Joe Pruett began his career in the comic industry working with Bob Burden on the legendary Flaming Carrot Comics in 1989. Mr. Pruett became a principal player at Caliber Comics in the 1990s. He also worked at Marvel Comics for a number of years, mainly on their X-titles.
Pruett is known as a keen evaluator of talent. He’s collaborated with some of the finest creators in the industry and discovered his share of talent as well. He began Desperado Publishing in 2004 with an eye toward bringing some of the biggest creators in the industry to one place, while also giving fresh faces a shot at the big-time. Desperado’s recent agreement with Image Comics puts them in great shape for 2005.
I had the chance to chat with Mr. Pruett about the past as well as the wide-range of books Desperado will be offering this year and beyond.
The Nexus: How did you land the gig working with Bob Burden on Flaming Carrot Comics back in 1989?
Joe Pruett: Strangely enough, all I did was write him a letter. I had just graduated college (University of Georgia) and didn’t really have a plan on what to do next. I had recently rediscovered comics and had just discovered the Flaming Carrot. I found out that Bob Burden lived in Atlanta and, luckily, that’s the city I had decided to relocate to in my effort to get my life started. A couple of weeks after mailing the letter, Bob called me up and invited me over to his house. We chatted a bit and had some lunch. I guess he liked me, because he offered me a position as his assistant and the rest is history.
The Nexus: You spent a number of years with Caliber Press. What were some of the projects you were involved in?
Joe Pruett: Just about everything. I guess I’m most remembered for creating and editing the anthology Negative Burn. That started my editorial career. From there I became kind of a talent scout for Caliber and started to bring in the “big” name guys to Caliber. Before I became involved with Caliber, I guess you could say it was a place where people started their careers (most notably Jim O’Barr – The Crow, but Guy Davis, Vince Locke, Mike Allred, Brandon Peterson, Brian Bendis, Phil Hester, David Mack, etc.). What I tried to do at Caliber was make a place that already established creators could bring their own personal projects, retain ownership and have fun. In that regard, I brought in Alan Moore’s Songbook, Neil Gaiman, Brian Bolland, Paul Jenkins’ Construct, Moebius Comics, Budd Root’s Cavewoman, Garth Ennis and John McCrea’s Dicks series, Nabiel Kanan’s Exit series, Michael Avon Oeming’s Ship of Fools, Kingdom of the Wicked (recently republished in color by Dark Horse) and a host of other projects. I also created and wrote Kilroy Is Here and the Untouchables while at Caliber. It was a fun time.
The Nexus: You worked at Marvel Comics on a number of X-titles. Would you like a chance to go back and work on the X-titles again?
Joe Pruett: Sure, who wouldn’t? If I went back though, I’d like to pick the artists I’m working with (as I did with Brian Stelfreeze on Domino). When you’re placed with an artist, the chemistry isn’t as strong as if you’ve picked an artist who you know you want to work with and who you know would be the ideal person for the story you want to write. At the end of my run at Marvel, I was finally getting the chance to do that. I was setting up projects with Stelfreeze (which survived), Esad Ribic, Andrew Robinson, Mike Wieringo, and Jordan Raskin, to name a few. I wish some of those had survived the purge once the leadership changed. They would have been more me writing than me writing what the editorial team wanted me to write.
The Nexus: Why did you start Desperado Publishing?
Joe Pruett: When I looked out at the comic publishing marketplace I realized that, aside from Image, there isn’t really any place left for creators to take their creator-owned projects anymore. All the mid-level companies have gone away. The market quit supporting them, their money disappeared or whatever happened. The fact is they aren’t there anymore. What excited me about comics, and what made me return to the comic industry I had left behind in my college days, was the creativity that was being put forward by top creators doing projects which they created, which they developed and which they owned. Even the Image heyday was a bunch of creators at the top of their game breaking away from the big boys and doing what they wanted to do themselves. Do you remember the energy and excitement from that time period? I know I do. I decided, even though I’m not a rich guy by any means, that I wanted to create a home for creators to let loose again and to stop having to do the company brand comics to make a living. I want the energy back. I want the excitement back. I want people to be allowed to own what they create and to profit from it. Desperado Publishing was created to fill that void.
