American Flagg Revisited15149
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BigRedOne1944 private msg quote post Address this user | |
| 3rd Party Grading, Alternate Covers, Price Speculations, Fair Market Value.... Today's Comic book hobby seems to be doing alright for itself and the new world order of monetary values and pricing that seem to define most comic book collection's today. There was a time not long ago when comic books were defined by their content, rather than any perceived monetary value they may have had. Books and titles that were instrumental in the evolution of moving the world of comic books into the mainstream, and that were able to stand the test of time because of what they were, not what they were worth. One such title to me was Howard Chaykin's American Flagg. It transcended what tradition comics were at the time. Not because of any Gimmick Alternate covers or monetary value, but because of its content and publishing format that changed the way creators were able to bring the characters and stories to life. American Flagg, which ran 50 issues (October 1983 – March 1988), was one of the first titles to be published by First Comics, an early alternative press comics company founded in Evanston, Illinois in 1983. Unusually for the time, the company offered its freelance writers and artists creator rights, including ownership of their creations. Regardless, writer-artist Howard Chaykin, then living in New York City, felt trepidation when First Comics approached him to do a project. Chaykin devised a series set in 2031, a high-tech but spiritually empty, consumerist world in which the American government has relocated to Mars, leaving what remains of the U.S. to be governed by the all-encompassing corporation known as the Plex. The series star is Reuben Flagg, a former TV star drafted into the Plexus Rangers and posted as a deputy in Chicago, Illinois. The first 12 issues, running through cover-date September 1984, consisted of four interlocking, three-issue story arcs. Chaykin recalled his difficulty in producing 28 pages of art and script monthly. "I was still a smoker and a drinker at the time. And [the output was such that] I'd never done anything like that before, and it was insane. It just devoured my life and I had no assistants. I didn't know how to work with an assistant at that point, and it was a very difficult process. ... I was trying to do a fairly high-quality product and I didn't want to slough it off." Chaykin made wide use of Craftint Duoshade illustration boards for American Flagg!, which in the period before computers, enabled him to add shaded textures to the finished art. Ken Bruzenak's lettering and logowork also won notice, as it was integral to American Flagg's futuristic, trademark-littered ambiance. American Flagg's first dozen issues form one complete story that has influenced comic creators including Brian Michael Bendis and Warren Ellis. The comic made a huge splash at the 1984 Eagle Awards, the United Kingdom's pre-eminent comics awards. Chaykin and American Flagg! were nominated for ten awards, eventually winning seven. American Flagg! also won the 1983 Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Award for Favorite Comic Book and tied for the 1983 CBG Award for Favorite Character (Reuben Flagg). After issue #12, Chaykin continued the series while also working on such other projects as his revamp of The Shadow for DC Comics and the graphic novel Time2, based on characters introduced in a one-off American Flagg! special in 1986. During this time, Alan Moore wrote a back-up story that ran several issues and concluded in an issue-length story. Eventually, Chaykin left, to be replaced on a regular basis by first Steven Grant then J.M. DeMatteis. Grant left after only seven issues due to creative friction with the series's new artist, Mark Badger. According to Grant, he had wanted to continue doing stories in the same style that Chaykin had established, while Badger wanted to take the series in new directions. Chaykin returned for a brief run to wrap up storylines before the first volume ended in March 1988. I have almost 8,000 comic books in my collection, most of which are expendable, but the day I don't own an American Flagg run, is the day I likely quit the hobby. Enough talk.... lets take a look at the Legendary series!  It's Chicago in the year 2031 and when Reuben Flagg, former star of the "Mark Thrust" TV series, arrives as the new rookie Ranger, he tries to find out what is causing gangs to commit violence in "Hard Times." Script and art by Howard Chaykin.  Reuben Flagg encounters a lot more than he expected when he has to serve as a bodyguard and driver for the mayor in "Hard Times Part 2: Jukebox Saturday Night." Script and art by Howard Chaykin.  When Reuben Flagg tries to find the murderer of Chief Plexus Ranger Hilton Krieger, Krieger's daughter Mandy joins in the investigation in "Hard Times Part 3: Killed in the Ratings." Script and art by Howard Chaykin. Issue also has a text feature "The Origins of Independent Comics – Part 1" by Charles Meyerson.  