''The Wretch'' is a

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

created by Phil Hester and published by

Slave Labor Graphics Slave Labor Graphics (SLG) is an independent American comic book publisher, well known for publishing darkly humorous, offbeat comics. Creators associated with SLG over the years include Evan Dorkin, Roman Dirge, Sarah Dyer, Woodrow Phoenix, Jhon ...

. The series focuses on the creepy town of Glass City and its residents who are protected by a strange entity known only as the Wretch. Weird things can always be found in Glass City, such as aliens, black magic, and even psychotic clowns. But the Wretch is always there to stop these things. The Wretch originally appeared in

Joe Pruett Joe Pruett (January 8, 1966) is an People of the United States, American comic book writer, editor, and publisher. Biography Pruett broke into the industry during the year of 1989 as Bob Burden's assistant on Flaming Carrot Comics, where he inked ...

's anthology title ''

Negative Burn ''Negative Burn'' is a black-and-white anthology comic book published beginning in 1993 by Caliber Press, and subsequently by Image Comics and Desperado Publishing. Edited by Joe Pruett, ''Negative Burn'' is noted for its eclectic range of genres, ...

'', where he was called "The Creep." The Wretch then moved into his own four-issue series published by

Caliber Comics Caliber Comics or Caliber Press is an American comic book publisher founded in 1989 by Gary Reed. Featuring primarily creator-owned comics, Caliber published over 1,300 comics in the decade following its inception and is ranked as one of America ...

, which was followed by a six-issue series published by Slave Labor Graphics. The Caliber series was nominated for an

Eisner award The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the comics industry's equivalent of the Academy Awards. They are named in ...

for best new series.

The character

Although he has appeared in many stories, little is known about the Wretch's history or powers. Phil Hester told

Newsarama Newsarama is an American website that publishes news, interviews, and essays about the American comic book industry. It is owned by Future US. In June 2020, Newsarama was merged with the website GamesRadar+, also owned by FutureUS. History N ...

that "The Wretch is inscrutable, he – if it is a 'he'– never speaks, appears mysteriously, uses his ill-defined powers to solve a problem in a funky way, then fades back into the night."Hester's Wretch - Newsarama Interview
February 17, 2003 The stories generally focused on the people in Glass City that the Wretch helped. In the Wretch's early appearances he wore belts all over his body and had two large hoses which connected from his back to the front of his neck. The hoses were shown at different times to emit strange liquids and/or gases. Later the Wretch's look was tweaked. The hoses and much of the "armored" look was eliminated in favor of bandages which were wrapped around his arms and neck. In both costumes the Wretch is always seen in silhouette.

Collections

* ''The Wretch Volume One: Everyday Doomsday'' (collects the SLG/Amaze Ink run) , SC: * ''The Wretch Volume Two: Devil's Lullaby'' (collects the Caliber issues) , SC: * ''The Wretch Volume Three: From Cradle to Grave'' (collects various shorts stories) , SC:

Notes

External links

Phil Hester: The Wretch - 2008 Wizard World Chicago Interview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wretch, The Slave Labor Graphics titles