December 16th 2009

Exclusive, in-depth interview with writer, Christopher Bunting!

As an early Christmas treat, we are pleased to present an exclusive, in-depth interview with Mr. T graphic novel author – and Mohawk Media’s new Editor-In-Chief – Christopher Bunting ...


WHAT MAKES YOU EXCITED ABOUT BEING INVOLVED WITH THE MR. T GRAPHIC NOVELS?

CB: It’s a clichι, but it is a dream come true. If you’d told me when I was a kid – a huge fan of The A-Team like many millions of other kids – that I would write the official Mr. T graphic novels, I would never have believed you!

But here I am, writing the adventures of a household name the world over – how often does that kind of opportunity come by in life?

Yet, even now, sometimes I have to remind myself that this is really happening. And it feels like the perfect time for Mr. T, with the nostalgia boom … and The A-Team movie due in 2010.


AH, YES, THE A-TEAM MOVIE, WE’LL RETURN TO THAT SHORTLY. BUT RIGHT NOW, LET’S TALK MR. T. MOHAWK MEDIA HAS RELEASED NOT ONE, BUT TWO, EDITIONS OF THE MR. T GRAPHIC NOVEL … WHY WAS THAT?

CB: That’s correct, there’s two editions of Mr. T.

The first was the Limited Advance Edition, limited to 4,000 copies. This was to appeal to the collector market and die-hard Mr. T fans, while giving a heads up to everyone else that Mr. T was back, and that a ‘regular’ worldwide edition was on the way.

The worldwide edition featured extra material including a fantastic bonus chapter.

Here’s the ISBNs of each book, to allow for easy identification by shops and online stores, etc:

MR. T: LIMITED ADVANCE EDITION: ISBN: 9780955680403.

MR. T (worldwide edition): ISBN: 9780956018908.


ANY PLANS TO REVISIT THE CHARACTERS FROM MR. T?

CB: Sure, I intend to go back to that universe.

I’ve been working on Mr. T season (volume) 2 and 3 – and beyond – for some time now, but we’re really still at a point where were assessing sales of season 1 before we make a firm decision. It’s looking promising, as it’s selling in major retail high street outlets such as HMV and Waterstone’s. Comic book retailers can order it through DCD.

Of course, I’m also hoping that that universe is diverse and interesting enough that I can tell other stories taking place within it, whether or not these feature Mr. T.

It would be fun to tell stories featuring other characters from the graphic novel.

We have a very special Mr. T charity comic planned for sometime in 2010. It will feature what is certainly the most pivotal Mr. T story ever.


ARE YOU A FAN OF MR. T'S PREVIOUS COMIC INCARNATIONS?

CB: Yes and no. I was writer of two out of the three Mr. T previous comic book series of the past. In fact, it was my idea to bring him back to comics.

Creatively, those comics were enjoyable to be involved in, and the penciler and inker were great.

But my input stopped at writer, and I always thought there was so much room for improvement on all of those incarnations, both in production values, business approach, and creatively, which is where Mohawk Media came in.

The Mr. T graphic novel let me go the direction that I always wanted, while taking it to an entirely new level.

Plus a graphic novel feels like the most natural platform for Mr. T stories: it’s big and bold! It isn’t a wimpy 22-page comic!


BESIDES MR. T, WHAT OTHER WRITING CREDITS DO YOU HAVE TO YOUR NAME?

CB: The other big players on my CV so far are Action Man, How to Break into Comics, TOXIC magazine, and a story in Judge Dredd Megazine.

And the Mr. T titles discussed above, of course! I’ve done a lot of feature writing too.

But it’s early days in my comic and graphic novel writing career. I’m learning the art of writing and storytelling all the time.

As for the future, well, keep checking my website: www.writing.me.uk

Admittedly, I’m not a huge blogging fan, and only tend to update it with firm news and announcements.


YOU ALSO HAVE SOME VERY EXCITING NEW PROJECTS IN DEVELOPMENT WITH MOHAWK MEDIA WHICH YOU CAN’T TALK ABOUT YET, OF COURSE. IN FACT, YOU’RE NOW MOHAWK MEDIA’S EDITOR-IN-CHIEF. HOW DID THAT OCCUR?

CB: I had a similar role on the Mr. T graphic novel. The official title being Design and Creative Director. For all intents and purposes it was an Executive Producer or EIC type role.

I put the creative team together, told the designers the exact look I wanted, supervised every element (no matter how big and small) and so forth. This resulted in me becoming EIC for Mohawk Media.

