I recently had a chat with Jake Smith where he made a great point about RoboWolf. Specifically, he noted how, despite the book coming out via Dark Horse, it felt entirely like a ‘90 Image Comics title. And when he said that, I knew exactly what he meant — a bombastic, extra quirky book with action to spare, uber hokey jokes, and just the right amount of xtreme energy.
And now, almost like magic, Image has unleashed its own such “throwback” title, Moonshine Bigfoot.
Courtesy of Image Comics.
The premise alone is quirky but simple: The titular Moonshine Bigfoot and his new age girlfriend Amethyst run moonshine across Florida, contending with the local sheriff, a trio of researchers, and some other competition as they race across the backwoods and swamps. This time, though, a new threat emerges, and Moonshine Bigfoot might have a challenge he can’t simply outrun.
And you’re likely reading all that expecting something totally bonkers, like a southern fried version of Savage Dragon. But the first issue is actually a pretty measured affair, and it seems co-writers Mike Marlow and Zach Howard (who is also the inker) approached this story with a surprising amount of patience and control.
The relationship between Moonshine Bigfoot and Amethyst is interesting if not a little pedestrian. The other characters aren’t total caricatures — even the cliched sheriff feels like the right kind of hapless and obnoxious. And the aforementioned rival, Crank, is seemingly competent enough. It all sort of plays out like Cannonball Run if it were remade as a sitcom — all the over-the-top tendencies and sentiments feel freshly measured and focused. I see the tradition that they’re working in, but more brakes and less gas does wonders to set up this world for the long haul and not a chaotic dash.
Where the book does feel manic is, appropriately enough, in the art (courtesy of Howard, penciler Steve Ellis, colorist Nelson Daniel, and letterer/designer Thompson Knox). The bulk of the first issue is basically one long car chase as Moonshine Bigfoot makes his latest delivery. Be it the design of the cars (think Heavy Metal meets Wacky Races) and the sweat-laden look of 1980s Florida to the character designs (Moonshine Bigfoot himself perfectly balances the line between man and beast), things are just the right kind of intense and cartoonish.
And that translates nicely to some key events in this debut, including a really great scene at a bridge featuring some high octane, physics-busting feats of badassery. Again, though, it’s all big and brash but still done with care and precision — an inspired and delightfully hokey vibe that bashes us over the heads but in the very best way. It’s a Cinemax-style race flick but where things are streamlined enough to feel exciting and not needlessly obnoxious. The “worst” moment features a bunch of obvious pop culture guests at a bar, and even that’s a cheesy decision made newly exciting.
Courtesy of Image Comics.
So, then, what’s it all really mean? How do we have a ‘90s-stule comic explosion that is actually measured and thoughtful? Sure, the “threat” of this book feels like a weird take on COBRA from G.I. Joe, but the rest of the story is building slowly and deliberately, with the right amount of aggression and one-liners, to inform something generally promising. Moonshine Bigfoot very much doesn’t live up to the intense weirdness of its title — there’s a weight and texture informing this debut that feels decidedly out of character for similar stories.
Sure, all books should be made with love and commitment, but by nature a title like Moonshine Bigfoot is inspired by an era of disposability. A time when books were meant to be like slamming Pixy Stix, and people wanted a cheap high of bad jokes and explosions. This one offers just enough of that boost, but it’s like Four Loko if it were a high-end tequila. We get crazy crashes and sex jokes as much as we get a bit about making hamburgers and references to Reagan-era politics — basically, things that add a certain personal weight/significance and give this book unexpected nuance and layers. That’s generally a good thing, as it makes the exciting chases really hum with the right kind of fun while making sure we have much more to cling to beyond waiting for another hit of adrenaline.
Courtesy of Image Comics.
It’s also a really great commentary about how comics have evolved, and how a story like this some 30-ish years ago would have been all boobs, car crashes, and giant wood apes saying things like, “You just got Bigfoot-ed” or something equally terrible. It makes me care more than if this were the equivalent of mainlining Red Bulls, and part of that caring is that we get to have our cake (repurposing ’90s comics) while still savoring the veggies (i.e., a storyline that gives Moonshine Bigfoot all these pockets of meaning and makes him so much more than the sugar-addled gimmick his origins clearly suggest).
Is part of me a little sad that this isn’t more like huffing paint and driving around in the General Lee? Sure. I think the point of stories like this is to give yourself something to gorge on, and really savor the kind of joy and singular truth of these “empty” calories. Plus, I’m also a little curious about how much the team actually intends to test Moonshine Bigfoot; he’s seen as pretty effective, and even a new foe might not be enough to cut into this character in a way that really honors this book’s level of commitment and its specific interests.
Some stuff even feels a little overly 2D — Amethyst, for instance, is very much into crystal healing and tarot cards, and I wonder if she can still be a real person (since some of that stuff is also used as cannon fodder for mostly good, slightly tenuous gags). Yet those potential downsides or shortcomings are (at least temporarily) miles away, and they’re indicative of realistic flaws than some grander structural issues.
Moonshine Bigfoot genuinely surprised me with its larger goals and firm hand, all of which were maintained even as this book is still very much the goofy adrenaline ride that it intended to be (if only by grappling with this proud “tradition”). A lot of it is still quite up in the air — like one of those freeze-frame narrative interludes from Dukes of Hazard — but it’s also looking to sail past other riders for smooth enough journey.
If it can keep up the mix of deliberate storytelling and visual wonders, then Moonshine Bigfoot may honor past and present alike with a genuinely great story. Regardless, it’ll be a pleasure to watch this car get up to speed.
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