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News Roundup 2025-05-11

Personal / Website News

Peplum Ponderings: Gladiator II

Yall knew it was coming eventually! Gladiator II came out late last year. The follow up to the iconic film that started the neo-peplum cycle, what was I going to say about it?

Well, I did see it in theaters late December, but needed to wait for the physical release to come out and watch it again.

And so here it is: my write up of Gladiator II can be read right here. Enjoy!

Scholars from the Edge of Time: Gladiator II

In case you did not want to read all of that above, Michele and I also discussed Gladiator II during the April Scholars from the Edge of Time episode. The episode can be watched on YouTube.

ECOF 2025

In September of 2025 there will be an Edgar Rice Burroughs Chain of Friendship (ECOF) event down in Willcox, AZ. This event is to celebrate the 150th birthday of Burroughs while also honoring him with a plaque in the town due to his stationing with there the 7th U.S. Calvary in the 1890s. (Note: another ERB convention was held in Willcox back in 2019 and an event recap of that can be read at ERBZine #7059).

Here is a flyer for the 2025 event:

Here is the press release:

RENOWNED AUTHOR EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS’ CAVALRY SERVICE TO BE MEMORIALIZED IN WILLCOX, AZ

“Tarzan” Creator and Pop Culture’s Influential “Great Grandfather” Commemorated for His 150th Birthday.

WILLCOX, AZ – The renowned author and “Great Grandfather” of popular culture, Edgar Rice Burroughs, started his adult life as a cavalryman at Arizona’s Fort Grant in May of 1896. This September, as part of the late author’s 150th birthday celebration, his cavalry service will be memorialized with a monument at the restored Southern Pacific train depot in Willcox, where he arrived on his way to Fort Grant (35 miles north).

The influential creator of Tarzan of the Apes, John Carter of Mars, and The Land That Time Forgot series of stories wrote in his “Autobiography” that he specifically requested “to be sent to the worst post in the United States” and was then promptly assigned to Fort Grant in Arizona Territory, where his troop would spend some time hunting after the Apache Kid and other outlaws.

Many believe that Burroughs’ initial stay in Arizona influenced his first Martian story, Under the Moons of Mars, which begins with the first chapter titled “On the Arizona Hills.” The John Carter Martian stories would go on to influence generations of science fiction and fantasy books and movies, and would inspire many young people to become scientists, engineers, and astronauts. He would later author the books The War Chief and Apache Devil, both set in Arizona during the Apache Wars of the 1860s – 1880s.
This Willcox Edgar Rice Burroughs Chain of Friendship (ECOF) Gathering will take place from September 25 to 28, 2025, with the 7th Cavalry Historical Monument formal dedication ceremony on Saturday, September 27th from 10:00 AM – 12:00 Noon near the historic Southern Pacific Railroad Depot.

The monument dedication at the Willcox train depot will include guest speakers and participation of local Buffalo Soldier reenactors. All other convention events will take place at the Elks Lodge #2131 in Willcox, and will include discussion panels, a “huckster” (vendor) room, Guest of Honor and speaker Jeffrey J. Mariotte (author of Tarzan and the Forest of Stone), Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. speakers, a Saturday night banquet/ dinner, a Tarzan movie screening, and other surprises.

These events are sponsored by the Sulphur Springs Valley Historical Society and the Apache Devils chapter of The Burroughs Bibliophiles. The celebration is open to the public for free (except for the dinner and movie), but full attendees can register for a fee that covers a goodie bag, a huckster table, and the Saturday dinner.
This is a must-attend event for fans of Edgar Rice Burroughs and pop-culture historians alike. If you’d like to visit the place where it all began, don’t miss this very special celebration. (Note that some convention activities will require full event registration – the registration form is provided separately.)

The Holiday Inn Express & Suites Willcox is offering a special daily room rate of $119 plus taxes for the nights of 25 to 27 September for attendees. The group name is “ECOF.” You can make reservations at this rate by calling the hotel at (520) 384-3333; rooms are limited. The address is 1251 N. Virginia Ave, Willcox, AZ 85643.

