The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 621: Gammarauders #10, December 1989

I think that Gammarauders may well be the longest full series I've read through for this project so far. That said, I'm sad that it's not longer. This is a series that I think was just starting to find its footing. Though it never quite moves away, and nor should it, from the giant animals with guns trope that makes the comic and the game what they are, Gillis and company seemed to be getting around to exploring the world a little bit, and projecting forward what the politics of this bizarre era would look like. A setting like this offers the opportunity to bridge the genres of action-comedy and political thriller rather nicely, and though it's only speculation, I feel like this is where it was heading.

Today's issue seems a little more coherent than yesterdays, which is nice given that it's the last one. As I noted yesterday, there's a two-page summation of the story, and I guess of the series, at the end of the issue. This is a device I don't see deployed nearly enough - if a comic has been cancelled, why not let us in on where it was going to go. No writer in comics is merely winging it (or would admit to it, anyway!), and though it's a blow to have a comic cancelled, it would be nice to have some kind of closure to a story.

Final thoughts on the series? I preferred Martin King's art over Gordon Purcell's for the setting - the stylization of the setting needs a more stylized art. I found Purcell's interpretations of the characters, especially Allisdau, far too superhero for the series. In fact, while King and Purcell managed to maintain a fair bit of consistency with most of their depictions of main characters throughout, Allisdau is the exception. It's literally like they're drawing completely different characters. From a writing stance, the butchered plays on old-timey sayings were getting a bit hackneyed, but as I note above, Gillis seems to have been interested in actually developing the world, so some of the slapstick-y-ness was disappearing in exchange for the potential of some interesting satire. Ah well.

For those interested, the game Gammarauders had one expansion that introduced not only a wider range of 'Borgs, but also the fearsome Gammasaurus, a giant hybrid creature that rampaged across the board (controlled by your most chaotic of friends) while the other players tried to win. Whether or not this would have found its way into the comic, I don't know.

Not sure where we're heading tomorrow. Join us, won't you? See you in the Big Nada.

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 620: Gammarauders #9, November 1989

One of the things I really love/hate about tomorrow's issue of Gammarauders (what? You expected linearity from me? Haven't you been paying attention?) is that we're given, at the end, a look at what would have happened had the series continued. That's not something one always gets in a cancelled comic, and after the chaotic events of today's issue, it's nice to see how things would have gone. And today's issue is chaotic for a few reasons.

First, Jok Tadsworth is made a member of the ruling body of the Gamma Age, partially as a result of his heroic actions saving the world, and partially because Allisdau Womba has a crush on him. Remember, this is a comedy comic. Jok doesn't want the job, but it turns out he's actually pretty good at it, which leads to his being targeted in an assassination attempt (topical, hmmmm?). The attempt fails, but does end up costing the life of Natasha Darkwest, the object of Jok's unrequited love, after which Jok goes on a rampage of revenge. But here's where the second chaotic thing happens, and its a direct result of what I was talking about yesterday, I'm sure. All of a sudden, partway through the comic, the art style changes. We then see Jok, piloting his 'Borg, leaping into the midst of a city and destroying things, taking revenge on the Crimson Moon, perpetrators of the assassination attempt, and the rest of the Bioborgs and their handlers trying to restrain him. And then on the next page, the conflict continues but has strangely been transplanted into a desert setting, and the dialogue suggests that Jok is on his way to destroy the very city that he seemed to be in on the previous page.

This chaos, no doubt, comes from the comic having been cancelled, the artists perhaps moving on to something else, thus the editor would have had to find a fill-in artist, and really, if the comic's being cancelled, why bother paying any attention to whether or not the issue makes any sense? I might be being harsh with this criticism, but I've read enough comics to recognize what happens when a company stops caring about a title, even though it still has a couple of issues left in it.

