WONDER WART-HOG by Gilbert Shelton

Yesterday I started reading some WONDER WART-HOG comics I bought online. Created by Gilbert Shelton (of THE FABULOUS FURRY FREAK BROTHERS fame) back in the early 60s, Wonder Wart-Hog is a pork-flavored parody of Superman. WW is actually from another planet, having been sent to earth by his parents hoping to have their baby survive the destruction of their own planet. Thing is, as soon as the rocket blasted off into space, they realized the danger to their planet was a false alarm! WW crash lands on Earth as is raised by a hillbilly couple....

I had been aware of WW for years, but never actually read one of his comics. These few issues I bought have been enjoyable. While Shelton is one of the kings of underground comics with the FURRY FREAK BROTHERS, the WONDER WART-HOG stories I've read haven't necessarily been of the type of hard-core/adult humor the undergrounds are known for. They're silly, odd-ball spins of satire and superhero parody, with artwork that sometimes looks like a hallucinogenic mix of Sergio Aragones and Robert Crumb.

Nothing 'hardcore' about this page, as long as you don't mind gratuitous violence!

There are just so many comic books out there that I haven't even discovered, and I've been looking for 'new' stuff for the last several years. I have my share of current books I like to read like Brian O'Malley's SCOTT PILGRIM, Adam Warren's EMPOWERED, the latest book by Jason, for example. But I also look forward to reading so many of the books that I missed out on the first time. WONDER WART-HOG is definitely one of those I want to read more of.

A sketch I drew of WONDER WART-HOG.