T!M. Finney :: 21st Century Schizoid Art

Fistful of Blood #1 p.20 by Biz

Artists: Simon Bisley (Penciller) , Kevin Eastman (Writer)

14 Comments - 5,276 Views - 15 Likes

Fistful of Blood #1 p.20 by Biz Comic Art

Additional Images:

IDW Edition p. 20 (Notice the pants)

Heavy Metal Edition p. 20

Next Item:
American Gods: Shadows #4 (Cover) by Glenn Fabry

Artwork Details

Title:	Fistful of Blood #1 p.20 by Biz
Artist:	Simon Bisley (Penciller)
Artist:	Kevin Eastman (Writer)
Media Type:	Pen and Ink
Art Type:	Interior Page
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views:	5,276
Likes on CAF:	15 16
Favorited on CAF:	2
Comments:	14
Added to Site:	11/22/2018
Comic Art Archive:

Description

I can't fully explain why I like Simon Bisley and Kevin Eastman's Fistful of Blood. I mean, if I had been 15 and full of hormones, then, yeah, it would be easy to explain. Basically, the story was, um, "similar" to the movie, "A Fistful of Dollars" (AKA Western Yojimbo), except instead of Clint Eastwood, we get a naked (at first) callipygian female with no name but very large (and, depending on the page, sometimes even larger) mammalian protuberances who wanders onto an old western movie set occupied by vampires and zombies. Somehow, with a set of fighting skills that belies her porno actress facade, she manages to play both sides against the other until all involved work their way to an inevitable showdown.

However, I wasn't 15, when this came out. I was in my late 30s, a married father, and on a trip back to the USA from my home in Japan. I had pretty much missed the whole "bad girl" comics scene during the 1990s (okay, I think I checked out Witchblade after I somehow came across the short-lived TV show and maybe a few others out of curiosity, but on the whole, I could not have cared less about Lady Death or Shi or Avengelyne, or oversized breasts, or big guns or zombies and vampires). Nevertheless, somehow, I found the original Heavy Metal graphic novel and, for whatever reason, opened the cover.

I knew the writer, Kevin Eastman, from TMNT but this was my first exposure to Simon Bisley and his art. In black and white, it reminded me of Richard Corben and Frazetta (mostly Corben). Also, weirdly, I thought some of the zombies and vampires (and perhaps some minor human characters) had a Jack Davis vibe.

Anyway, despite myself, I could not help enjoying the story and all its grindhouse/ exploitation elements to the fullest. Those first 19 pages were so over the top with bad taste that by the time I flipped to page twenty and saw this splash, well, I was sold.

Recently, I came across the reworked (by Eastman) and colorized version that IDW put out. The IDW redo, which, for some reason, took out all the nudity, reminded me how much I liked the story, but, if you had read and liked the original Heavy Metal version, it lost a bit of its bite in the remaking. (If it helps the comic reach a wider audience, then great; plus, if I am being fully honest, I can't blame Eastman for replacing the Woman with No Name's g-string and stockings combo with actual pants -- see the extra pics above.)

Then, not too long ago, that splash page that sold me on this book came on the market, and, again, I could not help myself. (Next year, I really have to apply more discipline to myself.) It is sort of an anomaly in my collection (splashes, bad girl pose, big breasts, fetishistic attire, big guns, and zombies are not what I'm usually attracted toward), but, hey, I think collections need a surprise or two in them for variety's sake. Plus, in person, the main figure is mostly pencil and shading with the silhouette of the zombies in full bold inks. It is so big, bold, and well-executed that it makes me smile to hold it.

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About the Owner

	Timothy Finney
Joined:	August 2006
Last Login:	September 2025
Country:	JAPAN
On CAF:	Timothy's Want List Artworks Commented On Liked Art Site Activity on CAF

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Comments on this Artwork

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Alex Johnson
Member Since 2006
Forum Moderator

1 - Posted on 11/23/2018

A surprising choice and an interesting one. Congrats.

Dave Kopecki
Member Since 2008

1 - Posted on 11/23/2018

Great page and great story! And really the best reason of all to own it is because you want it and it triggers that fond nostalgia. This is an epic page from that one! Huge congrats!

Davide G.
Member Since 2009

1 - Posted on 11/23/2018

As Dave says, great piece and even greater description... Despite no explanation is actually needed to justify such an outstanding addition! :)

Tom Samot
Member Since 2017

1 - Posted on 11/23/2018

Congrats bro ....really cool..... If i remmeber she not say one word lol ...... she dont need!.... love the page .....

Timothy Finney
Member Since 2006

Posted on 11/23/2018

Tom Samot wrote:

Congrats bro ....really cool..... If i remmeber�she not say one word lol ...... she dont need!.... love the page .....

Well, she does "speak" (kinda, sorta) at the very end when the story leaves Yojimbo behind and moves closer to the realm of Bisley's Lobo comics work. That's when the reader gets to know why she kept silent up until that moment.

John C
Member Since 2014

1 - Posted on 11/23/2018

Beauty.

Anthony F
Member Since 2004

1 - Posted on 11/23/2018

Bold page for your gallery, Corben is an apt comparison!

J L
Member Since 2005

1 - Posted on 11/24/2018

Not the type of art I think you usually collect, but I love your explanation of why you love this piece. Congrats as always Mr Finney. 8 )

John Rugr's
Member Since 2009

1 - Posted on 12/3/2018

amazing

Jason Versaggi
Member Since 2005

1 - Posted on 12/5/2018

A striking image and a very interesting creative collaboration. Bravo!

Clinton Tuazon
Member Since 2008

1 - Posted on 12/10/2018

I remember first reading this in Heavy Metal as well, and when they collected it in an oversized hardcover (with better word balloon placement, giggity) it was an instant buy for me. Woulda double-dipped for IDW's colored version, but the dumbfounding censoring was an easy pass for me. Congrats on this grail!

Matt E.
Member Since 2004

1 - Posted on 7/30/2023

Nicely put and certainly the best page in the book imho. Bisley was on fire back in these years!

Michael McIsaac
Member Since 2020

1 - Posted on 8/12/2023

Bisley at his best. Now I need to track down the Heavy Metal version of this story.

Duke Fleed aka #1 Groo Fan
Member Since 2013

1 - Posted on 3/18/2025

Fabulous!

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