The Goon

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This article is about the comic book; for the former WWF wrestler see Barney Irwin.
The Goon

Cover art for The Goon.
Art by Eric Powell.
Publisher Avatar Press
Albatross Exploding Funny Books
Dark Horse Comics
Schedule Monthly
Publication date 1999 to present
Creative team
Creator(s) Eric Powell

The Goon is a comic book series created by Eric Powell in 1999. The story is about the adventures of the Goon, a muscle-bound brawler who claims to be the primary enforcer for the feared mobster Labrazio. The Goon (and his sidekick Franky) often get tied up in other machinations, often in relation to the evil zombie gangs under the command of the Nameless Zombie Priest.

The series has a distinctly paranormal slant, with the average story concerning ghosts, ghouls, skunk-apes with an unnatural hunger for pie, extra-dimensional aliens, and mad scientists.

On more than one occasion, Powell has metafictionally hinted that the context of The Goon is a creation of pure fiction, taking place in a comic reality instead of implying - in the mold of Spider-Man or Superman - that it is occurring in the "real" world. This is best illustrated in two issues, one in which Hellboy - another comic plot "inserted" into reality - meets the Goon after being transported through an issue of The Goon, the other in which a small boy finds and reads a Goon comic book.


Contents

[edit] Publication history

The Goon was first published in 1999 by Avatar Press. Powell was unhappy with the quality of the Avatar comics, so he stopped handing in new material and waited for his contract to expire. Once that happened, he was unable to find another publisher, so he moved into self-publishing in 2002 with Albatross Exploding Funny Books. These self-published issues caught the eye of Dark Horse Comics, who approached Powell by telling him that they didn't know why they passed on the book, and in 2003 publication of the Goon moved to Dark Horse.[1]

After Dark Horse Comics published issue #18, The Goon went on hiatus to allow Eric Powell to work on Chinatown, a graphic novel which tells more of the Goon's back story. The series returned with issue #19 on July 11, 2007.

[edit] Main characters

The Goon: An orphan raised by his Aunt Kizzie, a strong-woman for a carnival. When wanted gangster Labrazio made the carnival his hiding place, Goon snuck into his trailer after hearing about the man's reputation for viciousness. Labrazio showed the young Goon a book containing the names of his enemies, people who had done him favors, and people who owed him money. The police managed to track Labrazio down, however, and surrounded the trailer. In the resulting shoot-out, Goon's Aunt Kizzie, while trying to protect her nephew, was gunned down by stray bullets from Labrazio's firearm. When Labrazio dismissed Kizzie as a "stupid broad" for getting in the crossfire, the young Goon snapped and beat the mobster's skull in with a rock. Figuring the late gangster owed him something, Goon took Labrazio's book (and the man's hat) and took over the entire operation, collecting money and offing deadbeats, all the while insisting that Labrazio was still alive and the Goon was merely his "enforcer."

The Goon is a hulking figure, normally wearing brown pants, a white shirt, and the hat he removed from Labrazio. Occasionally he wears a faded blue shirt with green stripes on the sleeves—the uniform from his football days. The left side of his face is horribly scarred under mysterious circumstances. His eyes are blue, with the scarring on the left side of his face rendering his left eye blind. He has brown hair cropped short, almost always covered by his trademark cap.

Franky: After killing Labrazio, the Goon met Franky, a cowardly kid who was continually picked on by bullies. They became fast friends after the Goon beat up a kid who tormented him. The Goon involved Franky in his criminal business, setting out to burn down a barbershop which refused to pay protection to "Labrazio". During the arson attempt, they were attacked by zombies. Franky, not believing he could, killed one in self-defense, at which time he underwent a change in personality, adopting a haughty "tough-guy" persona similar to the Goon's, and taking up the position of the Goon's right-hand man. Franky normally wears brown pants with suspenders, a white shirt, and a brown fedora on his bald head. Franky is unusual in that his eyes are drawn without pupils, or "blunked out", carrying on the fine tradition founded in great newspaper comic strip characters like Little Orphan Annie. Franky is nowhere near The Goon's level in combat prowess, but he has proven himself useful many times, if nothing else than to watch The Goon's back and act as another set of hands. His signature move is the "knife to the eye".

