Squalor
Encyclopedia
Squalor was a 4 issue limited series published by First Comics
which ran from December 1989 through March 1990. It was created by Stefan Petrucha
(writer) and Tom Sutton
(penciller). The covers for each issue were painted by Jeffrey K. Potter, known for the covers he had provided for science fiction
magazines such as Analog, Twilight Zone
, and Asimov's.
Squalor was notable in that it was Petrucha's debut as a comic book writer; he had previously published other works of fiction, however, and was working as a technical writer when Squalor was published.
At the opening of the series, he has recently been released from a mental hospital and has somehow gained the ability to travel into A-Time, where he discovers a plot by extradimensional beings to invade our reality. This seems to be further evidence of his insanity to those around him until he starts to display knowledge of secret and/or future events such as what a waitress thinks a ketchup stain looks like.
He later discovers the ability to bring other people into A-Time with him, and uses his knowledge of the past and present gained from being outside the timestream to simulate other powers.
Though only four issues of Squalor were published, Stefan Petrucha later returned to the concept of A-Time in the TimeTripper novel series.
First Comics
First Comics was an American comic-book publisher that was active from 1983–1991, known for titles like American Flagg!, Grimjack, Nexus, Badger, Dreadstar, and Jon Sable...
which ran from December 1989 through March 1990. It was created by Stefan Petrucha
Stefan Petrucha
Stefan Petrucha is an American writer for adults and young adults. He has written graphic novels in the The X-Files and Nancy Drew series, as well as science fiction and horror.- Background :...
(writer) and Tom Sutton
Tom Sutton
Tom Sutton was an American comic book artist who sometimes used the pseudonyms Sean Todd and Dementia...
(penciller). The covers for each issue were painted by Jeffrey K. Potter, known for the covers he had provided for 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...
magazines such as Analog, Twilight Zone
Twilight zone
-Television series and spinoffs:*The Twilight Zone, the anthology television series and its franchise:**The Twilight Zone , the 1959–1964 original television series***Twilight Zone: The Movie, a 1983 film based on the original series...
, and Asimov's.
Squalor was notable in that it was Petrucha's debut as a comic book writer; he had previously published other works of fiction, however, and was working as a technical writer when Squalor was published.
Plot summary
The titular main character, Squalor, is a former theoretical physicist who specializes in non-linear time. He devised a theory that there was a single state outside of the timestream where the rules of cause and effect do not apply, which he called "A-Time". Due to the radical nature of this theory, he was institutionalized.At the opening of the series, he has recently been released from a mental hospital and has somehow gained the ability to travel into A-Time, where he discovers a plot by extradimensional beings to invade our reality. This seems to be further evidence of his insanity to those around him until he starts to display knowledge of secret and/or future events such as what a waitress thinks a ketchup stain looks like.
He later discovers the ability to bring other people into A-Time with him, and uses his knowledge of the past and present gained from being outside the timestream to simulate other powers.
Though only four issues of Squalor were published, Stefan Petrucha later returned to the concept of A-Time in the TimeTripper novel series.