When Reuben Flagg discovers that the subliminals on television that cause violence originate from Brazil, he journeys there to find out more in "Southern Comfort." Script and art by Howard Chaykin. Issue also has a text feature "The Origins of Independent Comics – Part 2" by Charles Meyerson.  Reuben Flagg resorts to undercover work and other means as he continues his investigation into the subliminals that cause violence in "Southern Comfort - Part 2." Script and art by Howard Chaykin.  As Reuben Flagg keeps going in his investigation of the subliminals that cause violence, he discovers the existence of a secret organization, the American Survivalist Labor Committee in "Southern Comfort – Part 3." Script and art by Howard Chaykin  A blizzard causes all sorts of problems for Reuben Flagg including dealing with a new robotic deputy, Luther Ironheart in "State of the Union." Script and art by Howard Chaykin. Issue also has a text feature "The Origins of Independent Comics – Part 3" by Charles Meyerson.  Reuben Flagg finds out what happen to a downed plane, has to rescue some hostages and deal with other problems in "State of the Union – Part 2." Script and art by Howard Chaykin. Issue also has a text feature "The Origins of Independent Comics – Part 4" by Charles Meyerson  Reuben Flagg goes all out on a manhunt in his homicide investigation and finds the people responsible in "State of the Union – Part 3." Script and art by Howard Chaykin. Issue also has a text feature "The Origins of Independent Comics – Part 5" by Charles Meyerson.  Scheiskopf takes over the Plex Mall and declares Reuben Flagg a traitor in "Solidarity for Now." Script and art by Howard Chaykin. Issue also has a text feature "The Origins of Independent Comics – Part 6" by Charles Meyerson.  To go on the offensive against Scheiskopf and his forces, Reuben Flagg forms the Video Rangers in "Solidarity for Now – Part 2." Script and art by Howard Chaykin. Issue also has a text feature "Scapegoat in Four Colors – Part 1" by Charles Meyerson.  With the Video Rangers and the plan all set, Reuben Flagg tries to bring things to an end with Scheiskopf in "Solidarity for Now – Part 3." Script and art by Howard Chaykin. Issue also has a text feature "Scapegoat in Four Colors – Part 2" by Charles Meyerson. These first 12 issues which formed a complete storyline were influential to a generation of young up and coming new creators. They are a comic book foundation that transcends any monetary value. |
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sborock private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Fantastic write up! Thanks! I love the American Flagg series! |
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Triplecdad private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Bought it at the time and still own it. That and all my Grimjacks. | ||
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 I live in RI and Rhode Islanders eat chili with beans.
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esaravo private msg quote post Address this user | |
@BigRedOne1944 - Awesome thread, John! I loved the series and when I saw that Chaykin was going to be at a convention in CT a few years ago, I was able to meet him and get his autograph on my American Flagg #1. Are you going to post the rest of the run? |
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michaelekrupp private msg quote post Address this user | |
| The importance of American Flagg! Cannot be overstated, both in laying the groundwork for books that followed such as Dark Knight and Watchmen, and also for what it did to the back issue market. Flagg! 1 is the first book I remember that became a $20 back issue virtually overnight. It drew people into the hobby who had no interest in traditional superheroes and was key in building the indie comics movement of the 1980s. Although the legacy of Flagg! Was somewhat tarnished by the fact that they chose to continue after Chaykin’s departure, those original classics deserve much more respect than they receive from today’s collectors. Great topic, John! | ||
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 I don't believe this....and I know you don't care that I don't believe this.
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GAC private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @BigRedOne1944 more posts like this please!! I was familiar with American Flagg but only superficially...these types of informative threads are great! More please! | ||
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Studley_Dudley private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @BigRedOne1944 that was an excellent read, and now my interest is piqued that I think I will add at least 1-12 to my list to check out. It is becoming more refreshing to read posts on the content and quality of a book or series vice how much one can fatten their wallet on such things. Thank you for sharing! | ||
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 PEDIGREED... Again!
