Richard Johnston's Dirtbag

What is Dirtbag?

The Story So Far...

Current Issues

Other Dirtbag Appearances

What is Dirtbag?

Dirtbag is Richard Johnston's continuing story about a teleporting sentient trash heap, and the folks who inhabit it.

The Story So Far...

 

Steve Harris, a police sergeant from Newcastle, England, has been abducted by aliens. Well, actually just one alien,

Midge Xypher, a large, smelly gray being with a penchant for throwing large heavy objects and the rather useful skill of not dying when fatally assaulted.You should try it, it's quite handy.

Midge has taken Steve aboard the Dirtbag, a teleporting, sentient trash heap of sorts. The Dirtbag has unimaginable powers like the ability to jump dimensions, synthesize food, drink and party favors, brainwash its passengers, find missing socks, and blend in to alien environments. It also has a bit of a scatterbrained personality and an incurable wanderlust.

This sort of thing doesn't go over so well with Dirtbag's actual owners, who have sent the bailiffs Group Four to recapture it. They've been in hot pursuit ever since the exciting cliff-hanger in issue #1. You should have been there...

Not that our twosome are alone, either. The Dirtbag has also been invaded by Baptist , an ill-tempered cyborg designed to seamlessly infiltrate human society, never mind the blue skin. Well, not so much invaded, more like Baptist turned up and kinda stayed. Hey, he gets free beer. His tendency to slice and dice anything that moves was built-in on purpose and is a great party trick.

Also present is Bad Girl, stowaway, aspiring lumberjack, and all-around murderous nuisance. She kinda killed Midge who then kinda possessed her body, morphed it to his own shape, and spat out a shrunken version of her.

Then, there's a Group 4 guy on board, too. The same thing happened to him that happened to Bad Girl.

Killing Midge Xypher probably isn't a good idea. That is if you like your height. In revenge, they shrunk him down to their own size.

There are quite a few others on board, too. On ice, mind you.

Don't know why, really. Dirtbag does, but it's not telling. Either that, or it doesn't remember. Does the phrase "mysterious past" mean anything to you? Thought so...

And speaking of mysterious pasts, Midge is visiting his right now. Or should that be right then? Bad Girl and the Group Four guy gave him a good thrashing and he was sucked into a wormhole. He is none too happy to be facing a merciless dictator with a familiar face. The one Midge sees in the mirror when he brushes his teeth every month. Not only that, but this whole mess just might be all Midge's fault.

As they say, hijinks abound. Beer, too.

Rather invaluable with so many grumpy folks on board. And it's not like our abductee, Steve, is idly standing by for all this, either. After all, his name keeps coming up in strange unexpected places, and he'd rather like to get to the bottom of all this.

Or so he thinks...

It's a mystery-thriller-comedy-science fiction-political adventure merging genres and art styles. It's called Dirtbag and there's never been anything like it. Except Doom Patrol, Hitchhikers Guide, The Maxx, Lethargic Lad, Strangehaven... oh sod it!

Current Issues

 

Dirtbag 1

Introduces intergalactic vagabond Midge Xypher, his captive Steve Harris, and the teleporting trash heap Dirtbag.

Midge and Dirtbag are on the run from Group 4, a ruthless gang of intergalactic balliffs tasked to capture it. If they're in such a hurry, why have they stopped to pick up a passenger, anyway?

18 page story, black and white cover (color it yourself model) with Jam artwork from Richard Johnston, Simon Bisley, Brian Bolland, Dave Sim and Gerhard, and others.

Mike adds: Nice Frank Miller swipe on inside front cover.

 

Dirtbag 2

In the clutches of a Group 4 strike force, Midge proves to have a rather novel solution to the problem of fatal injuries.

Once escaped, Midge solves a small Image problem, and the sword-wielding cyborg Baptist makes his first appearance. Also introduces "The Collector."

Another black and white cover -- get out the crayons, kids. Jam artwork from Eddie Campbell, Mark Buckingham (a sketch of M******man), Jeff Smith, Paul Grist, Glyn Dillon, Sean Philips, Woodrow Phoenix and Duncan Fegredo.

 

Dirtbag 3

You've picked up an earthling, you've escaped the clutches of Group 4, so now what are you going to do? Crash a party, of course.

On the way, Midge tells a story about a particularly evil bogeyman/dictator.

Last of the celebrity jam covers, this one with artwork from Neil Gaiman (!) and Bryan Talbot.

 

Dirtbag 4

Stopping on an alternate Earth to "pick up a few things," the Dirtbag crew meet the superhero Wrax. We learn a bit more about Midge's history and his connection to Steve Harris.

Mike colored this one so you wouldn't have to. Wrax is the creation of Gary St. Lawrence, and was slated for inclusion in Malibu's Ultraverse, back when there was a Malibu.

 

Dirtbag 5

Our infamous "Bad Girl/Cheesecake" issue.

Don't worry -- it's not what you think...

Midge opens up the proverbial Pandora's box when he releases the murderous Bad Girl from stasis. Roberta Gregory fans might find Bad Girl a touch familiar, if you know what I mean...

One of Mike's favorite covers. He had a great time coloring the gun, you see...

 

 

Dirtbag 6

A new look, and a new 32-page format for Dirtbag launches the story arc "Pasts". Sucked into a wormhole, Midge confronts a familiar-looking dictator, and the plot thickens.

Backup features abound in the new format, including a few X-Flies blackouts, a new Bebe Williams story, more from Mark Stafford, Josh Carroll, and Roger Langridge's "Bill the Clown".

 

Dirtbag 7

Concludes the Pasts storyline. Midge finds his way back to the present. The dictator meets his destiny, leaving a tragic legacy of violence. Steve gets a visitor. Baptist gets a cooking lesson.

Backups include a new "Life Bytes" chapter from Fabian Nicieza, more "Bill the Clown" from Roger Langridge, a couple of Bebe Williams shorts, a short preview of X-Flies Bug Hunt, Mark Stafford's "What's Your Band Called?", and our infamous "Celebrate Diversity" parody on the back cover.

Released just about the time Diamond Distribution bought Capitol City, this issue qualifies as out-and-out rare, despite a warm reception from critics and readers.

Other Dirtbag Appearances

Chapters of the Dirtbag story have also appeared in the X-Flies books:
X-Flies Special #1:
"The Ones Left Behind" 		Set on Earth sometime after Steve Harris' disappearance and before Dirtbag 6, this chapter introduces Becky.
X-Flies Conspiracy:
"Dirtbag Pasts Prelude"
 Actually the first part of the story given in issues 6 and 7 of Dirtbag. Explains how he gets sucked into the past in the first place.
X-Flies Bug Hunt #1:
"Dirtbag Presents: A Gift Horse in the Mouth" 		The beginning of the next major Dirtbag Arc, "Presents." The Dirtbag crew must deal with the fallout from some very special gifts from The Collector, not the least of which is Steve's girlfriend Becky.
X-Flies Bug Hunt #2:
"Dirtbag Presents: Horse to Water" 		 It's sort of like Christmas, as the Dirtbag crew try to open their gifts, and vice versa. It's also somewhat of a reunion of the Baptist clan...
X-Flies Bug Hunt #3:
"Dirtbag Presents: Horses for Courses" 		Group 4 has caught up with the Dirtbag, and things aren't going so well, particularly for Baptist.
X-Flies Bug Hunt #4:
"Dirtbag Presents: Conclusion" 		The Dirtbag is up for auction, and nobody seems to be taking it well. More is revealed about Becky.

Back to Titles Index

©1994-1998 Twist and Shout Comics. All Rights Reserved