Scud: The Disposable Assassin
Encyclopedia
Scud: The Disposable Assassin (published from 1994
to 1998
, and 2008
) is a humorous, hyperkinetic science fiction
comic by Rob Schrab
about a world in which one can buy robot assassins out of vending machine
s, the most popular of which are intelligent robot
s that kill a specified target and then self-destruct
.
The protagonist
of the series is Scud, an average Heart Breaker Series 1373 model assassin
. On his first mission, he is sent to kill Jeff, a rampaging female mutant with mousetraps for hands, an electrical plug for a head, and a squid for a belt.
Scud: TDA's main plot follows Scud's career as a freelance
mercenary
and assassin, working to pay off Jeff's medical bills.
. Schrab was growing dissatisfied with the direction the story was taking, and stepped back from the book rather than allow things to get worse. At the same time his career in Hollywood began to pick up, so he shifted focus further away from the book. Since then Scud's publisher, Fireman Press, was dissolved after a falling out between Rob Schrab and a business partner over rights.
Schrab recently announced that the Scud finale will be four times the original length. Instead of the planned 32 page conclusion, The Book will be over 111 pages long, making it Schrab's biggest comic project to date.
Rob Schrab told fans that "he just couldn't make this another issue. I want Scud to go out with a bang."
Because of this and with Schrab producing, directing and writing The Sarah Silverman Program
for Comedy Central
, the Complete Scud Book was not out by the 2007 Comic Con but it was out in time for the 2008 Comic Con.
published by Image Comics
, with covers done by guest artists.
The Oversized One-Volume edition of Scud entitled "Scud The Disposable Assassin: The Whole Shebang!" was released August 6, 2008. It contains issues 1-24 plus "Drywall: Unzipped" and Black Octopus: Sexy Genius.
Rob Schrab has stated that he currently has no plans for further issues of Scud Spin-offs – Scud: Tales from the Vending Machine, and The Drywall & Oswald Show.
In a closing interview, conducted by Doug TenNapel
at the end of Issue #24, Rob stated that he would like to see La Cosa Nostroid concluded, but that it would be up to Dan Harmon
, who helmed the series.
and Scud: Industrial Evolution (1997) for PC. Both received mixed reviews.
A 6" Scud action figure was announced in 2006 as a part of Shocker Toys
' Indie Spotlight line. The addition of the figure to the toy line was cited by Schrab as one of his motivations for wanting to finish the issue #21 in his first video blog. The figure (with a variant Sol robot) was eventually released in 2009.
's production company, but the option has long since lapsed.
animated Halloween special for 2008, the characters Pom-Pom and The Cheat dressed up as Scud and Drywall, respectively.
A copy of Scud: The Disposable Assassin #1 appears in the "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" episode (S02 E14) of the American television comedy series Community.
1994 in comics
-Year overall:* Huge changes in the marketplace force many retailers and small publishers out of business...
to 1998
1998 in comics
-Spring:* Gay Comix , with issue #25, publishes its final issue -October:* Toy Biz buys Marvel Comics* Excalibur is canceled by Marvel with issue #125.-November:...
, and 2008
2008 in comics
-January:*January 9: Teen Titans: The Lost Annual, delayed since 2003, is published.*January 23: Hellblazer #240, marking the 20th anniversary of the series, is released.-February:...
) is a humorous, hyperkinetic science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
comic by Rob Schrab
Rob Schrab
Rob Schrab is a comic book creator, actor, comedian, writer, and film and television producer. Schrab grew up in Mayville, Wisconsin. He is known as the creator of the comic book, Scud: The Disposable Assassin, co-writer of the feature film Monster House, the unaired pilot Heat Vision and Jack,...
about a world in which one can buy robot assassins out of vending machine
Vending machine
A vending machine is a machine which dispenses items such as snacks, beverages, alcohol, cigarettes, lottery tickets, consumer products and even gold and gems to customers automatically, after the customer inserts currency or credit into the machine....
s, the most popular of which are intelligent robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
s that kill a specified target and then self-destruct
Self-destruct
A self-destruct is a mechanism which causes a device to destroy itself under a predefined set of circumstances.Self-destruct mechanisms are also found on devices and systems where malfunction could endanger large numbers of people...
