Rob Williams

It’s been a weird couple of weeks. I knew that Eddie Deighton and Com.X had been actively pushing Cla$$war in Hollywood for several years. Every now and again Ed would ring to update me with little titbits of information, and while it was all good fun for me to imagine a Cla$$war movie, it was never concrete enough to publically talk about. A few months ago he told me that Mandeville Films (Surrogates, The Proposal) were interested but, again, it wasn’t enough to get truly excited about. Then, around a week before the Long Beach Comic Con, I got word that Mandeville and producer Rick Alexander were willing to make an announcement regarding their involvement. Hmmm, I thought. That does sound concrete. We’ll see. Next thing I know, the story’s all over the internet. And in print. In VARIETY, for God’s sake. Now, that suddenly feels VERY, VERY concrete.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118009534.html?categoryid=13&cs=1

And Rick Alexander, one of the producers on Cla$$war (it has producers now), speaks a little about how the Mandeville deal came about, and little things like a potential release date, here:

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=23229

Quoting the CBR piece, Alexander says: “In terms of giving credit where credit is due, I’d just like to cite a colleague who couldn’t be here today. His name is David Manpearl, and he’s the VP of Development over at Mandeville. He and I were talking a few months back about what we might do together, and I exposed the digital version of the collected edition [of 'Cla$$war'] to him. He read ‘Cla$$war,’ he read it quickly and read it insightfully, and he said, ‘Listen. You’ve got to come in and speak to David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman, my bosses, about this, because I think it’s terrific.’ And I said ‘I agree with you, there is a huge movie here.’ So I went over to Disney and sat down with the guys. They had read the book by the time I got there. They were very excited about the material and its potential for film, and asked me to bring Ben Shahrabani (from Com.X), who’s local, back with me. So a couple weeks later, we had another meeting. And I guess five grown men fell in love.”

Bonkers.

So, not only do pages and pages of google links suddenly appear online about this, but I spend part of the week experiencing oddities like two Hollywood agents ringing within an hour or so of one another.

My life is now going to be like Entourage, one voice in my head whispers. Fortunately, the other, louder voice in my head, then points out that I’m 38, bald and have two children, so maybe this won’t be the case. Maybe I could be Turtle and go and fetch things for a Vince figure? That’s something to aspire to.

And, as exciting as all this is, we still have a long way to go. I’m told that they’re in discussions with a screenwriter, but nothing’s signed yet. And, of course, a director would have to be attached at some point if it’s going to progress. But it feels like we’re getting some excellent momentum. It was interesting for me to interview Andy Diggle and Jock last week for a feature I’m writing for The Word magazine. The Losers (their excellent Vertigo action comic-turned major Hollywood movie) took around four years of ‘it’s happening’, ‘it’s not happening’ ups and downs before it actually made it to first day’s filming. Both Andy and Jock talked about not allowing yourself to get too excited in case nothing happens – a defence mechanism. That’s kind of the state I’m enforcing upon myself.

It would be amazing though…

What else is going on? I’ve just finished issue one of a six issue series for a major American publisher. Can’t say any more about that yet. The third issue of Robocop is done and I’m seeing some cool looking art for issue one, so that’s on its way from Dynamite. I’ve written a Low Life special for the 2000AD Christmas Prog – which is a thrill as it feels like I’m in the same 2000AD Christmas annuals I loved as a kid. The Grievous Journey of Ichabod Azreal… is into its final act.

And I’m going to be starring in Entourage. Entourage‘s bald, middle-aged spin-off.