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martymann private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @BigRedOne1944 Except for seeing the cover many time I was totally unaware of the background and story line of this character and book. Thank you for an excellent job of shedding some light on a interesting subject. Marty |
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Maritimer private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @BigRedOne1944 Thanks for the great review. I too, still have my American Flagg run. I'm pretty sure they would all score in the 9's like your collection. As you say, content was key at one time. Chaykin, Byrne, Truman, Miller, Starlin were all the rage back then. |
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tonyz58 private msg quote post Address this user | |
| That & Grimjack,Jon Sable,Sabre,Starslayer,Warp | ||
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michaelekrupp private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by BigRedOne1944 This statement brought back some memories for me! After doing some serious digging I was able to locate this item. I actually had this hanging up in my high school locker in 1984. Must have been 9th or 10th grade. For some odd reason I have hung onto it for 37 years?!?  |
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BigRedOne1944 private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Im glad you all enjoyed the post so far. Others have noted the many other independent titles of that very special time period, Im sure many of you are well aware of my affection for the Grimjack Series and the profound effect John Ostrander and Tim Truman's work have had on me, but thats another story to be told. Quote: Originally Posted by michaelekrupp I couldn't agree more with @michaelekrupp It is kind of errie how Chaykin's storyline from 40 years ago looks to almost mirror today's events. In 8 years it will be 2030, the year in Howard Chaykin's then futuristic storyline. With our advancing technology, exploration of Mars and our ever volatile political environment, The American Flagg storyline is starting to not look so crazy after all! As great as the Flagg series was it is also very interesting to go back and read the Charles Meyerson back up feature "The Origins of Independent Comics" that ran in issues 3-10 @esaravo Yes I will be posting the entire 50 issue run. As @michaelekrupp stated Howard Chaykins departure from the title was disappointing and it is always hard for readers to accept a new team on such a popular title, but I feel that the American Flagg title suffered way less with its lose of Howard Chaykin than Grimjack did with the lose of Tim Truman. So lets move on to the rest of the series, but first a bit more background on the plot line of American Flagg.... The story takes place in the year 2031, after a series of worldwide crises called the Year of the Domino (1996) has forced the U.S. government and the heads of major corporations to relocate to Hammarskjold Center, on Mars ("temporarily, of course"  . In the wake of the American government leaving the planet and the Soviet Union collapsing from Islamic insurrections, there was a power shift throughout the world, with Brazilian Union of the Americas and the Pan-African League becoming the new superpowers on Earth.However, the exiled American government, its corporate backers, and a group of technicians in the defected Soviet lunar colony of Gagaringrad form the Plex: a giant, interplanetary union of corporate and government concerns that conduct commerce and govern the United States from its capital on Mars. Many population centers are grouped around massive, fortified arcologies called Plexmalls and the law is enforced by the Plexus Rangers, the absentee Plex's Earthside militia. The Plex has formed the Tricentennial Recovery Committee, to get America "back on track for '76", but the TRC is in reality a plan to sell the United States off to the new superpowers and to leech off the remaining inhabitants before gaining true self-sufficiency. As a result, the Plex has outlawed non-combat related education, organized sports such as basketball and personal aircraft, restricted media to only one outlet, the Plex itself (although it has multiple channels), and advocates and glorifies the use of political violence amongst independent policlubs by providing money and firearms for its hit TV show Firefight All Night LIVE!, and covertly sterilizes the population by using a combination contraceptive and antibiotic called Mañanacillin to reduce the population. This all changes when former television star Reuben Flagg is drafted and transferred to Chicago's Plexmall to replace the local Ranger Hilton "Hammerhead" Krieger's fallen partner. He witnesses widespread graft and corruption throughout the Plexmall, but also a series of subliminal messages implanted in a television show that are causing outbreaks of gang violence. After he uses his emergency powers to interrupt the broadcast, he not only ends the violence, but also brings forth a series of events that causes the Plex to send in covert agents, the death of Hilton, and the unveiling of Q-USA, a secret TV station owned and operated by Krieger that opens Flagg's eyes to the nature of the Plex. As the series progressed, Chaykin took less