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While The Tick may not be on everyone’s mind this week he’s
certainly on my mind. His new live
action show premiered Friday on Amazon mostly to widespread apathy but it’s
reignited my curiosity for the character.
Like him or not, the wild blue yonder is one of the most successful
indie superheroes there is, emerging out of the bubbling stew of creativity
that was 1980s underground comics to be a major media force in the 1990s.
In his over 20 year career the Tick has been adapted to
live action, animation, video games, and a whole avalanche of comics, to the
point that I’d say he deserves to be counted alongside the likes of Hellboy,
Spawn, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as one of the truly iconic
superheroes not to come from DC or Marvel. Given all that, and the fact I’ve now got an excuse to
re-examine some of his stuff, let’s dive into the shallow end and get the cover
story on the top 12 covers featuring The Tick.
12.
Given everything we’re about to see this cover is actually
pretty mundane. Don’t get me
wrong, it’s still exactly the brand of whackiness that informs most of the
Tick’s outings it’s just that this cover is a more mainstream approach. The visual of the heroes in peril, the
game of chance, the blend between literal and metaphorical concepts, this is
all very standard stuff for modern comic cover construction, it just so happens
that this is a really damn good modern cover.
It comes from The
Tick’s Massive Summer Double Spectacle, one of a whole slew of one-shot
seasonal special comics the Tick put out.
That’s something worth noting about the Tick and this list as a whole,
most of the covers that are on here aren’t from an ongoing comic but rather a
litany of very short and very topical releases like this one.
As to why I like this cover so much it’s all in the
perspective and the colors. I’ve
seen covers like this before but the use of dice is a unique wrinkle and I
really like the idea of tying the heroes to giant dice then rolling them,
that’s actually really original. The
dice coloring helps too as the black background helps them pop a lot more than
if they were white.
I also like
the Risk board the heroes are being rolled on, as I said this cover is crafted
with knowledge of comic cover tradition and does a good job skewering the “game
of chance as metaphor” concept, swapping out the standard chess for something
more immature and jokey.
11.
This is such a strange cover I really love it. Having looked through the Tick’s entire
bibliography to make this list I don’t know who the various figures surrounding
him here are, as he’s never looked like any of these people before, but
honestly it doesn’t matter; you get the joke regardless.
And even if the joke wasn’t both clever
and obvious they labeled it right there at the bottom of the page, that’s very
much the kind of humor to expect when dealing with The Tick. It’s very pie in the face type humor
with no small amount of meta-comedy as well.
Much like cover #12, this cover is actively skewering the
superhero cover tropes and aesthetics; in this case it’s about covers that
feature previous character designs.
Normally this kind of cover would feature all the evolutions of a hero
but not with the Tick, instead I’d suspect we’re seeing the various rough
drafts and first concepts that eventually evolved into the wild blue
yonder.
My favorite would have to
be the massive furry red guy giving Tick the D. He honestly looks like some kind of evil version of the
Tick, sort of in line with Nega-Duck from Darkwing
Duck. That would certainly fit
given how similar the two are, just a shame this guy never got more use.
10.
Here we have an example of one of the Tick’s several
mini-series releases. Though the
later half of his career was punctuated more with one-shots the early days of
Tick’s success were all about short but memorable bursts of content. If you aren’t familiar with much of The
Tick’s mythos, the pudgy white bunny man in front of him is Arthur, his
sidekick and audience surrogate.
While I don’t know the specific reason Tick and Arthur are on trial here
I also can’t think of a good reason they WOULDN’T be on trial either, as
they’re both pretty destructive in their own way.
Actually, I suspect this cover is another spoof on the
superhero structure, there are a lot like that. In this case it’s mocking that old favorite cliché of “the
hero creates his own villains!” with the bad guys putting Tick on trial for
“inspiring” them, hence the inverted American flag in the background. If that is the case, it’s remarkably sharp
given that Batman the animated series
had pretty much the exact same plot in one of its episodes, though without the
judicious helping of wackiness that only The Tick can provide.
9.
This may honestly be my favorite Tick cover. I know it’s early on in the list but
there’s just something perfect about this image, the conflicted and odd emotion
of it all. It’s honestly a bit too
mature and serious to be a Tick cover over all but the subject matter
definitely fits and it play well off the Tick’s quasi-self awareness.
If you’ve never read the Tick comics
he’s kind of aware of his own fictional status, it’s not so much that he knows
he’s a character so much as he’s aware that a story is being told and can
interact with the “drama” of it all, hence the subtitle of this mini-series
‘Days of Drama.’
This cover is very much playing off that semi-awareness as
well as the Tick’s actual origin.
See, the Tick didn’t start out in any comic book, he started as a mascot
for the publisher New England Comics before transition to the books and then
eventually TV and action figures.
There’s an odd kind of parabolic arc to that career, with merchandisable
shallowness punctuating both ends to create a hollow victory on the whole.
All of that comes through here mainly
thanks to Tick’s expression, which wrings incredible pathos out of only having
his mouth. He just looks so
conflicted about his own success, unsure about whether or not the avalanche of
material before him is really what he wanted. Maybe I’m reading too much into it but for me this is an
amazing work.
