This article contains a list of the published material where The Tick has appeared.
Contents
- New England Comics Newsletter
- Comic book
- Special issues from the original series
- Original Series Trade Paperbacks
- Chroma Tick
- Karma Tornado
- Karma Tornado Trade Paperbacks
- Tick Big Blue Destiny
- Big Blue Destiny Trade Paperbacks
- Tick Luny Bin
- Holiday and One Shot Specials
- Tick and Arthur
- Tick and Arthur Trade Paperbacks
- Heroes of the City
- Heroes of the City Trade Paperbacks
- Tick in Color
- Tick Artie
- Tick Golden Age Comics
- Days of Drama
- Circus Encyclopedias
- Paul the Samurai
- Paul the Samurai Trade Paperbacks
- Man Eating Cow
- Man Eating Cow Trade Paperbacks
- Chainsaw Vigilante
- The Tick New Series
- The Tick Meets100 Series
- Other comic book appearances of the Tick
- Books
- References
New England Comics Newsletter
The Tick's first appearance was in a one-page comic adventure in the in-house newsletter for New England Comics. He eventually appeared in a total of three issues.
Comic book
The first regular series of Tick comics was released in black and white. The first two issues were labeled special editions and were released in limited copies. Every issue of the original series have been re-released in subsequent printings, with some reaching as many as ten editions. After completing the first 12 issues of this series, Ben Edlund left to work on the Fox animated Tick show.
Special issues from the original series
There have been several special issues of the original series that have been released.
In August 1996, New England Comics released an entire run of 10th anniversary editions of the entire series. Each issue’s edition is listed below.
In addition, a 5th anniversary issue of The Tick 4 (4th edition) was released in October 1991.
The Tick Black and Red The Proto Comic (AKA the Tick Ashcan) was released in 1990, as a Proto-Tick addition to the series.
There is a rare edition of The Tick 2, 1st edition with a non-diecut cover. This was a mistake in the printing process rather than a planned release.
A first edition of The Tick 8 without the Tick logo on the cover.
Four variant covers of the first edition of The Tick 12, without logo and each with a different illustration on the back cover.
The Tick: The Pseudo Edition 13, released November 2000. After many years of waiting for Ben Edlund to release a promised conclusion to the series, this issue was finally put out by other individuals within NEC.
Original Series Trade Paperbacks
The Tick Omnibus 1 & 2 have gone through several printings. In addition a 3000 copy limited edition of Tick Omnibus #1 was released at the same time as the original.
The Tick Omnibus 3 includes a special Tick gallery of drawings by Ben Edlund and a preview of the long-awaited issue 13.
Chroma-Tick
Chroma-Tick recreates the first nine issues of the original series in color.
Chroma-Tick number 4 was released with three presidential election themed covers: Bush Re-elected in Upset, Perot wins in Shocker and Clinton by Landslide. A trade paperback entitled The Naked City and which collected Chroma-Tick 1-6 was released in June 1996. A second edition of The Naked City was released May 1998.
Karma Tornado
The Tick: Karma Tornado was a series of short episodes unrelated to the original series. Each issue has gone through two printings.
The second editions of Tick: Karma Tornado issues 3-6 each included a flip book numbered Tick’s Back -4 to -1. These were followed by the Tick’s Back issue 0, released in August 1997 which served as a prelude to Tick: Big Blue Destiny. Issue 0 was released with four variant covers: a red cover, green cover, gold cover and gold cover with no logo.
Karma Tornado Trade Paperbacks
Tick Big Blue Destiny
The Tick: Big Blue Destiny, Ashcan edition was also released with a no-logo variant cover. Issue 1 was issued with three variant covers. Issues 2 and 4 were released with two variant covers each.
Big Blue Destiny Trade Paperbacks
Tick: Luny Bin
The Tick: Luny Bin Preview was released with three variant covers. Luny Bin 0-3 were subtitled Big Blue Destiny 6-9, respectively.
Holiday and One-Shot Specials
Many of the one-shot specials in this list had its own self-inclusive storyline, although some of the later ones were more serial in nature.
The 1997 issue of the Tick Big Yule Log Special was released with two variant covers. The 2000 issue of the Tick Big Yule Log Special was released with three variant covers.
