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Thu Jun 12, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Interview: Emily Horne and Joey Comeau on 'A Softer World'
Creators of popular photo-based webcomic strive to remain unpredictable
I've been reading A Softer World off and on for the last three years, but I have a good reason for my my irregular visits to Joey Comeau and Emily Horne's photo-based webcomic.
The fact is, it's hard to predict what emotion I'm going to feel when I take the plunge into a new iteration of ASW and its text-over-photograph, three-panel world. With other comics, I can usually anticipate the laugh or, in some cases, the snark-fueled sense of satisfaction the latest strip is likely to provide. Heck, with most strips I can at least anticipate learning the next plot point in an ongoing storyline.
ASW, however, is always a gamble.
One strip can prompt hysterical laughter, while the next can only make you shiver and and wonder what the unholy hell was going on in its creators' minds when that strip was conceived. ASW can explore complex social issues one moment and the depth of depravity in the next.
The point is, I like having at least an inkling of what I'm jumping into before my feet leave the ground -- so that's why A Softer World has always been one of the more irregularly visited comics on my reading list. But I'm not too dense to realize that therein lies its appeal.
In fact, it was one of the more recent, controversial episodes of ASW, sent to me by a friend who is far more willing to suffer the emotional highs and lows of this tremendously creative series, that prompted me to roll the dice and become a regular reader once again -- and to contact its creators about this interview.
COMICMIX: With most comics, script usually comes first and art later, but you go at it in reverse with A Softer World. Can you tell me a bit about the creative process for ASW? How does a strip typically come together for you?
EMILY HORNE: When we were both in Halifax, we used to be able to be much more collaborative about it. ASW started with us taking a typewriter and a stack of photos to the all-night copy shop and making a mess of comics all at once. Now that we live on opposite sides of the continent, it's a bit more difficult. I usually make up three or four comics at a time and upload them for Joey to look at. He comes up with text for them as inspiration (and our 3x a week posting schedule) demands. If we are both online before it goes up, we'll edit together.
JOEY COMEAU: Also, it's worth noting that we try to keep the relationship between the images and text interesting and not always a literal illustration. Often times, the picture just feels like it goes with the text, even though they both seem to involve different things. Or, it's also fun to have a conflict between the two. Very serious people making very serious faces, and ridiculous text.
Continue reading Interview: Emily Horne and Joey Comeau on 'A Softer World' ›
Wed Jun 11, 2008 — by Matt Raub
ComicMix TV: The 'Incredible Hulk' Interviews
What does Star Trek have to do with Hulk? Watch and find out!
With a brand new Incredible Hulk ready to hit theaters this Friday, ComicMix TV talks to producers Kevin Feige and Gale Anne Hurd, as well as the film's director, Louis Leterrier, about what fans can expect -- and how it will compare to the Hulk's previous, much-maligned turn on the big screen.
Wed Jun 11, 2008 — by Jami Philbrick
Interview: Geoff Johns on the Return of Brainiac in Action Comics
The superstar writer talks about Brainiac's return to the DCU and all things Superman
Writer Geoff Johns is best known for re-imagining some of the most beloved heroes in the history of the DCU.
With his work on such books as Infinite Crisis, 52, Green Lantern, Booster Gold, Teen Titans and Justice Society Of America, Johns has “re-booted” some of DC’s most beloved classic heroes, including Hal Jordan, Booster Gold, Power Girl, The Teen Titans and The JSA.
But Johns’ ability to restore characters to their original glory does not stop with DC’s greatest heroes. No, he has left his mark on the villains as well, creating and revamping some of the scariest villains in DC’s arsenal. From his work on The Sinestro Corps War, and his run on The Flash he has placed Sinestro, Superboy-Prime, Cyborg Superman and The Rogue's Gallery of The Flash back atop DC’s roster of its most dangerous bad guys.
