Who was that noir/gothic/steampunk dude?

October 4, 2009 10:58 AM

Super vague and obscure comicy question: Help me remember this steampunk/gothic/noir graphic-novel type story from the 1980's.

So, I'm struggling to remember a comic, which would have appeared either once or perhaps a few times, probably on the pages of Heavy Metal or Epic Magazine (or someplace similar), and which I suppose was printed sometime in the 1980's. According to my very hazy memory, this comic is set in a large city with a sort of Byzantine steampunk vibe (with a gothic/noir feeling too, perhaps, with lots of black, red, and brown in the drawings), and it follows a central character who is a tall, sort of gastly looking person who is some sort of constable, detective, or agent of the law, who sets out to solve a mystery or accomplish a goal of some sort.

Any guesses?

posted by washburn to media & arts (6 comments total)

I should perhaps add that I'm not thinking of anything to do with Judge Dredd, of course (the style of drawing, I should also have mentioned, was quite detailed and looked more like painting than a conventionally inked comic strip).

I might have some details wrong, however, so feel free to suggest any other candidates that seem close to what I'm seeking.
posted by washburn at 11:04 AM on October 4

This is a bit of a shot in the dark, but any chance it was Lazarus Churchyard? Not particularly steampunky and early 90s rather than 80s, but tall, ghastly, and black-red-brown.
posted by He Is Only The Imposter at 11:18 AM on October 4

Another shot in the dark. Luther Arkwright?
posted by Zed at 11:41 AM on October 4

Total longshot, but based on the publications you mentioned and the art style: Enki Bilal's The Nikopol Trilogy?
posted by Bron at 5:36 PM on October 4

The Long Tomorrow, Dan O'Bannon and Mobius?
Sorry for the Pirate Bay, but it has an illustration of the unmistakable style.
posted by the Real Dan at 11:07 PM on October 4

Baker Street?
posted by Ariadne at 7:37 AM on October 5