In this episode, Steven and Chris venture into the bizarre and harrowing — yet entirely compelling — world of Michael T. Gilbert's MR. MONSTER (1988).
CRYB! is a deep dive into ‘80s comics (plus a few noteworthy exceptions). Screenwriters Chris Derrick (STAR TREK: PICARD) and Steven Bagatourian (AMERICAN GUN) discuss their favorite books, runs, and creators from the Bronze Age.
SHOW NOTES
00:46 - The history of MR. MONSTER
12:59 - “The Mr. Monster Mantle” -- the tradition of “legacy heroes” -- Zorro, The Phantom... and Mr. Monster
22:07 - The uniquely charming, joyful art style of Michael T. Gilbert, full of raw gestural energy and dripping with love for this book (and this character)
36:24 - The gorgeous hand lettering of the legendary Ken Bruzenak on Mr. Monster
49:44 - Questioning the logic of the evil monsters’ plan to take out Mr. Monster
55:51 - The extraordinary density of the compressed storytelling in MR. MONSTER, plus text pages and a letter column! 30+ minutes of entertainment per issue! How comparatively lacking modern comics are in regard to ent. value & the immersive nature of older comics
58:19 - Early days of Dark Horse Comics: BORIS THE BEAR and WACKY SQUIRREL
1:01:30 - TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES, FISH POLICE, GROO THE WANDERER, LONE WOLF & CUB, AKIRA
1:06:08 - Giving Michael T. Gilbert his due as a very compelling writer — especially considering the extreme switch-up on the tone of story he is telling here in MR. MONSTER: ORIGINS, as compared to his earlier MR. MONSTER stories
1:16:53 - “People like kids in movies that do cool shit.” Alex Derrick’s theory on the types of children that audiences enjoy seeing in stories
1:30:21 - “Mr. Monster... is about love.”
1:37:00 - More on the idea of legacy heroes, plus the impact that personal relationships have on the lives of the average international monster killer
1:48:11 - The idiosyncratic vision of MR. MONSTER, created in the glorious medium of comic books where, unlike Hollywood, no one will insist that you make your story more grounded. “In Hollywood, it’s very rare that the quirk survives.”
1:58:15 - Meeting Michael T. Gilbert at Comic Con and the artist’s pen he used for inking
2:00:03 - Racial dynamics in MR. MONSTER and the differences between then and now
#mrmonster #mistermonster #darkhorse
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©2024 Comics Rot Your Brain!
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