Now Johns is reintroducing the most evil super computer of all, Brainiac, in the pages of Action Comics. Along with artist Gary Frank, the new arc, entitled “Brainiac” begins in Action Comics #866, in stores today.
First appearing in Action Comics #242 as a bald, green-skinned humanoid, Brainiac is the machine responsible for destroying Krypton and shrinking the city of Kandor down to bottle size. This five-issue arc will attempt to reintroduce the character who is arguably one of Superman’s most dangerous enemies back into the DCU.
I had a chance to speak to Geoff Johns about the new arc in Action Comics and the experience of working with his mentor, Richard Donner.
COMICMIX: For starters, tell us about the upcoming “Brainiac” arc in Action Comics. What can fans of the book expect?
GEOFF JOHNS: Gary (Frank) and I are reintroducing Brainiac. The character has been around for a while now but he’s kind of been in a lot of different forms. Our goal was to create a villain that represents… well, we actually say it in one of the issues. For us, Luthor represents the worst of humanity and Brainiac, for us, will represent the worst in extraterrestrials. So we’re building off that. We want to introduce a Brainiac who is frightening, powerful and a little bit mysterious. We also wanted him to be very unsettling, very alien and feel different then the other adversaries that Superman has. The idea is to make Brainiac one of the villains that Superman dreads when he has to face him, rather than just another slot in a long line of villains. I think our first issue has a real creepy vibe to it and Gary did a really great design on him.
Continue reading Interview: Geoff Johns on the Return of Brainiac in Action Comics ›
Tue Jun 10, 2008 — by Van Jensen
Interview: John Arcudi Talks 'B.P.R.D.' Summer Series
Danger lurks in 'War on Frogs' and 'The Warning'
This summer is a big one for Hellboy fans, and not just because Hellboy II: The Golden Army hits theaters on July 11. Dark Horse is releasing several comics from Mike Mignola's Hellboy world.
The co-author on several Hellboy and B.P.R.D. books, John Arcudi recently chatted with me and gave some sneak peaks at B.P.R.D.: War on Frogs, B.P.R.D.: The Warning and the B.P.R.D.: Ectoplasmic Man one shot.
Dire times are coming to the B.P.R.D. crew, Arcudi warned, and no one is safe.
COMICMIX: What can you tell me about these new series, War on Frogs and The Warning? They take place before and after Killing Ground, respectively, right?
JOHN ARCUDI: WoF takes place in the past, back in 2005 during the era of the Black Flame, while The Warning picks up about a week after the end of Killing Ground and will kick off the large three-part arc that brings the Memnan Saa storyline to its conclusion.
CMix: The Warning sounds like it'll be focusing on Liz quite a lot. What can we expect for her? What are the big issues she's facing?
JA: Well, she thinks she’s finally free of Memnan Saa’s control and so she’s in a hurry to kick some butt. His butt. Liz is interesting in that she seems to always be looking for an authority figure, for someone to point out the direction in life she should follow – due, undoubtedly to the premature deaths of her parents (at her hands, no less). If you go back to Hollow Earth, you see Liz leaving the B.P.R.D. to find herself in some temple at the top of the world. She doesn’t go and ride a motorcycle across the country, she goes and asks somebody else for help. This may be what made her susceptible to Saa’s thrall in the first place. And that is the personal story nugget at the core of this very far-reaching, cataclysmic epic tale.
Continue reading Interview: John Arcudi Talks 'B.P.R.D.' Summer Series ›
Wed Jun 4, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Interview: Chris Hastings on 'The Adventures of Dr. McNinja'
Flying sharks, giant lumberjacks and raptors... oh my!
Chris Hastings' ongoing webcomic The Adventures of Dr. McNinja is one of my favorite pay-it-forward comics. It was recommended to me a little more than two years ago, and I've been recommending it to anyone with even a passing interest in webcomics ever since.
While the series remains a consistent source of great storytelling and endlessly amusing, over-the-top action cliches presented in proud, black-and-white glory, I think it's the tagline that really sells it. Go ahead and Google "Dr. McNinja," and you'll see what I mean.
