Preacher Special: The Story of You-Know-Who

(Vertigo, 1996)
™ and © DC Comics, Inc.

Sheriff Hugo Root and his son appeared in the first story arc of the Preacher series. The sheriff was a cold, unfeeling husband and father and his son, (whose first name was never revealed) was the tragically deformed survivor of a self-inflicted shotgun blast. His appearance prompted Cassidy to exclaim that he had a “face like an arse” which of course is how the Irish vampire pronounced “ass.” This special fills in the background of a character that was treated as comic relief in the Preacher series, but is decidedly tragic in his origin story.

Before he was Arseface, he was the son of a depressed, alcoholic mother and a bigoted, sadistic father. Since his father regularly harassed his classmates in the course of his job as sheriff, he was an outcast at school. His only friend, Pube, was an ardent fan of the rock group Nirvana, so when Kurt Cobain committed suicide Pube decided they should emulate him. Arseface was not as successful in the attempt but did mutilate his appearance, which inexplicably changed his outlook from a sullen, despondent teenager to an upbeat, cheerful monstrosity.

— George Haberberger

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Notes

Writer

Artist

#1

December, 1996
Cover Price: $4.95
12 copies available from $1.00

Garth Ennis

Richard Case