• Home
  • ABOUT / SUBMIT
    • ABOUT/ CONTACT
  • VISUAL PRODUCTION
  • MUSIC
  • INTERVIEWS/ ARTICLES
  • PASTEL WASTELAND FILMS
Pastel Wasteland
MISC 0

“Dogwitch: The Whole Shebang” by Dan Schaffer [Comics]

By Ryan Cole @Caus3s · On February 26, 2020

2002. A young person with little interest in comics goes to the store with his friends. While browsing, a graphic novel catches his eye. The cover is provocative, bordering on lurid. It carries a VHS box, splattered with blood. A ghostly figure claws its way out from inside. And from the box cover, an alluring woman stares at him with piercing silver eyes.

That person was me, and that woman was “Shrieking” Violet Grimm. The irresponsible, irrepressible queen of “Molotov magic” and demon-fucking porn. She raises the dead, raises hell, raises a middle finger to the laws of nature and supernature.

Grimm is vulgar, funny, sexy. She’s also the creation of British artist and writer Dan Schaffer. He blasted onto the scene with his love letter to schlock-horror, gothic subcultures, and balls-to-the-wall craziness, and left us with a cult icon.

Now all three “seasons” of Schaffer’s signature series have been collected together into Dogwitch: The Whole Shebang. A beautiful hardcover, which also includes several one-shots and an introduction from horror directors Jen and Sylvia Soska.

Film-making is important to Dogwitch. Having been banished to the dark, dangerous Banewoods, Grimm makes her living by producing gross, OTT sex tapes. Though we never get money shots, Grimm’s depravity is never in doubt. To the extent that even members of the undead are repulsed by her.

There are references to Sam Raimi and Ed Wood. Her movies are shot by Ralph, an animate, chain-smoking plush toy. He’s ever ready to shoot whatever batshit insanity comes their way. They’re ably assisted by Dolores, a hideously scarred doll with psychic powers and her own, sometimes dubious, motivations.

So far, the uninitiated among you may assume that Dogwitch is just trashy fun. It’s definitely fun, and frequently trashy, but part of its success comes from its genuine heart. Grimm is complicated, and beyond her voluptuous front, is a vulnerability born from a life of rejection and tragedy.

An arc running throughout the entire story revolves around the death of her sister Bluebell, who died during the last (and first) gig by their band The Vile Ettes. Grimm blames herself. EVERYONE blames her. After institutionalisation comes her exile. But being freed from the strict constraints of the magical community means she’s able to confront what really happened. A sinister figure has been pulling the strings the whole time. Manipulating Grimm so she can access powers only someone as crazy as her can unleash.

The foundation of Grimm’s story is built on loss. But her banishment allows her to explore and experiment without fear of reprisal. Besides those coming from the goblin circus freaks, eldritch horrors and (worst of all) critics who she gleefully puts occult bombs under.

Through Grimm, Schaffer details the importance of embracing who we are. Standing up for yourself, while accepting that it’s okay to have someone watching your back. That love and any kind of family can exist even in the darkest of places and times. And that authority needs to be challenged, conventions deserve to bent (even broken) in the service of what’s ultimately right.

Two of the one-shots included in Dogwitch: The Whole Shebang focus on Pod. Grimm’s daughter of sorts. And “sorts” is meant both figuratively and literally, given that she’s constructed from the body parts of murdered children.

Pod’s character is both creepy and adorable in a fucked up way. A lost child who, like Grimm, has had to deal with a lot. A little girl lost, who also finds love and security with Grimm’s crew. Like Ralph (and his fellow “Squibs”), Pod actually mixes in a degree of conditional cuteness to proceedings. Which again represents the heart Schaffer injects into all of this.

Schaffer was an early adopter of crossing digital manipulation with more traditional artwork. This was evident in the original covers. But the meat of Dogwitch’s artwork comes from the gorgeous, high contrast inking. As you’ve already seen, Dogwitch is beautiful to look at.

Dogwitch: The Whole Shebang is a gift and a display of gratitude to long time fans like myself. But it’s also a great introduction to one of the finest creators from the fringes of popular culture.

I’ve never felt like Dan Schaffer got his due. He should’ve been a major player in the industry, but he’s never expressed any regrets or disappointment regarding his status. Like the Dogwitch herself, he knows what he’s about and he’s never been ashamed or tamed. Honour them both and do yourself a favour: make room for Dogwitch: The Whole Shebang on your shelf.

Dogwitch: The Whole Shebang is available now. It is due for a US release on March 10th, 2020. You can pick it up from the following outlets:

Amazon UK

1First Comics

Amazon US

 

You can find Dan Schaffer here:

Official Site

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

 

Follow our Boundary-Pushing Pop playlist on Spotify!

ShareTweet
bookscomedycomicsDan Schafferdogwitchdogwitch: the whole shebanggraphic novelshorrorJen Soskasoska sistersSylvia Soskatwisted twinsViolet Grimm
Share Tweet

Ryan Cole

Obscure film and music fanatic. Proud Mutant and Dr Pepper addict.

You Might Also Like

  • MISC

    blacklivesmatter

  • MISC

    Pastel Wasteland rated one of Feedspot’s Top 30 Indie Music Blogs

  • MISC

    David E. Gates- The Wretched [Book]

  • Home
  • ABOUT
  • WORK WITH US
  • Privacy Policy

© 2020 PASTEL WASTELAND LTD

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.