Classic Shaolin Cowboy Series ‘Start Trek’ Gets Collected By Dark Horse
by Hannah Means Shannon
We’ve been in a bumper season of Geof Darrow’s work, with a new series of Shaolin Cowboy in 2017 from Dark Horse, and then a lovely art book, Lead Poisoning: The Pencil Art of Geof Darrow, published in 2017 as well. If you, like me, were still pouring over those volumes, but feeling a little bit glum at the idea that there might be nothing new to obsess over for quite some time, the most reassuring news possible has emerged from Dark Horse.
The publisher is going to be collecting and printing all 7 issues of Shaolin Cowboy: Start Trek, the now rare comic that started it all. The comics were written and drawn by Darrow, and colored by Pete Doherty, Alex Wald, and Lovern Kindzierski, as well as containing classic Shaolin Cowboy illustrations by Moebius (Jean Giraud), Richard Delgado, Mike Mignola, Kevin Nowlan and John Severin. Reassuringly, the debut of this story won an Eisner Award in 2006.
The collection of all of these classic tales will feature a new cover by Geof Darrow colored by Dave Stewart.
Dark Horse Publisher Mike Richardson says:
My friend Geof Darrow is a comics visionary. He is truly an independent spirit with an outrageous sense of humor and an unparalleled level of craftsmanship. I’m thrilled for Dark Horse to bring this story back into print, alongside the other Shaolin Cowboy hardcover collections, as well as his iconic collaborations with Frank Miller—Hard Boiled and Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot—and Lead Poisoning: The Pencil Art of Geof Darrow.
In Shaolin Cowboy: Start Trek, the Shaolin Cowboy travels the “action-packed path of three enemies”. The enemies include “those from the past, who still pursue him, those from the future who are waiting for him, and those from the present who find killing him isn’t going to be as easy as he looks”. Sounds like a perfect Shaolin Cowboy tale to me.
Darrow comments, with characteristic humor:
I’d like to say this book is akin to Eugene O’Neill’s “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” with guns, swords, and Kung Fu. But only the guns, swords, and kung fu would be accurate.
If you’re new to Geof Darrow’s work, this is the place to start. In addition to his creator-owned series Shaolin Cowboy, Darrow worked with Moebius, designed for television (including Super Friends, Richie Rich, and Pac-Man) and films (including The Matrix and Speed Racer), has collaborated with Frank Miller and Andrew Vachss, and produces highly sought after comic covers featuring his intricate art style.
Look forward to Shaolin Cowboy: Start Trek debuting at SDCC ’18 this July 2018.
