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The other day we were joking about 80s comics weirdos/iconoclasts/content creators like Bob Burden and Steve Lafler — post-underground cartoonists who turned out sizable, notable bodies of work that appeared mostly in serial form, mostly based around very strong characters. It’s a format that has all but vanished. But here’s another near legendary practitioner of the same, Canadian legend David Boswell, creator of Reid Fleming, World’s Toughest Milkman. Boswell has just put all of Fleming’s adventures online in a pay-what-you-wish format, which most people will take to be free, but be a good sport and drop a few bucks, won’t you?

Boswell’s work is unique and indescribable, absurdist and romantic, equal parts Little Nemo and R. Crumb. If you’re just getting in to the series, you might want to go right to one of the later longer stories, Heartbreak Comics (a favorite of many) or the earlier collection, Rogues to Riches.

Also, if your into the holding things in your hands thing, IDW put out a poorly promoted print collection a few years back which is still available.

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8 COMMENTS

  1. I have the IDW hardcover and it’s worth every penny. One of the best comics ever. If you don’t bust a gut laughing you probably don’t have a soul.

    I met Mr. Boswell at TCAF and he autographed my copy. He’s quite a polite and pleasant gentleman; just the opposite of what you’d expect from Reid Fleming. I wish he had more work coming out.

    Forget the free stuff, go buy a copy of the hardcover and treat yourself to some of the finest comics ever.

  2. It’s impossible to overstate how funny, smart and brilliantly-written REID FLEMING is – it’s like reconfiguring Popeye for a ’70s Gene Hackman (who played a different Popeye). As did STARSTRUCK’s Elaine Lee, David Boswell is one of the greatest comics talents to emerge from the 1980s and now receive his due. I hope to see new work from him.

  3. The Reid Fleming hardcover is one of my most prized, and brilliant, possesions. In one of the greatest scenes in comics history, Reid drives his milk truck into a private swimming pool in the middle of a pool party. He hooks a rope to the axle and goes looking for help from the partygoers.
    Reid: Who’s the strongest man here?
    Man: I am.
    Reid pushes man to the ground.
    Reid: Wrong! I”M the strongest man here.

    A slice of heaven.

  4. I loved this comic in the 80’s I have the run in a comic box……somewhere. Thanks for pointing out the IDW Collection, secondary prices are extremely reasonable.

  5. I love Reid. He is a hero for his times, an ’employee’. Karl Marx would have loved him deeply.
    Brilliant illustration too, each one T-shirt worthy.

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