This message was posted on many various message boards and list servs. Because it's a nice introduction, I tossed it up here. Enjoy, for those who have yet to read it.
I'm the writer of the new Thundercats comic books, and I just wanted to check in here and address address some of the comments on the different boards and forums--not to mention answer any questions folks might have about what we're doing and what to expect come August. There's been a lot of traffic at the WildStorm forums and on Newsarama (not to mention the other comic boards), but I know not everyone here frequents those places and I wanted to start getting active on some of the Thundercats boards, too. Thanks to Dr Zhie for giving me pointers to some of the Thundercats forums I hadn't heard of yet! I'm cross posting this message to a few different forums, but my intent is to come back here on a fairly regular basis (once or twice a week, give or take) and I'll try to answer any questions to the best of my ability--without blowing too many surprises, of course ;)
Believe me when I say I'm just as excited about Thundercats as many of you are--as are J. Scott Campbell, Ed McGuinness, and the other folks working on these books. I know some folks are worried that we're just trying to cash in on the 80s cartoon craze, but let me assure you that nothing could be farther from the truth. We're all HUGE fans of the cartoon, and the whole reason we're doing these books is for our love for The Thundercats. And be "we" I'm not just referring to me and the artists--this has been a pet project of WildStorm founder Jim Lee's for a while, too. We're really having a lot of fun with this project, and think fans of the cartoon will dig it.
I'm lucky to be working with the caliber of artists that WildStorm got to do this book. For those of you who don't follow comics, J. Scott and Ed have the ability to pick whatever they want to work on; their choosing Thundercats is a testament to how much they love the show. I know some people have expressed concern over the J. Scott Campbell promo piece that accompanied the press release as looking a little too different from the cartoons; rest assured, there's nothing to worry about. I've seen most of J. Scott's pages already, and they're amazing. I've gotten a ton of pages from both artists, and I could never have hoped for better looking work. I've seen Jason Martin's inks and Chris Walker's colors on the first issue, too, and they look fantastic as well. This is really the kind of top-notch treatment the Thundercats have always deserved but never gotten in comics, and I think people are going to be blown away by the artwork. Not only is it fun and dynamic, but it's a perfect fit for the stories we're trying to tell.
The first mini-series we're doing is going to pick up immediately after the final episode of the final season. It takes place in continuity, and I'm looking at as if it's the first episode of the new season--as if the show never ended, and we're just carrying the story through it's natural evolution. All of the Thundercats from the cartoon will be seen over the course of the first mini; in fact, all but a couple are featured in a major fight scene in the first issue. Mumm-Ra and the mutants will be back, too, as well as a fair amount of recurring characters and guest stars.
After this first mini series is over, we're going to be doing another mini series that takes place a few years in the future. This book is going to be darker and edgier than the first one, and it will be in continuity. It's not a "what if?" fantasy story or "Elseworlds" or anything---it's the next major chapter of the Thundercats mythology. I'm really excited about this book and very proud of it, too. Dan Norton is the artist for that book; he's a huge Thundercats fan as well, and we've been having a lot of fun working on the comic already.
I think both books will satisfy both die-hard and casual fans, and I'm really proud of my work here. I hope that those of you who are on the fence will give us a try.
That's it for now, but I'll be back in the next day or two to answer any questions anyone might have. In the meantime, here's a link to the cover of our second issue (which features an appearance by Hachiman) at the amazing Toon Zone website.
Ford Gilmore
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