Captain Carrot Is Back!

[shrike]

http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=102830

This is the best news I've heard in a LONG LONG time. No joke. I LOVE the Captain Carrot concept. I hope it sells well. :)

[Jack Zodiac]

No, the best news of all is that SCOTT MOTHERFUCKIN' SHAW is on art. :)

[heystacy]

Oh cool. :cool:

[palaeomerus]

Are they going to keep the whole Alleykat Abbra killing Little Cheese because she's a vicious racist angle? (Though it was a pretty fair satire given the flavor of the DC universe since 1987 or so. Hey let's darken the hell out of Captain Carrot! yay! "Grim and Gritty" Funny animals! Just like Gnatrat!).

[Flamebird]

Are they going to keep the whole Alleykat Abbra killing little cheese because she's a vicious racist angle?

Yup. (but it will be funny, so they say).

I thought it was a joke when I first heard about it. I would rather they ignored Geoff Johns' Titans story, But if Scott Shaw! say its good,then I probably WILL like it.

Congrats Scott ( or is that thank you?)!


I guess this explains the sketches over at "Unscrewed", huh?

[Deathstroke]

Man, I can't wait for this. The world can only get better with more CCAHAZC!

[SUPERECWFAN1]

This is pretty sweet new. Its like DC's reviving the early 80's books. With CC and Brave & the Bold.

[Blake Petit]

And here I thought I'd be the only one excited about this. :D

[Cream Filled Taco]

Fantastic news! Can't wait to get them for my kids!

[LuchadorAl]

cool!
now i can give my kids new issues instead of the ones i've been saving.
my retirement plan is intact.
al

[Scott Shaw!]

No, the best news of all is that SCOTT MOTHERFUCKIN' SHAW is on art. :)

Uhhh...Actually, my middle name is "Garlin"...(this reminds me of the time two cool gangstah-type guys told me son that I was "the shit"!)

Anyway, I'm delighted that so many fans seem to be excited about the return of Captain Carrot and company, but no one's more excited than myself. After all these years, I've learned a LOT about telling stories and drawing characters, and I can assure you that this will make the originals look rather primitive by comparison. Bill and I have worked to come up with a story that will be, at turns, both serious and funny, with an emotional core and total respect and continuity to ALL of the past CCAHAZC! stories. Bill called it darker than the original and that's true; I'd say that things are still light-hearted, but there's much more of a sense of CONSEQUENCE about this latest story. You'll really care about what happens to all the characters.

Kids will be able to read and understand it, but CAPTAIN CARROT AND THE FINAL ARC is truly an all-ages project, one that's equally for adult readers, and with lotsa "Easter eggs" in the story and visuals that will reward observant comic fans. Regular readers of the "core" DC titles should be warned NOT to dismiss this as silly stuff, because when this three-issue "Final Arc" finally wraps up, there will be no doubt as to where and how Captain Carrot fits into the established DC Universe!

There's no pleasing everyone, but I guarantee that you won't feel gypped by all the time, thought and effort we're putting into making CAPTAIN CARROT AND THE FINAL ARC worth your time and money. Bill and I are having a ball and I think that you will, too.

And wait'll you see the cameo by our feathered amiga, Quail Simone!

Aloha,

Scott!

P.S.: As Danny mentioned, I've done some nice portrait shots of all seven Zoo Crew members that will be up for auction to raise money for Olney's Orphans; please follow his link to the UNSCREWED! site. -- SS!

[steeler80]

And here I thought I'd be the only one excited about this. :D

Oh no, count me in on the pleased as punch crowd.

[Blake Petit]

I'm just used to being laughed at for my love of the Carrot, I suppose. :D

[DocAbsurd]

I read it this morning and immediately told Momma we gotta get it!

After I finish 'helping' Thing 1 with his report, I'm headed downstairs to dig out my back issues.




Doc 'Anthropomorphic' Absurd

[PatrickG]

I must have missed that this is a miniseries.

Now, what I find perplexing is this:

It was Earth-C, pre-Crisis.

Then it was Dimension-C.

Then it was a comic book Bart Allen read.

And the multiverse is back, now?

Let me say... I always had this idea that they belonged alongside Animal Man ever since Morrison's run.

Consider the fourth wall breaking implications. Consider how anthropomorphic animals react with a vegetarian, pro-animal rights super-hero who draws his power from the "morphogenetic field". His powers make him a shaman or conduit of anthropomorphic energy; I half wonder if Buddy couldn't travel to Captain Carrot's universe under his own steam given that he's "hardwired" as a human/animal link and they're human-like animals.

Now, there was an Oz crossover, right? But I think Buddy Baker could have Earth-C as his own personal Oz... Maybe even his fortress of solitude. He's the one guy who could bridge both worlds and interact with "funny animals" as one of them.

So here's hoping that Animal Man's story continues from 52 into Captain Carrot or that we see the two as allies at some point.

[Night Swordsman]

You had my money at "Quail Simone".