There is one lovely moment in this comic, though, one that spoke to me quite powerfully. While lamenting his new position, Jok is offered this pearl of wisdom from Nigel Battlebone, scientist and fellow 'Borg handler: "...you are the first Bioborg handler ever to attain the station and the honors and powers appertaining thereto...that are now convenable to the representation and protection of the liberties of Bioborgs and their handler, something the Cryptic Alliances have heretofore and with overwhelming effectiveness blocked. In short, Jok, we need someone to fight for our rights...but it's in the Alliance's best interest to keep us oppressed, working for lower wages than we might otherwise get, to keep our numbers under control, to keep us on the dread work-for-hire system." While I'm thinking that this lovely anti-Neoliberal rant echoes, at least for the creators of this comic, the working conditions of comics creators at the time, for me it speaks to some of the problems with the sessional teaching industry and the tenure system. I know, I know, I'm just bitter about my treatment I'm sure, but that doesn't make Battlebone's words any less relevant.

Onward.

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 619: Gammarauders #8, October 1989

And so ends the first (and, sadly, only) major story arc of Gammarauders. The great terror that Jok Tadsworth is warned of all the way back in the opening pages of issue #1 is defeated, the 'Borg handlers are back to their usual roles, the powerful and ancient artifacts have disappeared, and Natasha still doesn't love Jok.

This, really, would be a decent place to stop reading the series, and one could  consider it a complete story and a complete run of a comic. But Gammarauders was always intended to be an ongoing, so there's a couple more issues. What I have trouble understanding is why they'd give these last two issues any space when this is a totally natural place to end the story. Surely they must have known that the comic was going to be cancelled by this point. I guess we'll see. I've been having trouble remembering what happens in this series, so it could be that the last issue or two are stand alone stories, which would make more sense from a publishing perspective. I guess we'll find out tomorrow.

Onward.

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 618: Gammarauders #7, September 1989

A bit inebriated this evening, as a result of my son turning 18 today. But I'm thinking that there's a decent argument to be made that Gammarauders is best enjoyed in a slight state of inebriation.

Onward.

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 617: Gammarauders #6, August 1989

Up in the top corner of this cover, a question is asked: "Who is our curvaceous new cast member?"

My first reaction to this was *sigh*, of course she's introduced through her body, even though the "curvaceous cast member" in question is actually the niece of the architect of the Gamma Age, and a fighter and scientist in her own right. But, y'know, it's her body that matters, obviously.

And then I had another look at that picture up above, and then at the brief glimpse of one of the Happy Face girls that always accompany Borg-Handler Slash, who, aside from the creepy, creepy masks, are always depicted as lithe, super-model-esque creatures. Allisdau Womba, however, seems to have, for lack of a better term, a bit more hourglass than supermodel going on, and considering the time that this comic was produced, that's pretty impressive. Add to this that, inside, though her shape is slightly less substantial than on the cover, she appears completely clothed, in a position of authority, and as a person unafraid to express her sexuality. Considering the less-than-dignified question concerning her identity on the cover, inside she's introduced as a force to be reckoned with, not simply one to stare at.

Smart comics are complicated. Who knew?

Onward.

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 616: Gammarauders #5, July 1989

Apologies for the break in Gammarauders - a busy few days, so I actually resorted to using my back-up comics. Guess I'll have to read a few more and put them on ice.

Issue #5 continues the story of Rosebud, the giant, carnivorous plant that was causing such havoc in the first few issues - though the cover of this issue appears to herald the beginning of a new story arc, I'm realizing that the whole series is one extended story. Perhaps Gammarauders would have worked better as a standalone graphic novel.

The puns are less-frequent now, and though the humour of the setting is still evident, there's definitely a privileging of the science fiction and dramatic elements in the story. Even when the Factoids show up with illicit video of femme fatale Natasha nude in the bathtub, the footage ends with Natasha being attacked by a mystery assailant. There's a grim-dark undercurrent to the comic that reflects quite nicely the similar undercurrent in the game - this is, after all, a post-apocalyptic future, and a story of humanity attempting to rebuild and survive in a radioactive wasteland. It can't all be laughs.

The more I read of the series, the closer I get to the premature final issue, the sadder I get. I really do love this setting, and the characters, human and borg, are fantastic. Perhaps it's time to spearhead a Gammarauders revival...?

Onward.

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 612: Gammarauders #4, May 1989

A party that goes til three in the morning can really sap your ability to write coherently. Thus, I shall write about this comic tomorrow, after a proper sleep.

(Just a brief update, as I find that above review amusing.)

