Jimmy Palmiotti is back to talk about Pop Kill: Big Candy Now the series is back from Mad Cave. Head over to podcast YouTube channel to watch the whole show.
FCF: What can readers expect from the new mini-series?
Jimmy Palmiotti: This story is a continuation of the first book with John and Deena. It’s a little less than a year later, and we find them separated from each other. Because, again, while we established in the first book that John is a bit of a misogynist and Deena’s a little too smart for him, that does get in the way of their relationship a little bit.
So we catch back up with John, who’s on a mission, and then Deena, being the scientist that she is, is on the brink of another discovery that gets her in trouble, like the first time we did the book.
It’s the same team on the book. It’s Dave and Juan Santacruz, and we’re just giving more adventures. We’re trying to make it a little crazier. This one’s a little wilder than the first one.
I will say they’re both adult books, so you have to expect a little nudity and a little violence. This one has a lot more craziness to it. Dave wanted to amp it up a little bit with the bad guys.
Where the first one we had the two brothers, this one we have a bunch of hired killers that are all candy-based. They’re all candy-themed characters, and it’s pretty crazy.
The basic story is that Deena makes a discovery that’s going to change the candy industry. What happens is she says it in passing during a live interview. Then we cut to Big Sugar, who’s sort of like the boss of all the candy companies in the world. He’s the supplier.
He sees her as a threat and says, “This is not great.” What she’s creating may sound like a good thing, but it’s not. All of a sudden, Deena’s back in trouble again. Of course, John gets pulled into it, and madness ensues for four oversized issues.
It’s a lot of fun. Juan is drawing the fourth issue right now. It’s over the top, it’s crazy, and it’s fun. It definitely reads like a Die Hard movie in a weird way, too. It’s very action-oriented.
We learn a little backstory about who John is in this series and why he is the way he is. We also learn more about why his relationship is so crazy.
It was one of Mad Cave’s bestsellers, and they asked us to come back. We just had to work around Juan’s schedule because he’s the artist and he’s the guy we all have to bow to. He has to get the book done. But he’s been doing an amazing job. We’re really happy with everything we’re seeing.
FCF: You’ve worked with Dave Johnson for years. What makes Pop Kill such a natural project for the two of you?
Jimmy Palmiotti: Dave is, I think, one of the greatest designer artists in the business. I’ve been a fan of his since before I ever met him.
We met years ago and became friends right away. Even though he’s on the West Coast and I’m on the East Coast, we talk every day. He’s always done covers for me and favors for me and things like that.
Then one day he came to me and said, “I have an idea for a book.” He’s not the most experienced writer, and I said, “Let’s do it together.”
In this industry, there’s nothing better than working with your friends. They’re paying you to work with a buddy. There’s nothing better than that.
Pop Kill happened because of that. We got to do a lot of signings together, and when we got the offer for the second one, it was easy. I just said, “You want to do another one?” and he was like, “Yeah, let’s do it. Let’s have fun.”
Basically, it’s just working with a friend. He has no ego. I have no ego. Whatever idea is the best one wins.
I will say Dave did a lot of the heavy lifting with the story points. Then I go in and do the script. I do all the dialogue and the full script.
It’s a really good team-up because we both want the best book we can get. Honestly, I could do another year of Pop Kill if they wanted it. We’re judging this by how the second series does. If this one sells well, we’ll do more.
FCF: Juan Santacruz returns on art. What does that collaboration look like?
Jimmy Palmiotti: Juan and I have been working together since the late ’90s, so we have our language down. Even though we have a language gap because he speaks Spanish and I speak English, his translator understands everything.
When I write for him, I write a full script. I write all the dialogue because I need the expressions on the characters’ faces to match the dialogue.
Juan is a really good storyteller, so he needs to see everything I’m thinking. He gets dialogue, panel descriptions, and panel breakdowns. Then he has the freedom to add anything he wants.
He understands what I’m doing because he’s done so many books with me. I write less for him because I know he understands things.
With Pop Kill, he knows his stuff. The weapons, the cars, everything. He gets the bigness of things. He has a very dynamic storytelling style that goes really well with the scripts I give him.
FCF: You’re not a big fan of the Marvel Method. Why is that, and how detailed are your scripts?
Jimmy Palmiotti: I am not a big fan of the Marvel Method because I feel it makes it harder for some artists to know what’s going on.
Every artist I’ve worked with, with the exception of one or two, has told me that it’s better to have a full script so they know what the acting is on the characters. If it’s a 25-page story, it’s usually going to be 25 or 26 pages of script. It’s not going to be much more. I tend to over-dialogue when I initially write, and then I go back and edit the dialogue when I’m done with the story. I cut it and trim it. The other art form of making a comic is knowing what not to say, what the art is doing, and not stepping on the art. The art has its own language, and you have to leave room for that language.
FCF: Before we wrap up, what type of comic fan would really enjoy Pop Kill?
Jimmy Palmiotti: I think a mature fan. Somebody who’s over 16 because there’s nudity and violence. But I will say the books work from 16 to 80. If you’re 80 years old, you can still enjoy it.
It has that blueprint Bond-type character who’s very flawed. We have the sexy damsel in distress who’s actually not in distress at all and can handle herself. Then we have colorful villains. It makes fun of itself a lot. The characters are pretty ridiculous sometimes, but the book understands that and has humor to it.
I would say it’s a cross between James Bond, Austin Powers, and a lot of other things. I think it has a very broad audience, and we learned that with the first series. I think there’s a little bit of something for everyone. And hey, it’s even got a pug dog in it. So if you love pugs, that little guy is a main character as well.
FCF: One last question. Can Pop Kill continue beyond this series?
Jimmy Palmiotti: I don’t see me ever killing the two main characters.
In my head, they’re a couple with a relationship, and like any good healthy couple, their stories are endless until they’re off the planet.
We do have definitive endings in these books. The stories end. But if the opportunity came up and they wanted a third one, we would have absolutely no problem putting them into another mess and having some fun with it.
As a creative, there’s nothing more fun than creating something from scratch that people love. When you’re sitting at a convention and people come over and tell you how much they enjoyed something, there’s nothing like it.
Taking people on a trip for a few minutes where they don’t have to think about anything except having a good time reading a comic, that’s a gift I’ll never get bored of hearing about.
FCF: Jimmy Palmiotti talking about the new Pop Kill from Mad Cave. Jimmy, thanks again for joining me.
Jimmy Palmiotti: My pleasure, buddy. Thank you so much.
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