Politics is a constant cycle. Those of us here in the United States are currently in the early stages of that cycle, with Donald Trump and his antics, Hillary Clinton and her emails, and Mike Huckabee and Kim Davis dominating the news cycles. It’s all pretty ridiculous.
In a weird twist of fate, “Citizen Jack”, the new Image series from writer Sam Humphries and artist Tommy Patterson, comes along at just the right time and takes that over the top political spectacle and follows it to the only believable conclusion: demonic intervention. Meet Jack Northworthy. Jack is a down on his luck snowplow salesman with dreams of being president. With the help of his demon pal Marlinspike, he just might be president.
Read on as we chat with Humphries and Patterson about “Citizen Jack”, the horror show that politics is, the great timing of this book, why a demon cares about who’s president, and much more. The first issue hits store in November and is still up for preorders.
“Citizen Jack” is about a loudmouthed and generally unlikeable presidential candidate who finds his road to the White House a bit easier thanks to the help of a demon. Given the current political climate, I think everyone is going to mention Donald Trump when talking about this. I’m sure you two have been working on this book for months, so how much of this is just weird, fortuitous coincidence and how much is just the dumpster fire that American politics so often is?
Sam Humphries: “Citizen Jack” is bigger than Trump. But yes, we have been working on this for a long time, and the turn the campaign season has taken is very reassuring to us. If the campaign had turned to restrained, sober, consideration of issues to improve American lives, people might have said we were crazy. Instead, we’re comic book prophets.
Sam, in the announcement about “Citizen Jack”, you referred to it as “The Great American Comic Book”. Care to elaborate?
SH: America is alternately fascinated and repulsed by politics. Otherwise sane people turn into rabid, spin-spewing animals when exposed to the political process — and it’s not because they’re passionate about public service. (http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/07/31/how-fox-news-made-my-dad-crazy.html) The money is deep and there’s no way out. The media is round the bend and leaning into politics as entertainment. An us vs. them mentality has eaten up all the oxygen. Even if your candidate or party is “winning,” it still gives you agita. Even if you’re not into politics, you’re in deep with everyone else. It’s probably killing the country. It’s a classic American past time.
But “Citizen Jack” isn’t like overdosing on a 24 hour news channel, it’s a horror comedy. Screaming is cathartic. Laughing is cathartic. This comic is a way out for anyone who hates politics right now, which is all of America.
Tommy, most people probably know you from your work on the “Game of Thrones” comics. Looking at some of that, and looking at “Citizen Jack”, it almost seems like two different artists, but in a very good way. Your art on “Jack” is really next level. How did you decide what things to do different going into this book versus “Game of Thrones?”
Tommy Patterson: I had been itching to change things up after drawing 24 issues the same way. I had put out feelers for my next job and Sam had put out feelers for an artists in the “clean line” style. Ryan Stegman knows us both so he mentioned it and I tried my hand at it and here we are. It took a bit to get into the style. Nick Pitarra came to visit for a week and brought a ton of “clean line” art books (Darrow, Manara and Moebius) and I pieced together a few that fit me. The first issue was heavily influenced by Nick. Half way through issue 2 I found my voice and I’m feeling really good about where I’m at right now. It feels like me.
Looking at Jack as a character, he’s obviously a pretty shitty person. He’s loud, brash, crass, a bully, and so on. Not really someone you’d want to spend too much time with. Still, you two somehow make him sympathetic enough that we don’t outright hate him. What did you find was key to toeing that line of showing how terrible Jack is, but making him likable enough?
Continued belowSH: Actually — Leo, I’m curious to hear how you’d answer the question. You read the first issue, right? I don’t think your description is off base, so, despite that — why did you sympathize with him?
I guess to answer your question, Sam, I think I can’t help but halfway like Jack because even though he’s not a great person, he’s pitiful in a way. He has a dad who thinks he’s crap, he has a failing business, a broken marriage, he doesn’t really have a lot going for him. The only entity he seems to be able to call a friend is a demon. Even if he’s a jerk, you can’t help but root for the underdog sometimes. Is that sort of how you and Tommy approached the character?
