Tulsa comic-book artist Dustin Evans has launched a new comic-book series, “Hooligan.” The first issue of the digital comic, published by Viper Comics, is available on iTunes and Amazon.com.

Rex in “Hooligan.” Viper Comics.

“‘Hooligan’ is a Midwestern, antihero, sci-fi epic with a dash of horror,” Evans said in an email interview. “I jokingly call Hooligan a Midwestern Batman, but that’s actually pretty accurate. It’s a story of a real person that has no super powers.”

Hooligan is actually Rex, a father and husband who is struggling to keep his farm afloat during the current economic turmoil.

“When something strange begins happening in his hometown, and everything precious to him is threatened, Rex takes matters into his own hands with vigilante justice with a persona that becomes known as ‘Hooligan,’” Evans said.

Michael Adams

Jessie Garza is the President and Publisher of Viper Comics which is based out of Irving Texas. The Viper comic book product line is distributed by Diamond Comic Distributors, and can be found in over 4,500 specialty retailer shops across the United States. Viper’s graphic novels are distributed through Diamond, Ingram Books, Baker & Taylor, Inc., and various other book distributors. Their graphic novels are available at major retail locations such as Barnes & Noble, Borders, Amazon.com, Walmart.com, Target.com, Books A Million, Hastings Books, as well as many other book retailers and libraries around the country. Viper Comics products can be found throughout the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Spain, Australia, Italy and Germany. Various Viper titles have been translated into several languages.

GTN: What is the story behind Viper Comics?

Jessie: Its simply small group of guys with love for the medium of story telling who chose to use comic medium as a way to tell stories.

GTN: What do you feel makes a great comic book?

Jessie: One that has an original idea that allows readers to pick it up and have hard time putting down.

GTN: What advice would you give someone trying to break into the comic industry?

Jessie: Be open to criticism and be willing to work as hard and long as you have to make things work.

GTN: Is there anything new coming to Viper you would like to talk about?

Jessie: Be on the look out for 2 cool projects releasing this year… Yellow and Hooligan.

CLICK TO READ FULL INTERVIEW!

The following is an interview with Russell Nohelty, who is the creator of the Ichabod Jones: Monster Hunter series from Viper Comics.  In this interview, Fanboy Comics President Bryant Dillon talks with Nohelty about the anti-hero that is his title character, the future for Ichabod Jones, and why digital comics are here to stay.

This interview was conducted on July 4, 2012.

Russell Nohelty: Absolutely. Ichabod Jones is a psychopath that escapes from a mental asylum and becomes a monster hunter during the Apocalypse. It’s pretty brutal. If you’re a fan of the disgusting, this book delivers in spades. But, what I really love about it is that you never know if he’s really in the Apocalypse, if it’s all in his head, or if he’s killing people but believes they are monsters. [Artist] Renzo Podestá does a great job of conveying that sense of altered reality.

BD: Were there any specific inspirations for the series?
RN: I wanted to tell a story with the most unlikely hero I could. Ichabod isn’t your normal hero. In fact he’s one of the most unlikely heroes you could imagine. This guy is a psychopath. He’s been interred at an asylum for the murder of countless people. Yet, he becomes humanity’s last hope for survival.

READ FULL INTERVIEW HERE!

ICHABOD JONES – MONSTER HUNTER

Now there are only a hand full of people I can think of who have made the big leap from broadcasting media to the printed page. For example: Kevin Smith, Frank Miller, Dan Didio, Seth Green, Leonard Nimoy, and Barbra Streisand, just to name a few. However, out of this motley crew, I can only think of one other person who has the tenacity and the guile to make this leap stick. My mate Russell Nohelty. Here, check out a conversation I had with him just the other day about his new comic book, ‘Ichabod Jones : Monster Hunter’, whilst getting art lessons from Barry Manilow.

