Mike Norton Interview - Archie is Mr. Justice

[00:00:00] Your ears do not deceive you. You've just entered the Cryptid Creator Corner brought to you by your friends at Comic Book Yeti. So without further ado, let's get on to the interview.

[00:00:10] I love comic books.

[00:00:11] Hey children of the algorithm, I wanted to tell you about another great comics related podcast. Our friends Dan, Dwayne, and Sienna with Comics Overtime have a great show that you should definitely check out.

[00:00:21] Dan has been a Comic Book Yeti contributor since before I was around, and the show delves deep into comics history, analyzing it from the wider cultural landscape at the time.

[00:00:30] I learned a lot just listening in, and they are keeping it fresh too with Sienna reporting in about the current Marvel offerings.

[00:00:36] I love seeing the next generation excited about comics, and it's cool to see a family participating in comics journalism together.

[00:00:42] This season they are focused on the history of everyone's favorite Hell's Kitchen vigilante daredevil.

[00:00:47] It's a fantastic show that you are going to want to add to your rotation. You can find them at Comics Overtime on your favorite podcasting platform, or at their website, comicsovertime.podbean.com.

[00:01:00] I'll drop a link in the show notes to make it easy for you.

[00:01:02] He's a daredevil, Ned!

[00:01:05] Y'all, Jimmy, the Chaos Goblin strikes again!

[00:01:08] I should have known better than to mention I was working on my DC Universe meets Ravenloft hybrid D&D campaign on social media. My bad.

[00:01:16] He goes and tags a bunch of comics creators we know, and now I have to get it in gear and whip this campaign into shape so we can start playing.

[00:01:23] Another friend chimes in, are you going to make maps?

[00:01:26] It's fair to say it's been a while since I put something together, so I guess? Question mark?

[00:01:31] It was then that I discovered Arkhamforge. If you don't know who Arkhamforge is, they have everything you need to make your TTRPG more fun and immersive.

[00:01:40] Allowing you to build, play, and export animated maps, including in-person Fog of War capability that lets your players interact with maps as the adventure unfolds while you, the DM, get the full picture.

[00:01:53] Now I'm set to easily build high-res animated maps, saving myself precious time and significantly adding nuance to our campaign.

[00:02:00] That's a win every day in my book.

[00:02:02] Check them out at arkhamforge.com and use the discount code YETI5 to get $5 off.

[00:02:08] I'll drop a link in the show notes for you, and big thanks to Arkhamforge for partnering with our show.

[00:02:13] I think I'm going to make Jimmy play a goblin warlock just to get even.

[00:02:18] Hello, and welcome to Comic Book Yeti's Cryptid Creator Corner.

[00:02:21] I am one of your hosts, Jimmy Gasparro, and I am here with a returning guest.

[00:02:26] He was here last time with Byron, and they talked about the rock gods of Jackson, Tennessee.

[00:02:35] But now we are here to talk about the new Archie is Mr. Justice.

[00:02:41] Please welcome back to the podcast, Mike Norton.

[00:02:45] Mike, how are you doing tonight?

[00:02:46] I'm doing well.

[00:02:48] It's starting to cool off over here in Chicago, and I can't complain about nothing.

[00:02:55] Well, that's good.

[00:02:56] Good to hear you.

[00:02:57] The fall is my favorite.

[00:02:59] I like that it's...

[00:03:00] We've had some unseasonably warm weather already, but it was really nice this morning.

[00:03:07] Yeah.

[00:03:08] I'd like to keep that up.

[00:03:10] Yeah.

[00:03:10] It was pretty good.

[00:03:13] So, Archie is Mr. Justice.

[00:03:15] I got...

[00:03:17] It's out.

[00:03:18] It is.

[00:03:18] Issue number one is out November 20th.

[00:03:21] Good.

[00:03:22] Not that long away as we re-record this episode.

[00:03:25] Um, yeah, I got a sneak peek of the first issue.

[00:03:30] I really liked it.

[00:03:32] I have to think it has to be pretty difficult not just to write...

[00:03:37] And I'm always amazed when anybody tries to tackle a new superhero story just because there are so many of them.

[00:03:44] Um, and I really feel like you have to approach it with something different.

[00:03:47] But now you are...

[00:03:49] You know, you and Tim Seeley and the rest of the creative team.

[00:03:54] But you're doing an Archie superhero story to try and put a new spin on it.

[00:04:00] And Archie is Mr. Justice.

[00:04:02] Mr. Justice being like a kind of like a character kind of in that universe who hasn't been seen in a while.

[00:04:09] And, you know, Archie had like a different persona.

[00:04:14] Like pure heart the powerful.

[00:04:16] But you're doing something totally, totally different than that.

[00:04:20] Because that's more of a comedic, like humorous take.

[00:04:23] Um, I thought this...

[00:04:25] Issue number one I loved.

[00:04:26] I thought it was very, very earnest.

[00:04:30] I mean, I don't know.

[00:04:31] What do you think...

[00:04:31] What was your kind of approach to creating a new Archie superhero story?

[00:04:37] Uh, yeah.

[00:04:39] It's interesting you use the word earnest.

[00:04:42] I think that's a...

[00:04:42] I feel like that was a good term for a lot of the stuff that Archie does.

[00:04:50] You know, like, um, everything they try, it's never a cynical kind of like thing.

[00:05:00] Uh, they manage to, uh, parody and still, uh, show reverence to the stuff that they do, whether it be horror or science fiction or something like that.

[00:05:15] They've...

[00:05:16] Archie's done...

[00:05:18] He's like Barbie at this point.

[00:05:19] He's done everything, right?

[00:05:21] So...

[00:05:21] Right.

[00:05:22] Yeah.

[00:05:22] It's interesting because they have done superheroes before, as you mentioned, pure heart.

