From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: WolfCop (2014)

Halloween is drawing closer, and this countdown to this spooky holiday update will be about the Horror Comedy film WolfCop and the Dynamite Comic series based around it! WolfCop is one of those indie films that I was alerted to early on and knew I needed to see it as I am a mega werewolf fan and also enjoy a good Horror Comedy from time to time. But after a short limited theatrical run and me not liking digital movies, I had to wait a while and finally was able to get it on DVD, and after watching it I was a fan of its fun over the top nature. And when thinking about what film and comic should get the “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update treatment I knew I had to cover WolfCop sooner then later and now here it is, so grab a drink, sit back and relax as we are going on a crazy werewolf crime busting adventure with Sergeant Lou Garou or as we all really know him WolfCop.

Let’s take a look at Sergeant Lou Garou aka The Wolfcop and his way of dealing with criminals that get in his way, as he does not kill the innocent. As human Lou Garou he is an officer of the law who spends more time drinking and getting drunk than busting crime and is over all looked at as a failure and joke. But once he is turned into a werewolf and called WolfCop he is still a drunk but also is some how a better officer! WolfCop can use his super senses like smell and hearing in order to track down his targets as they can run but cannot hide, as he can also move pretty fast for a drunken werewolf. WolfCop is also really strong and can use his strength to toss around as well as rip apart criminals and cult members alike. While WolfCop can use handguns and shotguns to deal death his main tools are his razor sharp teeth and claws that can rip and tear flesh like rice paper. WolfCops can also scare criminals with his appearances as well as his howl that can chill their bones and freeze them with fear. WolfCop is also fearless and will walk into danger and as he is not only has a don’t care attitude but also has liquid courage as he is drunk at all times. WolfCop not only gets his powers from the full moon but also booze and oh yeah he loves doughnuts. It should also be noted that normal bullets and stab wounds does not kill him. WolfCop does have weaknesses as he is human most of the time, and there for can be hurt and killed. Magic and Silver weapons of death can also kill him as again he is a werewolf and he hates silver. WolfCop also cause he is drunk can also be outsmarted and set up allowing his enemies to attack or escape him. WolfCop is a pretty strong killing machine and while he only kills the guilty those on the wrong side of the law have lots to worry about.

So as you can see, WolfCop is one law enforcement killing machine who while a raging beast is still on the side of the law and does what’s right and slaughters the bad people of the world. But now that we have talked about WolfCop the creature we need to now dive into the film that spawned him! I will be taking the films write up from our pals at IMDB after that I will be writing about the film’s production as well as my thoughts of the film. So let’s talk WolfCop the Full Moon Avenger Of Law Enforcement.

WolfCop (2014)

“It’s not unusual for alcoholic cop Lou to black out and wake up in unfamiliar surroundings, but lately things have taken a turn for the strange…and hairy. WolfCop is the story of one cop’s quest to become a better man. One transformation at a time.”

Lowell Dean was coming off his first feature film “13 Eerie” that was released in 2013 and had the bug to make another film. He wanted to make a film that as well did not rely on computer effects and wanted practical and being a horror fan he wanted to stay in that genre but also add in a touch of comedy. The film was shot in the same location area as 13 Eerie and was your typical independent filming production. Lowell did a great job of casting as he hired Leo Fafard to play Lou Garou/ The WolfCop as well as such named as Sarah Lind, Jonathan Cherry and Amy Matysio in supporting roles. He also got the scoring and music skills of Shooting Guns to do the soundtrack. The film was released on June 6, 2014 and was meet with great reviews from horror fans and critics as always was split on it with most given it praise. The film was released along side such films as Dracula Untold, As Above So Below, Last Shift, It Follows, A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night and What We Do In The Shadows to name a few. The film would be released on DVD, Blu-Ray and Digital and find even more of a following.

WolfCop was a film that I first heard about thanks to Horror Movie websites that I visit all the time sites like Gorezone, Bloody Disgusting and Dread Central to name a few and the coverage they were given it, and then once I seen the trailer I knew I had to see this film as werewolves are my favorite classic monster and the film looked crazy and funny as well. Of course no local theater in my area picked it up when it had its limited run theatrically so I had to wait for home media before I was able to view it and did so at a Horror Movie Marathon and the film was a big hit with everyone in attendance enjoying! And the shocking part for me was that I really liked it and laughed at several of the over the top moments as well as crude gross humor, and that’s shocking as for the most part I am not a mega fan of the more modern Horror Comedy films that was spawned after Shaun Of The Dead. And even more shocking is when the sequel Another WolfCop was released in 2017 I as well really enjoyed that one as well! Besides the gross humor what really worked for me was the look of WolfCop as well as the blood and gore as the film had no CGI effects and the practical effects made the scenes more gruesome and made the humor pop more. Plus you can never go wrong with the films end theme being a rap about the films character, man more movies need to do this. If you like werewolves, dark crude gross humor, indie Horror flicks and cool effects I say make sure to check out WolfCop! Oh and Lowell Dean were is WolfCop 3?

WolfCop is a film that I think every Horror Movie fan with a weird sense of humor should see at least once in their lives as I think much of the over the top goof gore and kills will put a smile on your face. Now it’s time that we take a look at the comics based on this film and I would like to thank Mavericks Cards And Comics for getting me these comics for my pull file and making this long overdue update possible. I would also like to remind you readers that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and it’s art and story. So if you are ready, let’s go on patrol with WolfCop and see what violent calls we will get while he is on duty.

