Dark Horse to Publish ‘Herbie’ Archive
My previously documented fascination with Herbie, "The Fat Fury," received a shot in the arm yesterday, courtesy of this observation by Tom Spurgeon: Apparently, Dark Horse Comics has quietly announced plans to collect the Ogden Whitney series in a new print edition.
The Dark Horse Comics product profile for the edition had this to say about what it will contain:
Herbie Archives Volume 1 collects the earliest appearances of Herbie, as he battles monsters, bends time and space, and gets the better of Fidel Castro! Herbie is a delightfully weird, all-ages barrel of laughs!
The collection will feature 224 pages of full-color, lollipop-sucking action in hardcover form, and carries a $49.95 pricetag.
While I’m excited about the collection, I can’t help but wish for a cheaper, softcover version that I won’t feel so bad about lending out. Nevertheless, it goes on sale August 20, 2008 — just a few weeks after my birthday. How convenient, eh?
I wish there were a more-afforable version, too, since I'd like to give Herbie a try. It's one of those things I've heard about for years but never read. I'd probably like it, but I'm not sure if I want to spend $50 to find out.
It doesn't help that back issues are so expensive, either. You'll probably pay upwards of $15-20 for a single issue at a convention.
This is a series that couldn't be published today — not with Herbie's daddy constantly calling his son a "fat little nothing." Personally, I think it's right up there with the original Kid Eternity as an amazing fantasy series. Funny, too.