Comics Alliance had the pleasure to interview Tom Scioli and John Barber regarding Transformers vs. G.I. Joe Volume 1 which is hitting shelves early January.
ComicsAlliance: The amazing thing about Transformers vs. G.I. Joe for me as a reader is that it doesn’t feel like it should exist, and I mean that in the best way possible. It has this feeling that there’s no way this book should’ve been approved, because it’s so wild, raw and energetic. How did you get that feeling to come across in this comic?Tom Scioli: I don’t know how you would get to that point with any kind of comic. Just from my perspective, I’ve been doing comics for such a long time and in such a way that’s very different from the normal career path for comics, so I don’t know how you replicate that. I don’t know how many other people are out there that would be able to have that mix of discipline and self-destructive chaotic impulse to get that. I don’t know, John? Do you have any perspective?
John Barber: To one degree or another, when you’re working on something that’s company-owned, you have to forget about that when you’re working on it, and I think that degree varies. The whole idea was to make something kind of weird, that went out the window at some point. There was probably a minute early on where Michael Kelly, the guy we work with at Hasbro as their Director of Global Publishing, called and he was like, “This isn’t exactly what we talked about.” He loves the book, but at some point, the idea was going to be safer. It’s not like there’s anything unsafe about this, either, but you want to be able to point at it and say “here are these two things that we put together to make one thing,” and I don’t think you can do that with our book. I think that’s what makes it interesting.
Read the entire interview at the Comics Alliance.
SilverOptimus says
News Post: Tom Scioli And John Barber Talks Transformers vs. G.I. Joe
Jmacq1 says
Everything I've seen of this series makes it look like the guys making it are dropping LOADS of mind-altering chemicals while working on it. The interviews don't change that perception at all....
Because seriously, it's like...the weirdest thing out there right now. It's completely bugnuts crazy, and...it's not exactly good, but it's the kind of train wreck that it's really hard to turn away from because the creators clearly have giant stones to pull this off with a licensed property.
To be clear, it's not offensive, but...yeah, I can't even describe it. It's kinda gotta be seen to be believed.
penntastic says
I don't know one single person who likes this garbage. And the the mastubatory comentary at the end of each issue is just insulting. Scioli and Barber are WAAAY out of touch with this series and how the fans are receiving it.
They're right...it SHOULDN'T exist.
Fox says
I can't get pasf the sh1tty art.
Cardinaltrooper says
I gave it 4 issues, which is 4 more than I should have.
Art is okay but in no way my taste or suitable for a GI Joe book.
Sorry while it is just weird for no real reason, I get what they are trying to do but it still sucks. Sad part on the whole thing is Barber is the editor of GI Joe right? His involvement in the book helps me to understand why the main book is always in such chaos.
Stalker says
I like it.
Stormgard says
They're right...it SHOULDN'T exist.
The liner notes in the back are fascinating to me - I've never seen anything done before in a comic, and it's so interesting to get an insight into what goes on behind the curtain, and all the attention to detail.
It's wild and crazy, kind of like a crazy humorous Alice in Wonderland dreamlike thing. Of course it isn't cannon and it isn't being published instead of the regular comics. I can see that it isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I really don't see why so many people seem to love to hate it.
Megastar says
Cardinaltrooper says
Even though I am not a fan, I looked it up on the top 300 for October and November and it was out selling the main title and ARAH. It is popular even though it does nothing for me and others.
seaneley says
We have 3 ongoing Joe series right now:
1. G.I. Joe - serious
2. Hama's RAH - middle ground
3. Barber and Scioli's TF vs. Joe - off the wall
Everybody should be happy...
Keep reading: Tom Scioli And John Barber Talks Transformers vs. G.I. Joe - Page 2
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