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Jon Sable: Freelance
Animated novel
162 pages, Trade Paperback
First published September 12, 1987
25 people want to read
About the author
Mike Grell
713 books82 followersMike Grell (born 1947) is a comic book writer and artist.
Grell studied at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, the Chicago Academy of Fine Art, and took the Famous Artists School correspondence course in cartooning. His entry into the comics industry was in 1972, as an assistant to Dale Messick on the Brenda Starr comic strip.
In 1973 Grell moved to New York, and began his long relationship with DC Comics. His first assignment at DC was on Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes, a high-profile assignment for an artist with no prior experience illustrating a monthly comic book. Grell says he got that job because he was walking in the editor's door to ask for work, literally, as the previous artist was walking out the door, having just quit. These stories were written by Cary Bates and Jim Shooter. The Bates/Grell/Shooter run on the title is very well-regarded today by Superboy/Legion fans, who consider it one of the high-water marks in the character/team's history. Grell's work on SATLOSH is widely thought to be some of the best beefcake/cheesecake ever committed to comic book pages, and is affectionately referred to as the 'disco Legion' in retrospect by fans of the title.
A writer as well as artist, Grell cemented his status as a fan-favorite with his best-known creation, The Warlord, one of the first sword and sorcery comics, and reportedly the best-selling title published by DC Comics in the late-1970s.
The character first appeared in 1st Issue Special #8 (Nov 1975) and was soon given his own ongoing title (The Warlord #1, Jan/Feb 1976). In this book, Air Force pilot Travis Morgan crash-lands in the prehistoric "hidden world" of Skartaris (a setting highly influenced by Jules Verne's A Journey to the Center of the Earth and Edgar Rice Burroughs' Pellucidar). For years thereafter, Morgan engages in adventures dressed only in a winged helmet, wristbands, boots, and breechclout, and armed with a sword and (years before Dirty Harry handled one) a .44 Auto Mag.
At DC, Grell also worked on titles such as Aquaman, Batman, and the Phantom Stranger, and with writer Dennis O'Neil on the re-launch of the Green Lantern/Green Arrow series in 1976.
[edit] Tarzan
Grell wrote and drew the Tarzan comic strip from July 19, 1981 to February 27, 1983 (except for one strip, February 13, 1983, by Thomas Yeates). These strips were rerun in newspapers in 2004 - 2005.
[edit] First Comics: Jon Sable Freelance and Starslayer
Cover to Jon Sable Freelance #7. Art by Mike Grell.Through the 1980s Grell developed creator-owned titles such Jon Sable Freelance and Starslayer. Jon Sable Freelance was published by the now-defunct First Comics. Starslayer, a space-born science fiction series, started at Pacific Comics, but shifted to First.
The titular character of Jon Sable Freelance was a former Olympic athlete, later a African big-game hunter, who became a mercenary. First appearing with a cover date of June 1983, Jon Sable Freelance was a successful non-super-hero comic book in an era when successful non-super-hero comic books were almost unheard of, and a graphically violent comic sold in mainstream comic book stores in an era when such was as rare. Jon Sable was a precursor to what would eventually be called, by some, "the Dark Age of Comics," when even long-established super-heroes would become increasingly grim and violent.
The character was heavily influenced by Ian Fleming's James Bond novels as well as drawing on pulp fiction crime stories. Also, many of the stories of Sable's hunting exploits in Africa were influenced by Peter Hathaway Capstick's novels. At a convention in the late 1980s, Grell stated that his idea for Sable was "something like a cross between James Bond and Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer."
Sable was adapted into a short-lived television series and the character's origin tale, "A Storm Over Eden," from the comic book, was expanded and novelized by Grell under the title Sable, which was publ
Grell studied at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, the Chicago Academy of Fine Art, and took the Famous Artists School correspondence course in cartooning. His entry into the comics industry was in 1972, as an assistant to Dale Messick on the Brenda Starr comic strip.
In 1973 Grell moved to New York, and began his long relationship with DC Comics. His first assignment at DC was on Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes, a high-profile assignment for an artist with no prior experience illustrating a monthly comic book. Grell says he got that job because he was walking in the editor's door to ask for work, literally, as the previous artist was walking out the door, having just quit. These stories were written by Cary Bates and Jim Shooter. The Bates/Grell/Shooter run on the title is very well-regarded today by Superboy/Legion fans, who consider it one of the high-water marks in the character/team's history. Grell's work on SATLOSH is widely thought to be some of the best beefcake/cheesecake ever committed to comic book pages, and is affectionately referred to as the 'disco Legion' in retrospect by fans of the title.
A writer as well as artist, Grell cemented his status as a fan-favorite with his best-known creation, The Warlord, one of the first sword and sorcery comics, and reportedly the best-selling title published by DC Comics in the late-1970s.
The character first appeared in 1st Issue Special #8 (Nov 1975) and was soon given his own ongoing title (The Warlord #1, Jan/Feb 1976). In this book, Air Force pilot Travis Morgan crash-lands in the prehistoric "hidden world" of Skartaris (a setting highly influenced by Jules Verne's A Journey to the Center of the Earth and Edgar Rice Burroughs' Pellucidar). For years thereafter, Morgan engages in adventures dressed only in a winged helmet, wristbands, boots, and breechclout, and armed with a sword and (years before Dirty Harry handled one) a .44 Auto Mag.
At DC, Grell also worked on titles such as Aquaman, Batman, and the Phantom Stranger, and with writer Dennis O'Neil on the re-launch of the Green Lantern/Green Arrow series in 1976.
[edit] Tarzan
Grell wrote and drew the Tarzan comic strip from July 19, 1981 to February 27, 1983 (except for one strip, February 13, 1983, by Thomas Yeates). These strips were rerun in newspapers in 2004 - 2005.