The Zombie Priest: Arch-nemesis of the Goon, the Priest is a mysterious man who dwells on Lonely Street, protected on all sides by his undead hordes. The Zombie Priest (also called The Nameless Man and other variations) is steeped in the occult, and seems bent on building up his rotting army, perhaps to one day conquer humankind. He is grizzled and almost zombie-like in appearance himself, sporting a top hat decorated by the flayed skin of a face. The Priest's chief creations are the greenish animated corpses that occupy much of Lonely Street, but he has also succeeded in reanimating an enormous chimp more than once. Evil appears drawn to him, as vicious hags and giant bats provide extra protection for his stronghold, and goat-like demons advise him in his undertakings. The Zombie Priest was recently revealed to be a demonic creature himself, and perhaps the inspiration for the folk tale "Rumpelstiltskin", as he spent a thousand years in hell after a princess discovered his name. The Priest's true name is his most closely guarded secret, as anyone who knows it has power over him.

Due to the recent reappearance of the Buzzard and the efforts of the Goon, the Zombie Priest's undead hordes have dwindled to nearly nothing. Faced with oblivion at the hands of his enemies, the Nameless Man has taken drastic measures to rebuild his army. Resurrecting one last zombie known simply as "Mother Corpse", the Zombie Priest plucked out one of his own eyes to imbue her with a special power: procreation. With a termite-like abdomen that fills an entire room, Mother Corpse spawns countless miniature demons who are grown and lethal within six hours of birth. With a new legion of monsters at his command, the Zombie Priest is far from being defeated; the full cost of this new power, however, has yet to be seen.

Buzzard: Former sheriff of a Western town where the Zombie Priest came as a "missionary". As Buzzard was the only doubter of the Priest's unholy wisdom, he was shunned by his people and spiraled into an alcohol-fueled despair. Meanwhile, the town was stricken by a virulent plague that killed the townfolk, then brought them back from the grave. After being mocked by the Zombie Priest for failing to protect his citizens, the sheriff became consumed by vengeance and rode through the town, slaughtering zombies and storming the Nameless Man's camp. The terrified Priest attempted to use his necromancy on the sheriff, but rather than turning him into a zombie, it had a reverse effect. He became a living man with an insatiable hunger for the flesh of the dead, which garnered him the name, "Buzzard." In the years that followed, he tracked the Priest across the countryside in a single-minded quest to avenge the town he didn't protect. As the trail led Buzzard into the city, he met the Goon and Franky in the midst of a zombie ambush. After telling the men his story, he informed them both he was going to storm the Nameless Man's tower. Despite the protests of the Goon, he continued his hunt into the very stronghold of his enemy. Upon reaching Lonely Street, Buzzard found himself surrounded. As the zombies closed in, he continued firing until both his handguns were empty, and the panel fades to black.

Seemingly dead, he was forgotten for months. He was, however, imprisoned in the tower of his enemy, tortured for months and starved to a near-skeletal state. Buzzard then managed to send a message to the Goon through a small spirit he befriended in his cell. The Goon gathered a rescue party and stormed Lonely Street and, with the help of Hieronymous Alloy and his robot Bruno, Buzzard was freed from torment. The last words yelled from the Zombie Priest were a reminder to Buzzard how he had failed in his mission to protect the town where he was once the Sheriff. The knowledge of his defeat drove him to despair and he attempted to commit suicide by shooting himself in the head. However, the Zombie Priest's curse kept him alive. After regaining strength, Buzzard buried himself alive beneath a tree on the outskirts of town. His mind wandered as he lay entombed, and the spirits in the woods told him many secrets, including the origin of the Zombie Priest, and the Goon's destiny as the only one who could triumph against the Nameless Man. His purpose renewed, Buzzard clawed his way free of the roots and soil to aid the Goon in his fight. Buzzard now guards the city's graveyards, preventing the creation of new zombies.

Dr. Hieronymous Alloy: A brilliant scientist whose attempts to help the public have nearly all back-fired, one of them landing him in debt to the Goon after wrongfully sending one of his murderous robots after him. Alloy then turned his attentions to more virtuous pursuits, such as destroying zombies on Lonely Street and defeating a giant Spanish-speaking lizard poised to destroy the city. Alloy has golden, metallic skin—an apparent side-effect of his extensive alchemical research. Recent campaigns (caused by the molecular break-down of his body, and ensuing insanity) to annihilate everyone with his robot army for not believing that his gene-modified creamed corn was superior, have landed him back in prison, where he has decided to stay for his own edification as well as the safety of humanity.

