the decision that, if we wanted ElfQuest to be published, we’d just better do it ourselves. Thus was born Warp Graphics (or, in the beginning, WaRP, the acronym of Wendy and Richard Pini). That’s why our true first issue is ElfQuest #2. It was only after we’d gotten issues #3 and 4 under our belts, and saw how well they were selling, that we decided to reissue #1 in our own format. SHAUN: Dave Sim also worked on Fantasy Quarterly #1, in which ElfQuest premiered, but you weren’t aware of this at the time… RICHARD: We had no idea even that there was going to be the additional story in the Fantasy Quarterly #1 comic book. The first we knew of it was when we got our copies and saw that ElfQuest wasn’t the entire contents of the issue. T. Casey Brennan had written a strange, spiritual kind of tale that Dave Sim had illustrated, and while it didn’t impress us one way or another, still, the title of the comic was Fantasy Quarterly and it “featured” ElfQuest, so it wasn’t like anything was amiss—other than, once again, our not knowing what Tim Donahoe was planning until it was already done. Over the years, people have said to us, “Isn’t it ironic that you and ElfQuest and Dave Sim were in that first issue of Fantasy Quarterly, and you both went on to be pioneers in independent comics?” To which we can only reply, “The universe works in mysterious ways.” SHAUN: Did you choose elves to write about because of the media attention sword and sorcery was receiving in 1977, 1978? If memory serves, Dungeons and Dragons was VERY popular during this time, the Lord of the Rings animated movie was out or coming out as well as Wizards and even Watership Down. Did this type of fantasy influence your creativity, or was this a story you both had imagined while growing up and were dying to finally get out in 1978? By the way, I’m an avid J. R. R. Tolkien fan, and I believe I see some of his writing in ElfQuest… WENDY: You ask kind of double question about “Why elves?” and “Why 1977?” There are really two separate but interconnected answers. As to “Why elves?” as the main characters, I have been telling versions of the ElfQuest story in one way or another since I was a little girl. I was 30 • BACK ISSUE • 1980s Independents Issue

adopted, and knew it early on, so for me, a lot of the stories I made up and drew about had to do with characters who were looking for their own family, or their own tribe, or their place in the world. In 1961, the Osamu Tezuka feature-length anime Alakazam the Great came to the US, and it drove me quietly mad. I pestered the theater to show it over and over. It had a profound effect on my sense of storytelling and artwork. Keep in mind that I was ten years old, and this was the first exposure to a non-Western, non-European style of art and story. It was nothing at all like the kind of storytelling that Disney produced. The underlying tale is of Hanuman, the monkey king, and his quest to find his own inner strengths, in order to be a good leader of his own “tribe.” I took this very much to heart, and it informs my storytelling to this day. But in my early teens, I wrote and drew stories using all kinds of characters, from tiny insect people to winged aliens. I’ve always believed in “the other”—beings who are not of this world or of this dimension we humans inhabit—and I learned early on that every culture has its “little people.” Whether they’re called elves, fairies, dwarves, menehune, or whatever, they exist in the mythologies of every culture on Earth. So that was one impulse to using elves as the protagonists of ElfQuest. The second has to do with the elves’ appearance. They are enough like us in appearance that we can relate to them as characters. Had they been bug-eyed aliens with the very same thought processes and everything else, readers just might not have related to them. But as I like to say, the elves are halfway between animals and angels. We can read expression in their faces and eyes and totally identify. And yet they are definitely not humans like us, and so they give us that necessary distance, so that if we want to we can project ourselves into them, or them into us, yet remain who we are and take what learning we can from the story. RICHARD: And it doesn’t hurt that Wendy’s drawings of the characters are so beautiful without being saccharine, so sensuous without being salacious, that they almost literally draw you into the story effortlessly. WENDY: As for “Why 1977?,” that’s simple. As I already said, I have been telling variations of the “quest” saga all my life, and I really wanted to get this grand version out into the world. Two things happened in 1977 that prodded us into action to try to bring ElfQuest to a wider audience. The first was that in April of that year, the Ralph Bakshi film Wizards premiered. Now, people have asked ever since if the look of the ElfQuest elves was modeled after the Bakshi characters in Wizards, and the answer is no. I had been drawing elfin characters, from whom Cutter and the Wolfriders can trace their

lineage, for many years prior to Wizards. But what that film did demonstrate was that a more “grown-up” animated fantasy—emphasis on fantasy—cartoon could do moderately well at the box office. That had never been done before. The second thing that happened in 1977 was, of course, Star Wars. And we all know what happened to the world after that. The film was such a huge success, that suddenly no one was looking down their nose at science fiction (and by association, fantasy) any more. No longer was “that Buck Rogers stuff” the sole province of nerds; now it was totally acceptable to like it, no matter who you were. And we realized that in such a climate of new acceptance, the chances that ElfQuest might find some success suddenly seemed greater than before. So starting from the release of Star Wars in May, we set about testing every avenue we could to get ElfQuest on paper and before an audience— which led, as we’ve said, to Marvel and DC and the rest, to IPS, and finally back home to Warp Graphics. With regard to Dungeons and Dragons and Lord of the Rings, neither of those had any direct influence on ElfQuest. Indeed, neither of us has ever been into gaming of any kind (role-playing, computer, video, online…) and neither of us had read any of Tolkien. RICHARD: Actually, I have now read The Lord of the Rings, but only after the third Peter Jackson LoTR film came out in 2003—by which time ElfQuest had been published for 25 years. What can I say? I’m a very late adopter. SHAUN: I just got back from my local comic-book shop today and on the shelf was a comic I had not seen an issue of in a few years, so I bought it for nostalgia purposes and because I knew the creator/artist. On the inside title page was a surprising editorial from the creator’s son explaining that his dad had passed away almost six years ago and that he was going to carry the title on. This took me completely by surprise, as I believed it to only be a few years since I had seen this creator, but in reality it was more like nine. To top it off, this person was two years younger than me so his passing put things in perspective. I liked this local Seattle comic-book independent

creator and I was actually planning on bringing his name up in questions to you both. The person I am talking about is Drew Hayes, creator of the Poison Elf series. Not only was his creation about elves, but I recall he also did some work on ElfQuest back in the mid-1990s. Was his work on Poison Elves—which he did before working on ElfQuest—something that influenced you in asking him to work at Warp Graphics, or did you randomly meet at a comic convention? RICHARD: We didn’t know a thing about Drew Hayes or Poison Elves until somewhere around his issue #8 or 9. I remember seeing (in the Comics Buyer’s Guide, back when it was the wonderful weekly newspaper it used to be) an ad for something called Poison Elves that said something to the effect that PE was “the anti-thesis of cute elves….” Well, I figured whoever wrote the ad could only be taking a poke at ElfQuest, because if anyone wanted to put forth a criticism of ElfQuest is was that Wendy’s elves looked “cute.” (Which, of course, is completely inane and superficial, but that never stopped a critic before.) I remember being more amused than anything else at this ad, so I fired one back that said something like, “We don’t do cute elves … cute is POISON to us…” in what I felt was the same spirit of humorous snarkiness. I don’t recall exactly which happened next, but over a period of a few weeks, [Hayes] commented about

1980s Independents Issue •

Lovely Leetah (right) A portrait of Leetah, one of eight full-color 9" x 12" ElfQuest plates produced by Wendy in 1979 and issued by Schanes and Schanes in 1980. Courtesy of Heritage. (left) Cutter, Skywise, Dewshine, and Leetah, on the cover of ElfQuest #5 (Aug. 1979). ElfQuest TM & © Warp Graphics, Inc.

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Sword Drawn ElfQuest #18 (Feb. 1984). (inset) Glynis Oliver took over as colorist when ElfQuest became part of Marvel’s Epic imprint with a new issue #1 (Aug. 1985). This series reprinted the original material, but with modifications and bridges to adapt Warp’s longer stories into Epic’s smaller page count. ElfQuest TM & © Warp Graphics, Inc.

ElfQuest in one of his issues, I replied with a letter to the editor which he printed, and it became clear that rather than anyone being hurt or insulted, all was well and it was all in fun. Then, in 1993, when Wendy and I were on our “Fantasy with Teeth” tour, up in the Seattle area, we were doing a signing and this great bear of a fellow came up and introduced himself as Drew Hayes—which was actually charming because his demeanor didn’t match his looks (or his writing) at all. He was quiet and kind of mild—at least then, and with us—and he presented us with a four-page ElfQuest parody totally out of the blue. We enjoyed it greatly and told him on the spot that the only way we’d accept his gift would be if he let us print it in the next available issue of ElfQuest. Which we did. SHAUN: You mentioned Wendy working on Galaxy magazine … I went through my collection and found about a dozen examples of her work from them and scanned them all. I’ve sent you a scan of the February 1975 Galaxy, since the cover is credited as being a “Pini & Pini” collaboration. Who did what on this cover? Richard, you mentioned airbrushing a 1974 cover with Wendy … was this also an example of that? I have also enclosed a scan of the August 1974 cover with the sole credit being Wendy’s, but it appears to be a cover with airbrushed clouds … is this the actual cover you referred to earlier?

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The other examples I have from the series are just listed as “Pini” credits, so I am assuming they are done solely by Wendy. I occasionally found a “WP” listed on an interior drawings, but no other credits. And the January 1975 cover of Galaxy is by “Freff & Pini.” Who’s “Freff”? RICHARD: Looks like my memory is a little fuzzy around the edges. The cover to the February 1975 Galaxy was, indeed, a collaboration—if that word can be used in a situation where Wendy did 99% of the work. I added a bit of airbrushing to the hybrid starship (sort of a mashup between the Discovery from 2001 and the Enterprise from Star Trek). The other cover you included, August 1974, is all Wendy’s art. The cover I was referring to was actually from the October 1975 Galaxy. It’s got an evil-looking black car— WENDY: To me it always looked like a cross between a Corvette and an earwig… RICHARD: —and a demon-mountain in the background. The clouds of exhaust are what I airbrushed over her drawing. This is also the first time the acronym “WaRP” ever appeared, as I worked our signature into the license plate on the car. Every other Wendy piece of art is all by her, blackand-white interior illustrations and covers. The other collaboration that you mention—by Freff and Pini—is, if memory serves, an example of where Freff (now calling himself Connor Freff Cochran) did the figure and perhaps laid out the background Ditko-esque trippy shapes, and Wendy provided the coloring. I don’t remember if this was set up by Jim Baen, the editor at Galaxy at that time, or if it came about via another channel. In those days many artists who were making the leap from fan to professional all knew each other from the convention circuit, and someone else may have suggested that it would be cool to have Wendy color Freff’s drawing. SHAUN: Wendy, how did you get connected with Galaxy? Did you submit samples to several of the publications of the time, like Astounding, etc.? When doing artwork for these types of books, are the stories sent along with the assignment or do they request a very specific scenario to draw from that the editors have selected? Do you still own the originals from this early work? WENDY: My first work as a professional in the SF magazine arena appeared in the June 1974 issue of Worlds of If, which was at that time a companion magazine to Galaxy. (They merged into a single magazine in January 1975.) All in all, I did close to four-dozen covers and illustrations over the next three or four years. We have copies of all of these issues, and have scanned all the work from them. As for the originals, I sold a number of them at science-fiction art shows around the same time. We have a couple of my covers, and a number of my black-andwhite illustrations. RICHARD: I’ve always been a bit of a stickler about at least trying to get good quality scans of all of Wendy’s art. You just never know when it might be useful, even if the original is gone.

WENDY: Back to how I got connected to Galaxy … I was making a name for myself on the art-show convention circuit in the early to mid-1970s, and Jim Baen approached me at some show or other. After a couple of trial illustrations, he asked me to go directly into doing covers. He would send the stories for me to read, but he also had definite editorial suggestions to make about what he wanted to see. It was a give-and-take kind of thing, but his suggestions were helpful in those cases where there was just so much story that it would have been difficult for me to choose which scene to illustrate. I enjoyed the more fantasy-oriented work over the nuts-and-bolts science-fiction assignments. One of my favorites appeared on the cover to the October 1974 issue of Worlds of If (which featured more fantasy, in contrast to Galaxy’s more SF slant). It’s from a Poul Anderson story. This is certainly an elfin-looking precursor to the character of Tyldak, who would show up in ElfQuest a few years later! SHAUN: I do have the June 1974 Worlds of If; this is the illustration you mention as being Wendy’s first published art, correct? WENDY: If it’s of a female and a dragon sitting on a hill looking down at some houses in the distance, yes. Very simple, clean linework. SHAUN: Yes, that’s it. You did a great job explaining how you got into the business, Wendy, but not Richard… Being a graduate of MIT, Richard, did that give you a writing background or the courage to attempt being an author? Had you ever written anything professionally before ElfQuest? RICHARD: Just as Wendy had no formal art training, but learned what she knows by a constant adding to and honing of her natural talents and acquired skills, I sort of fell into the twin roles of writing and running a business. I was a precocious reader; I am told that I was reading the newspaper at age three. Maybe that’s just parental pride exaggerating— perhaps I was just reading the comic strips at that age! (Although I do have memories of looking at the purely text pages, too.) I discovered the twin worlds of science-fiction and fantasy via all those wonderful Robert Heinlein and Andre Norton (and many others) juvenile volumes— who of our generation doesn’t fondly remember the red-andyellow rocketship stickers on the spines of those books in the school library? And I devoured that stuff. Reading a lot naturally, it seemed, led to my wanting to try my hand at writing, which I did, copiously, throughout grade school. (I still have some of those stories; they are exquisitely awful, but everyone starts somewhere.) And other than the occasional story for this or that school newspaper or literary magazine, I don’t think either of us had been published professionally prior to ElfQuest. WENDY: Don’t forget about Red Sonja! I got the nod from Roy Thomas to script an issue of [Marvel’s] Red Sonja comic [#6] in 1976 or 1977, while I was portraying the character along with Frank

Thorne’s Wizard for the famous (some would say “infamous”) “Sonja and the Wizard” stage show at comics conventions. RICHARD: When I graduated MIT, my first job was as lecturer at the Hayden Planetarium at the Boston Museum of Science, where I quickly discovered that one didn’t simply present the star shows, one also participated in the writing of them, and the construction of the special projection effects, and several other tasks. The more I wrote the shows that I would then present, the more I realized that I really enjoyed the dual aspects of creating something and then sharing it with an audience— which naturally would serve later in the co-creation and publication of ElfQuest. But as I’ve already mentioned, I had no business training in any of the diverse aspects of publishing before we more or less just jumped into the deep end of the pool and learned by doing. SHAUN: Have either of you ever taught before? RICHARD: I taught high school astronomy for four years, from 1975 to 1979. I went into that job directly from the planetarium position at the Hayden Planetarium, then in 1979 went to work for IBM for a couple of years. If you do the math, I was teaching when ElfQuest was born. By 1981, I was faced with a crucial decision, because by then ElfQuest had taken off and was becoming a fulltime job for me. WENDY: It already was a fulltime job for me! RICHARD: But I was also working long hours at IBM, so I had to make a choice, and a difficult one, because working for IBM in those days was very secure, very well-paid, and the benefits were unrivaled. Leaving all that to ElfQuest was a total leap of faith, but we’ve never looked back. SHAUN: Earlier Wendy mentioned the similarities of being adopted, and that of the ElfQuest series’ looking for relatives … have you tried to do this in your own life, and have you succeeded? RICHARD: Regarding Wendy being adopted, and the search for tribe/ family, Wendy’s always liked to have a circle of trusted friends nearby. Me, maybe not so much, at least not in the literal sense. We made the decision early on that we would not have children, as we knew that the creative path we were walking could—and would—take all of our time and attention. It’s a choice we’ve never regretted, but it does open up the potential for different “family” dynamics. We’ve often considered that all of the people who read ElfQuest—especially those who read it when they were young and who have now grown up and become parents who read it to their kids—are our “tribe.” There’s definitely a kind of bond there. When someone comes up to us at a convention and shares how ElfQuest affected them in this way or that, or helped them in some way, we do

Epic Retellings Wendy’s original cover art to Marvel Epic’s second issue of ElfQuest (Sept. 1985), courtesy of Heritage. ElfQuest TM & © Warp Graphics, Inc.

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feel a bit like—if not “parental,” then perhaps like the tribal elders whose task it is to keep the spirit of community alive. SHAUN: Where is the ElfQuest saga right now, and what are your plans for the series? WENDY: Those are very broad questions. With respect to the actual comic-book/graphicnovel series, we’ve signed a publishing license with Dark Horse Comics. They not only are publishing new ElfQuest comics, but reissuing the existing archive editions, plus adding to that collection, plus a bunch of other projects, getting ElfQuest back into the spotlight again. They also will make the stories available to apps on all the major online/digital platforms. We’re working right now on the next big story arc, called Final Quest. There have been several of these over the history of ElfQuest—the first, we call the “Original Quest,” followed by Siege at Blue Mountain, and then Kings of the Broken Wheel. These arcs, along with other storylines that have been woven through some of the spin-off titles that we published during the 1990s, have been leading inexorably to a major climax and conclusion. Final Quest, while not the literal end of ElfQuest storytelling, does tie up all the threads that have been begun as far back as 1978. The backstory is all there. The hints and foreshadowings are all there. The plan is to tell Final Quest in a series of bimonthly comics that will then be collected into volumes, that may be companion volumes to the Archive Editions that DC Comics released from 2003–2007. The first issue of Final Quest—actually, it’s more like a prologue special issue [titled ElfQuest: The Final Quest Special #1—ed.]—came out in October 2013, and was second in sales [that month] only to Dark Horse’s Star Wars comics. I’m really happy about that! SHAUN: Who handles ElfQuest merchandising? Are there any talks for an animated movie or television series? Have you ever been approached on this idea in the past, shot a pilot, etc.? I can see this series as a computer-animated movie, can’t you? RICHARD: ElfQuest was optioned by Warner Bros. in 2008. They told us they wanted to make a “tentpole” movie out of ElfQuest, using the technology that James Cameron pioneered to make Avatar. We figured, “That’s great!” There are no technical hurdles that can’t be overcome, and with the right script and director, ElfQuest would make a spectacular movie. But then, after four years of “Hurry up and wait,” Warners said no. It was a disappointment, to be sure, but after a proper period of mourning, Wendy and I decided it was time for some major changes. We let go our agents, with whom we’d worked for a dozen years, and took the reins of ElfQuest back into our own hands. For a long time we’d figured that we should let others who seemed more experienced in dealing

ElfQuest: B. C. (Before Cutter) (left) Wendy’s cover painting for Tor’s 1986 Blood of Ten Chiefs short-story collection. (inset) Artist Janine Johnston launched this 20-issue ElfQuest limited series. ElfQuest TM & © Warp Graphics, Inc.

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with Hollywood, with “big business,” handle things. But we’d forgotten something very important in that interim—that the very best times we ever had with ElfQuest were when we were running the ship ourselves. So for the past 12 months or so, we’ve done just that—taken back control. We have formed partnerships with other creative people, folks who are savvy about the ins and outs of entertainment and merchandising— everyone can use helpers—but we’re staying firmly involved in all the creative decision-making. We’d given up too much of that before. So now, in addition to signing up with a new publisher, we’ve got a big T-shirt company called WeLoveFine putting a whole line of ElfQuest apparel into the public eye. We’re also working closely with a developer to create an interactive ElfQuest adventure game unlike any of the previous role-playing or board-game incarnations that we’re very excited about. And these same helpers are keeping their fingers on the pulse of what’s hot and what’s not in the world of movies and TV. WENDY: After many years of being taken to the altar of Hollywood and being jilted there, Richard and I still hope to see ElfQuest on the screen someday—but it’s no longer the driving impulse in what we do. If it happens, great. If not, we’re still involved in telling a wonderful tale that will be seen and read by many, many people. And that’s very fulfilling all by itself. SHAUN: You had mentioned pitching ElfQuest to Marvel Comics before self-publishing—do you still have the portfolio presentation that you showed Marvel, and could you share it with us?

RICHARD: As a matter of fact, we do still have the presentation that we showed around, not only to Marvel but to DC as well (and maybe to Bud Plant and Star*Reach, too). I can certainly provide scans of the several pages. [Editor’s note: And we’re thrilled to share some of those pages with our readers in this article!] SHAUN: Was it a plot with character sketches or a complete comic-book story that you eventually published? RICHARD: It wasn’t so much a complete plot as an overview—a few words about the world in which the story takes place, sketches, and “vital statistics” of the major characters like Cutter, Leetah, Rayek, and Skywise, and some action drawings taken from this or that dramatic episode. CLANCY: Do you still have a lot or all of the original art to the ElfQuest series, or has it been sold to the public throughout the years? RICHARD: We never sold any of Wendy’s artwork from the core series (what we call the Original Quest, plus Siege at Blue Mountain, plus Kings of the Broken Wheel). In fact, since ElfQuest began, we’ve probably sold no more than a couple dozen pieces of artwork. Those would have been a few of the covers that she did up for the Marvel Epic reprint series that came out from 1985–1988, plus the random piece of cover art from later series like Hidden Years. But over the years we have very carefully kept and stored it all. However, at Comic-Con 2012 in San Diego, we were approached by an archivist at Columbia University in New York City, who inquired if we’d be interested in donating our ElfQuest collection to their growing 1980s Independents Issue •

Beyond ElfQuest (left) Wendy Pini inked by Joe Staton on Comico’s Jonny Quest #2 (July 1986), a flashback featuring Jonny’s mother. (right) An emotional encounter from First Comics’ 1989 Beauty and the Beast: Portrait of Love graphic novel, written and illustrated by Wendy and based upon the TV show starring Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman. Courtesy of Heritage. Jonny Quest © Hanna-Barbera. Beauty and the Beast © Witt-Thomas Productions.

