The Gold Standard- A Gold Digger Retrospective (Part 1)

Long before Tomb Raider, Gina Diggers was on the case!

There is only a small handful of comic books out there that I would ever honestly say are on my list of all-time favorites. To be blunt, it is not a term that I throw around lightly, and usually a certain set of criteria has to be met in order for me to even consider the notion of something reaching that level. It has to be more than great in its technical executions, as skill can only take you but so far. For me there needs to be a sense of passion persistent throughout the work. There needs to be a powerful sensation of longevity to everything that makes the comic what it is. Could I still find this comic just as engaging a read now as I did when I first read it? Does it serve as an excellent reminder to why the format is so amazing to begin with? It has be able to consistently entertain me, and most importantly, be able to continuously inspire me like none other to achieve more for my own works. In short, all of this can be summed up by a single poignant statement. I have to be able to look at the piece in question and say with out a single doubt in my mind "This is the type of comic book I would love to create one day!"

Fred Perry's Gold Digger has been one of those few comics to make it on my list of all-time favorites. Every time I purchase a new issue to the series I'm always amazed at how Mr. Perry can continuously impress/inspire me with his storytelling methods, all while keeping the comic immensely entertaining. Looking back on my time with the franchise I don't think I can recall a single moment where I didn't find an issue of Gold Digger to be gratifying in some way. It has practically everything I could ever wish for out of a comic series; it's fun, dramatic, sexy, action packed, vibrantly drawn, constantly evolving/developing, and even profound/touching at times. I'm the kind of guy who loves stories where it feels like the only limit to the world is the creator's imagination. Where they could introduce almost any element into the mix if they wanted, and still manage to make it work. In a day and age where it seems like so many writers/artists out there are lacking in that kind of imagination, Fred Perry has been consistent in making Gold Digger a great work of imaginatively fun fiction.

Gina & Brit: Setting the standard!

Gold Digger's debut was in September of 1991 in the anthology book Mangazine Vol. 2 #11 from Antarctic Press. After its initial one-shot story it received a four issue mini-series (Vol. 1) that ran from September 1992 to March 1993, where it proved successful enough among readers to turn Gold Digger into an ongoing publication. Fifty black and white issues (Vol. 2) were published between July 1993 to June 1999, as well as a number of additional annuals done with contributing guest/fan submission artists. The series was then relaunched in full-color (Vol. 3) starting in July 1999, and is still ongoing to this day. To save most of you from doing the math, Gold Digger has been around now for over twenty years, and has had well over two hundred issues to its name published, all done by one man. Currently Gold Digger is the second longest running North American comic book created by one person in history (exceeded only by David Sim's Cerebus) and has the most issues of its series still in print.

The overall story follows the adventures/exploits of Gina Babette Diggers, a sexy/polymath super genius archeologist/consummate mega nerd, and her adopted sister Brittany (Cheetah) Diggers, a sexy/shopaholic/bad-ass martial artist/were-cheetah. Accompanied by their extended family, friends, students, and sometimes rivals, Gina and Brittany's lives are anything but dull. Their expeditions have taken them to alien planets, parallel dimensions, and alternate timelines, facing numerous challenges all along the way. They've taken on the the likes of time-traveling dragons, super-powered crime lords, pirate-ninja leprechauns in a giant mech, and even galactic dynasties. All to save the world and make a quick buck. Fred Perry has described Gold Digger as a mixture of Indiana Jones, Final Fantasy, and Doctor Who, while pulling inspiration from his favorite anime/manga, super-hero comics, videogames, movies, RPGs, cartoons, etc. etc. To sum it up, Gold Digger is (for lack of a better term) crazy awesome modern science-fantasy, filled to the brim with hilarious reference jokes for the nerdy sort! Frankly, I'm amazed at how Fred has been able to maintain GD's high energy and creativity for so long.

Over the course of this feature I'm going to be looking back at Gold Digger's twenty-plus year history, and a generous portion of the work leading up to its 200th issue proper. There will be some minor to possibly major spoilers here, as I will be going over the series in groups of fifty or so issues (so as to maintain brevity, otherwise we would be here for awhile) with it ultimately culminating in my review of the 200th issue. Plus there will be a special-guest interview with the franchise's creator Fred Perry himself upon the retrospect's completion. It is my hope that with this feature I can not only reminisce on one of my all-time favorite comics with fond feeling, but also help to raise awareness for the series. That isn't to say that I won't try to give Gold Digger an objective appraisal, but this is mostly about why I think GD is one of my personal favorite books. For all the awesomeness that is Gold Digger, tragically it seems not enough people actually know about it. Thankfully to help celebrate the coming 200th issue Fred has made the entire series free to read here. So if you want to go ahead and read the comic for yourself, give it a try. You've got nothing else to loose really, except maybe some free time.

One of my personal favorite issues!