and less of a direct role in scripting and plotting the stories out, and by the third year of its run, he really had nothing to do with the book other than cover art. Stories began to violate the rules that Chaykin had explicitly stated in the writer's bible for the series (for instance, California was said to have slid into the Pacific Ocean, but in the final year of the book, California was merely shown to have been abandoned for reasons that were vague at best), and characterizations began to drift considerably as well. (Among other things, Flagg abandoned his interest in 1930s jazz, and was frequently shown listening to late-1960s rock, as well as becoming more of a traditional stern-jawed good-guy hero). After trying and failing several times to shore up declining interests, First Comics decided to lure Chaykin back into the writer's seat. "American Flagg!" wrapped up its principal storyline with issue #50. By this time, Reuben Flagg had traveled to Mars, overthrown the Plex, and become President of the United States. He then decided to separate Illinois from the United States and run it as his own personal fiefdom. All issues of this series took place in the year 2031. Exponentially Technology growth, Volatile political and media environments, Pandemics, Government vaccines...... Like I said earlier, its kind of scary how accurate Chaykin's storyline from 40 years ago is starting to look these days.  Gretchen tells about her past and how she lost her memory and her true identity of Margaret Krieger and Reuben Flagg tries to lead things while he is out of active duty as a result of his injuries in "Mother's Day." Script by Howard Chaykin and art by James Sherman & Rick Burchett.  Reuben Flagg deals with blackmail, trying to get Mandy to be reasonable about her mother, a wedding and other events in "Disorder in the Court." Script by Howard Chaykin and art by Pat Broderick & Rick Burchett. Issue also has a text feature "Scapegoat in Four Colors – Part 3" by Charles Meyerson.  Reuben Flagg and Luther Ironheart travel to the wilds of western Canada for the opening of the first Candian Plex-Mall in "Northern Lights…Double Cross." Script and art by Howard Chaykin. Issue also has a text feature "Scapegoat in Four Colors – Part 4" by Charles Meyerson and an "American Flagg Dossier – Part 2" with pinups.  It's Reuben Flagg versus a bunch of Canadian Communist cowboys in an all-out barroom brawl and he also discovers who is the Black Beaver, while back in Chicago, the mayoral elections are going on in "Northern Lights…Double Cross – Part 2." Script and art by Howard Chaykin. Issue also has an "American Flagg Dossier – Part 3" with pinups.  Things heat up for Reuben Flagg as he still tries to take care of everything in western Candada and things also heat up in the Chicago mayoral race in "Northern Lights…Double Cross – Part 3." Script and art by Howard Chaykin. Issue also has an "American Flagg Dossier" with pinups.  Counterfeiters, smugglers, traitors and murderers – Reuben Flagg deals with all of those as he wraps up the case in western Canada in "Northern Lights…Double Cross – Part 4." Script and art by Howard Chaykin. Issue also has an "American Flagg Dossier – Part 4" with pinups.  Back home in Chicago, Reuben Flagg finds out quickly how the city's mayoral election will go in "Bullets and Ballots." Script and art by Howard Chaykin. Issue also has "Mark Thrust – Sexus Ranger" in "Birthday Bullets" with script by Elliot S. Maggin and art by Judith Hunt & Larry Stroman.  Reuben Flagg teams up with a new ranger, Bullets Kisco, while mayoral candidates Mandy and CK get a surprise in the mayoral race in "Bullets and Ballots – Part 2." Script and art by Howard Chaykin. Issue also has "Mark Thrust – Sexus Ranger Birthday Bullets – Part 2" in "Executive Privilege" with script by Elliot S. Maggin and art by Judith Hunt & Larry Stroman.    I always found that Howard Chaykin had a very unique style that allowed his often very busy text and speech dialogues to flow very smooth with his unique storyboard panels. One can only describe it as....... well..... what else but a "Work of Art" |
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BigRedOne1944 private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by michaelekrupp Very cool @michaelekrupp ! I believe the reason you have hung onto it, is for the very same reason it was hanging in your locker almost 40 years ago. It was a work of art that had a profound effect on you, as it did on many in the industry and it has stood the test of time and will always be the very essence of what comic books should be. |
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 past performance is no guarantee of future actions.
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KatKomics private msg quote post Address this user | |
| have to give a shout out to @esaravo - Ed was nice enough a few years back to part with issues 1-10 of this great series! | ||
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michaelekrupp private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @BigRedOne1944 Obsession with reality TV was definitely something that Chaykin got right about the future that I don’t think anyone else saw coming. I don’t think the writing suffered as badly as the art, post Chaykin. I think it was better (although ineffective) to take the artwork in a different direction as Badger did, than to try to ape Chaykin’s style, as other artists did. The latter just came across as a lame parody. Can’t wait for you to start a Grimjack thread! First really did have some great books back then. Not only Flagg! and Grimjack, but JSF and Mars are also enduring classics! | ||
