iFanboy Video Podcast

iFanboy #134 – San Diego Comic-Con 2009 (Part Three)

Show Notes

Empowered from Dark Horse Comics is one of the most entertaining comics around and it’s the product of writer/artist Adam Warren who talks about the origins of the book and characters and balancing writing and drawing.

An iFanboy favorite, Jason Aaron talks about the current state of Scalped from Vertigo/DC Comics as well as his work at Marvel on the new Punisher MAX series and Wolverine: Weapon X.

Indie darling Jeff Lemire celebrates the collected Essex Country Trilogy release along with his Vertigo/DC Comics debut The Nobody and his upcoming ongoing series from Vertigo/DC Comics, Sweet Tooth.

Chris Samnee is not only one of the nicest guys around, but he’s a talented artist who’s work on the The Mighty and other various DC Comics projects are getting noticed by the comic reading public. Plus, he’s a sketch machine!

Industry veteran Larry Marder talks about the re-releases of his Beanworld series and the new Beanworld material that we have to look forward too.

One of the exciting announcements in San Diego was Choker from Image Comics, written by Ben McCool with art by Ben Templesmith. The two Bens give us the breakdown of what Choker is all about and what we can expect from the new series.

Greg Rucka is in a unique spot, writing Action Comics with no Superman andĀ Detective Comics with no Batman, but that’s not stopping him from putting out some of his best work ever, especially the Batwoman story with artist J.H. Williams III. He’s also gearing up for the release of his private investigator story Stumptown fromĀ Oni Press with Matthew Southworth and gives us the update on what to expect from the Queen and Country franchise.

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Comments

  1. Ben McCool is my new hero. Charming fellow!

  2. please tell me you used all the con footage up

  3. Is there seriously a character in this ‘Choker’ series called Dick Puncher?

    That’s just inspired and makes me want to pick that series up.

  4. Oh snap, that Romo dance at the end was grand.  I still can’t stop laughing.  Good show.

  5. I seriously have watched Romo dance 78 times so far and it’s never not funny.

    My new favorite is watching the people around him watch him dance.  It really is the gift that keeps giving

  6. What’s the name of the song?

     

  7. @Cristian Sounds to me like the Lonely Island’s song "Like a Boss."  Only without any vocals.

  8. There’s a reason it sounds like that.

  9. Needs more Jimski!

    Loved to see a Larry Marder interview though, I read the first volume of Beanworld and LOVED it

  10. Connor looks like at the wrong end of an awesome night or all night in the Rucka interview, but still pulls it off. That was ALOT of content for free. And we got to see full clip of Mike Romo dancing.

  11. @gobo – I think Jimski was in San Diego for a total of about 5 hours.  He appeared and disappeared like an absentee father.  So yeah, the check is late again this month.

    @muddi900 – that’s every night in San Diego.  We’re proud of the fact that we even got up.

  12. For some reason the episode won’t play for me. Any idea when it will go up on YouTube? I’ve GOT to see those Adam Warren and Jason Aaron interviews! Specifically, I need to know if Ron asked either or both of them if they would ever consider coming to the Isotope. This is the kind of thing that keeps me awake at night!

  13. Actually, the internet in general is really what keeps me awake at night but iFanboy is also on the internet so technically it still counts.

  14. Have you tried downloading it directly?

    http://revision3.com/ifanboy/sdcc2009p3

    And no, we probably wouldn’t ask that on camera.

  15. Downloading it worked! Thanks, Josh!

    And yeah, I figured that wouldn’t be something you guys would ask. I just really want to see Adam Warren and/or Jason Aaron at the Isotope is all.

  16. Next time, you have to get footage of Kirkman and Aaron fighting a bear. I think they could win.

  17. @Ron: You mentioned during the interview that you just recently discovered Empowered. Have you ever read any of Adam Warren’s older stuff like Dirty Pair?

  18. @Kenkneisel – I haven’t read Dirty Pair, but I’ve been meaning to – sadly my exposure to Warren has been limited to old Gen13 stuff and now Empowered..

  19. @Ron: Right on. I’ll drop off the first Dirty Pair TPB (which is also Adam Warren’s very first published work as far as I’m aware) at the Isotope for you the next time I’m over there.

  20. The best part of the Mike Romo Dance is the realization that he didn’t have the benefit of the music which I would guess was only added in during  the post shoot edit.

    You can’t teach that level of dedication!