Gordon Purcell takes over the art chores on this issue, and something is lost. This is certainly not to say that Purcell's art is by any means bad, just that the manga-esque style of the first three issues suits the material so well, and Mr. Purcell's more traditionally North American style is not quite as fitting. Purcell and Martin King trade off art chores for the next six issues, so there's a modicum of consistency, at least, but I think I like the manga look better. It suits the ridiculous stylization of the Gammarauders universe.

Onward!

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 611: Gammarauders #3, April 1989

I'm trying, but I can't think of a comic series, an ongoing one that is, that is quite so apocalyptic within its first three issues as Gammarauders has been. Each issue has ended with focal character Jok Tadsworth and his Kangaroid Hoag getting blown up, only to be revived by some mysterious figure in the next issue. The war that appears to have been brewing for decades prior to the opening of the series is in full swing, and it honestly looks like the "bad guys" might have the upper hand. Yesterday I noted that there had been a lot of exposition over the last few issues. This issue dispenses with that and jumps right into the war to end all wars!

Also, there's a giant, slightly stupid, penguin covered in atomic-powered armaments. What more could you ask for in a comic?

I've been inspired to get the old game out and give it a whirl again, though I wonder if it holds up. I seem to recall it having relatively lax rules, but in a war game that can sometimes be a problem. It might jibe with the flavour of the game, but war games tend to need a lot of structure in order to have them work smoothly. Unlike a role-playing game, war games are not intended to be open to too much interpretation and improvisation.

Speaking of RPGs, the first few issues of this series also feature GetRPS, the Gammarauders (Extremely Tiny) Role-Playing System. Again, I'm intrigued, and may wrangle a few of my gaming comrades into giving it a whirl. We'll see.

Onward!

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 610: Gammarauders #2, March 1989

Things move along exactly as one might expect in a game-adaptation comic. We're introduced to more characters, more alliances, and more bad guys. The nice thing about Gammarauders, the game, is that it was never so popular that the company that owned it would throttle the creativity of the writers and artists, nor did it have so rigid a story that those same creators could not throw in their own flourishes.

Which is what happens a bit later in the series. But for now, it's a lot of exposition - I seem to recall it being slightly boring for me when I first read it, but that's likely because I knew all of the stuff they're "revealing" in these first few issues already. But once things start bouncing, they bounce pretty high.

Short one today. Onward.

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 609: Gammarauders 1, January 1989

Back when TSR were super-successful and not owned by Wizards of the Coast, they published a whole bunch of different genres of role-playing game, though for the most part they boiled down to "Dungeons & Dragons in [insert genre here]." Boot Hill, for example, was D&D in the old West. Star Frontiers was D&D in space. And Gamma World was D&D in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Boot Hill faded away, and Star Frontiers enjoyed modest success. Gamma World lingered for a bit, went through an edition or two, but was never as successful as D&D or SF. And at some point in the late 80s, someone at TSR must have suggested taking the setting and meshing it with strange, retro-flavoured nostalgia (actually, it's a lovely commentary on the way nostalgia works), put giant mutated animals in it, and turn it into a board game. And thus Gammarauders was born. It slightly reminds me of what little I know about the Fallout series of video games - the post-apocalypse future of Gammarauders reveres all things 50s, from zoot-suits to fins on cars.

In the wake of the board game, and in conjunction with the partnership formed between DC and TSR, a Gammarauders comic was produced, and further in conjunction with the burgeoning popularity of manga at the time, it was drawn in a slightly-manga, slightly-superhero style. All of which is to say that this is a really, really odd comic. And really great (though I'm biased because I love the setting and story of Gammarauders. I may be one of the few people I know to have ever bought the single expansion for the game back when it came out).

The series only lasts 10 issues, sadly, and does not get the chance to tell the story it wants to. Though the setting is slightly goofy, Gillis and crew manage to start crafting an intriguing story while still maintaining the inherent silliness of the setting. In today's issue, protagonist Jok Tadsworth is told of a prophecy of doom, but is distracted by the possible death of the woman he loves (who loathes him), and he races off, only to drawn into the danger and conspiracy anyway.

More Gammarauders tomorrow, for sure. Onward!