G.I. JOE CONVENTION SPECIAL - SIGNED VERSION

BTC: So let's talk about those titles. First up has to be those Real American Heroes, G.I. Joe. My initial question is, when everyone started seeing those cool T-shirts popping up, many dismissed it as a retro fad. What gave you the foresight to have faith in the Joe's long-term viability? JOSH: Well, since I was the guy who had a big hand in starting the T-shirt movement, it only strengthened my confidence that this would be huge in comics. I guess the only way to understand how confident I was in it was to be an early twenty something who played with the toys and watched the cartoon and read the comics. Knowing the characters inside and out, I also understood that they really offered a pool of endless ideas. (Larry) Hama and the cartoon writers built such a rich universe to draw from. It was pretty sophisticated for a vehicle to sell kids toys.

BTC: So how did you land the Joe license, a brand that the big boys would have loved to have?

JOSH: We made a proposal like anyone else would, and from what I understand were the only ones who would put our money where our mouth was. At the time, no one was thinking of paying that much for a comic book license that wasn't Star Wars. No one understood the potential demand there. So Devil's Due secured the rights, and then began talking to publishers. I could have published through Devil's Due, but Image bit, and was the route I really wanted to go.

BTC: That's so funny... years ago you were reading about Image and now you're a big part of their publishing plan. Okay, so a year has passed since Snake Eyes returned and the titles (both G.I. Joe and Frontline) are both still firmly planted in the Top 50. What has kept these titles up so high in the sales charts?

JOSH: It really is how you handle the characters. There are so many, and while it was tricky at first, I feel I really know how to keep people interested. "The story is paramount," to quote big Walt D. Secondly, the G.I. Joe fans really do care about these characters. They're great, iconic figures just like the best that DC and Marvel have to offer, and we were able to prove that. Also, it has all the frills of superhero action, but without as many tights. The heroes are more down to earth, while the villains are over the top, which I think is a big part of what makes the formula a success.

I also think having a solid, ongoing series says a lot. We give you a good cover, a kick-ass back cover painting, and a good interior, and it comes every month. Our issue 15 is already back to outselling a lot of the '80s books that followed our lead. I'm very proud of that.

BTC: What can Joe fans look forward to in the first half of 2003?

JOSH: A slew of big name talent will be contributing their skills to G.I. Joe in '03, but I can't announce just who yet. Also, the story is leading up to a big, huge scale battle--the first chapter leading up to that being issue 16. We'll have a couple of other arcs after that, and get back into our big story that leads up to issue 25, which will be my last issue on the main series.

We're also planning a very special event to be announced soon, involving an artist who's name rhymes with "Zike Meck".

BTC: Hmm... I think I know his evil twin! Okay, since you mentioned this "special event", do you foresee additional one-shots or miniseries for Joe & Cobra?

JOSH: We're toying with the idea of doing one-shots, but right now we're leaving them open to be Frontline issues. I'd rather have two solid titles than have anything rushed. The problem with G.I. Joe isn't what stories to tell, though. It's what to cut out. So if we have an overflow of stories, and we think they'll support themselves financially, we're keeping side projects open.

BTC: April sees the debut of two new Devil's Due projects. What can you tell me about Kore and Lovebunny & Mr. Hell?

JOSH: Imagine walking to your car one morning and finding a monstrous goblin inside. You'd probably sh** your britches on the spot and head for the hills. All the goblin cares about, however, is hot-wiring your car, driving it through a portal to collect his check from the chop shop, and going home for a beer. That's the world of Kore.

Everyone has read stories about worlds with wizards, elves and trolls, but what if the magic on those worlds was suddenly all used up? That's the setting for Abaddon, the world Alexander Crane is thrown into when he meets a demon called the Mantikore. Now possessed and hideously transformed, this former Chicago museum worker is caught between an evil wizard who wants his host demon's power and the citizens of Abaddon who need his protection.

Meanwhile, over in Lovebunny & Mr. Hell, Tim Seeley's would-be superheroine and her sidekick/pet from Hell go to visit the Savage Dragon. He's doing a signing at a local comic shop in the area, promoting the comic based on his life, when the evil Industrielle attacks--a villainess with a penchant for techno-industrial music who paralyzes Dragon with her little nano machines--hey, it's G.I. Joe #1-4 all over again! Mr. Hell is too busy at the local fast food playground to help, leaving Bunny and Dragon trapped with Industrielle and dozens of fanboys too busy arguing over who could beat who to fear for their own safety. It's gonna be a riot.

Lovebunny has been our sleeper hit. Tim did a little strip with the characters about five years ago, and right off the bat I was like, "Dude, you have to publish this." He said, "Hell, dawg, publish that shizzle and make me a cash money millionaire!" So we did, and it's gathering a hell of a cult following.

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