According to the InterWebs gods:
Dr. McNinja is a doctor who is also a ninja.
And there you have it.
Sure, I could tell you about the series' excellent, ongoing and continuity-laden stories featuring a man torn between his medical oath to heal and his ninja oath to kill, as well as the raptors, ghost wizards, pirates, giant lumberjacks and flying sharks he finds himself battling time and time again, but when everything is said and done, that tagline really sums it up best.
Of course, it doesn't hurt that Hastings is a witty, approachable creator who continues to seem pleasantly surprised by his status as one of the 'Net's most prominent webcomic creators. I recently had the opportunity to send some questions to Hastings about Dr. McNinja, the perils of giving characters a backstory and who he would cast in the big-screen version of Dr. McNinja. (*nudge* Take a hint, movie people, and get on this one!)
COMICMIX: While a lot of webcomics rely on the one-shot model with little continuity between episodes, The Adventures of Dr. McNinja thrives as an ongoing series with a massive, ever-expanding cast of characters. Why do you feel this is the right model for the stories you want to tell?
CHRIS HASTINGS: I think the Internet is the right model for me, because there are a lot more people with computers in their homes than there are people who go to comic shops and conventions looking for indie comics. I also had to spend way less money to put the comic online than to print it myself (which I did do eventually, but only after having a demand for it).
I recognize that long stories and continuity aren't necessarily a massive trend in comics online, since typically someone's attention span is reduced to about 12 seconds once they open their browser. But it was already my style to have something funny or exciting or generally satisfying in each individual page or update. And after someone reads a few pages and likes them, hopefully they're hooked, and they've got some investment in the story and characters.
CMix: Do you ever worry about getting bogged down in the continuity you've created?
CH: I do occasionally. Like this recent story has been going on for a little over a year now, broken up into chapters, and I'll be quite happy to go back to doing shorter stories like the first few were. But years down the road if the continuity gets to be an actual burden, like it is for Spider-Man, the X-Men, and others, I have the freedom to deal with it however I like.
Continue reading Interview: Chris Hastings on 'The Adventures of Dr. McNinja' ›
Tue Jun 3, 2008 — by Chris Ullrich
Interview: Scott Allie on Pitching Comics, MySpace and the Digital Medium
The ever-busy editor talks all things Dark Horse, MySpace and the future of comics
Previously on ComicMix, I spoke with Dark Horse Comics' Editor Scott Allie about a variety of subjects including Buffy: Season Eight
For this interview, we tackled a bunch of new topics, revisited some old ones, and spoke at-length about Dark Horse's upcoming online plans, his thoughts on the future of comics and what he looks for in artists and writers.
COMICMIX: Scott, thanks for talking with me again. The last time we spoke was during New York Comic Con. Since we're in convention season now with more of them looming, can you tell me how a convention like New York Comic Con and some of the others compare to something like San Diego's Comic-Con International for a publisher like Dark Horse?
SCOTT ALLIE: New York is second only to San Diego. The big difference with the New York show is that it's more about comics for now. The San Diego show has become so much about anything but comics. Movies, videogames, actresses, whatever. With New York, even when you're talking about a licensed property, the focus remains on the comic.
Sure, there's videogames and all that other stuff in New York, but it really feels like a comics convention, and the San Diego Comic-Con just doesn't. San Diego's a great place to talk about the biggest things, like Buffy: Season Eight, but smaller stuff just gets lost in the shuffle.
Whereas in New York, you can engage directly with readers about all of what we do. And we do a wide range of material. New York is a good show for that.
CMix: I was surprised that you guys were accepting submissions in New York?
SA: Yeah, we weren't really doing that.
CMix: It was in the program, though.
