Skaggy the Lost

(Slave Labor, 2002-2005)
™ and © 2002-2005 Slave Labor Graphics

For those of you shedding tears until the next Groo the Wanderer epic, take a look at Skaggy in the meantime. Skaggy is about as stupid as Groo and the only major difference is that these tales take place during the time of the 11th Century Vikings. Igor Baranko has a really bizarre sense of humor that resembles Monty Python or Benny Hill on a good day. In fact, Baranko’s drawing style is very close to that of Terry Gilliam’s, Python’s resident animator (and now feature film director). Fans of either should take a look.

— Mark Arnold

From the Comics Buyer’s Guide:

Creator Igor Baranko’s story features a group of and adventurous Vikings from a millennium ago who sail to Central America in search of great wealth. But the focus is on the bumbling, not-so-legendary warrior who leads them there. Or, as Baranko states in the story’s prologue, “Every so often, Skaggy went berserk. Therefore, people respected him.”

Baranko’s statement sets the book’s tone. As Skaggy’s tribe becomes influenced and corrupted by the beliefs and traditions of this new world, Skaggy himself becomes further lost, as he falls under the influence of one of the land’s naturally occurring mind-altering substances. Of course, the luck of the inept leads him to a path of greatness among the land’s native people.

The Ukrainian-born Baranko has a style that American audiences might find evocative of Sergio Aragonés, but with more texture and detail. Readers may also have seen his work in Humanoids Publishing’s Metal Hurlant magazine. Slave Labor doesn’t typically publish much work from European creators, but this is one of its better publications.

— Jim Johnson

Jump to issue:

Notes

Writer

Artist

#1

November, 2002
Cover Price: $3.50
5 copies available from $3.50

Igor Baranko

#2

February, 2003
Cover Price: $3.50
1 copy available for $4.99

Igor Baranko