8.
This has got to be the strangest seasonal Tick special of
the whole bunch, probably comics all around thinking about it- a comic special
celebrating the US government’s tax returns deadline. If you’re not from around these parts take it from, the time
of taxes is basically a season unto itself wherein paperwork and drained bank
accounts pretty much reign supreme, so while there are certainly enough
seasonal detritus to make-up this issue it’s still an odd choice.
Actually, the design of this cover almost justifies the
bizarre idea of releasing a “celebratory” comic to punctuate tax time. Obviously, the Tick and Arthur aren’t
celebrating taxes so much as they’re being menaced by them and I must say the
visual design of those hideous tax return papers is spot on. What’s more, there is a really clever
side joke in that the forms that are menacing them are superhero specific
taxes, that’s a pretty funny gag and right in the Tick’s wheelhouse of spoofing
superheroes through banality.
Really though, the idea of the Tick fighting taxes is what sells this
cover because that is his perfect natural enemy. I mean think about it, the Tick is all about big, unhinged,
zaniness and wackiness, he’s a living cartoony who cartoonifies everything
around him and what better opposite of that is there than boring financial
paper work? This cover might as
well be titled “The Tick vs. Responsibilities” because that’s what it is.
7.
Before I talk about what works in this cover let me quickly
address what doesn’t: that weird circle slapped right on the bottom of the
page. That’s another classic
comics cover technique but it’s totally unnecessary and completely out of place
on this page.
The characters
involved seem completely disconnected from the action at hand and we really
can’t make out who they are well enough for them to really be funny, except for
maybe that pilgrim guy and even he’s a stretch. I’m honestly not sure why it’s even here, it doesn’t tell me
anymore about why the Tick is getting pelted with garbage, it doesn’t announce
an exciting cameo, it doesn’t even debut the issue’s title. It’s purely superfluous.
What works about this cover, however, is everything
else. I honestly didn’t realize
the Tick getting pelted with garbage was something I wanted as badly as I do
but now that I’ve seen it I can’t believe there was a time I didn’t crave this
image. Much like when he was put
on trial I don’t know exactly why the Tick is getting booed and tomatoed all
over the place but it’s a safe bet that he probably deserves it.
This is the first of the covers to draw
from a core iconography other than cover art, namely cartoons. While this kind of behavior did,
allegedly, happen in real life the visual language of getting rotten tomatoes
thrown at someone on stage is firmly rooted in the world of Looney Tunes and
other cartoon shows. That’s a
perfect fit for the Tick, as he’s already something of a Bugs Bunny esc character
anyway, and offers a nice change of pace from the usual imagery presented.
6.
I’d actually argue that this “hand on hips, one eye cocked”
pose is the Tick’s most recognizable stance. It was the same stance as his first cover and has been
reworked and redesigned in countless follow-ups, believe me I know having gone
through all of them. Before I get
to why this one made the cut, I think the reason this particular stance fits
the Tick so perfectly is that it cuts right to the core of his character.
The language of his body and facial expression
are all about confidence and strength, this is a power pose easily. His upright posture, raised eyebrow,
and arm placement is all designed to shout “I rule,” which is contrasted
perfectly with his absolute ridiculousness. That’s the central joke of his character, someone who’s
incredibly confident in their own abilities and decision-making despite all
outward evidence to his complete incompetence and lunacy.
As for why this cover made the cut it’s mainly to do with
the city setting. The Tick’s pose
is pretty much static from variation to variation but this vision of the city
is beautifully rendered and shockingly unique in its impressionistic
nature. If you look carefully at
the buildings the placement of light and structure doesn’t really make sense,
with a lot of long rectangle and circles that wouldn’t really exist. However, even though this isn’t a great
literal city it captures the mood of the city perfectly, same with the red sky
set-up. It all creates a very
serious and noir feel that adds to the humorous contrast of The Tick’s massive
blue form.
5.
For the record there are plenty of “The Tick in space”
covers as well but this is the only one where he looked completely lost enough
to make the list. That’s something
that hasn’t really shown up enough in these covers so far so I’m glad it’s
making some kind of appearance, the idea that the Tick’s competence stops at
the physical level.
That’s
something I think the comics tended to forget but proves to be a damn integral
part of making the character funny rather than obnoxious, emphasizing the idea
that even though the Tick is an unkillable Superman whose strength knows no
bounds he’s kind of an ignorant oaf with no real conception of reality outside
of the very narrow band of superhero work.
That’s what I like so much about this cover because you
KNOW that he has no conception of what’s happening to him. It’s another great example of how much
emotion can be wrung out of the Tick’s exaggerated features but his face here
is a work of art unto itself. It
exudes a sense of quasi-awareness in that he knows something is different but
doesn’t have the vaguest clue what.
Making the Tick the butt of this joke and playing up his own ignorance
is a good way to set him apart from the comedic superhero pack, as
“indestructible sarcastic jerk” is a pretty common shtick overall.
