Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Comics, dynamite, entertainment, Ron Salas, Six Million Dollar man: The Fall of man, Van Jensen

A 70's Icon Dealing With Modern Issues – Van Jensen Talks Six Million Dollar Man

Published Tue, 09 Aug 2016 19:00:25 -0500

by Dan Wickline

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In Six Million Dollar Man: Fall of Man, Van Jensen is taking Steve Austin's trust in the OSI and shaking it to the core. Making him rethink his choices and his future. Distrust in the government is something a 1970's TV series may have been leery to address. Bryon Brewer caught up with Jensen as to talk about the fourth issue of the series that is due out in October. Cover art is by series artist Ron Salas.

BYRON BREWER: So, Van, are you still exhausted after last issue's unique layout: what amounted to a continuous 22-page spread? Has artist Ron Salas turned in his resignation yet? (laughs)

VAN JENSEN: Catching my breath! Ron is still drawing it as we speak (type), and he hasn't sent me any threats. Yet.

BB: In the era of the TV show, I never recall Steve Austin ever doubting for a minute the agency he was working for or his goals as a hero. (I do recall that later reared its head in Bionic Woman.) Will how Steve deals with these doubts – who can I trust? – be an undercurrent running in "Fall of Man," and what effect might this have on Austin?

VJ: Definitely. I see Steve as a very trusting, diligent person. A good man. Putting that kind of a person into a situation where they're off-balance always leads to some interesting results. Basically, villains using a character's strengths against him.

BB: Your storyline has truly brought a new perspective to bionics. From Steve's point of view, can you tell us how that former perspective – "they saved me and I am a superhero" – may have changed now, or is changing?

VJ: I look at it as Steve being torn. He wants to be special, but he also would like a normal life. This story just took that divide and made it literal, gave him a path toward each end.

BB: Are we going to discover any new mysteries as far as the OSI this time around?

VJ: A few, you bet. Just not the secret behind the sasquatch. That'll have to wait.

BB: Is love in the air here?

VJ: There's a spark between Steve and Holly, definitely. (Was that a terrible pun? You'll have to read the issue to find out!)

BB: Ron Salas continues to improve on his previous work every issue. Is he handing in the pages that are telling the story you want to tell, Van?

VJ: In a big way. Ron is capturing all of the emotion of the characters and then nailing these big, sci-fi moments. Just an amazing bit of work from him. I think when people see #3 and #4 especially, they'll understand how skilled he is.