WolfCop # 1  ***
Released in 2016     Cover Price $3.99   Dynamite     #1 of 3

Just outside the town of Woodhaven, a door-less police car is speeding away from the town and behind the wheel is the drunk Sergeant Lou Garou who is guzzling liquor and with him is his friend Willie Higgins who is a little scared of Lou’s poor drunk driving skills. The car ends up dying and the two are stuck out in the middle of nowhere just in time to be harassed by a motorcycle gang that has two young ladies kidnapped, Lou being an officer of the law tries to save the ladies…but he and Willie are overpowered and are as well taken. While tied up and placed in a cycles sidecar the moon comes out and Lou turns into WolfCop and slaughters all but one biker who ran away and saves the ladies, while one lady runs off if fear the other tells them that the bikers were taken them to a place called The Meat Locker and that many people before them had been taken to it and have never returned. The Meat Locker is ran by a fat cannibal who has the bikers kidnap people and bring them to this place so he can eat them, and once hearing about WolfCop he gets a craving for werewolf meat! WolfCop takes Willie and the woman to the Meat Locker on a stolen bike and rushes in and takes out many of the henchmen and butchers with ease, but he finds that the man in charge is really a monster a giant Boar monster and its strong, real strong and even worse hungry! WolfCop and The Boar Monster clash with WolfCop coming out the winner with a well-placed bullet to the creature’s brain! In the end the young woman frees all the hostages that were to be eaten as Willie and WolfCop ride off on a motorcycle.

This first issue in the WolfCop mini series is a fantastic read that is filled with lots of blood and guts as well as humor and shows that Horror Movie characters like WolfCop are perfect for comic books. The plot has Officer Garou on the run along with his close friend Willie who stumble onto a biker gang who are taking people to a place to be killed and eaten by a man who is really a monster boar, really the plot is that crazy and that fantastic. WolfCop is a werewolf of few words besides when he wants a hard drink and lets his actions speak for themselves, he is not afraid to rush into danger as well as has zero issues with massacring bad guys. As human Lou Garou he is nothing more than a drunk who loves taking a drink one after another. Willie Higgins is a loyal friend to Lou who watches out for his friend not only as a human but also as a werewolf and is willing to risk his own life to help out his pal. The Biker Gang are just evil minions for a Boar Creature who is brutal in nature and loves to eat flesh and is always hungry for blood and meat…he is massive when turned into the creature and all those who were to be eaten have to think WolfCop for coming and saving the day and their lives. The comic is very bloody and has lots of blood splatter and even flesh eating making it truly feel like a horror comic straight of the 90’s indie scene. The pacing of the issue is also really well done and feels like a fast read with lots of action and a cool fight between monsters with a good payout. The cover is really great and super eye catching not only for fans of the WolfCop film but also for fans of Horror Comics! The interior art is done by Arcana Studios and is top-notch work and captures the awesome look of WolfCop really well. This comic is a nice fit and feels like apart of the film universe and shows that Horror Comics based on films can be done right when the right creative team is behind the creative wheel.

WolfCop # 2  ***
Released in 2016     Cover Price $3.99   Dynamite     #2 of 3

Lou and Willie are in a small town trying to get his old beat up police cruiser fix when they meet Madame Faye at a strip club and she invites them to stay at her place for the night while the car is being worked on. They get to her home and see that it’s filled with beautiful women and she also has a mountain of a man named Sammy who acts as the houses security guard even caring a massive sword. As Willie goes off to a room with all the ladies, Lou heads off with Madame Faye and things start to turn bad real bad for the friends! Madame Faye is some sort of witch and uses black magic to bring the werewolf out of Lou as well as keeps him in place with a spell, as poor Willie ends up having to fight for his life as the women he is with are all zombies! After killing all the zombie women Willie makes his way to Lou and finds him stuck and now as WolfCop the beast in mad and wants something hard to drink to try and break the spell, but all they have is a little booze left in a flask. Willie tries his best to free WolfCop but is found out by Madame Faye and Sammy and pays with his life as Sammy cuts Willie’s hand and head off, and this enrages WolfCop who breaks free and kills Sammy in return who can not be kept down as he is some sort of demon, and worse for WolfCop more Zombie woman are around and the house is no on fire! WolfCop is able to get the Sammy Demon outside and finds some booze that he quickly drinks that gives him the power to rip the heart out of Sammy killing the demon. He leaves Madame Faye in the burning house as she is being attacked and killed by her zombie women as the flames close in. WolfCop is upset and gives a call to Sergeant Tina and alerts her that he is coming back home to Woodhaven.

This second issue puts WolfCop into another very dangerous situation as he this time around must fight off an evil powerful Witch, her Demon sidekick and a horde of female zombies hungry for flesh all in a small town at a whorehouse and witnesses his best friend be killed before his eyes! So as you can see this was a really bad night for WolfCop who allows his rage to take over, well as well as lots of booze in order to break a spell he was under and escape and kill those who ruined his night. WolfCop in this issues not only uses his claws and teeth to cause death but also uses his gun to bring down the evil all around him. It always makes me laugh when WolfCop uses his addiction to booze to be more powerful as a werewolf and it works for him as the drunker he is the more skilled he is. Poor Willie who is the babysitter for WolfCop was looking forward to bedding some beautiful women, instead is attacked by them as they turn into zombies and then become the victim of a beheading at the hands of a demon. The Demon Sammy is a killer who listens to his master and uses his sword to deliver death as well as has a burning body that can inflict pain as well. Madame Faye is a witch that uses her black magic to kill people that come to her brothel and control a demon and zombies. She is powerful but also when she gets weakened by a gunshot wound she finds herself the lunch buffet for her own zombie ladies. This issue is lots of fun just like the first one and has a fast paced silly Comedy Horror vibe that captures the film series really well. The comic has blood and guts and even has the death of a character that was a fan favorite for readers and viewers. The cover on this issue is just ok and is a little lacking and while eye catching does not do the issue justice. The interior art is well done and is done by Allan Otero and is well done and his WolfCop drawings are on point. Over all another great issue in this WolfCop mini series and I like that this one ends with him returning home and who knows what creatures he will face in the next and final issue.

