ON FINISHING SCUD: TALKING TO ROB SCHRAB

[MattBrady]

by Zack Smith

Ten years ago, a robotic assassin, cradling the dead body of his one true love, was told by the angels of Heaven to kill the Earth.

His response? “I’ll do it.”

Now, readers will finally find out what happened next.

Since leaving his cult creation Scud the Disposable Assassin, writer and artist Rob Schrab hasn’t exactly sat on his hands. He co-wrote the cult TV pilot Heat Vision and Jack and the Oscar-nominated animated film Monster House, and co-created the hit Comedy Central series The Sarah Silverman Program.

But Scud always weighed at the back of his mind. And last fall, a number of factors (including, we should mention, fan response to our interview with him), led to his deciding to take time out from his busy schedule to finally finish the storyline.

Image Comics is poised to deliver the new collection of Scud, including all 20 issues and the all-new #21, concluding the story (though not the spin-offs, such as La Cosa Nostroid). Schrab has kept readers posted on his progress through video blogs, detailing how the book’s being created, and the challenges of writing and drawing the book between his TV work.

On one of his rare off-days, Schrab sat down with us for an in-depth discussion about finishing Scud and what the book means to him personally. As enthusiastic about the book as its fans, and brutally honest about the reasons for the book’s delays, it’s clear that for Schrab, concluding Scud represents the end of a long artistic and personal journey.

Newsarama: So, Rob, why did you decide to revive Scud?

Rob Schrab: Well, I mean, because of a number of things. Recently, when Monster House came out and my name was in the public eye bigger than it ever has been, The Sarah Silverman Program came out, and my name was attached to that. A lot of people were sending me e-mails and saying, “Hey! I just saw Monster House! What’s going on with Scud?”

Around the same time, just a little bit earlier than when Monster House came out, Eric Stephenson from Image kind of cold-called me and said, “What would you think about us reprinting Scud?”

And I was like, “You know, we should do something with that, because there’s 20 books out there of Scud, and they’re sitting around doing nothing for me. I would like to get my work out there, and it’s like five years of my life that is, needless to say, documented.”

And Image – I’ve always looked up to their company, because when I was doing comic books, it was like – Marvel, DC, Image. They were one of the big three. And if they’re comin’ after me, I gotta pay attention to that!

My friend Doug TenNapel, who’s done Earthworm Jim and Black Cherry and Earthboy Jacobus, Tommysaurus Rex…he was like, “You’ve got to do it!” And Jim Mahfood, who’s done the Clerks comics and 40 oz. Comics, all my friends were like, “You gotta work with Image! They’re awesome! And they’re very creator-friendly!”

And I said, “It really would fit if they would reprint this book.” But then I had the shocking realization that if they reprinted them all in this 500-page book…it’s going to be pretty embarrassing if the final issue’s not in there. Especially with the cliffhanger in there.

The cliffhanger’s in issue #20…basically, Scud goes to Heaven, the angels murder his girlfriend in front of him, and they say, “Now that you have nothing to live for, we need you to destroy the world.” And Scud says, “Yes.”

And that’s how I left it 10 years ago. And it’s like…(laughs) what a douche, you know? Why would you do that to somebody who loved your work? It was such a “Fuck you” to the fans, and I really couldn’t live with myself.

I’ve been threatening to do another comic book for the last five years, and it would be really stupid of me not to do it, and I said, “You know, I don’t have time to do a Creature Tech-like story, a 100-page book like Doug TenNapel does, but I do have time to do one more book, like a 32-page book. Let’s make that 32-page book the last issue of Scud.”

And so I sat down, and as I read all the books, I got out my old mix tapes I used to listen to when I drew, and I watched the same movies, and I tried to get back to where I was when I was doing the book, around 1995-97, and I got to thinking…

There have been all these incarnations of Scud, because I wanted to try to do the movie with Oliver Stone, which turned out to be the most horrifyingly worst place to do it, and luckily, I was able to get it back.

MTV wanted to do an animated series, they wanted a new Aeon Flux, so they came to me and they were very enthusiastic, the producers and everybody there was like, “We want it exactly like the comic book, and we want you write and co-direct it as an animated director.”

We got really close with that, and then, like everything else in this business, the people on top shift, and the new guy comes in and goes, “I don’t want to do this animated show, I want to do a Martin Lawrence reality show.” And so, that was it.

