Frank Brunner's Duckaneer

Here's the strip that convinced Star*Reach publisher Mike Friedrich there was money in them there ducks, starting short-lived adult funny animal book Quack! solely to get this great little piece into print.
At this point, Frank Brunner was still slightly chafing at not being allowed to write / co-write Howard The Duck, wanting to put out his own version that he could legally own, and Friedrich bit his hand off when offered the strip.
So what you have here is sort of a missing issue of Howard, complete with Beverly Switzler clone, but lacking Steve Gerber's unique worldview. You do miss Gerber, but Brunner is on blistering form here and Duckaneer would fit nicely in between Howard's #1 & 2. Here it is, along with both men's introduction.

More Star*Reach

As promised, here's some more from Star*Reach, Mike Friedrich's classic anthology title. To lead off, here's Jim Starlin's could-only-have-been-done-in-the-'70's The Visitor:




And, from sister title Quack! here's a pre-Cerebus Dave Sim with the wonderfully Canuck-centric The Beavers. CANADUCK AWAAAAY!