Graphicly Meets Monster Hunter

CLICK HERE TO READ FULL INTERVIEW

Russell Nohelty’s Ichabod Jones: Monster Hunter

In preparation for this column, I was sent a PDF of Ichabod Jones:Monster Hunter issues 1 & 2. Upon “cracking the page” one is entered into an insane twirling landscape coming from the mind of creator/writer Russell Nohelty. The blistering manic artwork is provided by the talented Renzo Podesta. I just sat down and chatted with Russell for an hour. The rambling interview is below.

Who are you and Where are you from?

My name is Russell Nohelty. I grew up in Northern Va before moving to Los Angeles 4 years ago.

Were you always a comic book fan? If so, do you remember the first one your read?

I have always been a comic book fan. I collected as a kid, but when I got to college I just didn’t have to time or money to collect any more.
Luckily, when I started working in comics, I was able to start collecting again.
It’s hard to remember the exact first comic I read. I distinctly remember arc of comics I read as a kid like Knightfall, Death/Return of superman, Spider-Man clone saga. In fact, when I went home this year and found the first issue of Spider-Man 2099.

TO READ FULL INTERVIEW CLICK HERE!

Ichabod Jones Monster Hunter is a pretty unique story. What were the origins of the story? And for those who haven’t read a single issue can you give everyone a quick recap of what Ichabod Jones Monster Hunter is all about?

Sure. Ichabod is about a psychopath that escapes from an asylum and becomes a monster hunter during the Apocalypse because the voice in his head tells him it’s his purpose. But what Ichabod’s really about, what makes Ichabod really cool (besides all the disgusting monsters Ichabod brutalizes) is this idea of perspective. You never know if Ichabod is really in the Apocalypse, if he’s dreaming the whole thing, or if he’s killing real people and thinks they are monsters.

As for the origin, sometimes a story just comes to you. I was driving to a meeting, trying to figure out my next comic. I wanted an anti-hero, somebody that’s hard to sympathize with, and Ichabod popped into my head. I would like to say that it was some huge struggle and it took me forever, but Ichabod just flowed out of me.

I have a few friends that want to choke me whenever I tell that story though because stories aren’t generally that easy to break. And they don’t generally come that easy to me either. They usually have to fester for months or years before I finally write them down.

FULL INTERVIEW CLICK HERE!

FCBD 2011 Interviews: Dale Mettam

Original post at FCBD website CLICK HERE.

Full Article below:

For Free Comic Book Day 2011, Silver Sponsor Viper Comics will offer the Inspector Gadget/Johnny Test Flip Book, giving comic readers a chance to follow the Inspector, Penny and the Brain aboard the Orient Express for a vacation that turns into an escort mission, while Johnny and Dukey have to make sure Johnny fails in school!

Now writer Dale Mettam (Missing Linx and the web comic Cemetery Street) talks about the FCBD titles, their characters, the significance of FCBD itself, and much more in Freecomicbookday.com’s exclusive interview.

Freecomicdayday.com: Set your project up for those that might not know much about it. What can we expect to see in terms of story and art?

Dale Mettam: It’s a bumper-combo-of-fun!  Inspector Gadget and Johnny Test, together—for the first time!  Okay, not exactly together in the same comic, but under the same cover.  Gadget is chasing Dr. Claw and agents of MAD aboard the Orient Express (and needing the help of Penny and Brain the dog as he bumbles along).  Johnny Test, on the other hand, has a much more personal issue…someone has been doing his homework for him and he’s getting straight A grades—pretty good, right?  Actually, the future of everyone Johnny knows depends on him failing, so Johnny and Dukey have to make sure Johnny fails…. WHOA!  Didn’t see that one coming. 

Freecomicdayday.com: What’s your favorite part about being able to work in comics?

Dale Mettam: Where’s the downside?  Seriously.  I get to make up stories and get paid to do that.  Better still, I get to do that with other people who do the same thing.  Even better, I get to work with people who are often more creative than me and push me to do more and to do it better.  It’s fun.  It’s the kinda thing I used to do as a kid for my own entertainment and now it’s a job.

Best job ever! 

