Just this week, the second issue of the licensed Savage Dragon series arrived in stores in German-speaking countries. It's the first time the series is being published here from the beginning, starting with the issues from the 1990s. Additionally, it is in an oversized magazine format.
At 16:00 Freak Force had recently reformed and they would (and continue to) appear occasionally at the time (though not as often as I'd have liked). Most prominently to this issue, back in 239 and 240 (the all double page splash issue)
I stopped by a local comic store a few years back to look around and got a bit nostalgic when I saw a new issue of Savage Dragon. I leafed through the pages to see what ok Dragon was up to these days. I was not expecting to see the Dragon's j!zz.
Savage Dragon has always been a fan of various bodily fluids applied graphically and comedically! I think it took fellow mature reader Image books like Saga, Sex, and Sex Criminals to give Larsen the confidence to go the extra step.
Pictured:2 people who devoted their lives to an artform whose American branch is being kicked from Seattle to Miami by an island country several times smaller comprised of nothing but rocks, rice, and densely packed people. I for one welcome our new teriyaki overlords.
When Larsen started Savage Dragon I picked up the limited series and the first 10 or so issues of the regular series. I thought it was the only good story of the initial Image offerings... but I pretty much gave up on reading comics in the early 90s after '94 or so. I started reading and buying books again in 2017 or so when my kids started wanting to frequent comic shops... but I focused on more mature titles that were not superhero books. But when I saw this book, I knew I had to have it (I got the Charlie Brown cover).
That ran as a back-up throughout the late 90s and early 00s. However it was not created by Larsen, but by Savage Dragon fan Karl H. It was, incredibly, collected all together in a Savage Dragonbert one-shot back in 2002. An incredible comic artifact.
The Moiré pattern was corrected in the second printing. I don't think Erik goes to the trouble of sampling the dot patterns to create that effect. I'm pretty sure he runs a pixelation filter on each cmyk channel and then nudges them a bit to create an off- register look. This is then layered on top of a scan of newsprint. I believe what caused the problem was the resolution and the size of the pixelation effect when the effect was created. If you're scanning in line art at 600 dpi, creating your effects and coloring at that scale and then shrinking it in Indesign it can cause that distortion. The pixelation effect has to be created at the scale of the final printed image.
Ed and Jim analyzing the moire pattern had me 💀 I have the reprint this was a mistake that was corrected. He does use some effects on the megaton reprints to make them look retro
Savage Dragon is the slugger of superhero comics. It might strike out more often than not but when it connects it's something amazing. And taken as a whole as a multigenerational epic playing out in more or less real time it's just a towering achievement. The fact that the current stars of the book first appeared as babies and just grew up amazes me every time I think about it.
I think there was a miscalculation with the way the coloring was applied that was corrected in one of the reprints. It went to a third printing which had the Peanuts cover in purple.
S'funny how y'all were talking about Dan Clowes (or maybe Ivan Brunetti) doing the "ultimate" Family Circus" parody. My old Lodge-mate Hunter (who you may have seen in the band Spoon's music videos) used to do some really hilarious Family Circus parodies, but he officially stopped after he saw Roy Tompkins' "Famine Circus" He declared *that* to be the "ultimate" Family Circus parody and said there was no point in anyone even attempting to do any further ones! Still, you guys know how tempting little Billy and his winding dotted line can be...
I think there are 3 printings of this issue. I recall having all 3. First had the moire pattern. The second fixed it. The third went flat colors for everything. If there's a way to share an image, I could try to take a photo of the 3 of them together if you'd like.
I keep trying to get into the newer issues he’ll do some interesting stuff then just have an awful issue like the latest issue 267. which after months waiting was just a huge disappointment. at least it has the megaton reprints and backups which imo are way more interesting than his current day sex obsessed stuff
When you farm out your art duties, it makes it much easier to hit your deadlines. McFarlane's publishing line is a corporate line of comics at this point with him a head editor.
