MICK FOLEY on RED EYE

Mick talks R.P.M. with Greg Gutfeld

http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/red-eye/index.html#/v/4466714/wrestling-champs-new-project/?playlist_id=161689

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2010 - Featuring I.C.E. from 12-Gauge Comics

12-Gauge Comics

I.C.E. FCBD 2011 Edition

The U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement agency (I.C.E.) is charged with keeping our borders secure. The politics are complicated, but they don’t matter to Cole Matai, leader of the best tactical group I.C.E. has to offer. For him, it’s all about protecting the public from men like Luis Morales, head of a ruthless Mexican drug cartel.

RICHES + HOLDER talk R.P.M. @ Newsarama

Imagine you’re a courier of important and exotic goods. I’m not talking rare animals here, I’m talking top secret merchandise, illegal goods, and generally things the public wouldn’t know about unless WikiLeaks told you. You’ve been hired to deliver a package from Boston to Miami – 1500 miles down the Atlantic Coast – and the only thing standing in your way is the government, private mercenaries and some street gangs. A fast car can help, but you might need something more. It might help that you’re a direct descendant of Paul Revere.

That’s the story in the comic book series R.P.M., which launched as a four-issue series in November. R.P.M. comes from the mind of popular pro wrestler – and frequent comic convention guest – Mic Foley and his writing partner Shane Riches. In a Newsarama interview earlier in the year with Foley, he expressed a long-time desire to write comics – going all the way back to a visit to John Buscema’s house as a child. With R.P.M. #1 on the stands and two in the wings, we turned to co-writer Shane Riches and artist Jose Holder to find out more about this fast-paced series.

Newsarama: How did the ideas that became R.P.M. develop between you and Mick, Shane?

Shane Riches: We batted around several concepts that would appeal to fans of Mick’s hardcore reputation and unique sense of a humor. Ultimately we pursued a story with a lead, Revere Windsor, who is a courier for hire. Mick’s a huge history buff and we both love Boston so we made him a descendant of Paul Revere on his own action-filled midnight ride.

Nrama: How would you describe the lead character, Revere Windsor?

Riches: Revere is one part Die Hard’s John McClane as an individual against extraordinary odds and one part Green Lantern or Daredevil in the sense of his fearless attitude. He carries around a lot of baggage that he’d rather just ignore and drive past -- this tremendous historical legacy to live up to but he’s sort of lost his way when we meet him. His special ability, hyper-kinetic depth perception, is a blessing and a curse. It allows him to see and react to the world faster than anyone, but he gets caught up in the risk and playing the odds with little care of the consequences. His journey forces him to see the world around him again.

Jose Holder: As far as the whole Paul Revere mythos goes, I have to admit as a Canuck that I had some American history to catch up on. Once I was able to absorb the incredible back-story to Revere’s predecessor it became an easier task to conceptualize the character. Our Revere is a hard-edged, adrenaline junky with a mysterious past. Courageous under fire, and armed with a hellish wit and brawny exterior, he’s perfectly poised to lead a life danger and intrigue. There was an intensely collaborative process defining Revere’s look. His visual transformation ran the gamut from street vagabond to high tech adventurer. In the end we opted for a simpler streamlined persona for the book.

(Get the rest of the story, along with never-before-seen art, by clicking the title link at the top of this story)

MAGUS SIGNING @ MIDTOWN COMICS FRIDAY 12/17

Rebekah Isaacs and Jon Price Sign and Sketch MAGUS #1 at Midtown Comics Downtown, NYC.

Friday, December 17th, from 1:00PM to 2:00PM
Midtown Comics – Downtown
64 Fulton St, NYC

MIDTOWNCOMICS.COM

Downtown: 64 Fulton Street, corner Gold Street.

New York, NY, USA, Tuesday, December 14th, 2010 -- Midtown Comics in New York City will present Rebekah Isaacs and Jon Price signing their new book MAGUS #1 from 12 Gauge Comics. Rebekah will be doing free sketches for anyone who purchases the book.

MAGUS: After being sealed away for thousands of years, humankind's innate ability to use magic is accidentally released. Forces of good, evil - and somewhere in between - race against each other to find the reason for the outbreak. Some want to defend its use and save a world thrown into chaos, others aim for less honorable goals. Ben and Darius, both approaching their 18th birthdays, have strong magic welling up inside of them, much stronger than the average person. They rely on each other and a new group of powerful friends, as they fight to carve out a place for themselves in this strange era.

Rebekah Isaacs has had numerous penciling and inking credits with Marvel and DC Comics, including Ms. Marvel and DV8: Gods and Monsters. Her first break into the comics industry came in 2007 with Hack/Slash and Drafted from Devil's Due. She is currently working on Magus and various things she's not allowed to talk about yet at Marvel.

Jon Price worked across the board in the entertainment industry in television, film, and video games before discovering a calling for comics writing. Magus is his first published work. When he's not writing you might find him playing guitar in NYC nerd rock outfit H2AWESOME. Jon and Rebekah live in Queens with their cat, Fantastic Donut.

MIDTOWN COMICS opened its first store in 1997, and is now the industry’s leading retailer of comic books, graphic novels, and manga, with its online store as well as three landmark NYC locations in Times Square, Grand Central and Downtown. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and the Midtown blog! More information available online at: http://www.midtowncomics.com

12-GAUGE Titles JAN 2011 - R.P.M. #3

R.P.M. #3 (of 4)

A stunning secret is revealed as wrestling-superstar Mick Foley amps up the action and intrigue in his fast-paced thriller! Revere now knows that the hired guns on his tail were not after the diamond -- problem is he’s inadvertently let them acquire their real target! To retrieve the priceless package, Revere must tackle the dangers of the Washington DC tunnels to infiltrate a high security embassy. But can even his hyper-kinetic depth perception save him as he navigates underground passageways, narrow hallways, and the confines of an embassy filled with thugs ordered to shoot to kill?

Writers: Mick Foley with Shane Riches

Artist Name: Jose Holder

Cover Artist: Brian Stelfreeze

12-GAUGE Titles JAN 2011 - MAGUS #2

MAGUS #2 (of 5)

Thousands of years ago, magic was stripped from nearly all humankind and sealed away by the choices of a few. Forgotten and believed to be myth by the majority of the world, magic is about to be unleashed on everyone, as the Seal is close to breaking. Now dangerous alliances are forming and deadly plans are being set into motion –- all to ensure one man is left standing when the dust from the chaos settles. Meanwhile our heroes search for the ‘Wild’ fire-wielder Lena Cullen. Is Lena the key to magic's imminent release? Or is she just a red herring?

Writers: Jon Price and David Norton

Artist Name: Rebekah Isaacs

Cover Artist: Rebekah Isaacs

DV8 artist 'Brings Magic Back'

Earning major points for her superlative work on WildStorm's in-progress DV8: Gods and Monsters miniseries with Brian Wood, Rebekeh Isaacs has already begun drawing her followup project that's similarly close to the artist's heart. Magus is a new five-issue series from 12-Gauge that deals with the return of full-on magic to our modern world, where everyone suddenly finds themselves a powerful sorcerer. Written by Jon Price & David Norton and featuring an inaugural cover by DVD's Fiona Staples, Magus is listed in this month's Diamond Previews catalogue for a December 12 release.

