Preacher on HBO: A Match Made In Heaven!

I didn't initially like Garth Ennis' comic series Preacher when it came out about a decade ago. I only bought the first issue because my local comic store owner gave it a soft sell: "Buy it, take it home and read it, and if you don't like it, bring it back next week and I'll refund your money." That's a pretty tough offer to turn down, so I didn't. I read it and could admire the skillful writing and pleasant art, but the storyline just didn't appeal. I didn't return # 1 to the store, but I also didn't buy the next issue, or the one after, and so on. Around about the time it was hitting # 15, I guess, I had a chance to buy a page of original artwork from the series, while in Chicago. Not only that, but creator Ennis was at the convention that year, and in a panel I was attending. So I took the page up to him after the panel, and asked if he'd mind signing it. The funny thing is: I'd bought the page, and gotten it signed, intending to give it to a then-friend who was a Preacher fan. Therefore Garth wrote something like "To John.. Cheers, Mate!" as well as signing the page. The friend, John, lived a long ways away, though, which meant that I was going to be holding on to it for awhile until I saw him next. And before that happened, two events occurred that reduced his chances of ever getting that page right down to zero.

First, I became disenchanted with the friend, for a variety of reasons, including some comic transactions between us in which he didn't keep up his end of the bargain. Piddly stuff, but just enough to piss me off and make me wonder why I'd give him a page of original artwork that I'd spent $100 or more on.

And, I started reading Preacher (again). At this point, I'd missed a good chunk of issues, but I was still able to enjoy the latest issues, and it seemed like it had improved a bit in the meantime. I'll admit that my brief conversation with its author, that day in Chicago, probably also factored into my feelings toward the series. He was extremely friendly, and happy to talk to me, and it was his idea to do more than just sign the page for me. He was visibly impressed that I'd bought the page for an absent chum, and told me I was quite a friend to do that. As I often say in situations like this: he was the anti-Byrne (the opposite of comic pro John Byrne, who I've watched treat his own fans like crap whenever our paths cross). And that sort of thing actually counts with me. I know it should only be about the writing or art itself, but I can't help it: if you're a generous person when I meet you, I'm just that much more likely to enjoy your work!

So there I was, picking up new issues of Preacher, and liking the series more each month. Of course then I wanted to find the missing issues, which thankfully didn't include # 1, since it was fetching about $40 on the back issue market by that point. # 2 probably cost me $10 or so, and the rest were less. Before long, after once again enjoying the thrill of the chase, I had a full run up to the current issue. And I joyfully continued to support the title through the rest of its life, wrapping up a few years later, not due to poor sales (it was one of DC's highest selling Mature Readers title) but simply because Ennis had told the story he set out to tell. I won't say much about the story, since I wouldn't want to spoil any surprises, but suffice it to say that the three main characters are Jesse Custer (the title character), his girlfriend Tulip and an Irish vampire named Cassidy, and they share the book with antagonists like the Saint of Killers and Arseface. Completely irreverent, funny as Hell, and ultra violent, it's a terribly entertaining ride.

And now word comes that HBO is going to do a Preacher TV series. I'm more than a little leery about the likelihood of them doing it right, but I suppose now's the time to fantasize about how cool it could be! I think the comic series could easily translate to TV, at least cable TV where violence, strong language and profane images are allowed. Some of the contents of this story would turn the religious right's hair white, were they to see it. But we'll see how much of that makes it onto the screen. I'm hopeful that someone like Showcase in Canada will pick it up, although I imagine it'll be at least a year behind HBO's broadcast of it. This might be something where I'd lay down the cash for Season 1 on DVD, if the reviews were good. It definitely was one of my favourite series by the time it ended. In fact, just writing this blog entry has made me want to pull the comics out and re-read them. With Christmas holidays coming up, I think that's a plan, Stan!

Update: I couldn't post any links last night because of some weirdness within Blogspot that seems to have corrected itself today. You can read a bit more about Preacher on HBO here.