Continue reading Interview: Scott Allie on Pitching Comics, MySpace and the Digital Medium ›
Tue Jun 3, 2008 — by Chris Ullrich
Battlestar Galactica Interview: Mark Verheiden on Adama's Motives and Cylon Babies
BSG Weekly - Season Four, Episode #8 'Sine Qua Non'
Welcome to the latest installment of Battlestar Galactica Weekly, our recurring Q&A with Mark Verheiden, co-executive producer of the hit Sci-Fi Channel series Battlestar Galactica. Each week, we'll interview Verheiden about the events of the week's episode, what those events might mean for both the season and the series, and hopefully unearth some clues about what to expect as the final season of Battlestar Galactica nears its conclusion.
Along with posing our own questions to Verheiden, we're also taking questions from fans -- so be sure to send your questions to me, your official BSG Weekly interviewer, after each episode airs at chris [at] comicmix dot com. New episodes of Battlestar Galactica can be seen every Friday at 10 PM EST on Sci-Fi Channel. You can read previous interviews via our BSG Weekly Archive or the links at the end of this article.
After a week off, this week Verheiden answers questions about Episode #8 of Season Four, "Sine Qua Non," which aired May 30, 2008. Note: These answers may contain spoilers, so read at your own risk.
First, before we get to the questions, here's a personal message from Mark about the recent fire that destroyed a large part of the Universal Studios backlot.
Readers may have seen the news story about the big fire at NBC/Universal Studios over the weekend. The fire was actually across the lot from the Galactica offices, and we’re all grateful for that. But we’re even more grateful to the police and firefighters who did such a heroic job putting down the blaze. So say we all!
And now, on with the questions.
COMIC MIX (from reader Tom): Where did Jake the dog come from? What happened to his previous owners?
MARK VERHEIDEN: Jake was obviously rescued from New Caprica. As far as his previous owners, truth is we never really discussed Jake’s ownership lineage. Because I don’t want to believe Lee would steal the pooch from someone (uh oh, I smell a Boxey story!), I assume the dog was being housed somewhere in the fleet sans real owners.
CMix (from reader Trish): Who killed Romo's cat and why was he carrying around the dead cat for weeks? He never seemed that crazy before. Or was he?
Mon Jun 2, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Interview: Darick Robertson on 'The Boys'
It doesn't always take a bloody head to make a point... but sometimes it's more fun that way
Artist Darick Robertson is one of my favorite contradictions in the comics industry.
On one side, he's one of the friendliest creators I've had the pleasure of interacting with and remains one of the nicest of the industry's "nice guys." But a quick peek at some of the projects he's best known for, specifically his famous collaborations with writers such as Warren Ellis (Transmetropolitan) and Garth Ennis (The Punisher: Born, The Boys), reveals a side of the artist's imagination that doesn't seem very, well... nice.
Whether it's images of a human head being crushed like an overripe tomato or acts of depravity that would make Ron Jeremy blush, Robertson has shown a knack for creating amazing art that pushes the boundaries of comics -- even those already aimed at mature readers.
Of course, that's not to say his all-ages fare isn't equally impressive. In addition to critically praised runs on series such as Justice League, Wolverine and New Warriors, Robertson remains a go-to guy for publishers like DC, who currently has him under contract as a regular artist.
In 2006, Robertson and Ennis kicked off a new, creator-owned series titled The Boys, about a group of superpowered, clandestine operatives for the U.S. government who investigate the questionable activities of other superpowered individuals and, when necessary, reign them in by any means necessary. After the controversial series was abruptly cancelled by DC/Wildstorm after six issues, it landed at Dynamite Entertainment, where it has been published ever since and remains one of the publisher's most popular ongoing titles. Earlier this year, Columbia Pictures picked up the rights to make a film based on the series.
I spoke with Robertson while he was hard at work in his studio, and discussed his busy schedule, what's coming up for The Boys and his inspiration for its characters. We also talked movies, bounced around some thoughts on potential casting choices for the film version of The Boys and compared the power of graphic imagery with that of scenes that show very little, but say quite a lot.
