FOG! Chats With B. CLAY MOORE About His Tiki Noir Masterpiece, HAWAIIAN DICK at FORCES OF GEEK

Aloha, comics fans! As if the embarrassment of riches for comic book properties on TV weren’t enough, one of our favorite creators, B. Clay Moore (Bad Karma, JSA: The Liberty Files, Bloodshot) is exercising options that go beyond choosing a banana hammock or full trunks. 

His first comics creation, Hawaiian Dick is in development at NBC with Johnny Knoxville (Jackass) and we’ll also see morefloppy Hawaiian Dick from Image Comics very soon.

In this, our double-entendre dipped interview with B. Clay we get to hang ten on the new Kickstarter for the 100 page hardcover, Great Big Hawaiian Dick. 

Get out a tiki glass and enjoy a tall glass of Hawaiian Dick on this cold winter day.

FOG!: Aloha, B. Clay! Thanks for joining us today to chat about Great Big Hawaiian Dick! We can’t avoid the Hollywood news. Tell us about Hawaiian Dick on TV!

B. Clay Moore: NBC has picked up the rights to Hawaiian Dick, and we’re in the process of developing it right now. 

Writers Paul Lovett and David Elliott are working on the pilot script as we speak. Among others, Johnny Knoxville is on board to produce the show. Knoxville was attached to Hawaiian Dick years ago when the film rights were optioned by New Line, so getting him back on board was big.

How long have you been sitting on this news yourself?

Well, we’ve been working on the television stuff for about a year and a half. Things really came together in the past two or three months. It’s always hard to sit on news you’re happy to report, though.

On to the Kickstarter — is this a new adventure for Byrd?

This is actually a series of stories starring Byrd and the supporting cast that we’ve introduced over the years, as well as a variety of pieces by various artists. While I wrote most of the stories, I invited some friends to contribute their takes, as well.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

Dig Boston and League Podcast Comics Picks of the Week for Wed. December 2, 2015

COMICS

Back to the world of NYC, Daredevil #1 puts lawyer Matt Murdock in the DA’s seat as DD gets a new costume. Written by Charles Soule, an actual lawyer and actual (gasp) professional comic book writer! … We’re huge fans of Nathan Edmondson’s creepy Jake Ellis espionage book as Where Is Jake Ellis? #5 of 5 wraps up today. The voice in your head is real! … Before comics were the pulp heroes of yesteryear and Doc Savage was the Batman meets Indiana Jones of his day. Doc Savage Spiders Web #1 from Chris Roberson (iZombie) unravels the web of the past today! … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

Kickstarter Korner! Chatting With Dan Parent About DIE KITTY DIE! at FORCES OF GEEK

You all know Dan Parent and Fernando Ruiz even if you think you don’t! Dan and Fernando have been taking care of the Archie Comics characters for years now and this Kickstarter Korner is dedicated to their latest creator owned project,Die Kitty Die!

By the time you read this on Wednesday, they’ve reached their goal, but that doesn’t mean you can’t contribute. On the contrary, the model for this Kickstarter is that the rewards get better as the stretch grows.

Dan took the time to talk to us today about this very exciting new universe of characters and the world of Kitty Ravencraft, comic book hero and real life witch who is being hunted down by her greedy comic book publisher in Die Kitty Die!


FOG!: Dan, congratulations on the funding, it looks like it is going pretty well so far!

Dan Parent: Yeah, we’re at 71% (at time of interview) which is pretty good for our third day! We want to hit our goal but we want to go over because we are going to add more incentives, we’ll add pages to the book. The more money, the better the project gets.

Tell those out there that don’t know, what is Die Kitty Die!?

Die Kitty Die! is about a comic book character, who in our universe has been around for a long time and her sales are low. Her publisher asks, “What are we going to do to generate publicity or sales? We’ve got to kill her off”!

In our world it’s a little different because in our world the characters are also real. So, they have to really bump her off. 

Not just bump her off in the story, they really have to get rid of her.

Things get a little more complicated because Kitty is a witch, so how do you kill a witch?

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

Classic PEANUTS Return To Ride THE COSMIC TREADMILL - at FORCES OF GEEK

Charles Shultz’ comic creation The Peanuts Movie hit the big screen earlier this month and Titan Comics has been releasing volumes all year to commemorate the occasion.

Snoopy and the kids looked a lot different in the early strips, (Charlie Brown himself sometimes missing his signature zig-zag shirt) but the timeless humor of the daily and Sunday Peanuts comics can still resonate with children of all ages today.

Titan Comics offered us a look at these modern day reprints of classic black and white Peanuts strips from the early days before Snoopy took on The Red Baron.

