Cops and Robbers
5 page western comic, with a twist
When I was a child growing up in Brooklyn, I had a fascination with the Old West. What kid in the old neighborhood didn't? Compared to the concrete buildings and noisy subways that served as my only reference for life, those rolling hills and open plains and cactus lined deserts I've only really seen in old movies and cigarette ads were as imaginary to me as a colony on Mars or some undersea grotto.
But it is was that same imagination that helped craft stories in my head. My bike was my mare, and armed with cap guns from the corner pharmacy, the kids on the block were my posse.
This was a different era, back when kids could be outside with toy guns and not a care in the world. I'd give anything to go back to those times.
That is the world where this story, COPS AND ROBBERS, is rooted.
Written by me, with art by Randy Haldeman and lettering by Micah Myers, this was a story that was meant to go in a western anthology that, sadly, fell apart deep into its production.
I wanted to create a story that paid homage to the genre but also felt unique in its look. Growing up in an area where the cops were equally seen as heroes and villains, and the outlaws were regarded in the same manner (thanks to the mob), I saw things pretty early on as shades of gray, or rather shades of BLUE. This short story is a snapshot into that line of thinking.
And, like all great westerns do, we open with a train robbery…
If you’re still reading this and are into the process of how people make comics, I am also including a PDF of my script for this so you can see how I communicate references and prompts to the creative team.
Thanks for sharing this comic! I really liked the fakeout at the beginning and how it returned at the end. Great stuff!! I’m glad to see Wild West comics making such a comeback lately.