Battlemouth

Ben Templesmith…where to begin. I suppose that a good place to start would be the beginning. The beginning (or return to, rather) of my love affair with comics. My good friend and fellow reviewer Phil always was giving me lists of comics to read, and for some reason or other I just never got around to picking any of them up. Then one sunny, Sunday afternoon I found myself in Vons with my wife. Vons is a fantastic, little old store on Purdue University’s campus that sells beads, books, music, and of course, comics. As my wife perused the music section I found myself wondering away from my post at her side, and towards the comic area. A sudden feeling of nostalgia surged through me as I browsed the back issues of old favorites like “Battle Pope”, “Spider-man”, and my all time favorite as a kid “G.I. Joe” (see my last posted review). It just so happened that whilst revisiting my childhood some of those titles and authors my best buddy Phil had told me about started to pop into my head…”High School Musical the Comic”, “Enter the Sandman”, “Shamoo the Killer Whale”, etc. Ok so none of those are actually titles that Phil gave me, in fact none of them are actually comics (if they are I will never probably read them), but there in lies the story.

You see I really couldn’t remember any of the comics he was constantly telling me about exactly, one such comic that I could not fully remember the title to was Wormwood something or other. So I started digging through the trades and came across this rather enjoyable looking read “Wormwood, Gentlemen Corpse” written and drawn by one Ben Templesmith. I took it home and immediately burned through it, loving every page and panel. Excited to have something to talk to Phil about besides one of our wives, I promptly gave him a call to tell him I had finally read one of his recommendations. Upon telling Phil all of my favorite parts, and how much I loved the art and was completely ready to get back into comics, he informed me that he had never read that book, and was actually talking about “The Chronicles of Wormwood” by Garth Ennis. Unfortunately for my pocket book, I was already hooked, I went out that night and picked up the second trade (and “The Chronicles of Wormwood’…loved it) and flew through it that same night in bed.

I have since purchased everything Templesmith I can get my hands on. Our obsession with Mr. Templesmith even took us online to twitter, where we still harass him on a daily basis. This past February Phil and I made the drive (yes drive) from our humble home town in Indiana, all the way to New York City for the New York Comic Convention with only a few goals in mind, meeting Ben Templesmith, getting drunk, and smacking Brian Bendis in the mouth. Two of which I am happy to report were completed promptly on day 1. Of course one of the other many glorious things that happened to Phil and I was our rather serendipitous meeting with our now good friend Mike Kumlin and humble proprietor of this wonderful site you are visiting today.

As we stood in the entryway of the JK Javitts Center gawking at what lay in wait for us just beyond the velvet ropes I turned to look around behind us, and there he was. I tapped Phil on the shoulder and as he turned around I said “Is that who I think it is?’. A stupid question in hindsight but what do you say in those types of situations. It was of course Ben Templesmith in patented pin-striped suit surrounded by a harem of woman from all corners of the galaxy being carried upon a throne of blood and bones. It may have been just his wife, but I can’t really remember. After a brief introduction (and scuffle with security) we took our leave with a promise to see him later. Ever since then we have all become fast friends, just last week he responded to THREE of my tweets! I know, I know…what can I say I am just a likable guy. One such tweet was his agreement to do me the honor of granting me a small interview to be posted on this website. Please enjoy what is the result of weeks of hard work and collaboration. As in the some versions of the Holy Bible the words of Jesus…I mean Ben…shall appear in red.

THE INTERVIEW

(DISCLAIMER: This website does not condone the eating of babies nor do any of its affiliates.)

Question 1: Who is Ben Templesmith?

What? Who? Just some guy I guess.

Question 2: Of course “30 Days of Night” has been a huge success with your name attached to it, even going as far as to be made into a movie. Now “Welcome to Hoxford” has recently been optioned…what are your thoughts on that? As this book bares soley your name hopefully you will be involved in the production, if and when, it gets closer to that time. Who would you like to see cast? What secret roll would you like to play?