You JUST have to wonder what her reaction to this is going to be...:p

[palaeomerus]

Don't forget to have Fastback (in the distant future)hooked on opiates. And we all need to see Rubber Duck's slow agonizing undignified death from a degenerative brain disorder(you know...where he doesn't recognize anyone anymore). Oh and you'll need Yankee Poodle to learn to hate the United States at some point.

And when you get around to resurrecting Little Cheese and redeeming Alley Kat Abra you can always take the 'ol well trodden "yellow fear monster" route to the old status quo.

[Tad Sivana]

This is great news for those of us who grew up loving 'Pogo' and 'Captain Marvel' with their funny animal characters who entertained on many levels.
I'm really looking forward to this and I hope that there will not be too much of the dark DCU in it.
Bring it on, Scott; looking forward to many more takes on the DC characters (and in fact anybody's characters) in the new series. I'm hoping we'll also see some of the 'Top Ten' type cornucopia of 'throwaway extra' background types!

[Tad Sivana]

Whoops; double post.
So bump.

[Ian Boothby]

The OZ Wonderland story was one of my favorite comics ever. I'm looking forward to the book and if anyone can fix the mess that was that Titans story Bill and Scott can. That was as entertaining as watching a puppy and baby fight to the death.

[Blake Petit]

The OZ Wonderland story was one of my favorite comics ever.

I'm with you on that much, Ian. That was excellent. I spent YEARS scouring comic shops trying to find all three issues of that one.

[heystacy]

You had my money at "Quail Simone".

You JUST have to wonder what her reaction to this is going to be...:p

That name is priceless.

[Ian Boothby]

You had my money at "Quail Simone".

You JUST have to wonder what her reaction to this is going to be...:p


What does she write? Birds of Birds of Prey?

[heystacy]

What does she write? Birds of Birds of Prey?

I suspect Prey of Birds.

[OzBat!]

I want a captain carrot showcase! 'Cause you cannot get the Oz-Wonderland story downunda, and it needs to be included!!

[Bill Morrison]

I'm really looking forward to this and I hope that there will not be too much of the dark DCU in it.


It seems that a lot of Captain Carrot fans are a liitle freaked by my mention in the Newsarama interview that we're sticking with the Teen Titans 30-31 continuity. Please rest assured that although this will be a slightly darker Captain Carrot, it's going to be a lot of fun. And we're going to deal with the developements that were hinted at/shown in the Titans story in a way that I think will satisfy and amuse everyone.
After all, my experience as a writer is with things like The Simpsons and Futurama, not Preacher or whatchamacallit...that one with "Death" in the title. I promise it won't be any darker than the Futurama episode where Fry's dog waits outside the pizzeria for years and he never comes back.
Come to think of it, that was pretty damn depressing...

[Flamebird]

It seems that a lot of Captain Carrot fans are a liitle freaked by my mention in the Newsarama interview that we're sticking with the Teen Titans 30-31 continuity. Please rest assured that although this will be a slightly darker Captain Carrot, it's going to be a lot of fun. And we're going to deal with the developements that were hinted at/shown in the Titans story in a way that I think will satisfy and amuse everyone.
After all, my experience as a writer is with things like The Simpsons and Futurama, not Preacher or whatchamacallit...that one with "Death" in the title. I promise it won't be any darker than the Futurama episode where Fry's dog waits outside the pizzeria for years and he never comes back. Come to think of it, that was pretty damn depressing...

I hated that episode! It was depressing.

Anyway, welcome to the nuthouse(YABS I mean) and Congrats on getting the book and getting to work with Scott.

I think DC might be a little surprised at how well this title does.

[MacQuarrie]

It seems that a lot of Captain Carrot fans are a liitle freaked by my mention in the Newsarama interview that we're sticking with the Teen Titans 30-31 continuity. Please rest assured that although this will be a slightly darker Captain Carrot, it's going to be a lot of fun. And we're going to deal with the developements that were hinted at/shown in the Titans story in a way that I think will satisfy and amuse everyone.
After all, my experience as a writer is with things like The Simpsons and Futurama, not Preacher or whatchamacallit...that one with "Death" in the title. I promise it won't be any darker than the Futurama episode where Fry's dog waits outside the pizzeria for years and he never comes back.
Come to think of it, that was pretty damn depressing...
Heh. True story: My brother, the recovering drug-crazed loon, watched that episode at my house a couple months ago. When the end credits rolled, he started screaming at the TV: "That weren't not even funny! Cartoons is supposed to be funny and that weren't! I'm gonna call up that TV station and tell them they shouldn't make cartoons like that! That's messed up!"

I can't wait to let him read Captain Carrot. Or rather, read it to him.

[Scott Shaw!]

Congrats on getting the book and getting to work with Scott.

Actually, Bill and I are pals, and we've been working together on various SIMPSONS projects for Bongo for years. Check 'em out. (In fact, if it wasn't for Bill, I might not even be part of this relaunch of CAPTAIN CARROT.)

Aloha,

Scott!

[Bill Morrison]

What does she write? Birds of Birds of Prey?

