Eric Powell, creator of comic book property The Goon, took to the Internet to answer questions via Reddit’s AMA (ask me anything) subreddit. While his intro and answers were mostly in relation to the in-progress Goon Movie Kickstarter, he was candid and forthcoming about plenty of his other work as well.
As of today, The animated Goon Movie’s Kickstarter is nearly half-funded, with 10 days remaining to raise about another $200,000. The funds, if successful, will be used to create “the film-making process by producing a feature-length STORY REEL.” This, according to the project’s participants (Powell, Blur Studios, Dark Horse Entertainment, David Fincher). The rewards for a successful Kickstarter start as low as $10 with a five-issue digital bundle of The Goon comics. That represents a discount to usual comics prices, mind you, even digital ones.
The talent attached already includes Paul Giamatti as Franky, the Goon’s size-challenged, pupil-less, ultraviolent sidekick (catchphrase: “KNIFE TO THE EYE”), while the big man himself is due to be voiced by Clancy Brown. Those actors and the animation studio demonstrate how The Goon animated movie might look and sound in this ~3-minute video, which they are calling a “proof of concept” trailer.
Let’s be perfectly clear: the talent (Fincher, Brown, Giamatti) surrounding the project is enticing, but the real reason to support this is because it’s the goddamned Goon. Sort of a macabre, ultra-violent mash-up of Popeye and old gangster flicks with some freakish carnival sensibilities thrown in for good measure, The Goon thrives on Powell’s visual storytelling, detailed art, and wicked sense of humor. For more details on the project, the property, and Powell, check out the IAMA he did — or, if you’ve recently suffered a knife to the eye and are having trouble reading, enjoy the below highlights:
ON KICKSTARTING vs. traditional fundraising:
We’ve been pitching the film to studios for years. Hollywood is just really hesitant about original material. They want a remake or a sequel. Add to that the fact we’re making an animated film without singing animals for six year olds … Realistically raising 30-40 million on kickstarter wasn’t going to happen. But there were so many asking I finally said to Fincher & Blur, ‘Why not? If nothing else it will let these people’s voices be heard.’ Blur had the great idea of kickstarting something we could actually achieve. The story reel. So here we are.
ON HIS FAVORITE work for hire projects:
The Bizarro World book was offered specifically to me. No way I could turn that down. Still my favorite work for hire project. That and the Simpsons story I did.
ON EVEN David Fincher having trouble getting a film made:
Hollywood is not known for having balls. They want safe and easy. We’re selling them original and innovative.
ON ARTISTIC influences: ”
Wally Wood, Jack Davis, Will Eisner, Bernie Wrightson, Frazetta… I could go on.
ON PROPERTIES THAT would interest him from Marvel/DC:
I think I could do a kick-ass Demon comic. There’s lots of stuff I’d like to do, but they wouldn’t let me the way I would want to. It’s much more rewarding to me to do my own thing.
Grizzly Bomb 