If you would like more information about the 2025 ECOF event, please call Frank Puncer at 520.281.1818, or email him at fwpuncer at gmail dot com.

Here is the registration from:

Registration Form for the 2025 Edgar Rice Burroughs Chain of Friendship (ECOF) Gathering in Willcox, AZ (v8)Download

Michele and I will be in attendance for this convention, so I’ve added it to the appearances section of my website as well. I may be doing a presentation on Tarzan as a peplum character in Tarzan and the Lost Empire. Hope to see yall there!

Publishing Recap

Below is a recap of my external publishing endeavors so far in 2025.

Comic Book Review: “The Moon Maid: Catacombs of the Moon #2″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #332.

Comic Book Review: “The Moon Maid: Catacombs of the Moon #3″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #333.

“Tarzan Cocktail: Deconstructed – Reconstructed” reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #335.

Original can be read here.

“There’s Always Room” in Merry Creepsmas: The Red Book. Edited by Parth Sarathi Chakraborty. Wicked Shadow Press, 2025.

“Tagliolini al Tarzan: Interview with Actress Bella Cortez on Taur the Mighty” in The Burroughs Bulletin #109. Edited by Henry Franke III. February, 2025.

Calls for Papers/Proposals

Here are some new pop culture CFPs that have crossed my path or I am sharing on behalf of my colleagues. Links to these will also be in the CFP page on the navigation bar.

We Live Again! Disney’s Gargoyles as an Evolving Transmedia Text

Co-sponsored by the Monsters & the Monstrous Area and Disney Studies Area
Call for Papers for 2025 Virtual Conference of the Northeast Popular Culture Association (NEPCA)
Thursday, 9 October, to Saturday, 11 October, 2025
Submissions are open until Tuesday, 15 July by 5 PM EDT

Conceived by creator Greg Weisman, Disney’s Gargoyles began as a television series in the 1990s and has been expanded over the decades through action figures, books, clothing, collectibles, comics, conventions, fan art, fanfiction, games, puzzles, and recurrent rumors of a live-action reboot. Although now over thirty years old, Gargoyles has remained incredibly popular since its initial debut, yet, while other aspects of Disney Studies are flourishing, scholars have mostly neglected the series. Therefore, we seek in this session to offer some critical attention to Gargoyles and its various adaptations and continuations.

Proposals should display some knowledge of the history and scope of the series, its adaptation history, and its ongoing evolution. We encourage you to make use of the resource guide provided at https://tinyurl.com/WeLiveAgainRG in formulating your approach.

To submit a proposal, please review the requirements and procedure from NEPCA’s main conference page at https://www.northeastpca.org/conference. Proposals should be approximately 250 words; an academic biographical statement (75 words or less) is also requested. Payment of registration and membership fees will be required to present. More details on exact costs will be forthcoming.

Direct submissions to the Monsters & the Monstrous Area can be made at https://cfp.sched.com/speaker/sTP9T9X3cW/event. Address any questions or concerns to the area chair at popular.preternaturaliana@gmail.com.

Further information on the Monsters & the Monstrous Area can be accessed on our blog Popular Preternaturaliana: Studying the Monstrous in Popular Culture at https://popularpreternaturaliana.blogspot.com/.
Further information on the Northeast Popular Culture Association (NEPCA) can be accessed from our new website at https://www.northeastpca.org/.

Silly Old Bear? Adaptations, Appropriations, and Transformations of Winnie-the-Pooh

Co-sponsored by the Monsters & the Monstrous Area and Disney Studies Area
Call for Papers for 2025 Virtual Conference of the Northeast Popular Culture Association (NEPCA)
Thursday, 9 October, to Saturday, 11 October, 2025
Submissions are open until Tuesday, 15 July by 5 PM EDT


