By Robin Jones
Yes, THAT title says it all really… Hello and welcome back to another Papercuts and Inkstains, so, what did you guys think of Darick Robertson’s answers? I loved them, the man himself was a pleasure to work with and he has recommended so many good books for me to read it’s unreal! However, we must continue on, so we’ve had a letterer in the shape of Marvel letterer supreme, Joe Caramagna, Darick Robertson, artist extraordinaire and now finally we get to one of the hottest comic book writers of the moment, Cullen Bunn!
With Oni Press’ The Sixth Gun, Cullen has given readers an ongoing supernatural western saga, incorporating myth, lore and legend with gunslingers, show girls and cow pokes. Running since 2010 it has taken readers on a journey with protagonist Drake Sinclair, including a spin off comic Sons of the Gun and has garnered Bunn two best writer Eisner nominations and three other nominations for best colouring, best new series and best artist. Bunn balances the two genres of western and supernatural beautifully, neither being too heavy on either genre, and develops the characters stories with a nice, steady pace. The art, initially from Brian Hurtt, is stylised and doesn’t lean too heavily on the dark and gritty side, celebrating it’s comic pulp roots, with colours bursting out and the art really grabbing you and enveloping you in the action. It’s a superb series and deserves every accolade going!
Then there’s the fantastic Magneto and equally villain centric Sinestro, which booth look great and it is encouraging to see two popular villains getting their own comics. Having given us great anti-hero comics such as Deadpool Kills Deadpool and most recently Night of the Living Deadpool, Bunn is more than capable of giving us some great quality, villain titles! So, enough waffle from me, onto the great man himself!
Me: What was the inspiration behind your Oni Press title The Sixth Gun? Was it a deep love of westerns or the whole Manifest Destiny period?
Cullen: I’ve always loved westerns, especially supernatural or weird westerns. If there was a single story that was the biggest direct influence on THE SIXTH GUN, it would be the novella “Dead in the West” by Joe. Lansdale. That’s a story I revisit from time to time. In fact, one of the first pieces of prose that I ever sold was a supernatural western titled “Followers of the Serpent” that was a tribute to the Lansdale story.
Me: Night of the living Deadpool has been quite the success for Marvel, was this a project you’ve had in mind for a while, or did it come together quite quickly?
Cullen: It came together pretty quickly, actually. I was wrapping up DEADPOOL KILLS DEADPOOL when my editor gave me a call and asked what I’d do with a book titled NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEADPOOL. Being that I’ve always loved horror movies and zombie flicks, the story took shape in my mind very quickly. I was really pleased with the way that book turned out, so I’m excited that readers have been digging it.
Me: You’ve got Sinestro and Magneto books coming out, is the traditional comic book villain a particular attraction to you?
Cullen: Bring on the bad guys, right? I think I’ve always been drawn to villains. Some would say that even my heroes in THE SIXTH GUN and THE DAMNED are a bit villainous. Characters with a bit of darkness in their soul are just more interesting, I think.
Me: What do you do to get into the “writing zone”? Do you listen to a particular playlist, have certain rituals you follow or do you just dive right in where ever you are?
Cullen: I don’t really have any rituals to get me in the zone. Sometimes I listen to music… usually soundtracks… while I write. Recently, I started noting “music I should listen to while writing this” on my outlines. The biggest ritual for me is simply planting myself in front of the computer and getting the work done.
Me: What were your favourite comics as you grew up? Was it the art or the writing that drew you in?
Cullen: My favorite comic was THE MICRONAUTS. I loved the art. I loved the story, especially the world-building that was accomplished in those pages. DREADSTAR, ATARI FORCE, ROM, and UNCANNY X-MEN were all books that meant a great deal to me as a kid.
Me: Do you still read comics now?
Cullen: Of course! I still head to the comic book store on Wednesday to pick up books. I’m cutting back a bit on hardcopy floppies simply because I’m running out of room and my comic book boxes are a messy disaster. There are a few I pick up, though, and others I buy digitally, and others I buy in trade. And there are a few I buy in all three formats.
Me: If you could pick a dream title to write for, what would it be and who would your ideal artist be?
Cullen: I don’t know. That’s a tough one. There are probably a few of my weird creator-owned books I’d love to see happen. There’s a book called FREAK HUNTER that I once pitched with Chris Samnee. That’s one that will almost certainly never happen… but I wish it would.
Me: What can we expect in the future from Cullen Bunn?
Cullen: I’ve got a number of new books in the works. My Marvel series MAGNETO is starting up, and my DC book SINESTRO is just around the corner. I’ve also got a new creator-owned book from Boom! titled THE EMPTY MAN, and there will be more information on that series coming up. And I’ll have a couple of new creator-owned books from Oni Press that will be announced shortly.
Me: Finally, is there going to be a, much rumoured, Sixth Gun TV Show?
Cullen: Well, who knows? A pilot episode was developed, but NBC passed on the series. It’s a never-say-never situation, really. Other networks did show some interest in the show, so it’s possible. But I can’t obsess over that too much. Otherwise I’d never get any work done! For now, all I can do is focus on the comic and telling the best story possible.
You can order Cullen’s Sixth Gun series here, his Magneto series here, his Night of the Living Deadpool series here and pre-order his Sinestro series here. His digital comic The Remains is on sale on comixology at 0.99c here and readers can follow Cullen on Twitter @cullenbunn and check out his website at www.cullenbunn.com!
Until next time…
For more comic views and reviews follow Robin on Twitter at @Hulksmash1985
Posted on March 23rd, 2014
Category: NEWS & VIEWS, PAPERCUTS AND INKSTAINS VOL. 2, PREVIEWS & UPCOMING RELEASES
Tags: Comic Reviews, Cullen Bunn, Cullen Bunn interview, Helheim, Magneto, Robin Jones, Sinestro, Sixth Gun