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Wolfriders 1990 Calendar According to Heritage, this extraordinary painting began as an artistic experiment for Wendy, but morphed into the cover for the ElfQuest: Wolfriders 1990 calendar. The valiant swordswoman is an adult version of Ember, Cutter’s daughter. (inset) Wendy’s cover to Kings of the Broken Wheel #4 (Dec. 1990). ElfQuest TM & © Warp Graphics, Inc.

archive of comic-book and graphic-novel source materials. They’d just received a generous donation from Chris Claremont of all his X-Men scripts, notes, reference materials, etc. Wendy and I had wondered, over the years, what might become of all our ElfQuest holdings—her artwork, all our scripts, business papers, and so much more— and suddenly here was an unexpected by completely appropriate answer. We’ve already moved (after making high-quality scans) about a thousand pages of her original work from the series I mentioned earlier, and [I’m busy] scanning and then delivering all the rest. Oh, plus her work on the two Beauty and the Beast graphic novels, plus all her childhood drawings, and so on and so on. CLANCY: Have you ever tried to syndicate ElfQuest as a comic strip? WENDY: We did have a brief flirtation with the idea of syndicating ElfQuest as a newspaper comic strip, and if memory serves, I drew a couple weeks’ worth of dailies and Sundays. We sent it around as best we knew how, but got no response worth mentioning (or even remembering). It was based on the plot of the original storyline, but even with that head start what we discovered is that it’s very hard work to craft even

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a 3–4 panel daily strip day after day. In retrospect, I’m glad nothing ever came of it. SHAUN: How has the fan mail been over the years? Does any fan letter stand out in your mind either complimentary or critical? RICHARD: As we grew up, each on our own side of the country, and read the comics that we grew up reading, we both loved the fan-letter pages in the mainstream comics, particularly the Marvel titles. It was mindexpanding to us (well, to me more so than to Wendy, as she was already familiar with comics and science-fiction fandom, where I was not) that actual, real readers were able to write in to these semi-mythical companies and sometimes even get their letters printed. So when people began to write fan letters to ElfQuest, it was like a magical kind of closure, and we understood as never before just how wonderful—and sometimes frustrating— it is to receive feedback like that. Of course, what with email and social media like Facebook, now we almost never get written, paper letters anymore, but it feels just as good to get heartfelt feedback 35 years into this project as it felt at the beginning. WENDY: I think I can speak for both of us in answering your question about “Does any fan letter stand out?” There are two that, even after many years, are still very clear in memory. The first came in after we’d published Original Quest issue #17, which contained what we euphemistically call the “Go-Backs’ Pre-War Party,” but which is more widely known as the “Infamous Orgy Scene.” Of course, we got a lot of fan mail on that issue, mostly complimentary, some critical or even outraged—but the one we remember most came from an 11-year-old boy who said, among other things, “Thank you for not talking down to me.” What a wonderful validation that was! The second letter, which struck us in a very different and deep way, was from a young lady who told us of her friend, who apparently had been a very unhappy individual for a long time, and who ended up taking her own life. The letter writer told us that this girl had greatly identified with what she saw as the beautiful life of the elves, and had decided to leave this life so she could go live with the elves in Sorrow’s End. We weren’t prepared at all for that, and wrestled with it for some time. SHAUN: Has fan mail influenced you in changing the direction the stories have taken? WENDY: Simple answer: no. Which is not to say that if (for example) a certain character proves very popular, we wouldn’t find some way to give that character additional bits of business—all within the story as plotted. But the story is, and always has been, already set down. SHAUN: Do you personally answer fan mail? RICHARD: It’s a lot easier these days to interact with people who ask questions, or who raise interesting points, given the worldwide availability of social media or email. But even at that, we generally don’t reply in depth unless a letter brings home a very strong point or otherwise inspires one or the other of us to take the time—which can sometimes be hours—to craft the right response. SHAUN: Is ElfQuest available outside of the United States, and if so, where?

RICHARD: ElfQuest has been translated into French, Italian, Spanish, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Dutch, and Russian. There hasn’t been any new material available (in English either, for that matter) since about 2008 (when Warner Bros. optioned the property and took it out of play for four years), but now that we’re with Dark Horse, we know they have a strong foreign language department, and we anticipate getting back into other countries. SHAUN: Looking back at the first several issues from 1978, are there any story concepts or artwork you cringe at today and wish you could change and if so, what specifically? WENDY: Honestly, no. True, my art style was less evolved then than it has become, but that can be said of any artist worth their salt who’s kept at it for many years. As far as the story goes, in our eyes it reads just as powerful and crisp now as it did when it was first laid down. SHAUN: What process do you use in naming your characters? WENDY: Every character has certain traits that pretty much exist from the birth of that character. I put a lot of thought into the literal and metaphoric characteristics, and through a magical process, come up with a name. Sometimes the name is bang-on perfect right off, and sometimes we need to roll it around in our minds a bit, see whether it’s right or if it could use a little polish. We just did that very recently when the story required the newly discovered “soul name” of a character who’d been around for a long time. SHAUN: Which characters do each of you relate to best and are any of your own personalities in those characters? RICHARD: Everyone assumes at first that Wendy and I must be analogous to Leetah and Cutter, because of the whole lifemate, female-male thing. And they’re always surprised when we tell them, no, Wendy is Cutter and I am Skywise, for our relationship is much closer to that of the

two best friends, chief and advisor, than to any traditional model. And yes, bits and pieces of our own personalities have found their way into this or that character. For example, sometimes Wendy is very like Rayek, supremely skilled and a bit arrogant at times. Or, when Strongbow was kept prisoner in a cage in Blue Mountain, that represented a phase in my own life when I felt trapped in an untenable job situation. We’ve woven bits and pieces of our real lives all throughout ElfQuest. SHAUN: I took the last few weeks to locate and buy a few ElfQuest-related books… I recently purchased Yearnings #1, from 1982. Was there ever an issue #2? RICHARD: Yes, there was a #2 and a #3—maybe even a #4, but these were fan productions, not published by Warp. [Editor’s note: Yearnings was a “companion” series for ElfQuest fans. Four issues were published.] SHAUN: Yearnings issue #1 is cover priced $3.95, almost ten times what a comic book was selling for in 1982. How did this sell? RICHARD: It actually sold all right. The reason for the high price was that it was, more or less, an experiment on our part, an attempt to do a “high class” fanzine for the direct market. Most fanzines at that time were

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The Final Quest At this writing, Dark Horse Comics is the new home of Wendy and Richard Pini’s ElfQuest. Presented here is Wendy’s cover artwork to (below) the Final Quest Special (Oct. 2013) and (left) ElfQuest: The Final Quest #1 (Jan. 2014). ElfQuest TM & © Warp Graphics, Inc.

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ElfQuest Companions (left) From Heritage’s archives, the original cover art for the 1996 Tor paperback, ElfQuest: The Quest Begins. Painted by Kelly Freas based on Wendy Pini pencil layouts. (right) From 1982, the first of four issues of the ElfQuest fanzine, Yearnings. Courtesy of Shaun Clancy. ElfQuest TM & © Warp Graphics, Inc.

stapled collections of pages of varying length, and because of the low print runs sold for even more than we charged. We figured that if we could work in some economy of scale, we could offer a nice, thick magazine, saddle-stitched, with some color on the cover, for less. SHAUN: I must also assume the reason ElfQuest wasn’t in color was that color costs were so high when compared to black-and-white publications. RICHARD: I’m guessing that you’re referring to the black-and-white comics that we published from 1978 through the late 1980s—the original series, Siege at Blue Mountain, and Kings of the Broken Wheel. I don’t remember very well what it might have cost us to print ElfQuest in color back in the beginning. I know I felt that the cost was certainly beyond our means. But even more important was the fact that as a publisher in those beginning days, I had no clue how to go about making a color book. I came to learn that there were colorists who set up the different printing films by hand-cutting rubylith friskets and so on, but all of that was just a huge amount of unknown detail to us at the time. CLANCY: In 1978, Wendy wrote a five-page piece about ElfQuest for Rocket’s Blast Comicollector #146, where she explains in detail her experience with the Ralph Bakshi film Wizards. Here’s an excerpt:

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Sometimes it takes a good boot in the behind from a totally unexpected source to get one off one’s duff. That boot came in March 1977 when my husband, Richard, and I viewed Ralph Bakshi’s “Wizards” for the first time. Five minutes into the film, Richard leaned over to me and said, “You ought to be working for this guy!” I had never seen anything like “Wizards” before and I left the theater in a daze, mumbling, “Elves are legal…?” all the way home. How often had I painted or drawn little elfin characters similar to Bakshi’s without ever knowing that “Wizards” was being made? Fourteen (or is it fifteen?) viewings later, I still love the film for many reasons—but most especially for the inspiration it provided. My mind went to work at once on concepts for a comic book adaption of “Wizards” and even a sequel. I began writing almost weekly to Bakshi and received some encouraging responses. But after a while it dawned on me that I really wanted to do something with elfin characters of my own creation. Bakshi had given me that needed boot in the motivation, and as a result, ELFQUEST took shape almost overnight. [Reprinted with the kind permission of Richard and Wendy Pini.] RICHARD: At the time she wrote this, we’d not met Ralph Bakshi, though we have since. Please make it clear, though, that while we took inspiration from the fact of Wizards’ existence, Wendy was NEVER influenced by the artwork in the film. People to this day still think that, and they are mistaken. SHAUN CLANCY started collecting comics in 1975 at the age of eight, when his father brought home a Charlton horror comic for him to read. Today he owns a heating and airconditioning company in the Seattle area and collects original comic art.

By the middle of the 1980s, as a reader I was becoming burned out on wonderful people who flew, ran, and swam around in colorful costumes in comics. The New Teen Titans, the All-New X-Men, and their friends and foes were still fun, but less fun than they’d been before. Who’d come to my rescue? It wouldn’t be more of these superpowered kids—I knew that. Thankfully, the “hippy kids” over at Kitchen Sink Press would be my rescuers! Denis Kitchen, publisher and visionary, unleashed a second volume of the horror/sci-fi anthology title Death Rattle, and it was one of the best of its type. I took a chance on the first issue, having had a soft spot for these types of endeavors. I loved it! I was saved!

DEATH RATTLE 101

Jerry Boyd

The 1970s saw the first volume of Death Rattle, and it was probably never spotted by many of those who became readers of DR in the 1980s. I know I didn’t catch it. It was tucked away for the older, longhaired patrons of Bob Sidebottom’s Collector Comics in downtown San Jose, California, in 1972. You had to be 18 or older to skim through the underground comix shelves that Bob had—and he was strict with his rules, also. We pre-teens had to content ourselves with the majors. DR #1 (July 1972) sported a beautifully painted cover and an interior scary-old-house-with-aweird-resident tale by Rich Corben. There were two more issues. The title shook, rattled, rolled, and died off. By 1983, Warren Publishing had gone quietly out of business. Marvel’s horror heroes and heroines had overstayed their welcome, and Pacific Comics’ Alien Worlds and Twisted Tales, though extraordinary, weren’t exactly taking over the comic world. DC and Charlton’s sci-fi and horror books were either gone or were preparing to fold. To be fair, the possibilities of the genres seemed tapped out creatively … like so many vampires’ victims. But then Death Rattle #1 (Oct. 1985) appeared! This time I was old enough for this exciting fusion of the underground horror and alternative comics. I put this question to Mr. Kitchen, the publisher: What made you decide the 1980s was the right time to revive Death Rattle, and what was different about your vision for the title this time around as opposed to the book you did for the ’70s? His response was, “The comics market has traditionally gone through periods of expansion and contraction. These trends are hard for independent companies, like Kitchen Sink, to ride, given the inherent lack of capital, small staffs, and such. I restarted Death Rattle [vol. 2] in the ’80s because there was a rapid growth in comics and an opportunity to do full-color comics, something almost unthinkable in the ’70s. I had a much deeper Rolodex of artists by then, a larger staff capable of doing the color production work, and felt bullish about the market. I’m still very proud of those color issues—I hated that we had to revert back to black and white, but we tried to make the best of it.” What made Death Rattle special? To me, it was a simple but great realization of what real “terror” is. Denis and DR’s story editor, Dave Schreiner, made note of the fundamental teachings of Al Feldstein’s “preachies” (stories with socio-political matters) in EC Comics’ Shock Suspenstories and that was man’s inhumanity to man is our world’s greatest horror. From their earliest issues, DR promised terror tales of madness, obsession, decapitations, and slithering otherworldly unknowns interacting with humans with lots of neuroses. DR, its only mascot a coiled rattlesnake, wouldn’t even attempt to offer its readership the finest vampire, werewolf, living mummy, witch, or zombie imaginings put to paper. Instead, its contents (magnificently colored from #1–5 by Bill Poplaski, Ray Fehrenbach, Meg Schwemmer, and Mike Newhall) served up equal portions of death-obsessed natives and settlers, road kill-devouring rural crazies, shape-shifting man-killing monsters, and maniacal killers (more on the latter later). 1980s Independents Issue •

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Dapper Denis (top) Denis Kitchen, all stylin’, back in the Big ’80s. Photo courtesy of Denis and Stacey Kitchen. (bottom) A 1974 Rand Holmes self-portrait courtesy of Patrick Rosenkranz, whose Fantagraphics book about Rand’s life and artwork is just superb!

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Mike Baron became one of DR’s most-praised writers. He concurs with the above. Mike notes, “I don’t know what Denis’ vision was other than provide good stories, but Death Rattle had much more modern stories than Creepy and Eerie. At the time, Creepy and Eerie were still hung up on fairly stale shock endings where someone turns out to be a vampire or a werewolf. Death Rattle went way beyond that.” DR #1 gave us a short, factual account of a settler whose father had been killed by Delaware Indians before his eyes. Traumatized, he made it his life’s ambition to kill as many natives of the region as we could, even begging friends to deliver one more to his deathbed to round out the number to an even hundred. Unsettling stuff, man…. Charles Burns, an up-and-coming writer-artist, chimed in with a story about insect infestation/inhabitation that has to be read to be believed … and then read again! Leading off these wonderfully bizarre yarns was a sci-fi reprint by Rand Holmes, one of the best but underappreciated talents from the ’70s counterculture. Rand was to become of the Rattle-fest’s star artists. DR was on its way.

HOLMES, JACKSON, AND BARON Denis was savvy enough to recruit two of the most talented artists from the underground era—Jack “Jaxon” Jackson and Rand Holmes. Writer Mike Baron would come in with the fourth issue. About Jaxon, Kitchen observes, “I thought Jack was a terrific storymike baron teller. I love the fact that later in his career he drew primarily from historical sources. His ‘God’s Bosom’ in vol. 2, #2 remains, for me, one of the most horrific stories ever. I also liked that our natural sympathy for native peoples is turned on its head and we see the Spaniards being the tormented and tortured ones. That was part of the undergrounds: comics told and depicted from different perspectives and uncensored. Likewise, I encouraged his serialized Bulto because of its compelling combination of history and fiction. Later, KSP collected that as the The Secret of San Saba.” “God’s Bosom” was the highlight of the second issue (Dec. 1985), and Peter Poplaski, KSP’s art director, drew a cover scenario of it that set the mood for DR’s direction— man’s inhumanity to man. Spanish missionaries, noblewomen, and some defenders are cast ashore after their ship flounders. The area that they find themselves in is filled with hostile natives who degrade, taunt, and kill many of them in a slow-running and heartless game of cat and mouse. Also in that memorable issue was work by Will Eisner, who (appropriately) let the Spirit relate short accounts of true ghost sightings. Another Holmes reprint, “The Artist Himself,” looked at the humorous travails of the writer/cartoonist. I loved it, but it was just the second issue! Wasn’t it a little early on to let an artist do a piece on himself? It turned out (I’d find out much later) that it came from Fog City Comics #2 back in the ’70s. Kitchen and Schreiner, it seems, were testing the waters. However, Kitchen (luckily for his readers) had been seeking new work by Rand. He says, “I absolutely thought Holmes was one of the finest draftsmen and most imaginative artists out there. I couldn’t think of anyone better to spearhead a new horror series. It wasn’t easy to recruit him, though; he required a higher rate than I budgeted, and he was in the middle of building

Rattlers Uncoiled Courtesy of Patrick Rosenkranz and the Estate of Clay Geerdes, (left) Holmes and Jaxon in 1972, and (right) Jaxon at work, circa early 1970s. (bottom right) Jaxon’s Bulto came to comic-book life in Death Rattle #3 (Feb. 1986). Bulto © the Estate of Jack Jackson.

his home by hand in the wilderness. He was a freelance carpenter and could make more money from pounding nails, he said, than drawing comics. I found that a depressing state of our art form.” Mike Baron was doing superlative work on Nexus along with another young superstar-to-be, Steve Rude. On DR, Mike and Rand became the team. Fans loved their sci-fi collaborations in the fourth and fifth issues. Mike tells us, “Denis Kitchen hooked me up with Rand, whom I never met— always wanted to. I was familiar with his work through Harold Hedd and he is among my favorite comic-book artists, sharing a similarity with Kelley Jones, Bernie Wrightson, and Kyle Hotz, all of whom took their inspiration from Wally Wood. You could call Rand the ultimate Wally Wood stylist.” Rand cites Wood as an inspiration years ago, stating, “I probably wouldn’t be cartooning if it wasn’t for Wood’s incredible artwork. I still consider him the finest comic illustrator I’ve ever seen.” Holmes’ covers for DR #4 (Apr. 1986) and 5 (June 1986) were as outstanding as his interior work and evocative of Wood’s masterpieces for Weird Fantasy and Weird Science for EC in the Ike era. In just five incredible issues, the Rattle-fest had founds its niche. Veteran artists Steve Stiles, Holmes, Jackson, Dallas, and Eisner shared page space with newcomers Sam Kieth, Charles Burns, Baron, and others. Some terrific comics were there to be had, man…

BULTO, THE COSMIC SLUG, AND NEW DIRECTIONS Jaxon began a long multi-parter in DR #3 (Feb. 1986) that dealt with greed, ancient tribal lore mixed with legendary god-demons that originated from space, and tyranny and treachery in old Texas. Jack had proven to be a master of wrapping 19th-Century histories (often adding humorous word balloons to lessen the terror and tension) and serving them up in grim-and-gritty servings worthy of Kurtzman. In the first installment, In DR #7 (Oct. 1986), a note of praise came from an Indian gets his hand trapped in ooze from the Harlan Ellison: “In a pantywaist era of comic books starry skies above and has to cut it off to free himself. filled with timorous, psychotic excuses for heroes, it To him, it marks a painful revelation—he would is refreshing to fall over Death Rattle, a comic filled harlan ellison proclaim himself Bulto’s messenger/prophet. Still, to the brim every issue with drooling, lascivious, sales had declined despite the wonderfully bizarre anatomically bizarre degeneracy. Here, each issue, Photo credit: Pip R. Lagenta. yarns, and the outstanding color was gone by the sixth issue. Some can be found the most venal, salacious, debased, and cruel aspects of readers complained but hung in there. The title was too good to be the human race, exceeded in vileness only by the slimy, filth-encrusted missed out on, and Steve Bissette, another wunderkind of the ’80s, aliens that make guest appearances.” And there was more… was a happy addition to that first B&W issue. He did a story about For BACK ISSUE, Mr. Ellison recalls, “Denis was always a great friend. rural weirdoes who live on road kill. This was weird material, man…!! There’s a photo of Denis presenting me with the Freedom of Speech 1980s Independents Issue •

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Award for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. We go back a long way. added. The visuals included spot illustrations and news photos which I always tried to oblige him. I did one of my best forewords for Li’l Abner added to the chill factor. Stout’s cover was reprinted in black-and-white. for him.” I asked Mr. Ellison why DR was special to him and if there’d My next query to Denis was a natural follow-up: You linked some of been any particular story standouts for him up to then. Harlan’s reply: your editorials and story weirdoes to Wisconsin. Was that just a fun thing “I can’t say it was that special without digging out the comics. to do or were there a number of dangerous nuts you knew about that It’s been a while since I read them. It was there. I wasn’t lived there that you’d planned to profile in upcoming issues? fascinated by DR or any others of the comics I read in that Denis reveals, “We did indulge a bit in regional material. area. I can’t remember any of my favorites! But Death It’s certainly easier when you had characters like Gein Rattle had a very nice hard-edge sobriety that was in your backyard. Part of that came from having compelling.” Indeed it had! cheese-head contributors like P. S. (Pete) Mueller (a Kitchen Sink Enterprises was located at a converted New Yorker cartoonist), the late Bill Hartwig, Dan Burr, farmhouse in rural Wisconsin. At one point, Kitchen Poplaski, Schreiner, and some others who knew the and Schreiner informed readers that perhaps a little regional lore. I didn’t discourage it if I thought the of the misdeeds and madness of Wisconsin’s earlier story was good.” Madness, obsession, and murderous citizenry had seeped into their magazine’s creative behavior weren’t limited to men like Tom Quick, consciousness … and it was in that mood that they hostile Indians, and Ed Gein. DR #7 also got in a short told the true story of the infamous Ed Gein in DR #7! WWII-era tale called “The Blue Boot” by the underrated Gein was the lonely bachelor farmer who killed and underground writer-artist Spain Rodriguez. During p. s. mueller dismembered “the bad women” his mother had the Nazis’ siege of Leningrad, some Russian people warned him about during the 1950s. He stalked turned to cannibalism. This true story stayed with me about his dilapidated farmhouse wearing a mask and blouse of (yeesh!) a great deal longer than any werewolf, mummy, or zombie yarn! Denis human skin. His twisted deeds inspired the Alfred Hitchcock-directed saw these types of stories in the same light, noting, “Like ‘God’s Psycho, which was released in Bosom,’ depictions of reality are 1960. Mr. Kitchen tells us, “I was much scarier than fantasy.” 11 years old and living on the DR #8 (Dec. 1986) showcased outskirts of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the work of Mark Schultz, a new when the Ed Gein story broke in talent and creator of Xenozoic Tales, 1957. It was huge. Mere murder a futuristic oblivion of resurgent was common enough, but the dinosaurs, embattled humans, and cannibalism angle, the lampshades their mutated brethren all roaming and body wrap made of skin, the about in strange territories teeming skull drinking cups, and such with mysterious survivalist commumesmerized and horrified everynities. I asked Mark what drew one. The unfolding story made him to DR. He tells BACK ISSUE, huge headlines everywhere. When “When an independent comic I moved near the small town of shop opened in the area where I Princeton, Wisconsin, in 1973 I was living in the mid-1980s, my realized it wasn’t very far from interest in comics was reinvigorated Plainfield, where Ed lived and by all the new, alternative material committed his heinous crimes. I saw. I was already toying with the I even had friends from outside concept that would develop into the state that would visit me and Xenozoic Tales when I found the then ask if I’d give them a ‘tour’ of second issue of the second run of Plainfield. There wasn’t much left Death Rattle on the stands. I have to see, but it held such lingering always loved anthologies, and, fascination. Bill Stout was a with a positive recollection of Californian transfixed by the Gein Death Rattle in its initial incarnation story, and so I teamed him, my staff as an underground comic, I artist Pete Poplaski, and editor Dave became a dedicated acolyte of the Schreiner to do that cover story for new stuff. In fact, between Death Weird Trips #2. No one needed Rattle and Kitchen Sink’s Spirit persuading. I guess it was later publications—which were teaching reprinted in Death Rattle. The first me how to write concise short appearance is better because of comic stories—I felt right at home. the great Stout cover. My wife tried I had the inkling even then that, selling a copy of Weird Trips #2 on if I ever had a chance at getting eBay a couple years back and we my embryonic Xenozoic idea pubdiscovered Ed Gein memorabilia lished, it would be at Kitchen Sink.” is forbidden.” The story was told I continued, And what things by Schreiner in straightforward inspired Xenozoic Tales? According text form with some local history to Schultz, “Xenozoic itself is mash-up of all the adventure elements that I love but was not seeing in contemporary comics. The basics come through straight out The Devil, You Say! of the pulp adventure of Edgar Rice Burroughs, with some of Robert E. Howard’s and H. P. Lovecraft’s notions thrown in for good measure. This one really jolted readers! Hartwig (the artist) and Mueller From film, the theme and visual quality of the original King Kong became fan favorites with this yarn from #11 (June 1987). was enormously influential, of course, as were its science-fiction descendants through the 1950s. Jack Arnold’s long tracking shots of © P. S. Mueller and Bill Hartwig. 42 • BACK ISSUE • 1980s Independents Issue