So, there were different incarnations of Scud, and there was a lot of me going back and going, “Mmm, this is really good material, albeit flawed.” I didn’t know anything about writing back then. I just did whatever entertained me; I didn’t understand story structure the way I did now. And I thought, I could tackle it! I could put it together now! So I said, “Let’s do it!”

I had different endings – when I had the Scud movie, I had this idea of how to wrap it up, and for the TV series, I had a different idea about how to wrap it up.

I know at one point on the Robot Bastard forum, I revealed what I would have done in the last issue, and it was just this dark, depressing hate-filled ending! It was like, Scud does destroy the world, and everyone dies, and there’s no point to anything, and that’s how I was going to end it back in 1998.

I look at it now, and I go, “God, that’s not me anymore!” I’m not that person any more. I’ve let go of so much anger and hatred. And now, I want to do something that’s in keeping with the rest of the book.

Scud was never a dark book! It had its dark elements – he’s an assassin, he kills for money – but it was always a goofy book, and that’s what I wanted to keep with it. It started to take itself way too seriously towards the end, and I think that’s where a lot of fans were saying, “UGGGH! Who cares?! Get back to the fun stuff! Get back to the goofy stuff!”

And I literally pulled the trigger – I’m sitting here right now, drawing as we’re talking – and announced it on my web page, and said, “I’m doing it.” And I was shocked and surprised by how many people were into it. My web site has literally tripled the amount of people coming to it since.

I realized, “Wow, there’s a lot of Scud fans out there who’ve been waiting for this to happen, decided it was never going to happen, gave up, came back, hope was still there, and now they’re just excited!” That’s where I was in January of 2007.

Here’s the deal, though – originally, when I agreed to do this, back in January of ’07, I said, “I’m going to kick out this 32-page book, wrap it up, and it’ll be out by San Diego Comic-Con! Awesome!” I’d already planned to do The Sarah Silverman Program panel, so it was going to be a lot of fun.

I’m working on the book, and it’s coming together…and I sat down with my longtime friend and partner Dan Harmon, who wrote a lot of the best issues of the book, and co-wrote Monster House with me, and co-created The Sarah Silverman Program, and he also originated La Cosa Nostroid, and I sat down and told him this whole story about how I would end it.

He went, “Wow, that’s really great, that’s a good ending. I think it’ll satisfy a lot of fans. Sounds like it’s going to be a lot longer than 32 pages, though.”

So I said, “Well…I’ll make the panels small.”

I started drawing it…I hadn’t been drawing 12 hours a day in like 10 years. I was a little concerned I couldn’t keep with it. But it felt like in the last 10 years, I’ve been exercising other parts of my brain with sculpting and editing and writing and animation and everything, and it all comes back to the drawing, it all helps the drawing. I was like, “Wow! This is really fun!”

But there was a point in the book, around page 12 or 15, around the halfway point where I’d originally planned it, where there was a moment between two characters I’d created that I felt was very cinematic and very epic, and I loved it so much that I realized…”Oh, ____. Now the whole book has to be this good.”

As a writer, as a creative person, there’s always growing pains – there’s a moment where you see a window into the possibility of how good something can be. And you think to yourself, “The entire project has to be at that level.”

And at that point, I knew it was going to be longer than 32 pages.

I just kept adding on. The story has never gotten longer, but I just keep creating these moments. And part of me goes, every time I create another page, ”Hmm. That can be better. This moment I’m describing in one panel really needs to be three pages for it to work.”

I’m on page 70 now, of this book that’s supposed to be 32 pages. Unfortunately – or, fortunately – I have a job, I’m doing a hit show on Comedy Central, I’m directing, my childhood dream – Scud has been put on hold until I can get my head above water and put my full attention to it.

I predict the book will be at least 15 more pages long. At least. Which would mean it was an 85-page book, or a 90-page book, and at this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if we start to get close to 100.

To me, it seems…appropriate. If you’re going to do a finale, why not? Why not? Why not go out with a bang? And if anything deserves that, it would be Scud.

NRAMA: You just answered about seven of my questions there…

RS: Thanks, man.

NRAMA: You’re very good.

RS: Well, I like talking about myself. (laughs) Really, this is a long time coming, and every time I wake up in the morning and I look at that white sheet of paper, it’s the most horrifying thing to look at.

It’s 12 hours worth of work, and at end of the day, you might go, “Man, that’s awesome!” or you might go, “Ehhh. Aw, ____. I’ll make up for it on the next page.” Because you can’t just redraw every page – you have to keep on creating forward, especially when it’s something like a finale.