[00:05:27] Um, but it...

[00:05:29] That was...

[00:05:29] It's almost like the movie inside the movie kind of thing.

[00:05:33] It's like, oh, it's like this is...

[00:05:35] This is Archie's superhero, uh, persona that he goes into.

[00:05:40] But it's always like this is a goofy thing, right?

[00:05:44] Yeah.

[00:05:44] It's not...

[00:05:45] Um, and I'm honestly surprised that, uh, they never did this before.

[00:05:51] Because this is more of a, um, the similar origins of Archie, but it's also he got superpowers.

[00:06:03] You know, it's sort of that thing.

[00:06:05] And, and, and the approach, you know, uh, I think in general with all the different creative teams is to take, uh, take it seriously.

[00:06:16] You know what I mean?

[00:06:17] It's more of a...

[00:06:18] And in that regard, I always, I was, I like, I liken it to the, it's Archie's Watchmen because Archie has done everything and done that.

[00:06:27] You know, so it's like, now it's time to look at, uh, some, some, uh, some, uh, issues, you know, it's kind of like, let's, let's look at this as like a serious mirror.

[00:06:41] And, uh, I'm making it sound like it's way heavier than it is because it's not, but it's just more of a, what you would see in like a, uh, a Batman or a Superman, you know?

[00:06:54] It's like, oh, let's see what Archie would really be like if he wasn't, you know, a goof, uh, a goofy character.

[00:07:01] You know, it's, uh, this is a real superhero.

[00:07:05] Yeah.

[00:07:06] I mean, it, it, it is, I, it, it, it's interesting, you know, because we kind of see it, um, I guess more so through like Jughead's eyes, you know, uh, kind of see, you know, Jughead as like kind of his friend.

[00:07:21] And I, I, I think even Jughead remarks in issue one, like he's not really a sidekick.

[00:07:27] Um, but he, he kind of, you know, we see him, uh, he, he, the, the revelation as to what Archie, you know, can do and, and how they, they figure out like what Archie's going to use his, his powers for.

[00:07:41] Uh, cause he says he has like a, uh, an unfairness sense, which, um, Jughead, there's a great, Jughead has a great response where he's just like, I don't, I don't think that's a thing.

[00:07:53] And, um, uh, you know, the, the, the look of Jughead, like the, the reactions to it are, are great.

[00:08:02] It's, it's, you know, it's, it feels very, um, you know, somewhat realistic, even though you're, you're on a superhero story.

[00:08:11] It, it, you know, it has that flow to it of like an actual conversation.

[00:08:15] It's not, you know, there's, there's not too much of a, um, too much of a stretch when, you know, other than the superpower, like when the, when the two friends are talking.

[00:08:26] Um, yeah.

[00:08:29] Jughead is sort of like the bridge between old Archie and new Archie in this book.

[00:08:34] He's sort of like, uh, like he's totally down to train people about superpowers, but it's not like he doesn't know.

[00:08:43] This isn't, this seems weird to him, you know, that kind of thing.

[00:08:46] It's still, he's, he's got his foot in both worlds.

[00:08:49] It seems like, but, uh, yeah, that, um, that's part of the, the, the cool thing with this story is, is Jughead's role.

[00:09:00] Yeah.

[00:09:01] I, I really liked it.

[00:09:02] Um, and I thought there were just some gorgeous like panels in this.

[00:09:07] Um, and you know, we're used to seeing, I mean, I say we, like anyone that's read any amount of superhero stories, you're used to seeing things, but man, there was some stuff that still, you know, you think you see, I've, I've seen this done.

[00:09:19] I've seen that done, but there's a moment where Archie kind of has to, um, you know, help Jughead, uh, save him a bit early on.

[00:09:29] And like that panel looking up, um, and that reveal is, is so perfect.

[00:09:35] And it's like, Oh, this is, it was, it was, it really was like a beautiful moment and, and reveal in the panel.

[00:09:43] Yeah.

[00:09:44] There's a, well, thanks.

[00:09:45] I, I mean, I've been doing it for a while.

[00:09:48] I, I know I, that's probably, I'm guessing that's why I was asked because I mean, I, me and Tim have done superheroes.

[00:09:55] We know superheroes, but he, he, um, the, yeah, the, I think it's like the first five pages, not five pages, but yeah.

[00:10:06] The first part of that comic, there's a lot of like, huh, this has, I don't think I've seen this in an Archie comic before kind of thing.

[00:10:14] Um, Archie's real good at that though.

[00:10:18] They do, they're not afraid to try things out.

[00:10:22] I think they've proven that over the past 15 years, you know, they, um, they're like, you know, nothing's really sacred with Archie.

[00:10:31] You know, we can, we can try some stuff out if we want.

[00:10:35] Yeah.

[00:10:36] I mean, I guess that's the, it does seem remarkable that, um, you know, other companies who are maybe more protective of, of their characters and a little more like restrictive, like some of the stuff I've seen with Archie and, and talking to some of the creators who got to play in that universe.

[00:10:52] They're like, yeah, I was surprised that like editorial was really game for me to try, you know, a bunch of different things, which is, I don't know.

[00:11:00] That's, that's fun.

[00:11:01] It is.

[00:11:03] The notes that I got were like the, the clothing wasn't, it wasn't contemporary enough.

[00:11:09] It was, it didn't look like normal people.

[00:11:11] And I was like, well, that's, that's, that's gotta be a change.

[00:11:14] That's gotta be something to do.

[00:11:16] You know?

[00:11:16] Um, but yeah, it was, and they, they, uh, they are not afraid to do something different.

[00:11:23] And that's what I appreciated about them.

[00:11:26] Yeah.

[00:11:26] Um, any notes they had were not like, uh, oh, well, Archie has to have his freckles and stuff like that.

[00:11:34] So, but other than that, they don't, you know.