Part of my new position is to find talent for upcoming projects. We are primarily after artists (pencilers), so here’s your chance, artists! Click here for further details and to read the recent press release.


WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE THING ABOUT WORKING ON MR. T?

CB: As a writer it is a challenge to work with a character who is not only a real person, but who is so beloved and has been for such a long time, over a quarter-of-a-century! It makes it an extra challenge to be respectful, but original, fresh and entertaining at the same time.

Another enjoyable factor was coming up with a whole new universe for Mr. T to exist in, along with everything associated with it, especially its inhabitants. That was creatively very exciting. It gave me a huge toy box to play with.

Readers are going to be in for some real surprises as to who else may be lurking in that box!


WHAT ARE YOUR PROUDEST MOMENTS RELATING TO THE MR. T GRAPHIC NOVEL?

CB: Mr. T calling to offer encouragement. Seeing the book for the first time. Seeing the book on the shelves in the likes of HMV or walking into my local Waterstone's store and seeing it there. Getting mentioned in The Guardian (print edition) newspaper.


WHAT DID YOU KEEP THE SAME – AND WHAT DID YOU CHANGE – FOR YOUR FICTIONAL INCARNATION OF MR. T?

CB: It was an interesting case of using both exaggeration and understatement.

The fictional Mr. T is much more powerful than his real life counterpart. For example, he has absolutely no problem smashing through walls or taking on a group of ninjas. He’s the perfect physical human specimen, which if you've seen Mr. T in the movie Rocky III, you'll know what I mean. So all that was the exaggeration, making him more of a mythical super hero.

Then we added a new costume into the mix to help tie him in to the more mythical, traditional super hero style role.

The understatement was needed in regard to his trademark moralizing and sermonizing. Sure, it’s part of what makes him a larger-than-life, colourful character, and it’s fun to listen to, but Mr. T often seems to do it with a knowing twinkle in his eye, especially since as he’s grown older and wiser. Very much in the vein of boxer, Muhammad Ali. How much substance there is to it, and how much he means it, is open to debate.

However, if the fictional Mr. T spoke like the real one, he’d probably appear as a caricature, no matter how well or carefully it was presented. And as the graphic novel is a straight drama, not a comedy or parody, that needed toning down somewhat. Although I have tried to add a lot of humour to the story, it is still played straight.

But we add just enough “T-isms” to keep Mr. T exactly as Mr. T. And of course his famous catchphrases are there too.

I also wanted to find a new direction, a fresh premise. I wanted something that by its nature incorporated conflict and drama. I came upon the idea of having Mr. T as a bodyguard, a job he once held in real life, and that was that. It seemed the perfect fit.


AS DID MR. T’S NEW COSTUME, THE “T-SUIT”. HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT?

CB: Despite everything, the fictional Mr. T is still human. He’s not Superman, bullets don’t just bounce off him.

I felt that if he was a bodyguard, and to guarantee lots of action and excitement for the reader, the only logical direction was to give him a bulletproof suit.

Again, it added to the traditional super hero feel that I wanted.

Last but not least, as I’ve said, Mr. T has been around for over quarter-of-a-century. The T-Suit meant reinventing his image while keeping it as a natural progression of the character.


HAVE YOU RECEIVED FEEDBACK ON THE BOOK FROM MR. T HIMSELF?

CB: Yep, I was in regular contact with Mr. T during production of the graphic novels and he was enthusiastic and encouraging, to say the least.

He even did the foreword for the book, and let me interview him. These interviews are presented in a feature in the graphic novel called Ten Rounds With T!

I haven’t spoken to Mr. T for a while, but I have been told that he is happy with how the graphic novel has turned out.


MR. T IS A COLOSSAL STAR, IN EVERY SENSE. PERHAPS SO MUCH SO THAT THE CREATIVE TEAM CAN SOMETIMES GO SLIGHTLY OVERLOOKED. FOR PEOPLE READING THIS WHO HAVE YET TO PICK UP THE BOOK, WHO ARE THE OTHER PEOPLE ON THE CREATIVE TEAM OF THE MR. T GRAPHIC NOVEL?

CB: The main artist is a very talented rising star, JL Czerniawski.

JL did the pencils for chapters 1-4. JL is very enthusiastic, talented, and a lot of fun to work with.

On the bonus chapter (in the worldwide edition of the book only, ISBN: 9780956018908), we have another talent, Italian artist, Giovanni Timpano.

Gio has gone on to big things since working on Mr. T, so I like to feel we helped discover him. JL has a bright future too, certainly.