cars rolling across the desert in movies like It Came from After a three-issue absence, Rand Holmes returned, Outer Space obviously made an impression on me. The teaming up with writer Robert Ingersoll for a harrowing relationships between characters under stress in Howard look at a dangerously unbalanced war veteran in DR Hawks’ films, as well. From comics, the classics, of #9 (Feb. 1987). A new logo appeared on this issue’s course: Hal Foster’s Tarzan and Prince Valiant, cover, nicely complementing the cover illo by Alex Raymond and Roy Crane’s adventures, Mr. Holmes. The disturbed protagonist is and, more directly linked with my childdepressed. Hearing voices, he takes a hood, Turok, Son of Stone. Of course, the high-powered rifle to a tower at a single most important influence had to large fair … and … this story, while have come from EC Comics, especially good in its time, takes on greater the science-fiction and war books, resonance today with the unfortunate and extra especially, the work of proliferation of troubled individuals Wally Wood and Al Williamson. who’ve taken out their frustrations “For me, those 1980s Death Rattles on the innocent. As usual, Rand’s felt like a natural continuation of all extraordinary use of light and shadow those things. So when I submitted was superb. my Xenozoic proposal to Kitchen RATTLIN’ ON Sink and Denis Kitchen suggested mark schultz Charles Burns returned to KSP with I work up a story with an angle that an appropriately weird cover for #10 would fit into Death Rattle, it felt (Apr. 1987). Inside, Al Williamson’s like a strange mix of the inevitable and incredibly stunning “Savage World” had been reprinted yet good fortune.” Xenozoic Tales was an immediate hit with readers. again. To the uninitiated (like myself), it was beautiful. Its success led to a comic of its own, and later on, T-shirts, With inks, flourishes, and nice touches by Frazetta, toys, and a cartoon show. I asked Denis if he was surprised Angelo Torres, and Roy G. Krenkel, it was easily one by Mark’s marvelous invention. “Not really,” he says. of DR’s most incredible offerings. Some of Basil “I saw something right away in Mark Schultz. He was Wolverton’s superb outer-space horrors (from the public still on the raw side when he made his Death Rattle domain) got sprinkled in DR. All of them were worthy debut, but I sensed the potential. It was very gratifying additions, to be fair, but if you wanted new stuff (like to see his amazing style quickly develop, as well as his me), it could be somewhat disappointing. About the storytelling. Mark and I became great friends, which is numerous reprints, Mr. Kitchen mentions, “Without having the time at present to go back and review the always a wonderful side benefit of publishing.”

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When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (left) This was the world of the Xenozoic in a prelim imagined by Mark Schultz. (right) Schultz produced the opening sciencefiction horrors (as well as the cover) in “Xenozoic!” in the 8th issue of Death Rattle (Dec. 1986). The portrait of Mark seen on this page is from the late 1980s and comes to us via the Kitchens. Xenozoic Tales TM & © Mark Schultz.

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America’s Pastime Holmes could deliver a folksy, all-American town setting with ease, conjuring up memories of Wally Wood. This opener’s from #17 (July 1988). © 1988 John Wooley, Jim Millaway, and Rand Holmes.

we had many mutual friends. And Capital City Distribution, then a major player in comic distribution, was headquartered there. CCD frequently held big parties. And Mike and much of the Capital City crew often attended big outdoor parties I’d thrown at my farm, too. I partied with Jaxon in San Francisco way back in 1970, but otherwise our social interaction occurred later when Jack was back in Austin and we’d meet at the Dallas Cons when those were the best conventions around. Who knew that Jack and Rand would die so young? I certainly regret not being more proactive in visiting them in person or encouraging them to come to the Midwest,” Kitchen explains.

THE DEATH OF THE RATTLER

20-or-so back issues to jog memories, I suspect reprints were a combination of budget restrictions and missed deadlines.” Radiation poisoning from Nevada A-Bomb testing was the basis for #12’s “More Horrible than Human Excrement.” Included were movie stars like John Wayne, Dick Powell, and Agnes Moorehead, who’d performed on radioactive sand Howard Hughes brought out to Hollywood (!!) for his adventure epic The Mongols. It seems the producer wanted realism, and shipped tons of “hot” dirt to Hollywood. The crew and some of the stars died slowly from cancer over the years to come and Hughes was secretly wracked by guilt over what he’d unknowingly unleashed. Bulto, the Cosmic Slug also made his presence felt in #12 (Sept. 1987) when Jaxon returned. Bulto was popular with the readers who wrote letters (I got a couple of mine printed and I praised Jackson’s surreal serial) … but there are always readers who don’t write. And some of them didn’t care for it. I recall chatting with friends at the comic stores in the late ’80s who derisively nicknamed the slug “Bluto” and preferred DR, which they liked overall, to not delve into continued stories. They may have had a point. Sales improved on the Rattler (during the time of Jaxon’s absence) and the opening intro pages said so! But was Bulto the reason sales declined once Jaxon resumed his opus? Jack’s storytelling was sound, his art beautiful and story coherent. Like all things in the creative world, there were those who didn’t care for it and those who did. P. S. Mueller and Bill Hartwig turned out to be sensations! Their “In League with the Devil” in DR # 11 (June 1987) was a midnight masterpiece! The art style was a happy medium that blended Wolverton and Matt Fox’s many lines approach with a dash of Feldstein. Did the DR contributors find time to socialize? I asked Denis. “Yes and no. I was then located in central Wisconsin, not exactly the hub of the universe. I saw Mike Baron quite often because he lived in Madison and 44 • BACK ISSUE • 1980s Independents Issue

Sadly, sales went down again. DR #17 (July 1988) featured the work of the title’s two biggest stars, Holmes and Jackson. “Slide, Sinner, Slide” starred a demon with a huge bargain store who coveted a small town’s baseball team. Rand’s wonderful capacity for capturing America’s backroads and small towns would’ve delighted Wood. Jaxon continued with Bulto. Superstar Frank Miller did a weird cover for #18 and the Rattler coiled itself up and died. Some loyal but frustrated readers, apprised of the end, blamed the title’s demise on a lack of strategic marketing or the loss of color. I asked Harlan Ellison if he ever wanted some of DR’s freelancers to do adaptations of his short stories. “No,” Mr. Ellison told me by phone. “I wasn’t particularly interested in that. I only write to order to please one person— me, and I present my material up to my standards. Generally speaking, as I said, the DR writers did a good job.” Still, while the Rattle-fest was here, everyone loved it. A third volume in the 1990s wasn’t very special. Denis adds that, “As far as a fourth resuscitation, I’d like to see a collection of a Best of Death Rattle, and have had conversations with a couple of publishers but nothing is imminent.” Mike Baron shares this: “My personal favorite was ‘Junkyard Dog,’ which can be found in Fantagraphics’ excellent Rand Holmes book.” Mark Schultz notes, “Death Rattle was my start in comics, and I am lucky to be associated with it.” Because of its underground foundations, there were plenty of sexy, nude women (Holmes and Jaxon again!), profanity, and surreal horror and sci-fi in DR’s pages. And despite three short-lived volumes, the comic that never truly dies may yet uncoil itself again at some point and bring back its mind-mangling, warped (but sometimes true!) accounts of excursions into the dangerous wilds of Wisconsin, other blood-soaked forests, and other planets! Don’t give up on the Rattler, man…. Thanks go out to Messieurs Kitchen, Baron, Ellison, and Schultz, as well as Mrs. Stacey Kitchen for photo scans. Special thanks also must be given to Patrick Rosenkranz and the nice people who maintain the estate of Clay Geerdes for art and photo scans. Special thanks go out to the estate of Rand Holmes. JERRY BOYD has written numerous articles for The Jack Kirby Collector, BACK ISSUE, Alter Ego, The Harveyville Fun Times!, Scary Monsters, Monster Memories, and the Spooky Fearbook. He’s proud to have interviewed numerous professionals in the industries pertaining to those publications. Jerry is a professional schoolteacher and an aspiring screenwriter living in Northern California.

David Scroggy

The Home of Pacific Comics Circa 1981, the staff of Pacific Comics in their then-new digs: (left to right) Bill Schanes, president and co-publisher; David Scroggy, editorial director; and Steve Schanes, art director and co-publisher. (The sign painter at right, in the ’80s short-shorts, is unidentified.) Photo by Jackie Estrada; originally published in the 1998 book Comics: Between the Panels by Steve Duin and Mike Richardson.

When I moved with my fellow Akronite Jon Hartz from Ohio to San Diego in the winter of 1975, it was with a vague notion of getting involved in comics somehow. In those days, San Diego was about as far from mainstream comics publishing as you could get and still be in the country, so the fact that I actually did get involved in the industry is remarkable. A volunteer job with the fledgling San Diego Comic-Con led to a column in Comics Buyer’s Guide, and those two credentials landed me a job at [retailer] Pacific Comics, who was at that time expanding from one comics shop to two. One thing led to another, and almost before I knew what was going on, Pacific launched into their initial foray into direct-sales distribution, opening the door for others to compete with Phil Seuling in wholesaling comic books to the newly forming network of specialty comic-book stores. Although it seems hard to imagine today, one of the big problems comic-book stores had in those days was getting a reliable supply of new comic books. Distribution of comics, as with other dated periodicals, was controlled by the newsstand wholesaler network. Sometimes the principals were pretty shady characters. To these companies, comics were a nuisance business. The distributors seldom kept track of the titles, let alone the issue number, and did not care much about the condition of the books. The price point of comics, deemed to have an audience solely of children, had been kept low for decades. Cover prices had not kept pace with those of other magazines, so comics were hardly worth carrying for either distributor or retailer. Often, new titles were not even put out for sale, but pulped or sold out the back door without ever leaving the warehouse.

Phil Seuling, an energetic dealer and entrepreneur from Brooklyn, had approached the New York publishers with an offer: he would buy and sell comic books on a non-returnable basis and serve these collector shops. The publishers had nothing to lose, and Seuling could be described as persuasive; the direct-sales market was born. Shops had a steady supply source, and fans knew that these stores would have all the new comics on a weekly basis. The entire market’s output was paltry by today’s standards, but then as now the comic-book readers were loyal and enthusiastic. A number of related items also became viable by utilizing this emerging distribution channel: fanzines, limited-edition prints, and fantasy-art portfolios all found a wider audience among true fans. Pacific, who had by then shed their retail stores and back-issue mail-order businesses in favor of distributing, got active in this area. They began publishing limited-edition portfolios of fantasy art and comic-related art. Generally consisting of six to ten individual illustration plates in an illustrated folder, signed and numbered by the artist, these joined the comic books as part of the product mix. It wasn’t long before the owners of Pacific Comics, Bill and Steve Schanes, had an epiphany: they could publish their own comic books and plug into this new distribution network. Work conditions for comics creators were oppressive; talents like Jack Kirby and Neal Adams had quit comic books and sought other commercial-art venues, but the Schanes brothers thought that if they gave these creators ownership of their work, and paid on a royalty basis, they could entice them into creating new books for Pacific. That began a dynamic little adventure. In retrospect, it was akin to being strapped onto a skyrocket. But it was us passengers, 1980s Independents Issue •

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Pacific Premiere (top) Pacific Comics’ first title, Jack Kirby’s Captain Victory and the Galactic Rangers #1 (Nov. 1981). Inks by Mike Royer, colors by Steve Oliff. (center and bottom left) That comic’s last page featured this editorial by David Scroggy, and this teaser for the next issue. (bottom right) Bruce Jones, David Scroggy, and Jones’ wife April Campbell review an issue of Bruce’s Twisted Tales comic in the Pacific offices. Photographer unknown. Courtesy of David Scroggy. Captain Victory TM & © The Jack Kirby Estate.

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fingers crossed, that were lighting the fuse. And away we went! I became the editorial director at Pacific, who had by now split their business into two parts: distribution and publishing. Beginning with Captain Victory from the great Jack Kirby, it was astonishing how positive the responses to our inquiries were. Top creators had been waiting for an opportunity like this for quite awhile, and many of them leapt at the chance to bring forward characters they would actually own. Other creators came to the fore. One of DC Comics’ star artists, Mike Grell, enthusiastically embraced the plan and, in what was big news at the time, came from DC to PC with a new series called Starslayer. Our longtime Comic-Con pal, the beloved MAD Magazine marginal maniac Sergio Aragonés, said he had been keeping a character called Groo under wraps for years. He would not give away the ownership to a publisher, but with the Pacific deal, the time seemed right to unleash this clumsy barbarian on an unsuspecting reading public. Did we err? I don’t think so, since Groo is still around today even though several of his erstwhile publishers are not. Even industry superstar Neal Adams jumped on board. Besides being one of comics’ most innovative and popular artists, Adams had been a relentless crusader for creators’ rights. He worked to expose the unfair and precarious financial situation that Superman co-creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster were in, while their creation churned out revenue nonstop. Neal helped to publicize this, and the effort shamed DC and parent Warner Bros. into acknowledging Superman’s creators with a modest annuity, health benefits, and the return of their names in the credits. After a negotiation with the Schanes brothers, terms were reached and work began behindthe-scenes on Adams’ Ms. Mystic title and a Continuity Associates-packaged anthology title. Early in this process of lining up talent for Pacific Comics, I found myself dialing the great Steve Ditko on the telephone. We already had Jack Kirby and Neal Adams doing projects for us—why not Ditko as well? We’d be like Marvel all over again! I reached him, and, probably in a voice littered with stammers and goosh, did my best to explain what we were attempting to do. Mr. Ditko heard me out, and said that he thought it sounded like a good idea, and said he would put some thoughts on paper and send them to me. I was like a kid waiting for Christmas. Which eventually came in the form of a manila envelope liberally festooned with “air mail special delivery” stamps. The sender was Steve Ditko in New York.

The work inside was a layout and rough script for a five-page story featuring a character called “Stickman.” And he was well named: he was essentially a character that many of us might doodle—literally a stick figure, albeit with a cartoony human head. Neither the dialogue nor the script provided any particular background on, nor insight into, who Stickman was. It did not begin to hint about who he might be or how he wound up with a stick-figure body. It did not imply that he had any particular special powers aside from him being a bit on the lively side. The dialogue, such as it was, did not offer anything in the way of information about his background or motivation. Other than having some basic animation and professional-if-traditional page construction, it really didn’t say much at all. I was not sure how to respond. I felt that it at the least needed work before we could publish it, particularly with the great fanfare we had in mind. Honestly, I felt that if it had come from another less-exalted source, I might have passed on it altogether. At the same time, I could not escape the notion that this was the great Steve Ditko and I was some green kid in San Diego who hadn’t ever published or edited much of anything. Was I missing something? Were Mr. Ditko and I supposed to hash it out and develop him together? Were we to “hang some clothes on him,” as it were? Or was this it? If it was with trepidation that I telephoned Ditko the first time, I was really nervous now. My first discovery was that, yes, this is actually what he thought would be good. His intention was to give us Stickman as presented. I then asked him questions about Stickman: who was he and where did he come from, how did he get this way, did he have any particular powers, did he ever change back into someone else, and what exactly was it that Stickman was doing in this story, anyhow? Ditko fell silent for a moment, and replied, “Hmmm… that kind of stuff is ‘legends.’ Legends are a lot of work.” Now what to do? A possible solution came popping to mind from who-knows-where. Grasping at this straw I saw passing in the wind, I put forward: “Well, that is all understood, Mr. Ditko, but there is still a problem. Cartoonist R. Crumb has already published a short strip called ‘Stickman,’ I think, in Despair Comics, and he has copyrighted the name already. He got ripped off a lot with ‘Keep On Truckin’,’ and he is extra careful to copyright all his work now. I think the character Stickman is already taken.” This one worked. We agreed that it was unfortunate, but noted that this kind of thing sometimes happens. Mr. Ditko said he would re-work the character some, and he would re-submit. This he did, and the result was the Missing Man. This first five-page teaser story appeared as a backup in Captain Victory #6.

A Ditko Rarity Courtesy of David Scroggy, a glimpse at Steve Ditko’s original Pacific submission, Stickman. © Steve Ditko.

We then created a title for the Missing Man called Pacific Presents, and commissioned three new stories from Mr. Ditko. Titling the book this way provided us an out, we thought, since if we did not continue the Missing Man after these first few stories were published, we could replace it in what would by then be an ongoing title, one that wasn’t character-specific. Pacific Presents also gave us the opportunity to pair the Ditko material with a new strip—The Rocketeer. We had known Dave Stevens from working together on Comic-Con. Dave was a San Diego local, and had not as yet broken into the field professionally. Even so, all who saw his art, whether they were in the business or not, were immediately bowled over. You could say the kid had talent. We approached Dave and asked him to come up with something for the new line. It would put Dave out there as an artist, and he would own the copyright. Dave was a huge fan of all the vintage pulp-and-serial adventure material. He came back to Pacific with an interpretation of Rocket Man, from the old Commando Cody serials of the early 1950s. We all thought it was probably in the public domain, and therefore fair game for us to publish, but we didn’t know for sure. Even though the licensing field as a whole was in a much less advanced state than it is today, even a clueless bunch like us had a strong inkling that if you used someone else’s intellectual property, without asking permission or paying them, you could get into trouble. Whatever were we to do? In a response similar to Ditko’s when confronted with R. Crumb’s Stickman strip, Dave said he would re-work the premise, changing it enough that we wouldn’t get sued. He returned with The Rocketeer. One of my great personal joys from my time at Pacific Comics was holding this work in my hands, and imagining the surprise and delight of collectors and fans when they first saw it. I didn’t know much (still don’t), but I knew this was one of the best comics I had ever seen. The pace of activity at Pacific Comics was frenetic. We were still trying to juggle the distribution business while focusing on the publishing side. There was an explosion of business growth and the market was changing rapidly in many ways. The company was challenged into making the transition from a “family” structure to a more “corporate” structure. The need for a more defined company structure was dictated by various factors: adding many employees, 1980s Independents Issue •

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Double Feature Pacific Presents #1 (Oct. 1982), premiering Dave Stevens’ Rocketeer and Steve Ditko’s Missing Man. The Rocketeer TM & © The Rocketeer Trust. The Missing Man TM & © Steve Ditko.

ramping up on all sorts of equipment, and expanding warehouse and editorial space. Pacific Comics was reaching a new level of finance and cash flow that called for a grasp of accounting expertise and business-planning skill that we didn’t always have. As comic shops continued to grow, new product lines were tried on the distribution side: role-playing games, the pewter figures that accessorized them, science fiction and fantasy paperbacks, imports of Japanese animethemed art books. I even once bought a slew of electric Frisbees, and we tried to wholesale them to the retailers. Some of them worked and several did not. I am personally still mystified as to why those dang Frisbees never found their audience—they were really cool. But distributors of any sort survive on very thin profit margins, and as unsold merchandise began to accumulate on a large scale, the cash flow tightened, becoming negative. It became harder and harder to separate the inflow and outflow of money. Revenue from distribution sometimes went to pay for printing; publishing money went somewhere, I suppose. Marvel and DC were not happy to see a specialty distributor of theirs use the revenue generated from distribution of their books to finance a competing comics line, often using their best talents to do so. As soon as the distribution side fell behind on payments, they were quick to tighten the screws and cut off the supply of new titles. A comics distributor does not last long without the new books. At the same time, several other upstart publishers came forward, all embracing some version of the basic Pacific Comics model, at least as far as creative talent compensation is concerned. This was the advent of Eclipse, First Comics, Capital City, and several others. Simultaneously, Marvel started to aggressively publish high-priced reprints of many of their most in-demand backlist series, for example The X-Men, which further diluted the sales for independents like Pacific. If these market forces were leading to a collapse at Pacific Comics, you wouldn’t know it from the number of great artists and writers knocking on the doors. I might get to work with a venerated old-timer like Gray Morrow or John Severin. Wow. Or have a chat with Alex Toth or Will Eisner. The latter two conversations did not result in publishing projects with Pacific, but did open the door to a personal relationship that I was able to expand upon, to my immense satisfaction. At the same time, it was thrilling to meet and give an initial opportunity to several then-unknown talents who fulfilled their potential and became greats themselves. These, I think, are perhaps my most treasured memories of the Pacific Comics days. I had the opportunity to meet and give early work to artists like Paul Chadwick, who I had approached interested in his fantasy painting work, never suspecting he had always wanted to do comics. I had seen his cover art at a science-fiction convention in Arizona. I couldn’t find the artist anywhere, so I stuck a business card behind one of the paintings with a message to call me scribbled on the back. 48 • BACK ISSUE • 1980s Independents Issue

He did, and later drove down from Los Angeles to San Diego to meet. He had a number of proposals. I was reluctant to hand a whole title over to a new talent, even one as polished as this, so I suggested he do art for a new series written and inked by others. The thought was that this would help establish Chadwick in comics, and he could follow up with his own book. He agreed. The project we came up with was titled Salimba. Character and script were by the late Steve Perry, best known today for his writing on ThunderCats animated television shows and comics. We had several wide-ranging conversations on the details, which by the way was the first time in my adult life I found myself seriously examining the finer points of zombie gorillas. I wanted to engaged a top inking talent of the day, the consummate pro Tom Palmer. For me, it was the most extensive editorial coordination I had engaged in, and I tried to become a bridge between the writer, penciler, inker, and letterer. Although that creative bridge was a mite rickety, this work was completed, intended for Pacific Presents. It failed to see print under the Pacific imprint, but finally saw the light of day as a book published by Steve Schanes’ post-Pacific imprint Blackthorne. I recall a small convention in Los Angeles, where a tall fellow with a HUGE portfolio asked to present it at the end of what for me had been a long afternoon behind a dealer’s table in a hotel function room. The bigger and fatter the portfolio, the less impressive the work, right? Grumpily, I agreed to take a look, expecting some bad Conan art or similar, and was instead rewarded with my first exposure to Geof Darrow. After I picked my jaw up off the floor, I asked if we could please publish something. Anything. We got the first installment of Bourbon Thret. Or getting a call at the office from some British chap visiting the area, who insisted he had something for us we would like, and winding up with Brendan McCarthy and Freakwave. All of us meeting a young artist at a Comic-Con, being dazzled and offering immediate work, and sadly finding Marvel had beat us to him. Bruce Jones got him to squeeze in a two-pager for the upcoming ThreeDimensional Alien Worlds, so Pacific can still claim publishing the first widely read Art Adams story. I could go on, but I’m sure you will get the idea. Like all skyrocket trajectories, arc of Pacific Comics went fast, and landed with both a long fizzle and a loud thud. But my, did it ever burn hot and bright; and those dazzling sparks it made were every color of the rainbow. Everyone went “oooohhh.” While short-lived, it is fair to say that Pacific Comics changed the comic-book industry forever. Many of the elements they introduced: creator ownership, royalty payments, more considered packaging, direct-sales distribution— these were not present before in comics, but are still with us today. Pacific had a rather hopeful tagline on logos on many of the first books: “For the NEW Era in Comics.” Do you know what? It was. DAVID SCROGGY is currently the vice president of product development at Dark Horse Comics in Milwaukie, Oregon.

