Jump to content

John Sable: Freelance


Vondy

Recommended Posts

Re: John Sable: Freelance

 

Another one of Mike Grell's wonderful series. I haven't read much of the series but what have read is wonderful. I think that he would make a great character for DC. HMMMm if you could give me some of his background maybe I could give it a go(my own knowledge is way to limited). But if anyone else want's to give it a go I would love to see it.

 

Take care and be well,

Grymour

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: John Sable: Freelance

 

The Hero Games Mike Grell Fan Club. I liked everything, but the Star Slayer Comic series. I liked the 1st Issue, but it sucked afterwords.

 

The Warlord

John Sable: Freelance

Maggie the Cat

James Bond 007 (mini series)

Shaman's Tears

Green Arrow

 

There was also a John Sable: Freelance Novel and a Movie that never materialized.

 

Cheers

 

QM

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Confusinator

Re: John Sable: Freelance

 

This was the comic that got me into collecting comics. I loved it! I've never written him up though, maybe I'll give it a try this weekend.

 

I did not realize there was a failed TV series based on the comics.

 

The newly released comics, are they done by Grell also?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: John Sable: Freelance

 

This was the comic that got me into collecting comics. I loved it! I've never written him up though, maybe I'll give it a try this weekend.

 

I did not realize there was a failed TV series based on the comics.

 

The newly released comics, are they done by Grell also?

 

I don't know. His name was on the cover, but I didn't pick it up to look inside.

CES

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: John Sable: Freelance

 

The newly released comics' date=' are they done by Grell also?[/quote']

 

Yeah -- he's both writing and illustrating it. I was only a casual John Sable fan when it was at First, but after reading issue one of the new series, I didn't think it was as good as the old one. Too many plot points introduced too quickly for me, and I was left pretty confused at the end of the issue. The art, however, is as good as ever.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: John Sable: Freelance

 

The thing is that Grell could and often did put many plot points in his series comics, but if I reall correctly he always tied them up, ususlly when you least expected it. Not like the jerrrrrrrrrrrr...ummmm... guys that took over Warlord when he left. *shudders* does anyone remember the whole Atlantis attacks Skartaris(sp?) thing? Anyway just give Mr. Grell a chance and all will become clear I am certain.

 

Take care and be well,

Grymour

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: John Sable: Freelance

 

The thing is that Grell could and often did put many plot points in his series comics, but if I reall correctly he always tied them up, ususlly when you least expected it. Not like the jerrrrrrrrrrrr...ummmm... guys that took over Warlord when he left. *shudders* does anyone remember the whole Atlantis attacks Skartaris(sp?) thing? Anyway just give Mr. Grell a chance and all will become clear I am certain.

 

Take care and be well,

Grymour

 

 

WHAT!!! Atlantis attacked Skartais. Naaahhh! Can't say as I do.

 

Denial preserves the beauty of the past against the revisions of later periods.

 

QM

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: Jon Sable: Freelance

 

My wife had a fit when I bought IDW's hardcover of the original 6 issues. I've already got it in softcover from way back in the day. This one is one of the signed and numbered books.

 

The six episode thing introduced Rene Russo to the world. She played Eden Kendall.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: John Sable: Freelance

 

I've got the complete run and novel. (Though I never bought the second series.)

 

Was there ever a Maggie The Cat #3? I never saw it. Wondered if it ever existed.

 

I was really bummed when Jon showed up in Shaman's Tears. I hated the introduction of all the superpowers stuff to his world. I absolutely loved the "real world" that Grell used.

 

Hated the update of the novel to present time. Setting Sable in the '80s, where he worked for Reagan, was at the '72 Olympics... all that stuff. That is what helped make the comic so strong. What I hate about most comics is that they don't ground the characters in any place and time... thus we lose any deep context for the Story. It is what ruins most series... that they never let the character grow and change and age along with the world... so things become utterly shallow and unengaging.

 

Luckily the original series still holds up. I used to read 'em with my Dad. He loved Sable... as well as the Miller Daredevil's and the Romita Jr./Layton Iron Man of the time. First trip to a comic specialty shop... my dad drove me. I remember picking up the first issue of Jon Sable... along with the Punisher/PCP issue of Daredevil. That place was called Monkey's Retreat... there is still one in Columbus, but at the time it was a head shop, and the guy behind the counter was so drunk he dropped and broke a bear bottle and the shop cat started licking up the spilled beer.

 

Did I notice this? Hell no... I was there for comics, but my dad tells the story about standing there in this utter pit of a store thinking, "Where in the world did I just bring my son?" We laugh about that to this day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Re: John Sable: Freelance

 

Jon Sable

Created by Mike Grell (art and text)

 

Mike Grell's JON SABLE was a freelance mercenary/gun for hire who lived in New York City. Oh, and writer. He wrote about his time in Vietnam, competing as a pentathlete in the Olympics in 1972, his safari business in east Africa and the subsequent murder of his wife and kids by poachers. After tracking down the killers, and avenging himself, he found himself back in the States, with no money, and no market for his novel. His agent convinced him to try his hand at children's books, and so far, he's had some success at that, under the pen name of B.B. Flemm. And he's even managed to fall in love again. But he still freelances.

 

Like the inside cover blurb goes: "Are you in trouble? Need a security expert? A Bodyguard? Someone smart, tough, and experienced? Call Jon Sable--freelance mercenary and paladin for hire."

 

He also had a very short-lived TV series (6 episodes) in the late 80's. Roving correspondent Janice Long reports: "I'll have to see if I have any tv books around that might describe it accurately. To the best of my recollection, he was indeed involved in some way with children's books, but I don't remember if he wrote them or illustrated them. I'm not sure that I would have considered him a detective, but then my memory is a little hazy on the whole thing. I also have some vague recollection of him painting his face before he went on his nightly forays. For some reason it seems that the face paint was red & black, but I may be confusing this with the cards in "Sword of Justice" or with another show entirely. (I told you I was hazy on this!) I remember some woman being in the show (girlfriend? editor? agent?), and there was also a male supporting role. (I think this was a youngish chubby blind guy named Cheesecake who was a computer expert. However, if this character sounds familiar to you from another show, I'm mixed up again.) Only 6 episodes? Gee, it seemed like it was on longer than that. And I'm mortified to admit that I watched it, although you'd never know it from the above description. For some unexplainable reason, it reminded me of T.H.E. Cat which fascinated me as a child."

 

And, in doing further research, it seems that Rene Russo was in it, as Sable's girlfriend, Eden. That's gotta count for something.

 

I missed this one completely but, in retrospect, everyone else seems to think the comic book, at least, was hot stuff. And it gained enough of a cult following that, in the summer of 2000, Grell wrote published his first Sable novel, the eponymously-titled Sable, that re-tells the story of those first five or six issues, and apparently drew considerable praise from fans and non-fans alike. More are promised.

 

Cheers

 

QM

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...