Comics
‘Preacher’: Many Changes, Including Arseface’s Look
Have you read Garth Ennis’ “Preacher” comics?
They’re ahead of their time, and pretty progressive. There’s all sorts of jabs at religion and politics, bizarre characters, and violence that would never have been allowed on television in the 90’s.
To adapt this length series, one film wouldn’t/couldn’t do it justice. And as a television series, are people ready for something that could challenge their belief system?
None of us know how closely Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s adaptation is to the comic, but they are huge fans, and talented filmmakers. It’s in good hands.
So, when the duo explain that they’ve changed quite a bit of content, including the look of Arseface, I’m in no way going into a panic.
“It didn’t seem, at first, that we should do it that way,” Goldberg told Collider. “And then we talked with Garth, and Garth very much encouraged us to make a lot of small changes and to make it a good show first and foremost. Our big thing is we want fans who love the comic to get everything they want but also make some new twists and turns.”
Rogen continued: “There had been something online that existed of some test that someone had done that looked exactly like how it looked in the comic, and as soon as I saw that, I knew we should not try to make it look exactly how it looked in the comic, and we should take some license and try to make it something maybe a little more … palatable, I guess might be the word. And we wanted the character to being sympathetic and ultimately, like, some one you really rooted for”
In the comic, Sheriff Root’s son, in an homage to Kurt Cobain, attempts to kill himself with a shotgun. Only, he survives. This character and his grotesque look become known as Arseface.
Ian Colletti plays the character in the series. There’s a tease in the above photo, but you can’t see his face clearly. Apparently, he’s more palatable.
“I mean, I think the starting place was finding the Ian Colletti, the actor, because, like, you know, first we had to know what his face looked like, what his body structure was and all that,” says Rogen. “And, then, kind of just figure out how to make it look realistic and, you know, have impact but not look cartoony in any way or silly.
“There had been something online that existed of some test that someone had done that looked exactly like how it looked in the comic, and as soon as I saw that, I knew we should not try to make it look exactly how it looked in the comic, and we should take some license and try to make it something maybe a little more … palatable, I guess might be the word. And we wanted the character to being sympathetic and ultimately, like, some one you really rooted for.”
He jokingly adds: “We want the show to be fun for regular people with not sick sensibilities. Put that on a poster.”
Here’s the first teaser. Hopefully we can bring you a review out of the SXSW Film Festival this March.
Comics
‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics
Witchblade, the popular comic series that initially ran from 1995 to 2015 and launched a TV series, is getting resurrected in a new comic series from Top Cow and Image Comics. It’s set to unleash heavy metal, black magic and blood this summer.
Look for the new Witchblade series to launch on July 17, 2024.
In Witchblade #1, “New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini’s life was forever fractured by her father’s murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power, or will she be consumed by it?”
The series is penned by NYT Best-Selling writer Marguerite Bennett (Animosity, Batwoman, DC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide Squad, Power Rangers, Red Sonja). The creative duo is working with original co-creator Marc Silvestri, who is the CEO of Top Cow Productions Inc. and one of the founders of Image Comics. They are set to reintroduce the series to Witchblade’s enduring fans with “a reimagined origin with contemporary takes on familiar characters and new story arcs that will hook new readers and rekindle the energy and excitement that fueled the 90’s Image Revolution that shaped generations of top creators.”
Bennett said in a statement, “The ability to tell a ferocious story full of monsters, sexuality, vision, and history was irresistible.” She adds, “Our saga is sleek, vicious, ferocious, and has a lot to say about power in the 21st century and will be the first time that we are stopping the roller coaster to let more people on. I’ve loved Witchblade since I was a child, and there is truly no other heroine like Sara with such an iconic legacy and such a rich, brutal relationship to her own body.”
“The Witchblade universe is being modernized to reflect how Marguerite beautifully explores the extreme sides of Sara through memories, her personal thoughts, like desire and hunger, in her solitude and when she is possessed by the Witchblade. So, I had to visually intersect a noir True Detective-like world with a supernatural, horror world that is a fantastic mix between Berserk and Zodiac,” Cafaro stated.
Marc Silvestri notes, “This is brand new mythology around Sara, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her and all the twists and turns. Discover Witchblade reimagined this summer, and join us as we bring all the fun of the 90s to the modern age and see how exciting comics can be. I can’t wait for you to read this new series.”
Witchblade#1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 17th, for $4.99 for 48 pages. And it’ll come with multiple cover variants.
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Cover A: Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto (Full Color)
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Cover B: Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto (Full Color)
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Cover C: Blank Sketch Cover
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Cover D (1/10): Dani and Brad Simpson (Full Color)
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Cover E (1/25): Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto, Virgin Cover (Full Color)
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Cover F (1/50): J.Scott Campbell (Full Color)
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Cover G (1/100): Bill Sienkiewicz. (Full Color)
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Cover H (1/250): Line art by Marc. Virgin Cover, Inks (B/W)
Witchblade #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.
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