Kilroy is Here

(Caliber, 1994)
™ and ©1992, 1994 Joe Pruett. Artwork ©1994 Ken Meyer, Bill Ruth

American GI’s deployed to the European theater during World War II engaged in the popular practice of scrawling the words “Kilroy was here” on walls and buildings, implying that a single individual was ubiquitously present in a multitude of battles. Joe Pruett used this legend as the inspiration for his mysterious spirit of vengeance who appears to enact retribution for wronged innocents, leaving an enigmatic “Kilroy is here” written above his victims. The change to present tense is significant since the cover logo displays the word “was” crossed out and “is” apparently written in blood below it.

Kilroy’s first appearance (reprinted in #0 of this title), hints at his origin and ties to World War II. “I was an innocent once,” he reveals to a Neo-nazi who murdered a foreigner to advance the racial purity of present-day Germany. Kilroy reveals that Hitler did not commit suicide. “It wasn’t suicide. It wasn’t the Russians. It was me.”

Kilroy previously appeared in Calibrations and Negative Burn as well as Kilroy: The Short Stories, all from Caliber.

— George Haberberger

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