Welcome to the 15th edition of Leave Your Spandex @t the Door! This is the first instalment after a long sabbatical, but now I’m back and I’ve already prepared a wide array of topics and interviews that I will present in the coming weeks, as LYS@D finally goes weekly, for real this time!
To kick off the new Fall Season, I had a round-table interview with the creators involved in the newly released MADMAN KING-SIZE SUPER SPECIAL.
To get a first taste, here is the special’s solicitation copy
MADMAN KING-SIZE SUPER SPECIAL
by Mike Allred with Laura Allred, Nick Derington, Daniel Krall, & Steven Weissman
X-Statix artist Mike Allred returns to his signature creation, writing and drawing a completely new 24-page adventure – featuring frogmen and swamp scientists! Joining him for this extravaganza are three artists hand picked by the man himself -Daniel Krall (One Plus One), Steve Weissman (Yikes!), and Mike’s X-Men Unlimited collaborator, Nick Derington! Each will produce their own 8-page story.
Squarebound.
Price: $ 6.95 US,$ 11.95 CAN
Diamond Order Code: MAY03 2358
Release date: 9/3/2003
READ THE ORIGINAL PRESS RELEASE FROM ONIPRESS
CHECK OUT THE COVER OF THE SPECIAL AND SELECT PAGES AND CONCEPT SKETCHES
In strict alphabetical order, with great glee, and without further ado, I present to you, dear reader: Mike Allred, Nick Derington, Daniel Krall and Steven Weissman!
MIKE ALLRED is, in my humble opinion, a comic book genius. He is the award-winning creator of Madman, the Atomics and Red Rocket 7. Mike lives in Oregon with his wife and colorist Laura and kids, who are quickly developing into comicdom’s foremost creative family (son Han has already joined the ‘family business’). Mike and Laura are currently shaking Marvel’s X-universe and the celebrity circus to the ground with their work on ‘X-Statix’, written by brit Peter Milligan.
Manolis: What is the format of the book?
Mike: It’s 56 pages squarebound on my favorite paper stock ever.
Manolis: It’s now been over 2 years since you last illustrated a story with Madman. How does it feel to return to your original creative child?
Mike: It was Heaven! Didn’t realize how much I’d missed diving in with the gang again. It was like a family reunion when your favorite Aunt and Uncle show up.
Manolis: For readers unfamiliar with the Madman characters who want to check out this special, can you introduce us to the characters and concept?
Mike: Simple really. Don’t understand when people say, “don’t get it”. An anonymous corpse (Frank Einstein, who is later discovered to be a highly trained assassin, Zane Townsend) is brought back to life by a couple of “old school†mad scientists Dr Flem and Dr. Boiffard), gets a wicked crush on a temp lab assistant (Josephine “Joe” Lombard), and is sent on adventures while dealing with thoughts of his former mysterious life and the secrets of the universe.
Manolis: What is your story in the book about?
Mike: Frank “Madman” Einstein battles a robot and his conscience in order to enjoy a date with his girlfriend, Joe, unhindered. Along the way, a mutated scientist makes his efforts for a simple happy life much more complicated.
Manolis: How is your approach, artistically, different here from your work on X-Statix?
Mike: Well, I have an unhindered vision of what i want the story to look like, whereas with X-Statix, I’m trying to illustrate what Peter Milligan hopes the story to look like. Fortunately, I share his vision so the collaboration is very inspiring.
Manolis: Why did you pick these particular creators to share their vision of the title character?
Mike: They each have a unique style that I dig in a major way. Thought they would give the bonus stories a wonderful diverse plethora of goodies.
And they surpassed my expectations.
Manolis: What happens next? Do you have plans for more Snap City projects in the future?
Mike: Yup. I hope to find more time to devote to Madman and Pals in the near future.
Manolis: What other projects are you currently working on?
Mike: X-STATIX of course.
