Series Saturday: The Führer and the Tramp

This is a blog series about … well, series. I love stories that continue across volumes, in whatever form: linked short stories, novels, novellas, television, movies, comics.

cover art by Dexter Wee

The Führer and the Tramp, published by Comics Experience and Source Point Press, 2020

Writers: Sean McArdle and Jon Judy

Pencils and Inks: Dexter Wee

Letters and Colors: Sean McArdle

Editor: Andy Schmidt

Synopsis: Charlie Chaplin – comic, filmmaker, and raconteur – didn’t become the world’s biggest star by courting controversy, but when he comes face-to-face with the horrors of Hitler, he feels compelled to get off the sidelines and get involved. And then Charlie is approached by FDR himself with a special assignment. His mission, if he chooses to accept it: create a propaganda film to drum up public support for joining the war in Europe.

And so Charlie goes from movie maker to provocateur, traveling the world and dodging danger to complete his film. With the help of undercover agent Hedy Lamarr, her handler Errol Flynn, and British patriot Alfred Hitchcock, Chaplin faces down American fascists, Nazi spies, and his own massive self-doubt to complete his masterpiece.

But just because the film is done doesn’t mean the mission is, and little tramp and great dictator go toe-to-toe, Charlie and Adolph, one-on-one, mano a mano in a rip-roaring climax that fully delivers on the promise of the premise.

My Thoughts: I ordered this series through my local comic shop partially because the concept sounded fun, but mostly on the strength of Dexter Wee’s art. I got to know Dexter’s work on the webcomic Cura Te Ipsum, in which Dexter and writer Neal Bailey “Tuckerized” me in a few scenes. I’ve always found Dex’s work to be fluid, expressive, and full of action. So I was not surprised at how well he captured Chaplin’s antic physicality, Lamarr’s intelligent sexiness, Hitchcock’s imperious posture, and Flynn’s swashbuckling stature. He also manages to lampoon Hitler and the Nazi rank-and-file without being cartoony, not always an easy line to walk when one is trying to tell a funny story that doesn’t deflate the seriousness of the threat the Third Reich posed. Wee moves effortlessly from panoramic establishing shots to multi-panel action sequences to intimate close-ups. The things he closes in on aren’t always faces – another way he drives home each character’s personality (for instance, the focus on Chaplin’s legs on the first page of the first issue, as Charlie is confronted by a Nazi soldier who mistakes him for a German Jew lacking a star and papers conveys Chaplin’s aggravation at not being recognized, anger at the way Jews are being treated, and nervousness at possibly being arrested – all accomplished without a single facial expression in evidence). And his visual representations of very real people, from Chaplin to FDR to some surprise cameos in book five that are too fun to spoil here, are spot on. I’m pretty sure most folks would recognize each historical person even without dialogue or captions.

Wee’s art brought me to the book, but Sean McArdle and Jon Judy’s story and dialogue kept me invested through all five issues. They balance the comedy, drama, and action elements perfectly throughout, never allowing the comedic or fanciful sequences to subvert the very real seriousness of the Nazi threat. Of course, the series is intended to be, first and foremost, comedy. That comedy swings between physical slapstick (Chaplin naked and spilling iodine in FDR’s lap) and Noel Coward-esque banter (especially between Flynn and Lamarr), with some more subtle humor sprinkled throughout. The dialogue, whether comedic or serious, captures the vocal ticks and mannerisms unique to each character, matching how well Wee’s art captures their physical likenesses without sliding into cliché or pastiche. All three creators really did their homework, is what I’m saying. The pace is also near perfect: I can’t imagine this story feeling as complete if it had run fewer than five issues, but I can certainly imagine how bloated it would have felt at six or more.

Being a story that purports to tell “the truth behind the true events,” there’s a lot of stuff the creators admit isn’t historically accurate (it’s unknown whether Chaplin actually ever met FDR, for instance) and bits that trade off of urban legend (this is not the first time its been suggested that Lamarr and/or Flynn were employed by the US government as spies/operatives). The fun is in imagining that this all could have happened and been highly classified all this time. McArdle, Judy and Wee roll with that sense of fun throughout … and even hint that maybe this wasn’t the only time Charlie Chaplin got suckered into a high-stakes adventure alongside Lamarr and Flynn. I can only hope there’s another miniseries in the near future from this creative team.

I believe the individual print issues of The Führer and the Tramp are sold out from the publisher, so your local comic shop may have a hard time getting them for you. But there’s always the secondary market and the ebooks, until the trade paperback collection comes out in 2021.