[00:11:37] I, what about the design of the, his, his suit?

[00:11:42] Was that, was that like an old Mr. Justice, like look updated or totally new?

[00:11:48] No, that, uh, that's, uh, Tim, Tim designed the Mr. Justice outfit.

[00:11:54] And so, okay.

[00:11:55] He's cause he's an artist too.

[00:11:56] And he, he's done a lot of that stuff.

[00:11:58] Uh, I'm not sure what he based it on.

[00:12:01] I, I was, I did everybody else.

[00:12:03] So it was, uh, um, actually I think the story goes, he was, he kind of like open sourced it with, he teaches a comics class here in Chicago.

[00:12:15] And I think they were using Archie as like, uh, a, uh, example of like how to design a comic book here.

[00:12:24] And so I'm sure he used it as a, uh, like there, you know, with the scales of justice and stuff that's incorporated in the outfit.

[00:12:33] And, uh, I didn't, wasn't part of that, so I didn't see any of it, but, uh, uh, it, it would make sense that that's how that evolved.

[00:12:42] Oh, that's pretty cool.

[00:12:44] Yeah.

[00:12:44] I didn't know that.

[00:12:45] That's pretty, I like, I like that.

[00:12:47] Yeah.

[00:12:47] To kind of open source it.

[00:12:49] Um, well, I'm sure you didn't steal somebody's idea.

[00:12:53] It was probably more of a, like, hey, listen, let me show you how it's done.

[00:12:59] Yeah.

[00:12:59] Sure.

[00:13:00] Teaching example.

[00:13:02] Um, I mean, you, you, I mean, you and Tim both have done some Archie stuff before, but I think more so in, in like some of their horror line.

[00:13:13] Right.

[00:13:14] Yeah.

[00:13:15] Um, I've done some covers for the regular book too, but that's, you know, that was like serious, like cartoony stuff.

[00:13:22] Okay.

[00:13:23] Yeah.

[00:13:23] Yeah.

[00:13:52] Yeah.

[00:13:53] Uh, uh, are my, my natural style of drawing and things like that.

[00:13:58] And, um, and this was a lot like that.

[00:14:02] It didn't, there was a lot, it didn't feel confining at all.

[00:14:06] It was very fun to do.

[00:14:08] I mean, um, yeah, my only, my only, uh, problem, if you call it, that would be that I kept falling into, uh, wanting to make these characters look too cartoony.

[00:14:24] You know?

[00:14:25] Yeah.

[00:14:25] Is that just from, you know, uh, I mean like your familiarity with, with other Archie stuff, like wanting to go in that direction.

[00:14:33] It's that.

[00:14:33] It should look like.

[00:14:35] It's that.

[00:14:36] And I just, I, you know, I, I have a hard time deciding which lane I want to steer in sometimes, you know, cause I can, I can do a cartoony thing, but I also do the other thing.

[00:14:49] So yeah.

[00:14:50] Yeah.

[00:14:50] When I, when I'm not, when I don't have a clear direction, it's kind of hard to pick one of those.

[00:14:57] So yeah.

[00:15:00] Yeah.

[00:15:00] I'm looking forward to, um, to see where it goes after, you know, issue one to see.

[00:15:06] Yeah.

[00:15:06] Cause I think, I think the issue two, it's kind of teased at the end of one that is, um, I guess Veronica's turn.

[00:15:14] Yeah.

[00:15:15] Her character, uh, who I did design, uh, much more of a, um, yes, you could call her a, a Batman-ish, more of a tech kind of superhero character.

[00:15:30] And that's Brent Schoonover is drawing that issue.

[00:15:34] Um, as a real good artist from Minnesota.

[00:15:37] Oh.

[00:15:38] And I forget who's writing it.

[00:15:39] It might be Amanda Debert.

[00:15:40] I'm not sure.

[00:15:41] Um, but, uh, if I'm saying that correctly or what, but, uh, yeah, I, I like that they're getting these different teams for each character.

[00:15:52] So.

[00:15:52] Yeah.

[00:15:53] I, I, that's a pretty cool approach to kind of put, you know, everything together and have a different team on it to kind of see, you know, where they, they take it, where they, they pick it up and, and run with it and see what they do.

[00:16:04] Uh, they do differently, but I think both you and Tim and the rest of the team, I think, uh, coloring it as Glenn Whitmore.

[00:16:11] And of course, Jack Morelli is lettering it.

[00:16:13] Um, it really laid a solid, you know, groundwork.

[00:16:18] Um, what was the idea to kind of put, um, I guess Mr. Lodge and like the transformation of Riverdale at the forefront.

[00:16:29] Was that like part of the planning early on or did that develop later?

[00:16:34] Uh, I'm not sure.

[00:16:35] I, I wasn't in on the, the, the writing meetings of all of that, but it's definitely the, yeah, that is the, the Lex Luthor, if you will, part of the story.

[00:16:50] Yeah, that's definitely designed that way.

[00:16:52] And I, I, I know that, uh, uh, uh, Tim likes to reference, uh, lots of recent news events and stuff in his, in his stuff.

[00:17:05] So, uh, I wouldn't be surprised if he's, if he's kind of making an analog to certain things in it.

[00:17:15] Yeah.

[00:17:15] Uh, did you have to, did you, did you have an easy way to plug in as the issue went on all the, uh, you know, um, lodge industries always on the rise?

[00:17:26] Cause I like that.

[00:17:27] Yeah, that's definitely in the script.

[00:17:29] It was definitely.

[00:17:29] Yeah.

[00:17:30] The whole point of it is that, you know, uh, it sort of like Riverdale has become, uh, like a metropolis.

[00:17:39] It's become a metropolis kind of city, but yeah, our, the take is like, there's, there's.

[00:17:48] Metropolis can't be all shiny and pretty.