COMICMIX: It's been a while since we spoke last, Darick. How are things going these days with The Boys and Dynamite?
DARICK ROBERTSON: Everything's great. It's all coming along, everything's going well and everyone's been very professional.
CMix: You've also been doing some work for DC since you moved The Boys over to Dynamite. What's the pace like for you these days?
DR: It's been hard on the schedule, because I have to balance it all out with DC. When I took The Boys on, I was working for DC, but they generously kept me under contract when I went over to Dynamite. So now I have to balance those two schedules out. All in all, it's been okay, though.
CMix: In the most recent story, The Boys ended up in Russia and, as usual, they tangled with a lot of questionable characters in capes. From the artist's side, how do you feel about having to design so many new costumes and super-types in each story? Is it fun to design completely new sets of costumes and characters for every story or do you look forward to issues in which you only have to worry about working on the regular cast?
DR: I have the most fun when I'm drawing new things. In the case, I really enjoyed the scene where I had to draw everybody in the warehouse, and I got to free-form with my ideas. They weren't any specific characters and I didn't have to worry about them reappearing in the continuity, since they all exploded at the end of that arc. I could just do whatever I wanted. That's where I get to have the most fun, because it's very low-pressure.
Continue reading Interview: Darick Robertson on 'The Boys' ›
Thu May 29, 2008 — by Van Jensen
Interview: Josh Hechinger on 'Grave Doug Freshley'
Goofy horror/Western is just the start for this young writer
Joshua Hechinger still hasn't reached drinking age (that comes in July), but he's already crafted a true comics gem in Grave Doug Freshley, a mash-up of comedy, horror and Spaghetti Western.
Cowboy and tough guy Doug Freshley takes a bullet to the head at the story's start, but that's not enough to stop him from a zombified revenge mission in the five-issue series from Archaia Studios Press. Hechinger recently spoke with me about where that idea came from, his love of Westerns and his upcoming projects.
COMICMIX: First, I'm curious about your choice to do a Western. Is that a genre you've long held an interest in? How did the idea of the book come about?
JOSH HECHINGER: I didn't really care about Westerns one way or another for a while, actually. And then in high school, a friend of mine lent me The Good, The Bad and The Ugly... Pow, that was it. Instant Western fan.
As for Doug, well, a few weeks after watching The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, I was doodling in class instead of paying attention. And I doodled this zombie cowboy and a kinda Huck Finn-y kid. I didn't really do anything more with it, but it sort of hung around in the back of my head until Marv [artist mpMann] came calling.
CMix: How much comics writing had you done previously?
JH: Well, this is my first real book. But I'd been writing comics nobody else saw since eighth grade or so, and I wrote something like 400 pages of various scripts in a year and change of college. I was doing three to five pages a session, twice a day. Although to be fair, most of it was kinda completely crap.
But anyway, by the time I started Doug, I at least knew how to sit down and just pound out pages. The pages probably weren't crackling with genius, but I find it easier to clean up something than to nail it on the first draft anyway. The important thing was that I wasn't sitting down and getting psyched-out by a blank page.
Continue reading Interview: Josh Hechinger on 'Grave Doug Freshley' ›
Tue May 27, 2008 — by Robert Greenberger
Interview: Bob Rozakis on Creating an Alternate History for the Comics Industry
What if Green Lantern and Flash were today's Superman and Batman?
The notion of retelling history with a twist has become a very popular sub-section of fiction, heavily mined by Harry Harrison and by Philip Roth. In comic books, Marvel’s What If? title and DC’s Elseworlds imprint also explored possible scenarios. But no one has ever looked at how a single element could propel comic book history in an entirely new direction.
Until now, that is.
Bob Rozakis has begun writing a series of articles tracing just such an alternate history for TwoMorrows’ Alter Ego and Back Issue. Rozakis is certainly no stranger to comics, given his lengthy tenure as DC’s Production Manager, co-creator of ‘Mazing Man, and writer of titles such as Superman, Freedom Fighters and Secret Society of Super-Villains.
