MADMAN Across the Blogger

I was going to do an entire homage/retrospective to my favorite contemporary comic artist, Mike Allred, but decided against it. It's just i'm so enamored w/ the many facets of his work, that I ended realizing an all-encompassing deal would not allow the focus each one deserves. So, instead, i'll be focusing on his hallmark creation...Frank Einstein AKA MADMAN!

As I posted up earlier, while i've been aware of the Madman comic since it's start in the early 90's, it was stumbling across both a copy of the 'Oddity Odyssey' TPB and a sweet looking lunchbox at Half Price Books that kick started my current obsession w/ all things Allred. I've been slowly catching up and building a collection of anything by him I can get my hands on...at least, as much as my wallet will allow.

'Madman Volumes I, II & III (Image Comics)'

Mike's work on Madman is a perfect juxtaposition of a diverse range of artistic styles/influences I hold near and dear...from the pop/lowbrow art of Robert Williams and Gary Baseman...the classic-yet-over the top character development/illustration of the holy trinity of Lee/Kirby/Ditko...the hipper fringe work of Los Brothers Hernandez and Daniel Clowes...even classic sci-fi/monster movies and classic/modern rock music. He has stated in interviews, that Madman is an amalgamation of all the thing he loves and would want to see in a comic and it seems we have similar tastes.

The Reader's Digest version of Frank Einstein's origin consists of him being killed in a car accident, then stitched back together and brought to life by a pair of mad scientists (get it? Frankenstein?). This 'resurrection' leaves him with supernatural reflexes and a slight degree of precognitive/empathic power. He doesn't remember anything about his former life...more so a drove of faint, troubling memories relating to his death. Madman's costume is based upon the only positive thing he remembers from his past: a fascination with a comic book character called Mr. Excitement.

The rogue's gallery of antagonists ranges from his Moriarity-like foil in Mr. Monstatd, renegade robots from Dr. Flem's lab controlled by the mysterious and super-intelligent Factor Max, Mutant Street Beatniks, the diminutive alien Moonboys, a misunderstood adversary made up of Puke and a pair of G-Men straight from Hell. Sound pretty effed up and out there? That, true believers, would be 100% correct!

Madman has been distributed in some capacity by everyone from Oni Press to Darkhorse and seems to have found a home w/ Image via Mike's own label, AAA Pop comics. I've been catching up the old stuff via the trade paperback collections from Image and, lucky for us, the Volume 1 TPB of the current 'Madman Atomic' series hits the shelves in July.

Really, Mike's illustrations/writing combined w/ the beautiful coloring of his partner and wife, Laura Allred are a feast for both the eyes AND your mind. I'll be going into some of his other work over the next few weeks...all of it, equally as mind-numbing. If you are looking for a way to get into all the stuff I blather about here comic and art-wise...Madman is a great way to prep yourself. GINCHY!