[00:17:51] There's, there's, there's always a downside to massive growth.

[00:17:56] Right.

[00:17:56] At once.

[00:17:57] So, uh, yeah, with, and that's something you're not going to expect on our Archie comic is like, what is the bad side of all of this industrialization all of a sudden?

[00:18:07] And, uh, and that becomes the sort of, uh, uh, focal point of the, of the, uh, of the series.

[00:18:14] Yeah.

[00:18:15] But I, I just felt, I felt as it went on that there were more and more of the lodge industries always.

[00:18:20] Yeah.

[00:18:20] Cause they're always building something.

[00:18:22] Yeah.

[00:18:23] Yeah.

[00:18:23] More and more kept popping up.

[00:18:25] Uh, yeah.

[00:18:27] And I'm sure the more superhero fights are the better they like it.

[00:18:31] All right.

[00:18:32] Let's take a quick break.

[00:18:33] After a string of unexplained disappearances in the Southern parts of the United States, retired detective Clint searches for his white trash brother.

[00:18:49] While searching for him, he ends up being abducted by aliens.

[00:18:53] He is now in the arena for big guns, stupid rednecks, an intergalactic cables, newest hit show, which puts him and other humans in laser gun gladiatorial combat.

[00:19:04] And his brother is the reigning champion with 27 kills.

[00:19:08] That's the premise for a new book from band of barns, big guns, stupid rednecks.

[00:19:13] I got a chance to see an advanced preview of this book and being from the South, honestly, I was a bit skeptical going in, but they won me over and nothing is more powerful than an initially skeptic convert in my book.

[00:19:24] In Jimmy's words, big guns, stupid rednecks is many things, but it isn't subtle.

[00:19:29] It tells you exactly what it is up front.

[00:19:31] Then it delivers with a great premise, fantastic art, and a whole mess of fun.

[00:19:35] I had a great time reading big guns, stupid rednecks, and what I thought was going to be an indictment of redneck culture quickly showed it was actually a love letter.

[00:19:43] A family mystery, brother pitted against brother, aliens, fighting for profit in a big arena.

[00:19:49] This truly has it all.

[00:19:51] Issue one is out already, but you can still pick up a copy on the band of bards website and current issues are available via your previews or lunar order form, or just ask your LCS.

[00:20:00] Don't miss it.

[00:20:01] Let's get back to the show.

[00:20:02] One of the things I also wanted to mention, as this story is told in the first issue as the comic goes on, there is this RoboCop-like mech that is in there, which I don't know if anything like that has ever been in an Archie comic before.

[00:20:23] I was kind of surprised by it.

[00:20:24] I was like, oh, that thing is great.

[00:20:26] Yeah, the pacifier robot or whatever it is.

[00:20:31] It's sort of like it's trying to, because it's a very RoboCop-ish scene in the book, so I tried to make it as ED-2090 as I could.

[00:20:44] Something that's just like, why do the police have this kind of thing?

[00:20:48] Yeah, that's, I thought was great.

[00:20:51] Like, you know, well, it's the military, it's on loan to the police.

[00:20:55] Yeah, yeah.

[00:20:57] I mean, those scenes, though, are, those scenes, though, are great.

[00:21:03] Like, you know, with, when Archie kind of has to take it on a little bit.

[00:21:07] And then, yeah, it's just really surprising.

[00:21:10] I still, like, with every panel, I was just like, the reveal that, you know, I'm reading an Archie comic.

[00:21:18] Yeah, Archie's kicking some butt.

[00:21:22] It's kind of weird, yeah.

[00:21:24] Yeah, at least you've seen Superman do that, you know.

[00:21:29] That's true.

[00:21:30] Yeah.

[00:21:31] To see Archie do it.

[00:21:33] Yeah, yeah, it's a little weird.

[00:21:34] It shouldn't be, but yeah, I guess it is.

[00:21:38] But yeah, I, you know, really thought it was, really thought, you know, it was a great first issue.

[00:21:46] Thanks, that's great.

[00:21:47] What's, like, the timing of it in terms of, like, putting something like this together?

[00:21:52] Like, from your involvement to when the issue is finally out?

[00:21:56] Like, is this something you, is planned out for a while with, like, with Tim and editorial and, you know.

[00:22:03] Yeah.

[00:22:04] It, I mean, my part, you know, I think in the grand scheme of things wasn't that much.

[00:22:10] I mean, I've invested the time to make the thing.

[00:22:12] But I know that they've been talking about this since last year, because that's when I first got the, like, hey, do you want to do this?

[00:22:22] And at that point, I didn't know what any of it was.

[00:22:26] I didn't get a script until this year.

[00:22:27] So I had no idea what the take was going to be.

[00:22:31] I thought it might be another pure heart kind of thing.

[00:22:35] They just said Archie superheroes.

[00:22:36] And I loved doing the horror one so much.

[00:22:39] I was like, yeah, sure.

[00:22:40] Put me down for anything.

[00:22:41] And so, yeah, they, I think they had to, because they did have so many creative teams, they did have to know what they were doing to begin with.

[00:22:53] So, yeah, I think they were in much tighter communication with the writers than maybe us artists.

[00:23:03] Yeah, that's not, I guess that's not surprising.

[00:23:06] Yeah, yeah.

[00:23:06] I mean, it's a common thing.

[00:23:09] Right, right.

[00:23:13] How do you go through in terms of planning out, like, something like this with, you know, your other schedule?

[00:23:20] Is it just like, oh, I have time.

[00:23:22] I can fit this in.

[00:23:23] Like, are you good at, in terms of, like, budgeting?

[00:23:25] All right, this is a, you know, 22 to 25 issue Archie superhero thing?

[00:23:34] I am, I would, I would say I'm pretty good at it.