PRIDE 2020 INTERVIEW: Sina Grace

Today’s Pride Month interview is with comics writer/artist Sina Grace:

Hi, Sina! I hope you’re staying safe and healthy during current events. What are you doing to stay creatively motivated in these unusual times?

Hey, thanks for "having me," hah!

Staying creatively motivated has been an ongoing process, and different from month-to-month. I've been all over the place. In the beginning, it was really easy to just escape into drawing. Also, a few of my favorite musicians sent me some new music to vibe to, and that helped inspire me- I always need the reminder that art saves! Some days, it's been drugs. I repeat: I've been all over the place. Right now, I'm slowly getting back to drawing after a hard stop during the Black Lives Matter protests, and Persona 5 has been a great escape that inspires me to draw when I'm done playing for a few hours. The main rule I've adopted in all of (waves around the room) *this* is that I just have to be okay with where I am at in any given moment.

Since June is Pride Month, I have to ask: how has being queer influenced or informed your writing and art? (I use “queer” whenever I’m unsure of exactly how someone identifies.)

Queer is a great word for my identity, but I'm also just plain ol' gay. There are the obvious ways my sexual identity plays into informing my writing- making sure that members of my community are responsibly portrayed and given compelling storylines, but I'd say it's also challenged me to be a better writer/ artist who can basically kick ass on any job assigned to me. Folks tend to be more judgmental about my output as a writer, so I work extra hard on projects like Go Go Power Rangers or anything with DC Comics for any potential haters to see what I'm about when there's not a gay protagonist front and center. I came to make friends AND be the best at my job, sorry not sorry.

Whether it's being gay or just Me, I'd say that my work is informed a lot by pop culture, fashion, history, current events, politics, issues surrounding intersectionalism, etc. Like, you could say that has to do with being queer, but does it have to do with being Middle Eastern? Does it have to do with being raised in Los Angeles and being exposed to Tinseltown at a young age? I have no clue. But I'm happy with the results.

You write, you illustrate, you collaborate. This might be too broad a question: what does your creative process look like?

My creative process always begins from the same place geographically and emotionally: from my sketchbook... from a sense of having fun. Back when we were allowed to go to restaurants and sit at the bar during happy hour, my favorite thing to do would be to take whatever my task was for the day/ week/ month, and mess around in my sketchbook while sipping lemon drops and scarfing French fries... just writing key lines of dialog, or doodling out iconic moments. I feel like my most successful and fulfilling work has always come from a place of feeling like I was having fun at that birthing moment in the process. You can't ever escape that work is WORK, but when you're smiling, or trying to find one person in your text messages you can share this crazy idea you came up with and not feel like a self-absorbed prick? That's how my creative process looks. From there, it's a matter of forcing the beast out of me... usually it happens at my dining table on my iPad, but sometimes I mix things up and work on my couch or- back in the good ol' days of BC- at a cafe.

I thought your run on Iceman expertly captured what if feels like to come out “later in life” after having several girlfriends, and I really want to thank you for that. It’s the first time I’ve felt like I’ve seen my experience in a comic or book. The book’s cancellation, revival, and cancellation again was … rocky might be the best way to put it. I asked Steve Orlando this and it feels right to ask you as well: why do you think there just doesn’t seem to be an audience for a successful ongoing title featuring LGBTQIA super-heroes?

Firstly, I appreciate your words about Iceman! That book is so special to me, and I'm grateful whenever anyone tells me they connected with the material. Thanks!!

Secondly, I do want to correct the phrasing of your sentence... Iceman's return was planned as a five-issue series and actually had so much value with readers and editorial that we had to continue the story to a 30 page special in the Uncanny X-Men: Winter's End Special. So it wasn't cancelled again and actually low key thrived! But, I get what you're saying. I think comic book titles featuring LGBTQIA heroes have a tough go at Marvel and DC because they require a specific kind of editor, and a specific kind of marketing. Notice how specific I am with my words. First Second had NO problem making Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me and Bloom into bestsellers. Both of those books were way more expensive to produce than Iceman or Midnighter and they didn't have the benefit of being released first as serial issues with paid advertisements, but they were backed by a team that believed in the stories, and were marketed to an audience that was craving to read said stories. I love my mainstream comic companies, but I don't think I'll get blacklisted saying they don't necessarily think outside of the box when it comes to marketing and promotion.

