From GØDLAND to Iron Man – Joe Casey Interview

Wednesday, Jun. 20 2007 | Author: Michael

Joe Casey (possibly pictured to the left…but probably not)is a comic book genius.

He’s directly responsible for some of the best stuff to come out of comics in the last ten years, with titles like Automatic Kafka, the only good version of Wildcats, the cosmic epic GØDLAND, and more superhero comics from the “Big 2″ than you can shake a stick at.

Joe took a few minutes out his day this week to talk with Forever Geek about his upcoming projects, including a new Iron Man mini-series that focuses on the origin on the Mandarin, Tony’s arch-nemesis, and one of the rumored villains for the upcoming film.

Q. Joe, I know you have several irons in the fire, as it were, including Iron Man: Enter the Mandarin from Marvel that we’re going to be talking about shortly, but can you give us a run down of all your current projects?

In comics, it’s GØDLAND with Tom Scioli, NIXON’S PALS with Chris Burnham, CHARLATAN BALL with Andy Suriano, plus some top secret stuff that, if I told you, I’d have to kill you.

Q. Let’s talk about GØDLAND for a second. There is an over-sized hardcover collecting the first year that is available now (or very soon), and trades that can catch readers up on the series, but can you give us a description of the book. Where’s it’s been, and where it’s going?

(note to readers you can read the entire first issue of the GØDLAND on the Image Comics website by clicking here, and you can visit the GØDLAND fansite, which is being remodled right here.)

GØDLAND is the ultimate cosmic superhero epic. What else do you need to know? It’s everything you love about comicbooks crammed between two covers every month (or close to it). As you mentioned, this summer, the huge CELESTIAL EDITION hardcover, collects the first twelve issues, will hit stands. It’s a lot of fun and, even though I write the damn thing, I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves the medium and what it’s still capable of. In the series, we’re coming up on the end of Year Two and the only tease I can give is… watch out for the Gorilla Ranch Girls appearing in issue #20. That, and the return of Friedrich Nickelhead.

Q. You also co-created “Ben10″ with your buddies at Man-of-Action, and I hear there is a movie in the works…do you have any updates on that?

Regarding the movie, I’ve heard that, too. The latest news on BEN 10 the series is that some new elements are being added to the show (in the fifth season, I believe), really trying to evolve the concept of what the show is. It’s exciting stuff with some new folks coming onboard to help out on the production side.

Q. Is there anything new coming from Man-of-Action in the near future?

We’re working on a CGI feature called THE 7 C’S, a co-production with Korean animation powerhouse SAMG. We’ll be running video previews at the Man Of Action booth at the San Diego Comic-Con. Trust me when I tell you, the footage so far will blow you away.

Q. Let’s get back to Iron Man: Enter the Mandarin for a second. The solicitation copy for the book starts off with ” Warming up for the movie event of 2008″ – so is it safe to say that Mandarin is the actual villain, or at least A villain in the upcoming film?

I honestly have no idea. That’s what I heard, which is one of the reasons I pitched this project. Timing is everything. Now that Eric Canete’s onboard, and I’ve written most of the series, the movie tie-in aspect is pretty irrelevant. So if the Mandarin doesn’t end up in the movie (which I’m looking forward to, regardless), our book still kicks much ass.

Q. As far as the mini-series itself is concerned, is this a kind of “Year One” for Mandarin?

More like an in-depth exploration of Iron Man’s first encounter with the Mandarin, an expansion and updating of the original stories that appeared in TALES OF SUSPENSE issue #50-55. You could say there’s a bit of a EARTH’S MIGHTIEST HEROES-vibe to it.

Q. Will there be any significant changes to the character’s appearance?

Nothing too radical, just a visual update to keep him competitive for modern readers. The original Mandarin costume is pretty lame in just about every way, so it was a no-brainer to polish up his look. But, trust me, it’s the classic Mandarin we all know and love.

Q. Now, this mini is set in the past, so we won’t be seeing the more controversial Tony Stark of present day Marvel in this mini right? What’s your take on Tony today, and will the mini have any direct connections or ramifications for the ongoing Iron Man comic?

I haven’t been following the IRON MAN monthly since Warren Ellis left, so I’m not sure where the character is at. I know what *my* vision of the character is, so that’s what I’m writing. Everyone knows what a fan of David Michelinie’s I am, and his IRON MAN runs were hands down the best version of the character, so I suppose it’s easy to guess where I take my cues when writing the character myself.

Q. And finally, anything else coming down the pipe from Joe Casey you can tell us about?

Tons of stuff coming up. Nothing I can talk about yet. I try to steer clear of premature revelation whenever I can.