[00:23:37] I'm, I'm, I've been very lucky in my career that I can, I've been able to maintain a pretty fast schedule.

[00:23:48] So, I've been able, and at many points in my career, I've done, like, more than one book at a time.

[00:23:54] So, yeah, I can manage that stuff pretty easily.

[00:24:00] Especially if it's like, you know, I do a lot of, like, one issue things with people.

[00:24:06] And, you know, like this first issue.

[00:24:08] You know, I, I, that stuff is like, it's a pleasure to do.

[00:24:13] Because it's just like, you're in and you're out.

[00:24:15] And, you got to have fun with it.

[00:24:18] But you still didn't have to, you know, spend two and a half years.

[00:24:21] Or, I guess, I'm trying to think of the longest thing I did.

[00:24:24] I think, yeah.

[00:24:25] No, I was, Revival was like five years.

[00:24:27] But, you know, you know what I mean.

[00:24:30] Right.

[00:24:31] Yeah, no, I understand.

[00:24:34] I get it.

[00:24:36] And so, with all the different things, you know, that you've done, you know, at this point.

[00:24:44] What do you feel most comfortable with?

[00:24:47] Is there a particular style, you know, or a typical, like, type of comic where you're like, not that you, you know, can do it.

[00:24:55] But you're, like, excited about doing it at this point.

[00:24:58] Yeah, that's a good question.

[00:25:00] And I think I can answer.

[00:25:02] I really like doing funny action adventure.

[00:25:10] That kind of stuff.

[00:25:12] Something that I can play in both worlds.

[00:25:15] Where I can have my cartoony, but still do my tough guys punching people in the face kind of thing.

[00:25:23] You know, I really, I do like, you know,

[00:25:29] I'm trying to think of an example that fits.

[00:25:33] But, you know, just your, in movie terms, it's like, you know, you're Indiana Jones or you're, even more like Guardians of the Galaxy, the movie, rather than the comic book.

[00:25:45] Because the comic book's been all kinds of things.

[00:25:47] But the movie where it's just a lot of funny, but also a lot of things blow up and stuff like that, you know.

[00:25:56] That's the stuff I prefer to do.

[00:26:00] I also just like being surprised, too, you know.

[00:26:03] If something, if I turn the page and I'm like, oh, I didn't think I was going to have to draw that.

[00:26:07] Then I really like that.

[00:26:09] Some people don't, but I really do.

[00:26:14] Yeah, I was just curious, you know, as you get to a point.

[00:26:17] And I know some, I'm familiar with, you know, some of the other stuff that you've done in terms of, I mean, you've worked with Tim before and Revival.

[00:26:25] And you have your own Battle Pug series, if listeners aren't familiar.

[00:26:31] Yeah, that's more of the cartoony thing.

[00:26:33] But I also, I make it as violent as I can without, you know, offending parents, I guess.

[00:26:39] But that is a good example.

[00:26:44] It's a little more on the cartoony side.

[00:26:45] But yeah, I fill that up with everything that I like.

[00:26:50] Right.

[00:26:50] Well, but still, I mean, the note being, you know, Guardians of the Galaxy, the movie or Indiana Jones.

[00:26:58] Like, I think that, you know, perfectly encapsulates like what, you know, what that style is where action adventure can be fun.

[00:27:07] The humor aspect to it, because both of those movies are, I mean, we think action, but both, you know, all the actually all the Indiana Jones movies and the Guardians movies really have a great line of humor.

[00:27:21] More so than just the, you know, Marvel being known for like the quips, but there are a lot of like really funny moments in Indiana Jones.

[00:27:31] Like, you don't think about it, but there is a sense of a, you know, heightened bit of comedy, you know, even from the very, you know, opening of, is it Raiders that opens with the, you know, the whole ball and all of that.

[00:27:46] Like, there's so much physical comedy that Harrison Ford does.

[00:27:50] He's, you know, I think it's because he's so, uh, it's so normal.

[00:27:57] You know, he's such a normal actor.

[00:27:59] He acts like just a guy.

[00:28:02] I mean, he's doing amazing things, but when he does stuff and he looks so put out or frustrated, you're like, oh, that's, that's me.

[00:28:10] Yeah.

[00:28:10] That would be real.

[00:28:11] Yeah.

[00:28:12] If there was a ball like running down at me, I'd be like, oh, you know, that kind of thing.

[00:28:18] But I, people don't think of that, but I, that's why right now the Harrison Ford in particular is on, uh, the television show shrinking.

[00:28:25] And I, oh yeah, he's hilarious on that.

[00:28:26] He's hilarious.

[00:28:27] Same reason.

[00:28:28] Same reason.

[00:28:29] Exactly.

[00:28:29] Yeah.

[00:28:30] Cause he's like, I don't have time for this crap.

[00:28:33] It's like, it's like every scene is like, I'm Harrison Ford.

[00:28:39] Why am I here?

[00:28:40] But it's, it's, uh, listeners, if you're not familiar, very funny show, Harrison Ford's phenomenal in it.

[00:28:48] Um, no, but that's great, Mike.

[00:28:52] Um, why one, this is just kind of a, uh, uh, uh, I do a little bit of research.

[00:28:57] I say, you know, just to get my bearings and familiarity.

[00:29:02] And I usually, uh, you know, you never know what's, what's accurate or not on someone's Wikipedia page, but you're that.

[00:29:10] That's your, no, I got to ask.

[00:29:12] You're a fan of Rudy Ray Moore movies.

[00:29:15] Yeah.

[00:29:15] I don't know who put that on there.

[00:29:17] I mean, I am, but that's such a weird specific thing to know about.

[00:29:23] So it has to be somebody I personally knew that thought it would be funny.

[00:29:28] Yeah.

[00:29:28] I like, I like bad exploitation movies from the seventies and eighties and Rudy Ray Moore is definitely one of those guys.

