Reid Fleming, World's Toughest Milkman
An underground, self-published comic from 1980, the story follows the adventures of the titular anti-hero, Reid Fleming. He is surly, quick to violence, and chugs coffee and cigarettes like there's no tomorrow.
A truly Jerkass Anti-Hero, Reid characterization fits in with the moral ambiguities present in many of the Underground Comics of the 60's and 70's.
Shannon Wheeler, creator of Too Much Coffee Man, cited the comic as an influence on his own work.
Tropes used in Reid Fleming, World's Toughest Milkman include:
- Art Evolution: As noted by the Comics Buyer's Guide, the first comic--being an anthology of an earlier newspaper run that spanned a year--experiences this within the issue. This trend continues as the publishing schedule of Reid Fleming is sporadic at best.
- All a Part of the Job: An comical inversion, in that in no way should any of the predicaments Reid finds himself in be routine for a milk man. Yet somehow, in his case, they are.
- Crossover: With Flaming Carrot.
- Schoolyard Bully All Grown Up: A special case where the author based Reid on a schoolyard bully from his childhood, reimagined as an adult.
- Show Within a Show: Reid is often depicted watching his favorite program, Dangers Of Ivan.