Titan has the rights to reproduce favorites from my childhood, the Rinehart & Company (Holt, Rinehart & Winston) collected black and white paperbacks accumulated from yard sales or perhaps even my parent’s well spent youth.

It had been years since I remembered even reading these books, and as an adult a new appreciation and nostalgia sets in.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

FOG! Chats With Master of The Millarverse MARK MILLAR! at FORCES OF GEEK

Superstar writer and undisputed Hollywood hitmaker Mark Millar (Kick-Ass, Wanted, Kingsman: Secret Service) took some time to talk with us about the continuation of his multigenerational superhero team Jupiter’s Legacy and the prequelJupiter’s Circle. 

Jupiter’s Circle Volume 2 debuts later this month on November 25th, just as fans are reeling from his his Millarworld 2016 creative team announcements. Frank Quietly rejoins Mark for Jupiter’s Legacy Volume 2 next year.

Chris Sprouse (Tom Strong) will takes over on Circle next year, and details of books with both Greg Capello and Jae Lee have yet to be announced. We’ll also see more volumes of Chrononauts and Hit-Girl. 2016 will be another great year for one of the most genuine fan and creator of super-hero comics we’ve ever spoken too.

That’s a lot to keep up with, so follow #millarworld2016 on Twitter for more info, but join as we orbit Jupiter right now!

FOG!: We’ve just finished the last issue of Book One of Jupiter’s Circle. Did you always know you were going to do the two books together, Jupiter’s Circle when you came up with Jupiter’s Legacy?

Mark Millar: Not really, actually, no. For about two months before I started writing Jupiter’s Legacy, I stood in my office and I had all of these yellow post-it notes working out all the history of all the characters in the series because I was building like the Star Wars universe or the Lord of the Rings universe. It was a working body that needed to have everything connecting properly. 

I just made a point of making sure I knew all of the back histories of everything. So I was like a crazy guy, I actually had all of these stories that no one would ever read as crazy as that sounds. I had yellow post-its in my office and even into the dining room and I worked out all the back stories for the parents and how everybody felt about each other.

Then what I did was I connected it all and my agent said to me when Frank Quitely was taking a while for Volume Two, where we were stockpiling it, “Why don’t you write that story you have up on your wall”? 

I said, “Yeah, I love that story”! And I had always wanted to do a period super-hero thing, something set in my favorite American era which is that Mad Men era, I feel its the beginning of the DC or Marvel Universe, the Silver Age. I just started putting it together.

I think its the most fun I’ve ever had writing anything, it’s been so easy, I think because I’m so passionate about it. It’s everything I wanted to say about super-heroes.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

FOG! Chats With Writer MARJORIE LIU About MONSTRESS! at FORCES OF GEEK

With signings in Boston and New York this weekend for the highly anticipated Image Comic book Monstress, Marjorie Liu took some time to tell us about her latest comics work with artist Sana Takeda. Announced at Image Expo back in January, issue #1 of the art-deco Kaiju monster fantasy book comes in at an impressive 70 pages and fans and professionals are already singing its praises.

Following in the tradition of such high profile creator owned projects at Image like Saga, Sex Criminals, Bitch Planet andInvisible Republic, Monstress is ready to take the comics world by storm. Set in an alternate history of Japan in the early 1900s, Liu and Takeda are ready to transport you there.

Marjorie joins us today to reveal her Godzilla origins for the book and how these books can encourage young people to use their unique voice in the world creatively.


FOG!: Monstress is the story of a relationship between our hero and a monster. How is Maika connected to this beast?

Marjorie Liu: Monstress is about a young woman, a former slave and the survivor of a cataclysmic war, who is fighting to put her life back together. The problem is that she thinks she’s losing her mind, that she’s becoming a monster. And she is, actually — because there’s an actual monster inside of her. A creature bonded to her soul that is slowly waking and taking over her mind and body.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

Dig Boston and League Podcast Comics Picks of the Week for Wed. November 4, 2015

COMICS

As Daniel Craig gets ready to hang up his License to Kill with Spectre, Warren Ellis (Transmetropolitan, Trees), and Jason Masters (Suicide Squad) debut a Dynamite 007 comic. James Bond #1 begins the VARGR storyline in a new ongoing series, the first Bond comic in 20 years! … Bendis wraps up X-Men with an unrealistically numbered Uncanny X-Men #600! Was Cyclops Right? Is Professor X a Jerk? Who’s the Juggernaut, Bitch? Emma Frost can read your mind so keep your answers clean! …New York Times best selling author and MIT comics professor Marjorie Liu (X-23, Black Widow) mashes Kaiju and fantasy with her highly anticipated Image book Monstress #1. Marjorie signs at Comicopia on Saturday at 1pm! … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

Celebrating HALLOWEEN COMICFEST on The Cosmic Treadmill at FORCE OF GEEK

Free Comic Books on Halloween? How positively ghoulish! Trade in those Reese’s mini-cups for something that will surely rot your skull from the inside at your Local Comic Shop!