  21. Empowered is a creepy and misogynistic comic pretending to be satire, but it’s not. Empowered is no better than Tarot in that regard, or worse because Adam Warren is dishonest about it. 

  22. Yes, the Larry Marder interview was great to see.  The first trade was a crazy trip and fun to read.  Can’t wait to try out the rest of it.

  23. That Ben Mc Cool is a bizarre guy. You can spot Templesmith backing away a couple of times as he gesticulates wildly while explaining the comic’s premise. Where is he from? It sounds like a Scottish accent mixed with something else.

    Loved the Rucka interview and the Jeff Lemire interview reminded me I still need to buy the collected Essex County. 

  24. Thank you for all the SDCC coverage over the last month.  It helps make not being there bearable.

    Jimski’s tongue should be included in the opening of all future episodes of iFanboy.  Your female viewership, if not readership, will double.

    I want Mr. Romo’s autograph. 

  25. Is Rucka as mellow as he appears on camera?  He seems like an awesome guy.

  26. I wouldn’t use the word mellow to describe Greg Rucka.  He’s very passionate and he’s always been incredibly gracious to us.

  27. True story: Greg Rucka was grew up in my neck of the woods, as did John Steinbeck.  I feel special

  28. Greg Rucka never seems to have a bad interview. He could probably sell me the idea of his comic about cardboard in any interview he does.

  29. I know he was probably blocking people from walking into the interview, but during the Jason Aaron bit, Jimski looks like he’s either:
    A) Jason Aaron’s secret service agent
    B) Like he’s going to play a hilarious prank on Jason Aaron or
    C) Like he just wants to be closer to Jason Aaron

    Funny how Ben McCool is seemingly anything but (the latter part of his surname), especially when standing next to Templesmith, who looks like a faux-hawked member of the Rat Pack or something. Was that McCool’s 1st con or interview maybe? He’s yet to become irrevocably jaded?

  30. @Josh – I meant mellow in the "having attained kindliness or gentleness through age and experience" sense, not the "unhurried and relaxed" sense.  I’m sure he is very busy and seems excited about his work, but he also seems to enjoy taking the time to give the interview and interact with you guys.  It was an excellent interview (despite the fact that Conor looked like a Black Lantern). 

  31. Yeah, I still wouldn’t use the word mellow. I think of him as intense, which is sort of opposite.

  32. I also think, and this slightly self aggrandizing, it makes Greg incredibly happy to not be talking to idiots. He does not suffer fools.

  33. @cap, My shop owner said it looked like I had a very important question for Jason Aaron that Josh was forgetting.

  34. @Josh – You’re right, that is slightly self aggrandizing, but also probably justified.

  35. I just had a quick question about the Jason Aaron interview, I thought the Punisher Maxx line was to put the Punisher into real world situations and not have him deal with the Marvel U.  So why would he bring in Bullseye and Kingpin?  Doesn’t that just change the status quo for that book to another parallel universe with interactions with characters from the Marvel U and stop the real world things that he was attending to in previous Maxx runs?  For me that is what makes the Maxx title great is that it brings things to the light that are not typically seen or talked about like the Slavers run that Ennis did. 

  36. You’d have to ask Jason that.  I just assume he’d come in with "real world" versions of those characters.  Whether that’s OK with fans or not is another matter.  I guess people will decided when they figure out if they like the story or not.  But the thing about MAX is, none of that stuff is supposed to matter. 

  37. I really thought it was interesting what Jason Aaron said about not just wanting to be the guy who writes ‘killing guys.’  Because I’ve never really thought of him that way, but I guess there is some truth to that at Marvel.  Anyway, I’d love it if he got his Thing mini and look forward to the team-up with Wolverine.  

     ALSO: 

    THIS IS AN OPEN DANCE OFF CHALLENGE TO MIKE ROMO. If I ever see you, or you ever see me, the cardboard box gets laid out and dance off goes down. Word.  

  38. Even Garth Ennis did one Punisher arc featuring Wolverine, Daredevil, Spider-Man and the Hulk. It was about how much Garth Ennis hates Wolverine, Daredevil, Spider-Man and the Hulk. I bought it because I didn’t know who Garth Ennis was yet, and sometimes mistakes are the only way we learn.

  39. @Jimski: Was that Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe?

    @josh: Thanks for the answer just thought maybe he said something that did not make the video show.  I am looking forward to his run on the title since he has really written Ghost Rider well and made it a really fun read for me.  Not to mention Scalped another book of his that I really like. 

