The Goon

Eric Powell's The Goon, launched in 1999 through Avatar Press, is a darkly comic horror series centered on its hulking, wisecracking protagonist and his battles against a menagerie of monsters, zombies, and underworld thugs in a Depression-era town. Powell serves as the series' singular creative force, writing and illustrating every issue, with a distinctive painted style that elevates the gritty, macabre humor. Though the initial run was brief at three issues, it established the tone and world that would define the character for decades to come.