Alex

LITTLE PUSHES Concrete TM & © Paul Chadwick.

By almost any measure, 1986 was a landmark year in the comics industry. Led by comic books like Cerebus and Love and Rockets and alternative comics publishers such as Fantagraphics and Kitchen Sink, a black-andwhite comics revolution had been building gradually throughout the 1980s. This growth led to a veritable black-and-white boom after Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was published in 1984. Even the “Big Two” publishers— Marvel and DC—were trying to adapt to a marketplace that had been dramatically changed by the direct-market sales model. Marvel’s Epic imprint, launched in 1982, allowed creators to experiment with nontraditional, mature stories beyond the confines of superheroes. DC began hiring British talent to revitalize some of its obscure properties (Swamp Thing) and create original content (Camelot 3000) before letting established writers and artists experiment with new ideas (Ronin) and completely remake their superhero universe (Crisis on Infinite Earths). All of these developments came to a head in 1986— a pivotal year that saw the publication of Batman: Boney The Dark Knight Returns, Watchmen, The Man of Steel, Marvel’s New Universe imprint, the Superman epic Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?, and new Alan Moore Miracleman stories from Eclipse. Nineteeneighty-six wasn’t just a banner year for superhero comics, though. It was the year that Pantheon published the first collection of Art Spiegelman’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Maus. And it was also the year that publisher Mike Richardson founded Dark Horse Comics and launched the anthology series Dark Horse Presents. The breakout feature of DHP, Paul Chadwick’s “Concrete,” presented the story of a former political speechwriter who finds himself trapped in a huge, stone body imbued with superhuman abilities. The premise makes “Concrete” sound like a superhero story—a black-and-white twist on the Fantastic Four’s Ben Grimm—but it was actually a character study about a man trying to figure out who he was and how he fit into a world full of new possibilities. It was a book paul chadwick about quiet moments and ordinary Photo by Joshin Yamada. problems and contemplation. It tackled social issues such as conservation, overpopulation, and celebrity. At a time when new genres were being created and existing genres were being dramatically reimagined, Concrete still managed to stand out as an important book very much in and of its time. Although Chadwick is best known for his work on Concrete, he got his professional start as a storyboard illustrator. After graduating from Art Center College of Design in California, Chadwick did storyboard work on projects such as Strange Brew, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor. In 1985, he was hired by Marvel to illustrate writer Archie Goodwin’s brief run on Dazzler. When Chadwick started working in the comics industry, he began to tease out and develop an original concept of his own.

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Brief Stay in the House of Ideas Two original art examples of Paul Chadwick art (with inks by Jackson Guice) from Archie Goodwin’s brief stint on Dazzler: (left) page 17 of issue #38 (July 1985), featuring an X-Men appearance, and (right) cover art for the title’s penultimate issue, #41. Courtesy of Heritage Comics Auctions (www.ha.com). TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

Chadwick originally planned Concrete to be a kids of military personnel stationed at Guantanamo in standalone series. While he was putting together a the ’60s. A couple of young teens murder a girl. It was formal proposal for the book, Mike Richardson offered grim and tragic, not escapist fun, and too full of to publish a short story in Dark Horse Presents, an specific detail not to be something the author must anthology comic with which he was launching his have seen unfold when he was a kid there at the time. new company. Chadwick initially didn’t want to work Not exactly commercial fare. in the short-story format, but he changed his mind “They let you do things your way. Concrete had and began contributing stories regularly to DHP been accepted by Epic, too, but something made (which was published bimonthly). me hesitate,” Chadwick admits. “I was intent In the editorial column for Dark Horse on starting each issue of Concrete with a Presents #1, editor Randy Stradley said paragraph entitled ‘For the New Reader.’ that Dark Horse’s mission was to create Just that phrase lets you know that “an atmosphere where an artist, or a you’ll be up to speed, not confusedly group of artists, can feel free to stumbling into an ongoing story experiment; to push at their own without knowing the significance boundaries—and at the boundaries of things. But Archie Goodwin, of the comics medium.” In a sense, bless his soul, said, ‘We’ll show you this proved to be the case for how to incorporate that into the Chadwick: “In a couple of ways I dialogue at the beginning of the remember, that was true,” Chadwick story.’ That’s how Marvel did it, and says. “First was their flagship book, it worked well for them. But I didn’t Dark Horse Presents, which functioned want to do it that way. And I wanted mike richardson as a tryout venue for series that might to do back covers for the comic, later have their own book. It was a not have ads there. Things like great discipline to do an eight-page story about your that. It was all okay with Dark Horse. character. It shook you out of the start-with-the-origin “Mike Richardson has a creator-friendly mindset rut. It was also a home for arty and offbeat stories that generally, in part I think because that might’ve been otherwise weren’t very marketable. I remember a strip his path if he hadn’t been so talented as a businessman. that Eric Shanower drew—a period crime story about His earliest dream was to have a comic-book store

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with his drawing table in the back, where he’d be doing illustrations for children’s books. He wasn’t a bad amateur artist in the early days. But his stores, then his publishing company, then his film production company, all became roaring locomotives he had to properly stoke. He’s managed to write some projects— I’m collaborating on one at the moment—but in some ways he’s a frustrated comics creator at heart. I think it draws him back from the world of money people that’s constantly pulling at him—back to what he loved when he was young. Maybe I’m overstating it, but it seems like he identifies more with comics artists and writers than with builders of business empires.” Dark Horse was a natural and artistically successful fit for Chadwick, and Concrete was an instant hit for Dark Horse. The story began gathering critical acclaim quickly, which was pretty overwhelming given Chadwick’s relatively recent entry into the field. “I was pretty easily intimidated, with my self-esteem issues,” Chadwick recalls. “I felt like a real outsider until I started to get work. In my late-night fantasies, I envisioned myself as a major voice, but that would evaporate the minute I stepped into a con or a comics store. Amid this farrago of colorful, fervid creativity, how could I ever make an impact? When the good reviews and awards came, it meant a hell of a lot. I was part of the tribe. [DC Comics editorial director] Dick Giordano bought me lunch. The Comics Journal interviewed me. It was better than I could have hoped. “It was a pretty heady time,” he continues. “Things changed month to month. DC especially seemed to be actively upping its game with new formats, imprints, and approaches (Marvel less so; everything they touched was gold already). The Ninja Turtles phenomenon made it seem anything was possible. And we owe it all to Phil Seuling, the Schanes brothers, and the others who set up direct distribution, and all the guys who started comics shops on a thousand bucks and a prayer. It created a market for the comics hobbyist, who really appreciated the potential of the form, and was ready to embrace more sophistication.”

BURNING BRIGHTLY, BRIGHTLY… Critical acclaim began to roll in quickly for Concrete. DHP #2 featured a letter from science-fiction luminary Harlan Ellison, who labeled the Concrete story “delight incarnate.” Ellison’s letter also pointed to one of most unconventional aspects of Concrete’s launch: “One question: have I missed an origin story that will tell me how Concrete got that way?” Chadwick actually chose to begin Concrete’s story in medias res, rather than going the traditional route of fleshing out his origin in an introductory issue. He introduced all of the crucial characters and settings in the first few Concrete stories, but he would wait some time before he revealed how Ron came to inhabit his giant concrete body. While Concrete’s origin story wouldn’t be told for a year, his superhuman abilities were revealed relatively early. Concrete’s body grants him increased durability, endurance, and stamina (nearly to the point of invulnerability). He also has enhanced (microscopic and telescopic) eyesight, strength, and an ability to leap long distances. He weighs 1,200 pounds, has an extremely high body temperature, and he eats rocks, which become part of his skin. 1980s Independents Issue •

Curling Up with a Good Book (left) From Heritage’s archives, a Chadwick illo from Concrete’s second year, 1987. (right) Courtesy of Paul Chadwick, a series of Concrete roughs. Concrete TM & © Paul Chadwick.

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Keeping on Track A rarity from Paul Chadwick’s files: from January 13, 1987, Paul’s hand-printed production and promotional schedule for Concrete. Note his enthusiastic star and burst around the release of Concrete #1! © 1987 Paul Chadwick.

Concrete isn’t just defined by his unusual physiology, though. Ron experiences difficult circumstances because he’s different, but he’s not primarily treated as a tragic figure. He’s actually excited by many of the possibilities his body offers him. His life has changed in a big way now that he has a superhuman body, and he’s trying to figure out how he fits into the world now. Concrete stories do feature sad moments and many instances of defeat, but Concrete doesn’t seem to dwell on them for very long. “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,” the Concrete story from DHP #1 (July 1986), opens with Concrete reading through fan letters with his assistant, Larry Munro. Concrete’s fans are writing him suggestions about what he should do with his power, and Concrete finally settles on visiting a child’s birthday party. When it becomes clear that the child’s mother can’t pay him for his appearance, he stays and has fun with the kids. But when he leaves, he hoists a car on top of the family’s garage. It’s not a particularly malicious act; it’s funny in the context of the story. But it also hints that (at least at the beginning of his celebrity life) his motives are not entirely altruistic. In general, Concrete is a book that’s less concerned with how the main character came to be who he is and more about what he’s supposed to do with the life that still lies in front of him. It’s about finding purpose and clarity. When pressed on what “big picture” questions guide Concrete, though, even Chadwick isn’t entirely sure: “This is the kind of question I usually fumble. I probably don’t have the self-awareness to answer this definitively, but that’s not such a bad thing. A dancer shouldn’t be thinking about the point of the ballet when pirouetting. What strikes me now about that letter-reading scene is it’s an instance of crowd-sourcing, which is how so much of value is created on the Internet. And I’ve gotten information from letters and people at conventions responding to stories I’ve done, filling me in on things I could kick myself for not knowing when I first did the stories. Ten thousand heads are better than one. “Basically, Concrete is me mulling over what I might do if I wasn’t susceptible to harm, had nearly no needs and therefore few monetary responsibilities, wasn’t afraid of so many things, and wasn’t distracted by sex. At least it started that way. The logic of the stories and reactions to my own life (notably, becoming a father before The Human Dilemma) probably pulled me off the original track, but so be it. And 52 • BACK ISSUE • 1980s Independents Issue

sex is hardly an issue that Concrete has put to rest, needless to say. “If I’m circling this question, maybe it’s because I don’t know. The creative process is mysterious, not linear. I try to create particular moods, scratch psychic itches, and finger psychic wounds, evoke the qualities of a moment. A critic reading my stories can probably better locate my pole star than I could.” The first few DHP stories don’t follow any clear pattern, but each eight-page vignette offers a glimpse into Concrete’s unusual reality. “Under the Desert Stars” (from DHP #2) follows Concrete on a walk across the desert—a physical and philosophical experiment from which Ron gathers material that he might be able to use in his travel writings. In “The Four-Wheeled Sleeping Pill” (from DHP #3), Concrete is hit by a car and falls into a sort of coma. The biologist assigned to study Concrete, Dr. Maureen Vonnegut (no relation to Kurt Vonnegut—a running gag), has to extract Ron from the scene without drawing too much unwanted attention. “The Gray Embrace” (from DHP #4) offers perhaps the earliest hint of what Concrete would grow to be in the coming years. Ron goes to hang out at a beach, but he’s treated as an oddity/novelty and soon realizes just how alone he is. When he goes walking under the water and looks up at someone surfing on the surface above, he muses, “This is my life … the unseen observer of those really living life.” Ron wrestles and kills a shark to save the surfers, but he’s ostracized again once the surfers realize that he had been grabbing their boards from under them earlier. He can’t win for losing. According to Chadwick, this early story sets up a big part of the detachment that underlies the rest of Concrete’s life: “The ‘those really living life’ line comes from a youthful sense of inferiority. I vividly remember illustrator Chris Consani, an art school colleague, talking one time in the lunchroom. He described a car crashing, the drugaddled driver getting out and pulling a knife, attacking Chris. They struggled hand-to-hand until Chris extracted himself. ‘Like an episode of Mannix,’ as Chris put it. I had the strangest reaction: ‘Gee, nothing that real has ever happened to me. What a daft reason to feel sorry for yourself!’ That’s how bad off I was. So Concrete’s thought then was coming from that place of deep alienation. “Of course, Concrete has much better reasons to feel alienated than I ever did. He’s in an alien body, for one.”

A STONE AMONG STONES In March 1987, just a month after the publication of Concrete’s fifth short story in DHP #5, Dark Horse launched an ongoing Concrete series. Concrete #1 provided fuller introductions for Concrete’s supporting cast and a clearer sense of Ron’s purpose. When Larry visits Concrete’s Eagle Rock, California, warehouse headquarters, Concrete explains, “My needs are obvious, Larry. These huge fingers can’t type. And I need help with everyday things … driving, getting tickets, and so forth. This body is an opportunity, too, though I mean to use it—to mount expeditions, to dare great things … and earn my way by writing about them. I was a writer before I … came to my present condition.” Despite his aspirations, Concrete has become a commercial celebrity of sorts. He endorses products in advertisements and makes the rounds on the talk-show circuit. Later in Concrete #1, Ron travels to Kentucky to save some trapped coal miners. True to his political origins, he’s angling for a photo op to increase his brand image and earn the public’s trust. Things go rather sideways, though, and the Concrete crew returns home without much to show for their efforts. Throughout 1987 and 1988, Chadwick continued to contribute stories to Dark Horse Presents while pushing ahead with his Concrete series. Because both books were published bimonthly, Dark Horse was able to have new Concrete material on shelves nearly every month. The DHP stories offered quick, more introspective stories while the longer-format stories in the main series fleshed out the structure of Concrete’s life. In Concrete #2, Ron attempts to swim the Atlantic Ocean. Things go wrong and the quest falls apart (as they generally do in Concrete stories), but the adventure sets the stage for Concrete’s origin story in Concrete #3 and 4. Still a political writer for Senator Mark Douglas and still depressed from a recent divorce, Ron Lithgow goes on a mountain hiking trip with friend Michael Maynard. The two men are kidnapped by aliens, who transplant their brains into new, large stone bodies. Ron escapes, but Michael elects to stay behind with the aliens, who blast off from the mountain into space. After Ron returns from the mountain, the National Science Agency begins to experiment on him in an attempt to discover exactly what he has become. To give him the freedom to move about in society, government officials concoct a cover story that Concrete is the result of government experiments in cyborg creation. Concrete #4 ends with Concrete being mercilessly lampooned by a comedian on [TV’s Late Night with David] Letterman, which sets the tone for his love/hate relationship with the media and his underlying quest for greater meaning. Layers of symbolism that had been part of Concrete’s story since the beginning became apparent once the origin story was complete. Concrete’s enhanced eyesight, for example, became important because he was now able to see everything around him on a microscopic level. This kind of amplified worldview changed the way Ron reacted to political causes in later stories. For Chadwick, this was part of microcrafed storytelling: “It’s standard, and good, writing advice, to insert a few telling details to set a scene or sketch a

character. I learned that early on, perhaps most vividly from my favorite writing book, Jerome Stern’s Making Shapely Fiction. He doesn’t go on about it, but every one of his examples seems to have a few pithy, wellobserved details. Great teacher; died too young. “Concrete’s acute vision is personal wish-fulfillment. I’ve been myopic and astigmatic since the age of seven. A couple of years ago I had cataract surgery, an acrylic lens implanted in one eye. For the first time ever, I saw the details of the face of the moon crisply. It was a moment of wonder.” The origin story in Concrete #3–4 answered some of the big questions surrounding Concrete’s beginnings, but some readers questioned the need to tell the origin at all. In particular, Harlan Ellison weighed in on the origin in a letter published in Concrete #3 after telling an old joke about moose turd pies: “I am not

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That Sinking Feeling Chadwick’s 1988 alternate take on his memorable Concrete #2 cover (inset). Of course, this issue’s BI cover is yet another variation! Concrete TM & © Paul Chadwick.

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Secret Origins (top) Paul originally had a busier cover montage in mind for Concrete #4 (Oct. 1987). (bottom) That issue’s original cover art. Both courtesy of Mr. Chadwick. Concrete TM & © Paul Chadwick.

even vaguely suggesting that the Concrete story was a moose turd pie…. If you, Paul, had to do an origin story—rather than denying all your own artistic instincts just to please some galoot [in this case, Ellison himself] who has a helluva lot of nerve telling you his desires are more urgent than your own— be assured the it is a wonderful origin story.” After Concrete’s origin was wrapped, the series began digging deeper into social issues. Concrete #5 explores the pitfalls of celebrity culture, while Concrete #6 finds Ron and Larry traveling to a family farm to help a family save their homestead after a farmer’s untimely death. Concrete discovers that the husband/father was a horribly abusive man—so abusive that one of his children actually kills him to prevent further violence. The story raises the issue of justifiable homicide, as Concrete leaves the farm without reporting the murder to the authorities. In an ironic turn for a black-and-white comic book, the story saw an erosion of black-and-white morality and pointed toward the type of moral complexity that would define most Concrete stories moving forward. Concrete #6 also introduced a recurring member of Concrete’s supporting cast. The family lets Ron take a three-legged dog named Tripod home with him, and Tripod becomes a sort of sidekick when Ron is hanging out in his California warehouse.

THE ARTISTIC IMPULSE Chadwick continued to explore complicated human dilemmas as the ongoing Concrete series unfolded. In Concrete #7 (“A Remarkable Life,” Apr. 1988), Larry directly addresses Ron’s apparent fixation on erotic art: “Ron, I wanted to ask you … I hesitate to bring this up … but don’t you think it’s rather, well, revelatory to surround yourself with blatantly erotic art?” Concrete basically sidesteps Larry’s question in his response: “Now just what is that supposed to mean? The female form has fascinated artists for centuries! It’s inspired some of our most deeply felt art! What’s wrong with that? Every collector specializes! Why can’t I?” Larry probes into Ron’s unconscious (and unfulfillable) desires, but Ron isn’t fully aware of what’s driving him. Or he doesn’t want to admit it. Either way, Concrete is trapped in a body that’s incapable of acting on what his brain knows to be sexual desire. This creates much of the tension that exists between Ron and Maureen in many Concrete stories. Early on, Ron developed a nonprofessional crush on Maureen that apparently couldn’t be pursued in a physical way. Ron’s frustrations probably couldn’t have been as effectively conveyed if Chadwick hadn’t kept using thought balloons even after they fell out of fashion in the late 1980s. But for the type of story he was telling, they continued to be useful. One of the most obvious symbols in Concrete is found in the protagonist’s name. Ron is a guy made of concrete who can’t really feel much externally, but he experiences a great deal of emotion (joy, disaffection, elation, defeat) internally. It’s a striking visual and thematic contrast, and it works primarily because Chadwick is able to use interior monologue. “When I read prose or essays with a candid, intimate voice, either from the author or a viewpoint character, it makes me feel less alone,” Chadwick says. “I was influenced by John D. MacDonald’s Travis McGee books, wherein his two-fisted hero does a great deal of reflection on men and women, the despoliation of Florida, the small, cruel ways humans hurt each other in their jostling for power, and many other things. I loved that voice, and Kurt Vonnegut’s arch, ingratiating voice, and Loren Eiseley’s lyrical, learned, melancholy voice. Concrete fills up a lot of thought balloons in my attempt to create that kind of intimacy. Incidentally, I notice thought balloons have mostly gone out of fashion; it was happening even when I started out. Concrete and Garfield are their last stand, maybe. It’s one of the ways comics have become more like movies, and less like other sorts of literature.” One of the most complex and introspective stories of Concrete’s initial series came in Concrete #9 (Sept. 1988)—a

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story in which Ron travels to Nepal and attempts to climb Mount Everest by himself. The climb is scattered with flashbacks and memories, as Ron copes with a variety of dangerous mishaps by retreating inward: “The earth just seems to want to gather me in, again and again. I suppose I must face that the dominant force shaping my destiny is a basic one … simple gravity. Strange to think of being encased in this ice, slowly being ground to pebbles and bits of frozen gore.” It’s a standout story in a standout series—a poetry of image and narration as Ron emerges from an avalanche with a series of existential questions: “Why is it … why must life be smaller and meaner as we grow older; fewer options, more dread, duty, loss? Is maturity just disillusionment? Is wisdom only surrender to the truth that dreams and joy die young?” Concrete’s disappointment and frustration at his failed adventures are made more powerful and poignant by the fact that his body is now superpowered. He’s been attempting to initiate and document grand adventures he could never have dreamed possible when he was merely Ron Lithgow, but even now he can’t get them right. The ongoing Concrete series ended with Concrete #10 (Nov. 1988), but not before Chadwick began to garner critical acclaim for his storytelling. Chadwick was well regarded not just for his writing, but for his clean visual linework that employed interesting perspectives, panel compositions, and page layouts. He wasn’t just a writer or just an artist; he was a cartoonist that was moving the comics medium forward as an art form. His efforts were formally acknowledged in 1988 when he won Eisner Awards for Best Continuing Series, Best Black and White Series, and Best New Series. The

next year, he won Eisners again for Best Continuing Series and Best Black and White Series, as well as winning the Best Writer/Artist award. One of the reasons why Concrete stood apart from many of its contemporaries (even those in DHP) was because it wasn’t an action book. It’s a book full of pauses and moments and deliberation, and it found the right audience at the right time through Dark Horse. Chadwick was working against the grain in a medium that had historically been a home for superheroes, and it was working. “I never considered doing it differently,” Chadwick reflects. “Maybe I was just in my dreamy bubble. If I’d had trouble selling it, I might’ve questioned my approach. But there was interest from eight publishers; things were already opening up. Concrete wasn’t typical, maybe, but it also wasn’t radical. It was just a slightly subversive take on the superhero without falling into parody. I suppose you could call it a twist on Stan Lee’s superheroes-with-personal-problems formula where the personal problems almost entirely take over the stories.” After the first Concrete series concluded, Chadwick’s output began to slow a bit. Dark Horse published a few new one-shot stories and repackaged older stories in the next couple years, which continued to keep Chadwick and his character on the radar until the next series was ready to see print. Concrete Color Special (Feb. 1989), the first Concrete story published in color, followed Concrete to Vermont, where two performance artists stage an alien invasion to make a fool of Ron. The special was essentially an extended DHP short, which Chadwick later called “creatively and technically a wearying disappointment.”

