What is Goon?
What is Goon?
The Goon is a comic book series by Eric Powell. The series has a paranormal slant, with the average story concerning ghosts, ghouls, skunk-apes with an unnatural hunger for pie, extra-dimensional aliens, and mad scientists.
The Goon debuted in Dreamwalker #0 (March 1998, Avatar Press) in a 4-page Preview (later reprinted as the third story in the Goon #1, which is the true first appearance of the character). Powell was unhappy with the quality of the Avatar Press comics after just 3 issues, 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, which 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]
The book also received a release that would never be reprinted in trade format, Satan’s Sodomy Baby (see below).
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.
On July 22, 2009 a one-shot comic was released titled Dethklok vs. The Goon.
Goon characters
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 diluted 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.