Looking to Hire a Zapgun? Why Not Buck Godot?

Looking for the quintessential sci-fi hero?

Four letters: B-U-C-K.

No.. not Rogers.

Buck Godot!

The creation of master cartoonist and gaming gadfly Phil Foglio.


Phil Foglio is the creator of many fine comics including the XXXenophile, Stanley and His Monster, Girl Genius, What's New (With Phil and Dixie), and Robert Asprin's MythAdventures. His artistic style is immediately recognizable, and his storytelling is often a bit on the bizarre side.

He's also a lot of fun to read if for no other reason than the strange things you might find in the backgrounds.

You read this stuff once for the story, again for the art, then yet again for the background art.


The Buck Godot series (named for its hero) is a science fiction adventure comic set in the far future. Mankind has spread out across the a strange and often violent galaxy, adapting and filling in the gaps as it goes. Some humans remain human, others adapt genetically to differing living conditions. The law, such as it is, is ruthlessly enforced by either a super-advanced alien being, or mysterious Law Machines. Those that get caught breaking the law are seldom seen again--not that that means the universe is a safe playground.




Welcome to New Hong Kong, a world which repealed all laws, so the Law Machines have nothing to enforce. Think of the words "wretched hive of scum and villainy" and you're on the right track. But it's not all bad. "Just because there are no laws doesn't mean there are no rules." On a planet where everyone is armed and dangerous, it makes even the most hardened outlaw consider the virtues of being polite to strangers.

On New Hong Kong lives our moustachioed hero, Buck Godot: Zap Gun for Hire. He's a Hoffmanite, i.e., a human from a high-gravity world--so he's big, and he's strong. Add to that his leet skills in anything that flies, and his crack shooting with his zap-gun "Junior" and you have the universe's most able mercenary.

Always available, but never free.

The three collections of Foglio's that make up the Buck Godot series track Buck's adventures in the known universe (known as The Gallimaufry). The first book, Buck Godot: Zap Gun For Hire includes a series short adventures of Buck's as he plays bodyguard to an overconfident thief, plays teleportation tag with a powerful alien being, helps his friend Asteroid Al with a consignment, and dealing with an overexuberant bounty hunter.

Welcome to it.

The next book, Buck Godot: PSmith mostly revolves around plot-lines in which Buck's bud Asteroid Al falls in love, Buck is hired to protect a strange device, Buck and Al are being menaced by an army of clones, and what to do with one infamous assassin/thief by the name of Der Rock the Destroyer.

Something to note while reading through these--you can see how Foglio's artwork develops over time. Buck Godot started back in the 80s as black and white comics. Over the years, Studio Foglio have been cleaning up the artwork and adding color. As new stories are written you can see the pencils and inks getting neater and more refined. You budding cartoonists and comic book artists--this is something to study. The rest of us can sit back and just enjoy.



The most recent collection is Buck Godot: The Gallimaufry in which Buck visits a space station which functions as a sort of intergalactic United Nations and is drawn into intrigue as a strange virus affects the human population and the mysterious Winslow (a dumb-looking alligator-like creature that is the focus of many of the galaxy's religions) is revealed to be in humanity's possession... and everyone wants the Winslow for themselves. Thus starts a rolicking, ambitious adventure of nearly 300 pages. How does it end? Well that's the trick. You'll have to read it to find out.

"But wait a minute, John," you're saying. "This all sounds very expensive."




"Pshaw," I say unto you.

The softcovers for the first two volumes go for $14.95 and $18.95 respectively. They're available via Amazon, or the Studio Foglio website, AishipEntertainment.com. Copies can often be had at convention dealer rooms--particularly those conventions where the Foglios appear.

What about the third volume?

It's not out quite yet. But never fear.

You can read all of this stuff for free!

Yes, it's available as a free webcomic at www.airshipentertainment.com/buck.html. Every single page in eye-popping color.


"So John," you're saying now, "why does this sound less like a review and more of a pimping? I mean, where's your objectivity?"

Screw it.

I've been a fan of Foglio's since his days drawing for Dragon magazine in the early 80s. He's the one cartoonist who has never disappointed me. If I can brighten your day by pimping out a classic series like Buck Godot then I've done some good in this world.


And like I said, you can read it for free--so where's the risk? And while you're reading free Buck Godot stories, check out the complete collection of Girl Genius comics, and the many pages from What's New. They're all there.

If you walk away disappointed, I will buy a hat and eat it.

Cheers!











For information on how to get your book, comic, movie, whatever reviewed on Falling Off the Shelf, or to send hate mail, feel free to contact me at john (at) johnteehan (dot) com.