Boris the Bear

In the mid-1980s, Dark Horse launched Boris the Bear, a satirical twelve-issue series that skewered the comic-book industry with gleeful irreverence. Written primarily by Mike Richardson and Randy Stradley, with art by James Dean Smith, the series followed a grumpy, chainsaw-wielding bear on a mission to hunt down and destroy "funny animals"—a pointed parody of the era's licensed-character boom. It stands as an early, scrappy milestone for the fledgling publisher, showcasing the sharp, anti-corporate humor that would define Dark Horse's identity.