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Shaolin Cowboy, issue 1

at the scarwash

09:02 / 11.02.05

So I found this comic entitled Shaolin Cowboy on my recent vacation. It doesn't have much of a plot (so far), but the art and storytelling is incredible. It is somewhat what it sounds like, a Western with a defrocked Shaolin monk as the main character. It's also a Peckinpah-esque ballet of violence, limned in a gorgeously Continental style that evokes (for me) a collaboration between Hergé and Moebius, set in a Mad Maxish alternate Old West. It also involves a talking mule.

Have any of you seen this? Any thoughts?

Sean the frumious Bandersnatch

09:56 / 11.02.05

I'm not sure if this qualifies as small press. It's written by the Wachousky (sp?) brothers, who have a huge following in the entertainment/video game/real world. The art is by Geoff Darrow, who has done a bunch of comics-related work (Hard Boiled, which was sorta made into a video game, Big Guy and Rust the Boy Robot, which was made into a tv show, and the art for the Matrix).

I haven't read it yet, but want to. I didn't know that it was out yet.

Haus of Mystery

10:07 / 11.02.05

Looks beautiful - stunningly rendered ultraviolence - zero story. Wait for the trade mebbe?

at the scarwash

10:21 / 11.02.05

yeah, after searching the world wide infosuperhighway, I realize that it is not quite as obscure as I thought. But it's still pretty amazing (and I hate those Matrix fuckers).

Yotsuba & Benjamin!

13:02 / 11.02.05

Actually, Geoff wrote the whole thing. The Wachowski's are writing (overwriting?) Doc Frankenstein. It's pretty stuff. Pretty SLIGHT. Arf, arf, arf.

But no, I liked it fine. I like Doc Frankenstein better. That is some truly mad shit.

Simplist

00:26 / 12.02.05

I actually thought this was the best comic I've read in the last six months. The story may seem less than substantial at first glance, but frankly I thought the six or eight page pan across all the Cowboy's enemies waiting to do him in contained more narrative density (albeit implied) than four or five issues of your average Batman title.

Ratzilla

22:57 / 24.01.08

Although this was supposed to be a bi-monthly publication Geof Darrow's dedication to creating beautifully detailed artwork and his attention to detail has lead to a pretty erratic publishing schedule. I think issue 7 came out a year after issue 6? However, does anyone have any idea when number 8 might appear?

Essential Dazzler

23:22 / 24.01.08

A quick internet search has revealed that Neither Geof Darrow or the Wachowski brothers have mentioned this comic online since issue 7 shipped.

They could be working on an amazing press release, but I'm pretty sure it's just another comic that some guys from "film and TV" wrote that never finished.

Essential Dazzler

23:29 / 24.01.08

Hell, look at everything else "Burlyman Publishing" has put out, Doctor Frankenstein stopped at #6 and only 2 volumes of Matrix Comics a billion years after the matrix ended.

A larger idea for a thread about TV and Film writers doing comics is percolating in my head, Joss Whedon, Jeph Loeb and Brian K Vaughaun are the only people that spring to mind as having any real crossover and still writing comics regularly (Of Course Joss Whedon's regularity is questionable/a fucking ridiculous concept (Better than Lindelof though).)

Mr Tricks

17:40 / 25.01.08

I wish this comic made it to the stands with more regularity. Myself and a few co-workers have been trying to actually make contact with Darrow as I suspect the readership of the magazine I work for (left) would be interested in hearing about some of his influences...

thewalker

02:23 / 29.01.08

I am pretty sure BurlyMan expected the series to be erratic from the start, Its just their way of ensuring Darrow has a comics outlet when time permits.

Darrow did work with mobius quite a few years ago, a quick search should get you some images.

I have been a rabid fan since fiest seeing his Bourbon Thret in DHP, or Cheval Noir, in the late eighties. its good stuff.

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