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BigRedOne1944 private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by michaelekrupp Yes I agree the lose of Chaykin's unique art style was much more impactful than the writing, which Steven Grant and J.M. De Matteis were both very prolific and capable writers writers. |
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BigRedOne1944 private msg quote post Address this user | |
Howard Chaykin was really hitting his stride with the title with these issues (#21 - #30) despite turning over some of the art duties on some of the later issues to Joe Staton & Hilary Barta & Rick Burchett, his cover work and script were super solid at this point. All of these issues were also graced with backup stories by the legendary Alan Moore.  Reuben Flagg and Bullets Kisco continue their manhunt for escaped killer Roy Magruder while blackmail becomes a part of the mayoral contest in "Bullets and Ballots – Part 3." Script and art by Howard Chaykin. Issue also has "Mark Thrust – Sexus Ranger" in "The Hot Slot" with script by Alan Moore and art by Larry Stroman & Don Lomax.  As Reuben Flagg hunts for Magruder, the blackmail video comes out and the result is a surprising write-in candidate winner for the mayoral election in "Bullets and Ballots – Part 4." Script and art by Howard Chaykin. Issue also has "Luther Ironheart – Machineries of Joy" with script by Alan Moore and art by Larry Stroman & Don Lomax.  Reuben Flagg and the cast of the Mark Thrust TV series are brought to London in the hopes that they can help mediate a peace between England and Ireland in "Mad Dogs & Englishmen." Script and art by Howard Chaykin. Issue also has "Raul – There is a Heppy Land, Fur, Fur Away" with script by Alan Moore and art by Larry Stroman & Don Lomax.  While there seems to be more to the peace mediation attempts between England and Ireland, Reuben Flagg tries to hook up with an old girl friend in "Mad Dogs & Englishmen – Part 2." Script and art by Howard Chaykin. Issue also has "Jules 'Deathwith' Folquet and Zen and the Art of Motormater Maintenance" with script by Alan Moore and art by Don Lomax.  Reuben Flagg and Russian ranger Yuri Kholyakov try to track Titania Weiss in England but Kholyakov has been given secret orders in "Mad Dogs & Englishmen – Part 3." Script and art by Howard Chaykin. Issue also has "Welcome to the Pleasure Dome" with script by Alan Moore and art by Don Lomax and "Collecting Dust: A Guide to Preserving Comic Books – Part 1" by Charles Meyerson.  As Reuben Flagg locates Titania Weiss, he learns what Yuri Kholyakov was ordered to do and everything else and has a final moment with his former girl friend in "Mad Dogs & Englishmen – Part 4." Script and art by Howard Chaykin. Issue also has "The Peoples' Choice" with script by Alan Moore and art by Don Lomax and "Collecting Dust: A Guide to Preserving Comic Books – Part 2" by Charles Meyerson.  Reuben Flagg and company arrive in Kansas and try to end the strange phenomenon that has overcome everyone in "The Erogenous Zone." Script by Alan Moore and art by Don Lomax. Issue also has "Collecting Dust: A Guide to Preserving Comic Books – Part 3" by Charles Meyerson.  Reuben Flagg is back in Chicago and things haven't gotten any better there as he deals with a bunch of problems including the new mayor in "The Fire This Time." Script by Howard Chaykin and art by Joe Staton & Hilary Barta.  Bad things are happening in Chicago including the mayor being set up and influenced and Reuben Flagg tries to deal with all in "The Fire This Time – Part 2." Script by Howard Chaykin and art by Joe Staton & Hilary Barta & Rick Burchett.  With Raul the mayor strung out and Chicago in flames, Reuben Flagg has to figure out what is going and quickly in "The Fire This Time – Part 3." Script by Howard Chaykin and art by Joe Staton & Hilary Barta & Rick Burchett. |
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michaelekrupp private msg quote post Address this user | |
| It seems worth noting that there was a several month delay between issues 27 and 28. As Chaykin began focusing on other projects, it took a while to get a new art team in place and, as I recall, the book was actually in limbo for a few months. | ||
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 Masculinity takes a holiday.
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EbayMafia private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I have a whole set of these up in the garage somewhere, came by way of my older brother. Back in the day we had to make sure mom wouldn't walk in on us reading these because of all the panties and stockings on the covers. | ||
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michaelekrupp private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by EbayMafia Chaykin does seem to have something of a lingerie fetish  . |
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 Ima gonna steal this and look for some occasion to use it!
