THB (comics)

Last updated
THB
Publication information
Publisher Horse Press
AdHouse Books
Format Ongoing series
Genre
Publication dateTHB
October 1994 - March 1995
THB: Mek-Power
2000 - 2001
Giant THB
2003
THB: Comics From Mars
2007-2010
No. of issuesTHB
6
THB: Mek-Power
4
Giant THB
1
THB: Comics From Mars
2
Creative team
Created by Paul Pope
Written by Paul Pope


THB is a creator-owned comic book series by Paul Pope.

Contents

Publication history

Pope self-published issue #1 of THB in 1994 through his own Horse Press — during a new wave of black-and-white independent comic books that included Bone , Hepcats , and Starchild .

Pope has sporadically published THB issues and short stories since its 1994 debut. The comics can be divided into two general categories:

  1. The main THB storyline (currently standing at 11 issues)
  2. Multiple short stories and short-story collections

THB main storyline to date

TitlePublication DatePublisherNotes
THB #1October 1994Horse Press (self-published)104 pages
THB #2December 1994Horse Press (self-published)56 pages
THB #3January 1995Horse Press (self-published)60 pages
THB #4February 1995Horse Press (self-published)56 pages
THB #5March 1995Horse Press (self-published)60 pages
THB 1.v.2Late 1995Horse Press (self-published)104 pages; re-publishing of THB #1 with approx. 40 new/re-drafted pages
THB: Mek-Power 6aAugust 2000Horse Press (self-published)72 pages
THB: Mek-Power 6bOctober 2000Horse Press (self-published)72 pages
THB: Mek-Power 6cNovember 2000Horse Press (self-published)72 pages
THB: Mek-Power 6dOctober 2001Horse Press (self-published)96 pages
Giant THB 1.v.2December 2003Horse Press (self-published)96 pages; first issue in the main storyline printed in an oversized format

Pope has said he plans to conclude the series' main storyline. In 2007, it was announced that the complete series would be published as Total THB—a multi-volume, full-color collection—by First Second Books. [1]

THB short stories and short-story collections

TitlePublication DatePublisher / Publication AppearanceNotes
"Pan-Fried Girl: Episode 67: The Tax Auditor"August 1995Appears in Dark Horse Presents #100.58-page story written/drawn with Jeff Smith
"Supergag Comics" / "Pistachio" / "Three Is A Magic Number"1996Three stories appearing in Buzz Buzz Comics Magazine (Horse Press, self-published)"Supergag Comics" is a 6-page "jam comic" between Pope and Jay Stephens [2]
Giant THB ParadeOctober 1996Horse Press (self-published)96 pages, tabloid-sized
P-City ParadeJanuary 1997Horse Press (self-published)84 pages; contains excerpts from unfinished THB story "Pig Dog Parade"
THB CircusJanuary 1998Horse Press (self-published)128 pages, tabloid-sized
"Hidden Face"June 1999Appears in Escapo (Horse Press, self-published)Color reprint of 8-page story that first appeared in THB Circus
THB M3: Mars' Mightiest MekDecember 1999Horse Press (self-published)64 pages
PULPHOPE.AOctober 2006 Adhouse Books Limited-edition ashcan, 200 copies printed [3]
THB: Comics from Mars #12007Adhouse Books36 pages; debuted at 2007 San Diego Comicon
THB: Comics from Mars #22010Adhouse Books36 pages
"Good Morning"2021Appears in LAAB comics tabloid newspaper (Issue #2), crowdfunded through Beehive Books [4] 1 page

Plot

A sci-fi story set on a future colonized Mars, THB chronicles the adventures of teenage girl HR Watson and THB, her super-powered bodyguard.

THB is a "Super-Mek" whose name stands for "Tri-Hydro Bi-oxygenate," a fictional molecule created by Pope. When un-activated, THB resembles a small rubber ball carried around by HR Watson; when activated with water, THB expands to take the form of a purple, seven-foot (215 cm) tall, super-powered humanoid resembling a genie.

HR is the daughter of wealthy robot manufacturer Clovis Watson, and lives with him in Velo City while attending classes at the Academy of Advanced Disciplines.

In the series' main storyline, HR's father makes plans to move his business outside the taxable boundaries of V-City and mine the asteroid belt, assisted by his bodyguard and right-hand man Mister McHaine. This attracts the attention of the ruling Buranchist Party, or "Bugfaces." The Bugfaces attempt to take HR in for questioning by sending a series of robot agents to capture her; one robot agent is delivered to her home disguised as a Steinway piano.

Following a series of wild chases, HR flees with THB across the desert to Plutonium City — hiding out with her older step-brother Percy and members of a popular musical group, the Complex Passions. She continues to evade capture while falling for the band's lead clarinetist, The Jiggler. She is assisted from afar by her best friend Lollie Perducci, daughter of a famous opera singer, and Lollie's intelligent pet Mister Pig-Dog.

Pope has also written and drawn numerous THB short stories, many of them chronicling the comic misadventures of HR and Lollie, as well as stand-alone tales featuring one-off characters set in other parts of the THB universe.

Awards

Notes

  1. MacDonald, Heidi (July 25, 2007). "THB lands at First Second". The Beat. Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on July 18, 2012.
  2. "GCD :: Issue :: Buzz Buzz Comics Magazine #1". www.comics.org. Retrieved 2022-10-22.
  3. MacDonald, Heidi (2006-10-12). "Syndicated Comics". The Beat. Retrieved 2022-10-22.
  4. "LAAB MAGAZINE #2: Eat / Shit". Beehive Books. Retrieved 2022-10-22.
  5. 1995 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award Nominees and Winners, the Comic Book Awards Almanac

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