Epicurus the Sage

One of the classic(al) large-format square-bound comics of the early 1990's is back. Epicurus the Sage by William Messner-Loebs and Sam Kieth is back in print, and in stores again today. I was "on hiatus" from buying comics at the time (as were a lot of people) and missed Epicurus when the original volumes came out, but I'd heard they were good, and now - thanks to a fresh collection with a new story added - I finally got a chance to buy it.

Artist Sam Kieth is probably the better known of the creative duo behind Epicurus, with the fairly high-profile series The Maxx in the mid-90's (which Loebs helped write), and some recent projects published by DC Comics. His wildly cartoony style gives Epicurus much of its charm.

But the writer is at least as important, and also one of the reasons I was eager to buy this book new, rather than searching for the original volumes at comics conventions. Bill Loebs is a great writer... and quite frankly, he needs every dollar he can get. I'll get back to that, but for now I'll focus on the book. Epicurus is a real historical philosopher (founder of Epicureanism), whom Loebs hijacks as the vehicle to tell some smartly funny stories about ancient Athenian philosophers, Greek gods, and Hellenic heroes. He nabs Socrates, Plato, Aristottle, and young Alexander the Great, and assorted minor philosophers as well, poking good-natured fun of them. You don't need to be familiar with these folks, but it adds more depth to the humor if you do. Loebs has an obvious affection for these historical characters... but an equally obvious disrespect for them as well. That's healthy. And lots of fun.

Bill Loebs was never a "big name" writer, but (among other assignments) wrote the adventures of the Flash, and Wonder Woman for several years. His extended run writing princess Diana the Amazon was hampered by cheesecake illustration that fell far short of the preceding artists', but his years-long stewardship of the Flash was noteworthy for the first formal "outing" of a mainstream gay superhero. In one issue, the Piper, a former villain but now a friend and ally of the Flash, mentions that he is gay. The Flash freaks out, but quickly recovers (he's the fastest man alive, after all) and everything's good again.

But the career of a freelance comics writer is always precarious, and after Flash and Wondy, Loebs found himself without much of any paying work. Combined with his wife Nadine's medical bills, their finances have been screwed over to the point of losing their home, and rapidly becoming indebted to their new landlord and the storage facility holding their worldly belongings. Comics fans rallied to support them, but a one-time infusion of cash only goes so far. Buying Loebs' work not only gives him some royalties but also helps establish that more of his work should be reprinted, and may even help him get some new gigs. The decision to reprint Epicurus was based in equal parts on the quality of the material, and the fact that Loebs deserves - and needs - a break.

But even if you don't give a damn about Bill and Nadine, Epicurus is worth picking up for its own sake. As I said, Kieth does a fantastic job with the illustrations, and Loebs turns out a smart satire of classical philosophers and culture that's both silly and fully appropriate for mature readers.

On the other hand, if you just want to help out the Loebses, you can send a check (made out to William F. Loebs) to them at PO Box 558, Pinckney, MI 48169. Or if you have a PayPal account, you can send money to BillMLoebs@aol.com.