ComicsAlliance spoke briefly with the Magus creative team about the contemporary fantasy book, described as a grown-up cross between Harry Potter and Heroes (Season One!), and checked out some of Isaacs' great artwork from the miniseries.

MAGUS #1 (of 5)

Where were you when magic came back? After being sealed away for thousands of years by a group of powerful men and women, humankind's innate ability to use magic is accidentally released- leaving everyone on the planet able to perform magic! In suburban Massachusetts, Ben and Darius find themselves thrust into the middle of a changing, turbulent new world, and intricately linked to what's happening. Joined by a small group of new friends, these powerful young men must unravel the secret history of magic, while governments across the globe desperately fight to return things to the way they were before. Don't miss the first exciting installment of this epic adventure, featuring the stunning art of Rebekah Isaacs (Brian Wood's DV8)!

ComicsAlliance: Rebekah, you've earned loads of praise for your work on DV8. What informed your decision to make Magus the followup? What's your connection to the material?

REBEKAH ISAACS: Well, I was actually working on Magus little-by-little the whole time I was drawing DV8. I think we'd been working on the pitch before I got that gig and [Ms. Marvel: Dark Reign], but back then we were three people with very few comics credits between us, and me getting that first mainstream work definitely gave us the impetus to push it out there and get it seen. My connection to the project is about as personal as you can get -- Jon is my boyfriend, and, essentially, our creative collaborations from the moment we became friends are what brought us together. That being said, I don't go around committing myself to year-long side-projects just because someone makes me laugh and bakes amazing desserts. I loved this story and the characters since the moment I read the initial treatment and I knew we had to do whatever it took to get it made.

JON PRICE: I thought the idea up when I was living in the "magical" Orlando, Florida (please note the sarcasm). I actually mostly liked Orlando, but there's a strange mix of synthetic fantasy and stark reality because of the several theme parks and endless stream of tourists. So I started playing with the idea of fantasy-based magic existing in our world as it exists now and how that would work. Once I had a framework for the story I enlisted Dave to help flesh it out and create some killer villains - which he's done quite nicely, as you'll see throughout the series.

CA: Keven, you're putting this book out, please share some impressions about the work and tell us how it fits into the 12-Gauge legacy.

KEVEN GARDNER: 12-Gauge has always been known for crime and action, so when I heard they wanted to pitch me a book about magic I wasn't sure if it would fit. I had been talking with Rebekah about doing something together anyway (she's such a talented artist), so I was hoping it might work. Once I read the pitch I was hooked. It reminded me of all the things I loved about the first season of Heroes, but with a splash of Harry Potter, and all set in the real-world (no costumes, alternate realities, etc.). Had it been a typical magic/fantasy thing, I would probably have passed, but this felt fresh and grounded, and it was something 12-Gauge had to put its stamp on.

(* Hit the title link above for loads of new art and the rest of the interview)

Interview with the MAGUS creaative team @ Broken Frontier

BROKEN FRONTIER: To begin could you give the Broken Frontier readership a brief rundown of the Magus's premise and its main players?

JON PRICE: Magus is 'what would happen if everyone in our world could suddenly perform magic?'. Thousands of years ago everyone had magic but it was stripped away from us and locked behind a giant, magical Seal. Now most everyone has forgotten about it and just assumes magic is relegated to fantasy novels and myth. But things are starting to turn and the Seal is breaking, so magic starts leaking out and strange things begin to happen. That's about where we are when Issue 1 starts. Ben and Darius are our two leads - best friends since they were very young. Lena, who opens the book in a very dramatic fashion, is "Wild", meaning she (and a few others like her) can perform magic even though the Seal is in place.

BF: WildStorm fans will know the name Rebekah Isaacs from the current DV8: Gods and Monsters series, but readers may not be so familiar with the names of Magus co-creators Jon Price and David Norton. Could you all give us a quick potted history of your different routes into the comics biz to date?

JP: I worked in television for a while and was a video game tester before that. I've just sort of stumbled around from job-to-job wanting to write. I was working on TV pitches before Magus and when Rebekah and I met, I told her about Magus as a comic book idea and she loved it.

DAVE NORTON: I’ve always wanted to be a writer, any kind of writer, since around the 2nd grade when I realized I would never be athletic enough to be the starting small forward for the Boston Celtics. I never really got into comics as a kid as there wasn’t a comic book store for miles and I spent most of my time in libraries. However, now that I’m part of the comic book world, I’ve come to really appreciate the amount of work and effort in the world building and mythology that comic book creators go through. Those two aspects are my favorite parts of books or tv or comics, and it seems that in comics, more thought is put into mythology and world building than in any other medium right now.

REBEKAH ISAACS: I graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design, and 12 Gauge has had a great relationship with the school, including sponsoring a special elective course in which students competed to have their work featured in "The Ride." I didn't get a chance to take that course, but I was really impressed by their catalog and creative teams, and jumped at the chance to be introduced to Keven at NYCC '09. We were hoping to work together shortly after that, but almost immediately after the Con I got my first Marvel gig, and then right after I was offered DV8. But when things settled down for me and we started pitching Magus a bit later, I sent it to Keven and he loved it!

(For the entire interview, please click the title link above and check it out!)

Diamond Comic Distributors "Picks" MAGUS #1

What if magic were real? Or, at least, what if it were real until thousands of years ago, and the world was forced to forget that magic and all its power was a very real part of life and not just the fantasies of fiction.

Magus is the story of our world on the day magic is unlocked and all of humanity once again discovers the gift of magic. Society is turned upside down as the world adjusts to this amazing new discovery and governments all across the globe attempt to contain the chaos. Some will use their new gift for good while others will use it for evil, but for everyone on the planet, life will never be the same.

Jon Price, David Norton, and Rebekah Isaacs find the very human story at the heart of Magus by focusing not on the big picture but on the lives of the individuals — like best friends Ben and Darius — faced with a new and terrifying world. Magus is a truly modern and undeniably unique fantasy, one that will leave you breathless — and yearning for magic of your own.

See PREVIEWS page #308

Wagner, Shasteen, Gardner talk 25 TO LIFE

There is a murderer on the streets – a serial killer – hunting down and executing African American police officers. As you may know, the police go after cop killers with extreme zealousness but when even the full force of the police can’t find the killer, they call in for help – they call in the F.B.I.

In the recently debuted miniseries 25 To Life, an experimental unit of the F.B.I. is called in to solve these targeted killings, and to do it they use criminals against one another. After profiling the suspect in a case, they seek out incarcerated criminals who fit that same profile – ‘Mirrors’ they call them – and try to get inside the mind of their suspect by getting inside the mind of these prisoners. In the case of this race crime, they have to saddle up with a racist militia leader and somehow strike up a partnership in order to catch the killer.

The first issue of 25 To Life hit the streets last week, with the remaining two scheduled for October and November. Last week we talked with series mastermind Eriq La Salle, and this week we turn to his accomplices, writer Doug Wagner & artist Tony Shasteen...

Newsarama: In 25 To Life, it revolves around an experimental FBI unit that uses incarcerated criminals to gain insight on outstanding cases. Can you tell us how this team works?

