Thursday, August 25, 2011

HECKLER #1 by Benjamin Birdie


Benjamin Birdie is the artist of America's longest running comic strip about a comic shop, The Rack (http://www.therackcomic.com).  His site is currently under construction, but his work can often be found on his tumblr (http://benjaminbirdie.tumblr.com).  He is a regular contributor to the world famous Twitter feed @FakeAPStylebook (http://www.twitter.com/fakeapstylebook) and provided gags and illustrations for their book, Write More Good, available now at book stores and bookselling websites and on electronic reading geegaws worldwide.  He can be found horsing off regularly on his Twitter feed (http://www.twitter.com/benjaminbirdie).

Benjamin Says: When Jon first asked me to take part in this project, I was sort of at a loss as to what character to pick.  But once I remembered that The Heckler was my favorite character ever in anything, the cover appeared to me fully formed.  It was a risk making such an incredibly inside reference to one particular issue of a comic that only ran for six months and was probably read by four or five people, but it fit the context of the project so perfectly.  One of the best things about The Heckler was how it subtly addressed the industry at the time.  Hopefully I've reflected that sensibility in my own small way.

The Heckler was created by Keith Giffen and Tom & Mary Bierbaum. Read more...

6 comments:

  1. I was one of the four or five people. Love the Heckler (and the Generic Man), and wish DC had given it a much longer run. I've often thought about his return, but it doesn't look like Giffen has tried to bring him back. Thank you, Benjamin Birdie, for doing so.

    Would read? IT WAS MADE FOR ME!!!!

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  2. John Doe the Generic Man is like my favorite comic book villain.

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  3. And I'm the third guy who was reading it!

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  4. As the fourth guy reading it, that Heckler cover is fucking GENIUS. I was all, "Oh shit, this guy doesn't get The Heckler, that generic dude was a vill..." and then I scrolled down.

    TOTALLY ACES. A+

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  5. Big fan of the Heckler! (and Ambush Bug) (..and most of Keith Giffen-created characters)
    This one's great :D

    (PS: any need for some artist to make an Ambush Bug cover?? *wink wink*)

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  6. Huge Heckler fan! Count me in as one of the 5 or 6!

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