WolfCop # 3  **1/2
Released in 2016     Cover Price $3.99   Dynamite     #3 of 3

WolfCop returns to Woodheaven and once out of his car kills off some gang members before entering Willie’s old gun store to find Willie alive inside as he re-spawned after getting his head cut off by Sammy at the brothel. You see Willie who is a shape shifter has an unknown amount of returns in his life. Once inside the shop WolfCop and Willie talk about the curse the witch placed on him that now keeps him stuck as a werewolf! Just then Officer Tina shows up and notices that Willie has all types of illegal guns and warns them both that they need to leave town as they are wanted for many murders. As WolfCop and Willie are heading to the car to once more leave town a sniper using high-powered ammo opens fire on WolfCop who shrugs off the bullets and ends up killing the sniper. A homeless man from nowhere shows up and is upset that the sniper failed and as he keeps getting mad he changes into a monster with a massive mouth filled with razor sharp teeth and many tentacles legs and goes for WolfCop as he wants to drink the werewolves blood. Tina and Willie try and help their friend by shooting at and even hitting the monster with grenades, but while it slows the monster down it does not stop him! WolfCop is loosing as the monster is way to big and strong, but Willie tosses WolfCop a grenade launcher and lycan cop fires right into the monsters mouth and kills it. In the end Willie and WolfCop are leaving town and Tina watches them walk away as WolfCop asks for doughnuts.

The third and final issue of WolfCop has him returning home in order to pick up his friend Willie who has re-spawned back to life their after being killed. Once in town he is attacked by yet another monster and even gets to see is old partner Tina. The Monster in this issue is a weird looking almost H.P. Lovercraft creature that wants to drink the blood of WolfCop and spends his time also talking down to the officer while beating him. The Monster is way to cocky and that’s what leads to him being exploded into pieces is the fact he thinks he is unbeatable. Willie Higgins returns and he is happy to be back to life and is as goofy and gun loving as ever, and because he loves guns and weapons is how they are able to bring down the monster that was attacking and killing his friend WolfCop. It’s also great to see Officer Tina in action as she is a very important character in the films series and plays a smaller role here in the comic, but still great to see her. WolfCop in this issue is stuck being a werewolf and is not drunk enough and is hungry for some good old doughnuts, but even with these cravings he still has the mindset to kill some punks as well as try and fight a monster that was bigger then he was! Through out this whole mini series WolfCop as always backs down from no fight and goes into them with no plan and no fear and always comes out the winner. I mean think about this just in these three issues he has killed a Cannibal Boar Monster, Bikers, A Witch, Female Zombies, a Demon, Punks, A Sniper and a Monster…see WolfCop is a drunken badass! This issue has some blood and violence but is not in the same league as the last two issues that had way more gory deaths. I feel like Dynamite really dropped the ball by not making WolfCop an ongoing series as it would have been awesome to see it continue and even maybe crossover with Army Of Darkness, as who wouldn’t want to see WolfCop team with Ash and fight the deadites! The cover for this third issue is pretty good and shows WolfCop crashing through a window looking very pissed off and ready for a fight. The interior art is done by Allan Otero and like before is very well done, and for those wondering Allan is an artist who has done so much for Zenescope Comics. I really enjoyed the WolfCop mini series and really do feel that more issues should have been made and that a third film should be as well, and I will say if you like WolfCop or Another WolfCop you should give this comic series a read. Check out the artwork below to see the style used in this series.

WolfCop and Dynamite Comics come together to once more prove my point that comics based on Horror Movies are a great way to not only promote the film as this one was a great way to build hype for the sequel Another WolfCop that was coming out soon as well as helps bring readers to the comic company that released it, as fans of WolfCop would go on to see Dynamite release Jeepers Creepers and Pumpkinhead as well as their long running Army Of Darkness series. That is why in my opinion companies like Eibon Press, IDW and Blood Scream Comics are doing it right as they deliver not only great original comics but also amazing must read ones based on Horror Films. But enough of that I don’t need to bring out my soapbox here to talk about Horror Comics, as our patrol with WolfCop has came to an end and I need to alert you all that the next update that will be about the 1996 shot on video film “A Night Of Total Terror” that was directed by James Rolfe! So until next time read a Horror Comic or three, watch a Horror Movie or two and as always support your local Horror Host. Man, I really hope that you readers are ready for a Night that is packed with Total Terror!

American Hero: Bob Belcher

Every year here on Rotten Ink, we take a break from our cook-outs and fireworks to honor an American hero for our Independence Day update, and this year is no exception.  Hi everyone! It’s Juliet, back in the blogger’s seat to tell you about an all-American hero of TV and comics; he’s a humble man, a burger man.  That’s right, this year we’ll be spending the Fourth of July with Bob and the entire Belcher family 

Known for his work on celebrated animated shows Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist and Home Movies, Loren Bouchard created Bob’s Burgers to fit into Fox’s animation brand in the mid 2000s, the most successful shows of the time focusing on families. He teamed with King of the Hill writer and producer Jim Dauterive to develop the concept with the aim of showing being able to explore some workplace comedy tropes while keeping with the family theme.  There was one aspect of the original concept, however, that only made it into the finished product as a joke:  Bouchard actually wanted the Belcher family to be cannibals, something that gets used as a plot device in the pilot episode but only in the form of a rumor Louise starts at school.  Another switch is that there were originally two Belcher sons, but before production began, Daniel became Tina and given her popularity, that was most definitely the right choice.  

Bob’s Burgers premiered on Fox in 2011 on Fox with a special preview airing the prior Thanksgiving on the network.  The first season was met with shaky reception, but really found its stride with critics by the second season.  In 2017, Fox announced the development of a Bob’s Burgers, which, as many fans (myself included) rightly guess, would be a musical.  However, we’re still waiting to see this movie because several things happened: in 2019, Disney acquired 20th Century Fox, which wasn’t initially going to interfere with the film’s slated summer 2020 release, but then the coronavirus pandemic happened.  Like so many films, the Bob’s Burgers movie shifted around the release schedule for a while when it wasn’t certain when movie theaters would be safely reopened (and moviegoers would feel safe visiting).  Right now, it’s been delayed indefinitely, which I’m hoping is just a product of the studios having to completely redo essentially two years of release schedules.  It’s still super disappointing, though. 

