Scott Lobdell Shows Us The True Face of Evil Ernie
Nov 30, 2021
Interview by Nicki Faust
Dynamite Entertainment celebrates 30 years of Chaos! Comics with an all-new Evil Ernie #1 (OCT210473), written by Scott Lobdell and illustrated by Ariel Medel (with two amazing covers by Arthur Suydam and Brett Booth)!
In the following interview, creator Scott Lobdell (Happy Death Day, Red Hood and the Outlaws) talks about Evil Ernie, reuniting with artist Brett Booth, and the joys of living with evil.
PREVIEWSworld: Evil Ernie has through the years been a completely despicable being, but he's always had that tiny shred of humanity that makes him relatable. How are you approaching this infamous character?
Scott Lobdell: I think at his core, Ernie is what happens when you take away even the opportunity of love away from someone.
He is in love with Death, a woman who will never be satisfied with his devotion and offerings. If he kills a person in her name -- she's not impressed. A hundred people? Yawn. A hundred thousand? Her only reply might be "What have you done for me lately?"
Ernie is someone who will never know love. What could be more evil than that?
PREVIEWSworld: You're introducing Ernest Gleckman, a college kid in a rock band. How drastically is his life about to change when the entity of Evil Ernie becomes a part of his life?
Scott Lobdell: In regards to the classic monsters of yore, I was always more interested in the Jekyll and Hyde and Lon Chaney Jr.'s werewolf movies -- where the hero had to deal with being the living vessel of evil and death and destruction. (Classic Dracula and Frankenstein, not so much.)
So, in writing this story I really wanted to examine what happens when the nicest guy in the world finds himself inextricably linked with a creature of pure evil.
PREVIEWSworld: Ariel Medel will be drawing the story. How has it been seeing him bring your script to the page and collaborating?
Scott Lobdell: I haven't been this energized in years. I think I wrote the first three issues over one weekend!
When Nick asked me to take a swing at Ernie, I brought Ariel with me. Whenever new pages come in, I get misty-eyed thinking about how I'll never get the chance to work with him after this because he's going to run off and be a gosh-darned superstar!
PREVIEWSworld: Speaking of superstars, you and Brett Booth (who provided the cover for issue #1 of Evil Ernie) have worked together on a bunch of projects like Teen Titans and Flash Forward. His style is perfect for this character. What's it like forming these tight bonds with other creators across titles?
Scott Lobdell: The first time Brett and I worked together was on the Teen Titans in the New 52... and we loathed each other! Brett was slow to warm to the idea of re-imagining the characters (the fights we had over those wings! Ha!). Poor Bobbie Chase had to field so many calls with each of us asking her when the other would be fired!
Years later we just love each other. Do I love his art? Absolutely! Do I love his good heart? You bet! But I'm also blown away he runs something of a greyhound sanctuary in his backyard. So just know, whenever you buy a book by Brett or pay for a commission, a lot of that goes to providing a loving sanctuary to rescued dogs who have settled at the Casa Booth.
Brett Booth is the opposite of Evil Ernie and I'm proud to call him my friend.
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Evil Ernie (OCT210473) hits comic shops on December 22nd from Second Sight Publishing. Preorder your copy today with PREVIEWSworld Pullbox!
After ERNEST GLECKMAN is mortally wounded, he discovers he must "pay down his new lease on life" by serving as a part time fixer for a death cult. Each time he manifests his dark side as EVIL ERNIE it becomes harder to maintain his tenuous grip on his inherently good humanity.
ERNEST GLECKMAN is a good kid with exceptional grades in his senior year at college...his only quirk is the rock band he sings in every Saturday night. He enjoys the rock esthetic and "dressing the role" if not acting like a nihilistic punk.
All that is changed when he assumes the role of... EVIL ERNIE who is the polar opposite of ERNEST. ERNIE is vicious and cruel and sadistic as he employs all manner of torture or murder (or oft-times both!) against his targets.
ERNEST is stable, good, focused. ERNIE is a chaotic, evil, anarchist.
Evil Ernie first appeared in December 1991! Celebrate 30 years of CHAOS!
After ERNEST GLECKMAN is mortally wounded, he discovers he must "pay down his new lease on life" by serving as a part time fixer for a death cult. Each time he manifests his dark side as EVIL ERNIE it becomes harder to maintain his tenuous grip on his inherently good humanity.
