by L.A. Mood Comics and Games

By Dan Brown 

SPOILER WARNING: This column contains plot details about Eric Powell’s Goon, so if you value surprise, do not continue reading. Stop now!

The L.A. Mood Graphic-Novel Group convened on Saturday, March 14. Here’s a brief account of our discussion. 

The book: The Goon: Bunch of Old Crap Volume 1, which collects the character’s earliest stories.

The discussion: Most of us appreciated the Goon, even if it wasn’t really our thing. 

Me, I loved it.

I knew little about the Goon before this. I had a vague awareness of the long-running comic, and its supernatural flavour, but I had not actually read any of the his adventures.

What can I say? Powell’s heedless spirit, which imbues the book with a unique energy, bowled me over. 

The collection was pitched by GNG member and L.A. Mood employee Matt.

Much of our discussion centred around the book’s many references to the original source material that fired Powell’s imagination.

For those who are new to the antihero, the Goon’s first issue came out in 1999. I found it to be a blend of ingredients that I have not seen in any other comics.

One of Powell’s biggest inspirations is clearly Mad Magazine. You can feel the fun, anything-goes, slightly gross vibe in every panel. 

The protagonist – who looks like a giant boxer of old – is a former circus worker who becomes an enforcer for a mob boss. The twist, which comes fairly early in the chronology of the series, is the mob boss doesn’t exist – the Goon is himself the brains of the operation. He is accompanied by his homicidal sidekick Franky, who has eyes that lack pupils. Shades of Little Orphan Annie.

It takes place on Lonely Street in a burg that is reminiscent of Central City, home to Will Eisner’s Spirit. The bane of the Goon’s existence are the zombies that keep popping up, only to be dispatched by his fist or a blast from a revolver.

There are many other monsters rampaging about, like the sea creatures that evoke H.P. Lovecraft. There’s even a gigantic lizard-type baddie created by Powell as a way to express his love for such rubber-monster movies as Godzilla. 

Powell was also clearly influenced by Jack Kirby. The Goon often appears in action-packed spreads that unfold over two pages.

Another source is the films noir of the 1940s. Franky is always seen in the duo's bar hangout trying to romance one dame or another. 

Even better, it’s so much fun to watch Powell cycle through so many different styles of illustrating. He never stops evolving. 

And for fans of old-school comics like yours truly, the throwback sound effects are a delight: Klang! Slap! Krash! Pow! I was in my glory.

There are several more omnibus volumes of the Goon to enjoy, and I intend to get all of them.

L.A. Mood’s Graphic-Novel Group meets the second Saturday of each month. 

Next month’s selection is from London comic creators Scott Wojcik and Eric Olcsvary, we are reading issues 1 and 2 of their Monster of the Abyss series.

The group is set to meet next on Saturday April 11 at 11 a.m. at store’s the gaming tables. 

If you're interested in comics or graphic novels, we’d love to have you join us! 

Dan Brown has covered pop culture for more than 32 years as a journalist and also moderates L.A. Mood’s monthly graphic-novel group.