Despite being told by numerous people that I’d like Bob’s Burgers, it took me several years to give the show a try.  In fact I was rather stubbornly set on not watching because I was convinced that it was yet another show trying to be a Family Guy clone (and that’s unappealing because I’m NOT a fan of Family Guy), but what I learned is that it’s quite the opposite.  Somehow Matt convinced me to give Bob’s Burgers a try….or maybe he just put an episode on in the hopes I’d sit down and watch it, which I did, and I absolutely loved it.  In addition to being very dryly funny a lot of the time, Bob’s Burgers appeals to me because all of the characters are genuinely good people that are trying hard (even though they sometimes fail epically).  The family feels like an actual family — totally quirky but absolutely ready and able to have each other’s backs no matter what.  Unlike so many other animated and live action shows, Bob isn’t a lazy, bumbling idiot who somehow impossibly has a fairly cushy job; we get to see him as a businessman who genuinely cares about what he does (sometimes a little too much).  And then there’s Tina, who is me and I am her. It’s so great to see an utterly dorky teenage girl who isn’t a punching bag.  In fact, her family celebrates and affirms the fact that she’s into horses, writes erotic friend fiction (one of my absolute favorite details about her) and is boy crazy.  The show also has some amazing side characters from Teddy to twins Andy and Ollie to Marshmallow, who could easily be the butt of every joke as a Black trans woman but is instead celebrated and admired.  So despite my initial hesitation, Bob’s Burgers has become one of my favorite shows.  It’s utterly hilarious and is one that I both look forward to new episodes and can rewatch over and over again.  

As Bob’s Burgers has increased in popularity and become more universally well-known, naturally, there’s been an explosion of merchandise.  The show is available on DVD (the early seasons were given proper retail releases with the latter seasons being released as “on-demand” DVDs available through Amazon).  You’ll see the Belcher family on a variety of shirts, hoodies, socks (yes, I’m the proud owner of Tina Belcher socks) and even an amazing pair of high-top sneakers made by DC Shoes.  There are Bob’s Burgers coffee mugs, a full set of Funko Pops and a variety of board games including Clue and Trivial Pursuit.  Two soundtrack albums have been released along with an awesome cookbook, The Bob’s Burgers Burger Book and its smaller companion The Bob’s Burgers Burger Box.  Check out the image below for a look at some of my Bob’s Burgers collection.

In the summer of 2014, Dynamite Entertainment began releasing a short-run series of Bob’s Burgers anthology comics.  Each issue would follow a formula with stories and features led by/highlighting each member of the Belcher Family.  That series lasted five issues, but fans wouldn’t have to wait long for more as Dynamite released a special Bob’s Burgers issue for Free Comic Book Day 2015.  That was immediately followed by another short-run (7 issue) series that began in July 2015.  Dynamite would also continue releasing Bob’s Burgers issues for Free Comic Book Day through 2019, and I can’t help but wonder if both the coronavirus pandemic and the Disney acquisition, both of which also delayed the movie, caused the delay of further comics.  Hopefully we’ll see more Bob’s Burgers comics (and the movie!!) from Dynamite, or perhaps even Marvel, in the future. 

Today on the blog we’re going to look at that first series of Bob’s Burgers comics released by Dynamite.  Matt and I have had our copies for quite a while, but I think the majority of them came from Bell, Book and Comic here in Dayton.  As a reminder, here on Rotten Ink we grade comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and are looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, their entertainment value and their art and story. So grab another Hit Me With Your Best Shallot Burger and get another helping of fries (NOT sweet potato fries though, as according to Bob, they’re not real fries) and let’s visit Ocean Avenue and get a booth at our favorite family-owned restaurant.

Bob’s Burgers #1  ***1/2
Released in 2014     Cover price $3.99     Dynamite    #1 of 5

This anthology comic features the following stories:

Tina’s Erotic friend Fiction Presents: My So-Called Life as a Horse showcases Tina as “a horse in a people world,” going to school and spending time with her human family.  However, Tina Belcher the horse aka Tinasus Belcher has a secret life as a member of the Equestranauts, and the team needs her as their secret weapon against the evil Xander, who’s stolen the Electric Leash of Doom, retrofitted to control horses. 

Burger of the Day Ideas: TV Catch Phrase Burgers & Hits of the 80s Burgers brings us a pun-tastic look at possibilities to grace the famed Burger of the Day board. I think some of these did actually make into the later years of the show

Louise’s Unsolved Mysteries and Curious Curiosities: takes on Picture Day as Louise tries to avoid having her brain stolen by an alleged alien photographer.

Letters From Linda: this one-pager features a modest proposal from Linda about a new wine pairing system: pairing the quantity of wine with an activity.

Gene Belcher Presents: The Boy in the Burger, a Musical: After Gene passes out from hocking samples in his burger suit on a hot day, the suit fuses to his body. Unsure of what his life will be as a burger boy, Gene disappears into the suit ala a turtle until a wintery day when his sisters need help for some snow fun.

Each member of the Belcher family gets to shine in this inaugural issue of the Bob’s Burgers comic with the kids getting longer stories and Bob and Linda each getting a one-pager.  I think this formula works well though I’d love to see Bob and Linda get featured just a tad more in future issues.  Tina’s story was, perhaps predictably, my favorite of this issue because I felt that of all stories, it was the closest to something you’d see on the actual show.  That’s not to say, however, that others weren’t good.  The entire comic is extremely well-done, and the fact that writers from the show worked on this really shows in terms of the quality of each section and the attention to getting each character’s voice spot-on.  The interior artwork also fits with the look and feel of the show, making this a quick, fun read for fans.  The exterior covers (there are several variants) get a little more experimental in terms of style, but keep the spirit of and vibe of the Belchers while being very eye catching. A special bonus for this first issue were some joke ads for businesses in the show, and a cut-out that would allow you to recreate the Bob’s Burgers Food Truck from season two.