A. A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh has always been a bit of a shapeshifter manifesting under various names and appearances since the start of his now over one-hundred-year career as a transmedia figure. Over the past century, Pooh and his associates from the Hundred Acre Wood have been adapted and appropriated to feature in artwork, cards, clothing, collectibles, comics, cookbooks, fiction, films, games, illustrations, memes, musical theater, original videos, philosophical treatises, plays, poems, radio broadcasts, self-help manuals, stuffed animals, songs, streaming video, television programs, theatrical productions, theme park attractions, and translations as well as critical commentaries and works of scholarship. These stories tell of their adventures across time and space, and each text offers a unique approach to the characters. Notably, Pooh and his band have often undergone radical transformations through various parodies and pastiches, with many more innovative approaches appearing since their move into the public domain beginning in 2022.

In this session, we seek to catalog and critique some of these various takes on Winnie-the-Pooh and his companions. We ask you to explore how these adaptations, appropriations, and transformations of these familiar figures connect to and/or diverge from the Poohian tradition established by Milne and illustrator E. H. Shepard. We want you to uncover what these works might say about the gang from the Hundred Acre Wood, the creators of these new works, and, ultimately, ourselves as the receivers of these texts. We encourage you to make use of the resource guide provided at https://tinyurl.com/SillyOldBearRG in formulating your approach.

To submit a proposal, please review the requirements and procedure from NEPCA’s main conference page at https://www.northeastpca.org/conference. Proposals should be approximately 250 words; an academic biographical statement (75 words or less) is also requested. Payment of registration and membership fees will be required to present. More details on exact costs will be forthcoming.

Direct submissions to the Monsters & the Monstrous Area can be made at https://cfp.sched.com/speaker/sTP9T9X3cW/event. Address any questions or concerns to the area chair at popular.preternaturaliana@gmail.com.

Further information on the Monsters & the Monstrous Area can be accessed on our blog Popular Preternaturaliana: Studying the Monstrous in Popular Culture at https://popularpreternaturaliana.blogspot.com/.

Further information on the Northeast Popular Culture Association (NEPCA) can be accessed from our new website at https://www.northeastpca.org/.

(Re)Animating the Middle Ages: Adapting the Medieval in Animated Media (In-Person)

Mid-Atlantic Popular Culture Association’s 2025 Annual Conference
Sonesta Hotel Philadelphia (1800 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19103)
6-8 November 2025

The Association for the Advancement of Scholarship and Teaching of the Medieval in Popular Culture invites proposals for an in-person panel on the theme of “(Re)Animating the Middle Ages: Adapting the Medieval in Animated Media” for the Mid-Atlantic Popular Culture Association’s 2025 Annual Conference, which will run from Thursday, 6 November, to Saturday, 8 November 2025.

Proposals might cover any aspects of the medieval in animated films, animated shorts, anime, computer-generated images, games, or television cartoons.

We are especially looking for presentations on medieval-themed anime and adaptations of Beowulf, the Robin Hood tradition, and the works of J. R. R. Tolkien but also welcome work on other texts and traditions.

A resource guide for the project is accessible at https://lnkd.in/ekvpHdhp.

Please send a short biography and paper proposal (300 words or less) to the organizers at medievalinpopularculture@gmail.com by Thursday, 24 July 2025.

(Be advised that MAPACA will require accepted presenters to create an account in their conference system. There will also be a registration fee to participate in the event.)

For more information on the Association for the Advancement of Scholarship and Teaching of the Medieval in Popular Culture please visit https://lnkd.in/eNUGT6ap.

For more information on MAPACA please visit https://mapaca.net/.

Miscellaneous Tidbits

Some fun things I shared online from these past few weeks. Highlighting things from my personal collection of pop culture artifacts.

May the Fourth / Phil Brown Autograph

May the Fourth was earlier this month and its always fun to talk about and celebrate Star Wars.

My big entry point into Star Wars was actually the CCG dEcipher put out back in the 90s. Before the card game I knew of Star Wars, seen the movies on VHS, but it wasn’t a *thing*. After my cat had kittens on my Magic cards, I looked to other CCGs to collect, and went with Star Wars, and that was what sent me spiraling into the movies, comics, and the books – so many books. So, I have a soft spot for the old CCG and Expanded Universe at the time.

