Erik Larsen’s “Savage Dragon” has traveled through space, been to hell and was even elected U.S. president — although the Supreme Court disallowed it — since debuting in his own comic-book series in 1992.
Now Larsen is bringing the green-skinned crimefighter, who happens to have a fin on top of his head, back to his Chicago roots. The former Windy City police officer is returning to the force.
“Writing and drawing Savage Dragon as a cop after nearly 12 years feels good — it feels right,” Larsen told me. “It’s a homecoming of sorts and it’s a joy to be back.”
The Dragon was first discovered in a burning Chicago field without any memory as to who he was or where he came from. At the time, the CPD was battling a number of super-powered criminals called superfreaks. Dragon was recruited to fight these beings. His adventures eventually took him away from Chicago — and out of his uniform.
“What I hadn’t counted on was just how much readers identified him as a police officer,” Larsen said. “To them, that was as much a part of his look as the fin on his head.”
“Savage Dragon #145,” published by Image Comics, goes on sale in February. In it, the Dragon’s archenemies, the Vicious Circle, return with a vengeance. He rejoins the CPD to take them on.
“It made sense on a story level and it was something readers really wanted,” Larsen said. “It really just felt right.”
Larsen, who was born in Minneapolis and now lives in Oakland, Calif., set the Dragon’s adventures in Chicago because he felt New York City already had its share of superheroes. But he had another important reason: “the pizza,” he said. “For crying out loud, why would anybody go elsewhere? It’s just a great city with a rich history.”
Larsen made The Dragon a White Sox fan. The scaly-skinned hero recently captured national attention when he “endorsed” Chicago’s own Barack Obama during the presidential campaign.
“I think Savage Dragon is what put Obama over the top,” Larsen said.
For more information on the “Savage Dragon” series, go to imagecomics.com.
“CHA$E” debuts
The “Amazing Race” meets LARP-ing (Live Action Role Playing) in the Sci-Fi Channnel’s new “virtual reality” show “CHA$E,” which debuts at 9 p.m. Tuesday.
Contestants are set loose on a “real-life video game board” and try to evade sinister looking hunters in order to win $25,000.
If “CHA$E” expects to make it as a live-action video game show, they’ll need to make the game play more exciting.
GEEK FACTOR RATING
2 photon torpedoes out of 5
