My Rating
“Discharge Granted”
In the sleepy little town of Moorehigh, school is out for the summer. For the graduating class of 1991, that means just one thing—it’s party time! Following senior-class tradition, Jennifer Campbell and her boyfriend, Max, head out for a night of drinking and teenage debauchery at the abandoned mansion of one Dr. Evan Rendell. What the kids don’t know is that an old urban legend has returned to Moorehigh, and the good doctor is ready to make house calls.
Years ago, Dr. Rendell left behind a bloody legacy that the townsfolk would rather forget. Now, someone has picked up the old man’s medical bag and continued the family practice. Unfortunately for Moorehigh, this particular doctor doesn’t accept insurance. His patients rarely survive the examination.
Will the class of 1991 survive its first night of summer vacation? What secret does Jennifer hide that could kill her before Dr. Giggles gets the chance? And can a Los Angeles cop uncover the truth behind a murderous legacy spanning generations? Collect the series to find out…
Reviewer Notes
I still can’t believe I stumbled across the two-issue Dr. Giggles comic-book series from Dark Horse at a local thrift mall. What a treat! Sometimes digging through those dusty old boxes pays off, and finding both issues together made this an easy purchase.
The series is based on the 1992 horror movie starring Larry Drake as the deranged Dr. Evan Rendell. This was an interesting period for the horror genre. Audiences were growing tired of the endless Jason, Freddy, and Michael Myers sequels, but there was still plenty of appetite for a good old-fashioned slasher flick. Hollywood needed some fresh blood, and Dr. Giggles was one of several attempts to create the next great horror villain. He may not have reached the legendary status of those earlier killers, but you have to give the doctor credit—he certainly had a memorable bedside manner.
Dark Horse
Dark Horse does a respectable job bringing the movie’s blood, gore, and wonderfully ridiculous medical humor onto the printed page. Dr. Giggles is exactly the kind of villain you would expect from early-’90s horror: gruesome, over-the-top, and armed with enough bad medical puns to make Freddy Krueger jealous. The artwork gets the job done, although I wouldn’t call it spectacular. There are also a few noticeable coloring flubs scattered throughout the issue. Nothing ruins the experience, but they are difficult to miss once you spot them.
One of my favorite discoveries actually had nothing to do with Dr. Giggles himself. In the back of the comic, where you would normally expect to find a letters page, Dark Horse included instructions explaining how aspiring creators could submit their independent comics for consideration. It’s a wonderful little snapshot of the comic-book industry in 1992. Long before social media, digital comics, and online crowdfunding, some hopeful creator could pick up Dr. Giggles and discover a possible doorway into the business.
Is Dr. Giggles #1 a forgotten masterpiece of horror comics? Probably not. Is it a bloody, goofy, wonderfully early-’90s slasher relic that’s worth digging out of the back-issue bins? Absolutely.
I recommend this one for the nostalgia, the gore, and anyone who remembers when every successful horror movie seemed determined to create the next great slasher icon. I’m giving Dr. Giggles #1 a solid three out of five stars.
Now watch your back. The doctor is in!