One of my treasures is my autographed Owen Lars card signed by actor Phil Brown. My friends and I attended a tiny Portland comic book show in the latter part of the 90s, and Brown was one of the guests. So, I got my card signed by him.

News from Friends

Cool kids I know have been busy lately! Here are some signal boosts I’d like to give out.

New Ride the Stream Episodes

Michele and Travis have some brand new episodes of their Ride the Stream vidcast online at YouTube. They dive into the next few episodes of Lost.

Here is their discussion of episode 17 of season 1:

Here is episode 18:

And here is episode 19:

New episodes drop every Friday on YouTube. Keep an eye on their YouTube channel, or give them a follow on Bluesky.

New Fan2Fan Episodes

Bernie and Pete have some new episodes of their Fan2Fan podcast online.

First they have an episode about Superman and his cultural impact.

The One Where we Talk About Superman – Fan2Fan Podcast

Next they have an episode where they focus in on the original Superman movie:

Superman: The Motion Picture – Fan2Fan Podcast

And finally, Michele joins as a guest on the Podcast to talk about the 1922 version of Nosferatu:

Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922) – Fan2Fan Podcast

Older episodes of Fan2Fan can be found at its Libsyn page or via your podcast app of preference.

The Azure Cove Assignment

Ian Welke has a brand new novel out! It is called The Azure Cove Assignment. Here is the cover by Kelly Lyon King:

The book can be purchased on Amazon.

Categories
Peplum

Salvaged Goods: Alicia Carter and Robot Issue 01

The Astonishing Adventures of Alicia Carter and Robot is a brand new comic series by Tristan Vick, with Chris Awayan on art and Mirza Wirawan on colours. The debut issue of Alicia Carter and Robot (ACaR) was Kickstarted in February 2022 and released by Vick’s own publishing imprint, Regolith Comics. 

SFW cover for ACaR by Karen Darboe (for preview/thumbnail purposes)

ACaR is described on its Kickstarter campaign as an “action-packed sci-fi adventure” in the vein of classic pulps such as “Northwest Smith, Flash Gordon, and John Carter of Mars” with comedy thrown in. The Edgar Rice Burroughs’ character homage is immediately noticed in Alicia Carter’s last name. The comic shares the sci-fi pulp DNA in the same vein as Star Wars does. 


Personal copy of ACaR with NSFW Toshio Maeda-inspired cover by Awayan.

Carter is an infamous space thief whose latest escapade has her stealing a crystal from the reptilian criminal Klaven Skullvek and the two bounty hunters in his employ: the cybernetic Armitage and sniper Kira. While being pursued, Carter crash lands on Junk World, an entire planet converted into a garbage dump by Nova Corp. Amnesic from a head wound during her rough landing, Carter is rescued by Garbage Disposal Unit 3 (GDU-3), a bipedal robot that salvages treasures from the refuse. Together, Carter and GDU-3 team up to evade Skullvek and his henchpeople and escape from Junk World. 

Alicia Carter.

Carter as a character is a fun, rogueish heroine in the Han Solo/Star-Lord sense. As a sword and planet character, much like John Carter, she appears to be incredibly agile and able to leap large distances – or at least within the gravity on Junk World. If Carter has any fault it is due to the temporary amnesia she only suffers from for a handful of pages. If anything, this selective amnesia robs her of precious character development as it otherwise doesn’t advance or effect the plot at all. On the other hand, Carter is extremely animated and emotive. She pops off the comic’s pages with gestures and facial expressions that make her both endearing and easy to read, which is definitely in part due to the art and colour work of Awayan and Wirawan respectively. 

GDU-3 (The Robot).

GDU-3 is quite fleshed out as a robot character. While he has protocols he must follow, he exhibits numerous human-like traits, such as he collects books and other trinkets for his own collection. His relationship to his parent company, Nova Corp, is very like that of Robocop to OCP – he follows his directives, but with the help of others, is able to overcome some of his programming to be more capable and free. 

