There are many superheroes who have stood the test of time, seeing continuous publication for most of the past century. Then there are the oddballs. The outliers. The heroes who might have won an award or gotten an action figure, but whose comic books are cancelled almost as soon as they are announced. Such is the lot of the superheroes of the cult classic comic book.
What defines a Cult Classic Comic Book?
Cult classics are a hard thing to quantify. Some think a true cult classic comic book has to be ignored by everyone – not just the mainstream. Others think some sort of longevity is required, defying the odds to keep going over the years, even if only as a succession of limited series. The following list tries to keep both ideals in mind.
Flaming Carrot
Many are the mystery men who protect the lesser known cities of America. Yet in the suburb of Iron City known as Palookaville, there is but one masked hero ready to stand against the forces of evil. He is known as the Flaming Carrot and his deeds are as legendary as they are weird.
The Flaming Carrot has no super powers. However, he has an impressive arsenal including a nuclear-powered pogo-stick and a utility belt filled with sneezing powder and laughing gas. He can also enter a state of “Zen Stupidity” that gives him the courage to face perils that are nearly as insane as him. Reportedly, he mastered this skill after reading 5000 comic books in a single sitting and suffering irreversible brain damage.
The creation of Bob Burden, the Flaming Carrot has come far since his first appearance in a program for the 1979 Atlanta Fantasy Fair. Several independent publishers have handled the “Ut!” exclaiming vigilante over the years, including Aardvark-Vanaheim, Dark Horse Comics, Image Comics, and Renegade Press. Despite this, and crossovers with the likes of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Cerebus, the Flaming Carrot continues to be an independent icon and iconoclast. As Burden once put it, “Flaming Carrot was to the regular superheroes what Huckleberry Finn was to Tom Sawyer.”
Damage Control
One question frequently asked by Marvel Comics readers was how Manhattan got rebuilt so quickly. It seemed like some masked menace or another would trash NYC every week. Yet somehow, it would be in pristine condition in time for the next alien invasion. This was ultimately revealed to be the world of the construction firm known as Damage Control.
The brainchild of Anne Marie Hoag, Damage Control was co-owned by both Tony Stark and Wilson Fisk. Iron Man and Kingpin did not agree on much, yet could work together to see their city being rebuilt every natural (and unnatural) disaster. However, the employees of Damage Control also worked to stop these events before they resulted in more work. Perhaps the most famous instance of this was their stopping a fight between the New Warriors and Hulk at Yankee Stadium.
The brainchild of writer Dwayne McDuffie and artist Ernie Colon, Damage Control was ahead of its time. While many post-modern comic books explored the logistics of how superheroes change a society, none managed it with as much depth or humor as Damage Control. The organization has continued to operate quietly in the comics. It has even been introduced into the MCU. However, none of the series based around their exploits have lasted longer than five issues.
Starman (1994-2001)
DC Comics published adventures with several heroes called Starman over the years, yet there was no link or legacy between them. The 1994 Starman series set out to create that common mythology. However, it also became a rebuttal of the ethos of the Dark Age of Comics.
The series centered around Jack Knight, who was the black sheep of his family. His older brother, David, was the Jacob to Jack’s Esau; a scholar-athlete, just like their father. By contrast, Jack was a geek, more interested in collectibles and art than science or sports. So, when it came time for Ted Knight to retire as the superhero Starman, there was no doubt who would take up his cape.
One week later, David Knight was dead, Ted Knight was hospitalized, and Opal City was threatened by a crime wave. This was quickly determined to be the work of Starman’s arch-enemy, The Mist. This left Jack Knight reluctantly taking up his father’s mantle to save their city. In time, however, Jack grows to embrace his father’s legacy, and learns of the other heroes called Starman.
On the surface, Jack Knight appeared to be a slacker anti-hero typical of the era. Instead of a cape and tights, he wore goggles and a leather jacket. However, the new Starman’s heart was pure Golden Age idealism under his snark. Jack’s journey explores how being a hero and being a good person are not the same thing, as he slowly matures into both.
Howard the Duck
The name of Howard the Duck has a number of connotations in popular culture. Most recall the 1986 film that was the first feature-length film based on a Marvel property and a box office bomb. Few, however, will think of the comic book that started it all.
Howard first appeared in 1973’s Adventure into Fear #19. He was one of many multiversal refugees to cross paths with Man-Thing. Howard’s snarking about the insanity of the horror around him proved popular, leading to more appearances and his own solo series in 1976.
“Trapped in a world he never made,” Howard tried to build a normal life for himself on Earth. Unfortunately, fate (and writer Steve Gerber) kept throwing him against various weird villains. This included the likes of the bell-headed Dr. Bong and Sudd, “The Scrubbing Bubble That Walks Like A Man!”
Howard the Duck’s first solo series only lasted 31 issues, before being rebranded as a more mature comic magazine. That only lasted 9 issues, There was also a short-lived newspaper strip. Sadly, Gerber’s legal battles with Marvel sent the character into obscurity, even as Hollywood was working on his movie.
Since that time, Howard has made a few cameos, usually teaming with other comedic heroes like She-Hulk and Squirrel Girl. His solo series was also revived a few times, most recently in 2015. However, despite a firm following among fans of satiric comic books, Howard remains a B-list bird.
Hitman (1996-2001)
As a Marine, Tommy Monaghan was praised for his combat skills. Fighting and killing came naturally to him as a native of the rough Gotham City neighborhood known as “The Cauldron.” When his tour of duty ended, he fell into the life of a typical contract killer. However, after the bite of an alien parasite triggered his metagene, Tommy became an atypical Hitman.
Armed with telepathy and x-ray vision, Tommy rebrands himself as a specialist in killing superhumans and supernatural threats. However, Tommy prefers to rely on his combat skills and improvisational abilities. All these serve him well, as he faces threats including gods, dinosaurs, and zombie sea animals.
Hitman is widely regarded as one of the greatest comics few people have ever read. It is packed full of the dark humor that co-creators Garth Ennis and John McCrea are famous for. And yet, Hitman won the 1999 Eisner Award for Best Single Issue. This was presented for the uncharacteristically optimistic story “Of Thee I Sing” in Hitman #34, in which Tommy has a surprisingly touching conversation with Superman.
How we chose the best Cult Classic Comic Books
Given that this site is SuperHeroHype, the main criteria for this list was comic books that feature superheroes or were superhero adjacent. Beyond that, the main criteria was series that have devout followings, but never served as the focus of a successful adaptation. While Howard the Duck may have had several MCU appearances voiced by Seth Green, he has yet to have a solo series. The same could be said of Starman, because while the first Stargirl comics spun out of that series, they also did not make extensive use of Jack Knight.
