Golden Adventures of Brett Hull • Comics Explained
Writer Walt breaks down the story and backstory behind the unique, 1994 comic book mini-series starring the NHL Hall of Famer.
The Golden Adventures of Brett Hull is a 3-issue comic book mini-series created in 1994 by the Patrick Company in St. Louis.
Beloved by collectors and St. Louis Blues hockey fans, these unique, full-color comic books were a joint promotion for McDonald's, the Blues, and Coca-Cola benefitting the Ronald McDonald House.
Each issue of The Golden Adventures of Brett Hull sold for 99 cents with purchases of Value Meals at Midwest McDonald's restaurants. Here's a quick overview of the three covers by St. Louis artist Bill Vann.
Star of the 3-part, science-fiction storyline is former St. Louis Blues star Brett Hull, now retired and a National Hockey League Hall-of-Famer. According to KSDK.com, Brett Hull was named by the Jack Buck Awards in 2020 as "The Top St. Louis Sports Personality in 50 years."
Top comic creators got involved.
St. Louis copywriter and comics writer Walt Jaschek was hired to craft the science-fiction-meets-hockey-action story arc and snappy dialogue for the series. Artists on the books included St. Louis comic book pros Don Secrease, Rick Burchett (as Jim Riley,) Bill Lux and Terry Hinkle. The individual stories were titled "Slap Shot to Destiny," "Power Play: 2094" and "Sudden Death Overtime."
Says Walt: "They didn't call it 'branded entertainment' when I got the assignment to write 'The Golden Adventures of Brett Hull.' But oh-so-branded entertainment it was. I wrote the 3-part story, which sets then Blues star Brett Hull into a far-out future in search of his character and destiny. The in-story scenes of Brett eating McDonalds and enjoying a Coke were agency-inspired product placements."
St. Lous writer and hockey fan Brock Hanke was brought in by Walt to help craft the intricate hockey/combat scenes, vividly depicted by the comic book artists, and everybody on the creative team was obviously having a grand time.
Here's how comics.org sums up the plot of issue #1:
"St. Louis Blues right wing and team captain Brett Hull makes a game-winning goal just seconds before the final horn. After a post-game interview he goes home and wonders what it will take to fill the empty space in his trophy case with hockey's Stanley Cup. Later he is electronically observed preparing for the next game. During the game Hull takes a hit, falls to the ice out cold. He awakens to a menacing image of the Dragoon, which turns out to be a hologram. Wondering where he is, an unknown man tells him he is in the future - in the year 2094."
Brett Hull hi-jinx ensues.
Credits
Golden Adventures of Brett Hull #1-3
Clients: McDonalds, Coca-Cola, St. Louis Blues
Agency: The Patrick Company
Creative Directors: Bob Hawthorne, Bill Kamper, The Patrick Company
Writers: Walt Jaschek (issues 1-3) and Brock Hanke (issue 2)
Art Director: Terry Hinkle, Hinkle & Company
Artists: Don Secrease, Rick Burchett (as Jim Riley,) Bill Lux, Bill Vann, Johnny's Flying Mouse
Covers: Bill Vann
Comics. Comedy. Camaraderie. In progress at Walt Now, home to writer Walt Jaschek and his comic friends creating comic entertainment. Now.