Before I go directly into the full retrospective proper, I would like to take the rest of this installment to sit back and share with you the first time I was exposed to the Gold Digger series. Although I'm well educated on the franchise, I am actually not that old of a fan. I only picked up GD (and have been reading it consistently) a little over nine years ago, as opposed to the readers who have been with it since the story's start. It is my hope that this can prove how accessible and perhaps how emotionally impacting a tale Mr. Perry can make. As well as to provide some perspective on where I'm coming from with this series, and how I see it. 

I wish to avoid hyperbole here, but Gold Digger is in a lot of ways what helped to remind me of why storytelling is so important to us as people. When I was at a low point in my life, Fred Perry's work showed me the power one man with a vision can truly have. A great storyteller can not only entertain, but also help to make someone forget their problems, if only for a little while. Maybe teaching them something they never knew, or help them to remember something they had long forgotten. For me, it was an entertaining, yet touching reminder of the importance of acceptance/learning to let go of someone you care about.

It was a warm March day in the year of 2004. and I was eighteen years old, working my days away at a local McDonalds. My grandfather (who was one of my most prominent art mentors) had passed away about a month prior, and to say the least I was feeling somewhat depressed. I was having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that someone I truly cherished in life had just died. It seemed like regardless of what I was doing I just couldn't get my mind off of that topic. On this particular day I decided that maybe what I needed was a change of scenery, that being someplace I had never been to before would help to ease my thoughts.

It turns out the McDonalds I was working at happened to have a comic book store across the street from it, a small hole-the-wall shop, called Fudd's Rabbit Hole. I had never been into Fudd's before, so on a lark I decided that on my lunch break I would see what assortment of books this place had to offer. Going over the selection on the shelves I didn't really see much there that I couldn't get somewhere else. Then I saw a book I had never seen before, sitting off on the farthest end of the store's back-shelves, Gold Digger No. 49. The bright and vibrant colors of the characters as they clashed with each other on the cover, along with its highly anime-inspired design, was enough to garner my undivided attention. Although it is said you should never judge a book from its cover, you can still tell a lot from it. In Gold Digger's case, Fred is a master at creating awesome old-school comic book covers. They always pop with just the right amount of energy (enough to catch your eye) and they also are incredibly informative to what the issue is going to be about. Just looking at this issue's cover I could tell that this was going to feature a fight between close friends, and that emotions were going to be high.

The action in GD is top notch!

Giving the book a brief thumb through I was immediately impressed with how all of the panels flowed together to create a strong cohesive structure and very animated feel. It almost felt as if I was watching an episode of an animated TV show more so than it was me reading a comic book. From the outset it was clear that Fred injects a lot of emotion into his character's faces and body language. While I may not have been familiar with the story or the characters in the slightest, the art did manage to do the most important thing. Get me intrigued enough to want to purchase the issue and read on to see what it was about.

Ironically enough it is an issue that doesn't even feature any of the main cast for the series doing anything major. Gold Digger No. 49 instead focuses on a particular set of side characters (Gar, Luan, and Carla) and their own little sub-plot. Yet from my initial reading of the issue, it didn't really bother me. You see, the large cast of characters in GD are actually surprisingly complex, nuanced, and interesting. So much so that when coupled with their own personal conflicts, pretty much anyone beyond Gina and Brit could carry the story if they had to.

The issue opens with the were-jaguar Gar in a sparring match against his Shun-Leep instructor Julia Diggers. With his friends/fellow students Carla and Luan rooting him on from the sidelines, the battle looks to be close. Over the course of the fight it is shown that Gar has managed to master the skill in anticipating his opponent's movements. In the art of Shun-Leep this is considered a student becoming what is known as an adept, and this proves to Julia that Gar is now able to progress to the final level in his training. Julia tells him that he will go to the Proving Grounds in the magical realm of Jade to hone his skills, potentially becoming a master himself, much to Luan's chagrin. The Proving Grounds are considered to be a highly dangerous place in Jade, even for experienced warriors, and Gar must go there alone.

Luan won't loose Gar so easily.

Luan has deep feelings for Gar as a friend/potential lover and doesn't wish to see him get hurt, or possibly even killed on his two year pilgrimage. During a brief shopping trip with Carla and their mutual friend (professional wrestler/fighter) Ayane, Luan begins to concoct a plan to prove to Master Julia that Gar is not ready yet to go to the Proving Grounds. At least not without having a bodyguard.

What follows next is an amusing series of attempts by Luan to place Gar into situations of grievous bodily harm. While GD can be dramatic/touching at times, it also indulges in hilarity when it can. These scenes are akin to Saturday morning cartoon hijinks, but I found them to be incredibly funny nonetheless. Ranging from a run-away-wheel-barrow filled with five hundred pounds of bricks, to throwing a refrigerator at him (my personal favorite) to almost running him over with a car while he's inside of a house; all of Luan's "tests" as she calls them, spectacularly fail. Gar proves time and again that he has ascended to a higher level with his abilities, which leads Luan to eventually challenge Gar in a one on one fight to prove her point.