Oh, and I should add that the Cla$$war collected edition (great reviews, now has producers etc) is soon to be released in its softcover incarnation. December, it’s due. The ideal purchase for those too cheap to buy the handsome hardcover. Here’s the Diamond order code:

OCT090824 – CLA$$WAR SERIES 1 COLLECTED ED TP

When I met my girlfriend back in around ’96 she played the cello – still does in fact. So, over the years I’ve seen her play in numerous orchestras and every time I meet her after the concert she asks me what I thought, and I ALWAYS reply “you were the best one in your row.” It’s a (no doubt irritating) running joke and it is, of course, stolen from one of my favourite movies – Ghostbusters. Pete Venkman says it to Dana Barrett when he waits for her outside her orchestra practice. And it’s wonderful and witty and joyful and it’s not even one of the best loved lines from the movie – that’s how good a film it is – one of the best scripts of all time, for my mainstream-loving money. And the performances from Bill Murray, Harold Ramis and Dan Akroyd are ridiculously charming. Murray, especially. They don’t give out Oscars for comedy but show me a movie performance that’s more emminently watchable and engaging than Bill Murray in Ghostbusters. The guy commands the screen in the style of someone like Richard Burton or Morgan Freeman (at his best). The difference is, he doesn’t even look like he’s trying.

I love Ghostbuters. So, you can imagine how delighted I was to get to write these characters. GHOSTBUSTERS: PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE is a Christmas one-shot from IDW that will be solicited in the upcoming Diamond catalogue. It features art by Chilean artist Diego Jourdan (ASTRO BOY) and covers by Nick Runge. One of these highlights the Dickensian influence of the story and the other, my favourite, going for a Norman Rockwell style.

And yes, this is the Ghostbusters vs. the Christmas Carol ghosts of past, present and future. And no, I didn’t make any Scrooged references, although I was very tempted.

Writing dialogue for Pete Venkman was great fun for me. Right up there with writing Han Solo and Indiana Jones. I’m ticking these off one by one.

Here’s the Ghostbuters covers, along with a preview page of art from the upcoming THE GRIEVOUS JOURNEY OF ICHABOD AZREAL (AND THE DEAD LEFT IN HIS WAKE). This was given a cool full-page ad in the excellent 2000AD Prog 1650 last week – to digress, 2000AD is on a bit of a run at the moment, some fantastic work there. Ichabod is a supernatural western by the brilliant Dom Reardon (Caballistics Inc) and myself, with colours by Pete Doherty (Shaolin Cowboy). Pete coloured my and Laurence Campbell’s BREATHING SPACE in 2000AD a few years back and I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have colour a comic of mine. Anyway, keep a look out for this one. It’s kind of The Assasination Of Jesse James mixed with an apocalyptic Gram Parsons album. If that makes any sense:

Nothing for months and then two posts in a couple of days. Like London busses, this blog.

Just heard from Eddie Deighton @ Com.X that you can now buy Cla$$wars issues 1 & 2 through the iTunes store for 99c (that’s 59p to Brits). Read it on your iPhone or iPod Touch! Details below:

Com.x are pleased to announce, in collaboration with Iconology, Inc., that Com.x comics are now available for download from the iTunes store. The first wave of releases features Cla$$war #1, #2 and Path. These will be followed by the rest of the Cla$$war series and other, soon to be announced, titles.

The application is available for £0.59 or ¢99, dependent upon your location. Once you have purchased the app, which enables you to read the comics, you will be able to download Cla$$war #1 and the first chapter of Path FREE OF CHARGE! If you like what you see, you can then download the rest of the books for 59p/99¢ and £1.79/$2.99 for Cla$$war and Path, respectively.

[About Iconology, Inc. - Since 2007 Iconology, Inc. has been working to expose more people to the world of comics, through comiXology.com and related applications. comiXology.com, brick-and-mortar comic book
retailer tools, iPhone and Blackberry apps and digital comics are all connected through the comiXology platform.]

In other news, my DARK X-MEN: THE BEGINNING story is in issue two, on sale July 29. Gorgeous cover from Jae Lee here:

Comic Book Resources have just put a three page preview of my story online. You can find it at:

http://www.comicbookresources.com/prev_img.php?pid=3107&pg=7

And my MEET DARREN DEAD story did indeed start in the Judge Dredd Megazine this week (issue 287). It’s on the cover, in fact – beautifully drawn by John Higgins. This is a three-parter that features the ghost of a giant panda murdering its way through the Magic Circle of Mega City One.