Was that too gushing?  Sorry if it was.  I just really love my job.  Did that come through?

Freecomicdayday.com: Why do you think FCBD is so vital to the industry?
Dale Mettam: I think anything that brings some positive light to shine on comics.  There is a lot of good stuff out there, and anything that pulls in new readers or readers that have drifted away—whatever—it brings people in and, while they might be there for the free stuff, they’re exposed to the stuff we do all year long.

Freecomicdayday.com: Since FCBD has been a yearly event since 2002, do you, your creator friends and/or your family have any annual FCBD traditions?
Dale Mettam: Most of the awesome talent I work with are spread out across the country (and in a few cases, across the world), so there’s never anything where I meet up with some of my colleagues.  This year, I’ll be hitting Ultimate Comics (www.ultimatecomicsonline.com) and signing some books and meeting some readers.

Freecomicdayday.com: What do you believe will set your FCBD book apart from the others that readers will be picking up for free on May 7?
Dale Mettam: I’m pretty sure that all the FCBD books will be awesome.  One of the great things about the Inspector Gadget on the Orient Express/Johnny Test: The Once and Future Johnny is that it’s an all-age book.  We didn’t need to tone it down and dilute something to make it appear to a broad new swath of readers…what you see in the FCBD book is what you get with every all-age book Viper Comics releases. 

Freecomicdayday.com: What’s the biggest challenge when creating a FCBD book as opposed to a standard comic? Do you have to approach it differently, knowing you might have a broader audience? 

Dale Mettam: The short answer is no.  Viper Comics is all about the consistent quality of books.  So we didn’t look to raise our standards for this…just maintain them.  Again, given that the book is all-age, I didn’t really need to do anything different to what I would do on any other book.

Freecomicdayday.com: Knowing that so many readers are sure to pick up the issue, does it put more pressure on you, or is it something that gets you more excited about what you’re working on? 

Dale Mettam: The biggest pressure for me on this book was to make sure I was true to the original cartoons.  Johnny Test and Inspector Gadget have some awesome fans and they’ll want to see all the things they love about the cartoons and the characters in the comic.  That was where the pressure came from on this.  Hopefully the fans of the cartoons will like what I did.  And hopefully readers who are less familiar with the shows will enjoy the book for what it is.

Freecomicdayday.com: In the spirit of potential newcomers picking up comics, what was the first comic you remember reading or that inspired you to get involved in the industry? 

Dale Mettam: Since I’m originally from England, the very early comics I read were more like what you would call the newspaper “Funnies” over here.  I forget how old I was, maybe even as young as five or six. I do remember getting a hold of an English Marvel reprint of Spider-man and being blown away by this.  It was so different from what I had seen before.  At that point, many, many of my drawings were Webhead-themed.  At the time, the idea I would someday work in comics was just fantastically impossible.  But strange things happen…and here I am.  So remember kids…follow your dreams.

Freecomicdayday.com: What comic(s) or graphic novel(s) would you recommend to someone that enjoys your FCBD book and is looking for something like it to read next?

Dale Mettam: Well, we’ll be having extended versions of Inspector Gadget on the Orient Express and Johnny Test: The Once and Future Johnny out this summer.  A couple of other all-age books that Viper have also due out soon are Missing Linx, which follows the adventures of Big Foot, Yeti, Sasquatch and Skunk-Ape as they form the most unlikely group of heroes saving the world.  And then Hero Petz, which is just a heap of romping fun with animal heroes foiling the evil plans of Ninja Weasels.  Check out the Diamond Listings for ordering info…or the Viper Comics website.

Be sure to visit Freecomicbookday.com often to check out previews of this year’s books and to learn more about the creators involved. You can also follow all the latest FCBD news on Facebook and Twitter.

Comic Geek Speak spoke with our creator Bobby Bierley at Planet Comic Con this past weekend.  Check out the podcast below.  Bobby’s interview starts approximately at the 15 minute point.

Original interview located here 

MORE PICS FROM PLANET COMIC CON

Check out the Outhouse Pirate Podcast interview with Missing Linx writer Dale Mettam as he talks about Missing Linx and all things Viper Publishing.

Listen to interview here.

Q: For starters, tell a fun fact people do not know about you?
I moonlight as a referee for a roller derby league in Kansas City called the Dead Girl Derby. Right now I’m on a hiatus from it as I’m working around the clock to get YELLOW into the hands of the teeming masses, but I plan on returning as soon as I can.

Q: Who had the biggest influence on your career?
Well I didn’t really grow up reading a lot of comics, so my influences were mainly television writers and screenwriters. I know it may be sort of passé in some of the elite circles, but I love Joss Whedon for his unique ideas and his grasp of dialogue. Nobody really talks like Whedon characters, but he makes you believe they do. I also love Aaron Sorkin for much the same reason.

I loved the series LOST, too, so a lot of those guys are on my list. Abrams, Cuse, Kitsis, Horowitz, and Grillo-Marxuach. They all brought something great to the table, whether it was ideas or characters or dialogue. I can’t stress enough how much engaging dialogue can lift up even the worst concepts. Just look at “Dollhouse”. (That one was for the elite circles. I actually loved “Dollhouse”.)

But I also have to give props to my wife Emily, who has been unwaveringly at my side through this whole process—except when she was behind me, shoving me out of my safety bubble and into the great unknown. Thanks, Em.

Q: In one sentence describe Yellow?
Oh, geez. You gave me this question on purpose because I told you how much trouble I have summarizing this story, didn’t you?

How about this: Years after the zombie apocalypse, a lonely high-schooler falls in love with the most beautiful zombie at the zombie zoo, and must decide how far he’s willing to go to protect her from those who would exploit her beauty for profit.

Or there’s the short, short version I often use at conventions: It’s just another a post-zompocalyptic comedy adventure love story.

Q: How did you break away from all the other creature / zombie books?
It wasn’t my intention to do that, first of all. In fact, back in 2004 when I first started working on the idea I wanted to do a very cliché zombie story. I was going to film school at the time and this was when this sort of zombie renaissance we’re in was just starting to gain momentum with movies like Zack Snyder’s DAWN OF THE DEAD remake. I wasn’t a huge fan of the genre, but I liked the idea of a zombie movie. I liked the challenge it presented from a storytelling perspective, because zombie movies have rules and expectations, and the challenge is to create a fun, entertaining story that can deliver within those parameters.

As the story festered in the recesses of my mind over the next several years, it stopped being merely a zombie story, and turned into a story that just happened to have zombies in it. I still don’t know what genre it is, exactly, but I think people will take away more than just “zombie story” when they’re done reading it. At least I hope so.

Q: Without taking the basic fundamentals of Zombies that we have become accustomed to, how can Yellow change the perspective?
Well I think the biggest thing that distinguishes Yellow from the majority of zombie comics out there is that, for most of the story, the zombies are not really a threat. Flashbacks notwithstanding, it all takes place years after the zombie apocalypse. (That’s another tale. And one I would love to explore in a spin-off series, by the way…) Yellow isn’t about the zombies wanting humans, it’s about humans needing them.

It’s like ROBOCOP. That movie has fighting robots blowing things up, which is obviously awesome, but it’s different than the robot element in, say, TERMINATOR. And that’s because the robots in ROBOCOP are really only secondary to the plot, which is about humans doing what humans do, which is try to make money. That’s why certain comics like X-MEN, in the right hands, really elevate themselves above the rest. The super powers—which we can’t actually relate to—aren’t as important as the characters and their struggles that we can relate to.

Q: Who is your favorite character in Yellow?
Well I’m pretty partial to the main character, Quinn, because he’s heavily based on me in high school—flaws and all. He’s girl-crazy, in love with the idea of being in love. He’s not picked on, but doesn’t really register on anyone’s radar beyond of his little group of friends. And he’s a nice guy, but can be pretty selfish without even realizing it. (I’m still working on that one.)

But my favorite character to write has to be Simon, the manager of the zombie zoo and the central antagonist of the story. If Quinn is me in high school, I believe Simon is me grown up. His problems are bigger, but he’s struggling with a lot of the same personal flaws. Simon is probably the most complex character in the story, and I hope readers pick up on that.

Q: If you could take over writing any comic, which would it be?
Why? Do you know people? Is this a job interview now? I would’ve worn pants.

First of all, anyone who has known me for the past couple of years knows I am a huge fan of the Green Hornet. I find pretty much any version of the character at least entertaining. At his best, I think he’s one of the most interesting crime fighters out there. There are just so many fascinating avenues to explore with a guy who pretends to be bad in order to do good. He’s got the same kind of Good Guy public face as Bruce Wayne or Clark Kent, but none of the same moral obligations once he puts on the mask.

But my ultimate dream would be to write the Silver Surfer. There’s such a melancholy detachment about him, and I think that comes from being eternally heartbroken and feeling like a man without a country (or a planet, as it were). All the power and knowledge of the cosmos, but just not much enthusiasm. He’s basically the saddest bad ass in the superhero pantheon.

Q: What book or books did you enjoy growing up?
Like I said, I didn’t read many comics growing up. I actually bought THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN when I saw it on display at an airport book shop, and felt like I had just won the lottery. I thought this one purchase was going to fund my retirement someday. Of course, I was really let down when they brought Supe back again after just a few months. That pretty much tells you how inexperienced I was with the medium.

As a kid I spent most of my time drawing, or writing. (One of my first attempts at writing a real story was called “Oxyacetylene Blowtorch Man”. I never ended up finishing it, thankfully.) When I wasn’t doing any of that, I read mostly sci-fi novels. But it wasn’t lasers and spaceships interested me as much as the more conceptual stuff, like time travel paradoxes or virtual reality. One of my favorite SF novels of all time is a book called “Kaleidoscope Century,” by John Barnes. It’s about a guy who becomes a government operative in what Barnes calls the “Meme Wars”, which is basically a psychological world war between different AI’s fighting to take over humanity’s consciousness. Such a cool concept, especially in today’s world where everyone is trying so hard for their 15 minutes of meme. Hm, I think I’m going to trademark that.

Q: What is a single piece of advice you would give to any aspiring artist?
Easy: “Do it!” Your masterpiece will never be as perfect as it is in your head, but unless you’re content with sitting on your idea forever, just write it already! Who knows, if you become rich enough you can always go back and Lucas-ize your mistakes like that one guy did. His name escapes me at the moment.

I knew when I started drawing Yellow back in 2008 that it wasn’t going to look very good. My art skills were rough at best. But I wanted to tell my story, and I was tired of just waiting for..for whatever it was I thought I was waiting for. If I hadn’t swallowed my pride and realized that flawed on paper is better than perfect in my head, I wouldn’t be where I am now.

(Luckily for everyone, I don’t draw the book myself anymore. I found a very talented artist in Zeu Gouveia who does fantastic work, and really brings the story to life.)

Q: FUN…. What is the first thing that comes to mind when you read that word?
First thing? Sandwiches. Sorry, it’s just always my go-to. What was the question? Oh, right…

Probably “no boundaries.”

I think it doesn’t really matter what you’re doing, it’s fun if you can do it without worrying about limits or consequences. I’m not that limits are always bad by any means, just that you aren’t worrying about them when you’re in the moment.

If you’re a motocross rider, the most fun has to be when you’re doing tricks and flying through the air. And it’s fun because, for those few moments at least, you aren’t thinking about how high up you are, or how much it will hurt if you don’t stick that landing just right. Or so I would imagine.

As a writer, I have a decidedly less-exciting life than that, but I still have the most fun when I’m not worried about hitting the ground. In my world, the ground means things like deadlines, or page counts, or staying on budget. If I can shut those thoughts out, then even for just a few moments while I’m suspended in midair—typing furiously—I’m truly having fun.