[00:29:37] So yeah, it's strange that that's on there and it's been there for like 20 years too, by the way.

[00:29:44] I, I, I, I don't know how to alter those things.

[00:29:47] So I haven't managed to get somebody to change it for me.

[00:29:53] Yeah.

[00:29:53] I, I'd only ask me, I had a friend, um, I had, I had no exposure to, um, I guess Rudy Ray Moore movies until college.

[00:30:03] And I had a friend that I'm still close friends with who like love like black exploitation films.

[00:30:10] And like, we would have movie nights and every time it was like his turn to pick the movie, it was, you know, shaft and super fly.

[00:30:20] And then I still remember that the first time we ever, you know, watch Dolomite.

[00:30:25] And I mean, it was, it was an experience.

[00:30:30] The reason I love that movie is I just, I really like, I like that one, especially because it's like a bad, it's like, it's like you or me.

[00:30:43] If we decided to make a superhero movie, that's what Rudy Ray Moore was.

[00:30:47] He's like, I'm going to make shaft.

[00:30:50] Yeah.

[00:30:50] I'm going to make shaft.

[00:30:51] But it's like, I am woefully underqualified to make shaft.

[00:30:56] You know?

[00:30:57] And he made five more movies.

[00:30:59] So he's a, yeah, he, I really love that story.

[00:31:03] So it's just, I, I can't help but love Rudy.

[00:31:08] Yeah.

[00:31:08] So I just wanted to ask because it's not something that comes up very often.

[00:31:12] No, no, it's not.

[00:31:13] It's not, yeah.

[00:31:14] It's not mainstream.

[00:31:16] No, no.

[00:31:17] Not at all.

[00:31:18] But yeah, so I was exposed to all, to those films in, in a lot of them in college.

[00:31:25] And yeah, I still fondly think of, of Dolomite.

[00:31:29] I haven't watched it in a while.

[00:31:30] Maybe I should.

[00:31:31] I mean, they're all terrible, but I don't know if one's better than the other.

[00:31:36] I have an affinity for avenging Disco Godfather, but that's.

[00:31:42] I don't, I don't know if I've seen that one.

[00:31:44] So.

[00:31:44] I mean, you, if you've seen one of them, you've seen all of them.

[00:31:48] But yeah, it's, it's just Dolomite versus Angel Dust, the movie.

[00:31:54] You know, that's pretty much it.

[00:31:56] Yeah.

[00:31:56] Well, perfect.

[00:31:57] That's, you know, that's, that's a Saturday afternoon movie.

[00:32:00] If that's.

[00:32:00] I mean, it really is.

[00:32:01] It's got a message.

[00:32:02] It's.

[00:32:03] Yeah.

[00:32:03] The more you grow on.

[00:32:07] Mike, I wanted to ask, is there anything else that you're, you know, working on or have

[00:32:12] coming out soon?

[00:32:14] Sure.

[00:32:16] Tomorrow, this week, my Borderlands series for Dark Horse comes out.

[00:32:21] That's something I'm doing with Amy Chu over at Dark Horse.

[00:32:25] It's a tie-in to the game.

[00:32:28] It is mostly characters from the last game, Borderlands 3 and the DLC from that.

[00:32:39] So it's more about Amara and those characters.

[00:32:45] If you're a fan of the game.

[00:32:48] So, and that's, that's exactly what I'm talking about with the fun action adventure.

[00:32:54] It's been so fun to draw.

[00:32:56] And, and Amy is doing exactly what I said, where I turned a page and I'm like, huh, well,

[00:33:01] didn't think I was going to draw that today.

[00:33:03] That kind of thing.

[00:33:04] It's been.

[00:33:06] So I've done, I'm doing that.

[00:33:08] I have some other things on the plate to do, but I have no idea when they're out.

[00:33:15] So I usually don't mention them.

[00:33:18] And I just finished a new Battle Pug that I'm trying to figure out when to launch the Kickstarter

[00:33:24] for.

[00:33:25] But yeah, I got to get it printed and everything, but that's, that's all in the hopper.

[00:33:31] That's fantastic.

[00:33:34] Yeah.

[00:33:34] Battle Pug is.

[00:33:38] I just love the, I, uh, some of the covers for Battle Pug.

[00:33:44] Oh yeah.

[00:33:44] I've been real lucky with the people I get.

[00:33:46] I, I, I, I, I, that's, uh, it's, uh, it's been a pleasure to work on.

[00:33:53] I love, I love every minute of it.

[00:33:55] I wish I did more.

[00:33:56] Actually, this new one, it's been about five years since I finished the last one and that

[00:34:02] ended on a cliffhanger.

[00:34:03] So if there are any fans out there, I'm sorry.

[00:34:06] Uh, uh, so yeah, everything will be explained in the new one, I guess.

[00:34:15] Well, it's never too late.

[00:34:16] Never too late.

[00:34:17] Hope so.

[00:34:18] Explain it.

[00:34:18] Yeah.

[00:34:19] I was trying, I was trying to look up because the one cover I was thinking of, I was trying

[00:34:23] to see who, who did it.

[00:34:24] It was, um, I don't know if it's the cover that's on the war on Christmas trade.

[00:34:32] Uh, it was you and Alan.

[00:34:34] Yeah, that's me.

[00:34:36] Yeah.

[00:34:36] Yeah.

[00:34:37] That's me and Alan.

[00:34:37] Alan's the, the, uh, co-creator, I guess he, he's part of it.

[00:34:43] Yeah.

[00:34:44] But yeah, the, um, you know, just, just, just like the white background riding the hug, I

[00:34:52] just think is just what a fantastic image.

[00:34:55] Thanks.

[00:34:56] I really fan of that.

