Ali-Baba: Scourge of the Desert

    (Gauntlet, 1992)
™ and ©1992 the Controlled Chaos Company

Ali-Baba, Scourge of the Desert is an artifact of an interesting but short-lived movement in comics in the mid-1970s, often referred to as “ground-level.” These titles—like Star*Reach—combined the maverick independence of the underground with more mainstream aesthetics and subject matter. They also provided outlets for the early work of important creators. Ali-Baba is a straight-ahead historical adventure strip set in the medieval Middle East, with an overlay of fantasy and romance. It is significant for the early efforts of Dave Sim, who revolutionized the industry with his self-published epic Cerebus thanks in part to the lessons learned producing Ali-Baba for Orb Magazine. In 1992, Caliber collected these stories, by James Waley, Steve LeBlanc and Ron Kasman, plus a nostalgic essay by Sim (the senior editor and designer). Fun, exciting and well-drawn, Ali-Baba is an enjoyable reminder of a more innocent time.
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  NotesWriterArtist
#1

Cover Price: $3.50
1 copy available for $9.99
James Waley, Dave Sim, David DarrigoSteve LeBlanc, Dave Sim, Dave Darrigo
#2
June, 1988
Cover Price: $2.95
1 copy available for $5.50
James Waley, Ron PetersonSteve LeBlanc, Ron Kasman