Thirty-five years ago, comic fans dialed in Jason Todd's execution. Cartoonist Tony Wolf vividly recalls the event.
Live or die, make your choice. Long before Jigsaw enjoyed his games, DC editorial asked its readers to write Gotham's future. Jason Todd, the Robin who slipped into Dick Grayson's tights, was a somewhat maligned character. Eager to end the cantankerous conversation once and for all or stir the pot to a boiling point, the Bat-offices hatched a scheme in which comic readers would call a 900 number and vote on the little bird's fate. Humans being humans, the devils elected violence.
From a total of 10,614 votes, 5,343 voted to slaughter Jason Todd, bringing Joker's crowbar down on his fragile skull. Repeatedly. But what if? What if the vicious hadn't won? What if Jason Todd dodged that crowbar and found a long, prosperous life out from under the red hood? This week's New Comic Book Day sees the release of a facsimile edition of Batman #428. This time, however, it contains the ending in which Robin Lives!
To celebrate the occasion, we're reprinting 1-800-Dead-Robin, a short comic written and illustrated by our pal Tony Wolf and colored by SirGryphon. The clever, heartfelt recollection appears in Wolf's recent anthology Tales from the Wolf, which you can purchase wherever rad comics are sold or snag directly from the publisher.
In the tale, Wolf sets the scene. How did Jason Todd arrive under the guillotine? Why was his fate the only fate possible? Wolf digs into his decision and, in doing so, dissects all the votes that plucked the birdie from his tree. You'll get a chuckle for sure, but there's a lot more here, too. Enjoy!
1-800-Dead-Robin
Tony Wolf is a writer/illustrator based in NYC. He has written & drawn 4 comics for The New York Times, which are included in the new 200-page paperback collection “Tales From The Wolf” from Cosmic Lion Productions. Tony is also an actor and has appeared in co-star roles on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Comedy Central, The Blacklist and various indie films. http://tonywolfactor.com Insta:
SirGryphon is a comics creator & graphic designer, whose work includes the series Wow Signal, What Lies Beyond, Planet of Birds, and Millennials with Dimitrios Fragiskatos. SirGryphon is also the co-owner of Anyone Comics in Brooklyn. Instagram: @sirgryphon.