Whenever I complain about my experience at Marvel, I usually focus on the fact that I didn't feel supported. My editor for the majority of the series didn't quite "get" me and was just trying to do his best to make me fit with the vibe over there. They needed to pair me with someone who understood that getting written up in the New York Times TWICE meant that what I was doing had a little more nuance than your typical action book and was meant for a different audience than an action book.

What are you working on now and what do you have coming out soon?

Tonight I'm wrapping up some illustrations for the band Phantom Planet. Their new album DEVASTATOR should be out by the time people read this, and we're sorting out how to utilize my drawings... either way it's a major feather in my cap 'cuz I've loved that band for ages. After this, I'm jumping back onto an upcoming Image Comics series I'm doing with some friends called Getting it Together. The book was supposed to be out this month, but we had to move it to October 'cuz of coronavirus. It's basically the TV show Friends, but with a cast that reflects our actual factual lives... y'know: queer folks. Brown folks. Plus it's just hilarious and dramatic. I can't wait for people to read it. Please pre-order!

We're wrapping up the final two issues of Ghosted in LA at Boom Studios. I love that book so much. It's Melrose Place, but with ghosts! The next issue, number 11, has the living cast at a queer prom and my little heart melted so hard when I saw the final art. Additionally, it looks like the final issue of the Read Only Memories series I'm writing at IDW will be out in August. That's based off the video game of the same name, but my story follows cool-ass lesbian P.I. Lexi Rivers as she goes down the rabbit hole of a missing persons case that involves a robot-human love story.

Oh! I'm done with my work on it, but the Haunted Mansion graphic novel I wrote will be coming out in August. It's a special project, and I really want people to pick it up 'cuz I think it's a bit of a heart warmer... also it includes so many deep cuts for the hardcore fans of the attraction at Disneyland.

And finally, where can people find you and your work online?

I'm pretty much @SinaGrace anywhere I want to be.

Sina Grace is a writer and artist living in Los Angeles, California. He is best known for his work on the GLAAD award nominated series Iceman at Marvel comics, where he depicted founding X-Man Bobby Drake's journey out of the closet, and into the world as a gay man... complete with mutant drag queens and social issues aplenty. Having worked in comics since his teen years (as an editorial intern at Top Cow Productions), Grace has made had the great privilege to work for every major publisher under the sun, including DC, Archie, Image, Dark Horse, IDW Comics and Boom Studios. He's also worked for all of his favorite bands, including Jenny Lewis, Childish Gambino, Tegan & Sara, and Metric. Oh, and somewhere in all of this he also was Editorial Director for Robert Kirkman's Skybound Imprint at Image Comics.

PRIDE 2020 INTERVIEWS: Steve Orlando

Todays’ Pride Month interview is with comics writer Steve Orlando:

Hi, Steve! I hope you’re staying safe and healthy during the current pandemic lockdowns. What are you doing to stay creatively motivated in these unusual times?

Paying rent! Honestly, when you're freelance, you often have to put your head down and just lean into the work. Yes, the background stress is higher than ever, the highest in my lifetime. But this is the job, and with some companies on pause, we push our connections, hustle as much as possible, and get as creative as possible. I've probably hustled more original ideas during this pandemic lockdown than ever before. If anything, there's going to be a lot of new content coming your way! And less sleep for me! But more shelf space, more stories I get to tell. So it's an easy price to pay.

Since June is Pride Month, I have to ask: how has being bisexual influenced or informed your writing?

For me it's all about perspective. Being bisexual, being Jewish, I know what it's like to have something inside yourself that others can't necessarily see, to be able to pass, if you like, but at the cost of your integrity and your truth on a daily basis. So I think that inner secret connects me to the concept of a secret identity, something that plays so strongly into superhero comics. And in my originals, the leads still tend to be outsiders, people with a secret.

It also reminds me constantly, being bisexual, how important representation is in comics. It's important we tell stories with a world that looks like the one outside our window. Honest, bold, often primal, but true...and that means diverse. It means aggressive. It means stories that have no choice to be told, because they're the stories I wish I had when I was growing up. They're the holes in my life, in the role models I didn't have, that stories could've filled.

I have to tell you that I read your Midnighter and Midnighter and Apollo series knowing absolutely nothing about the characters beforehand, and absolutely fell in love with them. Thank you for that. Both books were short-lived, as was Sina Grace’s Iceman series at Marvel. Why do you think books from the Big Two headlining gay characters don’t seem to last as on-goings? It feels like there’s absolutely an audience for it.

