Groo the Wanderer as an Allegory of US Foreign Policy

Nah I’m just joshin’ ya. I’m not about to make that comparison or bring politics into this blog. Crazy!

I have fond memories of Sergio Aragones' Mad magazine work. As a kid, I could always count on finding a copy of Mad even in the rural supermarkets or drugstores of upstate New York when we were camping or in the Islands. A lot of the political satire and social commentary went over my head, but I was always fascinated and impressed with Sergio’s art. There was just so much going on - he manages to cram in so much detail that keeps you looking long after you’ve gotten the joke.

Later on, I managed to discover Marvel’s Epic production of Groo the Wanderer. By this time, I’d mostly stopped buying any DC or Marvel comics and wasn’t interested in superhero faire (unless Alan Moore was involved - Miracleman / Watchmen). I'd been a fan of Plop! and when I realized that this Groo wasn’t just a one-shot I subscribed for the next three years.

I’ve gotten rid of a lot of comics over time, bouncing back and forth between the East and West coasts, but I always held onto those first thirty six issues of Groo. I thought of them after getting the DC: AD&D comics in the mail the other day and took them out of storage to re-read. I’ll be watching out for magic items and silly plot ideas to steal.

Fans of Groo and old lead might be interested to know that Dark Horse cast a Groo mini way back when. I saw one go for $26 on eBay this week.

At one time there were plans for a Groo the Wanderer movie. I’m hoping to hear back from Mark Evanier about whether it's still in production.