And I would be lying to you if I didn’t say that half the reason why this book is taking forever and I keep making it longer and longer is because I’m afraid of living in a world where Scud is finished.

It’s scary, it really is a scary thing, because it winds up that personal process. It was the first thing where I said, “Screw it, I believe in my work, and I’m going to dump everything I own into it.” And it worked, and it got me where I am today. And it’s still one of the best things I’ve ever come up with. But when it’s done, it’s done. And that’s frightening.

NRAMA: It must be hard, taking something that’s been in your head for so many years, and finally putting it down on paper, translating it into something for an audience…

RS: Yeah, yeah it is. (pause) I don’t know how to describe it. Only another creative person can describe it. It really is weird. (laughs)

It’s like…at one point, I drew a page that I’d been waiting to do since, I think, the first issue, where I thought to myself, “Man, if I was ever going to end Scud, this is how I’m going to end it!”

And I drew that page. And…and for some reason I decided I was going to use a brush instead of a pen, because I’m usually so anal about my line work that I just use pens. I never use a brush. Doug TenNapel always uses a brush, because it’s quirky and sensual and very organic. So I said, “Hmm, I want this page to have something special about it, so I’ll use a brush.”

I attacked this page with a brush. And again, this was a page I’d been waiting so very long to do, and I did it, and….I’m a different person now. It sounds corny and everything like that, but I am not the person I was when I woke up this morning. I am reprogramming myself.

It’s funny, with Scud…I don’t know if you know the tale of why I decided to do Scud in the first place. It was all to impress this girl, who just didn’t pay attention to me. And I thought, “I am going to make this book, and I’m going to put it out and I’m gonna impress the shit out of her so much. And I’m going to send her the first issue with the broken heart on Scud’s chest circled.”

But by the time the book was finished, by the time it hit the stands…I was over the girl. And that’s how it all started…to prove to myself that I was worthy. But it wasn’t to this girl, it was proving it to myself.

And Scud ended in heartbreak, too. If you reread the last five issues, there is definitely some personal ____ that was going on in my life…hacking to death the ex-girlfriend in Heaven. It mirrors my life. There’s just so much rage, and frustration and agony, because I did end a long-term relationship…you just want to slaughter everything!

But one of the reasons that I decided I’m ready to attack this book is because of the relationship I’m in now, this person that I want to be with for the rest of my life. I realized, “It’s okay to let go of that anger and that pain. I’m good now. Let’s do this.”

And when I did that page, where I did it with a brush, I was like, “I am a different person now. I am no longer using anger and pain and hatred and agony to motivate me. I am pure.” And I think that’s a more psychologically healthy way of doing that.

Of course, the fans are going to be like (mock-macho voice) “Blah, is it going to be all queer and lame now that you’re in love?” It’s funny – I’m still going to be drawing heads blowing up and people saying “mother____er.” I’m just going to be happy they’re doing it. (laughs)

There’s not going to be any tears on the page – I’m just going to be happy and healthier, mentally, while I’m doing this book. And I’m excited about wrapping it, and what I’m going to do after this.

It’s weird – when I finished that page, it’s was almost like Neo in The Matrix, looking at the page and going, “Oh wow, now everything makes sense now!” I really felt like I’d unlocked something inside of me. And it’s interesting, and mythical, and wonderful, when you look at it…I mean, Scud’s a robot! And he’s kind of my alter-ego. And now Scud has reprogrammed me, and I’m a different person, and excited about what the future holds.

Once I have this book done – we just wrapped shooting the first six episodes of Sarah’s show, and we have five months to write 10 more, and I’m going to have a brief two weeks – hopefully! – to get it done. That’s all I need, 14, 15 days. I’m going to wrap it up and get it set up at Image, and it should be out in the first quarter of next year.

I apologize to all the people who were waiting for it this year, but it is on its way, bigger and better than ever. It’s a really some of the best work I’ve ever done, and everybody who’s looked at the book and seen it has felt the same way, that it’s really tight stuff.

NRAMA: You mentioned that you’ve evolved as a writer, and changed your artistic technique some for this book. Are you ever tempted to just go back and redo parts of the older material?

RS: You mean like “Special Edition” Scud?

NRAMA: Yeah.

RS: You know, it is really, really tempting to do that. I looked through the art, preparing it to send off to Image. I just went, “Dammit, that sucked! I remember that day, I was pretty tired.”

But it’s like…we all know how everybody feels about Lucas tampering with the original Star Wars…I mean, I’m embarrassed by all the spelling and grammar mistakes, so I might go back and touch that up. But I want this to be a document of who I am and who I was.