.
The protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of the series is Scud, an average Heart Breaker Series 1373 model assassin
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...
. On his first mission, he is sent to kill Jeff, a rampaging female mutant with mousetraps for hands, an electrical plug for a head, and a squid for a belt.
Plot
During his first mission, Scud glances in a mirror and sees the warning label on his back explaining how he will self-destruct upon completion of his mission. Realizing that he doesn't want to die, Scud mortally wounds Jeff, shooting off her arms and legs, then takes her to a hospital placing her on life support ensuring their mutual survival.Scud: TDA's main plot follows Scud's career as a freelance
Freelancer
A freelancer, freelance worker, or freelance is somebody who is self-employed and is not committed to a particular employer long term. These workers are often represented by a company or an agency that resells their labor and that of others to its clients with or without project management and...
mercenary
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
and assassin, working to pay off Jeff's medical bills.
Cliffhanger
The last issue, #20, leaves the series with a cliffhangerCliffhanger
A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction...
. Schrab was growing dissatisfied with the direction the story was taking, and stepped back from the book rather than allow things to get worse. At the same time his career in Hollywood began to pick up, so he shifted focus further away from the book. Since then Scud's publisher, Fireman Press, was dissolved after a falling out between Rob Schrab and a business partner over rights.
Issue 21
On January 3, 2007, Schrab announced on his blog that he plans to finish Scud in four parts, Issues 21-24, at which point he would be releasing an omnibus of all the books, Scud #1-24. Since this announcement, there have been several podcasts posted to Schrab's site giving his state of mind during the process, opportunities he is passing up to finish the book, and a view of the process he uses to create a comic page.Schrab recently announced that the Scud finale will be four times the original length. Instead of the planned 32 page conclusion, The Book will be over 111 pages long, making it Schrab's biggest comic project to date.
Rob Schrab told fans that "he just couldn't make this another issue. I want Scud to go out with a bang."
Because of this and with Schrab producing, directing and writing The Sarah Silverman Program
The Sarah Silverman Program
The Sarah Silverman Program is an American television series that starred comedian and actress Sarah Silverman, who created the series with Dan Harmon and Rob Schrab...
for Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
, the Complete Scud Book was not out by the 2007 Comic Con but it was out in time for the 2008 Comic Con.
Four-issue series finale
The final installment of Scud was released as a four-part mini-seriesLimited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
published 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...
, with covers done by guest artists.
- #21 - Ashley Wood (February 2008) "Return of the Over-Used Muse"
- Rob Schrab (March 2008) - WonderCon Exclusive Variant of Issue 21
- Jack Gray (April 2008) - Second Print of Issue 21
- #22 – Jim Mahfood (March 2008) "Challenge of the Over-Used Muse"
- Dan Hipp (April 2008) - Second Print of Issue 22
- #23 – David Hartman (April 2008) "Retaliation of the Over-Used Muse"
- #24 – Doug Tennapel (May 2008) "Death of the Over-Used Muse"
The Oversized One-Volume edition of Scud entitled "Scud The Disposable Assassin: The Whole Shebang!" was released August 6, 2008. It contains issues 1-24 plus "Drywall: Unzipped" and Black Octopus: Sexy Genius.
Rob Schrab has stated that he currently has no plans for further issues of Scud Spin-offs – Scud: Tales from the Vending Machine, and The Drywall & Oswald Show.
In a closing interview, conducted by Doug TenNapel
Doug TenNapel
Douglas Richard "Doug" TenNapel is an American musician, animator, Eisner Award-winning artist, author, essayist and Christian. He is best known for creating Earthworm Jim, a character that spawned a famous video game, cartoon series, and toy line.-Early life:TenNapel was born and raised in the...
at the end of Issue #24, Rob stated that he would like to see La Cosa Nostroid concluded, but that it would be up to Dan Harmon
Dan Harmon
Dan Harmon is a writer and performer. He is the creator and an executive producer for the NBC television comedy series Community, and, along with Rob Schrab, a founder of the alternative television network/website Channel 101....