The art of ACaR is excellent. The Awayan and Wirawan team are able to make the muted, drab garbage planet of Junk World look interesting. All the characters look distinctive, at appropriate times stepping into cartoonish territory, but only for added comedic affect. 

No expense was spared on issue one of ACaR. The comic clocks in at thirty-six pages of content including a gallery of all the alternative covers. The back cover of the comic has a bit of texture on it as well. In addition, folks who contributed to the ACaR Kickstarter received a plethora of fantastic loot as part of the campaign’s stretch goals. 

Trading cards.

Firstly, there was six trading cards, one for each character. The backs of the cards contain stats (strength, speed, charisma, etc.) along with a biography of the pictured character. Hopefully the trading card trend will continue in successor crowdfunding campaigns. They are fun but they also provided paratextual information to supplement the world and character building in the comic.

Stickers and magnet.

Next, two chibi-styled stickers of Carter and GDU-3 along with a magnet of their ship were part of the stretch goals.

Foil art print by Shikarii.

Finally, a holofoil art print of Carter looking bad ass by artist Shikarii is also part of the package.

The Kickstarter campaign was also an avenue to pre-purchase exclusive cover variants of ACaR done by different artists, with most covers also having a NSFW incarnation. Interestingly, most Kickstarter comic book campaigns that have numerous NSFW covers also have corresponding content that is adult in nature (nudity, sex, and violence). Though ACaR has a handful of risque covers (see personal copy above), the comic proper is fairly PG-13. There’s no nudity and barely any profanity (swear words are replaced: “helios” for “hell,” “frack” for “fuck” and so on). The violence is cartoonish, with only one scene showing blood (on a regenerative character at that). 

ACaR is off to a great start. Carter is a fun heroine and GDU-3 a shocking fleshed out, unique character. Unknown if future issues of the series will be episodic in nature, with a different adventure in each comic, or one large arc spanning multiple issues, but the intergalactic antics of Carter and GDU-3 look promising and exciting.

More information about Alicia Carter and Robot and the team behind it can be found at the following locations:

Categories
News

News Roundup W/E 2022-07-31

Personal / Website News

Art Boozel Book Review

Jennifer Croll has done some unique and inventive takes on cocktails and cocktail culture, with Free the Tipple: Kickass Cocktails Inspired by Iconic Women in 2018 and her recently published this past spring, Dressed to Swill: Runway-Ready Cocktails Inspired by Fashion Icons.

Personal copy of Art Boozel

Art Boozel is Croll’s book from 2021, and it’s fantastic. I’ve done a few cocktails from the book and enjoyed them so I though I’d do a book review. The write up can be read here.

New Episode of H. P. Lovecast

August has just ended so that means a new Transmissions episode of the H. P. Lovecast Podcast.

Thumbnail by Michele Brittany

For August we focused on the recently published horror anthology, Even in the Grave. For our normal episode we discussed Trevor Firetog’s “What’s Your Secret?” and Steven Van Patten’s “Blind Spot.” That episode can be found at our Buzzsprout website.

HPLCP Transmissions – Ep 14 – Carol Gyzander, Trevor Firetog, and Steven Van Patten – H. P. Lovecast Podcast

We conclude the month by not only interviewing Firetog and Van Patten about their stories, but also returning guest Carol Gyzander who co-edited the book. This episode can also be found at our Buzzsprout website, at the embedded player above, or streamed via your podcast app of preference.

CoKoCon 2022 Panel Appearances

Michele and I will make an appearance at CoKoCon 2022 over Labour Day weekend.

CoKoCon is a local (Phoenix) sci-fi/fantasy fan con. More info on the con can be found at CoKoCon website, along with ticket and guest news.