Halloween ComicFest, an offshoot of Diamond Comic Distributors’ Free Comic Book Day allows for another day of free comics while those meddling kids are out there like paupers begging for free stuff anyway. 

Publishers and retailers work on the tried-and-true ‘first one’s free’ business model to get kids of all ages into the store in Halloween costumes to get the latest and ghastliest of free comics offerings. 

So, whether you are Elsa from Frozen, Ant-Man, Marty McFly or the tried-and-true Sexy Cat Octopus Nurse, head to a participating comic shop to celebrate on this rare Saturday Halloween!

[READ MORE AT FORCE OF GEEK]

Dig Boston and League Podcast Comics Picks of the Week for Wed. October 21, 2015

COMICS

There’s that word again. “Heavy.” Why are things so heavy in the future? Is there a problem with the Earth’s gravitational pull? It’s Back to the Future day, so strap on that overboard and avoid the D. Jones Manure Hauling truck. Manure hauling, that’s a weird vocation. IDW celebrates with the Bob Gale (screenwriter) blessed Back to the Future #1! … This week’s The Shield #1 comes from Dark Circle Comics, a new take on an old hero - this time she’s a Daughter of the Revolution, ready to fight for justice and the American Way! … Warren Ellis (Moon Knight, Transmetropolitan) returns to Marvel for Karnak #1. The Inhuman Karnak is a Lee/Kirby creation with Karate skills and puzzle-solving skills, prompting Coulson recruit him for S.H.I.E.L.D. missions … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

FOG! Takes In The HUMAN BODY THEATER With MARIS WICKS! AT FORCES OF GEEK

New York Times best selling graphic novelist (for Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas), amazing artist and science nerd Maris Wicks chats with us about the inner workings of our inner workings in her new book, Human Body Theater.

From Abdomen to X-Ray, Maris takes us through the mysterious workings of the human body with a cute skeleton narrator and more than one smiley-faced platelet.

This is all ages science comics with a purpose! 

FOG!: Human Body Theater is absolutely brilliant. Why take us through Innerspace in comic book form?

Maris Wicks: Thank you! Well, I selfishly wanted to make this book because I just think the human body is AWESOME. I chose the form of comics because it’s the most efficient way for me to communicate information.

As far as I know, there hasn’t been a comic book dedicated to the human body (until now). Side note: I would totally take a remake of Innerspace. Just saying.

For Primates, and you were the artist on that book, this time you are the writer and artist for what needs to be a scientifically accurate book. How crazy did you go with your research?

My research for Human Body Theater unknowingly started way back in 2002 when I got certified to be an EMT. Before that, I always had a love for all things anatomical, whether it was purely for artistic inspiration, or if it was the topic of a book I was reading. When Human Body Theater got green-lit, I read every book for kids I could find about the human body (and some geared towards adults too).

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

Dig Boston and League Podcast Comics Picks of the Week for Wed. October 14, 2015

COMICS

Perhaps the most vocal member of the Millennium Falcon crew, Chewbacca is back from writing his autobiography “A Win is a Win” to star in a new Limited series. Chewbacca #1 roars onto shelves today! … Larry Hama and S.L. Gallant prepare you for bi-weekly shipping of G.I.Joe: A Real American Hero this week with G.I. Joe Cobra World Order Prelude #1. Cobra is, of course, a ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world. … … The Raccoon is in charge in the All-New, All-Different Marvel version of Guardians of the Galaxy #1, guest starring the ever-lovin’ blue-eyed, otherwise book-less The Thing (Fantastic Four). … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

FOG! Chats With Writer JUSTIN JORDAN About His Sleepless Creation, JOHN FLOOD! at FORCES OF GEEK

Some nights I fall asleep reading comics until the iPad glass hits me in the face.

Man, I really hate going to bed. 

Imagine what might happen if the government removed your ability to sleep? What nightmares await you when the brain can’t rest? Will it unlock a power you didn’t know you had?

The third issue of sleeper hit (pun intended) John Flood hits shelves this week from the waking mind of Justin Jordan (The Strange Talent of Luther Strode, Shadowman, Deep State). Justin took a few minutes away from his busy work and convention schedule to give us the skinny on his sleep deprived detective comic book over at BOOM!, available at your local store and digitally today.