[00:35:00] Um, so with something like borderlands, I wanted to ask, you know, and then we talked

[00:35:06] a little bit about this, I guess with Archie, but, um, is it more so when you are diving

[00:35:14] into something like working off of the script or getting like details for things for editorial,

[00:35:18] like how much do you have to go back to like source material, like to the game or to like

[00:35:23] old Archie comics?

[00:35:25] Like, yeah, I'm always curious.

[00:35:27] Like when you'll, you know, see an artist take on something that's been around for a

[00:35:33] while, whether or not it's someone else's like intellectual property or some other character

[00:35:38] that's been around, like, you know, and you'll see variations all the time with different

[00:35:43] styles or changes to the character, whether in or out of continuity.

[00:35:47] But like, are you more a fan of like, just put it in the script and I'll get it out there.

[00:35:52] Or are you someone that like does a lot of, you know, research to kind of figure out what

[00:35:57] it is you want to do?

[00:35:58] It depends, really.

[00:36:00] I really, I mean, I can't emphasize enough the how much I appreciate the writer's input

[00:36:07] on things.

[00:36:08] I really do.

[00:36:11] Whenever I'm working with someone that's not me, it is a total collaborative process.

[00:36:17] I am there to draw what they write.

[00:36:20] And I'll try and put as much stuff that entertains me in it too.

[00:36:24] But yeah, I, I really look at it that way more of it instead of a, my take on something.

[00:36:35] I assume that I'll, I'll rub off on it, hopefully in some way, you know, some IP holders are a

[00:36:44] little more strict about how you draw people.

[00:36:47] I mean, Archie, they're like, well, here's what he looks like.

[00:36:52] You know, it's like, we'd like to keep these things, but we understand what we're doing

[00:36:58] here.

[00:37:01] Gearbox, who makes the Borderlands games a little more strict with how people look.

[00:37:08] And, you know, it changes from, you know, company to company and property to property,

[00:37:14] you know.

[00:37:16] Um, but, uh, I, once I got a hold of what the characters look like, it was pretty easy

[00:37:23] to, and I get, we had the benefit of being, we came up with two characters of our own for

[00:37:28] this one.

[00:37:29] And so, uh, we, nobody can tell you, you drew those characters wrong.

[00:37:35] Right.

[00:37:35] You made them up.

[00:37:36] So, um, that's, uh, that, that, that's a lot of the fun too, as well.

[00:37:42] Oh, sure.

[00:37:43] Yeah.

[00:37:44] I, uh, I can imagine that, you know, being able to kind of leave your, your, your mark

[00:37:49] on things.

[00:37:50] Sure.

[00:37:51] I mean, that's always a fun thing, you know, when I'm in a nursing home and it's on TV

[00:37:57] or something, and I'll be able to say, Hey, look, I made that.

[00:38:01] And they're like, shut up.

[00:38:02] Crazy guy.

[00:38:04] Eat your pudding.

[00:38:06] Yeah, exactly.

[00:38:08] And I will, I will eat the pudding.

[00:38:10] I mean, it depends on the pudding, but.

[00:38:13] I don't know.

[00:38:13] I'm eating all of it.

[00:38:14] You're eating all the pudding.

[00:38:15] Yeah.

[00:38:16] It's probably the only thing I'll eat.

[00:38:18] It's really, I'm a picky person.

[00:38:20] So.

[00:38:21] Oh, okay.

[00:38:22] I just, I, I just came from a work event before we started recording where, um, it was a,

[00:38:29] they had a chili cook off on a Tuesday.

[00:38:32] Okay.

[00:38:32] I can't do that.

[00:38:34] I, um, I, I, I ate all, I ate like, you know, a little, little bowl of 15 chilies before

[00:38:43] I came here.

[00:38:44] Oh my God.

[00:38:46] Yeah.

[00:38:46] So I was, you know, I'm doing okay right now.

[00:38:50] Yeah, it is.

[00:38:51] I'm doing okay right now, but.

[00:38:53] Okay.

[00:38:55] Uh, yeah, I don't know.

[00:38:56] We're on a timer is what you're saying.

[00:38:57] We are.

[00:38:58] Yeah.

[00:38:58] I don't think it was to have a chili cook off on a Tuesday night, but people are crazy.

[00:39:07] Yeah.

[00:39:08] Living on the edge.

[00:39:10] I know.

[00:39:11] Like they're Margie comics people.

[00:39:13] That's right.

[00:39:13] And the chili cook offs.

[00:39:15] Yeah.

[00:39:16] It was a work event.

[00:39:18] It was a bunch of other lawyers and some judges and, uh, we were all eating chili, you

[00:39:23] know, what are you going to do?

[00:39:24] Mm.

[00:39:24] Mm.

[00:39:25] But yeah, definitely not putting putting probably.

[00:39:28] That's not a, I mean, that's probably not a party you want to go to, or I mean, it might

[00:39:34] be, but it's usually not a party.

[00:39:36] I want to go to.

[00:39:39] Yeah.

[00:39:40] So, um, not in any event.

[00:39:42] Uh, do you think about that?

[00:39:43] Not chili.

[00:39:44] Uh, do you think you're putting, um, do you think about that legacy type of stuff?

[00:39:48] I know you're kind of like joking about, oh, I mean, when I'm at the home, but we can get

[00:39:55] real heavy right now, but yeah, I, uh, I mean, I, I think about it sometimes I probably

[00:40:02] shouldn't, but I mean, if you, if you sit around and navel gaze too long about your impact

[00:40:07] on others, uh, it, it might get dark real quick, you know, I, uh, I, um, I hope that

[00:40:20] I made the kind of stuff that when I saw when I was a kid would influence me, you know what

[00:40:29] I mean?

[00:40:29] That's all I ever wanted was to be able to be that for somebody else.

[00:40:33] Right.

