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Garth Ennis On Choosing Publishers, Self Preservation, Red Team And Preacher

Published Mon, 16 May 2016 16:00:05 -0500

I had an opportunity recently to ask a few questions of Garth Ennis just before he headed off on holiday. The interview was set up to help promote the Dynamite Garth Ennis Humble Bundle going on now, but I got in a few questions about his support of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and his thoughts on the new Preacher television series.

DAN WICKLINE: You've worked with many different publishers over the years. When you come up with a new project or property, what is it that makes you decided it's something you should take to Dynamite over other companies?

GARTH ENNIS: It's usually a question of how much material I have with any one publisher. Dynamite, Avatar and now Aftershock all have their good and not-so-good points, but I like working for all of them- so, not wanting to put all my eggs in one basket I'll try to spread my output reasonably evenly between them.

DW: You've done a diverse number of titles for Dynamite including: Jennifer Blood, Battlefields, The Boys, Red Team and The Shadow. Is there a common theme or idea running through these titles or in your work in general?

GE: Not really. Things like Jennifer Blood and The Shadow have almost nothing to do with Red Team, The Boys or Battlefields.

DW: What can readers look forward to in Red Team: Double Tap, Center Mass? Will readers need to have read the previous Red Team series?

GE: Sidelined after the catastrophic showdown at the end of book one, Detectives Eddie Mellinger and Trudy Giroux stumble across a new case that could propel them back into their bosses' good books. But with said case involving both organized crime and high society, and Red Team's old extra-legal tendencies quickly coming to the fore, it might actually do them a lot more harm than good.

You don't necessarily have to have read book one to enjoy this story, in that comparatively few references are made to the events therein. But it'll certainly enrich your experience if you check it out.

DW: This new Humble Bundle has part of the proceeds going to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund which you are an avid supporter of. What is it about this organization and the work they do that has gotten your attention? How important is it for people to help support the cause of free speech and anti-censorship?

GE: Really, I've always assumed that I was going to drop myself in the shit one way or another, so helping the Fund stick around just seems like sensible self-preservation.

DW: I would be remiss if I didn't ask about your thoughts on the new Preacher television series. How does it feel to see these characters being brought into a live-action world? How much involvement have you had? What changes can we expect to see in the transfer from page to screen?

GE: So far I'm absolutely delighted. The three leads have nailed their characters perfectly, and the Saint of Killers is superb. I've been sent scripts to read and dailies to watch, and I've had what few notes I've sent addressed, but the more I see of the show- at this point I've seen rough cuts of seven episodes and read the whole season's scripts- the more inclined I am to just back off and leave them to it. Sam Catlin and his writers are doing an excellent job, and the cast and crew are giving it 100%.

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