She writes Gill 13 for DC's Wildstream imprint. Or is it Wren 13 for Birdigo?

Hi Ian!

[Bill Morrison]

Actually, Bill and I are pals, and we've been working together on various SIMPSONS projects for Bongo for years. Check 'em out. (In fact, if it wasn't for Bill, I might not even be part of this relaunch of CAPTAIN CARROT.)


Not to turn this into a love-fest or anything, but I seriously can't imagine anyone but Scott drawing this series. And I really believe that when you get to work with friends you have a lot more fun and it shows in the work. Especially on a project like this.
Okay, enough mush!

[Karl O'Neill]

captain carrot??????

this a comedy book???

[Dedagda]

I'm very excited about this project.

I've been wanting a comic that moved between the kid-adult line for sometime.

Adults rarely pick up the DC Animted and Johnny DC books. In my opinion the regular DC line rates like 9pm television which is too much for kids.

Kids are ready for complex (or do I mean serialized) storylines and adults want some fun in books that aren't one-offs.

[Deathstroke]

I just got a funny look from my co-worker when I told her I was psyched about this weekend's Captain Carrot news. Someone's going to be getting copies!

[Drumore]

Really looking foward to this, Scott!
Are the 3 issue standard comic size (22 pages) or longer?

And here's hoping DC DIRECT will release some of those action figures of the Zoo Crew!!!

[palaeomerus]

I'd love to believe that a new Captain Carrot and his amazing Zoo Crew is not just another in a long line of horribly misguided, tragic, property soiling, mistakes.

But this is the same company that greenlit Stanley and his Monster being abused in satanic rituals by a child murderer (who was implied to be the Stanley of the old comics only grown up) in the Green Arrow comeback.

This is the same company that made Green Arrow old, complained that he was old, and killed him. For being old. Which they MADE him. Which is what necessitated Quiver in the first place.

This is the same company that cancelled Plastic-Man because it didn't match the DC universe.

This is the same company that thought that Emerald Twilight (much less Emerald Dawn!)was a good idea for ten whole years.

It's the one that shot Ted Kord in the face to make room for a new mystical take on the old Guyver-type armored cyborg kid hero that most if not all boys manga is based on.

They also made Superboy Prime and Alex Luthor suddenly "EEEVILLL" on a whim(same old tired Parallax+Extant/Imperiex theme really! Stupid old fans dressed up as a super-villain want to screw every glorious thing we've built in our tenures up just because they want comics like they think they used to be!And Our characters punch 'em inna face! Ooh Burn!).

They left Aqua-Man whining about how his kid was dead and Mera left him for thirty years until even the Silver Surfer was like "God, would you just shut up! Do I sound like that? Really? I'll never even mention Shalla fricken Bal again! I swear!". Then because people were really tired of that and wanted some y'know...undersea action or something they cut off his hand and gave him a hook cannon arm and de-oranged him because "he was just lame".

The pattern is that the company just wanders around aimlessly mucking with characters in the hope of runaway hit with no forethought about cost/ benefit or possible consequences..

"Burn Gotham! Make a new Wonder Girl. Mess with Donna Troy to make some sense out of that. No wait...kill Donna Troy! Then bring her back. Send her into space to fight a giant hand. Have her tearfully recall DC before the crisis in a snorefest! Promote her to Wonder-Woman...sort of. Rape and kill Sue Dibney. Turn Black Adam into a poor man's Submariner. Kill Nightwing,
he's just damaged goods now anyway(Boo!). No wait...unkill him. Just say he didn't die. Oh look! The new Batgirl is evil! Isn't that cool! (Boo!)No wait! She's on dope! Trust us!"

Sigh.

[MatthewDiCarlo]

I'd love to believe that a new Captain Carrot and his amazing Zoo Crew is not just another in a long line of horribly misguided, tragic, property soiling, mistakes.

But this is the same company that greenlit Stanley and his Monster being abused in satanic rituals by a child murderer (who was implied to be the Stanley of the old comics only grown up) in the Green Arrow comeback.

This is the same company that made Green Arrow old, complained that he was old, and killed him. For being old. Which they MADE him. Which is what necessitated Quiver in the first place.

This is the same company that cancelled Plastic-Man because it didn't match the DC universe.

This is the same company that thought that Emerald Twilight (much less Emerald Dawn!)was a good idea for ten whole years.

It's the one that shot Ted Kord in the face to make room for a new mystical take on the old Guyver-type armored cyborg kid hero that most if not all boys manga is based on.

They also made Superboy Prime and Alex Luthor suddenly "EEEVILLL" on a whim(same old tired Parallax+Extant/Imperiex theme really! Stupid old fans dressed up as a super-villain want to screw every glorious thing we've built in our tenures up just because they want comics like they think they used to be!And Our characters punch 'em inna face! Ooh Burn!).

They left Aqua-Man whining about how his kid was dead and Mera left him for thirty years until even the Silver Surfer was like "God, would you just shut up! Do I sound like that? Really? I'll never even mention Shalla fricken Bal again! I swear!". Then because people were really tired of that and wanted some y'know...undersea action or something they cut off his hand and gave him a hook cannon arm and de-oranged him because "he was just lame".