ERNEST GLECKMAN is a good kid with exceptional grades in his senior year at college...his only quirk is the rock band he sings in every Saturday night. He enjoys the rock esthetic and "dressing the role" if not acting like a nihilistic punk.
All that is changed when he assumes the role of... EVIL ERNIE who is the polar opposite of ERNEST. ERNIE is vicious and cruel and sadistic as he employs all manner of torture or murder (or oft-times both!) against his targets.
ERNEST is stable, good, focused. ERNIE is a chaotic, evil, anarchist.
Evil Ernie first appeared in December 1991! Celebrate 30 years of CHAOS!
After ERNEST GLECKMAN is mortally wounded, he discovers he must "pay down his new lease on life" by serving as a part time fixer for a death cult. Each time he manifests his dark side as EVIL ERNIE it becomes harder to maintain his tenuous grip on his inherently good humanity.
ERNEST GLECKMAN is a good kid with exceptional grades in his senior year at college...his only quirk is the rock band he sings in every Saturday night. He enjoys the rock esthetic and "dressing the role" if not acting like a nihilistic punk.
All that is changed when he assumes the role of... EVIL ERNIE who is the polar opposite of ERNEST. ERNIE is vicious and cruel and sadistic as he employs all manner of torture or murder (or oft-times both!) against his targets.
ERNEST is stable, good, focused. ERNIE is a chaotic, evil, anarchist.
Evil Ernie first appeared in December 1991! Celebrate 30 years of CHAOS!
After ERNEST GLECKMAN is mortally wounded, he discovers he must "pay down his new lease on life" by serving as a part time fixer for a death cult. Each time he manifests his dark side as EVIL ERNIE it becomes harder to maintain his tenuous grip on his inherently good humanity.
ERNEST GLECKMAN is a good kid with exceptional grades in his senior year at college...his only quirk is the rock band he sings in every Saturday night. He enjoys the rock esthetic and "dressing the role" if not acting like a nihilistic punk.
All that is changed when he assumes the role of... EVIL ERNIE who is the polar opposite of ERNEST. ERNIE is vicious and cruel and sadistic as he employs all manner of torture or murder (or oft-times both!) against his targets.
ERNEST is stable, good, focused. ERNIE is a chaotic, evil, anarchist.
Evil Ernie first appeared in December 1991! Celebrate 30 years of CHAOS!
After ERNEST GLECKMAN is mortally wounded, he discovers he must "pay down his new lease on life" by serving as a part time fixer for a death cult. Each time he manifests his dark side as EVIL ERNIE it becomes harder to maintain his tenuous grip on his inherently good humanity.
ERNEST GLECKMAN is a good kid with exceptional grades in his senior year at college...his only quirk is the rock band he sings in every Saturday night. He enjoys the rock esthetic and "dressing the role" if not acting like a nihilistic punk.
All that is changed when he assumes the role of... EVIL ERNIE who is the polar opposite of ERNEST. ERNIE is vicious and cruel and sadistic as he employs all manner of torture or murder (or oft-times both!) against his targets.
ERNEST is stable, good, focused. ERNIE is a chaotic, evil, anarchist.
Evil Ernie first appeared in December 1991! Celebrate 30 years of CHAOS!
After ERNEST GLECKMAN is mortally wounded, he discovers he must "pay down his new lease on life" by serving as a part time fixer for a death cult. Each time he manifests his dark side as EVIL ERNIE it becomes harder to maintain his tenuous grip on his inherently good humanity.
ERNEST GLECKMAN is a good kid with exceptional grades in his senior year at college...his only quirk is the rock band he sings in every Saturday night. He enjoys the rock esthetic and "dressing the role" if not acting like a nihilistic punk.
All that is changed when he assumes the role of... EVIL ERNIE who is the polar opposite of ERNEST. ERNIE is vicious and cruel and sadistic as he employs all manner of torture or murder (or oft-times both!) against his targets.
ERNEST is stable, good, focused. ERNIE is a chaotic, evil, anarchist.
Evil Ernie first appeared in December 1991! Celebrate 30 years of CHAOS!
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Troy-Jeffrey Allen is the producer and co-host of PREVIEWSworld Weekly. He is also the Consumer Marketing Manager for Geppi Family Enterprises. Troy's comics work includes MF DOOM: All Caps, Public Enemy's Apocalpyse '91, the Glyph Award-nominated Fight of the Century, the Harvey Award-nominated District Comics, and the Ringo Award-nominated Magic Bullet.