4.
Hey, another serious cover, we haven’t had one of these
since #9. Honestly, as perfectly
suited for comedy as The Tick is I do wish there were a few more serious adventures
as his unique blend of powerful ability and crippling ignorance is rife with
pathos. He’s sort of like Bizarro
that way: incredibly powerful, ultimately good hearted, mentally incapable and
probably a danger to most folks around him that aren’t also super powered. This cover isn’t playing on any of
those ideas, mind you, but that doesn’t detract from how cool it is.
Partially this cover works just on a visual level. The design going on here is pure
superhero but it’s executed flawlessly.
The Tick’s stance is drawn from the Spider-Man playbook, but like many
of these covers his expression really sells it as more than just aping the
original. He genuinely looks
concerned and on edge about whatever’s brought him atop this exterminator
sign.
Speaking of, that sign is a
really great visual pun and serves to highlight the looming moth monster
well. The moth monster is also
pretty amazing, with the glowing red eyes in particular as a well rendered visual
while the spindly multiple arms are damn creepy.
However, this cover really succeeds because of how it
builds on the Tick’s established mythos.
See, the thing about featuring a giant hideous moth monster is that the
Tick’s sidekick Arthur is a moth-themed superhero, so while I’m not positive the
obvious visual suggestion here is that the hideous insectoid thing lurking
behind the Tick IS Arthur.
The
“sidekick” goes evil trope is a pretty classic element of superhero books but
there’s something extra sinister about seeing it in the Tick, mainly because
it’s not supposed to happen here.
I mean, this is a comedy book about whacky antics and zany adventures,
it’s not supposed to feature hideous transformations or pit best friends
against each other, so it catches you off guard when it does; that’s the power
of comedy.
3.
Before I talk about what works in this cover let me just say
that plastic Tick mask is the freakiest thing I’ve ever seen. Plastic versions of people’s faces are
one of the most inherently creepy visuals I can imagine but a drawing of a
plastic imitation of someone’s face definitely manages to top it. There’s something about the glazed over
eyes and the heavily detailed teeth that’s profoundly unsettling.
Terrifying face masks aside this is an absolutely hilarious
cover, mainly because of horrible it is and how oblivious the Tick seems to
that fact. If it’s not obvious
what’s happening, for the big father’s day special Tick has adopted himself a
son and seemingly tossed his closest friend and crime fighting partner Arthur out
into the cold, which is pretty terrible but also makes things all the more
funny.
The truth of comedy is that
it emerges from tragedy and this cover is the best example of that, the Tick
blissfully oblivious to his own rampant idiocy alongside his freaky new
son. The mask actually adds to the
joke in that respect, playing up just how much Tick doesn’t understand the
father’s day traditions he’s trying to hard to emulate. Like I’ve mentioned, the Tick works
because of his blend of physical ability and mental incompetence and I don’t
think it gets more incompetent than this.
2.
I swear, the Tick’s mouth is like a work of art in its own
right, you can create so many unique expressions and emotions with just one
squiggle. In this case, it’s a
mouth that speaks to anger, frustration, and solemnity; as would befit a man
doing battle with a toilet.
Similarly to the #6 cover this one is all about comedic contrast between
the seriousness of the posing and framing against the absolutely ludicrous
nature of what’s actually occurring.
Something I really like in that regard is how well the cover manages to
actually render its scenario.
Tick’s physique and posing do look heroic and stalwart,
much the same way Arthur’s panic is well rendered and the angled foreshortening
created by looking up from the toilet is beautifully done. I even like the big, dopey, inter-title
circle that’s stamped right on the page even if it is a little bit much.
The Tick fighting toilets has become
something of a common trend for him, which fits his very “pie in the face”
style of humor nicely. No one has
ever accused the Tick of being overburdened with intelligence as a franchise
but not every comedy needs to be sophisticated satire; we have toilet jokes for
a reason after all.
1.
I’m sure this cover must seem like an odd pick given that
it’s the least technically impressive cover of the bunch but I’d argue the
style and self-deprecation inherent to this image completely overpower any
issues of mechanics. After all,
this cover is meant to look like school book scribbling, it’s the back to
school special, but more than that, the childish affectations create a kind of
self-awareness and acceptance that’s damn near transcendent.
I’m not sure if this was intentional or
not but regardless this Tick cover is down right majestic in how well it
parodies the character and his own existence while cutting right to the heart
of what he is. At his heart, the
Tick IS a childish scribble, a nonsense character doodled over a serious
assignment by a distracted student.
That’s not a slam or a complaint, it’s just the nature of
who and what the Tick is, what he’s always been. Everything about him from his exaggerated physique and
powers to his complete inability to function outside the world of super heroics
to his own self-appointed random catchphrase fit perfectly into this
identity.
Coming right out and
owning the characters core nature is incredibly refreshing and represents an
honesty that’s often missing from the Tick’s other covers. Much like my favorite cover, #9, this
is an image that really resonates and that’s because it’s built on a firm
foundation of truth and that sticks with you.
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