The Best of Wonder Wart-Hog

by Gilbert Shelton

Gilbert Shelton is the creator of the multi-million selling Freak Brothers and Fat Freddy's Cat. Wonder Wart-Hog was his earliest creation and probably still his favourite. The character has appeared over the years in publications varying from Drag Cartoons to Zap Comix as well as several comics of his own. There is even a Wonder Wart-Hog motocross team!

Genres: Comics, Humor, Comix, Satire, Graphic Novels

464 pages, Paperback

First published November 14, 2013

Reviews

[Dominick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Given the current generally high standard for comics reprints set by companies such as Fantagraphics and IDW, this is a disappointing set. There are a lot of comics in it (though by no means all the Wonder Wart-Hog strips), so it is good value from that perspective, but there is literally no apparatus. Not even a table of contents. Given Shelton's importance, I would have expected at least some sort of brief introduction. Furthermore, there is no discernible rhyme or reason to the sequencing. Since most WW tales are more or less stand-alones, this doesn't make a huge difference, perhaps, but, first, Shelton's style developed a lot over time, so it is somewhat disorienting to have works originally published years apart juxtaposed here, and second, in one case a story that had an explicit sequel is not followed immediately by that sequel (as, I believe was the case when the stories were originally published) but instead separated by many unrelated ones. As for the material itself, there is a wealth of amusing stuff here. Wonder Wart-Hog is by underground standards generally fairly mild, insofar as sex and violence go; though WW-H is prone to dismembering criminals, many of the stories have nothing more than cartoon violence, if any violence at all, and only two feature anything like the nudity so often expected in undergrounds. One of these is a tonally very odd piece, evidently intended as a glance at Crumb (who appears in the story) and the sexual violence in his work. Here's where some sort of contextualizing material wold have been very helpful. Anyway, in this one story, WW-H engages in a violent rape and murder of Lois Lamebrain, which is deeply inconsistent with what we see of him everywhere else. WW-H is of course a very inconsistent character--even the nature of his secret identity is fluid, as Philbert Desanex seems to be both merely a suit WW-H wears and a completely separate entity--but this one really clangs. Anyway, the highlight pieces are some of the dream stories, the incisively satirical "Wonder Wart-Hog and the Nurds of November" (more relevant than ever today), the loosely-constructed football story, and the few Believe It or Not parody pages (also more relevant than ever today). Even the slight stuff is dynamic and fun. So, if you are a comix fan, you might want to have a look; just don't expect any frills.

[Joe Middleton]

Excellent crazy stuff

If you like the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers then you'll also like this absurd crazy pastiche of super hero comics. Brilliant!

[Charles Collyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Takes me back. This is a great collection of WW cartoon stories from the heyday of underground comics. Very funny.

[Gary Drake]

Gilbert Shelton, what can you say. Either you read back in the day or you missed out. Doesn't hold up very well, too much of the sixties vibe. A lot of misses but the hits do hold up.

Can say the same for the Freak Brothers and Fat Freddy's cat. A little goes a long way...But I still get a good belly laugh when Gilbert connects.

Discovered Shelton in the early 80's same time I "discovered" underground comics. Good times.

[Mhorg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written and drawn by Gilbert Shelton, one of my favorite underground artists, Wonder Wart Hog is a take off on nearly every superhero cliche out there. Very funny and at times hysterically so, WWH is still fun to read.