SH: I may have some very strong negative perceptions about politicians past and present, but I refuse to believe any of them are straight up evil. Sometimes, I feel like they’re victims of the political system, just the way the media is, or the voters are. It doesn’t excuse their war crimes, but something made them monsters. Something made them into a person who stockpiles skeletons in their closets. And with Jack — I mean, part of it is pragmatic. If he’s not at all sympathetic, we’re gonna get sick of telling his story, and people are gonna get sick of reading it. We want people to care enough to buy the book!
TP: I see Jack as a cult of personality. No matter how shitty he may be if you deliver your message in a bombastic way people love to watch it. I think it’s tied into us as a culture being heavily influenced by movies and TV in general. Politics is stage craft. Almost everything is scripted and fits a narrative. You have willing and unwilling dupes. Movies, art and music are all used as propaganda. Read about Edward Bernays and it’s clear how fake the daily news is. I think we have very little in the way or real organic movements. It’s all co-opted and redirected into the narrative.
Though Jack is obviously the title character, I feel like his demon friend Marlinspike is going to be nearly as much the main character as Jack is. What can you tell us about Marlinspike? How did you approach designing him and setting this demon in an otherwise fairly normal world?
SH: Jack’s got one big secret, and that’s Marlinspike. But Marlinspike is nothing but secrets. He’s got a history, and it’s big, and it’s bad. Even though he’s not human, he’s the most ambitious character in the book. He’s got ambitions that are darker and more complicated than the most corrupt politicians in history. Why the hell does a demon care to prop up a presidential candidate? We know why, and you’ll never guess.
TP: As a character I love being able to play up his humorous mean streak. A demon with a mean streak… imagine that haha. With so much craziness going on and the subversion in their characters I think anytime Jack pauses it’s a victory for the moral conscious. Yes, Marlinspike is THAT evil. Even small victories are huge.
The current runup to the presidential election has been anything but tame. Trump being Trump, Clinton and her emails, Huckabee and Kim Davis, and so much more. It’s almost too perfect that “Citizen Jack” is also going to go for this over the top side of politics. Do you think if the campaigns were a bit more tame that people might be looking at “Citizen Jack” a little differently?
“Citizen Jack” is borne out of a lot of anger and frustration, but also a lot of affection and pride for the political system. I don’t think you can separate the two. Trump, Clinton, Huckabee…they’re a product of the system just as much as “Citizen Jack” is. If the system allowed for tame campaigns, I don’t think we’d be inspired to make the book in the first place. That said, a campaign cycle that, long before Labor Day, is already crazier than a snake’s armpit does make us look really smart and we’ll take it.
TP: Again, look at our culture at large. It takes over the top to get noticed even within controlled narratives. I think things only escalate in the foreseeable future.
Continued below
While “Citizen Jack” obviously has the politics angle, it’s also being billed as a horror-comedy. How are the two of you approaching that?
SH: The humor hits right away but the horror is a slow burn. We’re not just relying on the “horror of the political process” — there’s some legit horror chills and gore coming up in Jack’s life. We’ve all had the experience of paying attention to politics and having this deep, primal, gut reaction to either scream, or laugh our asses off. Often simultaneously. Horror is cathartic. Laughter is cathartic. This book is the cure for political frustration.
TP: Now you’re talking! This is the fun part of being creative. Sam writes humor really well. I want to push that angle so much Sam has to reel me in to keep the scary parts scary and not goofy. It also keeps people reading the heavy subject we are exploring.
What are the plans for “Citizen Jack” in terms of length? Can we expect a mini or something longer and more expanded?
SH: More than a mini, by the grace of the direct market. We’ve got three arcs planned plus more. Just like Jack, we have our sights set on the White House. This isn’t “Candidate Jack.” Watch and see how far we go.
TP: We want to give the people what they want. We have as much as they want. I know that much.
