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Time Beavers
1985 graphic novel printed by First Comics that was written and drawn by Timothy Truman. An epic adventure that takes the reader on an historical odyssey from 17th century France to the Lincoln Presidency, from the final days of the Third Reich to the Great Dam of Time where the eternal Time Beavers battle to protect the very essence of reality!
- GenresComicsGraphic Novels
48 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1985
About the author
Timothy Truman
534 books60 followersTimothy Truman is an American writer, artist and musician. He is best known for his stories and Wild West-style comic book art, and in particular, for his work on Grimjack (with John Ostrander), Scout, and the reinvention of Jonah Hex, with Joe R. Lansdale. Truman is currently writing Conan and is an instructor at the Pennsylvania College of Art and Design.
Truman's first professional comics work was Grimjack with writer John Ostrander, for the independent comics company First Comics. Grimjack first appeared in Starslayer #10 in November 1983, before moving to his own series after issue #18 in 1984, and continued for 81 issues. Along with being a fan favorite and often imitated character, Grimjack almost single-handedly defined the "grim and gritty" action comic character archetype.
Truman has been continuously creative for more than 20 years, displaying his pulp sensitivities in his writing. In 1985, he created Scout, which was followed by Scout: War Shaman, a futuristic western. A year later, he relaunched the Hillman characters Airboy and The Heap for Eclipse Comics. He also developed The Prowler, a Shadow type character, and adapted The Spider for Eclipse. In 1991, at DC Comics he created Hawkworld, a reinvention of Hawkman. With author Joe R. Lansdale, he reinterpreted Jonah Hex as a horror western. In it, their creation of villain Edgar Autumn elicited a complaint from musician Edgar Winter. With his son, Benjamin Truman, he created A Man Named Hawken.
Truman was chosen by Dark Horse Comics to illustrate a newly completed Tarzan novel and wrote a story arc for the comic book. He also wrote virtually the entire run of Turok: Dinosaur Hunter for Valiant Comics, after David Michelinie launched the book with its first three-issue story arc and subsequently departed the series. For the defunct SF imprint of DC, Helix, he created The Black Lamb. He also worked on a typical pulp adventure Guns of the Dragon, featuring Enemy Ace and Bat Lash; and wrote Star Wars at Dark Horse Comics. While at Dark Horse Comics, he took over the writing of Conan from Kurt Busiek in 2006, and after that series ended he started Conan The Cimmerian.
Truman's startling work, Simon Girty, Renegade was a two-volume black and white graphic novel that translated the horrors and triumphs of the American settler's western frontier in a fresh, interesting light. In bold, black and white use of positive and negative space, Truman appealed to both young and old audiences in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. It was especially important for West Virginians that had been struggling against novelist Zane Grey's portrayal of Lewis Wetzel in an overly romanticized, florid light. Truman himself is an avid historian who dislikes nothing more than to see a drawing of a war using the wrong weaponry, and the second volume of his two-volume series on Simon Girty was devoted to the errors caught in his first volume.
Tecumseh! a graphic novel based on the West Virginia Outdoor Theater, is a colored graphic novel that shows the play from beginning to end. It renewed interest in the warrior in Appalachia. When asked why he used "Tecumseh" instead of "Tecumtheh" he explained he didn't want to explain to the mainstream audience the variance in spelling — the movement on pronunciation began with General William Tecumseh Sherman who came from a family that wanted to commemorate the warrior, but felt the lisping "Tecumtheh" would be unmanly.
Truman's first professional comics work was Grimjack with writer John Ostrander, for the independent comics company First Comics. Grimjack first appeared in Starslayer #10 in November 1983, before moving to his own series after issue #18 in 1984, and continued for 81 issues. Along with being a fan favorite and often imitated character, Grimjack almost single-handedly defined the "grim and gritty" action comic character archetype.
Truman has been continuously creative for more than 20 years, displaying his pulp sensitivities in his writing. In 1985, he created Scout, which was followed by Scout: War Shaman, a futuristic western. A year later, he relaunched the Hillman characters Airboy and The Heap for Eclipse Comics. He also developed The Prowler, a Shadow type character, and adapted The Spider for Eclipse. In 1991, at DC Comics he created Hawkworld, a reinvention of Hawkman. With author Joe R. Lansdale, he reinterpreted Jonah Hex as a horror western. In it, their creation of villain Edgar Autumn elicited a complaint from musician Edgar Winter. With his son, Benjamin Truman, he created A Man Named Hawken.
Truman was chosen by Dark Horse Comics to illustrate a newly completed Tarzan novel and wrote a story arc for the comic book. He also wrote virtually the entire run of Turok: Dinosaur Hunter for Valiant Comics, after David Michelinie launched the book with its first three-issue story arc and subsequently departed the series. For the defunct SF imprint of DC, Helix, he created The Black Lamb. He also worked on a typical pulp adventure Guns of the Dragon, featuring Enemy Ace and Bat Lash; and wrote Star Wars at Dark Horse Comics. While at Dark Horse Comics, he took over the writing of Conan from Kurt Busiek in 2006, and after that series ended he started Conan The Cimmerian.
