Gun Dog Comics #1

Gun Dog Comics #1 1996 

$2.95 USA $4.25 Canada

Gun Dog Comics Publishing Division Starkville, MS

Story and Art by Eric Yonge

Scott and Shelly have parked on a dark road to fool around a bit. Shelly is nervous because they are minutes away from being out past the curfew. A curfew that went into effect when two young men, Roland Riley and Donny Sims went missing four months ago here in Boardtown.

Shelly suddenly notices something in the dark lane in front of their car...it's Roland! 

And so begins our story..."Rule of Thumb!"

He is alive, but in "pretty rough shape" as described by Detective Banks who begins investigating the case. Traumatized and unable to speak Roland couldn't tell anyone what had happened to him. 

Banks decides to interview the new guy in town, one Morton Dean Durant, or Modean for short. Here he is now.

During the interrogation we find out that Modean has just inherited Bluewood Estates from his recently deceased great uncle Cecil, an odd fellow who was involved in some controversial government sound acoustics experiments in the '50's. 

Banks at first thinks Modean had something to do with Roland's reappearance last night, but eventually realizes Modean is most likely innocent. Most likely...

Modean stops by the First Baptist Church Daycare where his girlfriend Charene "Chuck" Woodward works. It's almost Halloween and they make plans to go to Octoberfest just before Modean notices a strange looking kid sitting off by himself in the playground. Enter Gordon Gooch.

Chuck tells Modean that Gordon is an angel, he just has a pituitary problem that makes him all hairy and creepy looking. Just then Gordon's grandpa Gregory stops by to pick up the little fella. He tells Chuck and Modean to stop by to see their display at Octoberfest. Even though he looks just the right amount of hairy, Gregory seems a little creepy too.

Later that night at Octoberfest our couple happens upon Gooch's Gallery of Gore! A collection of old sci-fi movie memorabilia that the Gooches set up like a little museum each year at the fest.

Inside they see a movie poster for an old film called "Segor the Space Sucker". Modean laughs and begins telling Chuck how hilariously awful the special effects were in the movie. But suddenly Mr. and Mrs. Gooch step out of the shadows to defend Segor's good name. Gregory Gooch says, "If you're interested in Segor... well, there he is" and reveals the life size Segor statue in the display.

Gregory asks Modean not to speak ill of Segor, it's a favorite amongst the Gooches. Then Glenda Gooch interjects that she believes Segor might have actually come to life and kidnapped those two boys that went missing. Gregory is furious with his wife for even suggesting such a thing! 

While the Gooches argue, Chuck and Modean sneak off. They talk about the weird mysteries surrounding Boardtown. Modean walks off for a minute and Chuck is snatched up by... Segor!

She awakens tied up in some sort of shed. But she soon finds she is not alone. Donny Sims, the other kid that went missing four months ago is there too!

Segor approaches and removes his head to reveal it is actually Gregory Gooch in costume! Gooch goes on to tell Chuck his whole story. When he and his brother were kids they heard about Modean's great uncle Cecil. They were so curious to know about the top secret government experiments he was conducting at Bluewood Estates and so one night ...they snuck in!

Through a window in Cecil's home they saw him at work. They peered in and watched until suddenly his experiment reached critical mass. They were hit with the force of the sound machines from Cecil's experiment and knocked unconscious. When they came to they saw Segor the alien. He told them that the sound experiments turned them into freaks! Freaks that could now hear thoughts the way most people hear sound.

Even though the alien turned out to just be a hallucination their thought sucking powers were indeed real. 

The Gooch goes on to explain what happened to poor Roland. The Gooch brothers kidnapped him and sucked the thoughts right out of his head. This left him the traumatized mess he was when the two young lovers at the beginning of the story found him stumbling around in the dark.

Chuck had heard enough. It was time for action! She slipped out of the ropes the Gooch had her tied up in and delivered a flying kick to his unsuspecting noggin!

Chuck then goes deep into the Gooch's lair where she finds Modean held captive. She releases him but he is attacked by a groggy Gooch who begins sucking the thoughts of Modean. It turns out whatever is in Modean's head is too much for Gooch! 

An explosion from the experience sends Gooch flying! Is he dead? Maybe!

Chuck raises the valid question that if Gregory Gooch got transformed into this creature of vampire like power then what happened to his brother?

We then cut to a lady opening her door to what she believes an ordinary trick 'r treater...

Look out lady...I think young Gordon is actually Gregory Gooch's brother instead of his grandson! Who knows what power the little monster has!!

I would like to say this is probably my favorite book I have read for Bewildering. It was so weird and fun with fantastic artwork and imagery. It was as if Charles Burns and Mike Allred and Rob Liefeld all contributed ideas and designs to one of the strangest comics it has been my pleasure to stumble across. 

Here is my version of Gordon Gooch in tribute to the fantastic work of Eric Yonge.

Doesn't look like there are any more issues of this amazing book out there but Yonge did do some more comic work like Gunner and The Hat Squad. Check them out if you happen upon a copy.

Well, as difficult a task as it might prove to be to top this month's comic, I have faith it could be done by...Shaloman!

Join me next month to see what treasures await us upon reading it!