The colours were provided by the terrific Digikore, who found the perfect tone, and we had a policy of no inks for JL’s pencils.


NO INKS, MEANING NO INKER WORKING OVER THE PENCILS? THAT IS VERY UNUSUAL IN COMIC BOOKS. WHAT WAS THE REASON FOR THIS DECISION?

CB: Exactly, the colours went straight onto JL Czerniawski’s pencils, with no inking involved. It worked a treat.

Part of the reason was JL’s pencils were gorgeous, and I was concerned a heavy-handed inker could negate that, which you often see happen, even in professional comics and graphic novels. JL has a very clean style, in the vein of such popular artists as Alan Davis or Gary Frank, and we wanted to retain that.

But even before JL came onboard the team, I insisted on no inks. The reason being that Mr. T is a real guy, so by not surrounding him in the graphic novel with black ink lines etc, which of course you don’t get round people in real life, it would help emphasize that.

You don’t see black lines around people in portraits and paintings, and I figured as this is another realm of art, why have them here?

It also gave the book a unique visual style, which itself is something close to Mr. T’s heart!


WHAT HAVE BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE, AND LEAST FAVOURITE, EXPERIENCES DOING COMICS AND GRAPHIC NOVELS?

CB: My favourite experiences must be getting to write icons like Mr. T and Action Man. And getting paid to tell stories is pretty satisfying!

I thoroughly enjoyed being Design and Creative Director of the Mr. T graphic novel, as I really got heavily involved in overseeing all elements of the production, being like a producer on a movie. I had a hand in every detail. I’m sure that this has paid off, as the finished product, the Mr. T graphic novel, looks beautiful and is going to impress everyone.

My least favourite experience in comics? Oh, there’s plenty, but you’ll have to wait for my tell-all exposes! (laughs)


WHICH MR. T CHARACTER(S) DO YOU ENJOY WRITING THE MOST?

CB: All the characters are very enjoyable to write.

Timid genius, Edward Franklin, who becomes a walking ego as soon as he dons his armour and becomes Metal Ed, jumps instantly into my mind. Mr. C too.

Rhino Richards was fun, despite – or maybe because – he doesn’t say too much! His partner in crime, Snakebite Bill, is a treat to write, as he’s such a … snake.

I guess the fondness for the villains stands out.

But they’re all great. I like the attitude of Indigo Jo and think she makes a perfect team mate for Mr. T.

I also enjoy dropping in faces that will play big roles in the future, such as Arrow-Route, or characters who you’re not quite sure where their loyalty lies, such as The Quad Squad.

It’s always fun to write characters who write themselves, so to speak … Mr. T being a good example.


YOU MENTION “MR. C”. JUST WHO IS MR. C?

CB: Mr. C is intriguing. A character profile that I’ve written for him has recently been published on the CHARACTERS feature on the Mohawk Media site.

I hope that Mr. C is viewed as one of the more layered and complex characters in the book, rather than just as a straight bad guy.

That said, it is the first time that Mr. T has been given a bona fide arch enemy. There’s some real bad blood between them.

Along with Metal Ed, and the other bad guys, I went to great lengths to establish a rogue’s gallery.


ANY MR. C SPIN-OFF PROJECTS PLANNED?

CB: If the demand is there, absolutely. I think Mr. C is an interesting enough character to become a star in his own right!


YOU WROTE THE ACTION MAN COMIC BOOK (PANINI / MARVEL UK) FOR SOME TIME, AND ITS SALES WERE IMPRESSIVE, OFTEN RIVALLING THOSE OF THE BEST SELLING US MARVEL AND DC TITLES. HOWEVER IT CEASED PRODUCTION WHEN HASBRO REINVENTED ACTION MAN AS A.T.O.M., WHICH APPARENTLY NEVER PROVED AS POPULAR AS ACTION MAN AND QUICKLY GOT CANCELLED. WOULD YOU GO BACK TO ACTION MAN?

CB: There is no Action Man comic right now, but if they brought it back, I’d jump at it.

I grew up on a diet of comics, Action Man, and The A-Team. So as you can imagine to have written both Action Man and Mr. T, and so early in my career, makes me feel extremely proud.


TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR INFLUENCES AND THE COMICS AND GRAPHIC NOVELS YOU READ?

CB: Comic book influences would first and foremost be writers, guys like Stan Lee and Peter David.

But there’s too many writers and artists who have influenced me to mention here.

I stopped reading monthly comic books a while ago, and started waiting for the trade collections. I prefer having a meatier read, and so have now moved completely into graphic novels and trades. These mean I have the whole story accessible, and can read it at a pace I choose.

