Animal

Animal is an early Erik Larsen creation who debuted in the self-published Graphic Fantasy before the Savage Dragon universe formally existed, making the character a foundational piece of that mythology. Animal has since appeared as part of the Savage Dragon cast.

Before Image Comics was even a gleam in anyone's eye, Animal was already prowling the pages of Graphic Fantasy #1 in 1982 — a Bronze Age debut courtesy of a young Erik Larsen that would quietly become a piece of comics history. That scrappy origin ties Animal to the very roots of what would eventually become the Savage Dragon universe, and sure enough, this character's longest home has been in Savage Dragon and its companion archival series, keeping wild company alongside Dragon, Mighty Man, and a cast of heavy hitters. With two key-issue appearances to their name and a publishing presence stretching across an impressive four-plus decades all the way to 2024, Animal is one of those rewarding deep cuts that rewards the dedicated collector — a living thread connecting Larsen's earliest independent ambitions to the long-running Image saga that followed.