He's a chicken! He's a hare! He's Chickenhare! And he's your new favorite comic book character, whether you know it or not!
Night is falling on the frozen landscape as Chickenhare and his turtle friend Abe find themselves on their way to be sold to Klaus--an insane taxidermist with a penchant for unique animals and enough emotional baggage to go on a very long vacation.
With the help of two mysterious new companions, our fuzzy, feathered, and amphibious heroes endeavor to escape their dire fate. But they soon discover that might not be so easy when they get caught up in an adventure that could bring Klaus's villainy to an end for good . . . or they all might die.
Whatever happens, Chickenhare is sure to charm, scare, and delight readers young and old alike!
We had a chance to talk with Chickenhare creator, Chris Grine, about the creation of Chickenhare, his posse of friends, and the possibility of seeing a Chickenhare/Hellboy crossover.
Plus, if you haven't already, make sure to check out the Chickenhare prologue, a Darkhorse.com exclusive! Just click here.
MP: Just what exactly is a Chickenhare?
CG: Chickenhare is a cross between a chicken and a rabbit, but I'm sure you've
already figured that one out, right? Trust me though, there's a good story behind that simple explanation. I made the decision to avoid doing the standard "origin" story with the first Chickenhare book because I didn't see much point in doing one right out of the gate. I've always found it far more satisfying as a reader to jump right into the middle of a story, that way there is some mystery to the characters, and their back-stories can unfold naturally over time.
MP: Have you ever owned a Chickenhare as a pet?
CG: I can't say that I ever have. If you know a of a breeder who does that kind of thing, let me know. I would have to say that creating the Chickenhare graphic novel has seemed like a very large, very needy pet. No matter how much time I spent with it, it always needed more attention.
MP: What served as your inspiration for Chickenhare?
CG: Chickenhare just kinda happened. After I finished reading Bone and watching the LOTR trilogy, I found I was pretty motivated and inspired to create my own story. I think I've just always preferred the big adventure stories above all other genres. I knew if I ever got a chance to throw my hat into the ring, that would be the direction I would go. The Chickenhare story grew out of a little web-comic I was making for myself and a few friends back in 2004. It was really just this weird little thing I was doing as a hobby, but I really got attached to the characters. Before I knew it, I was creating backstories and this entire world for them to live in.
MP: Can you tell us a little more about the rest of Chickenhare's gang of friends?
CG: Well, let's see. There's Abe, the bearded, hat wearing turtle--he's just a really nice guy, always looking for the silver lining in any situation. Banjo, the reddish furry character on the cover, is quite another story, though. He's sarcastic and a teensy bit rude. Even though Banjo isn't a bad guy, he does have "tendencies" to do bad things. Finally, there's Meg. I realized early on in the development stages I was going to need a female character to balance the scales in what was quickly becoming a real "sausage-fest" of a book. So she started off as my "obligatory female character". The more I worked on her design and her back-story, the more I became attached to her. She quickly became the obvious choice for the person most likely to annoy the crap out of Banjo, which is always funny, and usually ends in a knock down, drag out fight....ahhh, good times.
MP: Which character in the story do you relate to the most?
CG: I'd have to say Chickenhare. Emotionally, he's the balance between the other characters. Abe's the sympathetic and kind one. Banjo's the rude and sarcastic one. Meg's the aggressive, take no prisoners one. Chickenhare is a little of all those things, just not to such extremes. I guess I can relate to them all at different times, and I hope readers feel the same way. Basically, I try to make my characters react how I think I, or anybody else, would react in their given situations.
MP: Who is more evil: Klaus the Taxidermist or Darth Vader?
CG: Wow, these are tough questions. I don't think either of them are exactly evil, they just made some bad decisions that ultimately lead them both down some pretty dark paths. The real difference between the two is that Klaus is actually insane, while Vader is still very much in his own head. Therefore, I would say Darth Vader is more evil. He's aware of what's right and wrong in the decisions he makes, where Klaus can't see the difference between the two anymore.
MP: I like that the story appeals to both children and adults. Do you find this type of storytelling challenging or does it come naturally to you?
CG: A little of both I think. It's challenging because personally, I like a dark, funny, adventure story which sometimes might be too much for a younger audience. On the other hand, I'm not going to make a story I wouldn't enjoy reading myself. What you won't find here is stuff like adult language, or extreme violence. When you mix in characters, like an insane taxidermist and his henchmen, a dead goat, and some very aggressive cave dwelling creatures, there's bound to be some death and violence. I think you just have to know how much is necessary to make the story believable and where to draw the line. Don't get me wrong, though, Chickenhare gets pretty crazy at times. Older readers can rest assured that it's written for adults, with younger audiences in mind.
MP: What does the future hold for our friend Chickenhare?
CG: With any luck, many, many more stories. I have what would be the next three books loosely plotted out, so I'm ready to go if the first one does well enough . . . fingers crossed!
MP: Any possibility of seeing a Chickenhare/Hellboy crossover?
CG: Only in my wildest dreams!