[edit] Recurring characters

El Lagarto Hombre: Formerly a Godzilla-like monster, after being defeated by the Goon he has been reduced to acting as a man-servant to Dr. Alloy. Though his behavior has been curbed by drugs, the second incarceration of Alloy led to a lapse in his medication and a resultant rampage through the more quaint parts of Goon's turf. Lagarto speaks Spanish, but with little regard to grammar or coherency.

Spider: A giant talking spider who wears a bowler hat. Spider has the rare distinction of being a criminal that the Goon dislikes but hasn't killed. He can be seen skipping out on child support, cheating at cards or hustling others at Norton's Bar. He's also the victim of violence from the Goon and others, having been beaten mercilessly simply for being a talking spider or for owing the Goon five bucks. He is shown to have an acidic bite, but when rallying any men he could, Sammy dismissed Spider as "useless." In Drawing On Your Nightmares, Spider's real name was revealed as Percival Goodbody.

Momma Norton: The seemingly crazy gypsy mother of pub owner Norton. Though her advice has often aided Goon, it usually comes in the form of eccentric behavior.

Norton: Norton is the bald and mild-mannered bartender of Norton's place, the Goon's favorite hangout. While of little importance to the story overall, Norton can be depended on for pretty much anything the Goon needs.

Lazlo: Lazlo is the green-skinned zombie assistant of the Zombie Priest. He differs from most other zombies in that he can form complete sentences.

The Mudds: The Mudds are a pair of Bog Lurk brothers that work as enforcers for the Goon (and Franky for a short time while Goon was in prison). They have a penchant for breaking legs for not meeting debt payments (often regardless of when the payment is made). They are rightfully regarded as moronic but brutal, so they have their uses in the world of the Goon.

Fishy Pete: Leader of a vicious gang of fish-men that patrol the city's harbor. Fishy Pete has a special hatred for the Goon, the man responsible for his dual peg legs and hook hands. Pete's mother is the legendary Sea Hag who "seduces" stranded mariners, much to her son's embarrassment. Fishy Pete speaks in typical pirate brogue, and is fond of quoting Quint's lines from JAWS.

The Psychic Seal: A seal wearing a turban that can speak the future and reads omens, the Seal has made two appearances to date. He speaks in the usual "Ark! Ark!" of seals, but anyone listening can understand him perfectly. He has an unfortunate habit of "Ark"-ing insults about his clients' mothers, which led to his receiving a savage beating at the hands of Franky and the Goon.

Merle: Merle is a werewolf and part-time gunrunner for the Goon. In human form he usually dresses in a vest and beat-up cowboy hat, and has brown fur in werewolf form. The Goon calls him in from time to time to help out in a fix. Merle is also a chronic alcoholic, and has a severe phobia of midget hands.

Skinny / Mr. Wicker: Skinny was Mirna's younger brother, a piano player and stockboy at Norton's Place. His determination to be somebody, coupled with his unprovoked hatred of the Goon, led him to become the mysterious Mr. Wicker. Using a book of magic stolen from Momma Norton, Skinny transformed himself into a hulking figure of twisted branches, able to engulf himself in deadly flames. As the Goon battled for his life against Mr. Wicker, Franky destroyed the book, and the Goon accidentally killed the boy as he became Skinny once more.

Mirna: A singer at Norton's Place. She has shown interest in the Goon, though he feels that he is too hideous for any woman to be genuinely interested in him. However, she has never shown any signs of duplicitous behavior.

The Little, Unholy Bastards: The Little, Unholy Bastards are a group of juvenile delinquents who first made their appearance with the intention of breaking the Goon out of prison. They live at the McGreg Home For Illegitimate, Wayward and Possibly Homicidal Youth. Though they aided Goon in his prison break, they have proven to be little more than a nuisance, the Goon having no need for kids in his operation. They are Smitty (the leader), Specs, Charlotte, and Peewee.

The Graves: A family of three sickly men, a father and twin sons. Each of the three men is afflicted with leprosy, the price the eldest Grave paid for making a pact with the Zombie Priest. They often get beaten or blown up by the Goon on their body-snatching raids for the Zombie Priest. Despite being unable to communicate normally, the twins are capable of speaking Hobo, thus saving them from the wrath of the Hobo Jungle's many cannibals.

The Cat: A small orange cat with a jowelled and weathered human face. The Cat is perhaps the Zombie Priest's most loyal minion, and is given to long-winded speeches on the subject of his master's greatness. Lazlo and the Graves have great contempt for the creature, but the Cat has proved himself useful enough to keep around.