COMICMIX: As DC’s "Answer Man," what can you tell me about the origins of your new article series?
BOB ROZAKIS: I had proposed an Elseworlds back in 1998; just after I left staff, in which Green Lantern and Flash were the heroes who survived the Golden Age instead of Superman and Batman. In addition to the story itself, I had created an "outside the box" chunk of history to go with it. The proposal was rejected, but the idea kept percolating. Finally, I approached Roy Thomas and Michael Eury with the concept of writing the entire alternate history and they were both quite enthusiastic.
CMix: What was the key event that would change comic book history?
BR: In 1946, after spinning off his All-American Comics line from DC, Max Gaines sold his share back to Harry Donenfeld and Jack Liebowitz. In my alternate reality, Gaines buys them out instead... and the DC line becomes part of AA Comics.
Continue reading Interview: Bob Rozakis on Creating an Alternate History for the Comics Industry ›
Mon May 26, 2008 — by Jami Philbrick
Interview: Ivory Madison on 'Huntress: Year One'
The comic book newcomer talks about defining the character of Huntress.
It’s no small feet for a comic book character to last over 60 years -- but that’s exactly what the Huntress has done.
Debuting in the ‘40s as a villain for Wildcat, she was recreated for the Silver Age as Helena Wayne, the daughter of the Batman and Catwoman of Earth-2, which was an alternate universe established in the early 1960s as the world where DC’s Golden Age stories took place. However, following DC’s Crisis on Infinite Earths miniseries in 1985, the Helena Wayne version of the Huntress was removed from continuity.
In 1989, due to the popularity of the character, DC introduced a new version of the Huntress. She had the same first name and a similar costume, but an entirely different back-story and personality. The Modern Age Huntress, Helena Rosa Bertinelli is the daughter of one of Gotham’s mafia bosses. After seeing her entire family murdered by a mob hit, she vows revenge for her slain relatives. In Huntress: Cry For Blood by Greg Rucka, Huntress' origin was revised. Originally, Helena believed that Franco Bertinelli was her father. She came to discover that her father was actually Santo Cassamento, the don of a rival mafia family, who was carrying on an affair with Helena's mother, Maria.
The Huntress has been a member of the JLA, the Outsiders and most recently the Birds Of Prey. Not to mention, she had a recurring role on the animated hit Justice League Unlimited and a staring role in the WB’s failed television series, Birds Of Prey. Proving that her character is strong enough to survive many years and several makeovers, she returned this month in her own miniseries.
Huntress: Year One looks at the early days of Helena Bertinelli’s crime fighting career. Written by comic book newcomer Ivory Madison, the book promises to give fans of the character some real insight to her beginnings and what makes Helena the hero she is today.
I had the opportunity to speak to Madison about the new book, her love for all things Bat-related and her multifaceted career.
COMICMIX: How did you end up working on Huntress: Year One for DC?
IVORY MADISON: I’ve always wanted to write comics. I’m a DC Comics person and I’ve always been obsessed with Batman and anything Gotham-related.
It all started when I tried pitching a reintroduction of Batwoman and they said they were already doing it. I was briefly thrown, and had to shift gears or lose my momentum. I wrote a Batman one-shot, which they bought, and that got me the opportunity to pitch something for Huntress. That led them to step back and say, “Hey, we need a foundation for this character. We need a Year One.” I was very lucky to walk into that.
Continue reading Interview: Ivory Madison on 'Huntress: Year One' ›
Thu May 22, 2008 — by Jami Philbrick
Interview: Mark Sable on Cyborg, the 'Heroes' Webcomic and 'Two-Face: Year One'
DC Special: Cyborg writer on pulling double-duty with two new miniseries and crafting new stories for NBC's 'Heroes'
When it comes to portraying the duality of a character, there are probably no better examples in the DCU than Victor Stone and Harvey Dent -- otherwise known as Cyborg and Two-Face. With two new miniseries, Grounded writer Mark Sable intends to bring readers the back-stories of these two tragic characters.