This was a major reason that I decided that Mr. T had to be done as a graphic novel as opposed to a comic.

I’ve just finished reading the second volume of Thor by Straczynski. Incredible stuff.


YOU’RE CLEARLY A BIG MARVEL FAN. WOULD YOU LIKE TO WRITE FOR MARVEL IN THE FUTURE THEN?

CB: For sure. I’ve plenty of ideas, having been a huge fan since I was a kid. There’s so many characters I’d like to write, and not just the usual suspects. But they’re on my list too!


IF YOU COULD WAVE A WAND AND WRITE ANY COMIC BOOK CHARACTER TOMORROW WHO WOULD YOU PICK?

CB: Tough one.

Spider-Man. Hulk. Thing. Cap. Death’s Head. Thor. Doc Doom. The A-Team, although they're not strictly comic book characters!

And there’s a lot of basic principles surrounding Superman left unexplored.


A MR. T TEAM-UP WITH A MARVEL CHARACTER?

CB: Could be interesting. I’d probably pick the Punisher. Very interesting character dynamics.

Or a good old fashioned tear up against the Hulk or Thing!


MR. T & HULK HOGAN TAG-TEAMING AGAINST THING & HULK?

CB: (laughs) Bring it on, brother!


MR. T ISN’T THE ONLY REAL CELEBRITY APPEARING IN THE GRAPHIC NOVEL IS HE?

CB: John Foreman guest-stars.

John is one of Australia’s leading TV presenters and also heads the show, Australian Idol, basically their version of TV's X-Factor.

John appears in the bonus chapter which I mentioned earlier, dynamically drawn by Giovanni Timpano. That story will have major repercussions for the Mr. T universe!


HAVE YOU HEARD WHAT JOHN FOREMAN THOUGHT ABOUT HIS APPEARANCE?

CB: Apparently he was, and I quote, “thrilled”.

We’ve been promised that the Mr. T book will even appear on the next series of John's TV chat show!


HAS MR. T A LOT OF FANS ‘DOWN UNDER’ IN “OZ”?

CB: Yes. Mohawk Media regularly receives fan mail from Australian Mr. T fans. But to be fair, we regularly receive fan mail from all over the world.


THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF POST-MODERN REFERENCES AND IN-JOKES IN THE MR. T GRAPHIC NOVEL?

CB: Plenty. One of my favourites is a homage to a classic Daredevil cover by Frank Miller (the one in which DD is pointing a magnum at the reader), which itself is a nod to one of the best films ever, Dirty Harry.

DareDevil #184: Σ. Marvel Comics. Presented for illustration or review purposes only.

So for that homage, you get two, or three, for the price of one!


ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO ADD, PROMOTE, OR INFORM READERS ABOUT?

CB: The Mr. T graphic novel is available now. Order it from the store on the official website, and get it signed by me!

http://www.mohawkmedia.co.uk/mr-t-store.htm

The book is 128 pages, full-colour, all-new material, costs less than a tenner, and has lots of T-filled goodness … so I feel sure that it’s good value for money!


FINALLY, BACK TO THE UPCOMING A-TEAM MOVIE. YOUR THOUGHTS?

CB: While it seems that Mr. T apparently launched a lot of vitriol at the film even before it began shooting, including its decision not to recast him as B.A. Baracus, that’s his opinion, and he is of course entitled to it.

But it’s not one I share.

The casting for The A-Team movie is quite inspired, and follows to the letter that of the original TV show.

There's an intense, heavyweight actor (Liam Neeson) as Hannibal Smith. Two risings stars as Face (Bradley Cooper) and Murdock (Sharlto Copley). And a charismatic non-actor (Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson) as B.A Baracus.

The fifth member, the van? Identical.

I’m curious as to how they’ll play it. The “nobody gets shot” policy of the TV show could seem cheesy in the 21st Century, but without it, you’ll end up with a movie with the biggest body count ever.

There’s plenty of ways around it though, and besides it really comes down to characters, and with the original co-creator, Stephen J. Cannell, on board as producer (along with Ridley and Tony Scott), it is in the safest hands possible.

The director is Joe Carnahan, who as coincidence would have it, has previously worked with Mr. T graphic novel artist JL Czerniawski – so don’t rule out a cameo of the book! (laughs)

I’m definitely looking forward to seeing that movie.


WOULD YOU WRITE AN A-TEAM COMIC BOOK?

CB: In less than a heartbeat.

An A-Team comic would be one of the few licensed projects that could be as much fun, if not even more, than Mr. T!