Willie Nagel: Besides Lazlo, he is the only other zombie in the Goon's world to speak coherently. However, Willie has chosen to distance himself from the Zombie Priest. Willie has more than a passing similarity to Spider since they both wear bowler hats, are scam artists, and hang around the Goon despite being constantly abused by him. Unlike Spider, he has actually proven himself useful to the Goon, even if it was for a price.

Mother Corpse: Due to Buzzard's and the Goon's efforts, the Zombie Priest's corpse fueled army has almost completely been destroyed. As a result, he was forced to turn to magic—namely Mother Corpse—who is capable of birthing hordes of miniature demons that can combine themselves into a larger monster.

Peaches Valentine: This odd character has appeared in several issues (including the Christmas special where he played Tiny Tim). Recognizable by his 'Chick Magnet' shirt, Peaches is mentally retarded and prone to making messes with his own feces. He has been shot in the face several times by Franky, but always reappears no worse for wear.

Great Zombie Chimp: Originally a normal chimp, killed by the Zombie Priest, then reanimated at gigantic size. The Goon burst his stomach and poked out his eyes, but the Chimp ultimately met his end at the hands of Dr. Alloy's robot, Bruno.

Joey the Ball: An early gang rival of the Goon, Joey the Ball has the odd distinction of his right hand being permanently stuck inside a bowling ball. Due to this unbalanced weight training, the otherwise midget-sized Joey has one gargantuan, hyper-muscular arm. He strives to commit all his crimes with a sense of panache, and always speaks in the third-person narrative. Joey the Ball is presumed dead, as the Goon punched him senseless and then set his hideout on fire.

Charlie Noodles: The oft-mentioned but never seen friend of the Goon and Franky. Almost all of their anecdotes involve Charlie Noodles at some point, and the Goon always refers to the man as "good people".

Jimmy Turtle: Another rarely-seen friend of the Goon's, although he did appear in person in time for Franky to smash a beer bottle into his face. A professional scam artist with a penchant for smashing rocks over people's heads, Jimmy Turtle once helped Franky in a quest to find the Legendary Boxcar of Well-Made Ladies Shoes.

[edit] Creatures

Zombies: Zombies are the primary servants of the Zombie Priest. Very few seem to be capable of speaking or performing other complex tasks. Raised by necromancy, they are capable of following orders, though only from the Zombie Priest himself. Referred to by Franky and the Goon as "slackjaws."

Hobos: Hobos are the cannibal overlords of the dark forested region known as the "Hobo Jungle." The culture of the Hobo is apparently completely separate from the rest of the world, so far as they have their own language and resemble cavemen more than humans.

Brunos: An army of deadly robots designed by Dr. Hieronymous Alloy, all inexplicably sharing the name "Bruno". These drones have a distinctly retro sci-fi aesthetic, and are equipped with weaponry ranging from lasers to boxing gloves.

Bog Lurks: A race of ogre-like creatures that inhabit the swamps outside of town. Despite their low intelligence, the Bog Lurks' great strength has opened up many career opportunities for them in the city's criminal underworld.

Hags: Another of the Zombie Priest's monstrous servants, hags' grandmotherly appearance belies their bloodthirsty nature. These creatures do have their tender side, however, as they act as midwives for Mother Corpse's demon spawn.

The Decasters: The ghosts of a perverse inbred family who haunted an old mansion on the outskirts of the city. While the Decasters had driven most intruders to madness and death, the Goon managed to exorcise them with cats' eyes strung on cinnamon dental floss.

Skunk Ape: The Skunk Ape is a large, sasquatch-like monster with a hideous odor. The Skunk Ape is driven to homicidal enthusiasm by the scent of pies (especially blueberry).

Communist Airborne Mollusk Militia: A squadron of immense octopuses who achieve flight via personal zeppelins. While apparently intelligent enough to speak French and operate aircraft, they made the mistake of allying with the Zombie Priest. The Militia was last seen being blown sky high by the Goon and Hellboy.

Giant Squid: Another cephalopod nuisance for the Goon, the Giant Squid have a tendency to crawl onto land and attack cars along Crestwood Avenue.

Vampires: A coven of preening, pretentious bloodsuckers who continually find themselves beaten senseless by the Goon. The vampires lurk in one of the city's graveyards, discussing fashion and pursuing other vanities. It is later revealed that they are a deluted form of vampires, fairly disgraceful in their current state.

Rats: Man-eating rodents the size of St. Bernards, these monsters prowl a lonely stretch known as Rat Alley. The rats have yet to reappear since the Goon pistol-whipped "a million" of them.