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Simplification From Paul Chadwick’s files, (left) the artist’s layouts and rough script for the splash page of Concrete #4, and (right) the streamlined final version. Concrete TM & © Paul Chadwick.

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More successful, perhaps, was Concrete: Land and Sea (Feb. 1989)— a reprint of Concrete #1–2 that added pages to the original stories, including a single page from “The Trans-Atlantic Swim” that contained 150 individually drawn panels. Even Chadwick wondered if he was breaking some new ground with the added material: “There’s a page depicting Concrete swimming in this issue with a great many panels in it. A gimmick, perhaps, but I hope an enjoyable one. No Xeroxes here; they’re all drawn. Is this a record? Something tells me George Pérez has probably surpassed this, undoubtedly with five or six figures in each panel. But I’ll bet there’s somebody out there who can say for sure.” A year after publishing Land and Sea, Dark Horse repackaged Chadwick’s Concrete stories from DHP in Concrete: Complete Short Stories 1986–1989. Chadwick’s next major original work came with Concrete Celebrates Earth Day in 1990. The single-issue story served as an artistic platform for Chadwick’s deepening interest in environmental and conservationist issues. The lead story features Concrete practicing an Earth Day speech in which he attempts to link environmentalism with patriotism. The special was rounded out with contributions by Charles Vess (who painted images to complement passages by Henry David Thoreau) and Jean Giraud (Moebius), and it went on to earn the 1991 Eisner Award for Best Single Issue/Single Story.

FRAGILE CREATURE After the one-shots, Chadwick shifted to a short-story format that was more creatively manageable. The next full-length Concrete story, a four-issue miniseries titled Concrete: Fragile Creature, arrived in 1991. Fragile Creature opens with Ron facing a series of practical, mundane concerns like finances and debt. The warehouse mortgage, Larry’s salary, and constant upkeep on a truck that continues to take a beating due to his physiology have Concrete looking for a source of income more steady than his travel writing. When he’s offered a chance to be a stunt actor in a major Hollywood film production, Concrete accepts out of financial necessity. The film is called Rulers of the Omniverse (a thinly veiled nod to Masters of the Universe) and stars an actor named “Wulf Hultgren” (a play on Dolph Lundgren, star of the 1987 Masters of the Universe film). Fragile Creature, which played out as a mystery story that pulled both Ron and Maureen into a series of minidisasters, was drawn largely from Chadwick’s work as a production designer for the 1989 film After Midnight: “I

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was a storyboard artist in Hollywood before doing Concrete,” Chadwick explains, “so it was in my face a lot. I remember riding with comedian Dave Thomas, when working on the Bob and Doug McKenzie movie, Strange Brew. He had this baseball bat-like cudgel (beautifully decorated, oddly enough) on the floor under his driver’s seat, just in case he needed it. It was an intimation that celebrity was not an unmixed blessing. “But it didn’t take a showbiz job to impress on me that celebrity was one issue Concrete would have to deal with head-on. Our society is absolutely crazed about fame and image. And Concrete couldn’t help but become the world’s most famous freak; and indeed, it was part of his bookwriting plan. I suppose it’s the herd instincts we picked up, living tribally for most of our evolutionary history, colliding with mass media. Always trying to figure out who’s the Alpha dog. Personally, I’m embarrassed how often celebrities turn up in my dreams. What, I don’t have enough significant people in my own life to dream about? I need movie stars?” After Fragile Creature, it would be several years until Chadwick produced another Concrete series. In the meantime, he contributed a couple stories to Dark Horse Presents and a story to San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2 (1993). The story he contributed to Dark Horse Presents #66 (“Byrdland’s Secret”) was a particularly personal one for Chadwick. In the short story, Concrete and Larry visit an eclectic sci-fi writer’s home. The writer is a collector of strange pop-culture ephemera, and Concrete is struck by the realization that he should be doing more with his life than he is. At the end of the story, Ron returns to his warehouse, walks outside, and helps a couple neighborhood kids construct a fort. “Byrdland’s Secret” worked both as an artistic and a personal story—especially in retrospect. “I was trying to provide myself with the same sort of comfort,” Chadwick reflects. “It doesn’t last. I’m still not at peace with this. I think I’ve been a pretty good husband and father, but I should’ve gone further professionally, with my advantages— parents supportive of my career, good art school education, a great foothold in the movie business, an award-winning book within a couple of years of entering the field. But I didn’t have the singlemindedness of a Sim or Smith or Sakai. I should’ve worked harder in my middle years, I feel. “Not that I’m done. In fact, I hope I’m more remembered for the things I do in the next 20 years than what I’ve done so far. Patrick O’Brian is my hero in that way. But vision dims, fine muscle control diminishes, stamina wanes. I suspect I’ve drawn my best drawings already. But my best writing is ahead, I hope. “That said, the only possible reaction to visiting Harlan Ellison’s house, which this story was a reaction to, is a humbling. It’s a crazy shrine to his career, his enthusiasms, his outsized personality, to everything he’s ever loved from age six onward. But then you think, on the way home, as Concrete does, that’s okay. Your life and the ways you spend it are worthwhile, too.

“There’s a subtext to that story. The kid Concrete helps in the end is named Jeffty. Harlan’s awardwinning story “Jeffty is Five,” about a childhood friend the narrator visits every ten years or so, but who remains a child always, struck me as a piece of self-knowledge on Harlan’s part. No matter how beaten down by life, he seems to be able to go back to that mental space where the world is full of wonder and opportunity. Me, I can’t often work up that enthusiasm.”

LEGEND The next Concrete miniseries arrived in 1994—the year that saw the launch of Dark Horse’s Legend imprint. In effect, Legend was Dark Horse’s answer to DC’s Vertigo imprint and the emergence of Image Comics as a major force in the comics industry. Legend was an attempt to gather and give a cohesive identity to many of the high-profile creators that Dark Horse had attracted with its creator-owned focus. The imprint featured Mike Mignola’s Hellboy, John Byrne’s Next Men, Frank Miller’s Sin City, Art Adams’ Monkeyman and O’Brien, and Mike Allred’s Madmen. Chadwick found himself in good company, but the success of Legend would depend on a steady creative output and a continued upward financial trajectory of the early-’90s comics boom. Time would reveal that neither of these factors would bear out, and the imprint only lasted for four years. The “Legend” title was a bold one, and it made Chadwick a bit uncomfortable. As he explained in the Author’s Forum in Killer Smile #1, “Why the name?

‘The most pretentious thing we could think of,’ joked John Byrne when he first told me about it. The Comics Journal referred to us as ‘self-proclaimed legends’ in a news headline, and I suppose we deserve all the ribbing we get. But we’re not the legends—the stories are. At least that’s the idea. We’re telling stories about, for the most part, larger-than-life characters; in essence, we’re concocting legends in the tradition of storytelling about gods and heroes going back to prehistory. How’s that for pretension?” Killer Smile proved to be a different sort of Concrete story—one clearly conceived in the context of Chadwick’s contemporaries. It was a straightforward action/adventure story that featured not Concrete, but Larry. Larry is kidnapped by a man and a woman who have begun a death-wish, violent rampage. As is always the case with Concrete stories, though, Killer Smile digs deeper than the traditional action story. Chadwick provides characterization and backstories not just for Larry, but also for his kidnappers. Both Rick and Kyra are shown to be products of abuse and abandonment, and their rampage is the culmination of years of pent-up frustration. Chadwick’s story is an attempt to dig deeper and search for the “why” of people, their individual circumstances, and their actions. In the two years after Killer Smile, Dark Horse published two Concrete stories. The first was part of a five-issue celebration of Dark Horse Presents’ 100th issue. “The Artistic Impulse” (in DHP #100.3) featured the return of Andre, the kid whose birthday party Concrete 1980s Independents Issue •

Legendary Pictures From Concrete’s stint as part of Dark Horse’s short-lived “Legends” imprint: (left) Cover to Concrete: Killer Smile #1 (July 1994) and (right) an interior page from issue #2. Words and pictures by Paul Chadwick, color art by Elizabeth Chadwick. Concrete TM & © Paul Chadwick.

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THINK LIKE A MOUNTAIN

Concrete’s Best Friend (left) A 1993 Chadwick Concrete and Tripod sketch, from Heritage. (right) Geof Darrow, the Deacon of Detail, provided the cover art for 1996’s Concrete: Think Like a Mountain miniseries. Concrete TM & © Paul Chadwick.

attended way back in DHP #1. Andre is in a band looking for a place to shoot their first video, and they ask Concrete to use his warehouse for the filming. Concrete meets a girl at the video shoot and pretends to be an artist to impress her and get her to pose naked. The story may have only been 14 pages, but it delved deeply into both Concrete’s obsession with erotica and his deepening sexual (or asexual) insecurities. In 1996, Dark Horse collected another batch of Concrete short stories into Concrete: Collected Stories 1990–1995. Mark Verheiden, a longtime friend of Chadwick’s who began writing for Dark Horse in 1987, supplied the introduction for the collection and provided a solid critical appraisal of the story Chadwick had been telling for a decade: “Concrete is ostensibly about a political speech writer who finds himself trapped in a miraculous body of living stone, but the character’s origin is virtually the only fantastic element in the series. In mainstream comic-book terms, Concrete is an anomaly. Despite the character’s physical appearance and great strength, he really isn’t a ‘hero’ in the cape-and-costume sense… Of course, this non-hero modus operandi violates every commercial imperative of mainstream comics, but dammit … comics can be more—much more—than wall-to-wall punch-outs. And this collection of Concrete stories proves the point. The tales herein are less rock ’emsock ’em drama than meditations on our world—on our devastated ecology, on art, loneliness, and the casual caprice of fate—all filtered through the sensibilities of Concrete, whose grotesque condition at once distances him from the world of men (and more importantly for Concrete, women) while perversely bringing him closer to hidden worlds in the sky, the earth, and the sea.”

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Chadwick’s growing concern over the ecology—first manifested directly in DHP #28 and more clearly in Concrete Celebrates Earth Day—found a fuller form in the 1996 miniseries Concrete: Think Like a Mountain, which took Concrete on his first true environmental quest. In Think Like a Mountain, several members of the conservationist group Earth First! recruit Concrete to write about their efforts to protect an old-growth national forest in northern Washington State. At first Concrete declines, suggesting that while he’s sympathetic to their cause, he’s more of a moderate environmentalist and opposes Earth First!’s tactics. He tries to remain passive in the fact of their active quest, but he eventually gets pulled into their tactics as well as their cause. The title of Think Like a Mountain was pulled from the writings of ecologist Aldo Leopold. As Chadwick explained in the Author’s Forum of TLAM #6, the title is “a suggestion that we take the long view, considering what is of value beyond the next fiscal year.” Think Like a Mountain was Chadwick’s most explicitly activist story since Concrete was created. “I was slow to awaken politically,” Chadwick says. “My immediate family wasn’t terribly political (though, ironically, my grandfather ran for the Senate twice). I think reading CoEvolution Quarterly was my biggest influence. It was a de facto continuation of The Whole Earth Catalog. Its utopian ecological bent showed me a particular better world worth pursuing. “That story [which originated in DHP #28] had an entirely nonpolitical genesis. During one of my many drives between home in Bellevue, Washington, and Art School in Pasadena, California, I mused about different ways to experience the forested landscape I passed. Being a vast gliding sheet brushing the treetops, being tubally connected to the vascular systems, being an interpenetrating giant ghost—all those went in my

notebook long before I’d thought of Concrete, or of Maureen (who imagines those things in the story). The larger too-bad-we-only-act-in-crises idea was a way to make it into a story with a point. “Write down every idea. You never know when you might use it.”

STRANGE ARMOR In fact, Chadwick is a creator who continually returns to his stories in an attempt to get them right. In Land and Sea, he returned to Concrete #1–2 and added material to flesh out Concrete’s early adventures. His rationale at the time was understandable. As he wrote in the Note from the Author, “It’s funny, but I’ve always been comfortable with the eight (and sometimes six) pages allotted to me for Concrete’s stories in Dark Horse Presents. Yet for Concrete’s own book, twenty-six or twenty-eight pages has never seemed enough. I’ve always felt pressed to move the story along faster than I’d like. This sometimes leads to a density of event and characterization which I value, but it also denies me the chance to do things I want to do. For example, opportunities present themselves in stories for striking visuals that don’t advance the plot, but would be lovely and rewarding anyway. When I’m pressed for space, these are the first to go. There are other things, too. I have often played things pretty broadly to establish characters in a hurry, rather than work out the indirect subtleties employed by really fine drama. Always, space restrictions

press. But perhaps most galling I’ve had to quickly pass over ideas and situations I’d really like to savor, to turn over and examine, so to make the reader really feel what’s going on, not just register it.” Eight years later, Chadwick again returned to one of his earliest stories in an attempt to tell it in a more complete, compelling way. In 1997–1998, Dark Horse published Concrete: Strange Armor, a five-issue miniseries that expanded and elaborated on the origin story he first told in Concrete #3–4. Strange Armor lingers longer on some of the details that eventually became a major part of Ron’s motivation in the larger Concrete narrative: the emotional impact of his divorce, his reaction to his new form, and his childhood fascination with stories of adventure and exploration. In his Author’s Forum in Strange Armor #1, Chadwick provided context for his latest update: “Concrete is twelve this year. Since it took about three years to get into print he’s been with me a good fifteen or sixteen years. Retelling his origin has made me look back to those early days, when my plans were inchoate and each new idea seemed a lightning bolt from the sky to me.” Later in the same column, Chadwick explained that several of the details of Concrete and his supporting cast were pulled from his own experiences: “So many elements of Concrete came from my life. I think this helped it overcome its deficiencies in writing and art to achieve a sort of clunky charm. It seemed personal, unpolished, exuberant…. Why did I make Ron Lithgow

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More Secret Origins Chadwick revisited Ron Lithgow’s origin story beginning in late 1997 with Strange Armor, an expanded version of Concrete #3–4. (left) Strange Armor #1’s page 1, and (right) nighttime tranquility with Concrete and Maureen, from the back cover of Strange Armor #3. Concrete TM & © Paul Chadwick.

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a speechwriter? Because of what my mother said about my father once: that he would have been happier as a speechwriter than a lawyer. Though hugely intelligent, with a vast vocabulary, Dad has never been a natural performer. Having Concrete be a behind-thescenes type thrust onto life’s stage seemed right to me.” Chadwick also saw an additional value in approaching Concrete’s origin again from a singular narrative point of view: “A further tradition, which I find myself partaking of in Strange Armor, is the revisitation of the origin after a number of years. This sort of recap has long been a comics staple, but when I entered the field in the mid-eighties, it seemed to undergo a sea change. In these retellings, more depth, ambiguity, and detail were given to stories originally conceived in more innocent times… Memories of [Batman: Year One] may have been eating at me when I decided to retell Concrete’s origin in Strange Armor using, for the first time, first-person narration in Concrete’s own voice. This limits one practically, for the thoughts of others must remain unrevealed (at least by thought balloons). But it is the surest way to a protagonist’s pain; and pain, I am convinced, is the soul of both drama and comedy. This voice allows me to touch on familiar events with a different feeling. Less glib, less facetious, there’s more of the off-balance anxiety that comes from being ripped from a familiar, if stale, life. And maybe a little more truth” (Author’s Forum, Strange Armor #2). Strange Armor also allowed Chadwick to work through some of the frustrations he felt when he looked back on his early work. While his DHP short stories were valuable for honing the craft of graphic narrative, they didn’t allow him to work out the entire story he wanted to tell. “Thank God for Dark Horse Presents,” Chadwick says. “That discipline,

to have to tell a story with a resolution in that small time, while leaving all the character- and world-building as backstory (ideally, implied or economically referenced in the short story), is golden. I’ve mentored several young guys and they start stories which inevitably metastasize into 1000-page epics. It’s the creative process; we start with our fecund inner dreamer, and bringing in our inner editor is like picking which of our children to kill, like Sophie’s Choice. But you must bring yourself to do it. When Mike and Randy asked me to do that eight-pager, it was the best thing that could’ve happened. The advice I give every beginner: plot your 200-page story, then put it aside and do a satisfying eight-page episode that implies your 200-page story. “For one thing, nobody likes unfinished work. You should never show unfinished work. And starting out, it’s tough to stick to one thing for 200 pages. Page ten is so much better than page one through six, you want to do those earlier ones over, for one thing. “As for what suits my strengths, and my preferences, like everybody, I like room to spread out. Use every idea, every smidgeon of local color, do some spectacular pages that don’t advance the story but are simply juicy. The vexing thing is that it takes me several years to finish the big mothers. It seems like they’re never, ever done.” After the conclusion of Strange Armor, Chadwick produced just one Concrete story during the next five years. “Sympathy for the Devil,” which appeared in DHP #150 (Jan. 2000), followed Concrete on a deep-ocean dive to test the limits of new diving equipment. Ron becomes disoriented in the ocean depths and hitches a ride back to the surface on the back of a devil ray.

THE HUMAN DILEMMA In 2004, Concrete returned with what might be Chadwick’s most ambitious series. If Think Like a Mountain was an attempt to tackle the problem of the environment, then Concrete: The Human Dilemma (2004–2005) provided a serious attempt to confront the problem of overpopulation. After several series published in color, The Human Dilemma returned to Concrete’s black-and-white roots. The six-issue miniseries also provided Chadwick with an opportunity to experiment with new narrative styles. The first issue begins with philosophical interior monologuing from Concrete interspersed with factual quotations/ definitions and third-person narrative captions describing Tripod’s movements through the streets. While The Human Dilemma only ran for six issues, the plotting of the story is complex and multifaceted. The main story begins when pizza manufacturer and shadow political activist Walter Sageman offers to pay Concrete to become a paid spokesman for a paid sterilization program. Wading into this political arena in a public way invites political and social criticism from all sides, and Ron soon finds himself on a variety of television shows defending Sageman’s attempt to curb overpopulation. Driving all of this is Sageman’s procurement and offer of a painting called “The Infinite Night,” which is Ron’s favorite painting. Sageman knows how valuable art is to Concrete, and he finds Ron’s weakest motivational spot. The Human Dilemma is a story about the human drive not only to procreate, but to collect and accumulate. Running parallel to Concrete’s paid crusade is the story of Larry’s engagement. Larry asks his longtime girlfriend Astra to marry him.

Back to Nature Concrete color studies, courtesy of Paul Chadwick: (top) “Concrete Picking Branch,” and (bottom) Concrete at Tuczon’s Tohono Chul Botannical Gardens. Concrete TM & © Paul Chadwick.

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Shortly after Astra accepts, Larry freaks out and has a one-night fling with a woman he met at a copy store. When the woman becomes pregnant, Larry is forced to face an entirely new type of responsibility. It’s a responsibility that ties back into the main dilemma Ron finds himself in as the series unfolds. Concrete soon sinks into a depression after he takes on Sageman’s crusade. Having moved well beyond her scientific curiosity, Maureen begins to feel empathy and love for Ron. When the two of them witness a murder during a traffic altercation, they return to Concrete’s warehouse shocked and emotionally charged. The trauma kick-starts an emotional affair that results in a mutual fantasy session. Both nude, Ron and Maureen allow their minds to linger together to the point of physical release. Nothing is physically consummated in a human way, but changes start happening in Concrete’s physiology. In The Human Dilemma #5, Ron learns he’s “pregnant” and gives birth to a child who bears his new form. In many ways, The Human Dilemma is the culmination of the story Chadwick had been building for almost 20 years. It’s a multi-layered story that addresses many of the character tensions that had lingered since the comic began, and it’s undergirded with the major social concern of global overpopulation. It’s a character study with a much wider reach— a human story with a global conscience. And it was a return to form for a story that had experienced a sporadic publication history. It’s also a story that didn’t escape the notice of Chadwick’s readers and peers. In 2005, the Eisner Award for Best Writer/Artist–Drama went to Chadwick for The Human Dilemma.

As Chadwick points out, “It was a mistake not to map out a grand plan. In this regard, Dave Sim and Jeff Smith (and Brian Vaughan, in Y: The Last Man) really did it right. My problem was that when I started, I really thought I was going to do comics for just five years, and then move on to my real career in illustration. It was what I trained for. Most of my friends were illustrators. It seemed a more prestigious profession. I like to paint. But I wanted to first get this Concrete idea out of my system. “It’s pretty ironic, because illustration has since almost vanished as a career, thanks to Photoshop. Payment rates have plummeted. What percentage of books or ads have painted illustrations these days? It’s tiny. Everything is manipulated photos now. People with imaginative drawing and painting skills today go into game design, and work mostly digitally, to boot. Or they go into comics. “The comics field, which seemed to be dying when I was a teenager, has an almost absurdly high cultural profile at the moment—even if it’s troubled by the tumult afflicting all publishing industries, as we transitioned from paper objects to digital files. You can now major in college in sequential friggin’ art. It was

“Hulk Have Friend!” (left) A convention sketch by Paul of two of comics’ most misunderstood figures, Concrete and a Ditko-esque Incredible Hulk. (right top) A 2011 sketch. (right bottom) The cast, from 2013. From the files of Paul Chadwick. Concrete TM & © Paul Chadwick. Hulk TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

NOW IS NOW The Human Dilemma is the last Concrete miniseries Chadwick has produced to date. Concrete’s story is not necessarily over, though. There are still a number of unanswered questions (Where did those aliens come from, anyway? What did they want? Where have they gone?) and a number of new storytelling avenues to pursue (Papa Concrete!), but for now there is no grand plan in place to guide the story’s continuation.