  40. The arc was called "Confederacy of Dunces," which in hindsight was a dead giveaway. It was probably the mid-30s of Ennis’ Punisher, when I was still gradually dipping my toes back into the water.

  41. MIKE ROCK ‘N’ RULES!!!!

  42. @Jimski is that the one with the other heroes basically having a roundtable of how The Punisher tried to kill them, and he kidnapped Bruce Banner and was feeding him trace explosives for when he became Hulk to fight the others? I remember reading that, but never knew the name.

  43. It would be incredibly short sighted to judge all of Ennis’ work based on one part of it.  Granted, I didn’t like most of his Marvel work, and while I found the start of his Punisher enjoyable enough, it wasn’t for me.  He has a much softer spot for DC characters, if any.  But all sorts of kinds of stories come from Ennis, and the Boys and Marvel stuff isn’t necessarily the over representative.

  44. If I recall correctly in another interview; Aaron stated Bullseye wasn’t going to be wearing a costume. It would be more realistic for him to be the world’s best sniper and not a killing machine. I like that approach that Aaron is taking. It’s sorta remixing them like the Ultimate universe, but it will be more realistic. Then again I think Marvel said the Ultimate universe would be a more real take on the heroes/villains.

    With all the drama the past couple of days, I didn’t get a chance to say how great this video was. All of your videos on SDCC have been top notch and I don’t want it to end. Is there another episode? Prehaps a blooper reel?

  45. @josh – Admitedly, all I ever exposed myself to or someone reccomended was the Punisher and Boys stuff. That’s why I never really sought out more, because it’s too much bombastic story for me, I guess.

  46. Preacher is my favorite series of all time.

    I’m prepared to say that now.

  47. You know what’s funny, and I’ve never read Preacher, btw, but looked for it many time(maybe I should check online)….but, I always seem to forget that Ennis wrote it. I’ve heard too many great things about the series not to be intrigued, though. I just really can’t stand Boys, especially because the other LCS that was near mine back in Orlando pushed that book so hard. They had a Boys only rack, posters everywhere, and some days I caught them suggesting Boys when the new issues came out. It’s not my story I know, but these guys were overly enthused.

  48. I stopped reading the Boys.  But at the same time, the work he did on Battlefield being produced by the same publisher, is some of his best work in years.

  49. @Ron: I dropped off that Dirty Pair: Biohazards TPB for you at the Isotope yesterday so it’s ready to be picked up whenever you are!

  50. I totally agree with Josh that I have extremely enjoyed Ennis’ Battlefields run, best work in years.  Also the run that Jimski mentioned was part of his Marvel Knights run on the character, not the Max run in case someone was trying to find it.  It is also hard to find in trade form, either the Ennis Omni or seen it for close to 60 – 80 on its own.   

    @psyguy411: Read Preacher, while it may not end up being your favorite series it is flat out amazing.  I picked it up while in high school and read it through 2 trades.  Didn’t get into it then.  Read it again while cleaning out some space in my room when I was older and now have the entire run in TPB and find myself drawn to re reading it again and again.  It was one of the first "mature" comics that I felt wasn’t just using it for violence purposes and that it had very adult themes in it and made me think on it as a whole.

     

  51. If you guys get Preacher, just get the first eight softcovers. Volume nine isn’t very good at all. I actually hated the way they ended it, it just didn’t seem like much of an ending at all!  I figured that they’d still be able to put out a Preacher one shot every once in a while, but they don’t.

    The Boys is good but don’t read it in issues. Just wait for the trade.

  52. That is one opinion.  I love the whole thing.

  53. Has anyone ever raised the roof constructively?

  54. oh jeez…I didn’t think you guys would post the whole damn dance…was that when I was deathly ill with no voice?

     

    what we do for the ifanbase…

    xo,m

  55. Oh, hey, Jimski talks!  Awesome.

    This was a particularly great set of interviews.  I always love hearing Rucka, and Jeff Lemire was really intriguing. Thanks for all the work you guys put into this!

  56. Game Geeking out for a sec but I’m re-watching right now and I think I just caught Tommy Tallarico over Jason Aaron’s shoulder at 8:40 of the episode.

  57. Wow, I was interested in something from every interview. Very good show.

  58. I liked how Jason Aron had to remind you that Scalped #30 was your pick of the week.

    And since we got Jimski and Romo madness on tape now, I only wonder when Sonia gets to join the fray. Or is she sort of camera shy? 

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