327 – The Krampus


My former friend and I exchanged presents last night, and despite being 33 years old, I refuse to actually purchase wrapping paper. So I found a giant brown bag, reversed it and drew the above drawing on the front of the package. She loved it.

So, It’s Christmas Eve. A few years ago, I learned about The Krampus. It was featured in the Venture Bros. Christmas Special (which is hilarious), but I had forgotten about it until I watched an internet cartoon featuring Glenn Danzig and Henry Rollins in a romantic relationship. Danzig was eagerly waiting to celebrate Black Christmas, and The Krampus shows up. It was due to this that I had to read up on The Krampus.

The Krampus is apparently a German demon who was Santa Claus’ sidekick. While Santa went around and lavished gifts upon the good children, The Krampus would dole out wicked punishment – usually lashes – to the naughty. He also likes to carry a wicker basket, usually filled with screaming or horrified children.

The Krampus is fucking awesome!

Merry Christmas Eve!

326 – Transmetropolitan


I love Transmetropolitan. It’s one of the few long-run series that I’ve read multiple times in its entirety (Preacher, The Invisibles and Shade the Changing Man being the others).

A few years back we had a pretty bad winter where it seemed to continuously snow for weeks on end. One morning, sound asleep, I wake up to an incredibly loud crashing sound. I live above a business, and sometimes they do some minor handy-work, so clangs and crashes aren’t entirely uncommon. But still, I got up to investigate. I discovered that the roof above my office had gotten so weighed down with snow that it caved in my ceiling. The damage was pretty extensive, but luckily it missed my computer and other expensive items. However there was now a gaping hole in the ceiling and roof, and everything was wet. Sadly, I had been in the middle of one of my read-throughs of Transmet, and there was a stack of issues directly under what became “ground zero” in my office. I lost issues 7-25 of Transmet. To this day, 6-7 years later, there are a couple issues that I still don’t have, and they are far pricier than I’m willing to pay to get them back. And when I’m at conventions or new comic shops, I can never remember issue numbers.

And that is my slightly personal Transmet history, but not nearly as personal as it could have gotten as I erased several drafts of this. I have been awake for 20 hours at the time I am writing this.

325 – Sasquatch


I don’t know who requested it, but I have on my list “Bigfoot”. So I decided to draw Sasquatch from Alpha Flight instead. I’m counting it.

324 – Scarlet Witch

323 – Miracleman


I know that he’s actually called “Marvelman”, but as long as I have been reading comics, to me, he’s always been Miracleman. Until Marvel finally gets their shit together and starts reprinting the classic Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman runs, it will continue to be Miracleman. That said, c’mon Marvel, what the fuck are you doing with this license? It’s been years since I read Moore’s run on the book, but I definitely liked it, even under the light of decades of comics that were influenced by it and aped it. I’d like to get the remainder of the series that I’ve not read, which is most of it. I think I only have up to issue 10. Joe G. Week, Part 9: Joe in Space!

So anyway, with this, Joe Grunenwald Week is concluded! Thanks, Joe for letting me poke gentle fun at you. You can start requesting things (or commissioning – hint, hint) again after the first of February.

322 – The Wonder Twins


So as I was drawing The Wonder Twins, I began to wonder something: Did John Byrne rip them off to create Aurora and Northstar from Alpha Flight? Both sets are twins who powers only “activate” when they touch hands; both are from strange lands (alien planet & Quebec); both males are homosexual; both have pointy Spock ears and eyebrows; both have monkey companions (Gleek & Puck). John Byrne, you rapscallion. It’s Joe G. Week, Part 8: Joe Takes Manhattan.

321 – Vixen


Joe Grunenwald and I host a podcast called League Night, in which we are in the process of watching the Justice League animated series. In the most recent episode we recorded – which will be available for download in about a month or so – we had a lengthy discussion about Vixen. Vixen was a member of the Justice League Detroit, and featured in at least one episode of JLU, voiced by Gina Torres. She’s also possibly the most sluttily animated character to have ever appeared in the Justice League ‘toon. Boobs. Joe G. Week Part 7: The Final Nightmare.

Ok, PANIC!: Video Games


Pyramidhead from Silent Hill.

320 – Citizen Steel


The only version of this character that I am familiar with is Citizen Steel, the grandson of Commander Steel and cousin of the Justice League Detroit member Steel. He’s also an Ohioan, and while he was a member of The Justice Society of America when I was reading the book, he is probably more famous for having an enormous boner. Joe G. Week keeps trucking along. Leonard Part 6.

319 – Gypsy


I know absolutely nothing of this character other than she appeared in some vaguely remembered issues of Justice League International as part of Booster Gold’s commercially sponsored superhero team, and that she appeared briefly in an episode of Justice League Unlimited, phasing through a wall. But she’s famously part of Justice League Detroit, and Joe G. requested it, and it is his week, after all. Joe G. Week, Part 5: Ghost Protocol.