Interviews 

Putting the “KLAAANG!” Back in “Quantum & Woody” with James Asmus [Interview]

By | April 4th, 2013
Posted in Interviews | 5 Comments

Last week, Valiant Comics announced what I can only describe as my favorite comic announcement since when “Saga” was announced in October of 2011 at NYCC: “Quantum & Woody” were coming back!

This book, originally created by Christopher Priest and M.D. Bright, was nothing short of a modern classic…to the few people who read it. It grew as a cult classic after that, and now, when the new series from James Asmus, Tom Fowler and Jordie Bellaire was announced, Twitter was abuzz with sheer positivity about the project. No “they should have left well enough alones” or “Asmus? Fowler? Why those jerks?” Just jubilation from all around the industry.

Today, to start building up hype for this book – you are pre-ordering this, right? – I have a chat with new series writer James Asmus about the (not so) dynamic duo, race relations, his art team and more. Check it out, as well as a lettered preview of the first issue.

Quantum and Woody Page 1
How did you get roped in on this whole Quantum & Woody gig?

James Asmus: Editor Jody LeHeup called up (seemingly) out of the blue. We’d been in each other’s orbit in comics, but hadn’t worked together. But I think he saw shared DNA between Quantum & Woody and my work.

Given your work on The End Times of Bram & Ben, you’re obviously someone who enjoys writing comics with comedic sensibilities. What all appealed to you about this opportunity and these characters?

JA: The original Quantum & Woody is a book after my own heart, for sure. I spent about ten years performing, studying, and teaching improv and comedy. But the original series had more to it than that. The relationship and history between the two guys had genuine emotion. It had a foot in the real world and used that position to comment on some realities comics gloss over. Finding the right balance between character, comedy, and chaos is tricky – but I’m excited for the challenge!

Had you previously read the original series from Priest and Bright, or was it something that you only pursued once this opportunity came up?

JA: The series originally came out in my comics ‘blackout’ period. During college, I rarely had the money and missed pretty much everything ’99-’03. Once I got back in, folks recommended the series based on what I was into. Took a while to track down most of the series, but I loved it!

Quantum and Woody Page 2
Based off the solicit information, it seems like most everything from the original series is there. What exactly are you doing to give this your own little bit of a James Asmus touch?

JA: Quantum and Woody’s relationship and origin were the key things for us to revive as closely to the spirit of the original. But once we establish those, the rest was pretty open for me to create. I’m particularly proud of the villain(s?) in this series. Quantum & Woody didn’t have much of a rogues gallery. But I think we came up with ones who make sense for the world, tie into their origin, and deliver the bizarre threat our heroes deserve.

Eric and Woody are obviously hugely different characters, but their personalities work incredibly well from a comedic standpoint and from a dramatic one, given their history together. For you, who are they as people, and what aspects do you find to be the most fun to work with?

JA: Eric’s earnestness and pursuit of this ‘hero’ ideal are both what makes me love him the most, and what I most enjoy using against him. Woody, of course, is unafraid to just put it all out there. Again, that doesn’t just feed into the comedy for me, but creates a lot of great turns in his relationships.

The original series dealt a lot with race relations – the word “noogie” is permanently something that means something else in my mind because of it – and it’s something that seemingly is popping up each and every day as a major issue in comics. How important will that aspect be in your version, and as a writer, how difficult is it to handle a topic like that?

Continued below

JA: Race awareness is definitely woven into the DNA of what makes Eric and Woody’s relationship interesting and rich. And you’re right to suggest it’s not the easiest thing to juggle in a tights-and-fights book. And obviously, I can’t / won’t just treat it the exact same way Christopher Priest did in the original series – for a lot of reasons. But I’m trying to be unafraid of wringing honest and surprising moments out of the racial divide between our guys. It’s one of the most exciting challenges in the book.

Quantum and Woody Page 3
Tom Fowler’s bringing the art on this book, and I struggle to imagine someone who would be a better fit for it. What’s it like working with him, and what makes him such a great fit in your mind?

JA: His work really is a perfect fit for what the editors and I had been hoping to balance in the book – and everything I see from Tom absolutely improves on the script. He has an intoxicatingly expressive style that never loses its ultra-tight technical chops. I knew the energy, humor, emotion, and creativity Tom puts into his work – but he’s also an incredibly engaged collaborator. He’s constantly finding fantastic ways to tighten, improve, and elevate the story we’re doing. (And Jordie Bellaire candy-coats the whole affair into pure pop bliss!)

Here’s your soapbox to tell us why people should read Quantum & Woody: why are these the superheroes we deserve, AND the superheroes we need?

JA: There’s nothing quite like Quantum & Woody in comics. The unique balance of smart satire, honest relationships, superhero chaos, real-world commentary…and goats – just can’t be found anywhere else. The people who know these characters love them – and have made Quantum and Woody the most-requested characters since the Valiant relaunch. I’m working with one of the most all-around passionate and intelligent crews I’ve ever known in comics. So in the end, Quantum & Woody is a labor of love that you should at the very least give a try. I guarantee you it’s unlike anything else in your monthly stack.

Quantum and Woody variant from Andrew Robinson

Quantum and Woody variant from Marcos Martin

//TAGS | Valiant (Re)visions

David Harper

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