Barry Windsor Smith: Rune #1

Comic book superstar artist Barry Windsor Smith created a most unusual anti-hero for the 1990s: Rune!  Leave it to Smith to make a bloodthirsty, totally depraved and rip you throat out demi-god a hero!

Malibu Comics, based out of California, published Rune.

For a short time Malibu’s roster of titles were selling like hotcakes.  Top writers and artists flocked to Malibu for the chance to see their creations published.

At the time of its existence Malibu led the way in computer coloring.  They were so successful that when the comic book industry in the early 1990s collapsed Marvel Comics purchased Malibu's roster of characters and its coloring technology.

Marvel eventually phased out Malibu’s characters

It is believed that Marvel was primarily interested in their new coloring technology, its California location and that the characters were only an afterthought.

Rune by Barry Windsor Smith featured some of the best work he had done up to that point for mainstream comics.  His coloring technique-later used on Marvel Presents’ Wolverine origin tale, was stunning for the time.

Like most of Barry Windsor Smith’s story scripting the Rune series relied heavily on graphics with very little exposition-none was necessary because of Smith’s talent for telling tales visually.

Issue #1 took part in Malibu’s Origins Month promotion.  In a nutshell the book explained who Rune was and what his motivation consisted of.

The character of Rune is basically an ages old vampire of a slightly different sort.  He has existed for centuries and requires the life energy of others to survive.

Although the Rune title only had a short run it is an excellent example of a comic book legend’s later work.