Michele and I will be appearing on three panels over the course of the con. The schedule is below, but I also have the information on my Conference Appearances page:

Horror & Sci-Fi from Pre-Code Films
Saturday, Sept. 3rd
10:00 am – 11:00 am
Fiesta Ballroom 2

Your Mom is Lovecraftian: Why Cosmic Horror is So Hard to Get Right
Sunday, Sept.4th
9:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Coronado room

Swords, Sandals, Sorcery, and Other Planets
Monday, Sept. 5th
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Fiesta Ballroom 1

Scholars from the Edge of Time

New episode of Scholars from the Edge of Time is now online! This one is on YouTube, so you get to see my acting like a doof. In this episode I talk about the sword and sorcery film, DragonHeart, but also bring up Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire and Troma films.

Categories
Interview

Surprise Delivery: Interview with D. J. Kirkbride on Errand Boys

For well over a decade, D. J. Kirkbride has been writing some of the most creative and unique comics to have hit the market. From Amelia Cole to The Biggest Bang, from Never Ending to The Once and Future Queen, Kirkbride has a signature light-hearted wit that compliments his fun and engaging speculative-fiction stories. His latest comic book series is Errand Boys â€“ a sci-fi adventure that sees two brothers as interplanetary couriers – and was originally published as a five issue run at Image Comics. This spring season sees a release of a trade paperback version of this comic from Dark Horse Comics. 

Trade paperback cover for Errand Boys.

What was the catalyst for Errand Boys? How did the comic come about?

The story started with me working out something personal in the only way I know how: wild and weird comic book adventure tales filled with lots of aliens and absurd technology and shenanigans.

I have a kind of Brady Bunch times two or three family, and the relationship between brothers who share one parent but didn’t really grow up together was definitely something I wanted to explore. Different types of families and what it means to be family. Dealing with loss was a big part of the story, too. The comic is not at all literal or a one-to-one with my experiences, but they’re all present or represented in some way.

The ever-growing gig economy, people working not just weekly paycheck to weekly paycheck, but gig payment to gig payment, with no real infrastructure or insurance or any of the things I grew up thinking was everyone’s goal was another aspect of it. That kind of uncertainty can sometimes lead to a lot of us making hasty decisions with potentially heavy consequences.

D. J. Kirkbride, photo courtesy of Kirkbride.

What is the primary goal you wanted to accomplish with Errand Boys?

Entertainment is always the goal! Wage inequality and the devastating environmental impact of big corporations along with family tragedy and stepping up for those in need is all in this story, but if it’s not a fun ride that keeps readers turning the pages, it belongs scribbled in my diary, not in a beautifully illustrated and designed book from Dark Horse Comics, you know?

Cyberpunk stories, such as Snow Crash, Johnny Mnemonic, and the video game Mirror’s Edge, prominently feature couriers and, despite the super presence high tech, take the low tech, sneaker net approach to delivering goods and information, something echoed in Errand Boys. Do you have any sort of affinity to the cyberpunk genre or has it had an influence on you?

I just started reading Snow Crash a few days ago, oddly enough. I’m digging it so far, but, suffice it to say, it wasn’t an influence on this Errand Boys. Also, and this is strange given what I write and watch and read, but I don’t really play video games, so I don’t know Mirror’s Edge. Johnny Mnemonic I saw in the theater when it came out, but I’ve not read the source material. 

Having said all that, so much of this type of work is in the culture, and influences influence other influences to the point that I’m sure echoes of all of these stories made it into my over-caffeinated brain. 

No one in Errand Boys is as cool as Keanu Reeves in Johnny Mnemonic (or Keanu in any other movie), though. Jace doesn’t even own a snazzy suit.

What are texts that you feel have their DNA in Errand Boys?

In the original pitch, I put forth the idea it could be looked at like a story about the type of characters in the background of Star Wars movies, the ones who don’t have any Jedi friends and aren’t fighting in giant intergalactic skirmishes. These are the folks just trying to get by and afford the occasional blue milk and all that. 

Someone, either a review or a comment, said Errand Boys seemed inspired by Futurama to them, which didn’t occur to me until I read that. I see it now, though.

The best intergalactic settings have unique planets and a variety of memorable non-human characters. How did you and artist Nikos Koutsis work together to accomplish this aspect for Errand Boys?