I really don’t want to jump the gun on any of that stuff. Of course, I’d love to be involved if it ever actually gets turned into a film (an option is just that, the option to do so) but I’d really have to see how that develops. It would be obvious of me to want actors I love cast in the roles. So Keira Knightly or Winona Ryder (yeah, I know), throw in Lance Henrikson as the old man/wolf &…well Vin Diesel is already a little bit of Ray.

Question 3: When you aren’t producing such masterpieces as “Welcome to Hoxford” and “Wormwood Gentlemen Corpse” or eating babies, what do you do?

Not much. Most of my life is taken up with deadlines. Much of my “time off” currently is actually taken up with cons. I am one of those lucky people though; whose hobby became a job. I do enjoy travel though, and the occasional hour or two on the Xbox or on strategy games on my PC or something.

Question 4: Groom Lake has just been released, what can we expect out of this new Templesmith piece of art?

Something a little lighter in tone than Hoxford. It’s aliens/offbeat rather than dark nasty horror. It’s still quite gross in places though but I’ve tried to give it a bit of a different feel. It’s not hard to do since I’m really enjoying Chris Ryalls writing. That’s basically the reason we’re doing the whole project. Been dying to do something with him one day.

Question 5: Are there any other surprises coming down the pipeline after Groom Lake?

Not as yet, or not that I can talk about, put it that way. I’ll be doing a GI Joe one-shot shortly though.

Question 6: Who has your favorite collaborator been? What project?

Would have to be, hands down, Warren Ellis. I really enjoy the way he works and the scripts. I think I learned so much from that experience.

Question 7: And lastly…how do you like your baby served?

Boiled if possible, with a glass of fresh baby tears to wash it down.

For those of you that have yet to discover the glory and majesty of Ben Templesmith I have decided to include a short review of his newest work with writer and Editor- in-Chief of IDW comics, Chris Ryall.

First off it must be said that I’m not really sure that I have read anything from IDW that has not been a great read. Throw my favorite artist/ writer Ben Templesmith into the mix, and you have what is quite possibly one of my favorite comic book publishers. “Groom Lake” as stated above by the artist himself, is certainly a tad on the lighter side of the “Templesmith spectrum”. Chris Ryall’s writing is nothing short of fantastic. Ryall’s timing is impeccable, and creativity boundless, two characteristics usually attributed to comedians but certainly appreciated in the world of comics. It is clear that IDW has the right guy running the show, who better than someone who clearly understands the medium so well. The short and radically amusing descriptions of characters as they are introduced are innovative and informative to say the least. With snippets like; “Leticia Pope. 32, HBIC. shoots to kill. Doesn’t miss.” or “Archibald. n/a, tourist. seemingly happy-go-lucky.” how can you not be intrigued and amused all at once. This new spin on the classic “hill-billy, alien abduction” story is clearly going to be a hilarious, and disturbing trip. This first issue introduces us to several memorable characters including; a bastard son, a cute little puppy, a couple of trigger happy henchmen, a black suited, all business like agent of some sort, and of course a lovable, cigarette smoking alien that is just here to “meet, shake, and party”. Mr. Ryall knows how to capture your attention and with Ben Templesmith as his artist  we are surely in for a trip to the heights of our imagination and beyond. One of my personal favorite aspects of Mr. Templesmith’s art is his ability to add texture to an otherwise bland panel. “Groom Lake” is some of his finest work yet. As Ben usually trends towards the surreal and other worldly, it is nice to again see his proficiency in drawing the normal, and even mundane. A view we have not quite seen from him since his work in “Criminal Macabre”. Although I suppose that mundane isn’t really the right word as when Templesmith draws it, it becomes something much, much more. The simplicity of some panels don’t seem to lose their attractiveness like they do when some artist draw them. And of course we can’t forget the inevitable presence of Templesmith’s signature onomatopoeia that adds, what I have come to recognize, as his own voice to his art.

Comedy and fantastic art at their finest come together to make a sweet, sweet love child in “Groom Lake” that will surely capture the hearts as well as minds of any and all who read it. As a member of the Church of Templesmith, “Groom Lake” serves as a reminder to all followers of just why we all did allow him to put “that” “there” just to gain membership. Keep the genius coming Ben, as long as your name is on ‘em, I’ll keep spending my wife’s money to buy ‘em!