With DC Special: Cyborg, the writer takes a look at the fan-favorite Teen Titan in a six-issue arc that began this week. Victor Stone was an Olympic athlete who, after being crippled, was resurrected with experimental prosthetics by his scientist father. Blessed with powers but cursed by his accident, he called himself Cyborg and became an important member of the Teen Titans. Created in 1980 by Marv Wolfman and George Perez and introduced in the pages of The New Teen Titans, Cyborg quickly became one of the most popular DC characters of the ‘80s. He even became a member of the Super Friends on the ‘80s Saturday morning cartoon, The Super Powers Team: The Galactic Guardians.
In Two-Face: Year One, the writer takes a look at one of Batman’s most dangerous villains in a miniseries whose first issue hits shelves just days before Aaron Eckhart takes on the big-screen role of Harvey Dent in July's Dark Knight. The two-issue miniseries follows Dent as he runs for District Attorney and has the accident that changes his fate (and his relationship with Batman) forever.
I spoke with Sable about Cyborg, Two-Face, the characters' respective miniseries and writing webcomics for the hit NBC television series Heroes.
CMix: To start with, tell us what fans of Cyborg can expect from your new series.
Mark Sable: It’s a six-issue series and the first issue is almost like a “Year One” in the sense that it gives you a lot of his origin. I’m not tinkering with his origin. I’m trying to be as respectful as possible to what Marv Wolfman and George Perez did, because I think Cyborg’s origin is one of the best in comics. There were a couple of things that needed to be slightly tweaked to make everything make sense. It’s done deliberately because I want people who aren’t familiar with Cyborg to be able to pick it up. It lays the groundwork for what this series is about. Without giving too much away, we really weave his supporting cast of human characters into the story as well as the Teen Titans, so it was important for people to know who they are.
Continue reading Interview: Mark Sable on Cyborg, the 'Heroes' Webcomic and 'Two-Face: Year One' ›
Tue May 20, 2008 — by Chris Ullrich
Battlestar Galactica Interview: Mark Verheiden on the 'Final Five' and Music
BSG Weekly - Season Four, Episode #7 'Guess What's Coming to Dinner'
Welcome to the latest installment of Battlestar Galactica Weekly, our recurring Q&A with Mark Verheiden, co-executive producer of the hit Sci-Fi Channel series Battlestar Galactica. Each week, we'll interview Verheiden about the events of the week's episode, what those events might mean for both the season and the series, and hopefully unearth some clues about what to expect as the final season of Battlestar Galactica nears its conclusion.
Along with posing our own questions to Verheiden, we're also taking questions from fans -- so be sure to send your questions to me, your official BSG Weekly interviewer, after each episode airs at chris [at] comicmix dot com. New episodes of Battlestar Galactica can be seen every Friday at 10 PM EST on Sci-Fi Channel. You can read previous interviews via our BSG Weekly Archive or the links at the end of this article.
This week, Verheiden answers questions about the Episode #7 of Season Four, "Guess What's Coming to Dinner," which aired May 16, 2008. Note: These answers may contain spoilers, so read at your own risk.
COMICMIX (from reader Molly): Are there any legal ramifications for Sam's shooting Gaeta during the mutiny, for either one of them? I know some were surprised that Sam wasn't put in the brig.
MARK VERHEIDEN: Given that Gaeta was shot in the midst of a mutiny that he was helping to engineer (in the legal sense, Anders would probably be justified shooting a mutineer), I’m not sure anyone involved wants to get into the unfortunate details of the shooting. Especially with Adama.
That said, and not wanting to delve into “the future” except in the most general sense, this is Battlestar. The shooting will most definitely have ramifications, but they may not be what you expect.