FOG!: Thanks for taking the time today between cons and your busy schedule. Your new book John Flood from BOOM! is keeping me up at night! What’s the skinny on this night owl? Is this your first book at BOOM!? What attracted you to this publisher for John Flood?

Justin Jordan: John Flood is actually my second book at BOOM!, Deep State, with Ariela Kristantina and Ben Wilsonham, was the first. 

As to why BOOM! for John Flood?

Well, it’s a weird book.

So much so that I didn’t like the odds of us being able to successfully do it at Image. Successfully, here, meaning that everyone gets paid.

 But beyond making sure Jorge and Tamra weren’t working for nothing, this is also such a weird and complex book that I really needed editorial support to make the book I wanted to make, which I got at BOOM!.

This would have been a different and, I think, not as good book elsewhere.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

Dig Boston and League Podcast Comics Picks of the Week for Wed. October 7, 2015

COMICS

NYT Best Selling graphic novelist Maris Wicks sets the anatomy stage with Human Body Theater from First Second Books. Check out our interview later this week and go to her signing at Hub Comics next Tuesday 10.13. … Jughead #1 is a reimagining from the mind of brimping weirdo Chip Zdarsky. It’s all about lunchtrays and revolution this week in the newly relaunched Riverdale. … John Flood #3 is what happens when the government replaces your need to sleep with perpetual awareness. You become aware of the spaces between things and become a great detective. Justin Jordan (Luthor Strode) peeks into the mind of the insomniac detective! … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

FOG! Chats With IDW EIC and DIRK GENTLY Scribe CHRIS RYALL at FORCES OF GEEK

IDW’s CCO and Editor-in-Chief Chris Ryall (Zombies vs. Robots, Onyx) takes on Dirk Gently in the latest mini-series from the publisher. Dirk, for the uninitiated, was a character created by Hitchhiker’s Guide author Douglas Adams that made his debut in 1987.

Chris took some time to join us today for a deep dive into this “ghost-horror-detective- time-travel-romantic-comedy-epic”. Issue 4 (of 5) is out today wherever fine comics are sold or iPads are resting. Stay tuned also for a Dirk Gently TV show from Max Landis and BBC America. Chris gives us some insight into the television adaptation as well.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

Dig Boston and League Podcast Comics Picks of the Week for Wed. September 23, 2015

 

COMICS

After a traditional Image Comics trade break, the alien world future political triller Invisible Republic is back with issue #6 as the war starts to heat up. 1872 #3 is the latest from Gerry Duggan, putting a Deadwood spin on the Marvel Universe. A hero is reborn in this Western town of Timely — the strangest of all Secret War tales! The New Deal by Jonathan Case (Batman ‘66) and Dark Horse Comics is a comedic mystery set inside of the historic 1930’s Waldorf Astoria. See who is really behind these mysterious threats! …Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

Triple Shot: THE INFINITE ADVENTURES OF JONAS QUANTUM #1, CAPTAIN AMERICA: WHITE #1, D4VE2 #1 at FORCES OF GEEK

Who isn’t ready for the weekend, amiright? We hope your weekend is filled with many glossy pages (or screens) of comics outdoors for one last time this summer. Crack open that cold can and drink in this last weekend of the Summer because it’s all crashing to an end.

Looking for something to read as you slowly realize you wasted your summer away at the DMV and Dunkin Donuts? Maybe you were toiling away at the boat motor you never could get started?

Here’s some suggestions!

Mark Guggenheim (Arrow, The Flash, Amazing Spider-Man) teams up with Freddie E. Williams II and the tight bros at Legendary Studios (yes, that Legendary responsible for Pacific Rim, The Dark Knight Trilogy and so many more) to give us the smartest man in the world, The Infinite Adventures of Jonas Quantum #1.

Contrast that book with the most put upon robot in the world in former FOG! columnist, Ryan Ferrier’s D4VE2 #1, the sequel to his desk-jockey-robot-turned-hero book D4VE. 

Of course, 98 pound weakling Marvel nerds exhaled a collective wheezy “yay” when they heard that Captain America: White from Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale was finally going to see the light of day and the $4.99 price point is totally worth it if you can’t wait for the collected edition.

