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Body Bags (comics)
Encyclopedia
Body Bags is a comic book series created, written and illustrated by Jason Pearson
.
' Blanc Noir line of books. Produced by Gaijin Studios
in 1996, Body Bags includes a large amount of blood, violence and characters who enjoy killing and cursing, which is displayed in a number of scenes in the book that have been deemed "shocking". Pearson's use of an extremely voluptuous 14-year old caused the series to face a certain amount of controversy in the comics industry. Due to the controversy, Body Bags is promoted as "the most controversial comic of the 1990s" http://www.12gaugecomics.com/comicsdetail2.php?comicID=9. The final issues of the series were delayed for several months because of Jason Pearson falling ill.
Pearson intended to write and pencil a 6-issue follow up to Body Bags, but fell ill during its production and eventually scrapped the series because he didn't like it. The hiatus ended in 2005, when the 2-issue mini-series Body Bags: Father's Day, reprinting the original 4 issues, was released by Image Comics
' imprint, 12-Gauge Comics. The follow-up to Father's Day was a 1-shot comic entitled Body Bags: 3 the Hard Way, which was delayed and not released until 2006 by Image Comics, and reprinted all the sporadic appearances the characters made in Dark Horse Presents
and Dark Horse Maverick with new coloring, as well as including a new story. A new 1-shot, Body Bags: One Shot, was scheduled for release in 2006 but was also delayed; it was published in late November, 2008.
(which is named after the former name for Atlanta
), Body Bags follows the contract-killing exploits of a Hispanic
father & daughter team of "body baggers" (assassins
) Mack Delgado (aka "Clownface"), a knife-wielding veteran of the business, and his overzealous and overly-voluptuous teenage daughter, Panda. Many of their assignments come from the series' only other recurring character, Sheriff Toni Sinn. Despite the arguing that goes on between teenager Panda and father Mack, Mack is still very protective while Panda constantly fights for her father's respect and permission to set out on jobs with her father and his longtime body-bagging partner, Pops.
The Body Bags story draws similarities to the film Leon
a.k.a. The Professional
. For example, Panda returns to her father's side after ten years apart, while Mack is looking for a rival body bagger who set him up. Although Mack was reluctant, he allows Panda helps him take care of his rival and later becomes a full-fledged bagger herself.
Their 10-page appearance in Dark Horse Presents ties into the original 4-issue mini-series as the two come under fire from an experimental gun stolen and operated by Geech, a drug dealer whose pregnant wife was critically injured by Mack in the mini-series.
The latest Body Bags installment, entitled 3 the Hard Way, features Panda solely dealing with a corrupt police detective who is really a crime-boss while cleaning out Mack's distinctive hot rod
, "Da Boss".
Jason Pearson
Jason Pearson is an American comic book writer/artist, known for his work on books such as Legion of Super-Heroes, The Dragon: Blood & Guts, Global Frequency, and his own creator-owned series, Body Bags....
.
Publication history
The initial series, simply entitled Body Bags, was a launch title for Dark Horse ComicsDark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
' Blanc Noir line of books. Produced by Gaijin Studios
Gaijin Studios
Gaijin Studios was a group of American comic book artists formed in Atlanta, Georgia. It was one of the longest-running collectives of freelance comic book artists in the United States, having been in continuous operation for nineteen years, from 1991 to 2010...
in 1996, Body Bags includes a large amount of blood, violence and characters who enjoy killing and cursing, which is displayed in a number of scenes in the book that have been deemed "shocking". Pearson's use of an extremely voluptuous 14-year old caused the series to face a certain amount of controversy in the comics industry. Due to the controversy, Body Bags is promoted as "the most controversial comic of the 1990s" http://www.12gaugecomics.com/comicsdetail2.php?comicID=9. The final issues of the series were delayed for several months because of Jason Pearson falling ill.
Pearson intended to write and pencil a 6-issue follow up to Body Bags, but fell ill during its production and eventually scrapped the series because he didn't like it. The hiatus ended in 2005, when the 2-issue mini-series Body Bags: Father's Day, reprinting the original 4 issues, was released by Image Comics
Image Comics
Image Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
' imprint, 12-Gauge Comics. The follow-up to Father's Day was a 1-shot comic entitled Body Bags: 3 the Hard Way, which was delayed and not released until 2006 by Image Comics, and reprinted all the sporadic appearances the characters made in Dark Horse Presents
Dark Horse Presents
Dark Horse Presents was the first comic book published by Dark Horse Comics in 1986 and was their flagship title until its September 2000 cancellation. The second incarnation was published on MySpace, running from July 2007 until August 2010...
and Dark Horse Maverick with new coloring, as well as including a new story. A new 1-shot, Body Bags: One Shot, was scheduled for release in 2006 but was also delayed; it was published in late November, 2008.
Plot
Set in the fictional city of Terminus, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
(which is named after the former name for Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
), Body Bags follows the contract-killing exploits of a Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
father & daughter team of "body baggers" (assassins
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
) Mack Delgado (aka "Clownface"), a knife-wielding veteran of the business, and his overzealous and overly-voluptuous teenage daughter, Panda. Many of their assignments come from the series' only other recurring character, Sheriff Toni Sinn. Despite the arguing that goes on between teenager Panda and father Mack, Mack is still very protective while Panda constantly fights for her father's respect and permission to set out on jobs with her father and his longtime body-bagging partner, Pops.
The Body Bags story draws similarities to the film Leon
Léon (film)
Léon is a 1994 French thriller film written and directed by Luc Besson...
a.k.a. The Professional
Léon (film)
Léon is a 1994 French thriller film written and directed by Luc Besson...
. For example, Panda returns to her father's side after ten years apart, while Mack is looking for a rival body bagger who set him up. Although Mack was reluctant, he allows Panda helps him take care of his rival and later becomes a full-fledged bagger herself.
Their 10-page appearance in Dark Horse Presents ties into the original 4-issue mini-series as the two come under fire from an experimental gun stolen and operated by Geech, a drug dealer whose pregnant wife was critically injured by Mack in the mini-series.
The latest Body Bags installment, entitled 3 the Hard Way, features Panda solely dealing with a corrupt police detective who is really a crime-boss while cleaning out Mack's distinctive hot rod
Hot rod
Hot rods are typically American cars with large engines modified for linear speed. The origin of the term "hot rod" is unclear. One explanation is that the term is a contraction of "hot roadster," meaning a roadster that was modified for speed. Another possible origin includes modifications to or...
, "Da Boss".
Appearances
- Body Bags (1996, Dark Horse ComicsDark Horse ComicsDark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
) 4-issue mini-series- Body Bags: Father's Day (1997, Dark Horse Comics) Trade-paperback reprinting all 4 issues of mini-series.
- Body Bags: Father's Day (2005, Image ComicsImage ComicsImage Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
) 2-issue mini-series. reprinting the initial 4-issue mini-series - Body Bags: Father's Day (2009, Image Comics) Trade-paperback reprinting the 2-issue reprint comic
- Dark Horse Presents Annual 1997 (1997, Dark Horse Comics) 12-page story 'World Destroyer'
- Dark Horse Maverick 2000 (2000, Dark Horse Comics) 6-page story 'Well It's About Time'
- Body Bags: 3 the Hard Way (2006, Image Comics) 48 page special, 1 new story plus reprints of Dark Horse Maverick 2000 and Dark Horse Presents Annual 1997.
- Body Bags: One Shot (2008, Image Comics) 48 page special