Burt West

Burt West is a supporting character from Erik Larsen's pre-Image work who debuted in the self-published Graphic Fantasy #1, predating Image Comics itself. He inhabits the same Chicago-based world as Savage Dragon and other Larsen creations, making him one of the earliest figures in that universe.

Few characters can claim they were there at the very beginning of one of comics' most remarkable creator-owned journeys — but Burt West can. Debuting in Graphic Fantasy #1 in 1982, this Bronze Age creation of Erik Larsen predates Image Comics itself, making him a genuine piece of foundation mythology for what would become the Savage Dragon universe. Over more than four decades, Burt has kept extraordinary company — sharing pages with Dragon, Mighty Man, SuperPatriot, and other pillars of Larsen's Chicago-set world — and three of his appearances carry key-issue status, a testament to how seriously collectors regard his place in that continuity. With 44 catalog appearances across Savage Dragon, Savage Dragon Archives, and Savage Dragon: God War, he's a quietly enduring thread woven through one of independent comics' longest-running and most passionately crafted epics.