WILD CHILDREN by Riley Rossmo & Ales Kot - out July 11

[Ales Kot]

Hello ladies and gentlemen,

I'm Ales Kot, the writer behind WILD CHILDREN, a 64-page graphic novella that's coming out via Image on July 11.

Riley Rossmo (Dark Wolverine, Cowboy Ninja Viking) significantly changed his art style for this comic. We have amazing colors by Gregory Wright (Batman: The Long Halloween, Elephantmen) and inventive lettering by Clayton Cowles (Kick-Ass, Superior, The Defenders). The announcement in USA Today earlier this week got us a decent amount of attention, but I want to fight for every one of you, so here it is reposted with a 4-page preview: http://www.usatoday.com/life/comics/...vel/54346844/1

I'm interested in new, exciting comics. I like reading them, I like making them. I want to give you something you haven't seen or read before. I'm at the start of a long journey that will hopefully evolve into a cool career, and I want every single one of you to join me.

I believe in my work. I hope you will, too.

Thank you for your time.


Here it is, then:


WILD CHILDREN (one-shot)
story ALES KOT
art RILEY ROSSMO
JULY 11
64 PAGES / FC / T+
$9.99

Guns. Acid. Cameras. School.

The themes behind the controversial Hellblazer: “Shoot” by WARREN ELLIS and PHIL JIMENEZ merge with the attitude of the GRANT MORRISON and PHILIP BOND masterpiece of teenage revolt, Kill Your Boyfriend, delivering a story of magic, passion and disinformation.

WILD CHILDREN: A different type of education.




(And you know what? Here's an extra panel, CBR Forums exclusive. You won't find this one in the USA Today preview.)






Ales Kot


http://www.aleskot.com/

http://twitter.com/ales_kot

[Marc]

This looks different, in a good way. I will definately check it out.

Also, your USA Today link is broken.

[Awesome!]

First of all, how do you pronounce your name? Is it like ails?

2nd, this looks really freaking awesome. I feel you channeling Morrison and it is good.

3rd, I hope that in altering Riley's style you guys haven't gone too...sterile. One of the things I love about Riley's art is how dirty and primal it feels with all the ink splotches and lines everywhere. It's like he purges himself onto the page. These panels feel kind of like a neutered Riley. It's still good but not as hardcore ass-kicking as I usually expect.

4th, should there be a good reception is there a possibility for more or is this a story with a hard ending?

[Johnny P. Sartre]

Don't worry bout Riley's style, it definitely hasn't gone sterile in my opinion. Also, Debris is going to have the same style as this and it still has that great Riley touch to it.

[IsaiahPLG]

Hmm, I don't know. I almost always buy everything that has Rileys name on it but I need to see more of this one before a hand 10 bucks over for a one shot.

[Ales Kot]

Thanks!

The link is fixed now, also.

[Ales Kot]

First of all, how do you pronounce your name? Is it like ails?

2nd, this looks really freaking awesome. I feel you channeling Morrison and it is good.

3rd, I hope that in altering Riley's style you guys haven't gone too...sterile. One of the things I love about Riley's art is how dirty and primal it feels with all the ink splotches and lines everywhere. It's like he purges himself onto the page. These panels feel kind of like a neutered Riley. It's still good but not as hardcore ass-kicking as I usually expect.

4th, should there be a good reception is there a possibility for more or is this a story with a hard ending?

1) It's pronounced 'Alesh'.

2) Yeah, Morrison's influence is definitely there, but WILD CHILDREN goes further than that. You could say that WILD CHILDREN is a bastard child of Morrison, Ellis and Moore, but I grew up reading the writers that actually influenced M.E.M. before I discovered their comics, so I I'm going to be exploring many different directions as I progress. That said, Morrison & Ellis are mentioned in the USA TODAY article and we namedrop Moore in the comic. Owning up to my own influences is important - can't transcend them unless I fully figure them out first. If I had to put together a more complete list of influences on Wild Children, the list would be:

Writers:

Hakim Bey
Douglas Rushkoff
Warren Ellis
Grant Morrison
Alan Moore
Peter Milligan
Michel Foucault
Aldous Huxley
Deleuze, Pynchon, Baudrillard, Bataille...



Films:

Elephant
We Need to Talk About Kevin
Enter the Void
Donnie Darko
Pierrot le Fou
various other works by people like Kubrick, Godard, Aronofsky, Fincher


Music:

Digital Mystikz (everything)
MGMT ('Congratulations')
Fuck Buttons (everything)
Bjork (especially 'Homogenic')
Blur (everything, especially 'Think Tank')
Salem (King Night)
Shackleton (everything)
Coil (everything, especially 'Teenage Lightning 2005')
Eminem (some of the older stuff, especially tracks like 'White America')
Marilyn Manson (same, from 'Portrait of an American Family' to 'The Golden Age of Grotesque')


3) The first pages do their best to be sterile, because that's what makes sense for the story. However, once it gets going...sterile ain't the word. Some pages Riley turned in blew my head off. They're psychedelic, beautiful, weird and crazy. Some panels are done in completely different styles. On top of all that, Greg Wright's colors add extra layers. It's a different Riley than you're used to, that's for sure, but his work is still amazing. Art equals evolution.

4) Never say never, but I don't think we'll ever come back to it. Even if WILD CHILDREN sells 200,000 copies (heh), I won't come back unless it makes perfect sense as a decision that would be 100% motivated by my desire to tell a new story. However, I suspect Riley & I will make more comics together.

[Ales Kot]

Don't worry bout Riley's style, it definitely hasn't gone sterile in my opinion. Also, Debris is going to have the same style as this and it still has that great Riley touch to it.

Thanks for this - i'm not sure if 'Debris' has exactly the same style, though. Similar, definitely.

[Ales Kot]

Hmm, I don't know. I almost always buy everything that has Rileys name on it but I need to see more of this one before a hand 10 bucks over for a one shot.

I'll do my best to convince you that WILD CHILDREN is worth your money. There will be more previews, interviews, extra bits and pieces here and there...all I can say is follow the trail and I'll make this a trip worth remembering.

[Johnny P. Sartre]

Fuck Buttons (everything)
Coil (everything, especially 'Teenage Lightning 2005')

Alright, saw Fuck Buttons live a while back ago (I think little after they released Tarot Sport) and man was my ears ringing for a whole week. There have been very few bands that have done that to me (Bloody Valentine, ASTRO, Boris, Sunn to name the rest).

I've been on The Ape of Naples and ...And The Ambulance Died In His Arms addiction as of lately.

[400yrs]

I'll buy anything Riley does, so I'm in.

[Ales Kot]

I'll buy anything Riley does, so I'm in.

That's excellent news. Hope you'll enjoy it!