VERTICAL for Vertigo written by Steve Seagle and inked by Philip Bond. It’s bizarre love story that takes place around the Andy Warhol Factory in New York circa 1966.
A miniseries reviving a favorite “to be announced” super hero team for DC with Evan Dorkin.
And I’m almost ready to announce my long term “Top Secret project” that I’ve spent uncountable hours researching. Otherwise known as “The Best thing I will ever do”.
NICK DERINGTON is best known for the series of back-up stories he co-wrote and illustrated for Image’s Savage Dragon series and for the X-Statix story he co-wrote with Mike Allred and illustrated for X-Men Unlimited #41. (for more details, check out my last interview with Nick) His first self-published anthology, ‘Paper Museum’ was released last summer, and you had better hunt it down real quick! I pilfered Nick’s copy-pasted Nick’s bio from a previous column.
Manolis: What is your story about? What’s the title?
Nick: My story is called “At the Madness of Madman”. It is my love letter to Frank Einstein and the Snap City regulars. The story deals with everything I love about the Mike Allred’s Madman mythos and even delves a little into the larger world of comics. The story also sports a unique storytelling structure that I enjoyed engineering. I had a lot to say in just eight pages!
Manolis: How did you first come in contact with Madman and the Snap City characters?
Nick: While I read comics since I was young teenager, it was accidentally coming across issue two of Madman Adventures at a convention that made me want to draw and write comics. I was probably about 15 or 16 years old at the time and it’s been a downward spiral ever since then. It was the issue where Frank goes back in time and fights off dinosaurs, giant bugs and robots! And while all that stuff was really really cool, it was Mike’s existential angst stuff that really pushed my buttons. It was quite a thrill to find another creator whose style and sensibilities mirrored my own. He was making something that was fun but also took itself very seriously at the same time. I was instatly hooked for life.
Manolis: What is your favorite Madman story?
Nick: Boy, that’s a tough one. The two trilogies (Madman and Madman Adventures) have a special place in my heart. They are solid, archetypal, independent stories that stand on their own before alot of the back continuity started to bog down the story a bit but if I had to pick a favorite I’d say the very first Madman miniseries. It was a brilliant move of marketing, style and storytelling as well as a great starting piece for the rest of the stories to fall behind. A perfect example of using the superhero visual to sell stories that wouldn’t normally make it under the radar of an average comic fan. It’s funny how the “postmodern superhero” is now the M.O. of most hit comic these days. Not only that but at the time Frank was truly alone in his search for normality and friendship. Frank Einstein at his most beautifully tragic and desperate moment. There is some very sincere storytelling in that miniseries.
Manolis: How did you meet Mike Allred and become involved in this project?
Nick: I met him at a San Diego Comic Con years ago and he’s been my number one fan ever since! We had recently worked together on an X-Statix short story for X-men Unlimited and afterwards he offered me a spot in the annual. The rest is history!
Manolis: What other projects are you currently working on?
Nick: I’m developing a bunch of really cool stuff right now but nothing to really push just yet. I have a handful of pin-ups coming out and I am doing some bits of work with John Cassaday right now.
DANIEL KRALL helped me write his bio. :-) He is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. His work has appeared in various magazines and newspapers including Details, and YM.
He made his comics debut with ‘One Plus One’, a collaborative effort with writer and friend Neal Shaffer, published by Oni Press. Most recently He’s been inking over Christine Norrie’s pencils on ‘Bad Girls’ for DC comics, and continues work on his new Oni project ‘Follow Me Closely’ to be released in the spring of 2004. He currently lives in Baltimore with a couple of writers and a lovely lady.
Manolis: What is your story about? What’s the title?
Daniel: The title is “Speaking Frankly”, and it’s about a group of kids attending a rock show in Snap City. The rumor is that Madman is going to be there, and the group of kids starts exchanging stories about their interactions with, or feelings about Madman.
Manolis: How did you first come in contact with Madman and the Snap City characters?
