An ashcan is a type of preview, reprinting a part of the comic with extra features. Usually the ashcans I’ve seen are in black in white, including the one I actually have for Ninjak during the Acclaim Comics/Valiant Heroes period. The version on comiXology here is in color.
Is it ironic that I can’t think of a good riff for this cover?
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Comic ashcan edition
Dark Horse Comics (July, 2018)
CREATOR: Joel Hodgson
DEVELOPERS: Joel Hodgson & Harold Buchholtz
WRITERS: Joel Hodgson, Harold Buchholtz, Matt McGinnis, Mary Robinson, Seth Robinson, & Sharyl Volpe
ARTISTS: Mike Manley (in-comic) and Todd Nauck (real world & cover art)
COLORISTS: Wes Dzioba & Mike Manley
LETTERER: Michael Heisler
Kinga Forester has created a machine that transport people into public domain comics, as she demonstrates by sending Max into a story from Fawcett’s Funny Animals #2 (you can read the original comic here) before sending Jonah and the bots into the comic Johnny Jason, Teen Reporter (that one is right here). However, Servo ends up taking Johnny’s place in the story, which involved the reporter being sent to talk to a fellow teenager as part of an investigation into a missing actress.
I haven’t read the full miniseries but between this and Brian Heinz’s review below I don’t think I want to. What makes the show fun is watching the host and robots making fun of the movie, not taking part in them. There is a special balloon design for when dialog is inserted into the comic but it comes off less as riffing and more parody, and while it isn’t a bad thing necessarily it doesn’t work for me as someone looking for a comic version of the MST3K experience.
It’s not the first time Dark Horse has tried to make a comic based on this show. I remember a solicit for it (I think it was Dark Horse) back during the Sci-Fi Channel days with Mike but for whatever reason it didn’t happen. If it would have been like this story I’m not sure we missed out on anything. I like the show but the comic just doesn’t hold up, though I give them credit for trying.
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