The Nexus: What’s your main goal with the company?
Joe Pruett: Allow the top creators in the business (and the best of the newbies as well) to create, own, and profit from their own creations. ‘Nuff said.
The Nexus: Big names such as Phil Hester, J.M. DeMatteis, Mike Ploog, Keith Giffen, Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray, Tony Harris, Ron Marz, Brian Bolland, Bernie Wrightson, Bruce Jones, Amanda Connor, and numerous others are involved in various projects. How did you bring so many “A” level talents to Desperado?
Joe Pruett: It’s all about who you know. I’ve always had a great relationship with some of the best in the business, so when it came time to put my money into my own company it made sense for me to go get my buddies, people whose work I admire and buy myself, to do the work. I offered a home and they came.
The Nexus: How did Desperado’s partnership with Image Comics come about?
Joe Pruett: When I formed Desperado I had no intention of partnering with anyone. My vanity is strong enough to tell me that I don’t need anyone and that I can do it myself. BUT, my reality told me that I should be a bit more cautious and listen to what might be out there. A mutual friend informed me that Image was interested in talking to me, so I listened. Again, I remembered the energy that Image had in the early ‘90s and I wanted to recapture that energy, so why not hook up with the ones who had it in the first place! Both our companies have the same philosophy, so it was a logical partnership for both of us.
The Nexus: What does the partnership entail?
Joe Pruett: They do my laundry every Wednesday. Seriously, Desperado is its own company. I decide what we publish, who we work with, etc. Image gets us out to the biggest market possible. It’s a nice working relationship.
The Nexus: How satisfying is it for Desperado to publish a new Flaming Carrot series?
Joe Pruett: Considering I broke into comics as Bob’s assistant, it’s very satisfying to return the favor and get the Flaming Carrot out to a new audience again. It’s my all-time favorite series and it’s an honor to be publishing it. Flaming Carrot is our flagship title. If you’ve never tried it then you’re totally missing out on one of the most creative, ingenious comic book series ever!
The Nexus: What would be the best way for comic fans to introduce themselves to Desperado Publishing?
Joe Pruett: Pick up a copy of the Desperado Primer which is at the printers now. It’s a 40-page comic which features 3 short stories by Desperado creators – a Roundeye preview by Tony Harris, a World Traveler preview by Ron Marz and Brandon Peterson and a jam story written by Paul Jenkins and drawn by Adam Hughes, Brian Stelfreeze, Phil Hester, Rob Prior, Cully Hamner, and Kelsey Shannon. It also features info and sample art for most of the Desperado projects lined up for 2005. Not to mention a nice Brian Bolland mermaid cover!
The Nexus: You are working on a western, Dusty Star, with Andrew Robinson. Being a big western fan, this one really jumped out at me. Can you tell me about the project?
Joe Pruett: Dusty Star first saw the light of day back in Negative Burn #28 from Caliber Comics. After another quick short story in Negative Burn #37, Dusty jumped into a short-lived series at Image in 1997 (issues #0 and #1 saw the light of day). Schedule difficulties and workload caused the series to end then, but, for whatever reason, the character struck a nerve with fans and became a cult hit of some kind. So Andrew and I got back together and decided the time was right for the little cowgirl to make her return.
In a nutshell, Dusty Star is a tough-talkin’ cowgirl with a bad attitude. Don’t mess with her unless you want to get put in your place. The world Dusty inhabits is unlike any other western project out there. There are ghost towns, robot gangs, horses with tattoos, flying machines, giant desert monsters and no rules. It ain’t your grandpappy’s western, that’s for sure.