Truman's startling work, Simon Girty, Renegade was a two-volume black and white graphic novel that translated the horrors and triumphs of the American settler's western frontier in a fresh, interesting light. In bold, black and white use of positive and negative space, Truman appealed to both young and old audiences in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. It was especially important for West Virginians that had been struggling against novelist Zane Grey's portrayal of Lewis Wetzel in an overly romanticized, florid light. Truman himself is an avid historian who dislikes nothing more than to see a drawing of a war using the wrong weaponry, and the second volume of his two-volume series on Simon Girty was devoted to the errors caught in his first volume.
Tecumseh! a graphic novel based on the West Virginia Outdoor Theater, is a colored graphic novel that shows the play from beginning to end. It renewed interest in the warrior in Appalachia. When asked why he used "Tecumseh" instead of "Tecumtheh" he explained he didn't want to explain to the mainstream audience the variance in spelling — the movement on pronunciation began with General William Tecumseh Sherman who came from a family that wanted to commemorate the warrior, but felt the lisping "Tecumtheh" would be unmanly.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 24, 2019
When rats steal three Objects of Particular Power from the Dam of Time, all of existence is in danger. Can Slapper and the rest of the Time Beavers retrieve the objects and save the Dam?
I'm a Tim Truman fan from way back. When I learned of this book's existence, I knew I had to read it.
Tim Beavers may have been born during the mutant animal craze after the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hit the scene but it doesn't feel like a knockoff in the least. The law vs. chaos dynamic of the beavers and the rats feels very Moorcockian. The Dam of Time reminds me of Cynosure, the city at the heart of time from Tim Truman and John Ostrander's Grimjack.
The art is vintage Tim Truman, gritty and full of little details. The oversized format is the perfect format to showcase Truman's attention to detail. His Dungeons and Dragons module roots show in this work as the Time Beavers encounter the Three Musketeers, Abraham Lincoln, and Hitler while trying to bring the Objects of Particular Power back to the Dam of Time in time to stop the rats from destroying it. It's surprisingly serious for a comic about talking time-traveling beavers.
Time Beavers exceeded all expectations. Beavers, rats, and time travel: Oh my! Four out of five stars.
I'm a Tim Truman fan from way back. When I learned of this book's existence, I knew I had to read it.
Tim Beavers may have been born during the mutant animal craze after the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hit the scene but it doesn't feel like a knockoff in the least. The law vs. chaos dynamic of the beavers and the rats feels very Moorcockian. The Dam of Time reminds me of Cynosure, the city at the heart of time from Tim Truman and John Ostrander's Grimjack.
The art is vintage Tim Truman, gritty and full of little details. The oversized format is the perfect format to showcase Truman's attention to detail. His Dungeons and Dragons module roots show in this work as the Time Beavers encounter the Three Musketeers, Abraham Lincoln, and Hitler while trying to bring the Objects of Particular Power back to the Dam of Time in time to stop the rats from destroying it. It's surprisingly serious for a comic about talking time-traveling beavers.
Time Beavers exceeded all expectations. Beavers, rats, and time travel: Oh my! Four out of five stars.
September 10, 2021
Interesting and odd read. Somehow Timothy Truman's art always lends itself well to the more bizarre stories. Recommended
August 12, 2019
The artwork is fine but the story is thin.
April 15, 2011
Cute, yet gritty story about a band of talking beaver commandos that guard the great cosmic dam that protects time.
When the evil rats damage the dam, the TBs have to chase them through time and retrieve the items the rats have stolen, crossing paths with Hitler, the Three Musketeers and Abe Lincoln along the way.
Fun mix of 'Time Bandits' and 'The Dirty Dozen' that would make a great cartoon.
Shame they only did the one story.
When the evil rats damage the dam, the TBs have to chase them through time and retrieve the items the rats have stolen, crossing paths with Hitler, the Three Musketeers and Abe Lincoln along the way.
Fun mix of 'Time Bandits' and 'The Dirty Dozen' that would make a great cartoon.
Shame they only did the one story.
February 23, 2020
Published in 1985 when the success of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sparked a flurry of hard-nosed anthropomorphic animal features. This one deals with a group of evolved beavers who maintain temporal integrity with their Great Time Dam. The fight against the Rat people who want to spread chaos throughout the dimensions. A group of them have to go into Earth's past to prevent the rats from disrupting time. Silly and serious at the same time, this book makes for an enjoyable light read.
March 12, 2023
Zamanın koruyucu ekibi! Sıçanların Dünya zaman çizgisini değiştirmek için çaldıkları nesneleri yerine koymaya çalışan tatlı? bir ekip.Timothy Truman'ın çizimlerini çok sevdiğim için koleksiyonuma eklemiştim iyi ki de eklemişim keyifli kısa bir kitaptı.Çizimler her zamanki gibi keskin ve akıcı keşke kovboyculukla (ki onları da severim) çok zaman harcamayıp bu tarz alternatif eserler üretseymiş dedirtti Turman abi.
March 17, 2018
would i say this was good? not particularly! was it fun? YOU BET!
September 30, 2025
brilliant little book about time travel
January 14, 2026
A fun 80s comic that feels like Time Bandits meets Star Fox.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews