Posted by Bloody Disgusting on May 14, 2013 @ 8:13pm |

In Return To Nuke ‘Em High, a young couple, Lauren and Chrissy, face their worst nightmare. Their high school glee club has suddenly mutated into a vicious gang of psychopaths. With the clock ticking, Lauren and Chrissy have to fight off The Cretins and save their school at the same time. Actress Catherine Corcoran sat down with our man on the scene, Jorge Solis, to talk about her role as Lauren, working with Lloyd Kaufman, and her expectations with the movie’s upcoming premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.

Bloody-Disgusting: Tell me how you became involved in “Return to Nuke ‘Em High.”

Catherine Corcoran: Casting Networks. It’s a casting site that a lot of actors are part of it. It tells you postings to local castings. They did a post about Troma. I heard about Troma but didn’t know about the company. I did some research. Again, I was convinced that I was not their type and they were not going to hire me. The part I usually book are young, middle girls. Somehow it ended up working out.

BD: I understand you had to go through nine callbacks for your audition.

CC: Nine callbacks! Yeah! The first audition I booked myself, I was really nervous. I called, told them it was a family emergency, and didn’t show up. It’s so awful! So they rescheduled me and then I went this time. I had never navigated in Long Island City before and I got lost. I was about an hour late. I’m always a little late, but an hour late is a record. I was convinced I wasn’t going to get the part. I went in and did my thing. They seemed to like it enough. I ended up leaving and called my Mom. I told her, “I didn’t get the part. Maybe they’ll let me intern for them because they seemed kinda cool.” I ended up getting a callback and nine later, I got the part.

BD: Tell me about your role as Lauren.

CC: In the original, they have two protagonists, a jock and a cheerleader, Warren and Chrissy; typical B-movie style. We’ve modernized it a little bit. Because we’re in the 21st century, it’s now a lesbian couple, Chrissy and Lauren. Lauren comes to town and she is the new girl. She comes from a wealthy family. She comes in and shakes up Chrissy’s world a little bit. She ends up taking on Tromorganic Foodstuffs Conglomerate, who is the new villain in the film.

BD: Tell me about playing your scenes off of your co-star, Asta Paredes, whose role is Lauren’s lover, Chrissy.

CC: Asta’s the greatest! She’s awesome! Many times, we got the same callbacks. We became good friends right away. We actually kinda went through the process together. We just kinda went out on a limb, basically trusting each other, and started hanging out. I guess they saw the chemistry involved because they ended up casting both of us. It’s kinda fun to act with a girl who’s now my best friend, and also great to work with.

BD: Because the Troma films, such as Mother’s Day and Poultrygeist, are known for their trashiness, nudity, and low-budget, how did you prepare yourself for a role like this?

CC: Well, it was my first sex scene. I knew I had to prepare physically for that. I didn’t want to be on camera and not look my best. I’m already a health nut, so that worked out to my advantage.

Also, what was really cool about low-budget filmmaking is that we shot on the fly. Lloyd Kaufman is a big proponent on rehearsals ahead of time. We actually got to develop the script before shooting. It was nice to have a creative say in the writing process. A lot of the jokes, the little gags, developed through rehearsals. It’s probably the most creative I’ve ever gotten to be on a set. I actually really enjoyed it!

BD: Tell me about Lloyd Kaufman as a director.

CC: He is a fabulous director! He is really an actor’s director because he allows you to do the rehearsals. He allows you to excel and grow. He will say he actually doesn’t do anything but that is totally false. He leaves it up to the actors, which I think is great. It’s a really great style for the actors because everybody comes in with their own process, techniques, and ideas. We got very lucky we had a phenomenal cast who worked really well together. Lloyd was open to bouncing off ideas and playing with us.

In the shooting stage, everything was actually blocked out. Because this was the first film he shot on digital, everything went ahead on schedule for the most part. If we shot it on film, we’d have to get it on the first or second try. In digital, we have this room to do more. It actually worked to his and our advantage because the film is now in two parts, not just one. It was a cool experiment to go on a new frontier with him and also to work with someone who is so open-minded creatively.

BD: Tell me about the documentary, Occupy Cannes, which you participated in its promo video.

CC: We’re shooting it at the premiere of part one at the Cannes Film Festival. We will be attending, which we are very excited about. What’s going on with the Cannes Film Festival these days, what it wasn’t originally, it’s become a corporate haven where you need a lot of money to get there. You need a lot of money to show your film. It’s not so much an independent film festival anymore as it is a film festival now owned by huge companies. If you are a truly independent artist and trying to get your voice heard, you don’t have a shot at being heard at Cannes. We’re documenting our struggle at the Cannes Film Festival as a low-budget film company. We’re trying to see if we can get our voice heard, get some buyers out there, and some notoriety. It’s a stretch but we believe in what we did. It’s worth showing.

BD: What are your expectations with the audience when the film premieres at the Cannes Film Festival in May?

CC: I really have no idea! I haven’t seen it a finished cut of it. But I know I’m really proud of it. I know it had a few screenings, one in the School of Visual Arts in New York and the other at USC in California. I know it was received very well at both places. They specifically asked the cast and crew not to come; to not sway with the opinions. We got great reviews! The one I liked the best said it was the next “Superbad.” I don’t know if it’s that great, but I think it’s awesome somebody thinks that it is.

If you asked me a year ago, that I would be premiering my film at Cannes, I would have laughed in your face! I’m really excited about it! I’m sure the cast and crew are excited about it as well. It’s going to really great! I can’t tell you how blessed I feel it has this much of a following already.

BD: The “Return to Nuke ‘Em High” poster was created by Justin Osbourn, from Slasher Design. Tell me about seeing yourself on the poster.

CC: That was crazy! When the poster came out, that’s when it started to sink in. This is real! The poster is stunning! It reminds me of the “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” poster. I think it’s so cool how it’s setup. It’s so cool to have Asta and I on the cover. I never would’ve have guessed we’d look like that.

I will say all the ladies got a very nice boob job on that poster! I’m pleased with that. I’m sure all the other girls on the poster are too. It’s a beautiful piece. He’s incredibly talented.

BD: What are you working on now?

CC: I am working for Troma. I have a couple other indie films, television series in the works. Nothing finalized yet. I can’t really say. I’ve been working with a great management team, who really understand where they see me going and where I want to go as an actress. A lot of my fondest memories is still with this film, which again I’m still proud of. I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen with it.

Interview by – Jorge Solis

Posted 12/20/12 10:05 am EST by Splash Page Team in Commentary, Hero of the Week, Image Comics, TV

It’s usually difficult to buy comic book issues every month. Most likely, I’ll wait till the issues are collected and buy the trade paperback. It’s easier for me to see how the story arc comes full circle. But often, the best comics are the ones I buy in single issues and still get the trade paperback as well. Here is my list of the best trade paperbacks to come out of 2012.

10. Green Wake Vol. 2: Lost Children (Image Comics) Though the series ended too soon, Kurtis J. Wiebe delivers a satisfying finale to the mysterious town and inhabitants of Green Wake. Wiebe provides explanations on the history of Green Wake and his final thoughts on the series. Riley Rossmo offers unused covers and sketches of a few panels.

9. Witchblade: Rebirth, Vol. 1:  Unbalanced Pieces (Top Cow Productions) During Top Cow’s Rebirth, Tim Seeley starts off with a fresh take, relocating Sara Pezzini, wielder of the Witchblade artifact,  to the mean streets of Chicago. Artist Diego Bernard captures the snowy and icy weather, which represents Sara’s moody personality. Bernard includes a cover gallery in the bonus content.

8. Hoax Hunters Vol. 1: Murder, Death, and The Devil (Image Comics) Michael Moreci and Steve Seeley play around with the reality TV concept, where paranormal investigators disprove actual supernatural events to the public. Artist Axel Medellin focuses on the atmosphere and character dynamics in his moody illustrations. This collection also features Issue #0, the back-up tales originally found in “Hack/Slash.”

7. Swamp Thing Vol. 1: Raise Them Bones (DC Comics) Scott Snyder delivers a suspenseful origin tale as Dr. Alec Holland is called upon once again to become Swamp Thing. Artist Yanick Paquette delivers the gruesome imagery of The Rot and its zombie army. Paquette also offers sketches and early concepts of the cover layouts.

6. Rebel Blood (Image Comics) Alex Link and Riley Rossmo craft an action-packed  thriller about a young man, Chuck Neville, discovering the animals in the woods have turned into zombies.  With no dialogue in the panels, Rossmo illustrates eerie and frightening sequences where Chuck is being chased by the infected animals. Rossmo provides early covers and  concept art of the zombie animals.

5. Crawl To Me: Evil Edgar Edition (IDW Publishing) Writer/artist Alan Robert delivers an intense psychological thriller about a married couple trapped in their house by a menacing evil spirit. The “Evil Edgar Edition” contains an introduction by comics legend Walt Simonson and a painted cover by Menton3.

4. American Vampire Vol. 4 HC (Vertigo Comics) In “Death Race,”  Scott Snyder introduces Travis Kidd, a young hunter with his own style of killing bloodsuckers. With a pair of wooden teeth, Kidd bites back and rips the throat of a vampire. Artist Rafael Albuquerque delivers a breathtaking car chase as Kidd and Skinner Sweet fight on top of his Thunderbird’s hood. Albuquerque provides a sketchbook containing character designs of  Kidd and loosely drawn “American Vampire” covers.

3. The Strain Vol. 1 (Dark Horse Comics) In this adaptation, David Lapham tightens the dialogue, focusing on the police procedural aspect as Ephraim and Nora, the disease detectives, investigate their case. Aimed at shock value, Mike Huddleston depicts the violent aftermath of the vampire attacks, where heads are squashed and brains pop out.. Also included, there is a foreword by ” The Strain” creators, Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan.

2. Monocyte – Black Label Menton3 Edition (IDW Publishing) Kasra Ghanbari and Menton3 deliver a highly imaginative apocalypse with provocative and fashionable character designs.  In Menton3′s artwork, primary colors are washed away, bringing only gray and black tones to the forefront. In this edition, Menton3 offers new end pages and a custom cloth cover.

1. Severed HC (Image Comics) Scott Snyder and Scott Tuft deliver a heart-wrenching coming-of-age tale about a lost runaway searching for his missing father, while crossing paths with a demonic serial killer known as The Salesman. Attila Futaki recreates the look and feel of America in the 1900s with his beautifully-rendered illustrations. Readers are given an inside look at the artistic process as Futaki provides a cover gallery, character sketches, and photo references.

Honorable Mentions: “Hellboy Vol. 12: The Storm And The Fury”, “The Darkness: Rebirth” Vol. 1, and “’68 Vol.1: Better Run Through The Jungle”.

By – Jorge Solis

In a year that included DC’s New 52, “Before Watchmen”, and Marvel’s “Avengers vs. X-Men”, 2012 represented more than just big business in mainstream comics. This year, Image Comics celebrated its milestone 20th anniversary.  Against heavy competition from the Big Two, Image Comics, the indie publisher that could, stood its own ground in the industry with bestselling series like “Saga”, “The Walking Dead”, and “Chew”. While not all books thrived at Image, the company that was founded on creator-owned rights managed to maintain a strong voice against the traditional spandex adventures of leading publishers.

Looking back at Image Comics’ naissance, year one was filled with heavy ups and downs. The first wave of Image titles – “Wild C.A.T.S.”, “Youngblood”, and “Savage Dragon” – were hits in their own rights, but they were difficult to find in comic shops. Image had major timeliness issues and books rarely hit their scheduled release dates. Further, most titles had one creator handling writing, penciling, and inking. The illustrations were magnificently rendered, but most of the artists weren’t exactly known for their storytelling abilities. Style ruled over substance in year one, causing interest wane and criticism to grow.

It was the darker side of Image that was giving readers something to talk about in those early years. Jim Valentino’s “ShadowHawk” was an uncompromising thriller about a merciless vigilante roaming urban New York. ShadowHawk wore an armored costume and helmet, along with claws on his fists. With unforgiving and unflinching violence, he started a personal war against criminals. I still remember the first issue, where ShadowHawk drove his clawed fist into the spine of a thug, crippling him for life.

In “ShadowHawk: Out of the Shadows”, The Liquefier, a bloodthirsty alien beast, rose out of the sewers, acid dripping from its tongue. During their confrontation, ShadowHawk launched his grappling hook into the Liquefier’s chest and ripped his heart-out. It was the first time I recall seeing blood gushing and splattering everywhere in comics. This one page told readers that Image wasn’t going to hold back on its depiction of violence. Here, Image was on to something, but it was their social consciousness and awareness that set the bar for what would follow suit as they continued to mature.

The social commentary in Valentino’s narratives addressed racism and HIV/AIDs, a topical issue in the 90s. In “ShadowHawk: The Secret Revealed”, a psychotic serial killer, named Hawk’s Shadow, specifically targeted black men and women. Hawk’s Shadow shouted racist epithets during a graphic slaying of a civil rights and church leader. Slowly dying from AIDS, ShadowHawk raced across the rooftops, using his last breath to search for a sadistic killer, who was stalking the streets in his name. A powerful and timely depiction of heroism in a medium that was not yet known for taking on politically driven topics.

Then, there was “Spawn”. Because of his stylish artwork in Spiderman, expectations were high for Todd McFarlane’s Spawn, the undead superhero. In issue #10, McFarlane and “Cerebus” creator Dave Sims, a pioneer in self-published comics, presented the unforgettable tale titled, “Crossing Over”. The narrative in the issue works a metaphor for comic book creators and the characters they create. In the story, Spawn finds himself in the seventh level of Hell, unable to free the locked prisoners. Sims’ Cerebus, the snarky and smoking aardvark, teaches Spawn that his creator never sold him. Only Spawn’s true creator can control his destiny any way he wants to. This was a thought-provoking statement about creative control that would come to hold a lot more meaning in the company’s overall mission. It was this unrelenting and unedited voice that would become the heart of Image Comics.

That was Image then. Their publishing foundations, albeit shaky, were beginning to set. While not all was coming up roses, the company remained steadfast in their strong creator-owned beliefs throughout the years, and this fundamental belief is what still keeps them going strong two decades later.

“Chew” just reached the halfway point with issue #30. “The Walking Dead” surpassed its 100th issue, while the critically acclaimed television series is now midway through its third season. “Spawn” is still around, pushing past its 200th issue. “Cyber Force” has even returned, and this time around, it’s easier to say it’s not an “X-Force” ripoff. Jim Valentino launched the Shadowline branch, which published hits like “Cowboy Ninja Viking”, “Sam Noir”, “Green Wake”, and plenty others. Not to mention Kirkman’s Skybound imprint, and the Top Cow branch that continues strong with “Witchblade” and “The Darkness”. Image offers an insane variety of books, not limiting themselves to any one genre or type of story. The publisher has come a long way in their twenty-year life.

With controversial editorial decisions and countless lawsuits from DC and Marvel in 2012, several all-star creators bid adieu to the Big Two in search of something different. This lead to many creators taking up, speaking out, and turning away from work-for-hire books. Some went off to begin their own digital publishing companies, but many found a welcoming home with indie publishers like Image.

Chris Roberson, longtime DC writer, left to pursue his own digital comics publisher, later to announce that his next ongoing series, “Reign”, would be published by Image. Ed Brubaker departed from Marvel (on good terms) and his “Fatale” series at Image was just upgraded to ongoing status. Even Grant Morrison proclaimed he would be done with superhero stories come 2013, and released “Happy” through Image. The fact that creators are willing to leave Marvel and DC to pursue the much riskier venture of creator-owned material at Image speaks volumes about the future of the industry.

Why take the risk? Well, Image allows authors full control over their work, without any editorial restrictions. Furthermore, they allow creators to maintain ownership of their intellectual property. The pride that Image takes in giving freedom to their creators shows that they trust them as artists. It’s hard to imagine anyone who wouldn’t want to be a part of that.

Now, more than ever, the general public is realizing that there is so much more to comics than the iconic heroes that started it all. While I have nothing against Batman or Spider-Man (Hell, I love them), creator-owned material means fresh stories, new worlds, and original characters, which in turns means less restraint and more innovation.

DC and Marvel have strong reputations to maintain, and it makes sense why they wouldn’t want to take risks with their icons. This is exactly what makes Image, and other indie publishers, so important. Their only goal is to produce quality comics, regardless of the genre or style. They are not bound ball and chain to a catalog of heroes and villains, but only by the imagination of their creators.

Now that Image ranks as the third biggest publisher (in terms of sales volume), it signifies something within the greater comics industry. It allows for the comics industry as a whole to begin breaking from the naïve view that comics are a form of low-brow art.  If you know people who still hold on to this notion, hand them a copy of “The Walking Dead” or “Prophet” and watch their jaw drop.

The past twenty years have largely been a learning period for Image. However, with the increasing demand for novelty in comics, the publisher is in a prime position. All they have to do is continue doing exactly what they are doing. As Image enters its 21st year in 2013, they are more important than ever, allowing both new creators to break into the industry, and veterans to explore a new side of comics.

The humble age of 21 represents a transitional crossing into adulthood, a passage into maturity after many mistakes have already been made and corrected. Image has learned from their past, and they continue to prove to themselves against the competition. Over the past two decades, Image has built up a respectable image (for lack of a better word), an important one that puts creativity and creator rights in comic making above all else.

Suggested Reading: – The Saviors – Saga – The Darkness – Witch Doctor – Severed – Thief of Thieves – Hack/Slash – Fatale – Revival – Hoax Hunters – Think Tank – Invincible – The Walking Dead – Bedlam – Todd, The Ugliest Kid On The Planet – The Legend of Luther Strode – Repossessed – Chew – Prophet – Peter Panzerfaust

Editorial by Jorge Solis and Lonnie Nadler (Lonmonster)

During the thrilling climatic pages in “Hellboy: The Storm and The Fury”, the world’s greatest paranormal investigator was fighting to save humanity from The Dragon. At his most triumphant, Hellboy succeeded in stopping the monstrous and fiery behemoth. Like a lot of horror movies, the killer always comes back to life for one last kill. When Hellboy wasn’t paying attention, his heart was suddenly ripped from his chest and he was sent to Hell.

Writer/artist Mike Mignola chatted with Bloody Disgusting about the much anticipated “Hellboy in Hell”, which kicks off this week. Mignola talks about returning to the series in the art department and what Hellboy’s next chapter will be like as he takes a tour around Hell.

BD: Tell me what was the driving force in killing off Hellboy, your creation, and now resurrecting him?

MM: Well, I’m not resurrecting him. He’s still dead. He’s just in Hell. I kinda almost knew from the very beginning, that Hellboy would have a certain arc. Because I love the folklore, the mythology, and the supernatural stuff, I always felt I’d get to a point where Hellboy would have more in direct contact with that stuff, instead of that stuff coming to him. I kinda wanted him to go to it.

Also as an artist, I knew there would be a certain freedom in drawing Hell, an entirely made-up world, as opposed to the so-called real world. I didn’t know exactly when I was going to do it, but when I came up with the three book series that Duncan [Fegredo] drew, I kinda saw things go as far as they could. As soon as Hellboy went underwater and hung out with mermaids, I felt I had turned a corner into a more fantasy direction, with the King Arthur stuff. Once you turn Hellboy into the rightful king of England, you kinda go, “Eh!” I think it’s time to get ourselves out of this mess and just cut the ties, and send him home.

BD: What was it like jumping back into the art duties?

MM: I’ve been chopping at the bit for awhile. I’ve never really intended to be away from the art as long as I did. Originally, it was to keep the thing going while the movies were going on. I was also having trouble drawing myself. I was second guessing things. I was kinda driving myself crazy. I was happy being a writer for awhile. But more and more, as I worked with Richard [Corben] and Duncan, I was writing these guy’s scripts and going, ” Wow! That would be fun to draw!” Of course, when I saw I was going to kill him off, that’s when I thought it’s time for me to get back. I couldn’t have given it another artists to draw because the images I had for my version of Hell I just couldn’t explain to someone else. My version of Hell is made entirely of things I want to draw. There was no choice. It was exciting to be back. I was really rusty but the fact I was so excited to do it kind of trumped the rustiness. I gotta say I was surprised at how well it’s gone. I was really nervous about what it was going to be like, but I’m still having so much fun.

BD: One of my favorite Hellboy stories is “Heads.” I’ve never been to Japan but it feels like you’re there. Tell me about drawing the imagery of your Hell.

MM: It’s interesting you mention the Japan story, because I’ve been using that as a reference a lot lately. As I said before, Hell is made up of things I want to draw. There’s a lot of old crumbling buildings, a lot of architecture, dusty libraries. I love working from photo-reference. It’s not going to be rock, lava, and volcanoes. There might be some of that but it’s mostly cool stuff. But I also wanted to continue doing what I did where Hellboy did on earth, wandered the world, and went to places like Japan. There will be an Asian part of Hell, an Indian part of Hell. All of these different cultures will still exist there, but as an artist, I have the freedom to do my version of those places. Doing that story of Hellboy set in Japan, because I know nothing of Japan, I’ve never been to Japan, what was driving me crazy was things like drawing a Japanese house. How do the doors work? What does a room look like? It was supposed to be the real-world Japan. If I do the Hell version of Japan, it can be much like Japan as I want it be, but I also have the freedom to do a very loose interpretation. So maybe there will be bamboo and maybe part of this building will have the roof of a Japanese house, but it will be exaggerated and distorted. I will give it an Asian flair, but I will have the freedom to interpret it the way I want.

BD: Describe Hellboy’s state of mind as he journeys into Hell, after just having his heart ripped out.

MM: Initially, he seems to take it pretty well. It seems like another day at the office for him. The first four issues are Hellboy settling in. Some stuff happens when he gets to Hell that distracts him from his situation. But eventually, he does kinda have to sit and think about it a little bit. I never want Hellboy to be a brooding, morose character. But there is a moment where he has to kinda sit down and think about it and go, “Oh, I guess I gotta accept this situation.” This first four issues is really about getting him in there, introducing a bunch of characters, giving him a brief tour of Hell, and then setting him down and saying, “Ok. Get used to it. This is where you’re going to be.”

And then after the first four issues, I’d like to get him into a position, where he’s just having adventures. He kind of accepts where he is and then just, it’s hard to say, “enjoy it.” But to a certain extent, just enjoy it, walk around, and have these self-contained little stories.

BD: Will readers be seeing Alice Monaghan, who witnessed Hellboy die right in front of her, in the upcoming storyline?

MM: Well, I have ideas. I know where Alice is. I know what Alice is doing. Because of the structure of the Hellboy/B.P.R.D. world, I’m not sure where she’s going to show up. She’s not in Hell. My plan in “Hellboy in Hell” is not to reference the real world at all or not very much. At least right now, I have no plans to reconnect or reference her in “Hellboy in Hell.” She is separate and chances are, she will definitely show up somewhere else. She did show up in a short story that Duncan did that was in “B.P.R.D.” It was very important to me that she had to be the one to break it to Kate Corrigan that Hellboy was dead. We did that little story. But there is definitely stuff going on in England, with her, that just hasn’t been referenced yet in the “B.P.R.D.” world.

BD: What direction do you have in mind for Hellboy? Will he be going on solo missions? Or, will he be searching for answers to his past?

MM: Hellboy has never been a guy who searches for answers. He gets some answers in the first four issues. Eventually, there will be things he has to do. For the foreseeable future, I just want him to roam around. I’m going through a phase where I’m plotting a lot of stories. Some part of me wants those stories to start adding up into a big epic. I’m really trying not to make that happen. I’m sure the stories will add up to something, but I’d love to concentrate on one, two issue stories; for the most part, doing self-contained small, simple adventures in Hell.

BD: Are you working on any other projects?

MM: “Hellboy in Hell” is all my attention right now. I just started issue 4. I’m bound and determined to finish the fourth issue before the first issue comes out because the first four issues are monthly. But that’s it. There is a book, another comic series, I’m planning to write. It’s a ways off yet, but I’m really excited about it. For right now, “Hellboy In Hell” is all I’m thinking about.

Interview by – Jorge Solis

After a sacred burial ground is vandalized, a deadly curse is released upon a small town in To Hell You Ride #1. The local townspeople are not prepared for the wrath of the four angry spirits who have awakened with a taste for vengeance. The townspeople are in deep as their skin suddenly begins to burn, flesh melting off their bones.

Known for playing such memorable roles as Bishop in Aliens and Frank Black in the Millennium TV series, actor/writer Lance Henriksen sat down with Bloody Disgusting to discuss his ride to hell, co-writing the script with his biographer Joseph Maddrey, and the experience of his comic-writing debut.

The first issue of Dark Horse Comics’ “To Hell You Ride”, written by Lance Henriksen with art from Tom Mandrake, hits the shelves December 12th.

BD: “To Hell You Ride” started out as a screenplay inspired by a trip you made to Telluride, Colorado. Tell me more about how this influenced your story.

LH: What happened was, the place, Telluride, is so unique. In the script, we don’t call it Telluride at all and that was on purpose. In terms of writing the script, the location was so powerful and somehow started channeling the whole story. I mean it came out of a number of things. It took me about 5 months to write that script after I got home. And of course, I was a young actor and no one was interested in doing anything. I think the worst thing for any producer is to see an actor coming with a script under his arm. But nobody was going to do it. It got lost over the years and I didn’t have any copy of it. It was registered with the Writer’s Guild and they burn all their scripts after 5 years; so it was gone.

It’s a created myth but it’s a myth about respect. That one time, it was the summer hunting grounds for the Indians. And then, the miners came in and drove them out. They exploited that land until it was desolate, relatively speaking. That’s what prompted me to write about it. It was all about the lack of respect.

BD: How did you become involved with Dark Horse Comics for this project?

LH: I had written a biography with Joe Maddrey and we were at Comic Con, down at San Diego, showing the book, getting it out there a little bit. Mike Richardson (Dark Horse Comics publisher) came up to me and said, “Would you like to write a comic?” Right on the spot, I said, “Yeah” and he said, “Well, it’s a deal.” Then, he shook my hand and that was it. Three months later, I got him the script of the whole comic, all five issues. It was very loosely done. And we made an agreement on doing it in 5 issues. I enjoyed it. We loved it. Mike works off of instinct; and I had a good instinct on this, I’ll tell you that.

BD: How was collaborating with Tom Mandrake?

LH: When I met Tom, it was at a convention in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. I liked the guy immediately and I loved his artwork. He had actually drawn some art for the biography. We hit it off as soon as it happened. I said, “That’s the guy I want to illustrate it.” It’s become more than that. Tom is not just a guy doing the drawing. We’re also creating it together -Tom, Joe Maddrey, and I. It’s quite an event, a thing.

BD: After working with such visual directors like Kathryn Bigelow, Stan Winston, and James Cameron, did they have any impact on how you describe the imagery in your scripts?

LH: Oh yeah! I’ve done about 170 -180 movies. Over the years, the language I use for expressing an idea is usually very visual. I mean, I think more in pictures than I do in written word. Because I’m an actor, I visualize it. And Tom understood it completely. It wasn’t like we were speaking different languages. We realized what were going to do to channel this story. And the only way you know if you’re channeling something is if there’s affirmation springing up from the most unlikely places. It really works! We really bounce off of each other really well; the three of us I mean. BD: Tell me about writing the script with Joseph Maddrey, who worked with you on your autobiography, Not Bad for A Human.

LH: We work the same way. Joe and I work on an outline. We start discussing it, building it. This is much more intense. Biography is easy because all you have to do is tell the truth. But I remember when I first met Joe, he was doing a horror anthology called, Nightmares In Red, White, and Blue: The Evolution of the American Horror Film. He had written it and contacted my agent to narrate it. I saw it and i liked it. We became friends. We were talking about doing a number of projects together and he came up with the idea of me doing a biography. ” I’ll tell you what Joe. I’ll do it as long as we agree, if we get halfway through it, it’s a lot of b.s., we’ll throw it away and never look back.” He agreed and so we did it.

BD: The story seems to focus on themes of revenge and greed, especially with the Five George subplot.

LH: The Five George story actually happened. When I was sixteen, I met an elder from an Indian tribe and he told me that story, that his grandfather had done exactly that. He had been a medicine man in the tribe. The only alteration for our story, the payment he got for doing it was that they blamed him for it. In reality, he found the body in that way. He walked backwards for miles, then he stopped and turned around. It was a flat rock. He said, “She’s under that rock.” He also told them the person who did it would turn themselves in within a month and a half. And the guy did. That story stuck with me.

The relationship that I had with this Native American guy, at the tender age of sixteen, he actually changed my life. I never forgot a word of that story. When I went to Telluride, I sensed that story. I was really inspired.

BD: Tell me about the nonlinear storytelling, especially with the time jumps between Two Dogs and Five George.

LH: We decided we were going to let the story tell itself. There wasn’t a formula that we used for this comic at all. In fact, it happens throughout the five issues. And the reason for it is, we could have almost called the comic, “Channeling.” I have to say, the story is telling itself. I know that sounds kind of strange. We had done our work. This has been a real inspired piece of work. We talk all the time. We write, Tom does pencils, and we go over them. We reflect on all of it. And then, we come up with the final thing.

BD: How was your experience writing your first comic?

LH: I gotta hand it to Dark Horse for this reason. I asked Dark Horse from the very beginning, I knew we were going to have a way of working that might be a little outside the box, in terms of what they’re used to. And I said, “Please back us on this and if you do, we’re going to have a great series of comics over here. ” And they had the courage to do it. What I mean by that, we found our own process which we needed to do, because they’re three of us and we wanted to stay in communication. We wanted to work that way and that’s an unusual way of doing a comic. Scott Allie and all those guys at Dark Horse backed us on it, which was miraculous. They had to trust us in order to do that. When they got their first comic, I think they were really happy with it. That’s quite a tribute to them really.

BD: What are you working on now?

LH: I’m starting a movie next month called, Needle Stick. It’s a really nice movie. I’ll be up in Detroit making it. I’m starring in it. It’s about a surgeon that works in a hospital and he discovers almost the fountain of youth. It’s a thriller.

BD: After doing this, do you see yourself writing another comic?

LH: I’ll tell you this. I’ll know that when the five comics are there and done, and we’ve had champagne and a nice long nap. Then I’ll be able to answer that. I don’t know. This has been intense and so wonderful. I don’t really want to think that it’ll all be over, but it will be. I mean, we’re heading into the fourth comic now. By the time you read the first, second, and third, we’ll be completely done. And then I’ll talk to you again, okay?

Interview by Jorge Solis

A wicked blend of crime caper, humor, and action, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Annual 2012 is an absolutely easy recommendation to readers. During the fast-paced romp with ninjas, gangsters, and corrupt cops, there is an exuberant flair of adrenaline within these pages. You should expect plenty of laughs and clever plot twists with this terrifically well-written issue. If you’ve seen the live-action movies, played the videogames, and collected the toys, you are in for a special treat.

WRITTEN BY: Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz ART BY: Kevin Eastman PUBLISHER: IDW Publishing PRICE: $7.99 RELEASE: October 31st, 2012

In the midst of their training, the Turtles unexpectedly find themselves in the middle of a gang war. After witnessing a horrific car crash, Raphael and Casey Jones, the hockey-masked vigilante, become entangled with the rival Savate ninja gang. Two corrupt cops are on the search for a briefcase, which contains a caseload of diamonds, which the Savate members have unexpectedly lost. Everyone wants to get their hands on the briefcase, including Shredder and his Foot clan.

Kevin Eastman and co-writer, Tom Waltz, have such an endearing affection for crime movies, including Guy Ritchie’s Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, and Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. During the opening pages, Raphael and Casey Jones end up witnessing a car crash. Then in a brilliant twist on storytelling, the scene rewinds itself, with the narrative now told from the point-of-view of the Savate driver.

There is such a love for dialogue throughout the interconnecting subplots. From one subplot after another, Eastman and Waltz provide the quirky banter between the Turtles, the hard-nosed exchanges between the two corrupt cops, and the fake slang among the gangs, the Purple Dragons and the Savate. Even Master Splinter gets a chance to throw in some hilarious one-liners as he plays the role of the stern father.

Right off the bat, Eastman’s unique visual style comes to front. It has been close to 20 years since Eastman drew a “Turtles” story, but it seems like he never left at all. With touches of grey, the black and white visual layouts are reminiscent of the old-school days of Peter Laird and Eastman’s original comics. What’s interesting and surprising about this storyline is how the Turtles are involved in a crime drama.

Most of the martial arts action takes place during the climax. Eastman has the poses down pat as the Turtles jump across from one rooftop to the next. The story deliberately takes a steady pace before the cops, the rival gangs, the Foot Clan, and the Turtles end up at the same bar. Each individual gets to partake in the action-packed showdown as everyone fights for control of the New York underworld.

A full blown epic, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Annual 2012″ should not be missed by longtime fans and is a perfect jumping-on point for newcomers. With the creative team-up of Eastman and Waltz at hand, readers will find themselves endlessly entertained. Always tremendously fun, the Turtles are living up to their potential while solidifying fans’ expectations with the nonstop action and mayhem.

4.5/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – Jorge Solis

A grand and articulate undertaking, 47 Ronin #1 tells a sweeping tale of honor and revenge with the utmost confidence. Full of epic and stunning visuals, this is a promising start of truly bold ambition. The exotic images of Japan will stay in your mind long after you’ve finished reading. With so much attention to history, readers will feel like they are reliving the past. WRITTEN BY: Mike Richardson ART BY: Stan Sakai PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics PRICE: $3.99 RELEASE: November 7th, 2012

Referred to as Japan’s national legend, the tale of the 47 Ronin has been translated into plays, books, and movies. As the most celebrated tale in Japanese history, this centers on a group of samurai who band together against a tyrannical official. The loyal 47 Ronin constructed a carefully planned scheme, a year in the making, to seek revenge for their fallen master. They stick together even when the opposition was great in numbers, and death was the only possible outcome.

To keep the narrative engaging and at a steady pace, writer Mike Richardson plays with storytelling techniques. In the opening pages, Richardson doesn’t use any dialogue as his protagonist, Murakami, performs his daily routine of meditation. In a story within a story, Murakami narrates the tale of the 47 Ronin, centering on a samurai named Asano. In the upcoming issues, the difficult challenge Richardson has to face is providing a large amount of characters with their own distinct personalities and voices. But with the eloquent dialogue, readers can easily tell Richardson is up for the task in providing his characterizations with real emotion. Even though Asano’s daughter shares just one scene with him, the focus is on the heartfelt message of a father saying his last good-bye.

By recounting the tale from mythology and accurate testimonials, Richardson uses themes, such as survivor’s guilt and corruption, that are still contemporary concerns. Richardson portrays Asano, as a soldier who has no war to fight. Asano feels out of place because he has no function in society without the samurai’s code. Richardson could have easily made Kira an over-the-top caricature, but instead chose to depict a realistic and grounded antagonist. As a high authority figure, Kira enjoys the fact he can manipulate and bully others into doing what he wants.

Just by looking at each illustrated page, Stan Sakai’s achievement in recreating a past history of Japan cannot be denied. In each panel, there is such meticulous detail in the backgrounds, hairstyles, and wardrobe. Because of the beautifully designed graveyards, forests, and interior rooms, you’re brought right into the atmosphere. Sakai has clearly put loads of research into creating a specific environment. The use of samurai action comes out more as shock value. Sakai illustrates Asano, who seems to be in complete control, even when he is taunted by Kira. But when he reaches his breaking point, Asano slashes his sword and draws first blood. Sakai uses wide shots to create a suspenseful vibe when Asano is surrounded by an army of swordsmen. This is almost like looking at a Mexican standoff, but without the use of guns.

Off to a promising start, “47 Ronin” #1 provides flashes of the trouble and vengeance to come. With so much dedication to research, readers will feel like a forgotten time period has been brought back to life. With Sakai and Richardson giving equally solid work on this project, “47 Ronin” is on its way to becoming an elegant hit.

Rating: 4/5 skulls

Reviewed by Jorge Solis

Hellraiser: The Road Below #1 is highly recommended to readers, especially to fans of Clive Barker’s famous creation. With the spotlight on Kirsty Cotton as the new Pinhead, the series takes on an entirely new and different approach. Full of creative ideas, Brandon Seifert and Haemi Jang show readers that there is still life within the “Hellraiser” franchise without Elliot Spencer in the title role. Readers should expect plenty of scares and clever plot twists with this issue. WRITTEN BY: Brandon Seifert ART BY: Haemi Jang PUBLISHER: Boom! Studios PRICE: $3.99 RELEASE: November 7th, 2012

Seeking revenge after his last defeat, Pinhead manipulated Kirsty Cotton into taking his place at Hell’s throne. In order to escape from Hell, Pinhead needed a replacement to serve in his place. Hoping to save her friends and family, Kirsty sacrificed herself and took over the role inhabited by Captain Elliot Spencer. With Spencer gone and free, Kirsty now reigns in Hell as the Cenobites’ new Priestess. Outside the realm of Hell, a young mother discovers a killer is on the hunt for her daughter. Whose side will Kirsty choose, the helpless mother or the vicious killer?

With the focus on Kirsty, Seifert takes the “Hellraiser” mythology to a whole new level. In Clive Barker’s “Hellraiser ” issue #13, Kirsty has already served her role for some time, but readers never found out what actually happened in-between. Seifert develops a new tale that examines that missing gap of Kirsty’s life as the new Pinhead. Just like Spencer, Kirsty bases her decisions from her lost humanity. There is an awkwardness and confusion about what she is supposed to do in Hell, which is an interesting metaphor for “your first day on the new job.”

The injection of black humor is quite surprising and stands out if you have seen the previous “Hellraiser” sequels. This isn’t laugh-out loud humor, nor is it slapstick horror comedy. Seifert’s dry humor comes from the characters, as seen in the confrontation between Rhea and Kirsty. Evenly matched, Rhea and Kirsty share feisty attitudes as they won’t back down from a fight. Because she doesn’t have the cold and world-weariness demeanor of Spencer, Kirsty isn’t going to say and do things like her predecessor. Kirsty is till this pure and good soul, who just happens to be trapped in Hell.

Jang centers his illustrations on the mother/daughter relationship between Rhea and Cordele. There is so much detail to their facial features and hairstyles. Readers can tell Rhea and Cordele look like they’re actually related.  In the opening pages, Jang reveals how Kirsty is uncomfortable in her new body, as she touches the pins around her face. Jang foreshadows to readers the consequences of Kirsty’s good-hearted intentions and what Hell is going to become.

Jang ‘s illustrations contain some nasty moments. In the climax, Rhea cuts off the arm of a monstrous killer with a sharp knife. The chopped arm drops to the ground while a new one is regenerating. Jang puts in immense detail to distinguish the old and new arm.

A perfect jumping-point for new readers, “Hellraiser: The Road Below #1″ puts tremendous effort into setting up the characters and their motivations. Seifert and Jang pull off what the substandard sequels failed to do. They have successfully put in fresh and new ideas into the already established “Hellraiser” franchise. Rating: 4/5 skulls

Reviewed by Jorge Solis

With a parade of quirky visual gags, Mars Attacks: The Holidays is a hilarious collection of sci-fi comedy short tales. The Martian invaders are spreading chaos and mayhem over the beloved holiday season. Humanity will not back down and let their earth be taken over by the space aliens. For pure escapism and fantasy, the fun and excitement within these pages is highly contagious.

WRITTEN BY: Fred Hembeck, Bill Morrison, Ian Boothby, Dean Haspiel ART BY: Fred Hembeck, Tone Rodriguez, Alan Robinson, Dean Haspiel PUBLISHER: IDW Publishing PRICE: $7.99 RELEASE: October 31st, 2012

In Fred Hembeck’s “All Hallow’s Steve,” two brothers, Steve and Ricky, are walking aimlessly around their neighborhood for candy. The two never realize they are being followed by real Martian scouts. They all arrive at a Halloween party, where the Martians end up confronting numerous teens in costumes, pretending to be Dracula, Napoleon, and Elvis Presley. Hembeck delivers the hilarious one-liners as well the visual puns. When the brothers realize there are actual aliens crashing their party, the Elvis Presley- wannabe is the first one fighting the extraterrestrials, beating them up with his wooden guitar. Ricky is supposed to look like The Flintstones’ character, The Great Gazoo. It just looks completely wrong and hilarious at the same time, when Ricky, as the Great Gazoo, is choking the Martian with a pillow.

In Bill Morrison’s “The Man Who Cried, ‘Martian,’” an old man recounts to his grandson what happened years ago when the Martians arrived. In order to test humanity’s reactions, the space invaders forced Orson Welles to put on a fake radio show about a hostile invasion in New Jersey. While the rest of the world realized the show was supposedly a hoax, the real invasion was actually happening. After discovering the alien spaceship in the woods, brave veterans from three wars gather together their guns to put a stop to the invasion. Through hairstyles and clothing, Morrison’s character designs is a nostalgic reminder of the ’50s. The original War of the Worlds is used as a reference when the soldiers start attacking the Martians and stealing their weapons.

In Ian Boothby/Art Robinson’s “Thanksgiving,” the alien invasion occurs right in front of the millions of eyes watching the holiday parade. Because a scientist predicted this invasion happening, all the parade floats suddenly come to life. This is a very charming and humorous spoof, using iconic figures of popular culture to attack the Martians. Robinson recreates television moments, while putting Martians in their place, such as when Bart Simpson is being strangled by an alien spaceship. After Bart’s head pops out of his robotic body, Bullwinkle jumps in and locks his horns into the spaceships.

The most serious and the best of the tales is Dean Haspiel’s ” Mars Attacks Christmas.” Haspiel plays off of the WWI urban legend, though many say true story, when the British and German troops called a truce, a momentary ceasefire, on Christmas day. During the war between Martians and humans, both sides call for a truce on Christmas. The survivors mourn their dead, and the Martians carry their fallen comrades away. The rebel fighters and Martians join together in peaceful harmony singing “Silent Night.” Haspiel kicks in the sadness as Christmas is over and war continues the next day.

Campiness at its best, “Mars Attacks: The Holidays” benefits from its zany and hilarious spoof of 1950′s flying saucer movies. These creative teams of writers and artists sure know how to have fun with their oddball ideas. As the Martians invade each month of the holiday season, there is plenty about each tale to enjoy.

Rating: 3.5/5 skulls

Reviewed by Jorge Solis