While "researching" a recent Nexus Graphica, I had reason to look through my collection of Comics Of Unusual Size. This set of the big and small and odd of comicdom offers many gems. Deciding that I really should share some of these largely forgotten and sometime rare pieces, I’m taking you through a tour of the more interesting selections.

Legend states that sometime in 1970s cartoonist Michael T. Gilbert ran across an old, coverless comic book featuring Mr. Monster. Unable to find anything about the obscure character, Gilbert decided to modernize the monster-hunter feature for Vanguard Illustrated #7 (Pacific Comics, 1984). Throughout the next two decades, the often-humorous and always interesting Mr. Monster stories appeared in various publications from Eclipse, Dark Horse, Atomeka, Fantagraphics, Caliber, Image, and Tundra.

While with Tundra, Gilbert planned for three Mr. Monster titles that employed the talents of George Freeman, Scott Deschaine, and Tom Buss and others: Mr. Monster Monster Attacks(1992), Mr Monster Presents Crack-a-boom! (published by Caliber, 1997), and Mr. Monster’s Gal… Friday (published by Image, 2000). As with most things Tundra, the company went under before the latter two could be published.

For the 1994 San Diego Comic Con, Gilbert produced a b&w ashcan promoting all three titles with teasers from several stories. The Mr. Monster Ashcan Comix No. 1 was signed and limited to 200 copies.

Back cover by Buss

Layout by Gilbert Art by Buss

Layouts by Deschaine Art by Gilbert

Layouts by Gilbert Art by Freeman