The Final ’80s Countdown, Part Three.
Back to addressing your picks for best 1980s indie comics, as I continue to look at the books that got one “vote” apiece. Again, I always like to emphasize this isn’t a reflection of their quality, but rather a demonstration of just how much good stuff was coming out in that particular period of time. Thanks, my friends, for indulging this nostalgic walk through what was a fun time for me personally to be collecting comics.
First, a brief update on my Boris the Bear entry, where I couldn’t recall the name of the parody comic that parodied Boris, itself a parody book. Well, it’s reader Brad to the rescue, as he came up with what my rapidly declining brain could not and reminded me that it was Laffin’ Gas #5 from Blackthorn Comics in 1987:
I think I see a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle and Dalgoda (more on Mr. Dalgoda in a moment) in the background there. This is one of those comics I didn’t ever really consider picking up when we had plenty of copies at the old shop, but now those are all long gone, I desperately want one. I’m probably going to have that problem with several comics in our Final ’80s Countdown here. Ah well. Thanks, Brad, for letting me know.
So here we go with today’s three ’80s series:
Critters (Fantagraphics 1986-1990)
Well, here’s another comic which had an issue I could have bought from the old shop for relatively dirt cheap, but just never got around to it. It’s that first issue, pictured right here, which I wanted for the Cutey Bunny content, but is now apparently a Hot Collector’s Item because of ol’ Usagi Yojimbo there.
Despite that disappointing omission from my collection (I actually went into what’s left of the vast Mikester Comic Archives to see if I did have it and just forgot), I do own scattered issues from the series. Most notably I have issue #23, containing the flexidisc with “March of the Sinister Ducks” (lead vocals: one Alan Moore), mentioned waaaaay back on this site in this probably link-rotted post. And I have this “Not the Adventures of Captain Jack” issue from the latter part of the run where they deemphasized the Critters logo in favor of the title of the featured story.
I notice I haven’t made it clear exactly what Critters is, exactly. It’s a black and white anthology series featuring funny animal and anthropomorphic stories by a whole lotta creators, including stories over several issues with the aforementioned Usagi Yojimbo by Stan Sakai. Also of note is Steven Gallaci’s “Birthright,” “Ambrose” by William Van Horn, “Gnuff” by Freddy Milton, a couple of Sam & Max stories by Steve Purcell…the list just goes on and on. And the more I look at the comics database entry for the series, the more issues I find I wish I’d bought. Sheesh.
But this was a solid anthology book containing lots of great work, at least based on the issues I do own, and based on what I’m seeing in my research, so it’s well worth sampling an issue or two. The extra-sized last issue, #50, is an excellent sampler.
Crossfire (Eclipse 1984-1988)
I like Mark Evanier’s writing. I like Dan Spiegle’s art. So why didn’t I read this series? Because I’m a dummy, I guess.
This spin-off from the super-team series DNAgents stars Jay Endicott, bail bondsman, who has assumed the identity of a deceased costumed villain to fight crime from the inside, which I’m gathering from the Wikipedia entry I have open in another tab. Well, okay, actually I did know at least some of that just from simple comic-selling osmosis and handling these books for years and years. But as I said, this remains a huge hole in my reading as there is nothing about this series that doesn’t say “Mike would enjoy this immensely.” Seems like many storylines revolve around showbiz-type material that Evanier knows quite well, something I quite enjoyed in the later Hollywood Superstars series.
There’s also a mini-series called Crossfire and Rainbow (Rainbow being a DNAgents member and Crossfire’s girlfriend, pictured on the cover here). I suspect most of these comics are fairly inexpensive to find, with the exception of issue #12 with the Marilyn Monroe cover by Dave Stevens. Darn you and your talent, Dave Stevens!
Dalgoda (Fantagraphics 1984-1986)
Okay, this series I read every issue (and the follow-up Flesh and Bones mini, and I feel like a short Dalgoda story popped up in an anthology somewhere…it better not be Critters or I’m going to be embarrassed).
The story (by Jan Strnad and Dennis Fujitake) is basically an alien life form lands on Earth in the near-future, and it’s Dalgoda, an intelligent humanoid being with more than a passing resemblance to a dog. Only fitting, as his name is an anagram of, well, you know. As can be expected, drama and hininks ensue, and…look, it’s been a while since I’ve read it, but I can assure you that I really enjoyed it as it was coming out. I still have all those issues in my collection, so let’s add that to the “reread before I die” list.
A couple things I do recall about the series: one, the art was impeccable. Nice, clear and clean storytelling throughout the book, almost Moebius-like. The other was the setting, that this was a future Earth (a couple hundred years or more in the future, as I recall) and other than tech being more advanced, it looked more or less like modern day, which struck me as an interesting take. Again, been a while since I’ve looked at it, maybe I’m remembering that incorrectly, so feel free to jump in and let me know what I got wrong. But I’m not wrong about the art — it’s purty.
Dalgoa got a pretty good marketing push from Fantagraphics, with plenty of ads and some retailer promos (like Open/Closed and No Smoking signs).
Starting with issue #2, there was a fantasy back-up “Grimwood’s Daughter” (by Strnad, drawn by Kevin Nowlan) which…I’m sorry, the art was beautiful as should be expected considering who’s responsible, and Strnad is a great writer, but try as I might I couldn’t get into it. I was here for Space Dog, not elves, I guess. Maybe with my probably theoretical rereading I can give it another go and 40-years-older me can appreciate it more now than 40-years-younger-me could.
Anyway, if I recall correctly (and I may not) Dalgoda never really got a proper wrap-up. I don’t know if anyone involved would want to return to the project at this late date (presuming everyone’s still with us). Tacking on a new maybe-concluding chapter and releasing it all as a fancy hardcover (like Don Simpson’s Border Worlds) would be nice. One can dream.
