Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Anthony Padilla, Comics, dynamite, entertainment, Ian Hecox, SMOSH

SMOSH's Padilla And Hecox On Their New Dynamite Comic

Published Tue, 03 May 2016 18:30:53 -0500

Cliff Biggers writes:

36 million YouTube subscribers and 31 million social media followers—those are that comics publishers would kill for. Those numbers belong to SMOSH, the web-based comedy brand that Time Magazine calls "the Saturday Night Live of the internet." And beginning this spring, SMOSH will bring its brand of humor to comics in a new limited series from Dynamite Entertainment.

"SMOSH is the brainchild of Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox, who also star in all the comedy sketches," SMOSH editor Rich Young said. "It includes weekly video game/pop culture parodies, original music videos, and other popular shows and programs, in addition to SHUT UP! Cartoons, an offshoot that produces original animated content….and loads of other fun stuff!"

"Sketches, GIFs, memes–if it's funny and on the internet, SMOSH has it covered," comic co-writer Yale Stewart said.

Young is excited about bringing this internet phenomenon to comics. "Part of our mission as a publisher is to find new projects that we think might grow our audience. SMOSH certainly has that potential. The SMOSH guys have a passion for geek and pop culture, and I know they are excited to be able to share some of these ideas and characters they've created, and get them out in comic book format."

"Most of their original concepts are pretty ridiculous, which is a great fit for comics," Stewart said. "Production budget and manpower isn't quite as difficult to come by when you're putting pencil to paper, so I think it will allow us to really stretch the properties in ways that they haven't been able to do on film. Also, they obviously have a massive audience—and there's nothing wrong with potentially getting new readers into comics for the first time."

"I think the guys' out of bounds imaginations and reality warping tendencies belong in no better place than the medium of comics," co-writer Michael McDermott added "Seriously, on YouTube their comedy can be restrained by budgets. In comics… we're only limited by our ambitions!"

What makes SMOSH different from the usual fan humor/satire comic? "Anthony Padilla & Ian Hecox , the creative minds behind the SMOSH YouTube channel have had their fingerprints all over these stories," McDermott said. "They have been involved in character creation and the script generation process from day one, and I can promise their voice comes through on the printed page. This is a licensed book where the original creators care about an authentic translation from the original medium to ours. Plus, we've really pushed ourselves to flesh out these characters and their world, give them their own little universal sandbox to play in. Hopefully, that passion will keep readers around after the title has brought them in."

"It's neither fan humor or satire," Stewart explained. A"t least in my case, I'm taking an original concept and expanding it under the guidance of the original creators, which I don't necessarily attach to either of the aforementioned brands of comics. Ideally, the SMOSH comics will feel like what they are—extensions of SMOSH proper—as opposed to works from people who just really like SMOSH."

SMOSH may be new to comics, but writers McDermott and Stewart aren't. "I've done a bunch of work for FUBAR Press, a historical zombie fiction series, and the first Kickstarter funded project to break onto the NY Times Bestsellers list," McDermott said. "I've got a bit of work in 215 Ink's Ignition GN, and I spear-headed a Kickstarter/IDW anthology called Imaginary Drugs. I'm usually more of a weird, super, sci-fi guy but SMOSH was a helluva ride and unique opportunity to challenge myself and spread my creative wings."

"I've done some freelance work here and there, but I'm best known for my award-winning webcomic, JL8, that explores the early elementary school lives of the Justice League," Stewart said.

Stewart's contribution to SMOSH is "That Damn Neighbor," which he describes as "a goofy concept about two bumpkins named Benny Jean and Cletus, respectively, and their mysterious, mischievous, spontaneous neighbor. In the web series, the neighbor is primarily obsessed with stealing Benny Jean's "pet" flamingo, but in the comic, he's expanded his modus operandi to general shenanigans and tom-foolery, all at Benny Jean and Cletus's expense."

McDermott is writing "The Super Virgin Squad," who are "Billy, Paulie and Stevie, three characters the SMOSH Crew have previously introduced in their videos. Each is gifted with a meta-human ability—hovering, steel jaws, universal love machine, respectively—they believe comes from their virginal abstinence from sex. The first story arc is a series of standalones where the boys are drawn into chaos while trying to lend a helping hand through a local community outreach program they have initiated as Smalltown's very first Super Powered Squad of nerdly social vigilantes."

SMOSH is a pretty bold move on Dynamite's part: while most publishers are mining network television, major films, or video games for licensed properties, Dynamite have gone off the beaten path with a YouTube-based license. Who came up with the idea? "We have been keeping our eyes on internet-based properties," Young replied, pointing out that the hit Dynamite series Grumpy Cat is a perfect example. "The SMOSH opportunity happened to come our way when we were looking at how popular some of these new YouTube-based stars were becoming, and the sheer amount of traffic they were generating. SMOSH has one of the strongest digital footprints of any media brand in existence today. 9 billion lifetime views. 38 million combined subscribers. 31 million social followers. Those are tremendous numbers. If we can connect with even a part of that fan base, and get them excited about these comics, and interested in going to seek them out to purchase in stores or online, then that could obviously be huge for everyone!"

SMOSH #1, produced by Michael McDermott Yale Stewart, & Franco Viglino, is scheduled for May 4th release.

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