So if you read it from issue #1, you can almost see, like, the artist’s journey, almost like a boy becoming a man. I don’t know if anyone will see it on that level, but that’s what it means to me, and I want it out of my head and onto the page.

NRAMA: Now, from your video blogs, it looks like you’ve been keeping a pretty punishing schedule….

RS: Yeah, I hate to say it, but I love it. I’m very much a masochistic person when it comes to working. I’m always juggling 800 things at the same time. Right now, I’ve got to finish up Scud, finish up the Heat Vision and Jack screenplay feature, and I’ve got to work on Sarah’s show.

And every day, when I come home, I go, “Oh! Here’s a short I want to do!” or “Man, here’s an idea for a script I want to write!” Or…”When are you going to finish painting that wall?” (Newsarama Note: Rob was actually doing this as we talked).

My girlfriend is always like, “Don’t you have enough to do already?” And maybe (it’s a reaction to) the brief summer where I had nothing to do…I’ve never felt more depressed in my life.

So I’m just going to keep on chugging out stuff, because my worry is that I’ve got so many stories in my head – whether it’s a feature or a short or a comic book – that I don’t want to be on my deathbed and think to myself, “If I had only taken the time to at least draw that picture, or write that whole thing out, somebody would be able to know about it! And now I’m dead, and it’s not going anywhere!”

My recommendation to anybody reading this, and anybody who is just like, “Man, I’ve just got to sit down and do that thing! I’ve got to write that book, I’ve got to write that script! I’ve got to shoot that film! ” is this: Today is the day that you start it. You’ve got to sit down, and start it, and finish it.

And always finish what you start. Even if it sucks, it’s better to have a complete project than an incomplete project. And it’s better to have a complete piece of ____ than nothing at all. Finish. Finish everything. Never leave anything unfinished. Because if you don’t finish it, no one will.

NRAMA: I’m taking that advice to heart.

RS: You have to! You have to. Because I know that in your head right now are at least five things you want to accomplish before you’re dead. And you need to do it. Because one day you’ll be going, “Wow, there’s a dump truck and it’s backing over my face! I really should have written that thing.” (laughs) You gotta do it, man. You gotta do it.

NRAMA: I hear you! Well, speaking of getting ideas out of your head, would you want to do any more comics in the future?

RS: Oh yeah! I mean, like right now! Let me at it, I want to do it!

The problem is that comics take so long to do. In the time it took me to draw like 70 pages of Scud, I directed four episodes of a TV show. And in the time that I could have directed four episodes of a TV show, I could have directed a feature. So you have to go, “Hmm…”

You also have to look at someone like Doug TenNapel, who cranks out one of these books a year, and he’s making feature deal after feature deal! I can’t keep up with the guy.

NRAMA: And there’s the Scud action figure. When’s that coming out?

RS: You know, I don’t know, man. I don’t know. I don’t know what to tell you.

NRAMA: Back to the Scud collection – how long is it going to be, and how much is it going to cost?

RS: You know, I’ll have to talk to Image about it. There was some talk about possibly doing a limited-edition hardcover, because the book will be like 700 pages long.

NRAMA: Is it going to be two separate things, issue #21 and the collection, or is it just going to be the collection?

RS: I want it to just be the collection. I was thinking that it would be great to do the collection, and then follow it up with Scud #21 in color. But I don’t know…that’s overextending myself again, because I like to oversee color. Color’s very important to me.

But I just want to get the book out, because people are telling me, “I can’t get a hold of the issues!” or “I’ve heard of Scud, but I can’t read it because I can’t find the issues!” So I want the book out all at once, because I think the best, most satisfying way to read that last issue is to read everything before it. So that’s why I’m saying, “Let’s release it all in this big bible, so you can read it through, and love it!” I think that’s the way to do it.

And it’s been 10 years. I’m ready to release the stuff on its own without all the stuff prior to it, but that’s asking both fans and new fans a lot, because it’s taking up right from where I left off. You’re walking into the middle of a conclusion, and that’s asking a lot. So the best way to do it really is the big book

NRAMA: Last question: As you touched on yourself, there has been an overwhelming fan response to Scud coming back. How does it feel to know there’s still such interest in your book after 10 years?

RS: It makes me well up. I remember going to Comic-Con and talking to Image, telling them, “Hey, I’ve got some posters, I wouldn’t mind showing them off, creating some awareness, so hopefully fans will be forgiving of the book being so late.” And they were like, “Sure! Stop on by for an hour!”