The pattern is that the company just wanders around aimlessly mucking with characters in the hope of runaway hit with no forethought about cost/ benefit or possible consequences..

"Burn Gotham! Make a new Wonder Girl. Mess with Donna Troy to make some sense out of that. No wait...kill Donna Troy! Then bring her back. Send her into space to fight a giant hand. Have her tearfully recall DC before the crisis in a snorefest! Promote her to Wonder-Woman...sort of. Rape and kill Sue Dibney. Turn Black Adam into a poor man's Submariner. Kill Nightwing,
he's just damaged goods now anyway(Boo!). No wait...unkill him. Just say he didn't die. Oh look! The new Batgirl is evil! Isn't that cool! (Boo!)No wait! She's on dope! Trust us!"

Sigh.


I'll have you know that Black Adam is the rich man's Namor, thank you very much.

[palaeomerus]

I'll have you know that Black Adam is the rich man's Namor, thank you very much.

No. Bill Gates has his own personal Namor with the extra big ankle wings option installed. Steve Jobs is rumored to still be working on the iNamor.

[Night Swordsman]

She writes Gill 13 for DC's Wildstream imprint. Or is it Wren 13 for Birdigo?

Hi Ian!

I thought she wrote Welcome to TranWrenity! and the all NEW AtOwl!

[shrike]

I'd love to believe that a new Captain Carrot and his amazing Zoo Crew is not just another in a long line of horribly misguided, tragic, property soiling, mistakes.

But this is the same company that greenlit Stanley and his Monster being abused in satanic rituals by a child murderer (who was implied to be the Stanley of the old comics only grown up) in the Green Arrow comeback.

This is the same company that made Green Arrow old, complained that he was old, and killed him. For being old. Which they MADE him. Which is what necessitated Quiver in the first place.

This is the same company that cancelled Plastic-Man because it didn't match the DC universe.

This is the same company that thought that Emerald Twilight (much less Emerald Dawn!)was a good idea for ten whole years.

It's the one that shot Ted Kord in the face to make room for a new mystical take on the old Guyver-type armored cyborg kid hero that most if not all boys manga is based on.

They also made Superboy Prime and Alex Luthor suddenly "EEEVILLL" on a whim(same old tired Parallax+Extant/Imperiex theme really! Stupid old fans dressed up as a super-villain want to screw every glorious thing we've built in our tenures up just because they want comics like they think they used to be!And Our characters punch 'em inna face! Ooh Burn!).

They left Aqua-Man whining about how his kid was dead and Mera left him for thirty years until even the Silver Surfer was like "God, would you just shut up! Do I sound like that? Really? I'll never even mention Shalla fricken Bal again! I swear!". Then because people were really tired of that and wanted some y'know...undersea action or something they cut off his hand and gave him a hook cannon arm and de-oranged him because "he was just lame".

The pattern is that the company just wanders around aimlessly mucking with characters in the hope of runaway hit with no forethought about cost/ benefit or possible consequences..

"Burn Gotham! Make a new Wonder Girl. Mess with Donna Troy to make some sense out of that. No wait...kill Donna Troy! Then bring her back. Send her into space to fight a giant hand. Have her tearfully recall DC before the crisis in a snorefest! Promote her to Wonder-Woman...sort of. Rape and kill Sue Dibney. Turn Black Adam into a poor man's Submariner. Kill Nightwing,
he's just damaged goods now anyway(Boo!). No wait...unkill him. Just say he didn't die. Oh look! The new Batgirl is evil! Isn't that cool! (Boo!)No wait! She's on dope! Trust us!"

Sigh.


OMG this is so true.

The best part is that they pretend that this is how it is SUPPOSED to have been all along.

Riiiiiiiight.

[Drumore]

This is the same company that cancelled Plastic-Man because it didn't match the DC universe.

He was canceled because he was only selling 9,000 copies a month.

[Night Swordsman]

He was canceled because he was only selling 9,000 copies a month.

Sad fact is,that Plastic Man would of been cancelled EARLIER if it wasn't for all the awards it was winning.

[palaeomerus]

Sad fact is,that Plastic Man would of been cancelled EARLIER if it wasn't for all the awards it was winning.

Okay, scratch all the PLASTIC MAN stuff then.

[Scott Shaw!]

I'd love to believe that a new Captain Carrot and his amazing Zoo Crew is not just another in a long line of horribly misguided, tragic, property soiling, mistakes.

But this is the same company that greenlit Stanley and his Monster being abused in satanic rituals by a child murderer (who was implied to be the Stanley of the old comics only grown up) in the Green Arrow comeback.

This is the same company that made Green Arrow old, complained that he was old, and killed him. For being old. Which they MADE him. Which is what necessitated Quiver in the first place.

This is the same company that cancelled Plastic-Man because it didn't match the DC universe.

This is the same company that thought that Emerald Twilight (much less Emerald Dawn!)was a good idea for ten whole years.

