John Benteen's Fargo: Hell on Wheels graphic novel - adapted by Howard Chaykin

by Howard Chaykin

Legendary comic book creator Howard Chaykin launches his first ever crowdfunding campaign!

Now expanded to 128+ page prestige format, this action packed hardcover graphic novel stars soldier of fortune Neal Fargo, and is based on the legendary 'Fargo' paperback series by John Benteen! Imagine if Conan was an American in the early 20th century. He still wouldn't be as hard as Neal Fargo. Adapted, written and illustrated by the inimitable HOWARD CHAYKIN!

Supporters of the campaign are in for massive treats, as there are art contributions to the book by a murderer’s row of artists, including Gary Frank, Butch Guice, Eduardo Risso, Denys Cowan, Mahmud Asrar, Ron Garney and lots more, with a variant cover provided by Dave Johnson!

$65,124

supported of $60,000

762

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$25

74

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1696814879

Digital copy

PDF format, 128+ pages

$40

322

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24

Hardcover - Cover A

Newly expanded to 128+ pages!, full color, with cover by Howard Chaykin

$55

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Hardcover+Digital Bundle

Get digital & physical copies of the book

$40

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Hardcover - Cover B

Newly expanded to 128+ pages! full color, with cover by Dave Johnson

$65

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Hardcover - Cover B - SIGNED

96+ pages, full color, with cover by Dave Johnson, bookplate signed by Howard Chaykin

$75

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Get BOTH covers!

Get one copy each of Howard Chaykin's Cover A and Dave Johnson's Cover B!

$110

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Book + Print Bundle - BOTH SIGNED

Be the ultimate supporter and get a Hardcover and a limited 11 x 17" High Quality Art Print, both si...

$60

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Retailer Bundle - ALL COPIES SIGNED

3 copies of the hardcover at wholesale pricing, all signed by Howard Chaykin. For retailers only.

$1

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ADD-ONS

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High Quality Art Print - signed & numbered

11 x 17" giclee signed by Howard Chaykin, limited to 50

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Get killed in a Fargo fight scene!

You can be drawn you into a Fargo fight scene as one of two 'Indians' who get killed by Fargo in a w...

Story

 
This campaign is for a 128+ page prestige format hardcover graphic novel adaptation of one of Howard Chaykin’s favorite characters from the highwater era of paperback adventure heroes of the sixties and seventies. Chaykin writes and draws the entire book, along with the extraordinary colorist Yen Nitro and of course his longtime letterer/designer, Ken Bruzenak.
 
Who is Neal Fargo?
 
Fargo has been described as "a combination of Robert E. Howard's Conan mixed with Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch." He was a big man with wide shoulders, narrow hips and the long legs of a born and bred horseman. His hair was close-cropped and snow white, though he was only in his thirties. He had grown up hard and never looked back. He’d punched cattle, rough-necked in the oil fields—even fought in the prize rings. He joined up with Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders and found his true calling—combat. His face was so battered, scarred, weathered and remarkably ugly that it was almost handsome. He drew helplessly admiring looks from the women and cautious, wary looks from the men. He was a soldier of fortune, for sale to the highest bidder—he was Fargo.
 
What's the story?
 

In Hell on Wheels, Fargo is hired to protect a small railroad under relentless attack from a corrupt and ruthless competitor with money to burn, and hired guns to do the burning. Fargo is a man ready for any challenge, and for this hardboiled soldier of fortune, payback is fair game. Packed with fist fighting brawls, gunplay, women and whiskey from running start to stunning finish, this story is the perfect example of why Neal Fargo is a timeless character in the timeless world of adventure fiction, and perfect for the modern graphic novel. Combine that with the unique creative sensibility of Howard Chaykin, no stranger to tough, smart protagonists (with an eye for the ladies) and Fargo: Hell on Wheels will be one of the most exciting independent graphic novels of the year!

 

Book Contents:
 
Fargo: Hell on Wheels
• Howard Chaykin intro
• Joel Haas Foreword
• Artists' Portfolio: Interpretations of Neal Fargo

Preview

 

 

 

 

Guest Art

Here's a look at some incredible interpretations of Neal Fargo that will be featured in the art gallery of the book!
 
Dave Johnson (cover) / Walter Simonson
 
Sedat Ozgen / Butch Guice
 
Robert Tanenbaum / Ron Garney
 
Denys Cowan / Giancarlo Bernal
 
Mahmud Asar / Dalibor Taljic
 
Dan Panosian / Cully Hamner
 
Philippe Xavier / Tim Fielder
 
Enrico Marini (2)
 
Frank Cho / Steve Epting
 
Eduardo Risso / Jordi Bernet
 
Gary Frank / Lee Weeks

Testimonials

“Tough guy. Fortune-seeker for hire. Uncompromising, mean SOB… am I talking about Neal Fargo or Howard Chaykin himself? It’s an open question, but here’s one thing I do know: Chaykin, the master storyteller, is in his element with FARGO: HELL ON WHEELS. Steel yourself.” 
- Cully Hamner
 
"Many years back, Howard Chaykin used the tagline "Brigand for Hire" with his Dominic Fortune character. As a life-long fan of Chaykin's work, I feel the phrase describes both the wonderfully creative man himself,  as well as that unique"Chaykin" take upon the adventure hero he has demonstrated multiple times over the years -- the type of material he frankly does better than anyone else in the industry. I anticipate his upcoming Fargo work will once more add to that very rich legend."
- Butch Guice
 