Issue #1 is scheduled to ship in August.
The Nexus: Considering that Disney bought most of CrossGen’s properties to get a hold of J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Ploog’s child-friendly Abadazad, how did you get the pai’s next project, Stardust Kid, set up at Desperado?
Joe Pruett: I’ve got pictures that DeMatteis and Ploog don’t want to see posted on the internet. Nah, actually, Ian Feller, who’s our media liaison and who used to be their Abadazad editor at CrossGen brought the project to us for consideration. Of course, we’re not stupid, so we jumped on it! It’s truly going to be a beautiful book. A classic. We’re happy”¦no, we’re thrilled to have it.
Cover for Negative Burn #1
The Nexus: Negative Burn is an anthology that you worked on at Caliber Press. Can you tell us about Negative Burn‘s return at Desperado?
Joe Pruett: I had no intention of bringing Negative Burn back. Doing an anthology title is a LOT of work. Plus, Negative Burn had a 50 issue run that is fondly remembered. I didn’t want to mess up the memory. BUT, in San Diego last year when Desperado had its public coming out party, Negative Burn kept being brought up to me by the fans and the pros alike. I thought about it and said “why not?!” I don’t want to do it on a monthly basis again, but I can probably put it out on a quarterly basis, so I’ll give it another try. I’m doing it larger this time, around 96 pages, but it’s going to still have the mix of old, established talents and new emerging talents. There still won’t be a theme. And it’ll still be fun to put together! The first collection should be out in about a month.
The Nexus: What else should fans look forward to from Desperado in 2005?
Joe Pruett: I would pick up the Desperado Primer to find out, but I’ll give you a few names to look forward to in 2005. Bernie Wrightson, Brian Bolland, P. Craig Russell, Tim Bradstreet, Clive Barker, Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Conner, Ron Marz, Jim Starlin, Cully Hamner, Tony Harris, J.M. DeMatteis, Mike Ploog and a host of others. We’ll be doing comic series, comic limited series, trade paperbacks, graphic novellas, and hardcover art books. We’re also thinking of doing a limited edition, high quality art print line as well. Check out our website (www.desperadopublishing.com) for previews, interviews, etc.
Cover for Deadworld #1
The Nexus: Other than the books being released by Desperado, is there a comic you can recommend to our readers?
Joe Pruett: Samurai: Heaven and Earth by Ron Marz and Luke Ross from Dark Horse is a good read. Ex Machina is also fun every month. I pick up the Ultimates every time it comes out. There’s a number of others on my reading stack I haven’t gotten to yet, but am looking forward to – The Originals by Dave Gibbons, Concrete: The Human Dilemma by Paul Chadwick, etc.
The Nexus: Desperado looks to have a jam-packed year ahead. Good luck with everything, Joe. Thanks for sitting down with me.
No, thank you!
Be sure to check out Desperado’s latest, The Atheist #1, which shipped to comic stores this past Wednesday (April 13, 2005).
Here’s the cover image along with solicitation copy:
Written by PHIL HESTER
Art by JOHN McCREA
Cover by KEN MEYER JR.
Concept
Our world has dark corners normal people refuse to enter. They are populated by unspeakable things that defy logic and feed on fear. But these beings do have a natural predator in the form of Antoine Sharpe. He’s a scalpel on two legs bent on cutting out the disease infesting the human race, even if it kills the patient. A misanthropic genius and heartless hero, he’s better known to his government handlers as simply”¦the Atheist.
This Issue
The dead are restless. Rather than wait for judgment, they have escaped the afterlife and are forcing themselves into the bodies of the living. Reincarnation rapists, joyriders, they use their new bodies with abandon, leaving shattered lives in their wake. When government security is compromised by the possession of an intelligence community insider, the Atheist is called in to turn back an invading army of lost souls.
For information on all of Desperado Publishing’s offerings check out their website at: www.desperadopublishing.com.