Originally, I pictured this more as almost a science/speculative fiction world designed like a Wes Anderson movie. The story was a little more static and introspective. Co-creator/artist Nikos Koutsis, genius that he is, took the script for the original pitch pages, and made them into a budget-less blockbuster movie. Suddenly, and happily, where I originally saw mid shots and formal framing, we had action-packed angles and crazy energy.

When I write, I try to figure out how much description to give to each artist. Nikos would take something like, “Bear is Jace’s heavyset, cigar chomping boss who always has a stain on his shirt,” and make him that amazingly designed alien creature that he is. Nikos did that with all the characters and the tech in Errand Boys.

He influenced the writing and pacing, too. Lots of conversations went from taking place in a room or something to happening while being chased or running or jumping off of all sorts of structures way too high for people to jump off of, and it made the book so much more exciting. 

He’s a great collaborator and became a friend as we worked on this book. I hope to work with him again. 

You’ve written quite a few speculative fiction comics. What would you say is the most distinguishable, uniquely you, aspect about your writing?

That might be for others to say. I’m not the best at intellectualizing what I do or why I do it, if that makes any sense. My hope is that the comics I work on entertain readers and make them feel some emotions. Even the all-ages fun stuff has real stakes that I hope affect readers young and old!

What were some of the new challenges, or perhaps learning something you didn’t know before, that you encountered with Errand Boys?

The background, kind of nuts ‘n bolts of comic book publishing, how much it’s changed since I started working in comics, was, and continues to be really eye opening. Our experience with Errand Boys has been a long and winding road, filled with surprises and challenges that ultimately made me realize that, for the types of stories I like to help tell, the trade format is probably better than single issues. I grew up on single issues, and there are titles I enjoy buying that way, but I don’t know if the market is conducive to that publishing style for my work or level in this zany industry.

What are you most proud of with the comic?

In terms of writing, it was a big breakthrough for me. I always weave in some personal details and whatnot, but this one was the most honest while also being silly and fun, I think. That our characters truly grow and change from the start to finish in ways that feel organic and true was nice, and hopefully readers of the trade will take that journey. Nikos along with color flatter Mike Toris and letterer/logo designer Frank Cvetkovic, all brought the story to life beautifully, and I’m really proud of it.

In one of the scenes of Errand Boys, there’s an alien chilling poolside with a multi-straw libation. This is a perfect segue to ask you how you got into tiki culture and what your favourite tiki cocktail is.

Ah, hmmmmm… my partner introduced me to a nice little place called Ventiki in Ventura, CA. I’m sure I had a tiki cocktail or two before that, but that opened me up to a whole new world of tasty, fancy, fun drinks! It’s become a must visit when we’re near, and we like finding tiki bars in other towns we visit. I enjoy the style and happy vibe of most of those places, but I’m fairly ignorant of the actual culture that inspired this style. It’s something I need to read up on and learn more about, actually.

As for my favorite drink, that’s a tough one! A Mai Tai, in almost all of its variations, is always good to try out when visiting a new place. There’s a drink called the Jet Pilot that I also really like, as I’m a fan of cinnamon. 

What are upcoming projects or news you’d like to share?

Nothing set in stone at the moment. One pitch is being pitched, and another is being lettered now, and I have some ideas scribbled in my notebook, so… hopefully more soon!

Finally, and most importantly, (but not related to Errand Boys), why does Amelia Cole eat tacos from the top? 

That’s a question for artist/co-creator Nick Brokenshire. Once he drew her eating a taco like that, though, co-writer/co-creator Adam P. Knave and I acknowledged it as perfectly in character and noted it in the script the next time she had a taco for lunch.

Sincere thanks to D. J. Kirkbride for allowing me to interview him. The trade paperback edition of Errand Boys will be published April 13. Errand Boys can be ordered via your favourite brick and mortar comic book store, or check out these purchasing options listed at Dark Horse Comics.

Kirkbride can be found at his website and his other publications can be found at his Amazon author page.