Dave Darrigo, R.I.P.

Just wanted to note the recent passing of comic book writer Dave Darrigo, best known for writing the 12-issue series WORDSMITH, drawn by artist R. G. Taylor and published by Renegade Press from 1985 to 1988 (later reprinted by Caliber in two books in 1990).  That was the story of Clay Washburn, a "penny-a-word" pulp fiction writer in Great Depression era New York, cranking out work under various pen-names and in multiple genres for the popular dime magazines of the era.  Through a dozen issues the story follows Clay's life, mixed with segments of his writing, as the 30s go on, he deals with trying to break into more respectable writing, various relationships, as well as reacting to the increased global tensions ultimately leading to WWII.

It was an excellent series, with a lot of small stories evoking the feel of life in the era and how all of it becomes fodder for Clay's writing.

Darrigo was also a fixture of the Toronto comics scene as the original manager of the Dragon Lady comic book store in downtown Toronto.  I only knew him casually through that, enough to say hi to, but enjoyed the times I got to talk to him. He was inducted into the Joe Shuster Awards Hall of Fame in 2010.

Darrigo and Taylor, as drawn by Taylor.

Some pages from WORDSMITH depicting the variety of opinions that Clay's writing inspired.

Hard Time #6 [2004] (Random Comics Theatre)

Random Comics Theatre

Hard Time #6 [2004]

HARD TIME was a series created and written by Steve Gerber and drawn by Brian Hurtt (with some additional writing in later issues by Mary Skrenes and inking by Steve Bird and Rick Burchett), published by DC under one of their shortest-lived imprints, Focus, for twelve issues in 2004, followed a year later by a second series, HARD TIME SEASON TWO, without the Focus branding and lasting seven issues.

The Focus line seemed to try to try to try to target somewhere between DC's then-still Comics Code approved main line and the "mature readers" labelled Vertigo line.  There were three other books in the line, KINETIC, TOUCH and FRACTION, none of which lasted more than eight issues. Among other things they all seemed to have a muted colouring style with a limited palatte (which ended up being less used in the second series).

I kind of think this might have worked better as a Vertigo book, with a lot of sometimes awkward, sometimes ridiculous attempts to avoid "adult" language.

Anyway, the series is about Ethan Harrow, who starts the story as a 15-year-old who gets involved in a school shooting (which he thought was a prank, not knowing his partner-in-crime brought real bullets) and sentenced as an adult to 50 years  of hard time (hey, that's the name of the book).  At the time of the shooting Ethan also started to exhibit a power, an invisible entity that can leave his body and wreak havoc while he's unconscious. Initially completely oblivious to that entity, he gradually becomes more aware of it.

By this issue Ethan is already in trouble with several groups in the prison, in particular the homicidal religious fanatic Gantry, who can sense something about Ethan's entity and thinks it's demonic. For most of this issue Ethan is trying to race back to his cell ahead of Gantry to put some plans in place, but gets distracted by various things, like a visit by his lawyer.  He makes it back just in time, managing to save his own life, but ending up sent to a month in solitary.  There he finds himself increasingly in control of his entity, moving beyond the bars of the prison.

This was a really strong series, obviously influenced by a lot of prison dramas of the era, especially the HBO series OZ.  It developed a lot of interesting characters and balanced the gritty prison elements with the increasingly outlandish fantasy elements.

DC published a complete collection of all 19 issues of both series back in 2020, .

Scooby-Doo #14 [1996] (Random Comics Theatre)

Random Comics Theatre

Scooby-Doo #14 [1996]

Scooby-Doo debuted as a TV cartoon in 1969, and very quickly was adapted to comics, first from Western / Gold Key in 1970 and later from Charlton, Marvel, Harvey, Archie and then finally DC, which still publishes it to this day. During the Western run some of the issues were done by Dan Spiegle and Mark Evanier, who would later also do some Scooby-Doo stories at Marvel in the late-1970s, and then three more for this 21-issue run of the series at Archie in the mid-1990s.  They even got a then-uncommon at Archie credit blurb on the cover for some of their issues.  Along the way of course Spiegle and Evanier collaborated on many other comics, including BLACKHAWK, CROSSFIRE and HOLLYWOOD SUPERSTARS.

Under the Dan Spiegle cover is the 22-page story "The Balloon Busters", also drawn by Spiegle and written by Mark Evanier.  The gang take in a parade with giant balloon floats, which is attacked by a fire-breathing dragon balloon.  Naturally Shaggy and Scooby run for cover, in a nicely drawn sequence, while the rest of the gang follow the balloon until it gets away, then come back to investigate at the department store which sponsors the parade, which they find is having financial problems, with a rival store owner trying to buy it.

Fun little story, always interesting to see Spiegle doing this style, very on-model with the characters from the cartoon while everything else is a slightly more open version of his usual adventure comics artwork.