The Infinite Adventures of Jonas Quantum #1

Writer: Marc Guggenheim

Pencils and Cover: Freddie E. Williams II

Colors: Chris Sotomayor

Pub. Date: September 16, 2015

Age Rating:15+ Only

Publisher: 2015 Legendary Comics, LLC

Buy Here on ComiXology

I’m not shy when it comes to my love of the work that the CW team has done with Arrow and The Flash. I scoop up insider information on the shows like a Hoover in a hotel lobby from Twitter and have always enjoyed behind the scenes interviews with Marc Guggenheim. 

Marc was also one of the weekly writers of Spidey when I had my resurgence back into comic book fandom so I always keep an eye out for his work. 

What appears to be on the Millarworld model of writing a volume of comics custom built for an easy adaptation to the big (or small) screen is this very fun superhero story about the smartest man in the world.

A clever way of marking time in the book marks Jonas’ advanced intellect and milestones. Keep that calculator handy because you need to know that in the flashbacks on DAY 4800, Jonas is 13 years old and mastering time travel.

At 35, he cures Death.

The superheroing comes in as someone has broken into an off-world pocket universe and stolen his ‘Cure for Death’. 

Jonas has powers, or has invented suits and gear to make him superpowered, can travel through time and there is plenty of action. Interacting with real humans, Jonas has some social problems but he seems to get by.

Great fights and action for the first issue, and as usual Freddie Williams is a master. Quite a great looking book with Chris Sotomayer on colors. 

Five stars for me on this first issue for fans of über-smart heroes (Reed, Tony, Bruce) and the cliffhangers and high drama of Guggenheim’s TV work.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

FOG! Chats With CHRIS HUNT About CARVER: A PARIS STORY From Z2 Comics

Paul Pope’s protege Chris Hunt has a new comic from Z2, Carver: A Paris Story hitting shelves November 11. 

Chris joins us today to tease the red wine and whiskey soaked black and white noir mystery comic and the short film that serves as a prequel to the story.

FOG!: Chris, thanks so much for joining us today. What brought the Carver story to life for you? 

Chris Hunt: Carver started as something of an experiment for me about 5 years ago, when I was applying for Paul Pope’s residency at The Atlantic Center For The Arts. I did a short story about this old school, mustachioed adventurer having to fight off a man-eating lion. 

It was very straightforward, and the main character didn’t have any back story. I kind of just started playing around with what his background would be, how he may have become this old school bad ass. 

I found that I really enjoyed the idea of building a world around this pseudo-Hemingway archetype and I just started playing around with different concepts. I had actually been in Paris with an ex-girlfriend when I came up with the idea for the original story and concept for the character. 

I thought it would be an interesting place to start the saga, so to speak. The backbone of the story is my personal experience when I was there, but it spiraled out into something much bigger as the story was developed.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

Dig Boston and League Podcast Comics Picks of the Week for Wed. September 16, 2015

COMICS

Chances are the world will end up like The Isles of Los Angeles 2089 in Tokyo Ghost #1 by Rick Remender (Avengers) and Sean Murphy (Chrononauts). In the technology addicted future, people are looking for that next digital fix and will beg, borrow or steal to get it! …Ryan Ferrier and Valentin Ramon’s robot D4VE returns in D4VE2 #1. It will be future soon, who are your robot friends? … After years of being frozen metaphorically, Captain America: White #1 hits the stands joining the Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale Marvel Comics color-based original graphic novels. This includes issue #0. … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

Dig Boston and League Podcast Comics Picks of the Week for Wed. September 9, 2015

COMICS

The Bitches enter into a bloodsport arena - which non-compliant will be victorious? If you ain’t reading Bitch Planet, there is no help for you, check out issue #5 by Kelly Sue DeConnick (Captain Marvel) and Valentine De Landro. …Force Friday sucked our wallets clean but if you can, sell off an old Tessek figure to buy Journey to Star Wars The Force Awakens Shattered Empire #1 from former Punisher team of Greg Rucka and Marco Checchetto! … That’s right, we’re recommending Star Trek / Green Lantern #3 again. Maybe you should get all three issues this time. … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

$75 Fandango Customizable Gift Card

Dig Boston and League Podcast Comics Picks of the Week for Wed. September 2, 2015

COMICS

Mark Millar’s (Kick Ass, Kingsmen: Secret Service) wraps up volume one of his family superhero prequel Jupiter’s Circle #6. Imagine this is what the Minutemen was to The Watchmen as a love triangle threatens to break up the team! … Daredevil #18 is the final chapter in the Autobiography of Matt Murdock, written by someone who may surprise you! … We can’t stop picking Star Trek/Green Lantern as pick of the week. Issue #3 (of 6) has Captain Kirk teaming up with Hal Jordan and a ring bearing Enterprise crew. … The crossover event is not to be missed for fans of space cops and space explorers! … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.