About Groo

The creation of legendary cartoonist Sergio Aragonés (who was soon joined in that questionable literary endeavor by producer/writer/friend-of-his Mark Evanier), Groo the Wanderer has fans all over the world.

The world's stupidest barbarian first appeared in print in 1982, though the concept was camped out in Sergio's mind and on his drawing board for several years before. The comic was an almost-instant hit, and Sergio and Mark have been producing Groo's further adventures for over 40 years with new issues still appearing…200 and counting.  Groo, by the way, is not doing the counting because he can't!

Groo Timeline

  • First Drawing of Groo Appears Publicly on the Cover of Scene Magazine

    1977

    A family friend of Sergio's from Mexico City was attending California State University at Northridge, taking a journalism class, and had the idea to interview Sergio for the Journalism School's magazine, Scene. During the interview Sergio drew himself at his drawing board and some characters, including Groo, and that drawing was used as the cover. There is also a sketch of Groo in the magazine with the article.

  • First Groo Story in Destroyer Duck

    1981

    Destroyer Duck #1, was published by Eclipse Comics as a benefit to raise money for a legal battle over creator rights. The four-page story contributed to the issue by Aragonés is Groo's first published appearance.

  • Groo Appears in Starslayer

    1981

    Groo appeared in a two-page preview ad and the back cover art in Starslayer #4, published by Pacific Comics. The second Groo story appearance was in a five-page backup preview story in Starslayer #5. This was the first story on which Sergio was joined by Mark Evanier and Stan Sakai. Gordon Kent, who colored most of the early Groo stories before Tom Luth came along, did the colors.

  • Groo #1 (Volume I) Begins on Pacific Comics

    December 1982

    With the excitement around the character and Sergio's art, Pacific Comics began publishing Groo the Wanderer as a regular series, with 8 issues produced. When Groo was published by Pacific, he was not portrayed as quite the bumbling idiot. He got dumber as he went along, as so many of us do.

  • Groo Special Edition on Eclipse Comics

    October 1984

    Pacific faced various financial difficulties and was only able to publish eight issues of the title. With Pacific unable to publish new material, a one-shot issue of material that was originally produced for them (titled the Groo Special) was instead published by Eclipse.

  • Groo Volume II Launches on Marvel's Epic Comics

    March 1985

    After leaving Pacific, Aragonés and Evanier negotiated a deal with Epic Comics, an imprint of Marvel Comics, for that company to take care of ongoing publication while preserving Sergio's creator rights. This resulted in the longest run of Groo the Wanderer with 120 issues produced over 120 months, plus two graphic novels and a few other very odd odds 'n' ends.

  • Sergio & Mark Win Their First Eisner Award

    1992

    Groo the Wanderer took honors in the Will Eisner Award as "Best Humor Publication" in 1992 and again in 1999. Sergio and Mark also won in 1997 for a non-Groo project. Sergio also won Eisner Awards without Mark in 1996, 2000, and 2001 and was voted into the Hall of Fame in 2002. Mark won an Eisner in 2009 and both of them have received the Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award. Stan Sakai has won too many Eisner Awards to list here

  • Groo Volume III Rolls out on Image Comics

    December 1994

    In 1994, with Marvel facing financial difficulties, the title switched to Image Comics and was retitled Groo. (In the first issue Groo remarks "The marvels of the world are but images before me," which is darned clever, especially when you consider that Groo said it).

  • Groo Volume IV Goes to Dark Horse Comics

    January 1998

    After twelve issues at Image, the Wanderer wandered over to Dark Horse Comics in 1998, which has published it continuously since.

  • New Groo.com Launches

    2021

    A new home for all things Groo launches, with links to buy the comics and ways for fans to connect with each other. Simultaneously, Groo launched new social media channels to spread the stupidity of Groo!

  • Groo Turns 40

    2022

    40 years after Destroyer Duck #1, Groo has survived multiple publishers, editors and comic eras and is still wandering. With no signs of letting up, Groo is ready for its next chapter of charming fans of all ages.

illustration of all characters

The Creators

Sergio Aragones

SERGIO has been the recipient of darn near every award on this planet for cartooning and even has one named for him.  His irresistible cartoons have appeared in the pages and margins of MAD since 1963 and been the subject of "All-Sergio" special editions of MAD.  His cartoons have also been seen in DC Comics, Marvel Comics and just about every major publisher of funnybooks, and his work has been translated -- and easy feat since so much of it has been in pantomime -- into over a hundred languages.  Paperback collections of his work and graphic novels have sold into the millions and he has appeared in front of the camera for TV shows (like "Laugh-In") and movies, along with being a permanent Guest of Honor at the annual Comic-Con International in San Diego.

For commissions or original art, please go to Aragones Cartoons

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Mark Evanier

MARK has been a professional writer since 1969, writing for magazines and stand-up comedians, as well as hundreds of comic books, at first featuring characters like Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, Scooby Doo and The Flintstones, later going on to work on original creations and in live-action television, animation and books.  His longest TV credit was as producer, voice director and writer for several hundred hours of animation of Garfield the Cat, but he also developed the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon show (and many others) for television.  He has received three Emmy nominations and, both in tandem with his partner Sergio and alone, several Eisner Awards, plus he received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Animation Writing from the Writers Guild.  Like Sergio, he is a permanent Guest of Honor at Comic-Con International.

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