Sacramento comic book creator shines a light on local talent at Free Comic Book Day

Eben Burgoon is serious about comic books.

Burgoon is an indie comic book writer based in Sacramento. He has an affinity for underdogs, weiner dogs, and offbeat storytelling. He has been drawn to the world of comic books since he was in grade school.

“When you’re a kid, you read comics, and then you start to want to do them yourself. ... you experiment,” Burgoon said. “But at a certain point, you get told to drop the cartoons and start reading chapter books – “adult writing.”

“I was told, ‘Here’s what adults read. Go read that stuff.’ And I did that.’”

It paid off. Burgoon, the author of “B-Squad: Soldiers of Misfortune,” will have his work included in the offerings at this year’s Free Comic Book Day on Saturday. A B-Squad short is included as part of an anthology book, “Starburns Presents.” Most comic shops in the Sacramento region will have some sort of celebration and thousands of comic books will be given away Saturday. Burgoon will be signing comic books at A-1 Comics in Roseville.

The weekend events showcase visual storytelling, often with a local angle. Burgoon’s creative energy was always bubbling toward the surface. He majored in international relations at California State University Chico, but minored in creative writing and founded a theatrical improv group.

Eventually, Burgoon went full circle. With his colleague, Dan Bethel, he resurrected a concept from his youth. “We were like, ‘Man – We had this great idea for a comic back in high school. What if we did that?’”

And so was born the webcomic “Eben07: Covert Custodian.” If that name sounds similar to a certain international man of mystery, it’s because the comic details the exploits of James Bond’s janitorial staff.

Eben07 reminded Burgoon that comic books aren’t excluded from the category of literature or art.

“There’s no difference,” he said. “People that want to read Vonnegut can read comics too.”

Starburns Industries Press (SBI Press) is Burgoon’s new publisher. Previously, Burgoon raised the money for B-squad through the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter.

SBI Press is the fledgling publishing wing of the animation studio Starburns Industries. The company looks for content with “some combination of funny, strange, sad, and beautiful,” said Trevor Richardson, SBI Press’ vice president of acquisition. He added, “Eben is just our kind of dude.”

B-Squad is a comedy/action series about a group of misfit mercenaries. (“If there are ‘A-teams,’ there’ve got to be B-squads and C-squads,” Burgoon said.)

The squad embarks on oddball missions from Cambodia, where they combat the poaching of Cambodian mugwai, to Hawaii, where they take on a group of nippy, collectively-minded dachshunds.

B-Squad is the story of a collective. Individual squad members are expendable, and one of them dies in every issue.

“I roll the die to determine which one is most expendable,” says Burgoon. He does the honors with a special dice made from whale bone that looks like a spinning top.

Burgoon has a system for replacing the characters as they die. “The squad is comprised of archetypes,” he said. He compares his ensemble of characters to a car engine, the loss of a character to a worn out carburetor. When one character dies, ”I can quickly develop a new character around that archetype.”

B-Squad replaces more than just its protagonists. The comic uses a different art team for every issue, propping up undiscovered artists with some credentials and a paid gig.

“They can use the platform to say, ‘Hey, I’ve got a credit in this book. I’m a professional comic book creator,’” Burgoon said.

SBI Press is remastering the very first issue of B-Squad, increasing the page size and adding bonus materials and activities. The first issue is due to be released in late June. Subsequent issues will contain new content.

Burgoon has a handful of other projects as well. He is working with SBI Press on a comic book project called “Book of Nightmares.” The Book will feature work by kids ages 13 and younger. Their stories are collected, illustrated, and published, and the children are paid for their work.

And then there is CrockerCon. Between July and September, the Crocker Art Museum will display notable pieces from comic book history, as well as process pieces showing how comic books are made.

“The Crocker decided to cross the bridge and be a place where fine art can meet pop art,” says Burgoon. “Both are art and literature, and they matter to our culture at large.”

This story was originally published May 1, 2019 at 2:40 AM.