Bob’s Burgers #2  ***1/2
Released in 2014     Cover price $3.99     Dynamite   # 2 of 5

Following the same formula as issue 1, we get 3 main stories from the kids and one page features from Bob and Linda.  The book opens with Battleship Galac-Tina, another installment of Tina’s Erotic Friend Fiction Presents that features Tina as the admiral of a starship during a robot war.  After an epic space battle, a robot hostage helps teach Tina and the rest of humanity how to dance.  Louise seeks out a fellow history book defacer in Louise’s Legacy and ends up discovering that her unseen partner in crime was librarian Mr. Ambrose.  Gene’s story, Genemadus, the Musical, pits him against Peter Pescadero in a keyboard battle ala Salieri and Mozart in the classic film.  For their features, Bob explores The Ten Commandments (well five of them at least) in burger form, and Linda pitches a raccoon playground turned disco turned apop turned reality show in a letter to her local trash collection service.

This is another really solid, fun installment of the Bob’s Burgers comic that showcases each character well and once again feels as if it could have been part of an episode or two of the TV show.  My favorite story this time around was Gene’s, which is surprising because in general he’s my least favorite of the Belcher family.  However, the way they took on Amadeus and twisted into a story for Gene was really smart and funny.  I also loved Linda’s letter this time around because the escalating absurdity of it was perfect. This time around, we see many more of the supporting cast including Andy and Ollie, Regular Sized Rudy, Daryl, Peter Pescadero, and of course we get several sketches of Little King Trashmouth in action as part of Linda’s letter. The cover and interior art are once again fun and well-done and fit into the vibe of the show.  This time around, we didn’t get any fake ads, but there was a nice pinup in the middle of the book.

Bob’s Burgers #3  ***
Released in 2014     Cover price $3.99     Dynamite   #3 of 5

We begin this issue with another installment of Tina’s Erotic Friend Fiction, entitled Trick Shot Tina that has the titular character teaming up with another gun slinger, Jazz Hands Jimmy Jr., to win back a shiny belt buckle. Bob’s Burger of the Day Ideas is an attempt at a Fortune Cookie Burger, while Linda writes to Smellopolis.com to suggest new fragrances including Pinot Noir. Louise builds the ultimate cardboard box fort in Who Forted? In Guys & Frogs, Gene adopts and promptly forgets about a bunch of tadpoles, while six weeks later overrun the Belcher’s apartment and the restaurant. 

As with so many great series, this one lost a little steam with issue #3, but only a little.  There were some super fun touches like the Uncle Pennybags (aka the Monopoly Man) cameo in Tina’s story.  Once again, Linda’s letter was great because you could absolutely read it with her voice in your head. This time around my favorite story was Louise’s, although it took a more bizarre turn than you’d normally see in the show, it felt like a sequel to the season two Halloween episode Fort Night (though that episode isn’t referenced at all, which I felt like was a missed opportunity).  Some of the interior art in this issue strayed a little bit from the style of the series, but still fit the overall vibe of each story so it was distracting at all.  

Bob’s Burgers #4   ***1/2
Released in 2014    Cover price $3.99     Dynamite   #4 of 5

It’s a (mostly) Halloween issue this time around as Tina’s Erotic Friend Fiction presents Franken-Butt, the story of a girl scientist and her creation…but who’s really the monster of this tale?  After her science teacher warns of the dire consequences for doing an experiment wrong, Louise of course plans to capitalize on those consequences and turns herself invisible.  She wreaks havoc on her family and the restaurant, but then realizes she doesn’t know how to make herself reappear.  The Belcher kids go on a hunt for a chupacabra and meet the mystical creature only to learn that it wants to be a children’s magician.  So Gene, Tina and Louise set out to make their new friend’s dream come true at the restaurant.  In our non Halloween features, Bob creates a list that explores “If Heartwarming 80s Movies Were Burgers,” which includes the She’s Having a Bay Leaf Burger (cooked with bay leaf, comes with baby romaine), and Linda writes to the president of Super Sounds Records to inform them that she’s ready to record her long awaited sola album “Appetite for Lin-struction.”

Issue #3 may have been a slight disappointment, but issue #4 absolutely delivered.  Bob’s Burgers is known for its stellar Halloween episodes, and this issue delivered that spirit in comic form.  All three of the main stories felt like they could have been part of an anthology episode of the show, and the artwork and writing supported that.  It’s hard to even pick a favorite story because they were all so solid and each was special in its own way, but if pressed I’d choose Louise Is Invisible.  The other two elements, though not Halloween themed, were extremely well done too making this such a great entry in the series.

Bob’s Burgers #5  ***1/2
Released in 2014     Cover price $3.99     Dynamite    #5 of 5

In a world filled with 14 to 16 year old boy zombies, Tina is the last person on Earth or so she thinks until she meets and saves the life of Jimmy Jr.  Together they realize that the zombies aren’t actually out to make them part of the hordes of the undead; they just want to play ping pong. Louise tries to get to the bottom of a boy band conspiracy in The Faux Boo Boo, and Gene takes a musical journey to Robot College. Bob works on ideas for Book Burgers including the Brine and Bunishment Burger, and Linda writes to Ginger about her revelation that somewhere in the world there’s another Linda whose family runs another restaurant.

What a fabulous way to wrap up this first run of Bob’s Burgers comics.  This issue’s stories are stellar with The Faux Boo Boo being my favorite (Louise’s obsession with Boo Boo is so funny), and Robot College being a delightful expansion of a tiny scene in season two’s “Bob Day Afternoon.”  Like the prior issue, everything in this one feels like it could have come right from an episode with great writing and artwork.  We also get a bit of bonus content with several pages of pinup artwork wrapping up the issue.  

Comics based on TV shows are super tricky.  It can be hard to translate beloved characters to the page and capture their voice and humor, but this series proves it can be done well.  If you’re a fan of the show and looking for a quick, fun read, check out this miniseries.