I can only speak to my experience, but unfortunately as with anything in publishing, this question comes down to sales. And while there is a big audience for LGBT storytelling, it is not always as reachable as we might think. It generally lives outside the sales outlets that exist, so books don't reach those that want them until they're released in trade paperback for the book market. However, in the current industry, with overall numbers and margins what they are, a book lives or dies on its periodical sales. MIDNIGHTER AND APOLLO launched to cancellation numbers, which is the unfortunate reality. It's TPB of course did better, but the industry as a whole isn't robust enough right now for that to matter, only periodical sales do.

So, do we need to change? Yes. Of course. And the good news is that for better or worse, this year’s lockdown is going to force us to. So watch this space for innovation, and better work getting these books to those who want them, in a way that speaks to the people that publish them.

I’m always interested in hearing about people’s creative process. How do you approach developing a pitch for a new series? And how do you then script each issue?

When it comes to actually building a pitch, it's all about the lead you hang your lore on. Raw ideas can come from everywhere – that comes from consuming creative calories on a lot of fronts. Almost every pro I know keeps an idea board for this reason. But once you need to take that idea from a sketch to a pitch, it's all about deciding who inhabits the world you've created. The best idea is nothing without a relatable lead – that's why more people like THE LORD OF THE RINGS than THE SILMARILLION. One focuses more on an emotional journey within a fascinating world, the other focuses on the lore first. Once you know your characters, and their core, what they want and where they're going, you can throw any adversity at them and know how they'll react. That begets the story.

In the past few years, you’ve had critically-acclaimed turns on Wonder Woman (another gay icon) and Martian Manhunter. Are there any characters from the Big Two that you’re just dying to take a crack at?

There's a ton! I would love to take on Doctor Fate, I'd love to work with Ladytron, I'd love to work with Alan Scott or Wesley Dodds, or Ted Grant! But I also have just jumped across the street to Marvel, where I have such a long list. The big ones, Captain America, probably my favorite Marvel Character. But also people like Living Lightning, like the Blazing Skull, the Destroyer. The Mutant Force is also something I've always loved, oddly enough. I also love, love, love the Green Goblin and Black Bolt. And, of course...Scarlet Witch, Doctor Doom, and Jim Hammond, the android that killed Hitler.

What are you working on now and what do you have coming out soon?

“Soon” is a relative term these days, is it not? That said! You're going to see some shorts and specials still outstanding from DC COMICS this summer. WONDER WOMAN ANNUAL #4 brings what we had planned for my Wonder Woman run together in a beautiful way, and there are some other unannounced works, shorts, coming before the end of the year.

OCTOBER, for National Comic Out Month, is KILL A MAN, an LGBT Mixed Martial Arts graphic novel from me, Phil Kennedy Johnson, and Alec Morgan, out from AfterShock Comics. And this is the one! For people who read VIRGIL from Image or MIDNIGHTER from DC, this is the next big, hard hitting gay story I'm telling. And it is the proudest thing I've ever done.

After that? You're going to see me all over. Works from TKO Studios, more from AfterShock, more from places I can't even hint yet! And NONE of it superhero, all of it fresh...until I return to superheroes in my own original way before the end of 2020. Stay tuned!

And finally, the usual: where can people find you and your work online?

I am pretty active on Twitter at @thesteveorlando and on Instagram @the.steve.orlando – head over and follow! As for my work, my comics are all available through online comic book stores like Third Eye Comics, which ships nationwide. And my digital DC FIRSTS are available direct from the DC Comics website. And there's more to come!

Steve Orlando writes and edits, including VIRGIL (IGN’s best Graphic Novel of 2015), Undertow and stories in the Eisner Award Nominated Outlaw Territory at Image Comics. As well, he launched 2015’s Midnighter and 2016’s Midnighter and Apollo, both nominated for GLAAD awards, and took part in Justice League of America, Batman and Robin Eternal and most recently Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Batman/The Shadow and Wonder Woman for DC Entertainment, as well as The Shadow/Batman for Dynamite Entertainment, NAMESAKE for BOOM! Studios, CRUDE for Skybound Entertainment, Dead Kings and Kill a Man for Aftershock Entertainment. Outside of comics, he has been featured in Hello Mr and National Geographic. His 2018 sold-out launch Martian Manhunter was one of Tor's Best Single Issues of 2018. In animation, he's worked with Man of Action Studios on season four of Ben 10, and in translation, has produced localizations for Arancia Studios Best-Selling UNNATURAL and MERCY at Image Comics.