It's the one that shot Ted Kord in the face to make room for a new mystical take on the old Guyver-type armored cyborg kid hero that most if not all boys manga is based on.

They also made Superboy Prime and Alex Luthor suddenly "EEEVILLL" on a whim(same old tired Parallax+Extant/Imperiex theme really! Stupid old fans dressed up as a super-villain want to screw every glorious thing we've built in our tenures up just because they want comics like they think they used to be!And Our characters punch 'em inna face! Ooh Burn!).

They left Aqua-Man whining about how his kid was dead and Mera left him for thirty years until even the Silver Surfer was like "God, would you just shut up! Do I sound like that? Really? I'll never even mention Shalla fricken Bal again! I swear!". Then because people were really tired of that and wanted some y'know...undersea action or something they cut off his hand and gave him a hook cannon arm and de-oranged him because "he was just lame".

The pattern is that the company just wanders around aimlessly mucking with characters in the hope of runaway hit with no forethought about cost/ benefit or possible consequences..

"Burn Gotham! Make a new Wonder Girl. Mess with Donna Troy to make some sense out of that. No wait...kill Donna Troy! Then bring her back. Send her into space to fight a giant hand. Have her tearfully recall DC before the crisis in a snorefest! Promote her to Wonder-Woman...sort of. Rape and kill Sue Dibney. Turn Black Adam into a poor man's Submariner. Kill Nightwing,
he's just damaged goods now anyway(Boo!). No wait...unkill him. Just say he didn't die. Oh look! The new Batgirl is evil! Isn't that cool! (Boo!)No wait! She's on dope! Trust us!"

Sigh.

Please re-read Bill and my posts here and elsewhere. S-L-O-W-L-Y, if it helps you. We're the ones crafting CAPTAIN CARROT AND THE FINAL ARC. To a large degree, the story's already written and it does NONE of the things that seem to drive you so crazy. So please, quit griping about a project that you don't posses a scintilla of a clue as to what we're doing with characters near and dear to my heart. You're gonna dig it, too.

Aloha,

Scott!

[Gail Simone]

I am so excited about this. I'm dying to read it!

Two of the best talents in comics!

DAMN!

It's gonna be so good!

Quail

[Drumore]

Maybe we can see a bit of THE ALL-NEW ITEM with Rhino Choi?

Scott, do you know when we should expect it to be released?

[Bill Morrison]

Maybe we can see a bit of THE ALL-NEW ITEM with Rhino Choi?

Scott, do you know when we should expect it to be released?

Should be in september.

[Gail Simone]

Should be in september.

DUCK BILL PLATYPUS MORRISON!

Gail

[palaeomerus]

Please re-read Bill and my posts here and elsewhere. S-L-O-W-L-Y, if it helps you. We're the ones crafting CAPTAIN CARROT AND THE FINAL ARC. To a large degree, the story's already written and it does NONE of the things that seem to drive you so crazy. So please, quit griping about a project that you don't posses a scintilla of a clue as to what we're doing with characters near and dear to my heart. You're gonna dig it, too.

Aloha,

Scott!

Yeah well I've heard the whole "trust us" thing before. I've heard the whole "you don't know that we had in mind thing" before too. As recently as Infinite Crisis and Civil War.

I'm sure that in your mind this is quite a guarantee. In fact you seem to have concluded that your assessement is so absolute that the ONLY way I could possibly maintain a kernel of any doubt whatsoever is if I misread what you wrote or indeed can't read. No doubt the penners of previous "trust us" style articles of faith felt that they offered up similar ironclad assurances. To me the editorial judgement of DC comics hardly begins with your, as of yet unseen, work on Captain Carrot and it's alleged qualities of excellence, funniness and appropriateness to the characters and genre. I'm sure that Kevin Smith (or whoever) thought the whole Stanley and his Monster thing was pretty nifty.

But WHILE the proof is in the pudding, the history of such judgements is, in my view, mostly "agin' ye", and Little Cheese recently being a victim of sudden and arbitray whacky cat-mouse racism isn't (from my perspective) such a great place to start.(And in fact that plot seems to have been a rather vicious satire of an industry that wishes to bring agnst, noir, grit, and brutality even to the funny animals).

So, in conclusion sirs, I cannont extend any honest declaration of confidence in the project at this time.

[Michael P]

But the proof is in the pudding, t

Actually, the proof of the pudding is in the eating (look it up). In other words, any judgment before you see the actual finished product is just prejudice.

[Flamebird]

Yeah well I've heard the whole "trust us" thing before. I've heard the whole "you don't know that we had in mind thing" before too. As recently as Infinite Crisis and Civil War.

I'm sure that in your mind this is quite a guarantee. In fact you seem to have concluded that your assessement is so absolute that the ONLY way I could possibly maintain a kernel of any doubt whatsoever is if I misread what you wrote or indeed can't read. No doubt the penners of previous "trust us" style articles of faith felt that they offered up similar ironclad assurances. To me the editorial judgement of DC comics hardly begins with your, as of yet unseen, work on Captain Carrot and it's alleged qualities of excellence, funniness and appropriateness to the characters and genre. I'm sure that Kevin Smith (or whoever) thought the whole Stanley and his Monster thing was pretty nifty.