I was very nervous about going, too. I’ve been going every year since I stopped doing Scud, because I love the crowd, and the hub of everything I love is there. But I thought, “This is pretty embarrassing, being almost done with this, and if no one shows up, I’ll feel like I’ve wasted a good chunk of my year, I’ll have put a lot of agony and growth into something no one cares about but me.” So I was very nervous about showing up.

I got there, and…it was great. I had a huge line of people, everybody was excited. There wasn’t a single fan going (Brooklyn accent) “What the fuck! Where’s the book?! You better not screw this up!” There was just a lot of love there. And it was very hard not to tear up, you know?

There was one point where I was drawing next to an artist, and he was drawing too, and he turned and said to me, “It’s an honor just to be drawing next to you.” I was shocked – me?! I’m just like you, dude! I’m just a guy! There’s nothing special about me! But it was this moment where I was like, “Huh. This is good. This is the best decision I’ve ever made.”

And I know I keep going back to that theater of completing the book, but this book is going to be finished very soon, like in the next month in half. And I know there’s going to be one morning when I wake up and go, “This is the last time I’m going to be drawing a page of Scud the Disposable Assassin in my life.”

And it’s going to be a closed chapter on a big part of my life. It really is a very emotional happy/sad thing, and I’m very fortunate to be one of the few people to realize a vision that they’ve been living with for so long. It’s great. It’s a good time!

For more of Schrab’s work and Scud updates, keep checking out www.robschrab.com

[AbacusComics]

He should put Scud on Wowio.

First post!

[The_Adventurer]

Can't wait for the collected book. I tried to buy up all the Scud trades back in 2001 but could never find any except vol.3.

I really want to read it from the beginning.

[Evil Rick Shea]

Scud is easily one of my favorite comics of all times, and I'm so excited to see the conclusion is just around the corner. I really enjoy all of Rob Schrab's crazy work on The Sarah Silverman Program and in all his short films. Check out his work on www.Channel101.com if you haven't already at http://www.channel101.com/search.php?words=rob+schrab as he's put out some really funny and clever films.

More than anything, I'm just excited that I'll be able to finally share the whole story with all my customers that I've told about the series, but since the books have been out of print forever, they've been so hard to hunt down.

Evil Rick Shea
Famous Faces & Funnies
Melbourne, FL

[mac b]

Great interview! I've never read a full issue of Scud before but now I am PUMPED for the collection (also the new season of the SSP)!

[voodooben007]

I remember the first Scud comic I bought was #6. After that I was a junkie. I went back to the shop and found the first trade. Scud was coming out in that time in the '90s when there were very few really good books out. I looked forward to that comic every other month, it was always my first read.

I think it's effin great that Schrab is finishing the story. I really look forward to it.

[vbartilucci]

I am tempted to walk up the Image table at Baltimore and write them a check, payable the day the whole thing comes out.

Just so's they know I want it, y'know?

[ShinAkuma666]

Never had the chance to read Scud before, but I have heard all the hype about it and also friends recomendations over the years and I will get that fat TPB when it comes out.

Great interview, it was a nice read.

[pop monkey]

FANTASTIC! I've still got my entire run of original issues of SCUD -- haven't read them in a long time, but I think I'll dig 'em out and read 'em in anticipation of the collected edition! Good luck to ya', Rob!

[Scott Rogers]

IMHO, Rob Schrab is going to be the next big thing.

The guy is a creative genius (I work with a lot of very creative people and I almost never use that term) and his big moment is right around the corner - you can bet on that. Do you self a favor and check out his "Robot Bastard" and "Ringwald and Molly" films if you don't believe me for yourself.

It's great that he's finally finishing Scud and he sounds like he's in a much better place. It's sad to not have anymore Scud after this, but I can totally relate with where he is. If you're reading this Rob; good for you, man!

BTW, I just wish someone had warned him about Shocker toys. Those guys are shady with a capital S.

[KingConan]

Great interview, and congrats Rob on all your success. Scud was one of my favorite indy books ever, and it's so exciting to know we are gonna get a proper finale after all this time. Can't wait to finally have issue #21 in my hands one of these days. Thanks for all your hard work Rob, you are truly an inspiration.