Well it’s time to shut down the grill for the night and get ready to watch some fireworks.  I hope you had a safe and happy July 4th, however you spent it.  I’ll be handing the blog back to Matt for our next update which will focus on Satanic bicycle safety…..yes, really.  In the meantime, read a comic or two, make a delicious burger (meat or veggie depending on your preference) and support a family-owned restaurant.  Join us next time for Danny and the Demoncycle.

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Jeepers Creepers (2001)

We are so close to Halloween now, and the nights are becoming colder and even a little more spooky I think its time for us to take a look at a monster that only appears every 23 years and is hungry for human flesh and wants to collect body parts and of course I am talking about The Creeper from the film series Jeepers Creepers! This is one of those modern Horror franchises that you either love or hate with very few people standing in the middle, most of this films hate comes from the fact its creator and director Victor Salva is a pretty disgusting dude who did something very sickening on the set of his film “Clown House” and served not enough time for his actions. But I do not want to bring this update down with his despicable act and will just say I for one 100% believe he should not be able to make films with children any more and think he should have been in jail way longer. But with that out of the way let’s do our best to avoid the sinister The Creeper and take a look at his comic debut in the pages of Dynamite Comics. I also think that the Creeper is one of the better modern franchise Horror Characters that was spawned in from the early 2000’s as his mysteries backstory and creepy look makes him very interesting.

So lets start by taken a look at the films monster the sinister Creeper! The Creeper is a demonic human eating creature that goes on a killing spree every 23 years in order to stockpile bodies that will not only feed him, but he can also use the body parts to replace his own injured ones. No one knows really what, why and how The Creeper has come to be and his origin is truly wrapped in theories and rumors making him a true riddle. The Creeper has many tools to dispatch his victims that include knives, throwing stars and even a battle axe that he uses to chop, slash and remove flesh. He also shows that he is very strong with a super natural style physical power and could with ease kill a human with his bare hands. He also has his rusty old truck that has the license plate “BEATNGU” that means “Be Eating You” and this truck not only can strike fear in peoples hearts with is creepy appearance and cow catcher front end also is rigged with traps that can bet set off to keep people in as well as out, and even worse its bullet proof and seems to not be able to be stopped. The Creeper himself while can be hurt seems to truly be unstoppable as he has been shot and stabbed and keeps on coming and this aspect as well as his demonic appearance also can frighten a person to death. No known elements have been found that can truly kill The Creeper making him one of the most dangerous killers we have ever covered on one of these updates next to the likes of Godzilla, Michel Myers, Jason Voorhees and The Tall Man. While he can be slowed down he cannot be stopped and this is why The Creeper is one sinister demonic killer.

So as you can see the Creeper is a very violent killer who has no morals when it comes to killing those he has a taste for. But now we should breakdown the first film in the series as well as quickly talk about the two sequels. For the write up on the film I will be taking it from our friends at IMDB and the write up about the production and my thoughts of course will be written by me. So if you are ready and are not to scared lets take a look at Jeepers Creepers!

Jeepers Creepers (2001)

“On their way back home during the spring break, Darry and Patricia Jenner witness a mysterious person dumping something down a tunnel. Deciding to discover what was dumped down there, Darry discovers a huge disturbing hideout full of modified bodies. Darry and Patricia set off to get help, unaware that the individual is now aware of who has been down the tunnel. Darry and Patricia soon realizes that their pursuer is not just a mysterious person, but something even more horrifying, who has more in store than they could possibly imagine.”

Jeepers Creepers is a creature feature that was written and directed by Victor Salva and was released by United Artist on August 31, 2001 and stars Gina Philips, Justin Long, Patricia Belcher and Jonathan Breck played the films killer The Creeper. The film was given the budget of $10 million and had a very tight shooting schedule as filming took place in Florida in the summer of 2000 and they had to remove parts of the script in order to meet their project deadline. The film was a surprise hit for United Artist bringing in a worldwide total of $59,217,789.00 showing that Horror was still valuable in the theaters and came in at # 65 grossing movie in 2001 here in the US and beat out other cult films as From Hell, Joy Ride, Valentine, John Carpenter’s Ghosts Of Mars, Bones, Soul Survivors, The Devil’s Backbone and Session 9. The film when released was meet with some protest from groups and fans over the crime the director committed in the past, but this only slowed down the film slightly as 2001 was a very slow year in general for Horror. The film would later become a bigger hit when it hit home media and truly built up a cult following. The film has been released on VHS, DVD, Blu-Ray and Digital so if you have not seen it…you can easily find it.

I can remember when this film was coming out as I had seen the trailer and even some of the Horror News websites put some heavy coverage on it. Now in 2001 I was going to the theaters but not as often and decided to skip it as while I thought the Creeper was cool looking and Gina Philips was a good looking lady…it was Justin Long that kept me away as he just had a face that made me want to punch him! Oddly enough none of my close friends who enjoyed Horror Films went and seen this film in the theaters and it would be way later before I would watch it, as in when it came to home video. At the time this hit video I was working for Blockbuster Video and I used one of my free rents for the week to take it home and give it a watch, and I can remember that I enjoyed many moments of the film as I found the atmosphere very spooky, the killer very sinister and the kills pretty cool…downside to the film for me was some of the dialogue was super bad as was the acting of Justin Long. If memory serves me as well my brother Bryan was not a fan at all and he as well disliked the terrible dialogue. As weird as this sounds while I am by no means a super fan of Jeepers Creepers I do find myself wanting to see sequels as well was pretty happy when the comic mini series was announced. One thing that’s crazy is when I hear friends of mine who love Horror Movies talk about how this is one of their favorite movies in the genre.