I had some really hard laughs from this book ,also Larsen managed to keep the characters in the continuity! Lol! I grew up in the sixties reading comics strips and along with cartoons/coloring books were my gateway to comic books by the late sixties! Just after this issue came out I went back and read the whole series and there are sure as hell many peaks and valleys but on occasion Larsen tries something nutsy and that’s why it’s one of very few books I have almost every issue! Dragon is also one of the few books that takes place in real time which makes for some interesting stories like characters getting married,growing old etc etc. How many comics exactly have a son or daughter taking over the book? The latest issue was a quirky wedding story with a nice twist ending! Totally blindsided me! 🎯 They can say whatever they want about Larsen and they do, but, he is living the dream by owning his characters and with the exception of McFarlane Larsen is the only one of the original Image crew to stay with or oversee their characters come hell or high water! 👍 Really made my day with this one,guys! Thanks! Shoutout to Ed for Switchblade Shorties!😎 180 degrees from Red Room! Lol! I’m at times very nostalgic for the old comic strips and so it’s always interesting when a creator can incorporate strips into the current zeitgeist! Keep reading and making comix!👍👋
Just this week, the second issue of the licensed Savage Dragon series arrived in stores in German-speaking countries. It's the first time the series is being published here from the beginning, starting with the issues from the 1990s. Additionally, it is in an oversized magazine format.
At 16:00 Freak Force had recently reformed and they would (and continue to) appear occasionally at the time (though not as often as I'd have liked). Most prominently to this issue, back in 239 and 240 (the all double page splash issue)
Good Ol' Fantastic Frank Fosco often has some of these in the longbox at his con table.
I think the cover is a Blondie tribute, as Jim suggested - Dagwood is always hitting the fridge.
Oh, yeah! Dagwood *does* do that "shelving" thing to carry his foodstuffs!
So the kids would equate to the Bumsteads' brats Cookie and Alexander.
It is absolutely Blondie, with Malcolm desperate to assemble his mouth watering Dagwood.
Thumbnail is issue 228 for the curious. (Extremely NSFW)
I stopped by a local comic store a few years back to look around and got a bit nostalgic when I saw a new issue of Savage Dragon. I leafed through the pages to see what ok Dragon was up to these days. I was not expecting to see the Dragon's j!zz.
Savage Dragon has always been a fan of various bodily fluids applied graphically and comedically! I think it took fellow mature reader Image books like Saga, Sex, and Sex Criminals to give Larsen the confidence to go the extra step.
What
@@JamesQPurcellimagine being this nasty
Haha. Not the issue I was expecting based on the title.
Pictured:2 people who devoted their lives to an artform whose American branch is being kicked from Seattle to Miami by an island country several times smaller comprised of nothing but rocks, rice, and densely packed people. I for one welcome our new teriyaki overlords.
When Larsen started Savage Dragon I picked up the limited series and the first 10 or so issues of the regular series. I thought it was the only good story of the initial Image offerings... but I pretty much gave up on reading comics in the early 90s after '94 or so. I started reading and buying books again in 2017 or so when my kids started wanting to frequent comic shops... but I focused on more mature titles that were not superhero books. But when I saw this book, I knew I had to have it (I got the Charlie Brown cover).
I've got that second print, what a lovely cover for a great issue.
I haven’t watched the video yet, but I read savage dragon, and the answer is “yes”
Starting to read this series again.
Larsen did a Savage Dragonbert, a Dilbert satire. Would love to see you guys look at that
That ran as a back-up throughout the late 90s and early 00s. However it was not created by Larsen, but by Savage Dragon fan Karl H. It was, incredibly, collected all together in a Savage Dragonbert one-shot back in 2002. An incredible comic artifact.
