Because of him I was able to become far cooler than any 6th grade comic geek rightly deserved.
After seeing a pic of Scud: The Disposable Assassin in an issue of Wizard I instantly set about finding an issue. The one that I eventually found was issue #11 "Neutron Dance: Dimension of Blood II." It didn't matter that I had no clue what had gone down in the previous ten issues - I was hooked but good.
The dynamic black and white art, the cinematic layouts, the pop culture references I didn't quite get (but would eventually seek out and love) and most of all - the dirty words. While all my friends were still reading X-Men and Gen 13 (which admitedly I was also still reading) I was frequenting the "indie" section of the comic shop fiending for my clown colored assassin fix.
Every time a new issue came out the hunt was on. Many stores didn't cary the book and the few that did didn't order very many. As a result, my collection is very patchy. Those books are prized highest because of the hunt that prefigured their possession.
Around the time I stopped reading comics regularly, Rob also ceased doing Scud. He left it at issue 21 with one hell of a cliffhanger.
CUT-TO:
May 2007
I take the occasion of "Free Comic Book Day" to return to the world of comics. I picked up the first "Y: The Last Man" collection and was hooked. Like lost loves, comics and I were reunited.
Aided by the internet, I frantically began looking into what all of my favorite writers and artists were up to these days. That is when I came across...
Awesome! But even more awesome was the news that Rob was going to be returning to Scud to resolve that cliffhanger and bring the series to conclusion. Originally it was going to be just a single issue that would be added to the end of a big book collecting the whole series, but as most projects tend to do - it grew.
Eventually it became a four issue arc released over the course of as many months. Schrab churned out some of the best work of his career and ended the series on the perfect note completing not only the arc of his series but an arc in his personal life.
As of yesterday (7.22.08) you can now buy the big-ass "Whole Shebang!" book. For the sheer volume of comic you are getting the $29.99 cover price is nothing. Pick it up and have some fun.
Unfortunately since I am only able to attend Comic Con on Friday, I will not be able to meet Mr. Schrab in person to thank him for this comic and what it has meant to my life. Le sigh. Perhaps one day I will. Or maybe he'll read this blog.
Mahalo
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