[00:40:34] And if that happens, I mean, I'll never know.

[00:40:37] I mean, well, I probably won't ever know, but it's like, I'm, I'm just, I'm happy to happen.

[00:40:44] That's what I want.

[00:40:45] You know?

[00:40:46] Right.

[00:40:46] I don't need to have like, uh, I mean, but I mean, I, I don't have to like be told that

[00:40:56] I'm the greatest or anything.

[00:40:58] I, I just, I w I would love to be able to leave that behind.

[00:41:02] Cause I don't have kids and I'm not leaving anything to the cats.

[00:41:05] So you're just going to let the cats just going to be left to their own devices.

[00:41:10] Is that it?

[00:41:11] Oh, well, yeah.

[00:41:11] I mean, I think we all know how that goes.

[00:41:15] Yeah.

[00:41:15] Yeah.

[00:41:16] You came from the woods.

[00:41:17] You're going back to the woods.

[00:41:18] Yep.

[00:41:19] Yep.

[00:41:20] The cat came out of the woods and he's like, I'm your friend.

[00:41:23] And I was like, you're just waiting for me to die.

[00:41:28] Remember to tell people about my comics work after I'm gone.

[00:41:31] Cat.

[00:41:32] He will.

[00:41:32] He'll, he'll proselytize the books of Mike Norton.

[00:41:36] Mm-hmm.

[00:41:37] Nobody will understand.

[00:41:39] No.

[00:41:40] Well, you know, maybe.

[00:41:41] That would be a comic that I would draw.

[00:41:44] Yeah.

[00:41:46] That would be fun.

[00:41:49] Well, Mike, I, I really appreciate you coming on the podcast tonight.

[00:41:53] This is great.

[00:41:53] I was, I really liked the Archie is Mr. Justice issue.

[00:41:57] And I'm a, I'm a fan of a lot of your other work and it was, it was great listening to

[00:42:02] you talk to Byron.

[00:42:03] I think you're on with what Rafer Roberts about.

[00:42:06] My weird little brother, Rafer Roberts.

[00:42:09] I love calling him that.

[00:42:11] He's awesome.

[00:42:11] He's great.

[00:42:12] I love, I love him.

[00:42:13] He's, he's, he's, he's, he's a really funny guy.

[00:42:17] Yeah.

[00:42:17] And I'm excited to check out your, your Borderlands stuff.

[00:42:21] And yeah, if you're going to kickstart or some more Battle Pug, that'll be great.

[00:42:27] Oh yeah.

[00:42:27] I'll be coming back around when that.

[00:42:29] Oh, please, please let Byron and I know we'd love to have you back to talk more Battle Pug.

[00:42:34] Sure.

[00:42:35] But yeah, listeners, Archie is Mr. Justice.

[00:42:40] It is out November 20th and you'll be able to pick it up at your local comic book shop or

[00:42:46] wherever you get your comics and yeah, check out Borderlands.

[00:42:50] I think that's with Amy Chu and that's Star Course is putting that out.

[00:42:53] Is that right?

[00:42:54] Awesome.

[00:42:55] And yeah, yeah.

[00:42:56] Go in.

[00:42:57] If you are not familiar with, you know, some of the stuff we've mentioned here, like

[00:43:01] Battle Pug or Revival or even, you know.

[00:43:05] We do a lot of indie comics, but you know, Mike's worked for the big two.

[00:43:10] So you can, I guess, check out some of that if you're into it.

[00:43:14] You like things like Batman.

[00:43:19] Which I am.

[00:43:21] I'm a fan.

[00:43:22] I mean, we all are.

[00:43:23] I mean.

[00:43:24] I joke.

[00:43:25] I mean, I'm sure I've got stuff over here.

[00:43:27] There's a Batman right there.

[00:43:29] Oh yeah.

[00:43:30] Yeah.

[00:43:30] I was, I was, I was trying to look to see what was on there.

[00:43:33] You got that spinner rack behind you.

[00:43:35] Yeah.

[00:43:35] It is really the odds and ends of everything.

[00:43:40] There's no rhyme or reason to what's in there.

[00:43:43] Oh, well, that's great.

[00:43:45] I mean, that's the great thing about comics.

[00:43:47] Yeah.

[00:43:47] I mean, that's what it should be.

[00:43:48] It's just stuff.

[00:43:50] Yeah.

[00:43:51] There's a random, random Michael Golden Batman annual sitting there.

[00:43:56] It's like nobody has that open in their house.

[00:43:58] No, no, probably not.

[00:44:00] But it's right there.

[00:44:02] All right.

[00:44:03] Well, Mike, I really appreciate it.

[00:44:04] And listeners check out Archie is Mr. Justice.

[00:44:08] And I'll put a link to Mike's stuff so you can check it out in the show notes.

[00:44:12] Let us know what you're reading.

[00:44:14] Let us know what you're into, what you're checking out.

[00:44:16] And yeah, rate and review us and do all that other stuff they say to do for podcasts.

[00:44:21] We appreciate it.

[00:44:22] And yeah, thanks a lot.

[00:44:24] Thanks for listening.

[00:44:26] And thank you very much, Mike.

[00:44:27] Thanks for coming back on the podcast.

[00:44:29] Sure.

[00:44:29] And I'll see you next time, listeners.

[00:44:33] Bye, everybody.

[00:44:34] This is Byron O'Neill, one of your hosts of the Cryptid Creator Corner, brought to you

[00:44:38] by Comic Book Yeti.

[00:44:40] We hope you've enjoyed this episode of our podcast.

[00:44:43] Please rate, review, subscribe, all that good stuff.

[00:44:47] It lets us know how we're doing and more importantly, how we can improve.

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[00:44:54] If you enjoyed this episode of the Cryptid Creator Corner, maybe you would enjoy our sister podcast,

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