[Shonzi]

I was lucky enough to see Rob at the image booth while he was sketching and run over. I was really kinda afraid because in all the years of reading interviews/postings/and responses to letters from his hate-filled days that he'd be kinda a dick. I was surprised to find out that aside from being obsessed with the sketch he was doing for someone else he was really cool and down to earth. He even signed a poster for me and my little brother who has only ever read Scud and Bone.

[MikeCosta]

Wow. Rob sure has a lot of feelings.

PS - Loved Scud since I was in 8th grade. It's going to be really great to finally see it all tied up.

[bluesparrow]

Yeah ditto on Shocker. If Rob Schrab is reading these comments, then dude, please just get yourself extricated from whatever bs contract they have you in, it's likely not binding anyway. They're never going to make your figure. Sign with Marvel Toys for their Legendary Comic Book Heroes line, which already has two series out.


I've been a big fan of SCUD from day one, it deserves good treatment.

[King of Town]

I went to a small time comic convention back in the mid 90's (you know, one room in a hotel in nowheresville) and one of the dealers had a whole original run of Scud. After reading about Scud in Wizard (they did an interview with him back in the mid 90's), I was excited and bought the whole run without ever having read an issue. I even got a first print of Scud #1.

A few years later, Mr. Schrab showed up at the CHicago Con (maybe even before Wizard took over), and he autographed my copy of #1.

I still have my whole run of the series, and I am excited to finally see what happens! CAN'T WAIT!

[TF_Loki]

Rob, man, don't forget DRYWALL. It's been a long while without him and my heart's broken....

[tyopot]

ok i might read this,looks nice. i've been avoiding the current comic books on the shelves because all they're involved with are big-mega crossovers that i really don't care about.

i've been scavenging back issue bins and getting some nice stuff to read (and some not nice books too)

i've started to read bacchus by eddie campbell, i mean i got the books for like a quarter. i also loved don simpson's splitting image (man, if you guys haven't read this, i do recommend this, simpson's an awesome dude parodying the early image years)i wonder why don simpson has no regular books for image, i'd like t osee more of his parodies., also got some savage dragons..i bought some dark horse presents with concrete on it. the classic the Spectre run by ostrander and mandrake.

as for bad books i bought, let's see..youngblood (the early liefeld issues) some shadowhawk (sorry but jim valentino's art is just plain horrible to look at) there.

so, don't be afraid to scavenge the back issue bins, i admit 80% of them are freaki'n garbage, but you'll be really pleased t oget something you'd never expect.

[KyleV]

I'm trying not to get too excited about this, as it's still a ways off.

If the final chapter is going to push 100 pages, they SHOULD release it as it's own volume. They could release the early issues in two or three volumes (I don't have my issues with me, so I don't know where the story breaks are) in the meantime.

But, yeah, they should make the final issue stand on it's own, particularly since it's going to be so big.

[coolmvm]

After seeing his website, I must say that I'm interested into this Scud character.

[RobbIrrgang]

I think the Drywall special, to me at the time, was the most beautifully produced book ever. Between this development and having my sister ship over my set of Scud / La Cosa Nostroid from Europe, I can't wait to get to reread stuff.

[blokhed]

That's a great interview. I'm really excited to see what Rob does next. I hope he does decide to do some more comics, because his art and storytelling are so unique and wonderful.

Oh yeah, and I hope they do a hardcover. I would buy that in a heartbeat.

[Renonevada2000]

Whoa, whoa, whoa!!!

Did he just say he is working on a feature film version of HEAT VISION AND JACK?!

Hot buttered poop!

[KingConan]

Originally Posted by King of Town

I went to a small time comic convention back in the mid 90's (you know, one room in a hotel in nowheresville) and one of the dealers had a whole original run of Scud. After reading about Scud in Wizard (they did an interview with him back in the mid 90's), I was excited and bought the whole run without ever having read an issue. I even got a first print of Scud #1.

A few years later, Mr. Schrab showed up at the CHicago Con (maybe even before Wizard took over), and he autographed my copy of #1.

I still have my whole run of the series, and I am excited to finally see what happens! CAN'T WAIT!

Ha, I was just going through my Scud collection just now, and I actually have an autographed copy of #1 also! I think #13 was the first issue I bought, I had been hearing about how good the book was, and I remember seeing that funky cool ass cover and picked it up. After reading it I was so impressed that I ordered the rest of the run from the back of the book and got the autographed #1 too. Some of the best money I ever spent on comics.

[AdyCarter]

Hmmm shocker toys, slow, I say thee nay!

[cookiejar]

i would sell my future chance at children to get a piece of original scud work....

that is how important this book is to my comic collection..