But the proof is in the pudding, the history of such judgements is, in my view, mostly "agin' ye", and Little Cheese recently being a victim of sudden and arbitray whacky cat-mouse racism isn't (from my perspective) such a great place to start.(And in fact that plot seems to have been a rather vicious satire of an industry that wishes to bring agnst, noir, grit, and brutality even to the funny animals).

So, in conclusion sirs, I cannont extend any honest declaration of confidence in the project at this time.


Umm. You do realize that Scott Shaw! helped Create the Zoo Crew, right?

This isn't joe blow, low budget filmaker/slacker or whatever doing this,

It's Scott -Freakin -Shaw!


I can understand the pissed at Dc thing, they've killed a lot of my enjoyment in their books.

But some people, I just trust; and DO take their word about things.

Scott is one of those people.



P.S. Bill, Scott, YOU have NO idea how excited I am over this book.
So without "pre-judging" the quality, allow me to say- "YIPPEE!!!"

[MatthewDiCarlo]

I'm ok with "pre-judging" it. Generally, if I know a writer and an artist's work, and have read an interview with one or the other, I feel fine pre-judging, and this I'm pre-judging to be pretty good.

[Ian Boothby]

There's always tension between comic creators and readers. But if the readers are worried at least it means they care about the characters.
And just because a creator loves the character they're working on doesn't mean they'll do the right thing with it. I'm sure George Lucas loves the Star Wars universe, I'm sure that Brad Meltzer loves the Justice League but that doesn't mean they can't take those characters they care about and make some very bad choices.

Readers worry about characters they care about for good reason. A lot of characters people cared about have been killed and worse recently (Speedball in an S+M suit anyone?). It's frustrating for the creator who doesn't want their story judged before it comes out but the good part is, this person who's worried? Odds are they'll be buying the book on day one. They'll be posting about it shortly after. As a creator that's what you want.

[palaeomerus]

Actually, the proof of the pudding is in the eating (look it up). In other words, any judgment before you see the actual finished product is just prejudice.

A Cervantes quote shortened to a contemporary form is still essentially Cervantes whether a purist aproves of it's truncation or not. You got the message and your quibble is without value in assessing that message.

Someone who says "Auld Lange Syne and all that rot" need not recite the entire song to get the point across.

Your rather lame platitude about how "I haven't seen it" is not especially persuasive in light of the fact that I said "the proof is in the pudding" precisely to suggest that, though I won't know for sure until the book comes out, right now I have major doubts based on oh...the last twenty years of DC. I now associate that kind of sillyness with the brand. (And with Marvel) I have since taken the liberty of editing my previous post to add a bolded capitalized WHILE that will hopefully clarify my intention.

I hadn't read Civil War, Infinite Crisis, Identity Crisis, Rann Thanagar War, That whole awful return of Donna Troy thing, and figured they would suck. Now I've read them and I still think they suck. The whole "You haven't read it" argument while obvious, carries little force in an environment where most of my negative expectations have been almost routinely met or exceeded, usually, while being told by some well meaning apologist how awesome it would all be if I just gave it a chance.

[Michael P]

A Cervantes quote shortened to a contemporary form is still essentially Cervantes whether a purist aproves of it's truncation or not. You got the message and your quibble is without value in assessing that message.

Incorrect. Knowing the correct quote was quite instrumental in my assessment of your argument as utter horseshit.


Your rather lame platitude about how "I haven't seen it" is not especially persuasive in light of the fact that I said "the proof is in the pudding" precisely to suggest that, though I won't know for sure until the book comes out, right now I have major doubts based on oh...the last twenty years of DC.

Yes, it is. Because the point is, you haven't seen the pudding yet. You've seen other puddings, but they are not this pudding. Furthermore, the people making this pudding are quite different from the people who made those puddings, with very different ideas of what makes pudding good.

I would continue to extend the metaphor, but I'm already too close to channeling Bill Cosby. Suffice to say, you're full of what pudding looks like coming out the other end.

[Tad Sivana]

"Can't we all just get along?"
Rev. Martin Luther Skink

[Night Swordsman]

"Can't we all just get along?"
Rev. Martin Luther Skink

Sigh. I wished. But i also do believe that people are here to express their beliefs and views and opinions. IT is when someone attempts to make others do something on here,beyond the simple and easy to follow rules on here set by Gail and Oz,that they do not want to do,no matter WHAT it is,that is when discussions get heated. I just had to go over this tonite with someone,and for my friends and for Gail and Oz's sake,and NOT because of what this person wanted,i plan on deleting my posts,this one time only.

People on here will have various views,and they will be different. Long as we act civilized and with respect,then civility and respect should be given back.

It really is that simple.

