Ash Wednesday: Precious Cargo – a comicbook by Bruce Campbell
In 2004, Bruce Campbell wrote a Dark Horse comicbook based on BMW’s the Driver commercials called Precious Cargo and we have details!
“It’s all entertainment, it’s all make believe so I like to try and push as many buttons as I can in that world.” – Bruce Campbell
Actor for Hire
BMW in the early ’00s made a series of eight short films designed to promote their brand. Featuring Clive Owen in the lead role of the Driver, with prominent directors, Ridley Scott, John Frankenheimer and John Woo, to name a few at the helm, were pretty popular with audiences.
Madonna, Stellan Skarsgard, Vera Farmiga and Gary Oldman were some of the actors in the various segments. In 2004, Dark Horse Comics approached Bruce Campbell to write one of the stories in their series based on the BMW films.
Most Campbell fans know that Bruce is an accomplished writer of best selling books like “If Chins Could Kill”, “Make Love the Bruce Campbell Way” and more recently, “Hail to the Chin”. However, no one seems to mention his foray into the comic book arena.
After he filmed Man with the Screaming Brain, Bruce partnered with his buddy Mike Richardson’s Dark Horse Comics to do the comic adaptation. His contribution to the “Hire”, “Precious Cargo” was published on Feb.2, 2005.
Bruce Campbell – Precious Cargo – Credits – Courtesy of Dark Horse Comics
Bruce Campbell – Precious Cargo – Cover – Courtesy of Dark Horse Comics
Recently, I purchased Campbell’s comicbook and I have to say it ticks all the boxes for an exciting romp. It’s like viewing the story boards for a short action-packed film.
Cargo takes place in Campbell’s stomping grounds of Detroit, Michigan and tells the story of Claire, a pregnant school teacher who hires the Driver to take her to Waterford Municipal Airport. What seems like a routine assignment, quickly becomes fraught with danger when some gangsters start tailing them.
Bruce Campbell – Precious Cargo – Claire on plane
Make an Action Film, the Bruce Campbell Way
After some cool evasive maneuvering, Driver and Claire arrive at their destination. I won’t give any plot points away but what’s very interesting about the ending is it’s kind of romantic but in a bittersweet way. Proof that there’s more to Bruce than meets the eye.
Bruce Campbell – Precious Cargo – Driver moves on – Courtesy of Dark Horse Comics
Fans will definitely enjoy the little nod to one of his characters that he throws into the mix. Also, the Driver does look a bit like someone that we all know.
This comic is a must read for anyone who enjoys Campbell’s work. Go ahead take the ride. You’ll be glad you did.
Did you know that Bruce Campbell wrote comic books? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below. We want to hear from you.
Next: Ash Wednesday: Bruce Campbell’s top 5 TV watchlist
Susan Leighton can be found on Twitter and Facebook @SusanontheLedge as well as Instagram @convirgin. She is also featured on Friday Night Tights, the ultimate pop culture wrap up show at Nerdrotic Podcast every Friday night at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT. You can catch her weekly coverage on IFC’s Brockmire at TV Series Hub.