“Brutus”….,🤨🤔💭🤣 wasn’t it: “Bluto”…., I honestly can’t remember 🤣😂 Love the Production’s & keep up the great work 🤙😉
The Moiré pattern was corrected in the second printing. I don't think Erik goes to the trouble of sampling the dot patterns to create that effect. I'm pretty sure he runs a pixelation filter on each cmyk channel and then nudges them a bit to create an off- register look. This is then layered on top of a scan of newsprint. I believe what caused the problem was the resolution and the size of the pixelation effect when the effect was created. If you're scanning in line art at 600 dpi, creating your effects and coloring at that scale and then shrinking it in Indesign it can cause that distortion. The pixelation effect has to be created at the scale of the final printed image.
Ed and Jim analyzing the moire pattern had me 💀 I have the reprint this was a mistake that was corrected. He does use some effects on the megaton reprints to make them look retro
Savage Dragon is the slugger of superhero comics. It might strike out more often than not but when it connects it's something amazing. And taken as a whole as a multigenerational epic playing out in more or less real time it's just a towering achievement. The fact that the current stars of the book first appeared as babies and just grew up amazes me every time I think about it.
I think there was a miscalculation with the way the coloring was applied that was corrected in one of the reprints. It went to a third printing which had the Peanuts cover in purple.
S'funny how y'all were talking about Dan Clowes (or maybe Ivan Brunetti) doing the "ultimate" Family Circus" parody. My old Lodge-mate Hunter (who you may have seen in the band Spoon's music videos) used to do some really hilarious Family Circus parodies, but he officially stopped after he saw Roy Tompkins' "Famine Circus" He declared *that* to be the "ultimate" Family Circus parody and said there was no point in anyone even attempting to do any further ones!
Still, you guys know how tempting little Billy and his winding dotted line can be...
I think there are 3 printings of this issue. I recall having all 3. First had the moire pattern. The second fixed it. The third went flat colors for everything. If there's a way to share an image, I could try to take a photo of the 3 of them together if you'd like.
I want the OG savage dragon to return from the dead and take back the reigns
Amazing clickbait with the thumbnail lol
Millie the model, Archie yup reminds me of that
Are you guys going to take a look at E.C.Segar's Popeye strips, one day?
What a fun issue. I over creators playing around like that. Makes me wish I had just one character/book I wanted to do forever.
Those switchblade shorties originals are GORGEOUS!
I keep trying to get into the newer issues he’ll do some interesting stuff then just have an awful issue like the latest issue 267. which after months waiting was just a huge disappointment. at least it has the megaton reprints and backups which imo are way more interesting than his current day sex obsessed stuff
How is he 100 issues behind Spawn when they started the same year.
Easiest answer in the world. Erik Larsen makes his comics.
Plus lately he rarely puts it out monthly maybe 4 issues a year.
When you farm out your art duties, it makes it much easier to hit your deadlines. McFarlane's publishing line is a corporate line of comics at this point with him a head editor.
Spawn also ran biweekly for about a year, effectively putting it that much further ahead in publication volume.
Erik was actually doing Spawn for a while.
I had some really hard laughs from this book ,also Larsen managed to keep the characters in the continuity! Lol! I grew up in the sixties reading comics strips and along with cartoons/coloring books were my gateway to comic books by the late sixties! Just after this issue came out I went back and read the whole series and there are sure as hell many peaks and valleys but on occasion Larsen tries something nutsy and that’s why it’s one of very few books I have almost every issue! Dragon is also one of the few books that takes place in real time which makes for some interesting stories like characters getting married,growing old etc etc. How many comics exactly have a son or daughter taking over the book? The latest issue was a quirky wedding story with a nice twist ending! Totally blindsided me! 🎯 They can say whatever they want about Larsen and they do, but, he is living the dream by owning his characters and with the exception of McFarlane Larsen is the only one of the original Image crew to stay with or oversee their characters come hell or high water! 👍 Really made my day with this one,guys! Thanks! Shoutout to Ed for Switchblade Shorties!😎 180 degrees from Red Room! Lol! I’m at times very nostalgic for the old comic strips and so it’s always interesting when a creator can incorporate strips into the current zeitgeist! Keep reading and making comix!👍👋