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unthinkable when I was young. And the biggest movies all have comics roots, though I wonder how much longer that will last. Long enough for the Concrete movie to finally get made, I hope. “Anyway, if I were to do it over, I’d definitely have a 25-year plan as Dave Sim did. Storytelling is moving in that direction, now that digital media has made everything available at all times. We can follow The Sopranos for nearly a decade, invest in the fates of a vast cast of characters—or, if we get in late, catch up on what has gone before at any time. I think this cultural moment was anticipated by the Marvel crossover continuity, imperfect as it was. It’s certainly paying off in its second life onscreen. “I really wish I’d decided early on to make Concrete my life’s work and drawn up a plan. Even if I’d made the barest outline, e.g., ‘Year 7—Concrete goes to Asia,’ I could have created something much more significant. “The other problem I had is that I’m slow. I write and ink slowly, though I’m a pretty fast penciler. Still, I can’t manage six issues a year, working solo. I tried working with an assistant at one point and found it little help. I guess not everybody’s a Gerhard. My wife’s health problems started in the early 2000s, too, and our medical adventures have been sort of a parttime job ever since.” Since the publication of The Human Dilemma, Chadwick has written three more Concrete stories for Dark Horse. When Dark Horse Presents relaunched in 2011, Chadwick provided short stories for the book’s first three issues. It’s a testament to the enduring creative

quality of Chadwick’s work that, despite an irregular publication schedule stretched out over 25 years, Dark Horse turned to Concrete to anchor a relaunch of the company’s flagship title. Concrete is not an ordinary story. It’s a drama balanced with elements of science fiction and frequent moments of humor. It’s a story that invites the use of adjectives not often associated with comic books featuring a superpowered protagonist: thoughtful, contemplative, delicate, philosophical, deliberate, restrained, meditative, nuanced, subtle … and the list goes on. All of these descriptions are appropriate, but it’s a book that’s not confined to a singular tone or point of view. And after 25 years of publication, no matter where the story goes, the difficulty to characterize Concrete remains one of the book’s great strengths.

Getting Personal (opposite page) Courtesy of Heritage, a 1994 Chadwick watercolor portrait. (above) From Paul’s files, promos for two signings from Concrete’s early days. Concrete TM & © Paul Chadwick.

ALEX BONEY is a freelance writer and English teacher currently living near Kansas City, Missouri. His graduate work in English at the Ohio State University explored the connection between superhero comics and modernist art and literature. He often contributes articles to BACK ISSUE magazine and presents work at the Comic Arts Conference in San Diego. While most of Alex’s academic and professional work is focused on 1930s and ’40s superheroes, he remains partial to the Question, Power Girl, and the Martian Manhunter.

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Every comics fan worth his salt knows that superhero, war, romance, Western, and horror comics were popular during the ’50s. But there is one genre most forget: the reader-participation comic. Reader-participation comics ran and credited reader designs within their pages. Atlas Comics (formerly Timely, later Marvel) alone produced the reader-participation series Miss America, My Girl Pearl, and My Friend Irma, as well as Patsy Walker and Millie the Model and their many spin-off titles during the ’50s and ’60s.

KEEN(E) BEGINNING The queen of reader participation resided at Archie Comics, however. Katy Keene was a wonderful comic that followed the adventures of its pinup model/movie-starlet heroine while publishing reader designs of every possibility. Clothes, cars, homes, and even spaceships all appeared within the pages of Katy Keene. Unlike the Atlas comics, which tended to remain unchanging, Katy Keene documented every fad that came along, from sack dresses to MAD Magazine. Even Katy’s look changed through the years. She began looking like Hedy Lamarr and ended looking more like Audrey Hepburn. During a phase in the ’50s, she more than resembled real-life pinup queen Bettie Page. (Coincidence? I prefer to think not.) Sadly, Katy Keene’s career didn’t last forever. After appearing in nearly every title published by Archie Comics, and starring in many spin-off books, the Katy Keene feature was canceled. Fortunately, this was not the end of the story. Enter Craig Leavitt. Craig Leavitt was one of the many contributors to Katy Keene who refused to let go of his heroine. In the early ’80s, he began to reach out to fellow Katy Keene fans and he publicized Katy’s cause. Thanks to Leavitt, articles appeared in newspapers and magazines. Katy bits began to appear regularly in cat yronwode’s Fit to Print column. Leavitt even managed to get Katy Keene cover-featured on the 14th edition of Robert M. Overstreet’s The Comic Book Price Guide in 1984. After all the attention, Katy Keene was revived by Archie Comics. Leavitt’s accomplishments didn’t end there, however. He published Katy Keene fanzines and even hosted Katy Con 1, a birthday celebration for Katy Keene’s creator, Bill Woggon. Present along with the birthday boy were [DC Comics’ “human encyclopedia”] E. Nelson Bridwell (who was, believe it or not, a Katy Keene contributor), Barb Rausch (another Katy Keene contributor and future Bill Woggon collaborator for Vicky Valentine), and John S. Lucas, the man who would draw Katy’s adventures in the ’80s. Also present were Spider-Woman’s Steve Leialoha and underground comix legend Trina Robbins. As Robbins explains, “I read Katy Keene as a girl, and I loved it, but I never sent in designs, because I didn’t realize Bill Woggon redrew all the designs. I thought they were printed exactly as drawn by the contributors, and I Trina robbins knew I could never be as good as them. I was delighted when the Katy Keene movement started and she was revived! Bill Woggon was such a sweet guy! And out of that revival grew my friendship with Barb Rausch, now sorely missed.” (Rausch died in 2001.)

Double Your Pleasure Identical twins Max and Mo premiere in California Girls #1 (June 1987). TM & © Trina Robbins.

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Chuck Alligood

MISTY-EYED MEMORIES Something about the event must have stuck with Robbins, because a few short years later she produced her own reader-participation comic for Marvel’s Star Comics line: Meet Misty. Meet Misty #1 (Dec. 1985) introduced the adventures of teenager Misty, her friends, her dad, and her Aunt Millie. Of particular interest was Aunt Millie, better known as Millie Collins. Yes, Aunt Millie was Atlas and Marvel Comics’ Millie the Model, no longer a glamour girl, but now a rather dowdy maternal figure. “This was when Jim Shooter was still editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics,” explains Robbins. “Luckily, Jim had actually started at Marvel as a writer for Millie the Model, so he ‘got’ what I was The real star of Meet Misty was Robbins trying to do and gave me a sixherself, however. She had been drawing ns. Robbi Trina TM & © issue miniseries.” underground comix for years, but her sleek Of course, as previously mentioned, Aunt Millie style was far better suited for a children’s comic. Her wasn’t the only cast member of Meet Misty. There was writing adjusted to appeal to a Star Comics reader: sweet, the title heroine, a perky blonde who was pursuing a warm, and yet very smart. In 1985, Trina told The career in show business; Shirelle, an African-American Comics Buyers’ Guide that Meet Misty showed Robbins girl who clearly showed the most sense of them all; her calling. Anyone who read the book had to agree. punk rocker Spike; and Darlene, a spoiled rich girl who So went the plot of one story from issue #5 (Aug. bore a striking resemblance to Lucy Ricardo. [Editor’s 1986): Misty and Darlene accidently exchanged shorts note: For a look at Marvel’s Star Comics imprint, come while dressing for gym class. Naturally, neither girl’s back in two issues for BACK ISSUE #77.] shorts fit the other, which led each one to conclude 1980s Independents Issue •

Paper Doll Two pieces of Bill Woggon original art, courtesy of Heritage Comics Auctions: (top left) from 1960’s Katy Keene Pin-Up Parade #10, and (top right) the Comic Book Price Guide cover art, signed to Bob Overstreet. (bottom) From San Diego Comic-Con 1982, Katy Keene creator Bill Woggon (at left) with Comics Buyer’s Guide’s Alan Light. Photo courtesy of Alan Light. Katy Keene TM & © Archie Comics.

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Separated at Birth? Yes, you are seeing double. The art used on the poster to promote the original California Girls in the 1980s (left) would later be used as the cover art for CBG Comics’ California Girls anthology in the 2010s (right). Scans courtesy of Chuck Alligood. TM & © Trina Robbins.

their weights had changed. Through a series of misunderstandings, Misty came to think she was anorexic while Darlene came to the conclusion she was getting fat. In order to remedy their situations, Misty stuffed herself with food, while Darlene went on a strict diet. With the story’s end, both girls discovered their mistakes, leaving Misty to diet and Darlene to binge. The plot combined with Robbins’ expressive art created a strip that was engaging, funny, and absolutely original. There had been nothing like it before and there’s been nothing like it since. Robbins was exactly where she should have been. When talking about Meet Misty, Robbins explains, “It wasn’t at all like the rest of the Star line. Every month I received large manila envelopes with mail from girls who loved the series and sent me designs. It was so much fun adapting their designs. I know just how Bill Woggon must have felt! But the comics stores wouldn’t carry Meet Misty because it was for girls. So even though the girls who could find the series loved it, Jim [Shooter] wouldn’t go beyond the first six issues. But he gets kudos for giving it a try!”

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CALIFORNIA DREAMING Meet Misty was largely ignored by the comics-buying public. More adult comic fans seemed to be complaining about Millie’s weight (It seemed Millie had packed on quite a few pounds after the 1974 cancellation of her own book!) than were actually trying the genuinely enjoyable series. Meet Misty, the six-issue miniseries, was never renewed. But that was okay. With that ending, there was a new beginning. Robbins states, “I knew girls loved my comics, so I decided to repeat my concept of a teen series, only this time make them twins and move them to California. I had a good relationship with cat yronwode and Dean Mullaney of Eclipse Comics, so I proposed it to them and they went for it…” California Girls #1 was cover-dated June 1987. It was another Robbins book, both beautifully drawn and cleverly written. Its characters included identical twins Max and Mo (one vivacious, the other shy); Roxanne, an African-American working girl; Lulu, a rocking Latina with four big brothers (How would you like to date that, fellows?); and Asian comic collector Trixine. Then there was Laverne… Robbins once stated in a Tarpé Mills appreciation for the eighth edition of The Comic Book Price Guide (1978) that comic-book bad girls were always more interesting than their good counterparts, and in absolutely nowhere else was that more true than in California Girls. Laverne was spoiled, shallow, and vapid, but she still managed to remain absolutely adorable. She was constantly seeking attention, approval, and popularity (indeed, what teenager didn’t?), but still she didn’t have a mean bone in her body. Simply put, unlike Archie’s Reggie, Millie’s Chili, and even Misty’s Darlene, Laverne wasn’t an a-hole. The best stories in California Girls often featured Laverne: Laverne gets her own comic, Laverne has a nightmare, Laverne goes

Hissy Fit

same distribution problem, so even though the readers loved the comic, it only lasted eight issues. Dean was a dear; he really wanted the series to succeed, and he didn’t mind if he didn’t make any money off it, but he was losing money, and so he had to call it quits.” The story of California Girls doesn’t end there, thankfully. Just as Craig Leavitt kept Katy Keene alive, California Girls fans won’t let the series die. The girl comics fanzine Back to School (2001) heavily featured never-before-printed California Girls materials (including a sensitive story about a teen with AIDS), and smallpress publisher Brian Andersen released a delightful California Girls anthology in 2011. Unfortunately, Trina Robbins stopped drawing in the ’90s in order to focus on her writing career (she has produced several books on women in comics, a book on superheroines, and the critically acclaimed Go Girl! series for Image). And since Barb Rausch has passed away, there seems to be no hope for a California Girls revival. Still, you can’t blame fans for dreaming. After trying this wonderful series, anyone would wish they all could be California Girls. CHUCK ALLIGOOD has written articles on teen comics for both Back to School and Comic Book Marketplace. Although he currently resides in North Carolina, his heart will forever remain in Riverdale.

Caricature by Dan Parent.

to a pet show, and so on… The funniest exchanges always occurred between Laverne and Roxanne. Laverne would merrily show up at Roxanne’s workplace du jour only to bother poor Roxanne to distraction. Sometimes, the story would end with Laverne being put in her place. Sometimes, it wouldn’t. No matter how the tales ended, however, they always remained fresh and funny. As good as Robbins’ stories were for the title, her art was even better in California Girls. Naturally, readers had mixed feelings when other artists worked on the book. Issue #4 (Sept. 1987) featured an energetically drawn feature by Joshua Quagmire. The fifth issue (Oct. 1987) had a story penciled by Carol Lay. Barb Rausch began guest-penciling in issue #6 (Nov. 1987). Rausch, of course, was one of those present at Katy Con 1 and was Bill Woggon’s illustrator for Vicky Valentine. While certainly talented, Rausch tended to overdraw, sometimes to the point where the reader had difficulty telling what he was seeing. Robbins, on the other hand, occasionally under-drew. Robbins’ inks on Rausch’s pencils was a brilliant idea, however. Rausch added detail to Robbins. Robbins made Rausch’s pencils less fussy. The end result was simply beautiful. California Girls was not an immediate hit, so someone at Eclipse had the fantastic (if not expensive) idea of mailing free copies of California Girls to Meet Misty contributors. It was a great idea. Many (if not most) Misty contributors had no idea Robbins was still in the field, much less producing California Girls. Sadly, the idea came too late. California Girls ended with issue #8 (May 1988). “Alas,” sighs Robbins, “we still had the

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(left) Note the three panels on page four of Robbins’ “Let Sleeping Cats Lie” (California Girls #3, Aug. 1987) in which the cat Sir Percival appears. Facial expressions, body language, all hit the mark perfectly. (right) Original cover art to issue #4, signed by Trina. Both from the collection of Chuck Alligood. TM & © Trina Robbins.

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Comic books have taken Hollywood by storm as of late, especially characters from Marvel and DC Comics. But since the 1980s, studios and networks have taken a serious look at independent comics as a source of material for film and television, both for the adult audience as well as the youth audience. A recent example is Image Comics’ The Walking Dead, which began modestly enough as a comic, but quickly built a loyal following and has now become one of the most successful independent comic books of all time—and a highly rated cable television show on AMC. Perhaps the biggest success story of a small, independent comic going mainstream and turning not only into a reliable hit, but a huge phenomenon, is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which is as close to being the model of the American success story as one can get. Starting in 1984 as a black-and-white comic and steadily building a strong following, Turtles became an entertainment and licensing phenomenon that is still going strong today. Here are a few independent comics from the 1980s that successfully made the leap from comic books to film or television…

BUCKY O’HARE First Appearance: Echo of Futurepast #1 (1984, Continuity Associates) The co-creation of Larry Hama, Michael Golden, and Neal Adams, “funny animal” rabbit/space explorer Bucky O’Hare was originally seen in the first six issues of Continuity Associates’ Echo of Futurepast anthology. A 1986 Bucky O’Hare graphic novel from Continuity reprinting the Echo stories caught the attention of toy developer and production company Abrams Gentile Entertainment. After some initial development by Abrams Gentile, with a lot of input from Neal Adams and his staff, the collaborators approached Sunbow Productions, then a very successful children’s television production company (and a subsidiary of advertising agency Griffin-Bacal). Sunbow was known as the programming arm of shows connected to Hasbro Toys, such as G.I. Joe and Transformers. Since Griffin-Bacal was also Hasbro’s advertising agency at the time, Sunbow and Abrams/Gentile brought in Hasbro on the deal for a toy line based on Bucky. In September 1991, Bucky O’Hare and The Toad Wars was launched in syndication. Produced by Sunbow and French animation house IDDH, with Abrams/Gentile and Continuity as co-producers, one season of 13 episodes was released. Jason Michas provided the voice of Bucky O’Hare. Despite the proud efforts of all involved, the show never did become a big hit, but it at least got some attention, both domestically on television and internationally, and gave Continuity the distinction of being able to boast that a property that they created from scratch made it to television. 68 • BACK ISSUE • 1980s Independents Issue

Stuart Fischer

CADILLACS AND DINOSAURS First Appearance: Xenozoic Tales #1 (Feb. 1987, Kitchen Sink Press) Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, the creation of writer/ artist Mark Schulz, employs the out-of-time/out-ofplace concept (not unlike Marvel’s Howard the Duck)—and nothing is as out-of-time or as out-ofplace as a hip, young fellow driving around in a bright-colored Cadillac in the Prehistoric era, surrounded by dinosaurs and cave people! Schultz’s mature concept was not really meant for children, although interestingly, it was that audience that Cadillacs and Dinosaurs eventually found itself entertaining. Steven E. deSousa, a major motion picture producer and writer best known for the Die Hard movies, saw great potential in Schultz’s comic book and developed it as a TV show. Produced by animation studio Nelvana, then a major supplier of television cartoons, Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, the animated series, ran from September 18, 1993 to March 11, 1994 on the CBS Saturday morning schedule, with a total of 13 episodes created. The show was loyal to Mark Schultz’s concept and was nicely animated. Main characters Jack Tenrac and Hannah Dundee, sort of an Adam and Eve caught in a post-apocalyptic world they never made, were voiced by David Keeley and Susan Roman. Despite wild adventures and the presence of dinosaurs, the show did not last very long. Cadillacs and Dinosaurs did enjoy a period of popularity in comics in the early to mid-1990s, with Schultz’s Kitchen Sink material eventually being published, in color, by Marvel’s Epic imprint. In 1994, Topps Comics published nine issues of Cadillacs and Dinosaurs with story and art by a variety of creators.

Modern Masters (top) Mimi LaFloo, from the Bucky O’Hare cast, by Michael Golden. Courtesy of Anthony Snyder. (bottom) A signed-and-numbered Cadillacs and Dinosaurs print by Mark Schultz. Courtesy of Heritage. Bucky O’Hare TM & © Continuity Associates. Cadillacs and Dinosaurs TM & © Mark Schultz.

FISH POLICE First Appearance: Fish Police #1 (June 1985, Fishwrap Productions) One of the most original and intelligent comic-book creations of the 1980s, Fish Police was self-published by cartoonist Steve Moncuse’s Fishwrap Productions. The hero of this offbeat comic was Inspector Gil, a determined detective embarking upon mysteries reminiscent of 1940s noir movies. In 1989 or 1990, Fish Police caught the attention of Batfilm Productions, the production company that produced the Batman motion pictures beginning in 1989 and continuing to this day in 1980s Independents Issue •

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Fish Shticks A rarity from the archives of Heritage Comics Auctions (www.ha.com): A character model cel from Hanna-Barbera’s Fish Police cartoon. Fish Police TM & © Steve Moncuse. Cartoon © 1992 Hanna-Barbera Productions.

Looks Like the Riddler to Us Polaroids (that’s an “ancient” form of photography, for you young’uns) of Jim Carrey as Stanley Ipkiss and the Mask, taken on the set in August 1993 during production of the movie that made him a star, The Mask (1993). The Mask TM & © Dark Horse Comics.

THE MASK First Appearance: Dark Horse Presents #10 (Sept. 1987, Dark Horse Comics)/Mayhem #1 (May 1989, Dark Horse Comics)

association with Warner Bros. Batfilm was a two-man operation consisting of Benjamin Melnicker and Michael Uslan, two lawyers who always saw the potential of comic books as motion pictures and television series. Uslan, a one-time DC Comics employee, handled the creative end of the business, meeting with the artists of properties and with writers and directors to help translate comics onto the screen. [Editor’s note: Uslan has been interviewed in BACK ISSUE on several occasions.] Fresh from the huge success of 1989’s Batman movie directed by Tim Burton, Batfilm took Fish Police to Hanna-Barbera, then run by David Kirschner, a producer himself, and the concept was pitched to CBS. Since the comic was more directed to the adult audience than to the kid audience, CBS thought that it might do well in the prime-time schedule and placed it on its nighttime schedule as a limited series. Hanna-Barbera assembled an impressive voice cast. John Ritter of Three’s Company fame voiced Inspector Gil, Edward Asner played Chief Abalore, and comedian Buddy Hackett gave voice to Crabby. Also included in the cast were Tim Curry, Hector Elizondo, Robert Guillaume, Jonathan Winters, JoBeth Williams, and veteran animation voice actor Frank Welker. The show was a parody of 1940s detective movies. Even though they were fish, the characters were modeled to remind the audience of certain recognizable personalities from the past. Fish Police began on February 28, 1992 and lasted only until March 13, 1992, not even fulfilling its complete network order and then taken off the schedule. The show developed a small cult audience but was not given enough of a chance by CBS to fully establish itself. Steve Moncuse reportedly hated the show and does not like to talk about it. His Fish Police comic book has been published by a variety of independents over the years, as well as Marvel Comics, which published six issues of Fish Police in 1992. 70 • BACK ISSUE • 1980s Independents Issue

The Mask is a different type of superhero— in fact, he looks more like a diabolical villain whose face and smile can make one quiver at first sight! The concept was created in the early 1980s by Mike Richardson, who would soon go on to found Dark Horse Comics. After a fanzine appearance of the Mask in 1985, a different version of the character called “The Masque” was produced by Mark Badger for a Dark Horse Presents story arc before Richardson took charge of the character and returned it to his original vision starting with Dark Horse’s Mayhem #1. The Mask story focuses on a magical mask that empowers the one who dares to wear it with super-abilities—and no inhibitions. The first wearer of the mask is an average fellow named Stanley Ipkiss. While wearing the mask, Stanley takes on a demonic appearance with a green skull, bulging eyes, and a gruesome, toothy smile. Despite his evil looks, the Mask tries to right wrongs in his own violent way, but in his earliest stories, his actions were in retribution against those who wronged him—sort of a superpowered Bugs Bunny. The Mask’s comic-book adventures were published sporadically, with writer John Arcudi and artist Doug Mahnke attracting attention on the property. After making headway in Hollywood by developing the 1992 horror movie Dr. Giggles, Mike Richardson’s Dark Horse Entertainment sold the film rights to The Mask to New Line Cinema. The manic, malleable Jim Carrey, who at the time was growing an audience on television’s In Living Color, was signed as Stanley Ipkiss/the Mask. Also featured in the cast were Peter Riegert of Animal House fame as harried cop Lt. Kellaway, Peter Greene as mobster Dorian Tyrell, and Cameron Diaz—in her first major role—as love interest Tina Carlyle. Released in 1994, The Mask became a smash hit, earning over $100 million and making Carrey a star. Soon Dark Horse Entertainment and New Line developed The Mask as an animated series for Saturday morning television, combining elements from both the comic and the movie, but toning down the

violence for the youth audience. Co-produced by Film Roman and Sunbow Productions, as well as Dark Horse Entertainment and New Line Television, The Mask aired for three seasons on CBS from Saturday, August 12, 1995, until March 8, 1997, with 54 episodes produced. Rob Paulsen was the voice of Stanley Ipkiss/the Mask, with Frank Welker voicing Stanley’s dog Milo and Tim Curry in an occasional role as villain Pretorius. A spin-off comic-book series based on the cartoon, Adventures of the Mask, written by BACK ISSUE editorin-chief Michael Eury and drawn by Neil Vokes and Marc Campos, ran for 12 issues plus two specials, and Mask action figures (from Kenner) and other merchandising were available during this time. The Mask (the movie) established Dark Horse as a major presence in the entertainment business, and since then the publisher has brought several of its series to Hollywood, from company-owned characters like Barb Wire to creator-owned properties like Mike Mignola’s Hellboy. A 2005 Mask sequel starring Jamie Kennedy, Son of the Mask, flopped at the box office.