"We’ve been fortunate throughout the history of comics that every now and then visionaries appear to show us something we haven’t seen before, and may not have known was even possible. Howard Chaykin is one of those visionaries - a bottomless well of talent and a constant source of inspiration."
- Steve Epting
 
"Master storyteller Howard Chaykin, with his illuminating understanding of comics and its history, is the perfect fit for Fargo, This will be one to look out for."
- Mahmud Asrar
 
“For me, Howard Chaykin, tackling a book like Fargo: Hell On Wheels, is something uniquely special.  Chaykin brings the sort of nuance that is rarely seen in today’s comic book sequential storytelling.  A savvy blend of brilliant compositions, grit and style.”
- Dan Panosian
 
"Howard Chaykin is a storyteller's storyteller. His work and importance to the medium is widely recognised by every quality professional I know. He's a master of this most American art, comics, and adapting a story that's full of violence, greed and lust.  This (Fargo: Hell on Wheels) is prime time Chaykin."
- Richard Pace
 
"A small few understand the science behind the craft of making funny books as Howard Chaykin does. Even fewer have articulated that understanding as effectively (or with as much flair) — in word as well as in practice. Genius."
- Lee Weeks

 

"Howard  Chaykin has always had very strong black and white visuals with a lot of cool textures. His savage energy is intuitive for a project such as Fargo."

- Ron Garney

Early Bird Special

Model Steve Holland is best known as the iconic version of DOC SAVAGE on over 100 paperback covers, as well as thousands of other heroes, villains and everything in between. Holland was also the model for the first FARGO paperback in 1969.

 

For the first 48 hours of the campaign, when you make a pledge to buy FARGO: HELL ON WHEELS you will receive a free digital copy of the full color book STEVE HOLLAND: PAPERBACK HERO -- 216 pages of incredible paperback covers and photos covering the entire career of the man who would be Neal Fargo!

 

 

Bio

 

If you're a fan of comics, you know the name Howard Chaykin. The legendary creator of American Flagg!. The man who first brought Star Wars to comics. He has worked for virtually every publisher and on every major character in the comic book business. He has been a comic book man, a professional working at his craft, writing and drawing comics for over a half century. Those last four words leave him gobsmacked every freaking day, and yet, there he is, still at it.

 

 

Gizmoe Press is a publishing company that acquires and creates graphic novels focused on adult-based, dramatic, action-oriented content in genres ranging from crime, espionage, westerns, horror, science-fiction and adventure. Compelling storylines and characters mixed with unique, impactful artwork from creators around the world are the creative engine of the company. Gizmoe Press looks to provide a consistent high-quality product for readers who enjoy visual storytelling without the tights.

Stretch Goals

Timeline

The book is being worked on as we speak, and we expect delivery of final files for the printer in May '24. Printing and shipping from that point should take around three more months, so delivery of rewards is expected to be done in late summer '24.

 

Zoop will communicate with supporters should any delays occur, if there’s confusion about delivery, or if any other concerns pop up.

Frequently asked questions

Yes! We encourage you to get more than 1 item! That could be multiple copies of the same reward, or you can mix and match rewards! There is no limit, unless otherwise stated in the reward description.

Our campaigns are for a worldwide audience unless stated otherwise in the campaign. All international orders are sold with the terms DAP (Delivered At Place). You are responsible for any duties and taxes required for the shipment's entry into your country. Our carriers may require you to pay taxes and fees related to importation and customs brokerage of your shipment -- but if your item is really low in value, it may fall under the customs de minimis of most countries. For more information, please contact USPS

Zoop does not store or keep your credit card info. Stripe simply holds the credit card info until the end of a successful campaign and then charges it. It is strictly for this one time use and won't charge it ever again.

You can either access the transaction through your account and click the cancel button, or contact us at hello@wearezoop.com and we'll cancel it for you and send back a confirmation email.

 

Cancellations of rewards or add-ons of $500 or more must be made before there are 72 hours left in the campaign. The reason for this is it can have a negative effect on the tally of the campaign. If it is a limited reward or add-on, there may not be sufficient time for someone else to purchase it, leaving the campaign possibly not funded. We ask for your courtesy of the people running the campaign when making these decisions.

Please use the notes section in the last checkout step or you could e-mail us at hello@wearezoop.com with that info during the campaign if you'd like to get it out of the way. Otherwise, we'll be reaching out to all supporters of rewards that require feedback shortly after the campaign is over.

If you want to make changes, you should first cancel your original order and then start over with a new one. If you don't do that and simply process an additional order, the way our system is currently set up you may end up being overcharged for shipping -- which we could remedy for you, but it just takes that extra step of catching it and crediting you back the extra shipping, so please try the prior way first.

Rewards are the priority items that the creators have chosen for the campaign. Add-Ons are meant to be secondary items that are 'unlocked' after you buy something from the Reward level. There are no restrictions on buying Rewards, but you can only buy Add-Ons if you've bought a Reward. Zoop sets this up under the direction of the creators. Some may choose to only have Rewards, some may choose an even balance of Rewards and Add-Ons, and others may choose to only have one or two Rewards with the rest of the items being Add-Ons.

Since we have an a la carte rewards system, shipping rates will vary from supporter to supporter. We use a weight-based calculation system in your checkout cart, though, so, after you enter your country, you'll be able to see it calculated in real time with each item you add.

No - this is it! We're essentially your in-campaign pledge manager. If you are interested in supporting these creators, this is the time to do it!  And it's the exact reason we allow you to purchase as many rewards as you want during the campaign!