Doug Wagner: There are volatile, high profile cases out there that could erupt into riots and general mass chaos if not solved swiftly. In these types of situations, the government and the public demand and need results in a short amount of time. That’s where our experimental FBI unit comes in. The FBI has been given permission to make “deals” with guys in prison for 25 To Life in exchange for their knowledge and insight. If they don’t help solve the case, the deal is null and void. There’s not only pressure on our team to solve the case, but pressure on the criminals they incorporate to solve the case as well. The concept is an expanded version of the classic concept of “it takes a thief to catch a thief.” But in these cases, we’re dealing with crimes that are much more violent and malicious. Who better to catch a racially motivated murderer than...an ex-racially motivated murderer?

Nrama: What can you tell us about Santana and the rest of the team?

Wagner: Santana is an African-American in his 40’s and the leader of this team. At his age, he should be higher on the FBI food chain, but he has this problem with authority figures. Lucky for him, he's brilliant. Santana uses his cop intuition and street hunches to solve crimes, trusting his heart before his head. He is an excellent detective and investigator with his own dark secrets.

Espinoza is a hot Columbian female with a violent streak. Psychologist by trade, she picked up her gun skills and bullet-proof skin on the job. The smile is genuine, trustworthy and sincere 'til the end – but you definitely do not want to mess around and end up on her bad side. Her only blemish is a nasty ex-drug habit that's had her suspended, threatened and moved from city to city like a military brat. She’s clean now, but struggles to remain so.

Roschard, “Roach” to his teammates, has a background in chemistry and forensics from his military days, and he has always been an over-achiever in both. Though tough enough on the streets, he is better suited in the lab, and everyone knows it, including him. As a result, he constantly feels as though he has something to prove. Roach is logical and analytical, using a scientific approach to crime solving.

Shepard is the new blood on the team. A 24-year-old right out of the academy, he’s still the by-the-book kind of agent. On this team, his insights are rarely appreciated and often rejected. The son of a prominent government official, Shepard has to constantly establish that nepotism did not get him the job on this team, even though it did. Usually, he’s convincing himself more than those around him.

(For the rest of the interview, click on the title at the top of this story)

MICK FOLEY talks R.P.M. @ Newsarama

Newsarama: So Mick, how'd you get involved with comics?

Mick Foley: Well, Shane Riches has probably been the biggest fan of my second novel, Scooter; he hated the first one, Tietam Brown. [laughs]

No, he’s a big fan of that one too. If either of those novels makes it to the big screen it’ll be because Shane has been so resilient in getting those scripts out there. He believed in my ability to tell a story, and he’s been after me for a few years to tell them in a different medium.


Nrama: I read that Jill Thompson, who you collaborated with on two children’s books, also egged you on to try comics.

Foley: Yeah, Jill had been the other one talking to me for awhile about trying to a story in the comic format. And Jill, when she gets a good idea she immediately goes into storyboard mode.

I’m so proud of Jill; she’s just been nominated for a couple Spike Scream awards; I’m thrilled for her.

Before I worked with Jill, I had no idea that most writers of children’s books had no relationship with the illustrator and they were just put together for the story. I loved working with her.

Nrama: Moving on to this new series, what can you tell us about Revere Windsor, the lead character in R.P.M.?


Foley: Shane knew I was a big history buff, and we’d been tossing around the idea of updating a historical character and I thought having it be a descendant of Paul Revere, who is literally a ‘revere’d figure in American history. [laughs]

We then went and gave him a somewhat believable superpower which he uses in his line of work.

Nrama: And what is Revere’s line of work exactly?

Foley: He would be a person to hire to deliver important goods in a brief amount of time. I guess he’s like a courier / mercenary – a Coursenary. [laughs]

Shane had the idea of making him a courier, but that didn’t sound too appealing to me so we started fleshing out ways we could turn it into an action adventure story. Nothing against Cannonball Run, we just had to make ours special.

Nrama: So will the action take place strictly behind the wheel of a car, or does Revere have some fighting chops?

Foley: He’s multi-faceted. The way he fights reminds me of the first time I saw a Jackie Chan movie, in the mid 90s, and it was just so clever. I was over in Japan and I couldn’t understand a word of it, it was either in Mandarin or dubbed into Japanese, but the action was so phenomenal. Not because it was bloody, but really clever. I think the action sequences in R.P.M. are clever because he’s using his hyper-kinetic depth perception to aid him in his quest.

(Read the entire interview by clicking the title above)

Eriq LaSalle on the record with Newsarama

Newsarama: In 25 to Life, the revolves around an experimental FBI unit that uses incarcerated criminals to gain insight on outstanding cases. How'd this idea come to you?

Eriq La Salle: Well, we originally developed it as a television series with my production company. Once a month I charge my employees with certain assignments, and on one of these months it was to pitch ideas for a different take on cop shows - something that was fresh, original and inventive. Someone came back with the idea of a cop show where the police deal with criminals directly, so for the next year or so we fleshed that idea out and went really deep and came up with something interesting and fresh.

What we came up with as 25 To Life, and after we got involved with 12 Gauge it popped up as an ideal story to tell as a comic.

Nrama: What attracted you personally to the story that 25 To Life developed into?

La Salle: It's the age-old question, or curiosity rather of 'what exactly is the line between good and evil?' and 'what is the delineation between a cop and a criminal?' It seems like the best cops are in touch with the darker parts of their personality. You could say that their skill sets are similar to criminals; they say that the best criminals would make good cops, and the best cops would have made the best of criminals. It's a very interesting parallel which came forward as we developed 25 To Life. That theory is both provocative and thoughtful so it resonates well.

Nrama: Leading the team is Special Agent Gabriel Santana - a man with a lot of experience, and little time for bureaucratic red tape as it seems. He's our main man in the book, but who is he really?


La Salle: He turns it on when he has to turn it on. With a mind like his, he's always thinking things through; very calculating and analytically. In the personal lives of Gabriel and the rest of the cast, they are all somewhat everyday people who have their own demons; even though they're the 'good guys', they have their own plusses and minuses.

So Gabriel is a great guy - very much a man's man; very strong, direct and ethical, with a very strong sense of what is right and what is wrong. He has through experience come to realize that you can't always take the high road though; in dealing with criminals who don't respect the rule book, a cop playing strictly by those rules is at a distinct disadvantage. Santana understands how criminals think, and when necessary, he does what has to be done. His first priority is catching the bad guy, so if that means he has to 'bend the rules', he'll do whatever it takes. (click on the title above for more...)

25 TO LIFE #1 - Interview + 8 page preview at CBR

Check it out - On sale now!



CBR News: Just to start, how did you connect with Eriq La Salle and where did this "25 to Life" come from?

Keven Gardner: Eriq has a production company called Humble Journey Films and had contacted 12-Gauge about one of our properties. Through that conversation, he told us about "25 to Life," which was an idea he was developing and wanted to see if we would be interested in doing it as a comic book. He sent his script over and I really responded to it. The concept was just unique and it works in a kind of "48 Hours" meets "Silence of the Lambs," which is a really cool dynamic for a story. It was a really cool process, because we went to Doug with the idea and he responded to it. Tony was our first choice, and he jumped on board. JD was able to come in and color. A great, really cool creative team from the top down. It's been a really nice project for us to put together.


Doug, you don't write many comics, so what is was it about this particular project that interested you?

Doug Wagner: Keven gave me a call. Any chance you get to work with somebody like Eriq La Salle, [you take]. I read the script and it was great. I was like, "Yeah, I can definitely adapt this." There's the huge challenge of adapting something from screen to comics because on TV you can write as much dialogue as you want. To take an hour long show and try to put it in three issues was pretty challenging, but Eriq and Tony worked with me pretty closely and we made it work. That's what brought me on. Having Tony on it, too, up front and working with someone who was in the studio with me was a huge bonus as well (get the full story by clicking the title above).

Mick Foley + Shane Riches talk R.P.M. on the CBR yacht

NOVEMBER 2010 SOLICITATIONS - R.P.M. #1

R.P.M. #1 (of 4)

Revere Windsor, a direct descendant of the legendary Paul Revere, is hired by a mysterious corporation to safely move a priceless package from Boston to Miami. Born with hyper-kinetic depth perception, Revere sees and reacts to the world faster than anyone….making him the best at what he does. Partnered with the corporation’s beautiful liaison, Revere pushes head-on against international criminals and shadowy government agencies. From the mind of Mick Foley, multiple New York Times #1 Bestselling author and 4-time World Heavyweight Champion, this high-octane midnight ride is a fuel-injected package of unflinching speed and unrelenting action!



Writers: Mick Foley + Shane Riches

Artist: Jose Holder

Cover Artist: Brian Stelfreeze


R.P.M. is ™ and ©2010 12-Gauge Comics, LLC, Shane Riches, and Mick Foley. All Rights Reserved.

NOVEMBER 2010 SOLICITATIONS - BOONDOCK SAINTS: THE HEAD OF THE SNAKE #2

THE BOONDOCK SAINTS: THE HEAD OF THE SNAKE #2 (of 2)

The world of New York's 1960s Mob Families is breaking apart, and it's due to Noah McManus and Louie Patronazzi. Their plans are coming to full fruition, and before they're finished only one Family will remain. Noah's transformation into Il Duce is nearly complete, as well as Louie's own transformation into something Noah will never suspect - until it's too late. Join us for the end of Volume Two of 'The Secret History of Il Duce', as everything changes, destinies are fulfilled, and the road to the future opens before us...the road to WAR.

Also, we rejoin Connor and Murphy months before ALL SAINTS DAY, as their self-imposed 'retirement' in rural Ireland is disturbed once again, when Uncle Sibeal calls on them to put an end to a very powerful man with very powerful - and dangerous - allies.

Don't miss this exciting issue of TROY DUFFY'S BOONDOCK SAINTS: THE COMIC SERIES as legends are born, villains emerge, and destinies become manifest - in bullets, blood, and fear.

Writers: Troy Duffy + J.B. Love
Artist: Guus Floor
Cover Artist: Chris Brunner

THE BOONDOCK SAINTS is ™ and ©2010 Boondock Saints, LLC. All Rights Reserved. THE BOONDOCK SAINTS Comic Series is ©2010 INNFUSION INC + Boondock Saints, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

NOVEMBER 2010 SOLICITATIONS - 25 TO LIFE #3

25 TO LIFE #3 (of 3)


As the body count continues to multiply, Pratt’s plan is finally revealed. He’s been pushing Special Agent Santana’s buttons from the moment they met – and it has all been leading to this moment. The rest of Santana’s team, however, catches a break when the serial killer’s vehicle is found. Using evidence obtained from inside the car, the focus of the search is narrowed, and the F.B.I.’s most scrutinized unit closes in on the murderer.

See for yourself why 25 TO LIFE is the most talked about new crime series of the year, when the stunning finale hits the stands!

Story: Eriq LaSalle

Writer: Doug Wagner

Art + Cover: Tony Shasteen


25 TO LIFE is ™ and ©2010 Eriq LaSalle and 12-Gauge Comics, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

BOONDOCK SAINTS #2 SELLS OUT!

BOONDOCK SAINTS: IN NOMINE PATRIS #2 SELLS OUT!

BOONDOCK SAINTS: THE HEAD OF THE SNAKE Issue #1 of 2, shipping October ’10 from 12-Gauge Comics

12-Gauge Comics proudly announces the sellout of Troy Duffy’s BOONDOCK SAINTS: THE SECRET HISTORY OF IL DUCE #2. Fans of the film series continue to seek out the new title, which has resulted in a steady flow of reorders from comic retailers across North America. 12-Gauge publisher Keven Gardner said, “Clearly, the Boondock fans can’t get enough of the McManus family and their adventures. We anticipated this kind of demand and did a very healthy over-print with each issue, but it still wasn’t enough. The legend of the Boondock Saints continues to grow!” Eben Matthews, The Boondock Saints comic series producer, added, “The Boondock fans are the best. Being a life-long fan of comics, and a long time fan of the Saints, I knew that Troy Duffy’s creation would translate perfectly into comic books. I can’t say enough about this creative team and the job they have done.”

On the heels of this successful launch, 12-Gauge urges retailers to double check their orders on Volume II of the “IN NOMINE PATRIS” saga, which hits the shelves this October. BOONDOCK SAINTS: THE HEAD OF THE SNAKE #1 follows Noah (IL DUCE) and Louie, as their mission begins to make serious, bloody waves in New York's 1960s Underground Crime world. Issue #1 also shows what Connor and Murphy were up to between the original film and the sequel, as Troy Duffy reveals new pieces of the brother’s past in Ireland during "the missing years", as a shared tale of tragedy brings back memories that are better off...left buried.

BOONDOCK SAINTS: THE HEAD OF THE SNAKE #1, a 32-page full-color comic book written by Troy Duffy and JB Love, with art by Guus Floor, will be available in October with a retail price of $3.99 (Diamond Order Code AUG101165).

25 TO LIFE #2 - OCTOBER 2010

25 TO LIFE #2 (of 3)

Story: Eriq LaSalle
Writer: Doug Wagner
Art and Cover: Tony Shasteen
Colors: JD Mettler

F.B.I. Special Agent Gabriel Santana and his elite team continue to track the killer of multiple African-American police officers across Virginia. As the clues unfold, Pratt, the incarcerated militia leader who has been coerced into helping Santana, provides detailed insight into the Mountaineer Militia -- the group he led before his conviction, and the focus of the investigation. But is Pratt actually cooperating, or is he only manipulating the team and biding his time?

As Santana and Pratt continue their high-stakes chess game, more blood is left on the streets, and the clock continues to tick for the next victim. Don’t miss the next thrilling installment of this provocative new series!

25 TO LIFE is ™ and ©2010 Eriq LaSalle and 12-Gauge Comics, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

BOONDOCK SAINTS: THE HEAD OF THE SNAKE #1 - OCTOBER 2010

THE BOONDOCK SAINTS: THE HEAD OF THE SNAKE #1 (of 2)

Writers: Troy Duffy and J.B. Love
Artist: Guus Floor
Cover Artist: Chris Brunner
THE SAINTS ARE BACK!

Following the phenomenal success of the inaugural BOONDOCK SAINTS limited series, Volume Two of the ‘IN NOMINE PATRIS’ saga follows NOAH (IL DUCE) and LOUIE, as their mission begins to make serious, bloody waves in New York's 1960s Underground Crime world. A horrible 'accidental' death in the neighborhood leads Noah to choose a particularly problematic target...and Louie's job as "planner" begins to change their relationship...but for better or worse?

What were CONNOR and MURPHY up to between the original film and the sequel? For the first time ever, TROY DUFFY reveals some of their past in Ireland during "the missing years", as a shared tale of tragedy brings back memories that are better off...left buried.

This all NEW, all ORIGINAL chapter in the Boondock Saints Saga is what Boondock fans have been waiting for! Don't miss the next issue of TROY DUFFY'S THE BOONDOCK SAINTS!

THE BOONDOCK SAINTS is ™ and ©2010 Boondock Saints, LLC. All Rights Reserved. THE BOONDOCK SAINTS Comic Series is ©2010 INNFUSION INC + Boondock Saints, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

TROY DUFFY + ROCCO Signing, Saturday from 4 - 5, Booth #2045

Comic-Con Signing schedule

12-GAUGE COMICS SDCC SIGNING & PANEL Schedule

Wednesday July 21, 2010

6:00 – 8:30
Sean Patrick Flanery (BOONDOCK SAINTS)
*Please note – signing fee per autograph for Sean

6:00 – 8:30
Doug Wagner (25 TO LIFE, THE RIDE)

Thursday July 22, 2010

Throughout the day
Doug Wagner (25 TO LIFE, THE RIDE)

11:00 – 1:00
Sean Patrick Flanery (BOONDOCK SAINTS)

3:00 – 5:00
Sean Patrick Flanery (BOONDOCK SAINTS)

5:30 – 6:30
David Tischman (LUKE McBAIN)

Friday July 23, 2010

Throughout the day
Doug Wagner (25 TO LIFE, THE RIDE)

3:00 – 4:00
David Tischman (LUKE McBAIN)

5:00 – 6:30
Sean Patrick Flanery (BOONDOCK SAINTS)

Saturday July 24, 2010

10:00 – 11:00
Sean Patrick Flanery (BOONDOCK SAINTS)

11:00 – 12:30
Mick Foley, Shane Riches (R.P.M.)
* FREE R.P.M. POSTERS!

12:30 – 1:30
Sean Patrick Flanery (BOONDOCK SAINTS)

2:00 – 3:00
Mick Foley, Shane Riches (R.P.M.)
* FREE R.P.M. POSTERS & ASCHANS!

4:00 – 5:00
Troy Duffy, David Della Rocco, J.B. Love (BOONDOCK SAINTS)
Free BOONDOCK SAINTS MOVIE & COMIC-SERIES POSTERS!

7:30 – 8:30
12-Gauge Comics: Boondock Saints: The Comic Series!
Panel - Room 9

Sunday July 25, 2010

Throughout the day
Doug Wagner (25 TO LIFE, THE RIDE)

11:00 – 1:00
Sean Patrick Flanery (BOONDOCK SAINTS)

2:30 – 4:00
Sean Patrick Flanery (BOONDOCK SAINTS)


12-GAUGE COMIC-CON PANEL:
12-Gauge Comics: Boondock Saints: The Comic Series!— Troy Duffy, the writer/director of the cult-hit films The Boondock Saints and The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day, takes you behind the scenes of his comic trilogy, In Nomine Patris. Find out what’s next for the McManus Brothers and Il Duce, as Duffy and comic series co-writer J.B. Love fill you in on their plans for the next exciting storyline. But that’s not all…get a sneak peek at the new Boondock Saints iPhone game, and as an extra-special treat, David Della Rocco (the beloved “Rocco” from the films) will be taking your questions during the Q&A session! Moderated by comic series producer Eben Matthews and 12-Gauge publisher Keven Gardner (The Ride). Room 9

12-GAUGE COMICS : COMIC-CON 2010

12-GAUGE COMICS BLASTS INTO COMIC-CON WITH AN ALL-STAR ENTERTAINMENT LINE UP

Featuring guests from comics, television, and film, the 12-Gauge Comics’ booth (#2045) will be loaded with action!

TROY DUFFY, the creator/writer/director of THE BOONDOCK SAINTS film series (and the creative force behind 12-Gauge’s smash-hit comic series, BOONDOCK SAINTS: IN NOMINE PATRIS) will be joined by BOONDOCK SAINTS stars SEAN PATRICK FLANERY and DAVID DELLA ROCCO! Don’t miss Troy and Rocco’s one and only convention signing Saturday at 4:00 (featuring free movie and comic series posters) and the Prime Time Saturday Night panel (12-Gauge Comics: Boondock Saints: The Comic Series!, 7:30 pm, Room 9) where Troy and co-writer J.B. LOVE will discuss the next installment of the comic series, and the entire crew will take your questions on all things Boondock Saints, including the new iPhone game!

But that’s just the beginning -- New York Times #1 Bestselling Author and 4-TIME World Heavyweight Champion MICK FOLEY will be appearing EXCLUSIVELY at the 12-Gauge booth to promote his upcoming comic series R.P.M.! Joined by co-writer SHANE RICHES, Mick will be on-hand throughout the day Saturday to fill you in on all the details of his pedal-to-the-metal action adventure series, and to autograph R.P.M. posters and the Comic-Con Exclusive R.P.M. Ashcan – sponsored by Poynt, www.poynt.com – both FREE with every Mick Foley autograph!

Also on hand for signings are creators DOUG WAGNER, of the provocative new crime series 25 TO LIFE, and LUKE MC BAIN scribe DAVID TISCHMAN!

Finally, be sure to get your hands on the Comic-Con exclusive editions of the BOONDOCK SAINTS: IN NOMINE PATRIS #1 & #2 – featuring sketch covers by acclaimed artist CHRIS BRUNNER!

12-GAUGE 2010 plans revealed at CBR

In 2004, comic shop owner and former Valiant Comics direct sales manager Keven Gardner collaborated with comic book professionals Doug Wagner, Jason Pearson, Brian Stelfreeze and Cully Hammer to launch their very own publishing company. Looking to make an impact in the industry, the group named the company 12 Gauge Comics, and this fall, they look to blow readers away with a veritable buckshot of new titles.

Featuring gritty, realistic stories typically based in a Southern setting, 12 Gauge first made its mark in comics with the black-and-white series "The Ride." The company since went on to produce such titles as Jason Pearson's "Body Bags," "The O.C.T" with actress Rosario Dawson and, most recently, a tie-in to the "Boondocks Saints" films by writer/director Troy Duffy. The company expands its line this fall with four new titles: "Magus," "Loose Ends," "25 to Life" by actor Eriq La Salle and "R.P.M." by wrestler and New York Times Bestselling author Mick Foley.

Gardner spoke with CBR News about the new limited series, the difference between modern fantasy and traditional and future plans for 12 Gauge Comics.

CBR News: Keven, we already have interviews on the site with both Mick and Eriq, but I wanted to get some perspective on your end about these two accomplished professionals and bringing them into 12 Gauge. Starting with Mick, what do you think he brings to the table for 12 Gauge both in terms of him personally and his storytelling style?

Rebekah Isaacs ilustrates "Magus"

Keven Gardner: For me, it's always what feels right. We worked with Rosario Dawson and that was really successful for us, but she was also a good fit. There are a lot of celebrities who want to get into comics just to get their name out there, and that doesn't really fit with what we do. Mick, that's a guy that when it comes to the 12 Gauge audience, there's a little bit of crossover there. He's like the everyman of wrestling. He's got the hardcore persona, but he's not the Hulk Hogan, super-strength guy. He's just a guy that the fans love and appreciate because he works really hard at his craft. He is the best at his style of wrestling and 12 Gauge, in a lot of ways, that's what we strive to be: we want to be the guys who get recognized for their hard work and dedication to the medium. We're not ever going to be Marvel or DC because that's just not our business model. We just want to put out really good, quality books that when you read it you feel that you spent your three or four dollars wisely. I think Mick really just fits that same feel. And he's a great writer and the story was great. It was a completely like a 12 Gauge book - high on action, fun story, it doesn't take itself too seriously. Just really good all around.

Eriq is working on "25 to Life," and he's done a number of things in the entertainment industry, including acting in such films like "Coming to America" and starring in "ER." You often hear about how quite a few actors are actually comic fans, but how did Eriq get involved with 12 Gauge?

A couple years ago, he actually moved out of being a full-time actor and started getting into directing and producing. He had contacted us about another property, just expressing some interest in possibly developing it as a film. We opened a dialogue, and Eriq had this idea called "25 to Life" that he told me about, and I just fell in love with it. I thought it was just a fantastic idea for a series - the gritty crime with a neat little twist as far as the setup. It's another kind of thing like Mick Foley, where we're not trying to put Eriq in a book for a vanity thing. This was just a really good story and when I heard it, I just had to do it. He had this story worked out, and Doug Wagner, who has been with me since the start, brought him in to adapt it into a comic book form. That's really what we look for. It's just a cool project.

Looking at some of the other projects you guys have coming out, there's the upcoming "Magus," by Jon Price and David Norton with art by Rebekah Isaacs. This comic focuses on the idea of magic returning to humanity after being cut off for centuries, and we see the ramifications of this happening. What else can you say about the story?

Initially this was a little bit of a stretch for my comfort zone, but I'm a big fan of Rebekah Isaacs and had been trying to find a project for her. She was a student at SCAD, and 12 Gauge has always had a good relationship with SCAD. We've done a special project book with them where their students created an issue of "The Ride." They actually had a class called Ride 101. But about two years ago, I saw her portfolio and I've been trying to find a project to work on together since. It was about the time she took off when we started talking, and she went on to do "Ms. Marvel" and she did some work for Devil's Due and is now working on the "DV8" series with Brian Wood. She came to me, she and Jon, with the idea, and I thought it was a really intriguing story. Even though magic has been done in many different ways, this seemed really fresh to me. It's very much team oriented. They've got a really big story and have thought it out. Again, it's just a quality book and even though it didn't quite fit us completely, it was just too good not to do.

"Magus" modern day setting allowed it to fit in with the 12 Gauge line of titles

I wanted to ask about that. 12 Gauge definitely sticks to the grittier, realistic stuff and magic encompasses a whole different territory, but this is magic in a more modern setting as opposed to the more traditional fantasy setting. Was that part of the reason it was able to fit with 12 Gauge?

Yeah, exactly. If it had been a traditional superhero team in costumes, I think there are other publishers that are better. I don't want to say we're never going to do that, but we'll first look at how good the story is and how good the artist is. If those two things get the big check mark, then we'd like to figure out a way to make it work. But, yeah, this was definitely an easier decision because the magic was just part of the story and the characters are what's important. I guess it's kind of along the line of "Heroes," where you take these extreme events but everything is based in reality. More like the first season of "Heroes," when it was still pretty good.

Do you think it makes it more accepting to a wider audience as well? You see elves and dwarves and it caters to a specific group while cutting off another area of the market. Meanwhile, if it's magic but in a modern day setting, more people are willing to give it a go.

Yeah. Fantasy especially, there's a big audience, but you're limiting yourself a lot if you go after pure fantasy books. There are a lot of people who definitely wouldn't touch it if they saw an elf on the cover. We try to be more accessible to the guys who don't gravitate more toward the superhero and traditional fantasy book. We try to be a more real-world universe.

Shifting gears, the other book you guys have coming out fits more obviously within the 12 Gauge model. You've described "Loose Ends" as a "southern crime romance." What does that mean for what we'll be seeing in this book?

Chris Brunner is the artist, and he did a story for me in "The Ride" a couple years back and is probably the one today that people always notice. It was just really perfectly executed. It was just the most amazing art I had seen. Jason Latour had written this story and talked to Chris about drawing it, and they came to me almost two years ago and wanted to have 12 Gauge publish it. I think it's going to be a book that people will be picking up for years, and when they find it, they'll have to get the whole collection. The story is definitely really gritty. There's going to be a lot of brutality in it and a lot of realism. It's a really great story and Chris' pages are just absolutely stunning.

Chris Brunner illustrates "Loose Ends"

What would you say is the appeal about these stories featuring these characters that you just feel like you could know or even hear about in everyday life?

The thing with "Loose Ends" is that, sure the story has been turned up a couple notches - it's about a guy running drugs from Carolina down to Miami - but the real story is that he's running from his problems. He's on the run and he's got a lot of guys after him. It's a story about how you can hide from your problems and you can try to run away from them, but everything always catches up to you in the end. That's what this story is about. It's kind of our "True Romance"-style story. I just can't rave about it enough. I think that crime and action, you can never get enough of them because it is always based in reality. There is crime all around us, and it's interesting to explore that dynamic of what makes people do the things that they do, bad or good or whatever. It's great to get into that and see stories about these characters and their motivation behind their crime sprees. "Loose Ends" is a really good example of that.

Closing out, 12 Gauge will obviously continue to publish these realistic, gritty titles, but will you be looking to bring in more celebrity creators to work on projects?

You'll never see 12 Gauge publish a book that is strictly because it's a way to make money. The story has got to be there first. Any way we can offset some of the cost and work with somebody like Mick Foley, that helps, but it's all about the story. I don't go out looking for those things. Sometimes they come to me through relationships. I won't say that we won't continue to do those, but that's not the focus of our company. It's a small company, so every book that we do gets a lot of love, but that means we can't do a full line of books. We just want to do our stuff and do it well and make our mark by quality over quantity.

NEW BOOK! 25 TO LIFE launches in December

As an actor, Eriq La Salle went from playing Eddie Murphy's jheri-curled adversary in the comedy "Coming to America" to starring in the award winning television drama "ER" to directing episodes of such shows as "CSI: NY" and "Law & Order: SVU." Now, he's heading to prison - figuratively speaking, of course - with his new miniseries from 12 Gauge Comics, "25 to Life."

The three-issue series will explore the idea of an experimental FBI division that partners elite agents with 25-to-life sentenced criminals in "Silence of the Lambs"-esque fashion in order to solve high profile cases. In this particular instance, the gruesome murder of three African American police officers force Special Agent Gabriel Santana to team with the racist white supremacist Pratt, currently serving a life sentence for his terrible crimes. As expected, tensions raise rather quickly as neither men find themselves none too fond of the other. Written by La Salle and Doug Wagner, the title features art by Tony Shasteen and heads to comic shops in September.

In an exclusive first interview, La Salle spoke with CBR News about his journey into the comic book world, the terrifying similarities between those who defend the law and those who break it and how his experience in acting gave him an insight into the criminal mind.

CBR News: Eriq, before we get into the details of the title, I've got to ask, how did you get involved with this project? You've done acting, directing; what made you decide to come into comics?

Eriq La Salle: At my company, Humble Journey Films, we were always trying to push the envelope, [asking] "What's the best ways to get stories told." We just want to tell stories. That's why I became an actor - because I love telling stories. The longer I've been in the business, the various avenues I started exploring - directing, producing, writing - this just became another great avenue, particularly for this genre of story that we had. Once that idea came out, we ran with it.

"25 to Life" starts in September

I'm always into new challenges and [comics] is a world that's relatively new to me. Keven Gardner has actually taught me really 85 percent of what I know about the world. It's been this really cool thing of, along with working on this project, learning about the world. Because it's really about respecting the world. A lot of times, people come from different worlds and they think it's supposed to work their way, the way it used to work. I really want to know, what are the sensibilities of the comic world and how are things done and what is the most effective way, because there are subtle differences and overt differences between the film world and the comic world. At the end of the day, everybody wants to tell a good story, so there are certain things that definitely translate and hold true, but the way you go about doing it is either slightly different or vastly different. So, it's a challenge, but I'm having a ball with it. I think it's the perfect fit for this particular project and I'm really into it.

As we know, the story focuses on a special crimes division that teams agents with convicted criminals to solve cases similar in nature to the crime they committed. What about this idea appeals to you?

Some of the best things about telling stories, it's really about what is the theme, what are the subtleties, what are the things you're really trying to get across. In this world, we are able to explore the often-uncomfortable parallel between criminals and law enforcement. A lot of times, the cops that can think most like criminals are the most successful. Here, we have criminals coming into contact and participating with law enforcement, and we see how that affects them. It keeps raising the stakes of the story, and I find those types of stories most compelling - not when you're dealing with one element, but [when] you're dealing with a myriad of things. There's a big crime scene they're investigating, but there is also the subtle relationship that these guys have to endure with each other, which is a lot times problematic, a lot of times contentious, a lot of times humorous. Those are the things I think contribute to compelling storytelling.

It's interesting you say that, because there is that idea that while everyone has dark thoughts, the difference between a normal person and a criminal is that the criminal acts on it. It's kind of scary to think how close we all are to being a criminal.

Pages from "25 to Life"

Exactly. Who crosses that line and who walks that line? I think law enforcement, a lot of times walks that line, because violence is a part of their world. You're always supposed to be contained and restrained. Whereas criminals a lot of times are sociopaths and do what they want to do. It just adds a lot of interesting elements, and I like that dangerous element of it. We all basically have criminals within our beings, and most people, most healthy people, have found a way to suppress those urges and impulses and actions. This is a world where everybody is doing what they want to do and the cops are trying to solve a high stakes crime by working with people they not only detest, but that they helped put behind bars. There's a dilemma, because you're almost making a deal with the devil. This person is thinking, "I put him in jail and now I'm going to help him get out of jail earlier so that he can help me put someone else in jail." It's a vicious cycle, but necessary.

What can you say about the main character in this title?

Without giving away too much, he is the perfect agent for this new experimental wing of the FBI, not just because of his prowess and success as an agent, but personally, he is a tortured soul. This guy is literally to the point of becoming a criminal himself. He is the closest thing to a criminal that is legal. He does things his way. He understands consequences and all that, but he always puts the case above everything. He's one of those guys where the ends justifies the means. He has got some really dark things based on his relationship with his father, who actually is a criminal. So, he is really tortured in the sense that he has this really dysfunctional relationship with a father who used to be a great law enforcement guy who cracked. So, he's also dealing with a ticking clock of, "Will I have that same gene? Will I one day crack?" He's like a Bruce Banner type character. He knows he has this beast in him and it's a ticking clock. There's a fear that one day it's going to come out, but in the meantime, he's using everything he has for good and righteousness. It's a really fascinating character because of those elements.

What about the criminal side of the equation?

Pages from "25 to Life"

We came up with a ton of crimes when we were mapping this thing out and asking what were the legs of the franchise. We came up with a ton of stories, but the one we wanted to start with was something that really put these two fascinating characters in proximity with each other. And they are so polarized on so many levels, not just the obvious law versus crime - ethnically, philosophically, a guy with white supremacist views and a guy who is African American. It's "Silence of the Lambs" meets "48 Hours" meets "The Defiant Ones." Those are all references that were very successful in their own right. With our criminal, we like elevating the intelligence of the criminal because that makes the protagonist that much smarter. A lot of people, when they tell stories, the criminals are so dumb. But Anthony Hopkins was an amazing criminal who elevated Jodie Foster's character, because she had to be smart in order to hang with that brilliant guy. If you look at it from that point of view, [the criminal in this story] isn't just some stupid hick that you just dismiss as being a racist. This guy is clever, he's cunning, he's a great adversary for our protagonist.

As an actor, you've inserted yourself into many different roles - some good guys, some bad guys. Does being an actor and portraying characters that vary on the moral scale help you write a story like this and delve into the mind of these characters?

Well, the first rule that you're taught in acting class is that you don't judge your character. You don't define your character as good or bad. What you do is you try and justify your character and try to justify your character's actions because there are a lot of people in this world that do some horrible things, but they don't see themselves as horrible people. They felt that what they were doing was necessary and justified. So, I don't create characters to say that he's a bad guy. I create a character who is trying to justify something that we may disagree with, but there is a logic. Even sometimes when there is a twisted logic, it has to be a logic nonetheless. So, we never say, "He's the bad guy." He certainly doesn't see himself as the bad guy, and that is a direct response to my training as an actor and everything that I know about storytelling. They make for much more multi-dimensional characters. Anthony Hopkins didn't see himself a depraved cannibal. He had purpose in his actions and he felt he was justified in doing those things. That's just been a point of view of storytelling that has serviced my company well and serviced me as an actor when I take on a role. When you have a supremacist versus an African American, the supremacist, from his point of view, sees thing a certain ways. Their logic makes sense on a certain level, it's just criminal. I see how this person came to that conclusion, it's a twisted conclusion, but there is a certain logic there. That to me, is the greatest challenge, when you can get the audience to admit that, even though they completely disagree.

As you've said, you've done a number of things in your profession - writing, directing, acting. What is it about the idea of visual storytelling, be it in comic book form or movies or television, appeals to you as a creator?

Whenever I read comics, the vast majority of them didn't feel like they needed to do all the homework because they had visuals, they were in a different world. The rules of storytelling, regardless of format or genre…I just think there has to be more consistency. Good storytelling is good storytelling. When we started off, it was with silent films and it was all about visuals. It was about visual communication. You didn't need the words back then, and you'd still have these amazing stories. One of the very first films that I did was a short with no dialogue whatsoever. Coming from that point on view, you rely heavily on visuals.

By the time you start dealing with comics, you see within one block so many things are being told. I love being able to tell a story just based on seeing an image and what that image does to you. I'm very committed to bringing everything I know about storytelling and saying just because I'm doing a comic… Some people have this attitude where, just because it's a comic you don't have to justify the character, or the character doesn't have to have complications and dilemmas. You get some great visuals, but you're like, "Man those great visuals would mean so much more if you have the audience truly involved." Every time you turn that page, you're hoping that nothing bad happens to them. You see a visual of a big brawny killer and you're like, "Wow. That's a badass, and I hope my hero can survive this." And that's all coming from the visuals.

You have obviously put a lot of thought into the medium and approaching it properly. What are your thoughts thus far? Would this be a world you'd like to have an extended stay in between acting and directing?

Once I've had my cherry pop…! I'm so into this world. The huge difference from after working with Keven is that when I get a story or a concept for a story, it goes through a different process. Before, I used to think, "This would be a great movie" or "This would be a great TV show." And now there is this third thing: "Would this be better starting off as a comic?" So, there's a third eye, now, that I've started developing. It's just giving me more options for storytelling, which is, again, the thing that I love most.

Break on out and head over the comic shop this September when "25 to Life" issue #1 hits shelves.

HEROES CON THIS WEEKEND!

It isn't too late to make it to one of the best comic conventions you'll ever attend! 12-GAUGE will be attending HEROES CON in full-force, so grab the nearest plane, train, or automobile (I don't recommend hitch-hiking these days) of your choice and join us in Charlotte, NC for lots of fun! Look for signings with MICK FOLEY, REBEKAH ISAACS, TONY SHASTEEN, JASON PEARSON, BRIAN STELFREEZE, CHRIS BRUNNER, JASON LATOUR, RICO RENZI & other bad-ass guests all weekend long.

HEROES CON teaser - MAGUS

Make sure to stop by and see us in Charlotte, NC this weekend to find out more about MAGUS!

MICK FOLEY & REBEKAH ISAACS join 12-Gauge at HEROES CON

From the HEROES CON release:

Yessirree, this year 12 Gauge Comics is coming loaded for BEAR! Making his first ever trip to HeroesCon this year is former WWE, WCW, and TNA wrestling champeen Mick Foley, aka “Mankind,” aka “Cactus Jack,” aka “Dude Love” (my personal favorite). He’s also the author of a few New York Times bestselling memoirs. But you might be thinking–”hey–HeroesCon doesn’t usually have media-type guests, what’s the dealio?” Well rest easy friends: Mick will be announcing a brand new comic he’s writing for 12 Gauge at the show! The details are shrouded in mystery, but Mick will be writing it, and it looks suspiciously like Brian Stelfreeze will be doing covers. Looks like 12 Gauge is going for a repeat of the uber-swamped Rosario Dawson appearances of 2007 and 2008! Mick will only be appearing on Saturday, as he has wrestling engagements on Friday and Sunday (what a life!)…

But there all three days will be Rebekah Isaacs, who is the artist on the new DV8 relaunch from Wildstorm, penned by Brian Wood! Rebekah has also worked previously on Ms Marvel, Hack/Slash, and Drafted, but odds are she’ll be at the 12 Gauge booth talking about her upcoming creator-owned book Magus, written by Jon Price and David Norton, who will both be appearing with her. Whoa nellie!

BDS Comics interview at Bloody-Disgusting

Here's an excerpt from the interview. Do the link to get the complete version:

THEoDEAD:”First of all thank all of you for your time in doing this. Before we jump into “The Boondock Saints: In Nomine Patris” why don’t we have everyone introduce themselves to the readers?”

Eben Matthews:”I'm the Founder/Creative Director of INNFUSION and the producer of the Boondock Saints Comic Series. INNFUSION is a creative idea company. We develop and produce cool stuff in a variety of media and comics and motion comics are two of the areas we focus on and love.”

Troy Duffy:”WRITER/DIRECTOR OF BDS1 AND 2.”

J.B Love:”My name is J.B. Love and I co-wrote the comics with Troy Duffy.”

Chris Brunner:”Illustrator/Cartoonist”

THEoDEAD:”With “IN NOMINE PATRIS” readers will be able to add to the awesome experience that they already had with “ALL SAINTS DAY” as the series has been compared to a deleted scene from that film. What is “IN NOMINE PATRIS” exactly?”

J.B Love:”It's essentially as the sub-title says, 'The Secret History of Il Duce'. We get to see the decisions, interactions, the process that led from him becoming a victim of violence to becoming the mob's own personal boogy man. Il Duce's story starts in 1959 and closes in 1975, when he went to prison, which is where we find him, 20 years later, in the first Boondock Saints film. During this story we'll be intercutting another 'deleted scene' with Connor and Murphy, which takes place before the assault on 'The Roman's' estate at the end of the 'All Saints Day'. So we get the evolution of hardcore badass-ery along with some day-to-day badass-ery.”

THEoDEAD:”I’m not going to lie, but when I was walking out of the theater after seeing “ALL SAINTS DAY” I had the thought that BDS would make a natural transition from film to comics. How long has this been an idea? Was the intent to make this move something that was very recent or has there always been interest?”

Eben Matthews:”I've been working with Troy and Co. for over five years doing web development, branding and marketing / design work for them. A few years ago the same thought hit me - that the Saints were perfect for comics. I got in touch with JB and asked him to write up a short comic style script to have something to then show to Troy. At that point they were settling a lawsuit and dealing with some other issues and it wasn't even possible to bring the Saints into other media so I sat on the script and the idea until the lawsuit was settled and it was possible. After that I sent the script over to Troy and he responded positively to it. We then had a series of meetings with Troy and CB (his producer) and ironed out the details followed by creative and story meetings and Boom! Boondock Saints in Comics!”

Troy Duffy:”I'M STILL LEARNING THE COMIC WORLD. THOUGH MANY HAVE THOUGHT FROM THE BEGINNING THAT BDS WOULD TRANSLATE BEAUTIFULLY TO COMICS, WE ACTUALLY TOOK A DIRECTION THAT IS NOT TECHNICALLY A PART OF THE TWO MOVIES. FILLING IN THE BACK STORY AS IT WERE. SO THOUGH IT "FEELS" A BIT LIKE BDS, ITS QUITE A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE. MOSTLY, IL DUCE'S HISTORY.”

J.B Love:”Well, Troy's the one best suited to speak on this, but Eben and I couldn't stop talking about all the comics possibilities once we'd seen the first film. And as I'm sure Troy will mention, being able to do pretty much anything in comics and not having to worry about FX budget opens up the world to all kinds of awesome. I think as far as why it came about when it did, this has to do with everything with the rights getting straightened out and the group of us coming together. Stars aligned and shit.”


THEoDEAD:”I know that there seems to be a more central focus on the eldest of The Saints, but will the brothers also play a major role as well?”

Troy Duffy:”THE STORY IS DUCE EXPLAINING HIS BLOODY PAST TO HIS SONS, SO YES. YOU WILL SEE SOME CHARACTERISTIC BROTHERS GIGS EVERY NOW AND THEN.”