The Goon # 8: The Vampire Dame Had to Die!

Writer/Artist: Eric Powell
Colorists: Robin Powell, Shaynne Corbette, Barry Gregory
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Published: August 2004

I've never read any of Eric Powell's The Goon before this issue, but after reading The Goon #8, I know this author to be a great person.

The story follows The Goon as he battles against a most ancient evil, the mighty vampire. Long story short, the Goon defeats the vampire. Normally I would go into detail about some of the plot elements, but I think I'm going to devote most of my attention to the first two pages of this comic, which sum up Powell's greatness.

Often whenever I read or watch something that is of mind boggling greatness I can't help but be compelled to seek out more of that greatness. This often leads me to wanting to read and watch everything created by that particular author. And once that desire is fulfilled I often will take to the internet to research more information on the creator and ask: "what is this person like who can create such greatness?" The search into the personal life and inner motivations of the author are now just as, or more, important than the work. (This mode of fascination, I believe, is the root of our culture's fascination with celebrities and biographies.)

But sometimes, purely by accident, the greatness of the author precedes the work. The Goon #8 is a perfect example of this phenomena. Because I had never read any work from Powell, I had no idea of what his work was all about. I happened to be in a comic shop that was having a massive sale, and I picked up issue 8 of the Goon on a whim. Reading the first two pages I was greeted to this:



At the time this issue's publishing Powell had just been nominated for an Eisner Award, one of comics highest honors. His 2 page, dark-stained response to this honor is a clear indication that Eric Powell is a great person of humble origins; and in my mind, regardless of how spectacular his work is, he will always be the author who opened with a poo joke. Truly, this Eric Powell is a great person.