For anyone familiar with GWAR’s on-stage antics, B-movies, and overall mythology over their 30-plus years of slaughtering and enslaving humans.
But I’m getting ahead of myself…
For a little background on that mythos, the key members of GWAR, a group of intergalactic warriors known as the Scumdogs of the Universe, came to Earth millions of years ago under orders from their boss, The Master. They had sex with monkeys, creating humans in the process, and also created music. Then they were frozen during the Ice Age.
At some point in the 1980s, our lords and masters thawed out. Let’s just blame that on the holes in the ozone layer created by all of the CFCs from the rise of hair bands and big hair in general. Renowned pompadoured manager Sleazy P. Martini discovered them, introducing the Scumdogs to the joys of smoking crack and playing heavy metal.
In the years since, they’ve toured the world, slaying or enslaving audiences. Sometimes, that involves feeding them to the World Maggot or their pet tyrannosaurus, Gor-Gor. And along the way, they’ve crossed swords with intergalactic villains like the Destructos (Techno, Sawborg, and Bozo), The Master, Cardinal Syn, the Reaganator, Dr. Skulheadface, and my personal favorites, the Morality Squad.
That’s the basics, give or take a few details. And for Bohabs (GWAR’s name for their fans) who’ve enjoyed that mythos, the first issue of GWAR: Orgasmageddon is a great addition.
Written by longtime GWAR slave Matt Maguire with Matt Miner (writer of Toe Tag Riot and Critical Hit), the story opens during a GWAR show, with the band killing a hipster and a skinhead. Blothar, Balsac the Jaws of Death, Beefcake the Mighty, Pustulus Maximus, Jizmak Da Gusha, Bonesnapper the Cave Troll, and Sleazy are then attacked by Sawborg Destructo.
Ultimately joined by GWAR woman Slymenstra Hymen and GWAR girl Estrogina Lugubrious, the fray is eventually interrupted by Mr. Perfect — a villain who, in GWAR lore, is responsible for the death of original vocalist Oderus Urungus, and whose meat rocket is hijacked by our heroes.
The ship helps them escape into the timestream, where they wreck havoc upon a number of historical periods with their mix of scatological humor and over-the-top violence. In one of the issue’s best moments, they end up changing the course of rock history when they reach the ‘90s.
A duo of backup stories include one that pays homage to the X-Cops, another project of the late Dave Brockie (Oderus Urungus), with writing by longtime GWAR slave Bob Gorman, and a short that follows the antics of the slaves themselves.
The visuals, meanwhile, have a great cartoonish feel that meshes well with the band’s campy, bad-acid-trip ridiculousness. They’re easy to follow and serve the story being told, which is really all you need from a comic based on a heavy metal band.
While it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, GWAR: Orgasmageddon is sure to be a favorite among the band’s rabid cult following.
