Brubaker And Phillips Give Us A Dark History Of Comics In Bad Weekend From Image

by Olly MacNamee

Partners in crime, or rather the partners of the comic book ongoing Criminal, Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips have a new hardback graphic novel coming out from Image Comics called Bad Weekend, which explores the history of comics “through the genre lens of crime fiction, bringing readers on a dark ride through the secret history of an industry that’s always been haunted by crooks, swindlers and desperate dreamers.”

In Bad Weekend, we meet Hal Crane, a legendary cartoonist who’s been around since the earliest days of comics. Hal knows that comics won’t just break your heart. Comics will kill you. Stuck at an out-of-town convention waiting to receive a lifetime achievement award, Crane must confront a history of old grudges and terrible mistakes.

Brubaker expands on this fascinating book, which first saw light of day as a back-up strip in Criminal issues #2 and #3 ahead of your first look at this book:

I feel like this is a comic I’ve been writing in my head most of my career. Hal Crane isn’t based on anyone in particular. But bits and pieces of his history are lifted from sad tales and sordid gossip that you hear over the years in this business, especially about the old days. Gambling. Drinking. Prostitution. Theft. Death. There’s always been a darkness at the edge of comics and I wanted to explore that in Bad Weekend. Is this a expose of the industry? Sort of, but it’s a love letter to the medium, as well.