CMix (from reader Allison): Was there any significance to the fact that Sharon kills Natalie in front of two of the "final five", and even asks Chief to pick up Hera, given that her vision is of the Opera House where the "final five" reside?
Continue reading Battlestar Galactica Interview: Mark Verheiden on the 'Final Five' and Music ›
Mon May 19, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Battlestar Galactica Interview: Update!
A quick FYI re: BSG, and other acronyms...
Hey, Battlestar Galactica fans! First, I just want to thank all of you for your interest in our weekly interviews with BSG's Mark Verheiden. Every week, you and your fellow Battlestar fans make these interviews one of the most popular features on ComicMix, and we can't thank you enough for doing so!
Unfortunately, this week's interview will be a bit delayed, as big things are brewing in the world of Battlestar Galactica, and Mark is hard at work on a few projects that demand his attention. In the interest of always keeping ComicMix readers in the loop, we anticipate this week's edition of BSG Weekly posting in the next day or two -- so be sure to keep an eye on the site for your weekly fix of BSG questions from fans and answers from the series' talented co-executive producer.
Oh, and don't worry -- we'll be sure to pester Mark for some info about some of those other, super-secret projects he has in the works, too! Remember: you can always send your questions for Mark to our BSG Weekly interviewer, Chris Ullrich at: chris [at] comicmix [dot] com.
Mon May 19, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Interview: Todd Nauck on WildGuard, American Dream and Teen Titans Go!
From Reality-TV superheroes to cartoon teen teams, it's a multi-tasking May for the popular artist...
A quick scan of the shelves at your local comic shop this month should be all it takes to realize that writer/artist Todd Nauck has been keeping busy. The popular Young Justice artist's name graces the cover of four different issues in a five-week span, including the launch of two new miniseries and the grand finale of another series.
One of those new miniseries marks the return of Nauck's popular creator-owned series WildGuard to comic shops, and provides yet another look at a world where superheroes are chosen via American Idol-esque competitions and readers have helped determine everything from storylines to costumes.
Nauck also lends his considerable talents to the first two issues of American Dream this month, featuring the alternate-reality heroes of Marvel's MC2 universe -- specifically, the female Captain America. The first issue was a sellout for Marvel, with rave reviews for the work of both Nauck and series writer Tom DeFalco.
However, it isn't all new beginnings for Nauck, as he helps close the door on the cartoon-inspired DC series Teen Titans Go! with issue #55 at the end of May. The kirds-oriented series has had Nauck embracing a new artistic style -- one that's now turning up in his other projects, too.
I spoke with Todd about nearly achieving the "quadfecta," finally finding time for more WildGuard and juggling the different artistic styles required for each of his very-different projects this month.
COMICMIX: When we spoke during New York Comic Con, you were excited to have the "quadfecta" schedule this month, with an issue hitting every week of May. Although some last-minute scheduling shifts pushed up one of the release dates, it's still an impressive run of four comics in five weeks. When you first found out there was a chance of the schedule lining up like this, did you push for the quadfecta or was it entirely by chance?
TODD NAUCK: Entirely by chance. I couldn’t have planned it. The only book I could have a say in the release date was WildGuard: insider since that is my creator-owned book. I had the release date on May 14th for WildGuard: Insider #1 set around December or January for solicitations.
Then I come to find out my Marvel series American Dream is coming out bi-weekly with issue #1 out May 7th and issue #2 out May 21st.
Then I had to find out when Teen Titans Go #55 (the last issue of that series) was coming out. As I frantically flipped through the DC section of Previews I was hoping it would be May 28th. And wouldn’t you know, that was the exact date for Teen Titans Go #55.
I had hit the "quadfecta!" Four books, each coming out in a different week of the same month.
WildGuard: Insider #1 did get released early for Free Comic Book Day, though. But a lot of WildGuard fans probably expect it in their pull boxes for May 14th. So it’s still quadfecta-ish!
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