An Interview with Ken Marcus and Justin Bleep of Super Human Resources

November 25, 2008 by Gary Rodrigue
Filed under Interviews

Ken Marcus fullfills a dream that many comic book creators can only hope for when Super Human Resources, one of the most unique comic books to come around in a very long time, ships in February. ComicNews.Info recently had the opportunity to talk to Ken Marcus and superstar illustrator Justin Bleep about their soon to be released comic book.

Being new to the industry I’m sure not very many people have heard of you. Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Ken: I’m a longtime comics fan. A proud genre geek through and through. I have two small children and work in advertising in Richmond VA. Luckily, I’m in a position where I don’t need to worry about supporting myself though comics. So I can concentrate on just having fun. And it’s a blast.

What can you tell us about Super Human Resources? What type of run will Super Human Resources offer?

Ken: We will be in the Dec Previews, from Ape Entertainment. Which means the first issue will be in comic stores in February. It’s a four issue mini, so it will run until May. All four issues are finished so there will be no delay in the schedule.

Was there anything in particular that inspired the story?

Ken: Well, like a lot of people, I’m confronted with the banality of corporate life all the time in my job. So that’s a big one. And I loved the thought of contrasting that world with the larger-than-life absurdity of super heroes. I’m also a fan of Adult Swim shows like Frisky Dingo and Venture Brothers. And the writing on Arrested Development. Those are all pretty strong influences. And the Simpson. The Simpsons is like writing school for me. No one does it better.

If anyone wanted to learn more about Super Human Resources where would you direct them?

Ken: We have a web site: http://www.superhumanresourcescomic.com/ or visit us in Comicspace at http://www.comicspace.com/superhumanresources/.

If Super Human Resources is any indication, aside from being talented, you’ve also got quite a passion for the medium of comics. At what point did you get the comics writing bug?

Ken: I’m just a big comics fan. And I think now is the best time to be a fan. It’s a new Golden Age. I love all the big writers working today. Morrison, Miller, Millar, Bendis, Gaiman, Moore, Ellis, Brubaker, Kirkman, Fraction…all the big ones. We’ve got the most creative industry going, in terms of big ideas. By far. But I’m under no delusion that I can do what they do. But I just wanted to try something you don’t see that often in comic stores. A laugh-out loud super hero book. That’s not to say there haven’t been others. I enjoy Keith Giffen’s stuff, Paul Jenkin’s Sidekick, the recent Maintenance and P v P. I just think there should be more comedy on comics shelves. It’s just tough to do. Your jokes have to be good. Because you can’t rely on the performance of an actor.

Who are the creative talents behind the book?

Ken: Justin Bleep is our amazing artist. He’s based out of St Louis. We get more comments about his style than anything else. It really stands out in a sea of sameness. He’s self published a book called Brick City Bunch, which is a lot of fun. Jacque Nodelll is our kick-ass letterer and happens to be the granddaughter of Martin Nodell, the creator of Green Lantern. We actually have a GL tribute character in issue #4, which is fun. And our awesome colorist is Joey Mason, who has done a lot of work around the business and is currently an artist on the Spectacular Spiderman animated show. He also drew an alt cover for issue #1, which rocks.

I’ve always been told that there are several rejections before every accepted comic pitch. Care to share any rejection stories you experienced with Super Human Resources?

Ken: This is literally the first comic I’ve ever written. It’s not to say we didn’t get rejected. Eric from Image wasn’t crazy about us. Which sucks, because I’m a big fan of him and everything they do at Image. But we’re really happy to be with Ape, a publisher that is excited about our project. I’ll just be happy to see our book on a shelf in a comic store.

Any parting words for us? What’s next for you?

Ken: Not quite sure. Excited to sell some books at cons and meet folks. Hopefully, Super Human Resources will do well enough to do a second mini. But it’s a tough time for indies. Retailers have been burned by a lot of bad books or great books that never shipped on time. So please, ask your retailer to order Super Human Resources in Dec. We’re really excited about the book and think you will be to. Thanks for your all your support.

Justin, can you provide our readers with a little background information?

Justin: About 5 years ago I came back to the comic book industry, bringing with me the culture that had previously enveloped me—the American rave and DJ culture. I immediately started a project merging the two industries. The result was my self-published title, Brick City Bunch. Since then I’ve been working on free lance work, mostly independent stuff—did some work for Hasbro toys, and had some stuff published by Devil’s Due. However, I’m very excited to be working with APE entertainment currently.

Did you have any professional comic art training?

Justin: I get asked that a lot. No. No art school or anything. I’ve always held that art is not something can be taught. No one taught Michelangelo how to paint the Sistine chapel—it had never been done before—it was just in him.??

Who do you attribute having an influence on your unique drawing style?

Justin: I think people see a lot of non-comic influences in my work, and though my style is of the Skottie Young-Humberto Ramos-Francisco Herrera era, it is a direct result of my blending of contemporary music culture with the comic’s medium.??

Do you have a favorite character to draw from Super Human Resources?

Justin: I’d say the less human, less classic ones—like O-Bort (alien in the domed space suit). I think when Ken envisioned SHR he had the more classic superhero in mind. I kept pushing the designs closer to the 1960’s monster books that breed into the Marvel heroes. In the end we have an even balanced DC style “classic caped” hero, and the Marvel style “monster-born” heroes.

http://www.superhumanresourcescomic.com/

http://www.ape-entertainment.com