And finally, the new issue of SFX has just turned up, which features a six-page interview I recently did with Grant Morrison, which tries to cover his entire career, and fails.

God, it’s been ages since I updated. Apologies. So much so that I can barely remember everything that’s happened since my last post. Erg.

Well, the major news is that I was confirmed as the writer of the new ROBOCOP series from Dynamite. You’ll find an interview with me here at Newsarama about it:

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/060916-Robocop-Williams.html

Should be loads of shooty, bullety fun, this. No Alan Bennett-like slice-of-life soliliques about biscuits going mouldy in the back of a corner shop here. No release date yet but I’ll keep the blog posted. Honest.

What else? I’ve got an 11-page Daken (son of Wolverine, mohican, claws, tattoes can’t miss him) story running in DARK X-MEN: THE BEGINNING. I’m pretty sure it’s issue two, although it could be three. Wherein I take Daken and Norman Osborn to the opera, because that’s what X-Men comics need more of. Opera. Huge fun to write Norman Osborn, and also nice to have a story in the same issue as Paul Cornell, who’s a friend. My other upcoming Marvel comic hasn’t been solicited yet, so I’ll keep schtum on that.

In similar shhhhhh style, I’ve also written a one-off Christmas special for a different ’80s film license. One of my favourite movies, this, so writing dialogue for the characters was on a par with writing Indiana Jones and Han Solo for me. A geeky fanboy thrill. Again, I’ll speak up as soon as I can. Oh, and I wrote it in the hottest week of the year, so snowy festive delight runs through it.

The CLA$$WAR hardcover continues to do well, both in terms of sales and press. I interviewed Geoff Johns (namedrop) this week for an upcoming SFX special and he told me how much he loved the hardcover and what a great package it is, which blew my mind, slightly. I still can’t get my head around the fact that people in California are reading my work, let alone people in California who happen to be one of the top writers in the industry.

And just heard today that the CLA$$WAR softcover is being solicited for an October release in Previews. So cheapskates can now get their copy too.

Speaking of which (softcovers, not cheapskates), I received my comp copies of the INDIANA JONES AND THE TOMB OF THE GODS graphic novel this weekend, a few weeks after my STAR WARS: VECTOR VOLUME TWO comps.

And, on top of all that, I’m sure MEET DARREN DEAD: EATS, SHOOTS AND KILLS starts in either the next JUDGE DREDD MEGAZINE or the one after, with art by John (Watchmen) Higgins. No one tells me anything.

Sounds busy, doesn’t it? Good. Busy is good. More busy please.

I’ve neglected the website of late. Apologies for that. In fairness, my last entry was March 24th, I’ve just seen, and my daughter, Edie, was born on the 27th. And I’m recently back from a trip to New York where I was working on a feature about the NFL Draft for GQ Magazine. So things have been more than a little hectic lately.

Since my last entry, however, LOW LIFE: CREATION finished very satisfyingly in 2000AD. A beautiful job by D’isreali and a script that I’m really happy with. And I’ve been working on and finishing a book for Marvel which, even though I’ve worked for them before on WOLVERINE a few years back, remains a dream come true. Extremely dark and nasty, this one. More on that once it’s solicited.

My feature on the 1974 BRITISH LIONS TOUR TO SOUTH AFRICA is currently available in GQ SPORT (it’s the issue of GQ with Simon Pegg on the cover). It’s the best thing I’ve written in my journalism career and, for a rugby union fan such as myself, speaking to the likes of Gareth Edwards, Willie John McBride and JPR WIlliams was a thrill.

Other news comes from the widespread great reviews that the CLA$$WAR hardcover edition has been enjoying. SFX have it four and a half out of five, if I remember correctly, which was lovely. But the review that Ain’t It Cool News gave us this week was truly amazing. In the words of Trev Hairsine, when I sent him the link, “that’s a foaming review”. They absolutely loved it. My brain doesn’t cope well with this much praise:

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/40993

So, take their lead and run out and buy a copy.

