The Sleeze Brothers
Encyclopedia
The Sleeze Brothers was a comic book
limited series
published by Epic Comics
, between August 1989 and January 1990 (UK release dates), lasting for 6 issues. A collection of the six issues were later released in 1990, along with a final extended issue in 1991. It was written by John Carnell
, with art by Andy Lanning
. The characters were spun-off from a Doctor Who
comic strip by Carnell entitled "Follow That TARDIS!", published in Doctor Who Magazine
#147 (April 1989), though they are not generally considered part of the Doctor Who extended universe.
.
In the comics Deadbeat and El' Ape Sleeze are described as dysfunctional orphans who grew up in an orphanage for unwanted "boil in the bag" test tube babies. As adults they use amoral and often underhanded methods to get the results demanded by their insalubrious and eclectic clients.
, but were actually based on Andy Lanning's two cousins, Phil and Pete Carmichael. These two characters appeared on the front cover of the collected edition. However, other influences also shine through, specifically Ridley Scott's
hugely popular movie Blade Runner
.
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...
limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
published by Epic Comics
Epic Comics
Epic Comics was a creator-owned imprint of Marvel Comics started in 1982, lasting through the mid-1990s, and being briefly revived on a small scale in the mid-2000s.- Origins :...
, between August 1989 and January 1990 (UK release dates), lasting for 6 issues. A collection of the six issues were later released in 1990, along with a final extended issue in 1991. It was written by John Carnell
John Carnell
Edward John Carnell , known to his friends as either Ted or John, was a British science fiction editor known for editing New Worlds in 1946 then from 1949 to 1963. He also edited Science Fantasy from the 1950s...
, with art by Andy Lanning
Andy Lanning
Andy Lanning is a British comic book writer and inker, known for his work for Marvel Comics and DC Comics, and for his collaboration with Dan Abnett.-Career:Lanning works primarily at Marvel Comics and DC Comics as an inker...
. The characters were spun-off from a Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
comic strip by Carnell entitled "Follow That TARDIS!", published in Doctor Who Magazine
Doctor Who Magazine
Doctor Who Magazine is a magazine devoted to the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
#147 (April 1989), though they are not generally considered part of the Doctor Who extended universe.
Overview
The comic depicts a futuristic Earth rife with extraterrestrials, pollution, crime and corruption. The focus of the stories are El' Ape and Deadbeat Sleeze, two private eye brothers, who ply their trade in the seedy underbelly of The Big Apple, a futuristic city taking its name from the nickname of New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
In the comics Deadbeat and El' Ape Sleeze are described as dysfunctional orphans who grew up in an orphanage for unwanted "boil in the bag" test tube babies. As adults they use amoral and often underhanded methods to get the results demanded by their insalubrious and eclectic clients.
Influences
The title characters in the Sleeze Brothers comics were loosely inspired by Jake and Elwood Blues from the cult movie The Blues BrothersThe Blues Brothers
The Blues Brothers are an American blues and soul revivalist band founded in 1978 by comedy actors Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as part of a musical sketch on Saturday Night Live...
, but were actually based on Andy Lanning's two cousins, Phil and Pete Carmichael. These two characters appeared on the front cover of the collected edition. However, other influences also shine through, specifically Ridley Scott's
Ridley Scott
Sir Ridley Scott is an English film director and producer. His most famous films include The Duellists , Alien , Blade Runner , Legend , Thelma & Louise , G. I...
hugely popular movie Blade Runner
Blade Runner
Blade Runner is a 1982 American science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, and Sean Young. The screenplay, written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, is loosely based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K...
.
Undercurrents
The comics themselves are littered with contemporary parodies of both real and fictional characters, and occasional real life current affairs from 1989 and 1990. Additionally, the Sleeze Brothers storylines feature a variety of comical adult situations, and colourful (though not profane) language.Supporting characters
- Sergent Pigheadski: a two-headed humanoid swine policePoliceThe 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...
captain; - President Sinatra: a part-cyborg amalgam of Frank SinatraFrank SinatraFrancis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
and Ronald ReaganRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
; - The Cosmos Father: an intergalactic mafiaMafiaThe Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
don; - Wong: an AsianAsian peopleAsian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
restraunteur thinnly veiled as a humanoid felineFelidaeFelidae is the biological family of the cats; a member of this family is called a felid. Felids are the strictest carnivores of the thirteen terrestrial families in the order Carnivora, although the three families of marine mammals comprising the superfamily pinnipedia are as carnivorous as the...
. - Papa Beatbox: the aging African AmericanAfrican AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
caretakerProperty caretakerA Property caretaker is a person, group or organization that cares for real estate for trade or financial compensation, and sometimes as a barter for rent-free living accommodations...
of the orphanageOrphanageAn orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
and the Sleeze Brothers' father figure.
Issues
- Issue #1: "Nice And Sleezy" (aka "Anytime, Anyplanet, Anything!")
- Issue #2: "Reel To Real"
- Issue #3: "The Big Leap"
- Issue #4: "Murder In Space"
- Issue #5: "Down In The Sewer"
- Issue #6: "The Maltese Egg"
- Six issue collection: "The Sleeze Brothers File"
- Additional final issue: "The Sleeze Brothers: Some Like It Fresh"