Gar knows how Luan feels, but tells her that he must go to the proving grounds and finish his training. For if he doesn't there is the strong potential for his abilities to turn sour. He could very well become a killing machine if he doesn't refine his skills in a place meant for them. Luan though won't have any of it, as she refuses to believe that Gar could ever be ready to go into such a dangerous place all alone. The two commence their duel, with Gar clearly being the more proficient fighter. Although she is giving everything she's got, Luan cannot land a single blow, and Gar eventually takes her down into submission. Even when her arm is at the point of breaking, Luan refuses to yield. She cannot bring herself to let Gar go.

Master Julia then enters the dojo to see her students fighting one another. Having overheard their exchange, Julia scolds Luan for questioning her wisdom on sending Gar to the Proving Grounds. Luan finally concedes to Julia's decision, but Julia proposes a new idea. Seeing Luan fight Gar, Julia noticed how Luan pushed herself well beyond the abilities Julia would have ever expected out of Luan. Perhaps with some more training, Julia suggests that Luan could be skilled enough to be Gar's bodyguard during his pilgrimage. There is still time before Gar must leave, and though the training will be hard, Julia has faith that Luan can do it. So the issue ends with everyone coming to terms with the situation, and learning all the more from it.

I have other reasons for liking this book.

Gold Digger No. 49 is an all around great issue to the series, and stands as one of my personal favorite issues for being what got me into the franchise in the first place. While it isn't one hundred percent accessible to new readers, I can't really fault it for that. This issue wasn't exactly meant to be a jumping on point for new readers. Still, it is informative enough that you don't have to have much prior knowledge of the story to be able to enjoy the main plot. There is a smaller subplot in here, focusing on a pair of dwarven sisters in a Jade Realm prison, but to me it didn't have any negative effects. While some could argue that it breaks the issue's pace, it only served to get me more interested in Gold Digger and the rest of its history.

I found Mr. Perry's writing to be topnotch here as well. There are very few writers out there that I've seen pull off having a story switch between so many emotions so quickly, yet so organically. Usually when a narrative tries to pull off comedy, action, and drama within the same space of each other, it doesn't work. The elements clash, throwing the audience off, and making them wonder if the story even knows what kind of story it wants to be. Fred though makes Gold Digger feel like there is a little bit of something in it for everyone. He writes great character drama here, as everyone can relate to Luan's plight in some way, and pretty much none of his jokes fall flat.

His art is also in top form, with plenty of style displaying nice bits of eye candy here and there. None of it ever gets to the point to where the sex appeal becomes outright distracting; as Fred shows he is a master at implementing fanservice without sacrificing any of his story. In fact I would go so far as to say that in some ways it enhances the flavor of the comic, sort of like a spice if you will. As I said earlier, his action scenes flow seamlessly from one panel to the next, and it really does give off the sensation of seeing it as stills from an animation. While the art may be very exaggerated and stylized, it has a consistent internal structure to it that helps to make it unique, as well as appealing. There is a late 80's/early 90's anime sort of vibe to Fred's art, and thankfully it is the best parts of that time period.

Getting back to one of my earlier points, I do believe this comic was not only exactly what I wanted at the time, but exactly what I needed too. During the time I was reading this issue, I wasn't thinking about all the troubles I was having. When I finished reading, I couldn't help but feel the comic had been talking deliberately to me. Telling me that I needed to learn to let go of things I don't have control of. Sure you can fight it, but sometimes you just have to accept what is, whether you like it or not. That was something I sorely needed to be reminded of, and Gold Digger did that for me.

After that point I was hooked, and the rest as they say is history. I had to know more about this series, I had to read more if I could, and I couldn't do it soon enough. I was dumbfounded by the fact that one person had managed to do all the work that was done when I found out exactly how long GD had been going before I discovered it. Frankly, I became inspired by Fred's hard work, and it made me all the more passionate about creating my own comic book one day. Gold Digger has a certain charm/quality to it that makes it a lot like watching one of those older anime's like Tenchi Muyo, Slayers, or Outlaw Star. Sure they're somewhat silly shows, but they are also incredibly creative and imaginative in the stories they tell. I still read GD to this very day, and I still feel like I can't get enough of it.

So that about does it for this installment of The Gold Standard. Next time I'll be looking at the original one-shot, and mini-series that got the franchise off the ground in the first place. As well as the entirety of Gold Digger Vol. 2! With that said, I've got a lot of ground to cover in the parts to come and I can only hope that this will help in getting more people interested in reading this totally !!!AWESOMESAUCE!!! comic. Again, for those who are curious, you can read all of Gold Digger for free here, or if you want to visit Fred Perry's official Deviantart page you can do so by going here. Give it a shot, you probably won't regret it. Until then, happy readings, and PEACE OUT!

Yeah! What he said!