The first film spawned two sequels with “Jeepers Creepers 2” coming out in 2003. It follows a group of high school football players whose bus breaks down, and they become the target of The Creeper. The second film was # 80 grossing film in America and brought in $63,103,666.00 worldwide. A third film was made and is a prequel to the second film and follows a cop who sets his sights on taking down The Creeper once and for all. This film was a limited release in theaters in 2017 and brought in $2,335,162.00 in the US and was #185 for the year. Both of these films helped add new layers to The Creeper as well as let you a little further into what and why he is. A rumor of a fourth film has been going around since 2017 and as of now nothing has seen the light of day. As far as my opinion on the films, I enjoyed the second film. While it was flawed and filled with lots of eye rolling moments, it still was a fun watch. The third film on the other hand is pretty cheesy and has a real low budget look to it. I saw it in the theater for the Fathom Event and was not overly impressed. In fact for my “Matt Goes To The Movies 2017” update, the third film came in at # 19 out of 20. So while Jeepers Creepers is not the best trilogy, it at least is an entertaining one that has delivered The Creeper who has become a very iconic movie monster of modern times.

So as you can see, The Creeper is an efficient killer and has many tools of the trade to issue death to those he has selected! And Jeepers Creepers is a modern film series that has made a mark on the genre and has gathered a very loyal fan base, and that’s why I find it crazy that it took until 2018 for a comic book series to be made based on it. And now we are at the point of this update that we will be taking a look at the issues. I need to thank Mavericks Cards And Comics for having these in stock and pulling them for my file making this update possible. I want to also remind you that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, their entertainment value and art and story. So if you are ready, let’s see what horrors The Creeper has in store for us on the inked pages of these horror comics.

Jeepers Creepers # 1 **
Released in 2018     Cover Price $3.99     Dynamite Comics     # 1 of 5

Devin James is in Mexico City looking into myths for his college project, and he feels like a fish out of water while in America The Creeper is back and along with his death truck hits the streets looking for body parts. While Devin is in Mexico, he sneaks into an old Aztec site and while studying the carving on the walls, he meets a young kid who he shares his theory that the Aztec Serpent God is really The Creeper! This story scares the kid who runs from the temple alerting adults, and Devin is taken to the police station and told never to return to that town and site again! As Devin is leaving, an old lady give him a box that has an old knife used by the Aztecs to do sacrifices in it and she quickly disappears! As Devin holds the knife, The Creeper takes alert and knows that someone is getting close to his origin and story.

This first issue in the Jeepers Creepers mini series is a little underwhelming and our main “hero” Devin James does not have any character development. All we really get from him is that he is a college student, has a sensitive stomach and is really into the Aztec Serpent God. The plot is also very simple and has Devin driving to Mexico to look at a temple that he is not supposed to enter and is kicked out only to have what he seeks delivered to him by a strange person who vanishes….pretty standard stuff…oh yeah and The Creeper really doesn’t do anything in this issue. The Creeper so far is built up by reputation as his horrific deeds over the centuries are what sparks fear, but he himself does very little. The comic as well is pretty much bloodless and besides a heart being shown in a flashback story, the violence is pretty tame as are the scares. To be honest when this issue ended I was entertained but I was also thinking very much so that this was a middle of the road build up for a five issue story arc. The cover is pretty great and eye catching and the interior art by Kewber Baal is solid and good. Over all I don’t have much to say about this issue as they did not give me much to really talk about, I guess I should also say I do like that they are really trying to explain The Creeper’s past or at least give a theory about it. Over all, as I have said, this is very middle of the road and makes me hope that in issue two they add a little sizzle.

Jeepers Creepers # 2  **
Released in 2018     Cover Price $3.99     Dynamite Comics     # 2 of 5

Devin is on his way out of Mexico chatting with his friend Nina on the phone, giving her some info on what he has discovered but not what he has been given. Once off the phone he stops at a bar on a Indian Reservation and tries to strike up conversation with the bartender who has a tattoo of the Serpent God, but is quickly chased out of the bar where he is greeted by an old Native American man who tells Devin to meet him back at the bar in the morning as he can help with the answers he seeks. Devon stays the night in his car at the bar and is woken up by a cop who is giving him a hard time until the old man shows up and cools the situation down and he has Devon drive him to his home that is a tiny cabin in the woods. When inside, the old man has Devon drink a drugged wine that allows him to go on a vision quest and during it he has visions of The Creeper! When Devon wakes up he and his car are no longer in the woods but a shopping center.

Much like the first issue, there just is not much here when it comes to plot as most of the comic is splash pages that feature his vision quest….and the quest is the main plot of the issue. Devin in this issue keeps getting deeper and deeper into trying to find out what The Creeper is about and it’s becoming an obsession for him. The Creeper once more takes a back seat and kills nobody and mostly is just shown in the vision quest….so again no blood and no scares make this yet another middle of the road Horror Comic read. The worst thing is even the vision quest that is supposed to give some answers really doesn’t and is clearly filler. The cover is good and eye catching, and Baal’s artwork for the interiors is still very solid and good. Over there’s again not much to talk about as this was an okay read that was nothing special. I am starting to fear that this series is going to go on this way until the end. Let’s see what issue three has in store for me as I hope we at least get more The Creeper and less splash page filler.

Jeepers Creepers # 3  ** 1/2
Released in 2018     Cover Price $3.99     Dynamite Comics     # 3 of 5

Devin is back at his hotel room, and he is feeling very rough after drinking the drugged wine. Worse, as he tries to feel better he finds that his mind is linked to The Creeper and he cannot trust what he sees as they both are interfering with each other’s lives. As Devin drives to his next site, The Creeper decides that he must find and kill Devon to end this. Devin heads to a reenactment village were cosplayers are all around him acting like they are from colonial times. Devin uses the Aztec knife on himself and finds that it gives him the ability to go back in time and he does so and watches as The Creeper torments people. stealing one’s eyes. In the vision The Creeper even carves a town name in the arm of Devin who wakes back up in modern times and knows that he is now on a path to a showdown with the cannibal monster known as The Creeper.