[MacQuarrie]

Yeah well I've heard the whole "trust us" thing before. I've heard the whole "you don't know that we had in mind thing" before too. As recently as Infinite Crisis and Civil War.

I'm sure that in your mind this is quite a guarantee. In fact you seem to have concluded that your assessement is so absolute that the ONLY way I could possibly maintain a kernel of any doubt whatsoever is if I misread what you wrote or indeed can't read. No doubt the penners of previous "trust us" style articles of faith felt that they offered up similar ironclad assurances. To me the editorial judgement of DC comics hardly begins with your, as of yet unseen, work on Captain Carrot and it's alleged qualities of excellence, funniness and appropriateness to the characters and genre. I'm sure that Kevin Smith (or whoever) thought the whole Stanley and his Monster thing was pretty nifty.

But WHILE the proof is in the pudding, the history of such judgements is, in my view, mostly "agin' ye", and Little Cheese recently being a victim of sudden and arbitray whacky cat-mouse racism isn't (from my perspective) such a great place to start.(And in fact that plot seems to have been a rather vicious satire of an industry that wishes to bring agnst, noir, grit, and brutality even to the funny animals).

So, in conclusion sirs, I cannont extend any honest declaration of confidence in the project at this time.
You've made a fatal error. As they say, "consider the source."

If Brad Meltzer, Judd Winick, Dan DiDio or Geoff Johns were to say "trust me" you would have legitimate reason to doubt them. They have all an established track record of utterly destroying the essence of characters in order to advance their ill-thought agendas.

On the other hand, in this case we are dealing with Bill Morrison and Scott Shaw!, both of whom have well-established records for "getting it."

Bill was able to capture the essence of the Simpsons and translate it into comics with respect and imagination. His Rosswell is a delight, a breath of fresh air. His book on the work of Dan DeCarlo is a fantastic and heartfelt tribute. He understands, clear down to the bone, the essence of comics and what makes them fun. Bill Morrison is Bongo Comics, and that ought to mean something.

Scott created Captain Carrot and the Zoo Crew. Yes, Roy Thomas co-created them, but the truth is, Scott did the bulk of the work. He co-plotted and co-scripted the book and wrote several issues by himself. In addition, he has scripted, plotted, drawn and storyboarded countless comics and animated cartoons, and did it well enough to end up with a row of Emmys in his office cabinet. His resume runs about a dozen pages.

If Bill and Scott say they are doing Captain Carrot right, and they say "trust me," I trust them. If any other DC writer (except Gail) said "trust me" I'd ask them to leave a pint of blood as a deposit, but Scott and Bill's word is gold.

[Bill Morrison]

Wow, I'm just thrilled to be involved with a project that people are so passionate about. Simpsons fans seem to love what we do at Bongo, but they don't talk about it much. (Ian, Gail, am I right?) I'm digging the verbal fisticuffs, and I'm even feeling challenged to turn out something so good that even Palaeomerus will applaud.
I'm also planning on using one of his tirades verbatim in a future Comic Book Guy story.:D

[Flamebird]

Wow, I'm just thrilled to be involved with a project that people are so passionate about. Simpsons fans seem to love what we do at Bongo, but they don't talk about it much. (Ian, Gail, am I right?) I'm digging the verbal fisticuffs, and I'm even feeling challenged to turn out something so good that even Palaeomerus will applaud.
I'm also planning on using one of his tirades verbatim in a future Comic Book Guy story.:D

LOL!!! Bravo :)

I guess the only thing left to say is...


mmm,pudding :o

[Ian Boothby]

Wow, I'm just thrilled to be involved with a project that people are so passionate about. Simpsons fans seem to love what we do at Bongo, but they don't talk about it much. (Ian, Gail, am I right?)

Well there's a couple of guys at No Homers but one of them only seems care if any of the issues have Reverend Lovejoy in them.

There's not a lot of online talk but whenever I do a con, wow there's a lot of folks who read the books. The Bongo booth is always go go go. Gonna miss seeing you guys at Wondercon this year.

[Ian Boothby]

On another note I do want to say I think it's fair for folks to naysay a project before it comes out. If for no other reason than something should be there to counter the hype.

There isn't an issue of the Simpsons or Futurama that I do that some folks don't say, "That'll suck" and some say it after as well.
Fair enough. Again these folks usually buy the books. It stings to hear it as creators but any artist in any field needs to get their thick skin coat on before putting out anything.

I was one of the folks who out and out hated the Teen Titans Captain Carrot. It made me angry and sad. I thought that this was a perfect place to mock the darkening of comics, the nihilism. To show how silly it was. But it just took the characters and gave them the same treatment. Maybe that's commentary. Maybe satire. But I didn't get it.

Is it silly to care about these characters that I used to really enjoy as a kid? I'm an adult. Again, maybe. But like a lot of other comic readers I'm watching characters I enjoyed go throught the shock value wringer in what seems like a never ending sweeps week. It's like getting fed nothing but sugar while watching things in your home that you like get smashed with a bat and replaced with cheap knock offs. This I think is the baggage more than a few comic readers have right now and so when something like Captain Carrot gets brought up for a relaunch the worry is the bat's gonna start swinging again. That the last time it came back was already a couple of solid whacks doesn't help.

