Hellcock huh? I mean... that's funny. I was sold on this book from the name alone, but I know that people need more than that! How dare you make these creators works so damn hard for your possibly hard earned money. Just kidding, but you should definitely read the following interview with Allen: Son of Hellcock creators Will Tracy and Gabe Koplowitz.
DUSTIN: What is Allen: Son of Hellcock about to you?
One the one hand, it's about Allen, the weakling son of the great warrior Hellcock, who must go on a misguided, purportedly heroic quest through an enchanted fantasy realm with a washed-up band of heroes and his father's nagging ghost in tow. However, on the other hand, it may also be a searing meditation on the temporal malaise engendered by myth, which renders truth an intersubjectively unverifiable concept governed by phenomena indistinguishable in reality from palpable falsehoods. Or, alternatively, perhaps what it is really "about," in the larger sense, is civil engineer George Washington Goethals' completion of the Panama Canal in the summer of 1914. One of these things is true, or all of them, or none of them, but one thing is for certain: Allen: Son of Hellcock will change your life forever.
DUSTIN: What were some of the influences for the book both in the writing and the art?
WILL: As far as the writing, Gabe and I certainly talked about comics like Groo the Wanderer, Bone, and Orc Stain, for striking the balance of fantasy and comedy. Also, Edgar Wright's movies serve as a great example of how to parody a genre with fondness, gently mocking its tropes while also, in a way, emulating them. Art-wise, Gabe and I had always envisioned something along the lines of the "cartoon realism" of Tintin, where the book's world and its inhabitants are somewhat cartoon-y, in a sense, but also highly detailed and down-to-earth in a human, realistic way. But what we really envisioned for the art would be anything illustrated by the great Miguel Porto, which is lucky for us, since the book is being illustrated by the great Miguel Porto.
GABE: I think the better question is, "What are some works that Allen: Son of Hellcock will influence? They'll almost certainly be:
The Greatest Comic Of All Time: How Allen: Son of Hellcock Brought About World Peace and Won The 2015 NL Cy Young Award by Toni Morrison
Lincoln Center Presents Allen, Unbound: An Evening of Avant Garde Dance and Flute Solos featuring Taboo From The Black Eyed Peas
Delusional Comic Book Writers: A Case Study - The Kusnitz Journal of Psychology, July 2016
Hellcock, is that a French of Italian delicacy and about how much per a plate?
WILL: It is, I believe, of Lithuanian origin, and is not served on a plate at all, but rather regurgitated into your mouth from a feral hog which must be at least 40 days with child. It pairs particularly well with a spicy Zinfandel or twelve tall beakers of pancake syrup.
GABE: But for you? Gratis
DUSTIN: How long is the first story arc and how long would you like the series to run?
WILL: The first story arc is going to be in the 5 to 6 issue range, and ideally, with great and perhaps naive optimism, Gabe and I see various story permutations, involving multiple characters and side-characters, branching out in many directions, Hellboy-style. How stupid is that? So stupid it's brilliant?
DUSTIN: What do you each bring to the story making this three-man tag team an unbeatable force?
WILL: Miguel brings the pasta. Gabe brings the ham radio. I bring Academy Award nominee Greg Kinnear. Put them all together, and what you get is an objectively terrible dinner party
DUSTIN: Could Allen beat He-Man? Could he beat Conan? Could he beat Orko?
WILL: Allen could beat none of those humans/Trolls. Here are the real people or characters Allen could beat in a fight: Tiny Tim, a comatose Stanley Tucci, possibly Ron Howard, Charlotte from Charlotte's Web, Michael Cera at age 5, the Pillsbury Doughboy, and maybe, on a very good day, myself, Gabe, and Miguel at once.
GABE: Although if the field of battle was the heart's weariful sorrow and the weapon of choice was ennui, Allen would be king among men.
DUSTIN: How did the three of you come together for Allen: Son of Hellcock and roundabouts, when do you expect its release?
GABE: Will and I are old college buddies with a mutual love of comics and comedy. I think we wanted to collaborate on something for a long time without even realizing it. When the idea for Allen, Son of Hellcock popped into my clunker of a brain, I knew Will and I had to create it together. As for Miguel, back in 2009 we stumbled across two images by Miguel on the fantastic Meathaus blog, and knew he was our guy. Will and I reached out to him (he lives in a place called Spain), and we could immediately tell that he had the perfect sense of humor for the gig. He also accepts payment in the form of Boar's Head Mesquite Wood Smoked Roasted Turkey Breast, which is a plus.
DUSTIN: Last question, I assume you all have matching Allen: Son of Hellcock tattoos, please tell us where their located and how big they are.
WILL: I have a 2mm ASOH tattoo that is located -- and see if you can picture or imagine this -- inside of my nasal cavity, directly before it opens onto the throat. It is only visible via nasal endoscopy and has, as of this writing, only been viewed once: by (now disbarred) otorhinolaryngologist Dr. Oren Meisler.
GABE: I have a tattoo of the inside of Will's nasal cavity on the small of my back. It's only visible when I wear crop tops.
Well that's enough visual reference for me! A big thank you to Will and Gabe for taking the time for this interview and be sure to pick up Allen: Son of Hellcock, with art from Miguel Porto, from Z2 Comics on December 9th! (Here's the Diamond order code: OCT151838)