Oscar Hellian
Created by John Bolton

From out of Europe (I think), via Dark Horse's global comics anthology Cheval Noir (French for Dark Horse, natch!) comes 1940's Hollywood dick OSCAR HELLIAN. Divorce may be his bread and butter, but he still has to share office space with Myra, who runs a secretarial agency, and Dan, an aspiring photographer Oscar sometimes uses.

In his only appearance I've been able to track down, "Permanent Fixture," Oscar damages his already broken ankle and has to use a cane for the rest of his life, according to the docs. The cane he chooses, the "permanent fixture" of the title, is rigged to fire bullets. Which may come in handy, because Oscar's hot on the trail of a vampire. Or is it a werewolf? Whatever....

An auspicious debut, taut and terse, moody, drawn with razor-sharp precision and stark clarity, but all too short (three pages!!!). Still, Bolton packed a lot of story in a small space. I just wish he'd done more with the character.

But he had other things on his mind, I suppose. The acclaimed British comic book artist and illustrator is most known for his dense, almost photorealistic painting style, particularly in the horror genre.

COMICS

• CHEVAL NOIR
  (1989, Dark Horse Comics)
  Anthology
  Written and drawn by John Bolton
  

• "Permanent Fixture" (October 1989, #2)