beware the comic books: a guest post by Jason McKinney

I was introduced to Jason through a rather spectacular looking zombie profile picture. I'm not big into zombies in general, but his picture was so perfectly gruesome that I had to say something. I didn't think he'd respond. I mean, I was certain that he got comments like that ALL the time, especially since he was an independently published writer. Turned out that Jason was published and a nice guy, and he replied with the kind of self-deprecating humor that charmed the socks off me. He also elected me Empress of the World, and if you vote for me, I promise no robot monkeys EVER and free homemade cookies on Fridays.

"For twelve years I wasted my life as an accountant, balancing other people’s checkbooks so that I could put a little money in my own account. Eventually, I saw the light and quit, trading in their ledgers for the chains of the kitchen of our home. Occasionally, however, I am unshackled and given some time off for good behavior—and to follow my inspiration." Jason's married to an amazing woman (who I WISH would come visit me so I could be whipped into a more effective writing machine) and has three children who are never far from his thoughts. So as much as we talk about writing, terrifying werewolves and why we wouldn't ever want to meet one, we also talk about BEARS and WOLVES living in harmony. He's sympathetic to my bear wrangling adventures, and I'm constantly impressed with how he balances home and family and writing.

Jason is the author of DOG WORLD and MEMOIRS OF THE WALKING DEAD, and you can read all about their awesomeness at his website jasonmckinney.wordpress.com

(You really need to read his short story Stolen from the Bates Motel because it's funny and creepy all at the same time. If you watched Psycho and were frightened, just wait until you read it from the soap's hilarious perspective.)

We've begun plans for world domination, but before I reveal too much (we don't want you to worry about the transfer of absolute power) I'll let Jason talk about one of his passions.

Caution: Comic Books and Horror ahead

It can be said, that in my house we’re all comic freaks and I have to admit, I’m the one that spread the contagion. It really is a contagion because after you read a comic that looks interesting and you like it, you want to find out what happens the following month. And thus begins the comic book collecting infection. Around here, Deadpool is one of the reigning titles but more on that later.

As a kid I was fascinated with two things; classic horror flicks and comic books and when the two were mixed it was even better. House of Mystery, Weird War Tales, and GI Combat were the shit for me and actually still are. My comic collection is stuffed with classic tales of supernatural houses, alien abducted soldiers, and a tank that’s haunted by a Civil War cavalry general.

I loved those old titles so much so that comic books were banned in my house by the time I was twelve. You know that old adage that taking something away makes someone want it more? It’s true. My love for those three-color tales grew into a passion.

Unfortunately, that passion diminished in my twenties, but was revived again when I hit my thirties and it was all thanks to Marvel Zombies. Now, when I say Marvel Zombies I’m not talking about the term used for people that live by the motto, “Make mine Marvel!” but the comic book series that started in Ultimate Fantastic Four issue 21.

Once I discovered that a whole universe of Marvel heroes and villains were killed and resurrected by a zombie virus it was game on for me. My comic loving virus had been reignited and damnation set in once more.

Marvel Zombies also gave me the urge to write again. There was something positively motivating and, dare I say inspiring, about seeing Captain America (known as Colonel America in the “zombieverse”) chowing down on innocent civilians while Hulk yells, “HULK IS HUNGRIEST THERE IS!” before devouring an Abrams tank crew. Reading that series also put me back on my zombie-loving path.

So, Hell yeah, I got back to writing and collecting. My wife thought it was cute, me collecting all the covers to Marvel Zombies, all the while cursing me for allowing the kids to see Spider-Man discussing how tasty Aunt May and Mary Jane were. What can I say? I love those zombies so much that I have zombie Captain America tattooed on my forearm. See?

As time went by, Marvel turned out sequel after useless sequel to Marvel Zombies while my writing picked up. With each worthwhile Marvel Zombies tie-in, and they are few, my writing became more frenzied and more frequent. I’d wake up in the morning with my muses discussing, and sometimes arguing, in my head about what we were going to write that day. Oh yeah, obsession and geekdom rocks.

By the time I was half way through with Dog World, I discovered Marvel’s Secret Invasion. While that series ended poorly in my, and many other fans’, opinion I discovered an awesome jolly red suited ne’er do well. No, it’s not Santa Claus, but a character named Wade Wilson AKA the Crimson Comedian, the Regeneratin’ Degenerate, the Merc with a Mouth or better known as Deadpool.

Deadpool, both character and book, were a great inspiration to me when it came to writing Memoirs of the Walking Dead. Like Memoirs, Deadpool has tons of comedy in it with a smidgen of gratuitous violence and a character that can’t be killed.

The more I read Deadpool, the more comedic my writing became. The more comedic my writing became, the more I enjoyed writing. The more I enjoyed writing, the more my wife was curious about exactly what I was reading that was helping me come up with the off the wall situations and solutions in my book.

My wife was never as big of a comic fan as I was, though she’d pick up a Batman book or two to enjoy his bone breaking, jaw busting, investigative tales. Now, she loves Batman to the point where she proudly owns the Batman/Joker Converse shoes. The Justice League Chucks are in her shoe repertoire as well.

One day her curiosity finally got the better of her and she picked up the first issue of Deadpool’s series and asked what it was all about. When I told her she couldn’t believe it. A character that is incapable of being killed and holds dialogues with the voices in his head? What’s that all about? I told her it was cool and it would give her insight into how I write. (I was pulling her leg on the insight thing but I think she thought I was serious.)

She rolled her eyes, read the first issue, laid it aside and asked where the second issue was. After that, she was a Regeneratin’ Degenerate fan. Once or twice she has told me, as she files away her copies of Secret Six and Justice League, “There’s something wrong with you. No wonder you’re twisted,” when we have been discussing Mr. Wilson.

See, comic books are infectious. Even my three kids think Deadpool is hilariously awesome and have their own collections. Not of Deadpool of course, but other comic series like Mouse Guard, Power Pack and Tiny Titans. The new found love of comics has left at least one child with severe mental instability. See below for proof. Notice the crazed stare and loose tongue.

In closing, reading comics, such as the critically reviled Deadpool, has given me inspiration to include all sorts of disgustingly outrageous scenarios into my writing. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that zombie plague ridden Avengers didn’t play a major hand also. Of course, childhood trauma helps, too. See Mom and Dad; comics do lead to good things.

3 Comments

Thanks, Stacey. I would die to have some of those old EC comics in my collection. Tales from the Crypt was truly excellent in the way of horror tales.

Posted by: Jason McKinney | 07/08/2011 at 08:58 PM