THE ROCKETEER First Appearance: (promo) Starslayer #1 (Feb. 1982, Pacific Comics); (full appearance) Starslayer #2 (Apr. 1982, Pacific Comics) Despite being published on an irregular basis and by a number of different comicbook companies, The Rocketeer has a loyal following that continues to this day, with recurring Rocketeer miniseries appearing courtesy of IDW. Created by the very talented writer/artist Dave Stevens (1955–2008), The Rocketeer intentionally uses elements from movie serials and noir movies of the 1940s. Stevens’ highly realistic artwork made the comic an authentic period piece. The Rocketeer is actually Cliff Secord, a stunt pilot who, in the late 1930s, discovers a strange jetpack that gives him the power of flight. His discovery rockets him into a world of danger fraught with Nazis and gangsters—and a gorgeous love interest patterned after real-life model/actress Bettie Page. The Walt Disney obtained the film rights to the Rocketeer in 1990, the result being a relatively loyal adaptation of Stevens’ comic, in a 1991 film directed by Joe Johnston (Captain America: The First Avenger), with a screenplay by Danny Bilson and Paul DeMeo. Bill Campbell starred as Cliff Secord, with Alan Arkin cast as his crusty mechanic and mentor Peevy. Jennifer Connelly played love interest Jenny, a stand-in for the comic’s Bettie Page. The heavy-hitting cast also included Timothy Dalton, Paul Sorvino, and Terry O’Quinn. Dave Stevens had a cameo in the film as a German test pilot who dies. The Rocketeer was a modest success. A remake is reportedly in development. [Editor’s note: For a detailed look at Dave Stevens’ high-flying creation, see BACK ISSUE #47, cover-starring the Rocketeer and featuring Stevens’ final interview. In this lavishly illustrated interview, Stevens candidly discusses his problems with Disney. BI #47 also includes an interview with Rocketeer screenwriters Bilson and DeMeo—also known to many fans for their work on the 1990 TV series The Flash!]

JON SABLE, FREELANCE First Appearance: Jon Sable, Freelance #1 (June 1983, First Comics) Created by fan-favorite artist Mike Grell, known for his dazzling work on DC Comics’ The Warlord and Legion of SuperHeroes in the 1970s, Jon Sable, Freelance is a mysterious hero who was once characterized by First Comics co-founder, Rick Obadiah, as a cross between Batman and James Bond. By day, Sable is “B. B. Flemm,” a children’s book author who loves to draw leprechauns. By night, he is a mercenary whose cases satisfy his quest for justice. While many heroes wear masks to cover their true identities, Sable uses a sophisticated form of makeup to conceal himself. Grell’s Jon Sable, Freelance was one of First Comics’ most successful titles and enjoyed a 56-issue run in the mid- to late-1980s. Originally written and drawn by its creator, Grell continued to write the series during its later issues while other artists drew the interiors. Jon Sable, Freelance has returned in recent memory thanks to publisher IDW. One of the biggest events in this hero’s life was his short-lived prime-time television series, titled Sable, which ran in the winter of 1987 for a limited run of seven one-hour episodes. The origin of the Sable TV series involves the writer of this article.

High-Flying Heroics Dave Stevens’ characters come to life in Disney’s 1991 film, The Rocketeer. One-sheet movie poster courtesy of Heritage Movie Posters (www.ha.com). © 1991 Walt Disney Corporation. The Rocketeer TM & © The Rocketeer Trust.

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KISS Off Did KISS frontman Gene Simmons give the producer of TV’s Sable a tongue-lashing after being dumped from the pilot? That we don’t know, but we do think Simmons looked the part (left inset). The shortlived show’s star, Lewis Van Bergen, is seen at bottom right. Jon Sable, Freelance TM & © Mike Grell.

When working as First Comics’ agent, I noticed a film on television with Rutger Hauer and Gene Simmons [Wanted: Dead or Alive, 1986] and got the idea that Simmons would make for a convincing Jon Sable. The makeup that Simmons and his band, KISS, wore on stage reminded me of Sable’s “mask,” and since Simmons was also built like Sable I thought he would be convincing as the mercenary hero. The next day I contacted a vice-president at Taft Entertainment Television about a possible casting coup that might help a Sable show become a reality. The Taft executive agreed and I approached Gene Simmons to see if he would be interested. Simmons agreed and then a deal was made between Simmons and his manager to play the role of Jon Sable for Taft. A pilot script was developed by writer/producer/ director Gary Sherman and then presented to ABC, and the executives at ABC liked it and put it into production. It was shot in Chicago and after the pilot was produced, Taft presented it to ABC, who liked it enough to give the show a limited order. But ABC demanded one change: The network was not satisfied with Gene Simmons’ performance and asked that he

be replaced. Taft had no choice but to do what ABC asked and hired, at ABC’s request, actor Lewis Van Bergen to replace Simmons in the lead role. Instead of the wig used by Grell’s B. B. Flemm as a disguise, TV’s Jon Sable’s alter ego was “Nicholas Flemming,” who wore eyeglasses. Taft had originally wanted Sable to be on ABC’s Fall 1987 prime-time schedule, but due to the recasting of its lead it was instead used as a mid-season replacement. The show finally made its debut on November 7, 1987. Rene Russo was cast as a regular, playing Sable’s close friend Eden Kendall. Russo soon went on to more substantial roles in the movies, including Lethal Weapon 3, Ransom, and In the Line of Fire. Also in the cast was Ken Page, playing Sable’s sidekick “Cheesecake.” Lara Flynn Boyle, in a very early acting job, appeared in the pilot episode. Even though it was a valiant effort to bring an independent comic book to life as a television series, mostly for the adult audience, Sable failed to find an audience and ABC decided to pull the plug after it played out its seven-episode commitment. The show’s final episode aired on January 2, 1988. [Editor’s note: See BACK ISSUE #10 for a closer inspection of both Grell’s Jon Sable, Freelance and the Sable TV series.]

SAM AND MAX, FREELANCE POLICE First Appearance: (as a comic strip) California College of Arts and Crafts newsletter (1985); (as a comic book) Sam & Max, Freelance Police Special Edition #1 (Fishwrap Productions, 1987) Created by cartoonist Steve Purcell, Sam & Max, Freelance Police had a rather small introduction as a series of strips in the newsletter of the California College of Arts and Crafts. In 1987, Steve Moncuse’s Fishwrap Productions released a Sam & Max Special Edition written and illustrated by Purcell. Sam and Max are a drab dog and hyperactive rabbit detective team who blindly and blatantly disregard any and all laws (including logic) and will do anything to get their man. They usually leave a path of destruction while chasing after their intended targets. Purcell’s situations and humor are outrageous, with everything from fishbowlheaded gangsters to manatees hurled at the reader with wanton abandon. Only a handful of Sam & Max comics have been produced, with Marlowe & Company publishing a 1995 trade paperback collection titled The Collected Sam & Max: Surfin’ the Highway. Steve Purcell has enjoyed a long career as a videogame designer, animator, and animation director [and Oscar™ winner, for 2012’s Brave—ed.], having worked with Nelvana, George Lucas’ Industrial Light and Magic, Lucas Arts, and Pixar.

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After successfully adapting his dog-and-bunny team into video games in 1993 with Sam & Max Hit the Road, Purcell, with Nelvana, developed the animated series The Adventures of Sam and Max: Freelance Police for Saturday morning television. The comic’s violence and irreverence were toned down to appeal to a younger TV audience, but the cartoon managed to keep Purcell’s innovative characterization intact, and it did contain some very humorous moments [including a Galactus takeoff with the supervillain Lactose the Intolerant!—ed.]. The Adventures of Sam and Max: Freelance Police aired on the FOX Children’s Network from October 4, 1997 to November 25, 1998. Harvey Atkin voiced Sam and Robert Tinkler voiced Max.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES First Appearance: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (1984, Mirage Publishing) This unique concept for a comic book is the creation of two men, Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. With the introduction of an oversized blackand-white comic book they wrote, illustrated, self-published, and distributed, they made history—and ultimately, in more than just one field of endeavor. The origin of how this property was created and its trek from comic book to entertainment and character-licensing phenomenon is nothing short of spectacular. It is a clear model of the American Dream, where two men put their imaginations

together to create what they thought could be a good comic book—but never imagining how big their creation would become. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are named after four Renaissance artists: Donatello, Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo. They were originally four normal turtles transformed into anthropomorphic turtles by a mysterious ooze. Each has a personality of his own and his own special talent, and all four were trained in the martial arts by a rat named Splinter. With their great physical abilities, humor, and constant optimism, the sewer-dwelling Turtles risk life and shell and swing into action when duty calls. When the first issue of Mirage’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles came out in 1984, the black-and-white comic had a print run of 3,000 copies. It began a quick rise in popularity and with each subsequent issue, TMNT sold more and more copies, with earlier issues going to reprints. Soon, a spate of B&W competitors, spoofs, and blatant rip-offs capitalized on the Turtles’ success. Later in the 1980s, Turtles comics were published not only by Eastman and Laird’s Mirage but also by First and Archie. This did not escape the notice of Mark Freedman, a licensing agent who had been in the business for a number of years working for a number of different companies, including the Taft Merchandising Group, which was the licensing arm of Hanna-Barbera (Freedman would make licensing deals for Scooby-Doo and other Hanna-Barbera characters). After signing Eastman and Laird as his clients through his Surge Licensing firm, Freedman then went out to make the world aware of this great new comic book. On December 14, 1987, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles premiered on television in a five-part animated

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Mad Max and Turtle Power (left) Sorry, Max, but we’ll sit out this game, ya bonkers bunny! A 1988 Steve Purcell sketch. (right) The Heroes in a Half-Shell in an animated cel “set-up” with added background art. Both courtesy of Heritage. Sam & Max, Freelance Police TM & © Steve Purcell. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles © 2014 Viacom International Inc.

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THE TICK First Appearance: (as a mascot) The New England Comics Newsletter #14 (July–Aug. 1986); (as a comic book) The Tick #1 (1988, New England Comics)

Sidekick in Sidecar Courtesy of Heritage, a one-of-a-kind Tick/Arthur hand-painted cel, produced in-house as an employee gift. The Tick © New England Comics/ Ben Edlund/Fox Children’s Network.

miniseries produced by Murakami Wolf Swenson Productions, a small animation firm that had done some co-productions on shows including The Clowns of Happy Town. The cartoon miniseries tied in with a new TMNT toy line manufactured by a then-small toy manufacturer, Playmates Toys, based in Southern California. The miniseries was syndicated by a littleknown television and advertising firm called Sachs Family Television, headed by advertising and syndication executive Jerry Sachs, who put Playmates and Murakami Wolf Swenson together; Mark Freedman supervised this joint effort on behalf of Eastman and Laird. What all of these companies had in common was that they were small and almost unheard of— until Turtles. The cartoon and toys clicked with kids, and all companies involved became major players in their individual fields. TMNT’s theme song wisely droned the Heroes in a Half-Shell’s series’ name into their viewers’ psyches with “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” being repeated like a mantra. Murakami Wolf Swenson Productions, headed by Fred Wolf, became a leading television animation studio and produced over 200 half-hour episodes of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for both syndication and for the CBS Saturday Morning schedule (the company went on to produce other shows like The California Raisins and Zorro). The voice cast included Cam Clarke as Leonardo, Townsend Coleman as Michelangelo, Barry Gordon as Donatello, Rob Paulsen as Raphael, Peter Renaday as Splinter, Renae Jacobs as the Turtles’ gal-pal April O’Neil, and James Avery as bad guy Shredder. The original TMNT ran until 1996, but the property has become a perennial, spawning live-action movies and animated series reboots that continue to this day.

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This off-the-wall superhero not only has a strange personality, but a rather unusual origin of how he came to be. Ben Edlund, the creator of the Tick, launched his character as a newsletter mascot for the New England Comics chain of Boston stores in 1986. The Tick started to build a following and the store financed a black-and-white comic book in 1988, which they soon began publishing as a series, similar to what Eastman and Laird did with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. After a short while, The Tick became a real property with a good future. Wearing a blue costume and weighing close to 400 pounds, the Tick is very clumsy, and his clumsiness gets in his own way as well as the way of others. The Tick is accompanied by his sidekick, Arthur. Edlund’s comic book parodies a lot of pop-culture icons. The Tick, the comic book, built a reliable following that did not escape the notice of Sunbow Productions, the New York-based company that is part of advertising agency Griffin-Bacal. Sunbow made a deal with Ben Edlund to get the rights to his character, putting it into development and presenting it to the Fox Children’s Network, which by this time was a major player in the youth entertainment industry. Fox liked the concept and agreed to give it a chance. Sunbow and Fox brought in a relatively new animation studio, Graz Entertainment, to produce the series. The Tick ran from September 10, 1994 to November 24, 1996 in the Fox Saturday morning lineup, with a total of 36 episodes produced. The voice actors included Townsend Coleman as the Tick and Rob Paulsen, followed by former Monkee Micky Dolenz, as Arthur. Among the series’ other wacky superheroes were Die Fledermaus (voiced by Cam Clarke) and American Maid (Kay Lenz). A line of action figures were simultaneously produced. The Tick jumped from Fox to Comedy Central and ran from November 22, 1996 to September 25, 1997, tapping into the adult audience, thus enlarging its presence and its audience. The “Big Blue Bug of Justice” got another shot at television a few years later, this time in live action, as Columbia Tristar Pictures brought The Tick to prime-time. Patrick Warburton, best known for his occasional role as Puddy on Seinfeld, donned a blue costume for the lead. Joining him were David Burke as Arthur, Liz Vassey as Captain Liberty, and Nestor Carbonell as Batmanuel. The superhero spoof premiered on November 1, 2001 on the Fox network, and aired Thursday from 8:30 to 9:00 p.m. It ran for only nine episodes, ending on January 31, 2002. STUART FISCHER is the author of The Hanna-Barbera Story: The Life and Times of TV’s Greatest Animation Studio (PublishAmerica, 2011).

Send your comments to: Email: euryman@gmail.com (subject: BACK ISSUE) Postal mail: Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief • BACK ISSUE 118 Edgewood Ave. NE • Concord, NC 28025

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THE RETURN OF CHARLTON COMICS! Charlton Comics—the Derby, Connecticut-based publisher that, from 1946 to 1985, was home to everything from Abbott and Costello to Zoo Funnies—is back! Fester Faceplant, along with co-editors Roger McKenzie and Mort Todd, recently launched the all-new anthology title The Charlton Arrow. Issue #1 featured contributions by such BACK ISSUE fan favorites as John Byrne (who drew an awesome Doomsday+1 pinup), Paul Kupperberg, and Joe Staton, in a variety of stories from a Ditko-esque superhero adventure to a Spookman shocker. Charlton Arrow #2, scheduled to ship in June (I’m writing this on April 19th), features another Spookman installment by McKenzie

and Sandy Carruthers, a new Mr. Bones-hosted horror story written by Steve Skeates, the beginning of the serialization of an unpublished Pat Boyette story, a new poster-sized pinup by Frank McLaughlin, another Ditko-inspired story, and more! And if you’d like to watch Fester, BI contributor Dan Johnson, and your friendly neighborhood Euryman talk about Charlton Comics history, a video of our Charlton panel at the April 13th Charlotte Comicon can be found at: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=YnjmnTNNtUU&feature=youtu.be Welcome back, Charlton! And what a perfect plug op: BACK ISSUE #79, coming in March 2015, is themed Charlton Action Heroes in the Bronze Age. Its articles examine the last days of the Action Heroes (Captain Atom, Blue Beetle, Peacemaker, etc.) at Charlton, their short-lived AC Comics stint, and their absorption into the DC Universe beginning with Crisis on Infinite Earths. Cary Bates, Pat Broderick, Len Wein, and Paris Cullins are among the many creators participating. Plus, Dan Johnson (him again!) has snagged an exclusive interview with Dave Gibbons about the Charlton/Watchmen connection (Dave also discusses the Alan Moore/Gibbons projects you didn’t see), and Bob Greenberger provides a “Greatest Stories Never Told” spotlight of DC’s aborted Blockbuster Weekly, an ’80s project intended to co-feature Superman and the Action Heroes. Wow!!

METAL MEN CORRECTION In the Metal Men article [in BACK ISSUE #72], my unpublished cover for Metal Men #45 is shown. The additional note, should that cover ever come around on the guitar again, is that my pencils were inked by Bernie Wrightson. – Walter Simonson Walt, we strummed that guitar again just to set the record straight. Thank you for this info! Our apologies to you and Mr. Wrightson for the incomplete credit.

ONE LAST LEGION LETTER Hey, just finished #68 (the Legion issue), and it brought to mind an incident that occurred one Wednesday a few months ago at my local comic shop. I was browsing the new books when I was summoned to the cash register. “You read The Legion of Super-Heroes, don’t you? Maybe you can help this fellow…” I admitted that I did still read Legion, but there was no way I could help this poor fellow out. You see, he was trying to make sense of the Legion history in light of the New 52. Which stories still counted, which Legion are we actually dealing with, are they all one history now, which Legion was the one Jim Shooter was writing with the weird Chameleon Boy, what about the Legion of 3 Worlds, Flashpoint, etc. …????? I told him that I thought everything had been rebooted, but the Legion seems to have come through pretty much the way they were before all that stuff. I realized that even though I had been keeping up with the Legion, I really couldn’t explain it all. I wonder if anyone can? I read The Legion and I need help!!! You could mine the Legion in BACK ISSUE for many more issues; I find them endlessly entertaining. Loved the cover!! This was the only issue [#9] I ordered of The Amazing World of DC Comics when I was a kid because even then I thought the Legion needed more explaining. I still have it! Also, I loved the idea of a digest-sized issue!! Hilarious, but you’re right, don’t do it. Already need glasses to read anything anyway. Yes! Do the 100-Page Super Spectacular issue. I love those things and finding them in good shape is expensive. The Missing Link!!?? I’d never even heard of him!! You guys are the best! Keep ’em coming!! Did I tell you guys I love you?! – Andrew “Hondo” Gray Thanks, Hondo! The “Five Years Later” era of Legion deserves a close look, and we’ll get to it one day.

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The art at lower left will hopefully keep you satisfied until we once again take a look at comics’ favorite martial artists. Ric Estrada provided this montage of Richard Dragon and his fellow DC Comics Kung Fu Fighters for the Baycon III program book back in the summer of 1977. Jerry “Sensei” Boyd copied it for us. Lastly … you and Andrew Gray are gonna love BACK ISSUE #81, which comes out next summer. It will be a 100-page issue featuring an in-depth look at DC’s Super Spectaculars, with another Super Spec cover (again by Nick Cardy, using various Cardy art). I’m writing that article and am indexing every 100-pager as a bonus. Thanks for your interest in BI.

Welcome aboard! Glad you found BACK ISSUE! The earlier issues are available in digital form, and many are still in print, through publisher TwoMorrows at twomorrows.com. BI #13 will be of interest to you. It featured a short article about Kung Fu comics and a Nick Cardy-drawn cover salute DC’s Super Spectaculars. Other Kung Fu articles: • BI #26: Doug Moench/Paul Gulacy interview, including Master of Kung Fu • BI #49: Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter article • BI #67 (you may have this one): Karate Kid article Eventually, we’ll cover Iron Fist, and we’ve yet to really go in depth with Master of Kung Fu, so there will be more Kung Fu in BI’s future. Also, there’s an issue planned for late ’15 or early ’16 that covers black-and-white magazines, where Deadly Hands of Kung Fu will be explored.

THAT OLD BLACK MAGIC… Bronze Age babies will remember DC’s reprint series Black Magic, which reprinted early 1950s’ fright-fests (“True Amazing Accounts of the Strangest Stories Ever Told!”) produced by the team and studio of Jack Kirby and Joe Simon (FYI, Black Magic is among the many comics to be examined— and indexed—in the aforementioned BACK ISSUE #81, “Giants and Reprints”). Their collaborations from 33 issues of Black Magic have been gathered in Titan Books’ latest offering in its Simon & Kirby Library: Horror! Also included are their stories from the short-lived, late-Golden Age title The Strange World of Your Dreams. It’s always interesting to read their earlier work, Kirby’s in particular, as occasional story elements prove prototypical of their later work. The Simon & Kirby Library: Horror! is a 322-page full-color hardcover edited by Steve Saffel that retails for $49.95. Good, old-fashioned creepy fun!