Chug-Heads: The Chug-Heads have replaced zombies as the bulk of the Zombie Priest's army. Products of Mother Corpse, they are small, dwarf-like creatures with large, potato-shaped heads. Unlike zombies, they are capable of merging into one another to create a larger, more deadly monster.

[edit] Miscellaneous characters

Dwight T. Albatross: Dwight T. Albatross is the irate, often intoxicated friend of Eric Powell who has made many appearances in the comic's letter comics. Albatross is never afraid to speak his mind and often keeps the Machiavellian madness of Eric Powell in check. Dwight had been arrested for destroying issues of The Goon in retribution for his unjust termination at the hands of Powell.

Unlike the rest of Powell's characters, Dwight is 'played' by a real person. Photographs of Albatross appeared in The Goon: Noir, a miniseries done by various creators while Powell worked on Chinatown and other projects. The real Albatross maintains a MySpace page, moderates the message board of The Goon at the Dark Horse Comics website, and appears at the San Diego Comic-Con.

The Atomic Rage: The Greatest Hero of the Golden Age!, as often advertised in The Goon comics. Sporting a fiery hole in the center of his forehead, this classic-style superhero is known for his foul language and his radioactive (and incredibly angry) brain.

Margaret Snodgrass: A Southern Bible-thumper who aided in the delay of the issue #18's original story, "Satan's Sodomy Baby." At the 2006 Comic Con, Powell's booth carried fan-made buttons declaring "Screw Snodgrass! Demand Satan's Sodomy Baby!" which were given out as a gift to fans of The Goon.

[edit] The "Satan's Sodomy Baby" Controversy

Eric Powell revealed on July 5, 2006, in the introduction to The Goon Issue #18, that the issue was originally going to be "Satan's Sodomy Baby". In it Powell writes, "For various reasons I've decided to hold off on putting that story out." He states that the story is incredibly graphic and he had considered placing a label reading "NOT FOR MINORS" on it. He goes on to say that Dark Horse, while supporting both him and the issue completely, feared public backlash from its publication, but would eventually put out the issue. Word of the comic's release was leaked, leading to a threat of a boycott. According to Powell, "a grass-roots movement was started to try to keep retailers from carrying it by a right-wing bible thumper in Alabama named 'Margaret Snodgrass'. She, in her almighty wisdom, claimed that the comic was morally reprehensible and contacted local area retailers telling them that even allowing the comic to be stocked on their shelves could lead to their ever-lasting damnation. Sadly enough, some listened to her and threatened to stop carrying The Goon altogether because of this single issue."

Eventually, a release date was set as May 16 with the title changed to "Satan's $@#%* Baby" and carrying a disclaimer. The inside cover, however, maintained the original title "Satan's Sodomy Baby," along with the original cover art. Four pages of the book reprinted several fan letters in support of the struggle against Snodgrass.

[edit] Bibliography

The Goon has been collected in the following trade paperbacks:

Title Material collected ISBN
The Goon vol. 0: Rough Stuff The Goon #1-3 (Avatar Press) ISBN 1593070861
The Goon vol. 1: Nothin' But Misery The Goon #1-4, The Goon Color Special (self published) ISBN 1569719985
The Goon vol. 2: My Murderous Childhood (And Other Grievous Yarns) The Goon #1-4 (Dark Horse) ISBN 1593071094
The Goon vol. 3: Heaps of Ruination The Goon #5-8 (Dark Horse) ISBN 1593072929
The Goon vol. 4: Virtue and the Grim Consequences Thereof The Goon #9-13 (Dark Horse) ISBN 1593074565
The Goon vol. 5: Wicked Inclinations The Goon #14-18 (Dark Horse) ISBN 1593076460
The Goon: Fancy Pants Edition (limited edition hardcover) The Goon #1-2 (self published), #1, 3, 5, 9 (Dark Horse) ISBN 1593074263

[edit] Awards

[edit] In other media

In the 2007 film Superbad Evan is playing a video game in his bedroom while his friend Seth stands in the doorway. During this scene's lively exchange, two different posters for The Goon are clearly visible hanging on the walls next to each actor.

[edit] References

  1. ^ An interview with Eric Powell on Mudsugar. Retrieved on 2007-02-04.

In the film The Mist; when the group walks into the pharmecy when David Drayton goes to get a comic book off the rack for his son; there is a copy of the goon on the comic book rack.

[edit] External links

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