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IronMan private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @BigRedOne1944 A really well written & researched article. Because it's far more than just a post. This was the sort of article we used to read in Gary Carter's later Overstreet's Comic Book Market Place. I know many will disagree, but while I read American Flagg! and enjoyed it for the most part, it was far from my favorite First title. My fav's would have been Grimjack and Jon Sable, Freelance. Of those two, I looked forward to the Munden's Bar back up's in Grimjack the most. Chaykin's art was never my flavor of brandy - I thought it looked dirty and badly in need of a good inker to clean it up  But there is little doubt this book and First Comic's output in general did a lot to move the comic industry forward as far as creator rights. Anyway, thanks! I enjoyed the read. |
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| @IronMan. Yup the Mundens Bar stories were like dessert … best part saved for last! I too liked JSF the best. | ||
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BigRedOne1944 private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by IronMan While Grimjack and Flagg were very popular titles that grabbed lots of the headlines, First Comics had a very diversified line up of titles at one point. First Comics was co-founded by Ken F. Levin and Mike Gold. It launched in 1983 with a line-up of creators including Frank Brunner, Mike Grell, Howard Chaykin, Joe Staton, Steven Grant, Timothy Truman, and Jim Starlin. In 1984, First acquired all the titles of the short-lived publisher Capital Comics, including Mike Baron's action/superhero/fantasy/comedy series Badger, and Baron and Steve Rude's space-superhero series Nexus. They would also acquire the Starslayer title which produced the first appearances of Grimjack. Among First's best-known titles were Chaykin's satirical futuristic cop series American Flagg; John Ostrander and Tim Truman's Grimjack; Baron & Rude's Nexus; Badger; Jim Starlin's space opera series Dreadstar and Mike Grell's Jon Sable, which was briefly adapted for TV. In 1984, the publisher sued industry giant Marvel Comics, claiming that Marvel flooded the market with new titles in 1983 in order to shut out First and other new companies. In the same lawsuit, First also sued printer World Color Press for anti-competitive activities, claiming the printer undercharged Marvel for its business, and in return overcharged First and its fellow independents. The suit took up much of the mid-1980s before finally being resolved in the spring of 1988. In 1986, despite its success with the direct market, First experimented with newsstand distribution. Later that same year, the publisher found itself in the middle of the industry-wide debate about creators' rights. (Clashes with DC Comics, First, and other publishers on this issue led in part to the drafting of the Creator's Bill of Rights signed by Scott McCloud, Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, Dave Sim, Rick Veitch, and other comics creators in late 1988.) Despite a lot of the legal trouble, I really believe First Comics was one of the driving forces in the advances made in the creator rights, as well as advancing more mature storylines. @IronMan I find your comments about Chaykins's art being "Dirty" very interesting, as the busy and dirty artwork was one of my favorite aspects of the title, very similar to the dirty gritty art Tim Truman was doing on the popular Grimjack title. Its funny how each individual can see a different perspective. I will say that I think Chaykin's cover work after being baited back to the title for those final issues in the run were lacking the "Excitement" of the earlier issues. Unfortunately First Comics ceased publishing in 1991, and closed their doors for good in early 1992. |
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BigRedOne1944 private msg quote post Address this user | |
Yes many were somewhat disappointed with Chaykin's eventual departure, but I personally felt the script never faltered under the direct of Steven Grant, who happened to be one of my favorite writers at the time, and while I did miss the Dirty art of Chaykin, the Mark Badger & Randy Emberlin art was more than acceptable to me. The Chicago PlexMall is being audited, Arcadia Driftwood returns, the Black Beaver goes into wrestling and Reuben Flagg is trying to make sense of all of it in "That's Entertainment – Part 1." Script by Howard Chaykin & Steven Grant and art by Mark Badger & Randy Emberlin. Issue also has "The Origin of Bob Violence" with script by Steven Grant and art by Joe Staton & Hilary Barta.  C.K. puts his plan into action, Raul advises Reuben Flagg and everybody is after the underground TV station in "That's Entertainment – Part 2." Script by Howard Chaykin & Steven Grant and art by Mark Badger & Randy Emberlin. Issue also has "Bob Violence: Here Comes Mavis" with script by Howard Chaykin & Steven Grant and art by Joe Staton & Hilary Barta.  The battle for Q-USA continues with the KKK and Gotterdammecrats invading and Sam finds out about a plan to kill Reuben Flagg in "That's Entertainment – Part 3." Script by Steven Grant and art by Mark Badger & Randy Emberlin. Issue also has "Bob Violence: Mavis Streetweis and Scum the Incredibly Stupid Mutant Dog" with script by Howard Chaykin & Steven Grant and art by Norm Breyfogle & Hilary Barta.  It's Arcadia going against Sam, Reuben battling Vulgate and Luther versus Billy the Mountain as the saga concludes in "That's Entertainment – Part 4." Script by Steven Grant and art by Mark Badger & Randy Emberlin.  As Reuben tries to iron out problems about how his TV station is run, he finds out about a plot to kill Bill in "Oklahoma U.K. – Part 1." Script by Steven Grant and art by Mark Badger & Randy Emberlin. Issue also has "Bob Violence" with script by Howard Chaykin & Steven Grant and art by Norm Breyfogle & Rick Burchett. |
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