Daniel:When I was in my first year of college I had a roommate who was really into comics. I hadn’t read too many comics since junior high, and I was itchin’ to dive back in and see what kind of good stuff was out there. I vividly remember going to a comic shop here in Baltimore with my pals, and finding the collected “Oddity Odyssey” it sucked my eyeballs right in. Plus it had flip action corners, I thought that was the coolest.
Manolis: What is your favourite Madman story?
Daniel:I always liked the team-ups. Madman/Superman (Hullabaloo), and Big Guy A Go-Go, were both really cool. Also the newer stuff with Tri-Eye is getting really interesting.
Manolis: How did you meet Mike Allred and become involved in this project?
Daniel:I was introduced to Mike and Laura by Jamie Rich in San Diego 2002. I was lucky enough to get the chance to talk to Mike a bunch at a party that night. I dropped him a line to thank him for being so cool and everything, and He asked me if I’d like to do the book. Of course I was totally psyched to be involved.
Manolis: What other projects are you currently working on?
Daniel:Right now I’m Inking Christine Norrie’s pencils for a DC book called “Bad Girls” , and working on my debut solo project for Oni, called “Follow Me Closely”. I’m also doing some illustrations for books and magazines and stuff like that.
STEVEN KNIGHT WEISSMAN, at various times known as ‘Ribs’, ‘Steve’, ‘Steve Ribs’, ‘Kiddie Karr’, ‘Weissman’ etc., was born in California on June 4, 1968. After drifting in and out of various schools and places of employment, Weissman finally settled on San Francisco and cartooning in the mid-1990s with his wife, Charissa and son, Charles. Weissman was the recipient of the 1998 Harvey Award for “Best New Talent” and is the creator of the acclaimed Alternative Press series Tykes. I admit to stealing his bio from the Fantagraphics site. I am weak :-( . You should all also check his other work in: “White flower dayâ€, “Yikes!â€, ‘Don’t Call me stupid’ and ‘Champs’ !
Manolis: What’s the title of your story? What is it about?
Steven: The title of my story is “ONI PRESS AAA POP COMICS MADMAN.” It’s about 8 pages long. You’ll understand when you read it, but 4 of the 8 pages are just “jumping around” with no dialogue whatsoever, then maybe 2 pages of characters interacting followed by some introspection. Basically, these elements I saw in Mr. Allred’s “Madman” comics already, though I will say I avoided getting into the “Madman” character’s head, specifically. That seemed to be where Mike Allred speaks the most directly to his readers and I didn’t want my effort to sound inauthentic, do you know what I mean?
Manolis: From what I understand, it takes place in the future?
Steven: While it does take place some time after the ‘Madman’ comics I’ve read, I wasn’t thinking of it as ‘the future’. I guess I considered the older comics as ‘the past’ and this as ‘the present’.
Manolis: How did you first come in contact with Madman and the Snap City characters?
Steven: I first read Madman comics over ten years ago when my girlfriend gave me some as a gift.
Manolis: What is your favourite Madman story?
Steven: I like the ones where he beats the shit out of somebody.
Manolis: How did you meet Mike Allred and become involved in this project?
Steven: I’ve only met Mr. Allred in passing, though he’s a lovely fellow. My involvement in this project was suggested to me by it’s editor, Jamie S. Rich (he’s OK, too).
Manolis: What other projects are you currently working on?
Steven: A new book for Fantagraphics called “THE KID FIRECHIEF,” to be published next Spring (2004).
FANTAGRAPHICS
COMIC ART COLLECTIVE
I’d like to thank all four of these gentlemen for their time and their responses, and also Oni Press editor-in-chief extraordinaire Jamie S. Rich for his help in organising this interview.
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Tune back in 411comics and “Leave Your Spandex @t the Door†in 1 week (7 days for you weird people who don’t know), for a special sleepy review of the Hulk Movie and lots of Comics rants and reviews. As always, I’m waiting for your comments through email…
Manolis Vamvounis
a.k.a. Doc Dooplove
