by: Morgan Bostedt
Big City Comics Studio, the publishing company responsible for Ant Unleashed, Dragon Cross, Tempest, Totem, and soon-to-be released Omega 1, has had numerous issues sell out at the distributor. What sets Big City Comics apart from other publishing companies? Publisher/Writer Jeffery Kaufman of Big City Comics breaks the mold in more ways than one. Part of what sets Big City apart is that it publishes stories that are typically labeled as high impact titles. However, it’s not this in itself that’s rare. These titles not only contain great plots that keep you engaged, they’re unique, and in their own way, relatable. When asked what the inspiration was behind specializing in high impact titles, Jeff replied, “Reality! If I can see it, if it’s solid or feels funny, I know I’m going to do it.” Reality is definitely a theme seen in Big City’s comics. While the idea of a vampire itself may be unbelievable, Tempest, the main vampire character in the title of the same name, thinks and feels like we do. He even walks among us. Dragons transform into human form and then back again in Dragon Cross. Talon, destined to be Messiah, fights against his destiny for what he feels is right. It’s a battle between becoming what’s easy or becoming what’s good; something easy to relate to. In Totem, an orphaned boy deals with everyday problems even though he is given powers from the Totem. Finally, in Omega1, enemies and heroes pat each other on the back when they fight together. As Jeff puts it, “I always feel that team books lack a certain reality and I’m not talking about the powers in play. It’s the complete lack of any realistic relationship. I’ve said it many times. Characters would be happy to see each other if they fight and bleed together. It’s a military thing I guess.” Big City not only breaks the mold by doing something other than typical but even the heroes that murder to eat are relatable, which is something hard to accomplish in high impact stories. Jeff has made a transition of sorts from law to comics. Having graduated from the University of Tulsa School of Law in 1996, he now only takes special cases in the comic book industry. He is still a member of fourteen bars across the country. Jeff says, “I have enjoyed the transition, but don’t be mistaken: this is a business and it’s even more cutthroat at times. I still represent comic book people pro-bono and only take a case where I feel someone really needs my help.” But would he win a fight against Matt Murdock? “In a fight, Matt Murdock would kick my ass. In the courtroom, I’d kick his. He isn’t as big a wiseass as I am and if I can get in front of a jury then I win,” Jeff stated. Being in both the comic book industry and law, I’m sure, is an adventure of its own. Jeff comments on his and Mario’s relationship. “We met at FX in Orlando,” Jeff explained, “He had a legal issue and since I do all my pro-bono hours in the comic book industry things just went from there.” Ant Unleashed is a very original story, mainly due to Jeff giving Mario Gulley “complete creative freedom.” Mario Gully has been quoted saying, “I think Ant is successful and stands apart because the story is original. Plain and simple.” In the current story arc, Hannah, part ant and part human, tries to walk away from being a hero. She wants to have a normal life. Complications arise and she feels obligated to seek revenge after her roommate is murdered. How did Jeff come to the decision to give Mario such creative freedom with Ant Unleashed? He says simply, “Because I’m a moron.” Obviously, Jeff is no moron and Gulley’s creativity has hit a home run. Many say Ant is one of their favorite Big City titles and it continues to sell out at the distributor. When asked if he expects his next issue of Ant to sell out as well, he replied, “I expect nothing in this industry, but I know before the book hits the stands we are already close to blowing through the extra copies Diamond ordered.” In the title Dragon Cross, created by both Rob Richardson and Jeff, the world is ruled by dragons that spend most of their time in human form. Dragon Cross is the only book outside of Big City’s main world and will be the only title not included in the upcoming 6 issue crossover. While this book does have a fantasy feel, it’s a human driven book and the story is what dominates. Talon, the first red dragon, tries to deny his destiny. He has been deemed the messiah but doesn’t want the job. The preview, posted at Big City’s website, shows him in human form saying to his brother dragon, “Don’t speak to me of my responsibility. Don’t speak of father. You and the council are at fault. You’re all blinded by greed and selfishness.” Readers will see a twist to the typical vampire story in Tempest. A vampire/criminal prosecutor /Catholic named Vlad Tempest is destined to be the ruler all vampires. In the book, Tempest must kill every fifteen days to survive. Unlike common vampire myths, this story has vampires living among us. The beliefs about holy water, crosses, sunlight and garlic were all an attempt to divert humans so that they could walk among us undetected. The tricky thing with this book is that the hero is a murderous vampire, but since he’s the hero the readers have to like him. Therefore, the creative approach taken is that this vampire feels sorrow, empathy, love, and even has a conscious while needing to feed every fifteen days. All of this makes the story more believable, relatable, and interesting. A little secret? Werewolves are only a transformation away. Jeff refers to Totem as their “Smallville on crack” book. An orphan named Ian, along with select others, is bestowed powers from the Totem. His parents, drug dealers killed in Columbia, were not good enough to enter Heaven but were not bad enough to be condemned to Hell. Therefore, Michael (Heaven’s gate-keeper) and the devil came up with a compromise; powers of the totem were given to the children of the parents being held in purgatory. How the children use their powers will determine whether their parents go up or down. Omega 1 is the “ultimate team book,” in which heroes and villains from other Big City Comics titles unite to rid the world of a weapon of mass destruction. Jeff is former military, having belonged to the 82nd Airborne out of Ft. Campbell, KY. Being former military helps him to see a missing reality in most team books. Omega 1 illustrates the naturalness of an almost friendly bond on the battlefield, even when it’s two arch enemies on the same team. It promises to also be a gorgeously painted book, with cover art and illustrations done by Elvin Cintron. Each issue is taking three months to finish, guaranteeing the art to be incredible. In Omega 1, the government enlists both heroes and villains alike to work for them. Let’s face it, if the government wants to know who you are, they’ll find out. They do just that, using their knowledge to force both heroes and villains into wearing a bracelet, telling them that they and their loved ones will not be harmed so long as they comply. The bracelet is used to call them in for government work. Think of the possibilities. Two arch enemies could be forced to fight side by side. A hero could be in the middle of saving a city when he’s called in. In addition to comic books, Big City has recently released a series of twelve commercials on YouTube titled the “Zombie Fest.” Six are rated PG and five are rated R. “My personal favorite is “Zombie Fart Girl” but “Welcome to the City” was well done too,” Jeff says, adding, “’Zombie Crush’ was pretty fun but I take a lot of heat on that one.” More than just the story lines, terrific art, and bold commercials set this studio apart from others. At Big City, several artists collaborate, providing input on the cover art before it gets published. When creating, they consider one another’s strong points and then work accordingly. Artists are listed first on Big City’s books and there’s a minimum of three acts of violence in every book. One of Jeff’s biggest concerns is that issues are released on time. Jeff knows that retailers want monthly books, so he keeps his books on schedule. In fact, he will not pay the creator if their work is not completed by their deadline. It seems that Jeff knows how to run the company in a way that promotes teamwork and efficiency. Chris Cross, penciler, has signed on for the 6 issue cross over “Tainted” in May/June. It consists of two issues of Ant Unleashed, Totem, and Tempest. Keep an eye out for variant covers done by cover artist/ penciler Alex Saviuk to all titles in January! Also, Mario Gully will be doing February’s variants. Tommy Castillo, artist /penciler/ painter/ inker, will be doing Big City’s April variants. Big City will be at FX and Megacon in Orlando, FL. They’ll also be at the New York Comic Con, Wizard World’s Philly and Chicago, and San Diego Comic Con. Be sure to visit their booth if you plan on attending any of these cons. Also, please visit Big City Comics at: http://www.bigcitycs.com/ to view the Zombie Parodies, breaking news, and upcoming Events.