Every mug in a costume doesn’t join the Union, as you’ll see in these pencils from Issue #1. Meet Al E. Gator, costume rip-off artist and scab extraordinaire.

You can also get a peek at how much unnecessary labor I put into my pencils. I’m inking them myself! What’s the point?! I don’t know. To make things even more time-consuming, I do my pencils on drawing paper, then tape them down on a light-box and ink on a separate, clean piece of that bleed-proof pen & ink paper (I like the surface better than bristol board).

I’m basically a glutton for punishment. But believe me, I’ve got nothing on Al E. Gator, cruising around River City in that get-up without a Union Card…

(click to enlarge)

While some folks like to think the D18 crew is nothing but a bunch of villains, those close to the Union can take comfort in knowing that Division 18 looks out for the people who look out for Division 18.

Take Adam Beranek, one half (with Christian) of the Brothers Beranek, and thus one of the driving forces behind our publisher Silent Devil. But nepotism alone won’t get you into this crew. Adam also satisfies the first rule of UNCP membership by rocking this sweet mascot gear to promote his own Silent Devil graphic novel, Silent Forest! 

These days, Wunderwulf is rich off of the royalties from his comics, and enjoys kicking back with the occasional spirits, crashing a good party, and bumpin furs. Meanwhile, Adam is working on adapting his story Beast of Burden for film.

So hold your head high, Adam, knowing that Snake and the crew will be on call to help you out of any pinch, brass knuckles and baseball bats at the ready. (Sorry, Christian… better dust off that King Arthur gettup.) 

Thanks to The Beat for alerting us to this gross violation of UNCP mandates. Looks like Boss Tony’s gonna have to make a few calls to Division 4 in Atlanta.

We’re within weeks (week?) of the release of issue #1, but let’s take a moment to celebrate another “new release” — Alexa Sky Bergin, heir to one half of the inevitable Division 18 fortune! Only 8 days old and the kid is already trying out for a spot in the Union…

Thanks to Cracked.com’s look at creepy German Halloween costumes, we’ve got a brand new list of novelty costumed scabs scheduled for a Union beatdown.  

And speaking of Halloween… could that be the day issue #1 finally hits store shelves? Stay tuned to find out (you know, as soon as we do!!!)!

We deal with the same crap at this time every year here in the Union of Novelty Costumed Performers — rank amateurs stepping on our toes and confusing our clientele with their low-rent costumes and cheap gimmicks.

It’s worse than when the circus comes to River City and our town is overrun by clowns… but the response is just the same. We’ve gotta make clowns and scabs alike know what happens when you cross the Union. The message is usually best delivered on the business end of a baseball bat or tire iron.

Make this a Happy Halloween for all and beat the snot out of some scabs.

We don’t know who this guy is, but unlike most scabs we encounter, we’re offering him a job, not a beating! He’d be a perfect spokeman for that new sausage joint in downtown River City.

Thanks again to Cracked.com for pointing us in the right direction.

Our first review was en espanol, and — according to Google’s tranlator-tron 3000 — positive. We think.

Our second review? Not so much.

Here at the Union, we take pride in our hipness. We know what’s bad and phat and even what’s money. But the only thing more important to us than keeping our collective finger on the pulse of popular culture is keeping our unionized boots across the throats of any scabs that cross our path.

So please enjoy this music video by Aesop Rock that is just filthy with unsanctioned animated novelty costumed scabs, while we polish our brass knuckles and track these suckers down on Google Maps.