The Tick Massive Summer Double Spectacle 1 and 2, along with the regular edition, were both also released with a special edition and a limited edition. Each cover of the special and limited editions featured photos of the characters from the live action version of the Tick.
Tick and Arthur
The Tick and Arthur 1 also came in a no-logo variant cover.
Tick and Arthur Trade Paperbacks
Heroes of the City
The Tick: Heroes of the City 1 also came in a no-logo variant cover.
Heroes of the City Trade Paperbacks
Tick in Color
The The Tick in Color 1 was released with four variant covers.
Tick & Artie
In this series, Tick and Arthur are actually real insects. Tick and Artie originally appeared as shorts in the The Tick in Color series.
Tick Golden Age Comics
The Golden Age series imagines the Tick as he would have appeared in the early days of comic books and puts him in such scenarios as fighting the Nazis in World War II and as a cynical gumshoe. Each issue was released with two variant covers.
A Trade Paperback entitled the Tick Golden Age Giant Edition and which collects issues 1-3 has also been released.
Days of Drama
Days of Drama 1 and 6 have each been released with two variant covers.
Circus Encyclopedias
The Circus series is an encyclopedia of the Tick universe, featuring descriptions of all characters who have appeared in the various series of Tick comics. The original series released in 1992-93 was updated in 2000.
A trade paperback collecting Tick’s Giant Circus of the Mighty 1-3 was released as Tick Omnibus 4 in April 1996.
Paul the Samurai
Paul the Samurai Trade Paperbacks
Man-Eating Cow
Man-Eating Cow Trade Paperbacks
A trade paperback collecting Paul the Samurai 9-10 and Man-Eating Cow 9-10 was released as Tick Omnibus 5 in June 1996.
Chainsaw Vigilante
Chainsaw Vigilante 1 was released with a silver foil stamped cover and came with three rare variant covers. A Chainsaw Vigilante Trade Paperback entitled Chainsaw Vigilante Bonanza was released in December 1996. This comic was originally supposed to run 6 issues. It was stopped after three issues due to poor sales.
The Tick New Series
A bimonthly Tick series which began publication in December 2009, written by Benito Cereno with art by Les McClaine. Issues 1-8 of the new series have been released as of 2011.
The Tick Meets...(100 Series)
Starting with the epic 100th (collective) issue of the Tick (released summer 2012), a new crossover with a popular indie comic superhero is featured per issue. Issue #100 found the Tick meeting Invincible [created by Robert Kirkman] and had a certain sidekick suffer a tragic death. The next issue #101 (released October 2012) found the Tick meeting Madman [created by Mike Allred] through more eccentric sci-fi plot devices allowing for the crossover. In May 2013 an all-new FCBD (Free Comic Book Day) issue with three all new stories (presumably, taking place right before issue 100's events) were given out at comic shops. Then in May 2014 another all-new FCBD issue was given out. Also in 2014, an extremely limited edition NEC Comic-Con issue was released, only 750 issues were produced. In May 2015 a new FCBD issue was released. And again in 2016 another new FCBD issue was unleashed. Most recently, on November 19th 2016, as part of Local Comic Shop Day, a special Tick issue was released. Currently, The Tick issue #102 has yet to be released, it is still set for a presumed TBD 2016/2017 release and will feature yet another heroic (and possibly final) crossover.
Other comic book appearances of the Tick
A short Tick adventure appeared in the Independent Comic Book Sampler 2, released in 1988.
The Tick appeared in the first issue of Tales Too Terrible to Tell 1, also published by New England Comics, released Winter 1989-90.
Ben Edlund drew a two-page comic strip for Fox Totally Kids magazine to promote The Tick animated series in the fall of 1995.
The Tick made a cameo appearance in Shi/Cyblade 1, released September 1995.
The Tick made a cameo appearance in the daily comic strip Luann as Luann's brother, Brad, contemplates several of his favorite super-heroes.
The Tick is referenced in an issue of Deadpool. Deadpool leaps from a plane to attack Hulk and screams a nonsensical phrase. He then jokingly asks the readers if they were expecting him to say Spoon (the Tick's catchphrase).