That’s three more of your ’80s indie picks down! I’ll try to get to more this Friday. Thanks for reading, everyone…I hope you’re liking this trip down Mike’s fading-memory lane as much as I am!
There was a Dalgoda story in issue 4 of the British anthology A1 by Jan Strnad and Kevin Nowlan. That might be the one-off you were thinking of.
I wish I had thought of A1 when you were asking about 80s Indies as I just thought of myself as a Marvel/DC guy until the 90s. But I definitely picked up A1 number 1 in 1989 from the bookshop where I had discovered the Titan black and white Swamp Thing reprints. I still have them all.
If you liked HOLLYWOOD SUPERSTARS, you would like CROSSFIRE. At least I enjoyed both for much of the same reasons.
CROSSFIRE AND RAINBOW was a separate mini-series as far as numbering goes, but it took place during the hiatus between CROSSFIRE going from colour to black & white.
Crossfire was definitely a contender for me when naming my faves. And I liked Evanier’s “tales of Hollywood” text pieces as much as the lead story. When he started writing a column for CBG (and later, a blog) I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.
But Dan Spiegel’s no slouch either! I appreciate his art more and more as I’ve gotten older.
Mike, the ‘Open/Closed and No Smoking signs’ link has an error.
Damien – that was it, thank you.
Allan – whoops! Fixed now!
Mark Evanier is underrated as a comic book writer. Crossfire was a great read, and while I don’t think I had as much appreciation for Dan Spiegle’s art in the ’80s as I should have, my appreciation for it has grown in the decades since (and Evanier and Spiegle’s Blackhawk run is great, too). I almost chose DNAgents as my favorite ’80s independent comic…at the time it was a series I enjoyed quite a bit, especially the first run with the great Will Meugniot’s artwork accompanying Evanier’s stories. I think it might have been Eclipse Comic’s top seller–until they got the rights to Miracle Man–and I always felt it was the closest thing going in independent comics to The X-Men or The New Teen Titans…and there was even the unofficial NTT/DNAgents two part crossover story arc that Evanier and Marv Wolfman cooked up with facsimiles of both teams appearing in an issue of the other team’s comic. I still say that DNAgents and Crossfire would make great streaming shows and it would be cool if they were set in the ’80s as the original comics were. There were also a couple of Dave Stevens covers for Crossfire and Rainbow no. 4 (with Elvis!), and DNAgents no. 24. Now that the voting is officially over, I would add Love & Rockets and DNAgents to The Rocketeer as my top favorite independent comics I enjoyed during the ’80s.
I also just found a bunch of Mark Evanier/Paris Cullins New Gods comics from the ’90s that I need to read.
Re: Dennis Fujitake–beyond Dalgoda, he did some great fanzine art in the ’80s…I still have fond memories of his Amazing Heroes no. 8 painted cover featuring the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, and his Comics Journal covers — especially no. 49 (homage to Steve Ditko’s Shade the Changing Man) and no. 50 (X-Men).
Did Cutey Bunny and Omaha the Cat Dancer ever have a crossover story?
Lucky Damien – I’m still two issues short of that complete run of the first series of A1, though I picked up the fourth the other week. The sixth, perhaps because Tank Girl’s in it, commands high prices whenever I see it…
Speaking of Dalgoda merchandise–I remember that they offered a shirt. Not a t-shirt like you might expect but a nice, long-sleeved henley. It seems so strange in retrospect. Not so strange that I didn’t own one, of course.
You won’t get all the jokes in Laffin’ Gas #5 if you haven’t read Boris the Bear #1; likewise, you won’t appreciate the opening of Boris the Bear #8 (Return of the Ninja Critters) if you haven’t read LG#5.
Here’s a review if you can’t find Laffin’ Gas #5 in the wild: http://tmntentity.blogspot.com/2017/01/laffin-gas-5.html
Not that it matters, as the poll’s over, but would Judge Dredd count? It was published by Eagle comics for awhile, in the States. And it was pretty great.
“Sam & Max”
I LOVE SAM N MAX!! Modern funny animal stuff generally does NOTHING for me, but they are the great exception!
“(Rainbow being a DNAgents member and Crossfire’s girlfriend,”
I like how she’s wearing half of a costume!
“Evanier and Spiegle’s Blackhawk run is great, too”
THIS!! I bought a bunch of back issues of that last year or so, and still need to read them.
Snark Shark:
That was half the appeal of DNAgents…which we used to jokingly refer to as “T’N’Agents”…because Will Meugniot was one of the great good girl artists of the Bronze Age…and Rainbow and Amber definitely were drawn that way! But, beyond the cheesecake, Evanier actually wrote some great, poignant stories that examined the human condition, and explored the existential quest for freedom of the genetically engineered and extremely naive DNAgents team, who rebelled against their corporate overlords.
I wonder if Evanier drew any inspiration from the Rolling Stones’ psychedelic song “She’s a Rainbow” when he created the character:
“She comes in colours everywhere
She combs her hair
She’s like a rainbow
Coming, colours in the air
Oh, everywhere
She comes in colours”
Snark Shark:
That was half the appeal of DNAgents…which we used to jokingly refer to as “T’N’Agents”…because Will Meugniot was one of the great good girl artists of the Bronze Age…and Rainbow and Amber definitely were drawn that way! But, beyond the cheesecake, Evanier actually wrote some great, poignant stories that examined the human condition, and explored the existential quest for freedom of the genetically engineered and extremely naive DNAgents team, who rebelled against their corporate overlords.
I wonder if Evanier drew any inspiration from the Rolling Stones’ psychedelic song “She’s a Rainbow” when he created the character:
“She comes in colours everywhere
She combs her hair
She’s like a rainbow
Coming, colours in the air
Oh, everywhere
She comes in colours”