Greg Goldstein's Comic Art Gallery

Tag: The Goon

Eric Powell — Chasing Frazetta & Davis

Original Art and The Artists

Criminal Macabre / The Goon: When Freaks Collide #1, July 2011

If the 60s “comic chase movie poster” can be considered its own category, Jack Davis and Frank Frazetta owned it.

Eric Powell pays a loving tribute to these classic posters — and both artists — with his terrific painted wraparound cover for the one-shot crossover, Criminal Macabre / The Goon: When Freaks Collide. (2011). (Instead of actors, we get monsters and creatures. Seems like a win.)

Davis continued to illustrate film posters using his trademark caricature style until most movie marketing materials employed photography.  Frazetta though was later hired instead for his painted fantasy flair. Today, of course, illustrated poster efforts have all but disappeared. Somewhere along the way, styles changed, and the ever-frugal Hollywood execs decided that $20 million for an actor made sense, but a few thousand bucks for marketing art is a bridge too far. 

Sigh. We are all poorer because of it.

Happy Halloween —all month long!

Frazetta’s Hollywood work transitioned from the humorous to his distinctive “fantasy style” in the 70s.
Has any other artist been hired to provide illustration for a subject — and then a few years later hired to create a satire of that same illustration? Jack Davis was one-of- a-kind.

Eric Powell — Goon 1, Jaws 0

Original Art and The Artists

The Goon #13, July 2005

Jaws is one of my favorite films. 

Probably top 5 if I really think about it.

In fact, anyone who knows me well, knows that I have a tradition of watching the film every year around the July 4 Holiday. (The film takes place in “real” time from about June 28-July 7.)

And of course, as discussed previously, I’m a big fan of Eric Powell and The Goon.

So, a page featuring the Goon vs. “Jaws”?  A no-brainer. (Ok, just a regular ‘ol aggressive shark, but still…)

My friends who are also super fans of both Jaws and Powell’s art — a bigger group than you might imagine — are also impressed.

Be careful at the beach, everyone. Last thing we need is a panic on the Fourth of July.

“You’re going to need a bigger boat.”

Eric Powell — Shmak!

Original Art and The Artists

Goon, Vol. 2, #4 (Albatross), April 2003

Here’s a great Goon splash page from Eric Powell, cool sound effect included.

We’ve previously discussed a tremendous appreciation for Powell’s art, but I also have tremendous respect for him as entrepreneur.

He’s come pretty much full circle recently as he returned to independent publishing after spending many years under the Dark Horse umbrella.

When Eric launched Goon, he published a handful of issues with Avatar, but, dissatisfied with that arrangement, he ultimately independently published the series after a brief try out at Dark Horse that didn’t result in a Goon publishing offer. 

After a few issues, however, Dark Horse realized they had made an error in editorial Judgment, and brought the Goon on board. 

That relationship ended in 2018, and Eric once again, turned to the independent route under his own publishing banner, Albatross.

It takes willpower, discipline and much more to hit your creative deadlines while simultaneously working through the labyrinth of publishing details — production, printing, distribution, etc. But as far as I can tell, Mr. Powell is doing just fine, thank you.

If you ever have a chance to hear him give a marketing presentation for Albatross, don’t pass it up. 

I’ve seen a few, and they range from “just” very funny — to downright hilarious.

For economic reasons, the first printing of this Goon story is in grayscale. Later trade collections feature the Goon Albatross stories in color.
The Goon — From Avatar to Dark Horse to Albatross to Dark Horse and ultimately, back to Albatross, Powell’s own imprint.

Eric Powell — Field of Screams

Original Art and The Artists

The Goon, One For The Road (One-Shot), 2014

Imagine if the legendary cartoonist Jack Davis suddenly appeared —as a young man— and promptly joined you on a fantastical adventure.

Eric Powell imagined it, and realized it, in a special one-shot issue of the Goon. When Joe Jackson shows up in your story, you call it “Field of Dreams”. When Jack Davis, one of the all-time great EC horror artists (among many) pops in — I say we call it “Field of Screams.” (Even though the correct title is “Goon One For The Road.” Sue me. I couldn’t resist the pun.)

Davis was easily one of America’s most talented 20th-century illustrators, and one of three main influences Eric cites in his artistic career. See here for a personal story of Powell getting a dream fulfilled by getting Jack to do the cover.

And how great is this page?!?  The gorilla is wearing a friggin’ Prussian war helmet! A helmet!