, who helmed the series.
Main characters
- Scud - The robotic protagonist. One of a series of mass-produced assassins, Scud will self-destruct if his mission is completed.
- Sussudio - A freelance bounty hunter hired to bring Scud in after he bails on an assassination assignment and goes rogue. She later becomes his love interest.
- Drywall - Scud's bizarre young sidekick whose body contains an unlimited amount of storage space, which holds everything from weapons to furniture. His speech can only be understood by beings without souls (such as Scud). In issue 21 it is revealed he learned how to speak English during Scud's absence. In issue 22, he is absorbed into System.
- Voodoo Ben Franklin - One of the principal villains, Voodoo Ben is the famous founding father, hellbent on controlling the world of organized crime. Ben commands an army of zombie people and dinosaurs, in addition to the forces of Hell later in the series, after Ben becomes a pawn of System, the Lord of Hell.
- Jeff - Scud's very first assignment, a piecemeal monster with a plug for a head, mousetraps for hands, a squid strapped to her chest, and a mouth on each knee. All of her lines of dialogue are ripped from pop culture sources. She has demonstrated the ability to assimilate animal parts and mechanical devices for use as weapons. If she dies, Scud will self-destruct. Later in the series, it is revealed that Jeff is the last of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, since Scud killed off the other three before they could hatch in the first issue of the series.
Supporting characters
- Oswald - A previous Scud model who had his self-destruct module removed. Oswald has been known to help out Scud from time-to-time. He is modelled after a rabbit, and can use his ears as weapons. Schrab said Oswald was a nod to Jaxxon, the Green Bunny character in the Star Wars Comics of the eighties. In issue 21, he dies trying to break into Voodoo Ben's lair.
- Tony Tastey- Scud's first client as a freelancer, who eventually becomes the leader of the Cortese family cyborg mafia, which stars in the spin-off La Cosa Nostroid series.
- System - Brother of Drywall and supreme ruler of Hell, System was created along with his brothers to be the ultimate collection agent for Hell, harvesting as many treasures for Lucifer as humanly possible. However, System went rogue, deciding that the entire universe needed categorization, and has since been working to collect everything in existence and bring about the apocalypse.
- Mess - The first prototype stuff collector built for Lucifer. Mess resembles a walking collection of wooden filing cabinets. Mess uses magnets and suction cups to pick up stuff, but since not all stuff can be manipulated with these tools, his abilities are limited. He is also unable to categorize any of the stuff he collects. His boxy construction also makes him slow and clumsy. Due to these limitations, Mess was considered a failure. He was collected into System, along with his creator and Lucifer, in Drywall: Unzipped.
- Captain Jack Jones - When first introduced in the series, Jones was running a prison colony in the middle of a remote desert. This colony set the stage for Scud's first successful assassination attempt, during which he managed not only to decimate the prison personnel, but would later destroy the entire base by crashing an airship into the cliff on which it was based. Jones would later be hired by the mysterious Spidergod to use his remaining forces to track down Scud.
- Spidergod (a.k.a. Marvin) - The owner and manager of Marvin's Mannikens, he is the one to take out the assassination order on Jeff in the first place. Later, he hires military forces in order to capture Scud, and later, Jeff, in an attempt to hold them hostage in order to bargain his way out of being sent to hell. Most recently, he was bankrupted by his war with Voodoo Ben, during which he also lost his legs.
- Horse - A transdimensional being that resembles a large children's rocking horse, Horse arrives to whisk Scud and Sussudio away from the battle between Voodoo Ben and Captain Jack Jones, seconds before the two are about to be annihilated. Horse transports the two around seemingly at random, appearing and disappearing at various times without any real given explanation, though Scud offers a few of his own. It is assumed that while the Eggs the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse used are the means to travel from Heaven to Earth, Horse is the way to move from Earth to Heaven, though this is never stated outright.
- Hank Gritt - The deceased movie-star father of Sussudio. His likeness can be seen throughout the series on various commercial products. He is also venerated by members of the Gritties cult. Hank's ethereal form appears during the four-issue finale of Scud, where he aids Scud and Drywall in their attack on Heaven.