MISSING BILL BIXBY

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Just snagged the new BACK ISSUE from Midgard Comics. Enjoying the thorough multi-media coverage of the Hulk. I interviewed Bixby when the series began, and have fond memories of him mixing me gin and tonics in the CBS hospitality suite of the Chicago Hyatt Regency. He was a great guy, and gone too soon. – Dan Hagen

KUNG FU Michael, love your magazine. I just discovered it fairly recently with #64 and have snapped up whatever issues I can find. I have just a couple of quick questions: Have you done an issue on Kung Fu comics? My specific interest would be Iron Fist, Shang-Chi, maybe Richard Dragon. Also, I was wondering if you’d done an issue on the DC 100-Page Super Spectaculars? If so, can you tell me what issues they were? And the follow-up question, if you haven’t covered either of these, do you plan to? Thanks! Really appreciate your efforts... – Dan Stewart

organic web-shooters for Spider-Man, a Batman who can’t turn his head in his black rubber armor, and a Superman who snaps the necks of his villains. I’m just thankful we didn’t end up with a televised red-skinned Hulk… The Hulk sketch by Sal Buscema on page 12 was incorrectly credited as coming from my collection (I figured the real owner would appreciate the correction), but I was very happy to see art from my collection used in the “Incredible Hulk in the 1980s” article by Jason Shayer. Sal Buscema is on the very short list of my all-time favorite comic-book artists and he is the definitive Hulk artist in my mind. I’m glad to have assisted in spotlighting Mr. Buscema’s art for this issue. The only article I didn’t read all the way through was the last one: “Three Men and a Little Psyche” by Ronnie Deen. No offense to Mr. Deen, as I’m sure his article is well written and adequately researched. But I really feel a disservice was done to the character with the addition of the “psychobabble” characterization. Deen wrote, “…by the 1980s that depiction [Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s] was old and stale, establishing a history of child abuse and treating the Hulk as the physical manifestation of a mental disorder forever changed the dynamic of the character…” I couldn’t agree more, and in my opinion anyway, the change was not for the better. Give me “old and stale” any day! – Joe Hollon Sorry about the incorrect art ID, Joe (keep reading for a correction). And speaking of giving credit where it’s due, the idea for Gerhard’s “Canada-izing” of Herb Trimpe’s Hulk #181 cover recreation came from the art’s contributor, Charles Costas, who commissioned that illustration for his collection but shared it with BACK ISSUE for publication. That classic Hulk vs. Wolverine shot has been revisited many times—by Mr. Trimpe and other artists—but this realistic background added quite a different spin on this iconic image. We’re thrilled that we were able to use it and once again extend our thanks to the artists and to Mr. Costas.

SECRET WARS HULK? THIS HULK’S GOT JAWS Speaking of the Incredible Hulk CBS series, above is a photo of the would-be TV Hulk, actor Richard Kiel, decked out in the green! Special thanks to Al Bigley for the pic. Also shown is Kiel in his famous role of James Bond foe Jaws, which he played in The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker (he returned to the role in 2003 to voice Jaws in the video game James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing).

PSYCHED OUT I very much enjoyed the “Incredible Hulk in the Bronze Age” issue. Cover to cover, one of my all-time favorite BACK ISSUE efforts. Herb Trimpe’s homage to his own classic Incredible Hulk #181 cover was a joy to see. Having Gerhard provide the background was an inspired choice! The Hulk is one of very few characters who has an extended run of comics without hardly a dud story in sight. I would argue it’s nearly impossible to find a bad Hulk comic from his inception in 1962 up through at least the early or mid-1980s. With that in mind, I very much enjoyed Jarrod Buttery’s article summarizing the exploits of the Hulk in the 1970s. Glenn Greenberg’s article on The Incredible Hulk television show left me with very mixed emotions. I have fond memories of the series (though I haven’t seen a full episode in years) but found many of the comments attributed to executive producer Kenneth Johnson annoying and frustrating. It sounds to me like the show succeeded almost in spite of Johnson, who seemed to take the opportunity to bash the source material any chance he could. If he was that ashamed of working on a comic-book show, maybe he should’ve found something else to do with his time. It’s his sort of thinking that has led to

I finished reading BACK ISSUE #70 about the Hulk in the Bronze Age and have a few comments… In Chris Franklin’s article about Hulk merchandise, I can confirm his speculation that the reason Mattel did not make a figure of the Hulk as part of their Secret Wars toy line IS because the larger character would have required a separate body mold. At the time, I wrote to Mattel to inquire about their Secret Wars figures, which I found to be disappointing—particularly in comparison to Kenner’s far superior Super Powers line. Someone from Mattel actually took the time to write back to me and address my comments in detail. Unfortunately, the letter was lost when my house was flooded several years ago, but I remember he wrote, “We would have loved to do the Hulk, but…” and he went on to explain how they couldn’t afford to do a separate body mold for the character. This is basically the reason for every flaw in the initial wave of figures, from Dr. Doom and Magneto not having capes to Wolverine’s claw “bracelets” to Spider-Man only having partial webbing printed on the red parts of his costume. Although I’ve always wondered why they made no effort to produce the Hulk in one of the later waves of figures. I had previously sent a Sal Buscema Hulk sketch to you for the Defenders article in #65 that looks just like the one on page 12 credited to Joe Hollon, and I was wondering if it was the same sketch? If there was a mix-up in the credits, I have no problem with that. I was just curious if it was a mix-up or if Buscema draws the same Hulk head sketch at conventions and Mr. Hollon got one similar to mine. – Daniel DeAngelo Daniel, as Joe Hollon noted above, I incorrectly credited your Hulk sketch submission and apologize for the goof. What an interesting story, re the Hulk’s absence from Mattel’s Secret Wars line. Thanks for sharing!

1980s Independents Issue •

BACK ISSUE • 77

SHADES OF GRAY I wanted to say what a thoroughly outstanding job on the coverage of the Hulk in BI #70! Jarrod Buttery did an incredible (If you’ll pardon the pun) job covering Hulk’s adventures in the 1970s, and this was easily the most comprehensive look at Greenskin yet. However, there is one thing I strongly disagree with, and that is the assertion that the Gray Hulk was somehow such a clever character. The way Peter David tells it, one would think the Joe Fixit persona was Machiavelli reincarnated! I always found Grayskin to be a leaden bore. If he was such a guileful schemer, why was he a glorified leg breaker for organized crime in Las Vegas? With his great strength and supposed cunning, you would think he would have been running things, not just working there. – Mike McCullough

Mike, Jarrod Buttery delivered the goods once again last issue with his Fantastic Four in the 1970s article. Sometimes it pays to be the “kid” in the neighborhood with the most comic books.

mention of the full-length novel Hulk novel Abominations. In fact, there was no mention of the many original prose novels that the Hulk has starred in. There must be at least seven, two of which he co-starred with Spider-Man. These were independent stories not adapted from comics, film, or television. The first three were in the Marvel Novel Series. The last novel, MurderMoon, was one of the two in which [Hulk] co-starred with Spider-Man. The other two are Cry of the Beast and Stalker from the Stars. He also starred in four novels during the 1990s: Peter David’s What Savage Beast, the aforementioned Abominations, another Hulk/ Spider-Man team-up called Rampage, and the short-story collection The Ultimate Hulk. – Mark Ricard Thanks, Mark. Seems our fact-checker, Irving Forbush, was asleep at the wheel with some of BI #70’s Hulk data. Even Jade Jaws himself was no help, since he was on a fishing trip when asked to fact-check the issue, as the image below shows. (Actually, the fishing Hulk illo below in an ACBA plate produced by Herb Trimpe in the 1970s and reproduced for us by Jerry Boyd.) You’re right about the first Hulk movie, as shown in the promo image to the left. Regarding Archie Goodwin: His last issue was Incredible Hulk #157 (Nov. 1972). Issue #158 was indeed the Thomas/Gerber collaboration. The paperback novels, though, may or may not be considered canon and normally aren’t the purview of BACK ISSUE’s coverage, no more than, say, we’d consider an episode of the live-action Incredible Hulk TV series to be listed within Hulk comic continuity. (Although in fairness, we did include mention of the Kang/Avengers Marvel Novel in issue #57’s villain history of Kang.) You’ll be happy to learn that Paul Kupperberg—no stranger to telling stories about superheroes in both comic books and novels— has penned an article about superhero novels that will appear in an as-yet-unscheduled issue.

LIVING UP TO HIS NAME?

78 • BACK ISSUE • 1980s Independents Issue

MISTAKES MAKE HULK ANGRY Dear Editor, Please take the errors mentioned in my email as constructive criticism. I enjoyed your recent issue of the Hulk but there were some factual errors in some of your articles. The Ang Lee movie, Hulk, came to theaters in 2003, not 2004. The issue Incredible Hulk #158 was not Archie Goodwin’s last issue. That issue was written by Roy Thomas and Steve Gerber. It is the only Incredible Hulk issue that Gerber ever wrote in his career. The End was originally published as a prose short story in the 1998 collection The Ultimate Hulk. This is not related Marvel’s Ultimate line but was a collection of short stories all about the Hulk in various points of his history up to 1996. Marvel released many short-story anthologies in the ’90s along with a number of novels. The comic-book version did not appear until much later, in 2002. Your Abomination article had one error. The storyline about Bruce and his relationship with the Abomination’s wife has been taken out of continuity by Peter David in his 2005 run on the title. This article mentioned the Abomination appeared in a three-part story in the quarterly Marvel Super-Heroes series. The first two parts were written by Roy Thomas, but the last part was not. Why did he leave the storyline? For my final comment: in his [writer John Cimino’s] otherwise detailed and accurate review of the Abomination there was no

Another smash issue of BI! Or should I say “Hulk Smash!” issue? (No? Okay…) Being the word geek that I am, I’ve always enjoyed a good comic-character name. Instead of the usual “-Man” suffix or combining a color with something else (“Run! It’s the Silver Sparkplug and his partner, the Crimson Cortex!”), a really good name can sell a character. Two of my particular favorites are Metamorpho (love that Latin influence) and the Creeper (it just sounds, well, creepy). Which brings me to the Hulk. Ol’ Greenskin has become so affixed into our pop culture that the word can’t be used without thinking of him; instead of the word defining him, he now

defines the word. Which is pretty interesting, considering the word “hulk” is defined as “a person or object that is bulky, clumsy, or unwieldy.” That would have fit our hero in his first appearances— a slow-moving, lumbering brute akin to Frankenstein’s monster. As the character developed, he became more of a fast-moving, agile powerhouse, leaping and running and smashing and generally behaving very much unlike the dictionary definition of “hulk.” But since comics, movies, and television have rooted our favorite emerald behemoth into mainstream consciousness— well, when you think “Hulk,” you think “big and strong,” not “clumsy and slow-moving.” It makes you wonder if Terry Bollea considered the etymology of this word before he became Hulk Hogan. In the wrestling ring, two things you don’t want to be are clumsy and slow-moving. Also makes you wonder why nobody has thought of using “behemoth” for a character name. Keep up the good work. Looking forward to the Robots issue. – Michal Jacot

COVER-TO-COVER READ I wanted to write this sooner because I really liked the latest BI with the Hulk. It’s been a while since I liked a whole issue. I forgot about Mantlo writing the Captain Marvel issues; they were my favorite, better than Peter David’s. Keep up the good work! – Patrick John Moreau

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO … THE FIRESTORM GRAPHIC NOVEL? I have been reading BACK ISSUE from the first issue and have always found something to enjoy even when the issue focuses on something I have not a lot of interest in. I love comics as an art form, so that is a very small list to be sure. My wallet, on the other hand, doesn’t like you so much. This is, of course, due to the fact that, through articles in your magazine, I have been intrigued enough about a number of old series I had never thought about reading to go off and purchase back issues. My inner comic-book geek is much happier than my wallet. Please keep up the great work. The real reason for this message, however, is to repeat a request that I sent you a few years ago. You were kind enough to print my message in a subsequent issue, so if you don’t remember, you can always refer back. My question has to do with the oncepromised and over-time-believed-almost-complete Firestorm: Corona graphic novel. At the time, your response indicated that you were reluctant to present any coverage of this book due to your inability to contact the artist Pat Broderick. Now I see on the TwoMorrows website a listing for your upcoming “Let’s Get Small” issue. And it features a Micronauts cover illustrated and colored by the very same Mr. Broderick. Now, unless this is a very old illustration that has just been sitting around, I have to make the jump in logic to believe that you have established contact with said gentleman. And I know from many BACK ISSUE issues (a little clunky, that phrase) that Gerry Conway is always willing to discuss his past work. So as someone who has always counted the original Firestorm as one of my favorite heroes, please, please consider a “Greatest Stories Never Told” article on this MIA item. Please. (Or is that groveling just a little too much?) Have you ever given consideration to a sort of branch-off from GSNT about Micronauts TM & © 2014 Takara LTD/A.G.E., Inc. BACK ISSUE TM & © TwoMorrows. All Rights Reserved.

“Greatest Stories Never Finished”? DC’s Cancelled Comic Cavalcade printed material that was meant for comics that were ultimately discontinued. A fair number were canceled in mid-story. The Secret Society of Super-Villains collections reprinted what was completed of the last two issues of that series, and the Firestorm TPB printed issue #6 of the original series. There are certainly enough series that left us readers hanging to fill and issue or four of BI. BTW, this year kind of marks my 40th year reading comics. I still remember when I used to go to the barbershop with my dad and he would buy me a comic to read while he got his hair cut. Little did he know where that would lead. It probably also explains why I have such an affection for the era you cover. I know these days a fair number of comics from the 1970s get unfairly maligned. But I don’t think my love for them is all nostalgia. Either way, it doesn’t matter. I still love them and your magazine. Thanks again for all the years of enjoyment looking at an art form I love so much! – Brian Martin PS: Loved the Justice League Companion you did. Justice League of America was the first comic I read, first one I collected, and those old issues are still some of my favorites. In terms of first exposures imprinting on me, Dick Dillin’s renditions of most of the JLAers are still the ones I envision most. I almost managed to complete my collection of JLA before they became out of my price range. Just missing a #1, 3, and the Brave and Bold issues. But once I win the lottery…. Thanks for being such a dedicated BI reader, Brian. I’ve also been led to back-issue bins, cons, and eBay auctions to buy many of the comics we profile … so, like you, my wallet has been affected. (Too bad that as BACK ISSUE EIC I don’t hold stock in comics shops’ back-issue sales...) I appreciate the reminder about the Firestorm GN. With your message I do now remember your letter, and you’re right, Pat Broderick and I have reconnected. So I’ll put this on our to-do list. It’s unlikely it’ll be covered for a while; we’ve got our material lined up through 2015. But you’re right, it would make a great GSNT, and we’ll get to it as soon as possible. And “Greatest Stories Never Finished” is a good idea, but instead of starting a new department for it, it seems like it’s still fair game for our GSNT feature. And you mention that in recent collection editions DC printed those “never finished” SSOSV and Firestorm tales; curiously, the publisher missed another opportunity with the recent Joker TPB—the lettered art for the unpublished The Joker #10 would have been the perfect closer for that trade. Thanks for the kind words about Justice League Companion. That was a fun book to produce! And since you brought up that Broderick/ Micronauts cover: Next issue: “Let’s Get Small!” (with apologies to Steve Martin), featuring the Bronze Age’s tiniest titans: Marvel’s Micronauts, the Atom in the Bronze Age, JAN STRNAD and GIL KANE’s Sword of the Atom, the rocky relationship of Ant-Man the Wasp, Gold Key’s Microbots, Super Jrs., DC Digests, and Marvel Value Stamps. Featuring the work of JACKSON GUICE, ELLIOT S! MAGGIN, BILL MANTLO, AL MILGROM, ALEX SAVIUK, ROGER STERN, LEN WEIN, and that aforementioned Micronauts cover illustrated and colored by PAT BRODERICK. Don’t ask—just BI it! See you in thirty! Your friendly neighborhood Euryman, Michael Eury, editor-in-chief

1980s Independents Issue •

BACK ISSUE • 79

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BRICKJOURNAL #31

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CAROL L. TILLEY on Dr. Fredric Wertham’s falsification of his research in the 1950s, featuring art by EVERETT, SHUSTER, PETER, BECK, COSTANZA, WEBB, FELDSTEIN, WILLIAMSON, WOOD, BIRO, and BOB KANE! Plus AMY KISTE NYBERG on the evolution of the Comics Code, FCA, Mr. Monster, BILL SCHELLEY, and a new cover by JASON PAULOS and DANIEL JAMES COX!

Edgar Rice Burroughs adventure heroes in comics! With art by FOSTER, HOGARTH, FRAZETTA, MANNING, KANE, KUBERT, MORROW, GRELL, THORNE, WEISS, ANDERSON, KALUTA, AMENDOLA, BUSCEMA, MARSH, and YEATES—with analysis by foremost ERB experts! Plus, the 1970s ERB comics company that nearly was, FCA, MR. MONSTER, BILL SCHELLY, and more! Cover by TOM GRINDBERG!

CAPTAIN MARVEL headlines a Christmas FCA (Fawcett Collectors of America) Fantasmagoria starring C.C. BECK, OTTO BINDER, MARC SWAYZE—and the FAWCETT FAMILY (presented by P.C. HAMERLINCK)! Plus: Comic book/strip star artist DAN BARRY profiled, MICHAEL T. GILBERT in Mr. Monster's Comic Crypt, BILL SCHELLY on comics fandom history, and more! Cover by C.C. BECK!

GERRY CONWAY interviewed about his work as star Marvel/DC writer in the early ’70s (from the creation of The Punisher to the death of Gwen Stacy) with art by ROMITA, COLAN, KANE, PLOOG, BUSCEMA, MORROW, TUSKA, ADAMS, SEKOWSKY, the SEVERINS, and others! Plus FCA, MICHAEL T. GILBERT in Mr. Monster's Comic Crypt, BILL SCHELLY on comics fandom history, and more!

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COMIC BOOK CREATOR #6 COMIC BOOK CREATOR #7 COMIC BOOK CREATOR #8

DRAW! #29

Building LEGO bricks WITH character, with IAIN HEATH and TOMMY WILLIAMSON, Manga-inspired creations of MIKE DUNG, sculptures by Taiwanese Brick Artist YO YO CHEN, Minifigure Customization by JARED BURKS, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd DIY Fan Art by TOMMY WILLIAMSON, MINDSTORMS building, and more!

SWAMPMEN: MUCK-MONSTERS OF THE COMICS dredges up Swamp Thing, ManThing, Heap, and other creepy man-critters of the 1970s bayou! Features interviews with WRIGHTSON, MOORE, PLOOG, WEIN, BRUNNER, GERBER, BISSETTE, VEITCH, CONWAY, MAYERIK, ORLANDO, PASKO, MOONEY, TOTLEBEN, YEATES, BERGER, SANTOS, USLAN, KALUTA, THOMAS, and others. FRANK CHO cover!

BERNIE WRIGHTSON interview on Swamp Thing, Warren, The Studio, Frankenstein, Stephen King, and designs for movies like Heavy Metal and Ghostbusters, and a gallery of Wrightson artwork! Plus writer/editor BRUCE JONES; 20th anniversary of Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror with BILL MORRISON; and interview Wolff and Byrd, Counselors of the Macabre's BATTON LASH, and more!

MIKE ALLRED and BOB BURDEN cover and interviews, "Reid Fleming, World's Toughest Milkman" cartoonist DAVID BOSWELL interviewed, a chat with RICH BUCKLER, SR. about everything from Deathlok to a new career as surrealistic painter; Tales of the Zombie artist PABLO MARCOS speaks; Israeli cartoonist RUTU MODAN; plus an extensive essay on European Humor Comics!

DAVE DORMAN demonstrates his painting techniques for sci-fi, fantasy, and comic book cover, LeSEAN THOMAS (character designer and co-director of The Boondocks and Black Dynamite: The Animated Series) gives advice on today’s animation industry, new columnist JERRY ORDWAY shows his working process, plus more Comic Art Bootcamp by BRET BLEVINS and Draw! editor MIKE MANLEY! Mature readers only.

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BACK ISSUE #77

BACK ISSUE #78

BACK ISSUE #79

KIRBY COLLECTOR #64

KIRBY COLLECTOR #65

“When Comics Were Fun!” HEMBECK cover and gallery, Plastic Man, Blue Devil, Marvel’s Star Comics imprint, VALENTINO’s normalman, Bronze Age’s goofiest Superman stories, and the Batman/Dick Tracy team-up you didn’t see! Featuring MAX ALLAN COLLINS, PARIS CULLINS, RAMONA FRADON, ALAN KUPPERBERG, MISHKIN & COHN, STEVE SKEATES, JOE STATON, CURT SWAN, and more!

“Weird Issue!” Batman’s Weirdest TeamUps, ORLANDO’s Weird Adventure Comics, Weird War Tales, Weird Mystery Tales, DITKO’s Shade the Changing Man and Stalker, CHAYKIN’s Iron Wolf, CRUMB’s Weirdo, and STARLIN and WRIGHTSON’s The Weird! Featuring JIM APARO, LUIS DOMINGUEZ, MICHAEL FLEISHER, BOB HANEY, PAUL LEVITZ, and more. Batman and Deadman cover by ALAN CRADDOCK.

“Charlton Action Heroes in the Bronze Age!” DAVE GIBBONS on Charlton’s WATCHMEN connection, LEN WEIN and PARIS CULLINS’ Blue Beetle, CARY BATES and PAT BRODERICK’s Captain Atom, Peacemaker, Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt, and a look at Blockbuster Weekly! Featuring MIKE COLLINS, GIORDANO, KUPPERBERG, ALAN MOORE, PAT MORISI, ALEX ROSS, and more. Cover by AL MILGROM.

SUPER-SOLDIERS! We declassify Captain America, Fighting American, Sgt. Fury, The Losers, Pvt. Strong, Boy Commandos, and a tribute to Simon & Kirby! PLUS: a Kirby interview about Captain America, MARK EVANIER and other columnists, key 1940s’50s events in Kirby’s career, unseen pencils and unused art from OMAC, SILVER STAR, CAPTAIN AMERICA (in the 1960s AND ’70s), the LOSERS, & more! KIRBY cover!

ANYTHING GOES (AGAIN)! Another potpourri issue with a comparison of Jack Kirby’s work vs. the design genius of ALEX TOTH, a lengthy Kirby interview, a look at Kirby’s work with WALLY WOOD, MARK EVANIER and our other regular columnists, unseen and unused Kirby art from JIMMY OLSEN, KAMANDI, MARVELMANIA, Jack’s COMIC STRIP & ANIMATION WORK, and more!

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A WORK OF ART

DON HECK remains one of the legendary names in comics, considered an “artist’s artist,” respected by peers, and beloved by fans as the co-creator of IRON MAN, HAWKEYE, and BLACK WIDOW, and key artist on THE AVENGERS. Along with STAN LEE, JACK KIRBY, and STEVE DITKO, Heck was an integral player in “The Marvel Age of Comics”, and a top-tier 1970s DC Comics artist. He finally gets his due in this heavily illustrated, full-color hardcover biography, which features meticulously researched and chronicled information on Don’s 40-year career, with personal recollections from surviving family, long-time friends, and industry legends, and rare interviews with Heck himself. It also features an unbiased analysis of sales on Don’s DC Comics titles, an extensive art gallery (including published, unpublished, and pencil artwork), a Foreword by STAN LEE, and an Afterword by BEAU SMITH. Written by JOHN COATES.

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