As we look back on 2005 and look forward to 2006 we took some time out to chat with Arcade Entertainment’s Rob Liefeld about the year that has past and the year ahead in Arcade Entertainment’s State of the Union.
First Comics News: You have Youngblood Bloodsport #1 out and a Bootleg for #2, when can fans expect to see issue #2 in stores or at cons?
Rob Liefeld: March/April 2006, it will be available at many of the conventions I’m attending. As late as Bloodsport is, it resonates with fans and issue #2 has many unbelievable Mark Millar moments. It’s a brilliant romp.
1st: The first issue of NitroGen also come out in 2005 with the next issue coming out in the spring. How is that coming along?
Rob: NitroGen is great fun. The second issue features many familiar faces and characters from the Awesome/Extreme catalogue as the story continues to expand and build towards Supreme Sacrifice, our summer/fall storyline.
1st: I have heard that Prophet is returning in NitroGen #2.
Rob: That is absolutely correct. As does his daughter Joanna Prophet and Crypt.
1st: What is happening with the Brandon Thomas/Marat Mychales Brigade?
Rob: We’re waiting for the right time on the schedule to release it. It’s likely it will be released as part of Supreme Sacrifice.
1st: What ashcans are planed for the 2006 convention season?
Rob: Not sure at this time, probably some sketchbooks. We’ll be mostly producing regular comic books for the most part.
1st: Youngblood Imperial was intended to be a monthly where does that stand today?
Rob: We’re finishing it up, the #0, and 2 are complete. Once #3 is completed I’ll get it to market.
1st: The 1st issue of Youngblood Maximum Edition came out in 2005, how does it compare to the original?
Rob: It’s very different but not in a way that would confuse anyone. It’s amazing how Joe Casey re-organized the story and some small sequences that drastically altered the entire arc.
1st: Will issue 2 be out for the San Diego Comic Con International 2006?
Rob: The compilation of the first 6 issues will be out fall 2006.
1st: What is going on with Magic Men?
Rob: There is a finished script and a studio, when the time is right to announce it, it’ll get announced. I try as best as possible nowadays to concentrate on creating the content, and leave promoting stuff to the people who buy it.
1st: Jennifer Lopez optioned SHRINK!, what is the status of that project?
Rob: SHRINK! is still moving forward, I’ve been in several meetings the past month as the movie has regained momentum so I’m hopeful that is can
continue moving forward. The upcoming movie SUPER EX will probably determine the immediate future of SHRINK! That’s just the way the business goes.
1st: What is happening with Century?
Rob: Supreme Sacrifice will set everything up for Century to launch. Again, for me, it’s now about rolling one-shots and mini-series that connect so that the die-hard Extreme/Awesome/Arcade fan has something that they can sink their teeth into.
1st: Is there anything else going on at Arcade that the fans should be looking out for this year?
Rob: Well as I mentioned, NitroGen is an important book because it lays the groundwork for so much of what to come and several important Extreme/Awesome characters pop up throughout the series as events start to build toward Supreme Sacrifice and eventually Century. NitroGen is dealing with the past, present and future of the Extreme/Awesome library while simultaneously introducing new characters.
Supreme Sacrifice #1 written by Robert Kirkman and illustrated by Jon Malin will attract plenty of attention because it gets the ball rolling. Suprema #1 is a book that I imagine will turn some heads.
For years we’ve really just been focused on the Youngblood characters and now we’re opening up the library a little more and it’s fun exploring the Supreme family and others such asAvengelyne and Warchild who will have one shots in 2006.
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