Devin is closing in on The Creeper and has figured out that the knife he was given also has powers that will allow him to seek out more information on this creature. The plot is thickening when The Creeper himself seems to be looking forward to a showdown with Devin as it’s clear he is bothered that someone is digging deep into his past as well as maybe even a way to stop him for good! Devon in this issue seems to be taking leaps of faith in order to get the answers he needs for his college paper, and this also now makes me wonder if he has more of passion to stop this monster from killing and collecting/eating humans. This issue also adds a little more blood as a gruesome panel is a man from the past whose eyeballs have been removed. Plus they added a little more scares as The Creeper attacking the village in the vision quest comes off spooky as people run for their lives and think that he is a demon straight from hell. I also am interested in seeing if this magical knife comes into play and if it really is means to stop him. The cover is pretty great and has a dark spooky look, and like before, the interior art by Kewber Baal is really solid. This third issue is bringing the story and the characters out more and finally is showcasing The Creeper better than the last two issues and makes me look forward to see what issue four has in store for me.

Jeepers Creepers # 4  **1/2
Released in 2018     Cover Price $3.99     Dynamite Comics     # 4 of 5

Devin is in an old coal mine in Centralia, Pennsylvania, the location that was left for him by The Creeper, and now the two are at battle! Before being knocked down a shaft he is able to use an iron bar to impale The Creeper who is now really mad and heads deeper into the mine to find his prey. As Devin walks deeper in hopes of find a way out, he has a vision of 1962 when The Creeper killed a miner in those very mines and caused the fires that burn under that town still to this day, leaving the town dead and Devin knows that if he can not escape he will die as well. Devin has a stroke of luck when he finds a way out and its right by his car. As he is about to drive away the rooftop is ripped off, and The Creeper grabs him and carries him away into the night sky.

This fourth issue starts right with the action as our “hero” Devin is trying his best to battle a monster that wants to eat him and collect his body parts! Setting this issue in Centralia was a very cool move as that real life town has a very spooky look and feel to it. Plus it helped inspire the video game series Silent Hill…so as you can see, creepy is what that town is. The Creeper in this issue is very bloodthirsty as he wants to kill his foe and it shows and then on top of that in the flashback he goes off and knocks the head off of a miner. And I think at this point Devin realizes that he has bitten off more than he could chew and is in fear of his life, but yet still is very much into trying to figure out what makes this monster tick. The issue does have blood and gore and the head chop off is the most brutal, plus it wins brownie points as they use this murder as the means that started the coal mine fires that rage under the town till this day. I do also need to say while I like that the story starts off strong with the pair already at each others throats, it also feels a little rush and we get no build up to their first encounter in real life. The cover for this issue is pretty good, and the art inside is good and is Baal again. Over all this is a pretty good issue that does have some pacing flaws but was a good read. So with this fourth issue, we have only one left in the series and it makes me wonder how this will play out. I am going to take a guess that Devin becomes yet another victim of The Creeper and will lose his eyes in the end…let’s see if I am right!

Jeepers Creepers # 5  **
Released in 2018     Cover Price $3.99     Dynamite Comics     # 5 of 5

Devin wakes up in the den of The Creeper and is surrounded by dead bodies and a small pond of seasoned human blood. The Creeper walks over to his victim and covers him with the blood and then kisses, licks and throws Devin around the den as he is prepping him to be eaten. As Devin lays on the ground, he grabs a broken bone from the ground and uses it to cut the ropes around his wrists and as The Creeper approaches him with a spoon in hand in order to remove Devin’s eyes! Before The Creeper can do so, Devin breaks free and stabs the bone into his attackers eye, but this does not stop The Creeper and only buys Devin a few more moments of life as The Creeper ends up just taking his eyes and leaves him as another victim in his lair.

Yep, this ended just as I predicted with our hero Devin having his eyes removed and dying…and sadly this issue was just kind of middle of the road leaving the series as a whole just an average Horror Comic read that could have been so much more. The plot of this final issue is very simple and is just Devin’s last moments of life as he is stuck in the den of The Creeper who wants to kill the young man and begin his 23 years of slumber. In this issue and series, Devin is a man who wants to write his paper and find the answers on a monster that has become entangled in his life, but like all that cross The Creeper, he does not stand a chance and only finds his own death when trying to uncover the secret of how to stop him once and for all. The Creeper is as brutal as ever and only has the motives to kill, eat, collect and steal body parts of humans, he also seems to take joy in toying with his victims as he really is cruel to Devin as he messes with him before killing him. The side cast mean nothing and more characters go nowhere like the Old Woman who gave him the knife, the old Indian man, the cop, Nina, Devin’s Mom and so on as they all are just filler who add little elements to the story and could all have been removed and it would have had no major impact to the story as it would have been just as easy to have Devin do the actions they add like finding the knife and such. The issue has some blood and gore and ends on a grim note that helps bring out the true Horror Comic feel and highlights just how iconic The Creeper is in the genre. My biggest issue with this mini series really is that it feels like lots of filler packed around an idea for a story that forgets its direction and has so many dead ends and unnecessary side plots that drag the story down. The cover for this final issue is very cool and as always the interior art by Baal is really good and the way he draws The Creeper really well. I think if you are a mega fan of Jeepers Creepers, you might enjoy this comic mini series. While I was a little disappointed in it over all it still was a fun read this Halloween season. Check out the art below to see what style you are in for.

While Dynamite Comic’s Jeepers Creepers comic series was not ground breaking and left lots to be desired when it came to story, I would like to see them return for a second series and better yet have him tangle with another MGM monster, Pumpkinhead, that they also did a mini series based on. I do think that the Halloween season should be filled with Horror Movies, Horror Comics, Horror Video Games and of course Horror Hosts and I for one am looking forward to the next update that will be our Halloween day update and I will be covering Werewolf At Large a old comic series I read as a kid and am looking forward to once more revisiting and see how well they hold up to my memories. So with a chill in the air and the moon in the night sky make sure to read a Horror Comic or three, watch a Horror Movie or two and as always support your local Horror Host. Get ready to bark at the moon next update!