As mentioned before Stanley and his Monster became a horrific abuse story. It's an easy path for a writer to take something sweet and turn it around to show you the dark side. Max Lord was always evil and shoots Blue Beetle in the face, Gwen Stacy had sex with the Green Goblin, Dr. Light raped Sue and the JLA made him mentally handicapped. This is the world of comics today. So some naysaying is gonna happen.

Personally I think the new Captain Carrot book is going to be amazing.

[PatrickG]

On another note I do want to say I think it's fair for folks to naysay a project before it comes out. If for no other reason than something should be there to counter the hype.


I agree, totally, Ian.

But would add that the response to the hype is no more worthwhile than the hype and that both of those things and a five dollar bill will still only buy you a latte at Starbucks.

[Scott Shaw!]

Although I've never really left the funnybook biz since the original run of CAPTAIN CARROT (I've done dozens of stories for practically every publisher out there), this is the first time I've done a high-profile project in the Internet Age.

I find it fascinating that, although Bill and I have worked out the story and know EXACTLY where it's going, had the first script approved, had the first cover approved and are in the process of forging ahead on the pencils and script for the second issue, fans are so passionate that they want to get involved in the creative process. That may be futile, but believe me, I appreciate the sentiment.

On the other hand, it's more than a bit disconcerting that anyone would think that Bill and I are being less than honest here. What, you want us to reveal the entire story now? Unh-unh, no way.

But our track record shows that we LOVE comics that are funny, smart and upbeat. People that blame me for the eight pages in TEEN TITANS seem to forget that I had no control over those...Geoff Johns not only wrote the scripts, but he was responsible for getting the Zoo Crew back in print in the first place. I really believe that, in part, the fans' passionate reaction to those pages (half of which I drew but were never actually printed; Scott Roberts actually drew that second batch under duress, a long story that I'll skip) helped to make this new series possible. But I AM the co-creator of CAPTAIN CARROT AND THE ZOO CREW! and that should indicate that my intentions with the characters is only to make 'em even better and more entertaining than ever, and Bill shares my sentiments exactly. Yeah, it's not what I would have done, but Geoff's efforts were sincere (he loves the Zoo Crew, as WIZARD readers should know) and I was just delighted to see the characters back in print.

Folks, we wouldn't steer you wrong.

(If anyone has the slightest doubt of what I like to see in a comic book, bop on over to <http://www.oddballcomics.com> and read a few of my columns on "the craziest comic books ever published!" Heck, pull up a chair and stay a while; we've got our own discussion board, too!)

I grew up in the 1950s and 1960s, I loved stories by Carl Barks, Bob (LITTLE ARCHIE) Bolling, Sheldon (SUGAR & SPIKE) Mayer, John (LITTLE LULU) Stanley, George Gladir and Orlando Busino's TALES CALCULATED TO DRIVE YOU BATS, the Mort Weisinger-edited "SUPERMAN family" of titles, Julie Schwart's GREEN LANTERN and JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA, "The War That Time Forgot" by the great Ross Andru and Mike Esposito, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's FANTASTIC FOUR and the rest of the early Marvel mags, Sam Glanzman's KONA, MONARCH OF MONSTER ISLE, Gilbert Shelton's FABULOUS FURRY FREAK BROTHERS, among others. TV cartoons starring Hanna-Barbera's RUFF AND REDDY, HUCKLEBERRRY HOUND, YOGI BEAR, QUICK DRAW McGRAW and THE FLINTSTONES and Jay Ward's ROCKY AND BULLWINKLE and GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE were MAJOR influences on my sense of humor and design. I worked with Tex Avery! My wife and I named our only child after JACK KIRBY, for Grodd's sake!

(See, I can be obsessively passionate, too!)

Sooo, does all of THAT sound like I'm into grim, dark, depressing stories that degrade and humiliate their much-beloved characters?

So puh-lease, Paleomerus, Paleoskinkus and Phobosuchus (yeah, I'm a nut for paleontology, too) stop worrying, sit back, enjoy the next six month's worth of the comics you like, and then, when CAPTAIN CARROT AND THE FINAL ARC hits the racks, buy about twenty copies and hand 'em out to all your friends.

Believe me, you'll look like a hero...even if you don't have long, furry ears.

Aloha,

Scott!

P.S.: Here's a great bit of CAPTAIN CARROT news: DC has signed on my favorite inker from the original series, Amiable Al Gordon, to in CAPTAIN CARROT AND THE FINAL ARC! >WOO-FRICKIN'-HOO!< -- SS!

[ducklord]

What's all this I hear about Captain Carrot being black? Why is it that every time a favorite childhood character of mind is updated, he has to be gratuitously transformed into a minority to appease the politically correct, quota-counting media? Why can't they make up a fresh new character of color, rather than retconning an established-

(whisper whisper...)

Oh. Well. That's different.

Never mind.

Mike.