And finally, short notice this, but I’ll be at the Bristol Comics Expo this weekend, so come and say hello. I’m signing at 11am both days, I think. I’m sure I’ll be at the com.x and 2000AD tables too throughout the weekend and I’m on a panel on the Sunday afternoon. See you in the Ramada Inn.

… these nebulous occurrences are surely portents of the incredible and the downright unlikely. Yes, that’s right, according to reliable sources, this week will see the release in the UK of the rather sumptuous CLA$$WAR collected edition. The US release is apparently, following on Wednesday 8th April 2009. But if that weren’t head flappingly astonishing enough, the final issue of INDIANA JONES AND THE TOMB OF THE GODS can actually be bought this week too. Can’t be right. I sense a conspiracy. My hair’ll grow back too, no doubt.

Just noticed that you can buy the Cla$$war collected edition on Amazon.com in the States – and UK folks, they deliver over here too, which saves you going into smelly comic shops, should such things offend you. No amazon.co.uk listing at the moment though.

http://www.amazon.com/Cla-war-Collected-Rob-Williams/dp/160743816X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1236859377&sr=8-1

Saw the proof a few weeks back and this will be a lovely package. There’s the brand new eight page story by myself, Trev Hairsine and Len O’Grady, the original six issues, my initial script, posters by the likes of Mick McMahon and Ben Oliver, introductions by Andy Diggle, Craig Johnson and myself, sketches by Trev and Travel Foreman. Capacious. 

We’ll be selling and signing these at the Bristol Comics Expo in May, where Com.X will have a stand.

Also, just noticed that Indiana Jones And The Tomb Of The Gods 4 has now been delayed until March 25th. Sigh.

Just spotted that the preview for the fourth and final issue of my Indiana Jones mini-series is up on darkhorse.com. Bart Sears, replacing Steve Scott, has done a very nice job here. This is on sale March 18th… if the stars are in alignment. 

The first episode of the Dirty Frank-starring eight parter will be appearing in this week’s 2000AD and I’m currently feeling very positive about this series. The main reason being that it’s drawn by D’Isreali, who I’ve been a fan of for some time and, now having worked with him, I’m even more appreciative of his abilities. I’ve often said that an artist can make a script much better than it actually is or a lot worse than it actually is. D’Isreali is, fortunately, one of the former models. The amount of detail he puts in the background of panels – wondrous depictions of Mega City 1 architecture here – is just amazing. What’s even more impressive though is the fact that the detail doesn’t come at the expense of the storytelling. His narrative sense is spot on. Great ‘performances’ from his characters too, which is an absolute godsend for a comedy script, which is what a Dirty Frank story is…

Well, mainly a comedy strip anyway. There’s got to be a dramatic spine to the silliness. As much fun as Frank is I’d been thinking for a while that there would have to come a cut-off point for Justice Department, where his eccentricity become too much for them to deal with. He’s Wally Squad (an undercover Judge), so some cookiness is expected. But, at what point would Frank’s ‘madness’ push them to pull the plug on him? Also, while wanting to tell a funny Frank tale, I wanted to give some kind of idea of what makes him tick, so that this wasn’t just another ‘whacky’ Frank caper. So, silly and heavy and action packed all at the same time. Hmmm…

And the thing about writing for D’Isreali was, I had complete confidence that he could depict my scripts no matter how surreal and big I made them, and this pushed me to keep thinking ‘how can I make this more spectacular?’ He was, no doubt, cursing me as my scripts would arrive asking him to draw the increasingly bizarre, although I suspect, knowing his work, that he probably thrives on this (if he attempts to beat me next time I see him at a con, or just blows hateful, disdainful rasberries at me from across the hall, I will have been proved incorrect) . But I think that’s possibly a healthy thing for a writer, to keep thinking throughout the process “just how far can I push this?” (or just how much work can I get an artist to do? Heh. It’s all for the good of the story, you know.) And this being Frank’s world, he doesn’t really have many limitations when it comes to his imagination, which is also kind of what the story’s about.