Ghosts with Guns and Bigfoot's Big Secret: Diving into Hector Plasm

Alright, comic fans, let's talk about a book that feels like it was dug up from the weirdest, most wonderful corner of the comic shop back issue bins. We're all familiar with the trench-coated occult detective, the brooding magician who knows all the angles. But what if your hero was less of a master of the mystic arts and more of a blue-collar supernatural handyman who’s just… very, very tired of all this? And what if his greatest power was the ability to make things out of his own bodily humors?

That’s the gloriously strange and utterly charming premise of Hector Plasm: Hunt the Bigfoot, a comic that drops a world-weary ghost hunter into a murder mystery that might just involve the world’s most famous cryptid.

Meet the Man Made of Monsters... And Phlegm

First things first, let’s get to know our hero. Hector Plasm is a benandante, a member of an ancient cult sworn to protect humanity from witches and to mediate between the worlds of the living and the dead. Born with a rare birth caul, he can see ghosts, and he’s got an arsenal of mystical trinkets, including a ghost-exorcising sword and a dagger that rattles when trouble’s near.   

But his real party trick? Hector is a physical medium, meaning he can create ectoplasm. And this isn't your grandma's séance-table cheesecloth. Hector’s ectoplasm is a "spiritual condensate" made from his own "bodily humors"—blood, phlegm, bile, you name it. He can shape this gunk into weapons, tools, or, as he demonstrates, some truly grotesque balloon animals. He’s a walking, talking, slightly gross Swiss Army knife of the supernatural, and he’s accompanied by two ghostly companions, the chatty "Sinner" and the silent "Saint," who offer questionable advice from the sidelines.   

Just Another Day at the Office

The story kicks off in the Pacific Northwest, and we’re immediately thrown into Hector’s bizarre day-to-day. His first job is dealing with a shotgun-toting ghost who’s mad about his daughter eloping. Hector’s reaction isn’t awe or terror, but pure annoyance. "I don't know when we decided it was cool for ghosts to have guns," he grumbles, "but I have to say, I'm against it".   

This opening perfectly sets the book's tone. It’s a world of genuine supernatural threats handled with a layer of deadpan, working-class humor. The art from Derek Hunter and colors by Spencer Holt are a perfect match. The style is clean, cartoonish, and expressive, making the ghouls and ghosts feel more like quirky characters than nightmare fuel. It’s a book that finds the fun in the horror. After dispatching the ghost and dealing with a local witch, Hector thinks his job is done and he can finally get some rest. He is, of course, wrong.   

Welcome to Monkey Ridge

As a thank-you, a local history professor offers Hector a place to stay for the night in the wonderfully named town of Monkey Ridge. The professor, it turns out, runs the local Bigfoot Museum. He’s a serious archaeologist who only keeps the sasquatch stuff around because, as he puts it, "Tourists don't swarm the place to look at flint knives".   

Here, Hector meets Lip Dyson, the museum’s resident cryptozoology enthusiast, who runs the "pseudoscience portion" of the exhibit. She’s heard of Hector’s witch-wrangling exploits and immediately tries to recruit him for the ultimate quest: to hunt the Bigfoot. She tells him the local legend of Ape Canyon, where miners were besieged by "apelike humanoids," and begs him to help her find the creature to bring fame and fortune to their small town.   

It's Not My Job... Until It Is

Hector, being the pragmatic (and exhausted) hero he is, flatly refuses. He’s a benandante, he explains, not a "monster hunter." His job is witches and ghosts. Bigfoot, being a living creature—and, in Hector’s professional opinion, not real—is way outside his jurisdiction. He’s ready to pack his bags and hit the road.   

But this is a small town with big problems. The very next morning, a local woman is found murdered, her throat ripped out. As the only stranger in town, Hector immediately becomes the sheriff's prime suspect and is forbidden from leaving. Suddenly, he’s trapped. With a sigh of pure resignation, he realizes he’s stuck in Monkey Ridge until the murder is solved. Lip’s offer to go Bigfoot hunting suddenly seems like his only option.   

Hector Plasm is a brilliant blend of horror, comedy, and mystery. It’s a story that feels both classic and refreshingly original, with a hero who is instantly relatable in his weariness. The world is weird, the dialogue is sharp, and the mystery is just getting started. This is a must-read for anyone who likes their supernatural stories with a healthy dose of humor and a hero who’s just trying to get through the day.

If You Enjoyed Hector Plasm, Try:

• John Constantine: Hellblazer by various creators. The original chain-smoking, trench-coated magician. If you love the idea of a cynical, blue-collar hero navigating the dark corners of the supernatural world, this is the foundational text.

• Chew by John Layman and Rob Guillory. For another fantastic Image Comics series that mixes a bizarre supernatural premise with crime, mystery, and a heavy dose of quirky humor, look no further. It follows a detective who gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats, and it shares Hector Plasm's talent for making the grotesque incredibly fun.

• Hellboy by Mike Mignola. If you want more stories about a world-weary hero punching monsters based on folklore and legend, Hellboy is the absolute gold standard. Like Hector, Hellboy is a working-class hero who would much rather be left alone but always steps up to do the job.