Interview: John Carter of Mars Collides with Earth!
Apr 18, 2022
Interview by Nicki Faust
Soldier. Outcast. Husband. Hero. You may already know the story of Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter, but award-winning author Chuck Brown (Bitter Root, Aquamen) and illustrator George Kambadais (Firefly) are about to deliver you a bold sci-fi vision of this classic titan! It all happens inside the pages of John Carter of Mars #1.
In the following interview, PREVIEWSworld talks with Brown and Kambadais about the latest iteration in the "of Mars" saga...
Chuck and George, what are your guys' connections toward the mythos of Barsoom, John Carter and Dejah Thoris? What draws you to this world and characters?
Brown: I’ve always been a huge fan of sci-fi and adventure. Like many of us, as a kid I was obsessed with Mars and the other planets in our solar system. Barsoom has such amazing characters and backstories. So it’s a huge opportunity for George and I to play in this world.
Kambadais: I remember reading the John Carter books as a kid. They were difficult to come by here in Greece. I found these really old comic books in a second-hand bookstore during summer holidays one year and I spent my whole vacation reading them and I fell in love with the universe. The whole retro-futuristic aesthetic is something I find very appealing. The idea of a world that is, at the same time, so distant yet so familiar is very exciting to me.
John Carter is very much a character that feels connected to his early 20th-century creation, as well as his Civil War-era in-story origins. Yet the world of Barsoom created by Edgar Rice Burroughs created a third signature environment. You're now bringing him forward in time closer to when the character was created. What makes the character fun to pull into other eras and environments?
Brown: It's going to be so fun to really explore John Carter’s past accomplishments and mistakes. We want to tell a great story and it will be somewhat of a man out of his element and time. Barsoom has a lot of strange magic and technology that isn’t even fully understood by the characters. So these characters can and will be placed in some bizarre environment because of this magic.
In this story, Earth and Mars are both being affected by a mysterious asteroid. What kind of chaos is set to ensue as these two vastly different worlds undergo this chaos?
Brown: This will be unlike any John Carter story you’ve read. Let’s just say Barsoom will not be the only strange planet John will encounter. John Carter and our villain will both be fish out of water. Two opposing forces trying to survive and adapt in strange worlds with dangerous aliens and other creatures.
George, countless talented artists have depicted the world and characters of Barsoom before, in comics, book covers, and even on film. How are you approaching this series and are you bringing in any interesting influences to your art style or designs?
Kambadais: I really have some big shoes to fill. Many great artists have worked on John Carter before me. It's very important to me to try and approach this story in a way that the readers find familiar but at the same time is unique and fitting to this particular story. My main influences will be from animated movies and superhero comic books since I'll be trying to bring a lot of energy to my pages.
Chuck, many fans will be familiar with your work via Bitter Root or Black Manta, both of which artfully weave in real world concerns and commentary. How can we expect to see some of that flavor finds its way to your addition to the saga of Barsoom?
Brown: John Carter won’t be too far removed from the events of the Civil War. Of course, I can’t address the Civil War without addressing slavery. These books were written in the early 1900s. A time when some views and ideas would be unacceptable today. I’m not going to gloss over or ignore any of those influences.
I also enjoy diving deep into the relationships of characters. I plan on putting John and Dejah’s love to the test. With all my work, expect lots of action, explosions, and all the profanity that Dynamite will let me get away with!
John Carter of Mars #1 (FEB220446) is available on April 20, 2022, at your local comic shop.
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It is the year 1919. An asteroid of pure Ninth hurtles towards Earth. Its teeming power slowly melds the people of Earth to Mars, and Mars to Earth. John Carter is RIPPED from everything he knows, powerless and confused, suddenly in battle with Martian Apes...in Virginia.
Strap in for full-octane adventure every month...in JOHN CARTER OF MARS!
It is the year 1919. An asteroid of pure Ninth hurtles towards Earth. Its teeming power slowly melds the people of Earth to Mars, and Mars to Earth. John Carter is RIPPED from everything he knows, powerless and confused, suddenly in battle with Martian Apes...in Virginia.
Strap in for full-octane adventure every month...in JOHN CARTER OF MARS!
It is the year 1919. An asteroid of pure Ninth hurtles towards Earth. Its teeming power slowly melds the people of Earth to Mars, and Mars to Earth. John Carter is RIPPED from everything he knows, powerless and confused, suddenly in battle with Martian Apes...in Virginia.
Strap in for full-octane adventure every month...in JOHN CARTER OF MARS!
It is the year 1919. An asteroid of pure Ninth hurtles towards Earth. Its teeming power slowly melds the people of Earth to Mars, and Mars to Earth. John Carter is RIPPED from everything he knows, powerless and confused, suddenly in battle with Martian Apes...in Virginia.
Strap in for full-octane adventure every month...in JOHN CARTER OF MARS!
It is the year 1919. An asteroid of pure Ninth hurtles towards Earth. Its teeming power slowly melds the people of Earth to Mars, and Mars to Earth. John Carter is RIPPED from everything he knows, powerless and confused, suddenly in battle with Martian Apes...in Virginia.
Strap in for full-octane adventure every month...in JOHN CARTER OF MARS!
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Nicki Faust's heart is as cold as concrete in the Chicago winter. When not writing for PREVIEWSworld, Nicki is busy playing Limbo on Twitch, writing about the great robot uprising on Medium, and completing the untitled follow-up to the 2012 best-seller, Sue Storm: A Nude Photobook.
