Lloyd Llewellyn
Encyclopedia
Lloyd Llewellyn is a comic book
by Daniel Clowes
. The black-and-white
series, published by Fantagraphics Books
, ran for six issues from April 1986
to June 1987. A final "special" issue was published in December 1988.
The series' titular character
is a detective
who has humorous adventures inspired by film noir
and stereotypical 1950s lounge culture. Llewellyn has a sidekick
who goes by the name of Ernie Hoyle. The series' police
sergeant is called "Red" Hoerring
. The series' visual style is influenced by lowbrow art.
The story "The Nightmare" from Lloyd Llewellyn #6 foreshadowed the approach of Clowes's next comic, Eightball
, by breaking the conventions of the series' crime
setting and turning to social satire
. Also in that issue, the author announces:
Early issues of Eightball included several additional Lloyd Llewellyn episodes. The character also made various cameo appearance
s in other Eightball stories.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
by Daniel Clowes
Daniel Clowes
Daniel Gillespie Clowes is an American author, screenwriter and cartoonist of alternative comic books....
. The black-and-white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
series, published by Fantagraphics Books
Fantagraphics Books
Fantagraphics Books is an American publisher of alternative comics, classic comic strip anthologies, magazines, graphic novels, and the adult-oriented Eros Comix imprint...
, ran for six issues from April 1986
1986 in comics
-Year overall:* Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, a four-issue limited series written and drawn by Frank Miller and published by DC Comics, debuts...
to June 1987. A final "special" issue was published in December 1988.
The series' titular character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
is a detective
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
who has humorous adventures inspired by film noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
and stereotypical 1950s lounge culture. Llewellyn has a sidekick
Sidekick
A sidekick is a close companion who is generally regarded as subordinate to the one he accompanies. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, Sherlock Holmes' Doctor Watson, The Lone Ranger's Tonto, The Green Hornet's Kato and Batman's Robin.-Origins:The origin of the...
who goes by the name of Ernie Hoyle. The series' police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
sergeant is called "Red" Hoerring
Red herring (plot device)
Red herring is an idiomatic expression referring to the rhetorical or literary tactic of diverting attention away from an item of significance...
. The series' visual style is influenced by lowbrow art.
The story "The Nightmare" from Lloyd Llewellyn #6 foreshadowed the approach of Clowes's next comic, Eightball
Eightball (comic book)
Eightball is an alternative comic book series written and drawn by Daniel Clowes. The first issue was published by Fantagraphics Books in 1989, soon after the end of Clowes's previous comic series, Lloyd Llewellyn...
, by breaking the conventions of the series' crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
setting and turning to social satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
. Also in that issue, the author announces:
... And who knows ... somewhere along that lonesome road we might see a new LLLL mag with a brand new format so dazzling, so breathtaking, so monumentally fantastic that I haven't even thought of it yet!
Early issues of Eightball included several additional Lloyd Llewellyn episodes. The character also made various cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
s in other Eightball stories.
Book collections
- #$@&!: The Official Lloyd Llewellyn Collection (Fantagraphics, 1993; out of print) ISBN 0930193903
- The Manly World of Lloyd Llewellyn (Fantagraphics, 1994; out of print) ISBN 1560971452
External links
- Daniel Clowes at Fantagraphics Books' website