Spinoffs
Several comic book series were published by Fireman Press, all of which take place inside the Scud universe. These include:- La Cosa Nostroid - Chronicles the rise and fall of Tony Tastey as he takes over the cyborg mafia. As he eliminates his enemies, he becomes increasingly paranoid and starts to kill off his allies and friends. Ended on a cliffhanger note. 9 issues released. The creative team includes Ed ClaytonEd ClaytonEd Clayton a.k.a. EDVIS is an American writer and illustrator born in the state of Illinois.-Biography:Clayton attended West Aurora High School and Columbia College Chicago majoring in illustration...
. - Drywall: Unzipped - The origin of Scud's multi-zippered sidekick (one-shot).
- The Drywall and Oswald Show - The continued adventures of Drywall and Oswald. 2 issues released.
- Scud: Tales from the Vending Machine - An anthology of sorts, with each issue about a different Scud model. Each issue is created by a different creative team, including artists such as Trent Kaniuga (Creed), Jim MahfoodJim MahfoodJim Mahfood , a.k.a. Food One, is an American comic book creator.Apart from his creator-owned comic book series Grrl Scouts and his comic strip Stupid Comics he also did work for Marvel Comics on various Spider-Man titles, including Ultimate Marvel Team-Up and Spectacular...
(Clerks), and Doug TenNapelDoug TenNapelDouglas Richard "Doug" TenNapel is an American musician, animator, Eisner Award-winning artist, author, essayist and Christian. He is best known for creating Earthworm Jim, a character that spawned a famous video game, cartoon series, and toy line.-Early life:TenNapel was born and raised in the...
(creator of Earthworm JimEarthworm JimEarthworm Jim is a run and gun platform video game starring an earthworm named Jim in a robotic suit who battles evil. Created by Doug TenNapel and designed by David Perry, the game was developed by Shiny Entertainment and Playmates Interactive Entertainment, released by Sega for the Mega...
). 5 issues released.
Collections
Scud: The Disposable Assassin has been collected in trade paperback form. These include:- Heavy 3PO - reprints #1-4
- Programmed for Damage - reprints #5-9
- Solid Gold Bomb - reprints #10-15
- The Yellow Horseman - reprints #16-20
- Scud The Disposable Assassin: The Whole Shebang! - reprints issues #1-24 and includes the one-shots Drywall: Unzipped and Black Octopus: Sexy Genius
Merchandise
Scud: The Disposable Assassin inspired two video games, Scud: The Disposable Assassin (1997) for Sega SaturnSega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
and Scud: Industrial Evolution (1997) for PC. Both received mixed reviews.
A 6" Scud action figure was announced in 2006 as a part of Shocker Toys
Shocker Toys
Shocker Toys is a company that manufactures limited release toys and collectible products based on comic book and cartoon characters, as well as original creations. Founded in 1998, the company is currently run by Geoff Beckett Jr. and Lance Buttiglieri, and is based in Ridgewood, New...
' Indie Spotlight line. The addition of the figure to the toy line was cited by Schrab as one of his motivations for wanting to finish the issue #21 in his first video blog. The figure (with a variant Sol robot) was eventually released in 2009.
Film
Scud was optioned as a possible movie from Oliver StoneOliver Stone
William Oliver Stone is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Stone became well known in the late 1980s and the early 1990s for directing a series of films about the Vietnam War, for which he had previously participated as an infantry soldier. His work frequently focuses on...
's production company, but the option has long since lapsed.
Pop Culture References
In the annual Homestar RunnerHomestar Runner
Homestar Runner is a Flash animated Internet cartoon. It mixes surreal humor with references to retro pop culture, notably video games, classic television, and popular music.The cartoons are nominally centered on the title character, Homestar Runner...
animated Halloween special for 2008, the characters Pom-Pom and The Cheat dressed up as Scud and Drywall, respectively.
A copy of Scud: The Disposable Assassin #1 appears in the "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" episode (S02 E14) of the American television comedy series Community.