[edit] First Comics: Jon Sable Freelance and Starslayer
Cover to Jon Sable Freelance #7. Art by Mike Grell.Through the 1980s Grell developed creator-owned titles such Jon Sable Freelance and Starslayer. Jon Sable Freelance was published by the now-defunct First Comics. Starslayer, a space-born science fiction series, started at Pacific Comics, but shifted to First.
The titular character of Jon Sable Freelance was a former Olympic athlete, later a African big-game hunter, who became a mercenary. First appearing with a cover date of June 1983, Jon Sable Freelance was a successful non-super-hero comic book in an era when successful non-super-hero comic books were almost unheard of, and a graphically violent comic sold in mainstream comic book stores in an era when such was as rare. Jon Sable was a precursor to what would eventually be called, by some, "the Dark Age of Comics," when even long-established super-heroes would become increasingly grim and violent.
The character was heavily influenced by Ian Fleming's James Bond novels as well as drawing on pulp fiction crime stories. Also, many of the stories of Sable's hunting exploits in Africa were influenced by Peter Hathaway Capstick's novels. At a convention in the late 1980s, Grell stated that his idea for Sable was "something like a cross between James Bond and Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer."
Sable was adapted into a short-lived television series and the character's origin tale, "A Storm Over Eden," from the comic book, was expanded and novelized by Grell under the title Sable, which was publ
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 27, 2023
This early tradepaperback includes the first six issues of the John Sable Freelance comic from 1983. Great series. Mike Grell is one of my favorite writer/artists, mainly from his work on Green Arrow, but this series and Warlord are good as well.
Jon Sable is a bounty hunter and a children's author who started out as an olympian, a big game hunter, and a game warden in Africa. (Among other things.) The series is Punisher-esque with a little deeper characterization. This volume includes his origin story as well as a few more one shots.
Great series.
Jon Sable is a bounty hunter and a children's author who started out as an olympian, a big game hunter, and a game warden in Africa. (Among other things.) The series is Punisher-esque with a little deeper characterization. This volume includes his origin story as well as a few more one shots.
Great series.
November 25, 2020
This is an earlier printing of Jon Sable Freelance v. 1, and I have to say I like this version a little bit better than the newer edition from IDW. It is done in the same print style (coloring, etc.) as the original, single issues, so it appeals to a guy like me who read the originals off the shelf back in the day.
Jon is suffering from guilt, anger, and every other negative emotion a human deals with after the murder of his wife and children. Within a few days, he tracks them all down, except for one, and brutally kills them. Skip forward a few years, and Jon has moved on to a point, but his mind is still often at that moment where he found his family.
The author utilizes this (not uses, there is a difference) to create one of the most interesting fictional characters I have had the pleasure of reading. Where other writers lazily turn their protagonist into a raging kill machine that slowly drinks himself to death, Grell shows a man rebuilding himself into a better version of who he was when tragedy struck.
OK, enough back-slapping for character building. This is also a car crashing, sword wielding, pistol shooting, bone-breaking, MEN'S ADVENTURE series. It should also appeal to most women if the feminist movement hasn't gotten to them yet. There's your trigger warning for anyone who needs one.
If you like your characters multi-faceted, multi-skilled, and pretty much multi-everything else, this is the series for you.
FIND IT! BUY IT! READ IT!
Jon is suffering from guilt, anger, and every other negative emotion a human deals with after the murder of his wife and children. Within a few days, he tracks them all down, except for one, and brutally kills them. Skip forward a few years, and Jon has moved on to a point, but his mind is still often at that moment where he found his family.
The author utilizes this (not uses, there is a difference) to create one of the most interesting fictional characters I have had the pleasure of reading. Where other writers lazily turn their protagonist into a raging kill machine that slowly drinks himself to death, Grell shows a man rebuilding himself into a better version of who he was when tragedy struck.
OK, enough back-slapping for character building. This is also a car crashing, sword wielding, pistol shooting, bone-breaking, MEN'S ADVENTURE series. It should also appeal to most women if the feminist movement hasn't gotten to them yet. There's your trigger warning for anyone who needs one.
If you like your characters multi-faceted, multi-skilled, and pretty much multi-everything else, this is the series for you.
FIND IT! BUY IT! READ IT!
October 11, 2023
It's 1980's mens own adventure stories, but Grell sells it from the get go; Sable is a badass but avoids being the baddest baddass who ever assed a bad (most of the time) and the stories hold up pretty well.
July 13, 2017
A childhood favorite redisovered at a local comic shop by accident. Still holds up, and being very much a product of its time just makes it even better.
January 23, 2022
Here I was, foolish enough to think I didn't need a comic about a globe trotting hit man that produces picture books by day.
November 30, 2016
Quite a long time ago, when I was reading American comics on a regular basis, one of my favorite series was Warlord by Mike Grell. When I saw this graphic novel by Mr. Grell, I had to read it. This book is the first six comics about Jon Sable, freelance mecenary and also a famous writer of children's stories. Yes, it's explained how such a thing can be. If you enjoy adventure story pulp, I'm sure you'll appreciate this collection. From New York city to darkest Africa, Jon Sable makes his mark! A good read.
August 8, 2015
I was always a Grell fan from his days writing and drawing Green Arrow and Starslayer. Pulled out this graphic novel to reacquaint me with his work - I forgot how brutal this series was, given the time it was published. Still, the stories hold up and it's a nice intro to the world of Jon Sable.
October 8, 2014
Some of the greatest work of the 80s. Realistic before "grim 'n' gritty" became the trend.
Do yourself a favor and pick up this (or IDW's recent reprints).
Do yourself a favor and pick up this (or IDW's recent reprints).
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews