Returning to the moon with Larry Young.
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Larry Young first took us to the moon with AiT: LIVE FROM THE MOON and the second time with COOL EDīS. Now the third trip is close at hand as AiT: SPACE 1959 will hit the stands this January. But moonwalks is not all Larry has planned for the new millenium and PopImage managed a talk with him about them and the new AiT.
Care to tell us what you will be working on in the new millenium?
I've got AiT: SPACE 1959 coming out in January, February, and March. Looks like I'll have two books from Image as well. The first, with John Heebink, is called THE BOD. It's about a hollywood starlet and what happens to her, her friends, and her job when she turns invisible. The second is called BOILERPLATE, and it's with animation writer Adam Beechen and VERTIGO bad boy Paul Guinan. An innovative look at the turn of the last century, this one follows a scientist and his greatest creation, a substitute man. Picture if Jules Verne had written BUCKAROO BANZAI, and you'll get a picture of how it's turning out. I've got two books planned with Darick Robertson and Kieron Dwyer, but I'm not sure if they'll be out in 2000 or 2001.
And would you tell us what you have planned with those 2 gentlemen?
Well, since Darick's got a CATWOMAN project going and Kieron's busy as hell, we haven't signed any contracts or anything. We should probably keep 'em under our hats for now. Believe me, when things are solid, I'll let you know.
Plus, around September or so, the second COOL ED's will be out.
So named after another of our ProFiles, Ed Brubaker, isnīt it?
Yep, ol' Ed was dragging his feet about maybe doing the intro for the script collection, so I told him I'd name something in my next project after him if he did it. I told him what it was about, and he said he wanted to be the bar. So there you have it. The bar's COOL ED's, and I got my intro.
How would you describe Astronauts in Trouble: Space 1959?
It's L.A. CONFIDENTIAL by way of DESTINATION: MOON. It's a rollickin', balls-out blast from the fifties, when the world wasn't so cynical, and there was no "the-public's-got-a-right-to-know." When guys did the right thing without thinking about it, and girls backed 'em up with a loaded gun.
Did your many years working as the Minister of Propaganda for Comics Experience in San Francisco lead you into writing your own comics?
Well, it certainly helped me understand the distribution side of being a publisher. Too many publishers think their job is done when the book comes back from the printer. I'm here to tell you that the job's only a third done then. Not only do you have to let folks know it's out there, but you have to convince retailers to order it in the first place. The days of putting out a comic and expecting people to care are G-O-N-E. It's gotta be good, it's gotta be on time, and it's gotta get people talking. Fortunately, the planets aligned and I was able to get all three going with my first project out of the gate.
So your message to the people in charge is: Get to work!
| My stories are about normal folks in abnormal circumstances |
I totally ascribe to the Yoda line from EMPIRE STRIKES BACK: "Do. Or do not. There is no try." If people stopped belly-aching about what was wrong with comics and just put their heads down and did what they think should happen, the ol' comics industry would be fixed, lickety-split.
Have been asking people about what they think of comics libraries, what are your thoughts on the subject?
If by that you mean a lending library kinda thing, I think it's great. Anything that gets people reading comics is good, if you ask me.
Do you see peoples' interest in superheroes waning, is that why your tales are about normal people?
I like a good story, no matter what the subject. But, my stories are about normal folks in abnormal circumstances, because those are the kinds of stories I like, myself. I just don't think I have very much to say about superheroes. That doesn't mean I'll never write about 'em... it's just it'll have to be a pretty good story... I've got an idea for KAMANDI, for example, that I think's pretty good... but he's not really a superhero, so there you go.
What have peoples reactions to AiT been?
I've been pretty fortunate in that it's been well-received.
Warren Ellis called it "one of the most entertaining and compelling pieces
of fiction in comics that the year produced", so I can't be doing all
that badly.
Randy Lander, of PsyComic, called me a "genius", and I gotta admit, that
one puffed up my head for about two hours until my wife got sick of it
and kept saying things like "Pass the salt, genius", "Take out the garbage,
genius" and such. But I'm just trying to entertain people; I'm just glad
they're digging it.
So the saying is true, behind every great man there is a great woman.
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Relevant Links
www.astronautsintrouble.com