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Far From Dead: There’s Still Life in Westerns

ormally in this space, we do not present ourselves as purveyors outcast who gets recruited to work for the mysterious Black Badge
of “the truth,” but instead we offer our takes as truthfully as Division – a cross-border task force between the U.S. and Canada. The
Npossible. Here, though, is some truth: No one anywhere is tired show also expanded her circle of allies with her younger
of good movies, good TV shows, good novels, good non- sister Waverly, Black Badge Agent Dolls, the immortal
fiction, or good video games. They’re tired of bad Doc Holliday (yes, that Doc Holliday), Officer Nicole
stories. They’re tired of tired stories. No one is tired of Haught, lab tech Jeremy Chetri, and Sheriff Nedley.
good stories. With a sexy-cool demon-fighting heroine, equally
At present, we’re hearing a lot about superhero fun and entertaining supporting characters, and themes
fatigue because the last few Marvel epics have been far centered around found family and inclusion, it didn’t
less than epic. For years in the comic book world (and take long for the show to gain a loyal and passionate
in movies, for that matter), we’ve been hearing fanbase. Dubbing themselves “Earpers,” the fans fought
that Westerns are dead. Of course, anytime anyone for every season of the show, using the hashtag
proclaims a genre to be dead, you can count on someone #FightforWynonna, and even paying for billboards in
else proving them wrong. The success of Yellowstone itself New York’s Times Square to help the show get
suggests that there is not only life, but powerful life left in renewed for a fourth season. Part of that fight stemmed
the niche. And it’s far from the only example we’ve seen. from the financial trouble that parent producer IDW
One property that cuts across both Western and Entertainment was experiencing as they considered
horror themes in both comics and television is Beau canceling the show after the third season’s cliffhanger
Smith’s Wynonna Earp. Mixing genres can have, well, finale. Much to fan elation, it was renewed for a
mixed results with some titles giving a fresh take on classic fourth season in 2019 with production set to begin in
themes, or it can be a disjointed mess that tries too hard. early 2020. When COVID-19 hit, the show was put
Wynonna Earp is firmly situated in the former category. on hold for a few months, and by the time it was
Originally published by Image Comics, Wynonna Comic creator Beau Smith during his visit to greenlit to begin production, IDW and Syfy
Earp #1 debuted 27 years ago in December 1996. In the the Wynonna Earp TV show set in Calgary, announced that season four would be its last.
supernatural western, Wynonna is a legacy in law Alberta, Canada. Despite the show’s conclusion in April 2021, the
enforcement as the descendant of famous lawman (Photo courtesy Beau Smith) Earper community is still very active. Wynonna
Wyatt Earp. But unlike the rogue cowboys he used to face, Earp conventions are held several times a year all over the
Wynonna specializes in taking out threats like werewolves, world, with many cast members and show
vampires, and other fanged foes in a special branch of the writers regularly attending to meet fans.
U.S. Marshalls. Smith wrote a new limited series
In her first outing, she battled Bobo Del Rey, a hulking comic that was also published in 2016
vampire with a love for The Andy Griffith Show, and a that combined aspects of the original
designer drug called Hemo. Her next encounter was with comic with the show. Wynonna now
a mummy and his cult, then the title was shelved for a few looked like actress Melanie Scrofano (now
years. It returned at IDW in 2003, pitting Wynonna featured in a recurring role on Star Trek:
against some of her ancestor’s foes, some redneck Strange New Worlds) rather than the sharp-
gremlins, and in 2011, she dealt with a yeti. One of featured, buxom blond she was in the early
her few allies to appear throughout the title was books. Her old pal Smitty was back and
Smitty, an agent with an uncanny resemblance to comic the new characters from the show were
creator Smith. integrated into the book, though some had
Wynonna Earp saw a big bump in popularity, different introductions.
and renewed interest in the comics, in 2016 with the Scrofano joined Smith to write two issues
introduction of the TV show. The series was created by about the Earp sisters, and Doc Holliday actor
Emily Andras who had already seen success in genre Tim Rozon paired with Smith on issues about
TV with the supernatural series Lost Girl and sci-fi his character. The writing partnership between
series Killjoys. The show simultaneously built on and Smith and Rozon extended into the miniseries
reimagined Wynonna and her story, first by making Season Zero and Bad Day at Black Rock, the
her new to demon hunting, versus her seasoned comic latter of which was published in 2019 and is, to
counterpart. It starts on her 27th birthday when a date, the most recent Wynonna Earp book.
curse that was put on Wyatt Earp’s family marks her Wynonna Earp and characters from the show and comic Given how tough the heroine is, and how
as the “heir,” aka the one who will have to hunt appeared on The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide fiercely loyal her fans are, it likely won’t
#50 cover by Chris Evenhuis.
down the revenants that were once outlaws that be her last.
Wyatt faced.
Instead of being a U.S. Marshall, she started the show as a tough J.C. Vaughn is the President of Gemstone Publishing.
Amanda Sheriff is Gemstone’s Editor – Digital.

38 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles