Flaming Carrot Comics

Flaming Carrot
File:FlamingCarrot01.jpg Flaming Carrot Comics #01 (2005) Art by Bob Burden
Publication information
First appearance	Visions #1 (1979)
Created by	Bob Burden
In-story information
Alter ego	Unknown
Team affiliations	Mystery Men, Junior Carrot Patrol
Abilities	Atomic Powered Pogo Stick, Tornado in a Can, Plungers

Flaming Carrot Comics is a surrealist comic book by Bob Burden originally published by Aardvark-Vanaheim, then by Renegade Press and Dark Horse Comics between 1984 and 1993. The book was relaunched in 2005 with Image Comics.

Publication history

The title refers to the protagonist, “The Flaming Carrot,” who first appeared in "Visions #1," the first in a series of magazines produced as part of the Atlanta Fantasy Fair in 1979. Flaming Carrot stories went on to appear in each yearly edition of the magazine through 1987. In 1981 Burden self-published "Flaming Carrot Comics #1" (OVERSIZE), a one-off special. A 4 page, apocryphal Flaming Carrot history in "Visions #4" (1982) convinced Dave Sim of Aardvark-Vanaheim to publish Flaming Carrot as a regular comic. The first issue, "Road Hogs From Outerspace," was published in May 1984.

Character Overview

The Flaming Carrot wears a costume that consists of a giant carrot mask, a white shirt, red pants, and flippers on his feet (in case he has to swim). The mask has a continually burning flame at the top and a secret compartment containing a nuclear powered pogo stick. Flaming Carrot also wears a crime fighting utility belt, but unlike that of the Batman, his is filled with silly putty, rubber bands, random playing cards, sneeze powder, and other similarly useless items (which nonetheless can become lethal weapons in his hands). He is not averse to the use of firearms, and can be seen from time to time brandishing a semi-automatic pistol. The Carrot lives in Palookaville, a neighborhood of Iron City (a working-stiff sort of town like Akron, Ohio or Pittsburgh).

Fictional History

The origins issue (issue 7) states that "having read 5,000 comics in a single sitting to win a bet, this poor man suffered brain damage and appeared directly thereafter as - the Flaming Carrot!" Non sequiturs within the various issues have led some to speculate that the Flaming Carrot is, in fact, Jim Morrison of the Doors or Frankie Laine.

Flaming Carrot can be seen as a parody of various aspects of the superhero genre (though his origin story is much the same as that of Don Quixote). Most of his dialogue is disjointed, but sometimes thought-provoking in a Zen Koan fashion. Odd pop culture references and random non-sequiturs abound throughout the stories. He is portrayed as a womanizing, hard drinking, two-fisted, mentally unbalanced individual (calling to mind the gritty anti-heroes of the 1980s), whilst at the same time almost inexorably being on the side of The Establishment, with at least one instance of telling the audience to "avoid between meal snacks and brush after every meal" similar to the very clean cut, all American comic characters. However, the series contains more depth than a superhero parody. Reflections on philosophy, the absence of meaning in modern life, why someone would choose the life of a superhero, and the effects of waking up from a night of heavy drinking with a speaker surgically implanted in one's chest abound.

To date, Flaming Carrot has staved off at least three alien invasions, a Communist take over of Iron City, flying dead dogs, the Man in the Moon, Death itself, and a cloned horde of evil marching Hitler's boots. Possessing no real super powers, the Carrot wins the day through sheer grit, raw determination, blinding stupidity, and bizarre luck.

Flaming Carrot was also a founding member of a blue collar superhero group called Mystery Men. The story of this group was later made into a movie. Flaming Carrot himself did not appear in this film, although a handful of characters like Mr. Furious, the Shoveler, and Dr. Heller did.

External links

• This Flame, This Carrot Flaming Carrot article on ComicsBulletin
• Rotten Library Article on Flaming Carrot
• Bob Burden's Flaming Carrot homepage
• Don Markstein's Toonopedia Flaming Carrot page
• Instructions for making a Flaming Carrot costume