He's traded the dreary halls of Dark Horse for the fame that only dancing raisins can bring, but Phil Amara still has a place in his heart for comics, and for that we can all be glad (and I'm not just saying that because I rent out his basement and he could evict me at a moment's notice). As an editor at Dark Horse, Amara oversaw such diverse comics as Sock Monkey, Scatterbrain, Planet of the Apes, and all inter-company crossovers. And he also found the time to create two comics series; one is the creator-owned Sky Ape, the other is Dark Horse Comics' Nevermen, which returns this January with a new three-issue miniseries titled Streets of Blood. Phil was kind enough to sit still for a minute and answer some questions about the new series, his comics' background, and more.

Adam Gallardo: What's your background? How did you get into comics?

Phil Amara: I started by writing articles for Comics Buyer's Guide and Comics Scene, back in college. I produced a radio show in college, too, called Comics Close-Up, and interviewed guys like Mignola, Stan Lee, Adam West, and Moebius. I did an internship in grad school for Kevin Eastman, one of the Ninja Turtles creators, and he eventually hired me. I stayed on when it changed from Tundra to Kitchen Sink Press, working for Denis [Kitchen] as editor on Alan Moore's From Hell, among others. In '95 I came to Dark Horse as an editor, bringing them projects like Tony Millionaire's Sock Monkey. Recently I departed to produce TV commercials for Emmy-winning Vinton Studios, famous for the California Raisins. And if all that didn't put you to sleep, I recently wrote a well-received non-fiction book for kids called So You Want To Be A Comic Book Artist? Comics, I love 'em.

AG: Is The Nevermen the first comics series you've created?

PA: No, a little-known mini-comic called Super Ninja Vs. The Zombies was the first thing I did. I distributed it to six friends. I was twelve. Then I went on to create Sky Ape, the almost famous crime-fighting gorilla with a jetpack, with some insane friends. Sky Ape is only slightly more sophisticated than Super Ninja.

AG: MetroActive said that an ape with a jetpack is the second best idea in comics. What's the first?

PA: I'm sure my answer will change like the seasons, but I'll go with Reid Fleming, World's Toughest Milkman. I don't know what David Boswell is smoking up there in Canada, but it's never made it across the border.

AG: What's up with the Nevermen...?

PA: I know, right? They are so crazy, punching people, and jumping off buildings.

AG: I mean, what inspired you to create them, and what is the basic story for those who might be unfamiliar with the title?

PA: It's inspired by everything fun on TV when I was a kid. The Monkees. Banana Splits. Monty Python. Sid and Marty Kroft. The Adam West Batman. Weird, near-psychotronic shows likes these. Then I saw Blade Runner and Brazil, and that struck serious chords in me. Somewhere between the two, Nevermen started to ferment. The Big Sleep, Out of the Past, radio dramas like Richard Diamond, Detective, etc. noir, were much later influences, though the former has become one of my favorites. I appreciate that the rough, street-wise characters in The Big Sleep actually have intelligent dialogue. I'll watch it over and over.

AG: In what way are you developing the Nevermen and their relationship to the city in this miniseries?

PA: The theme is that man is weak. Some guys you have to push hard, some you just have to nudge, but sooner or later, man gives into temptation, greed, despair, what have you. The Nevermen, born from a lab with the semblance of men, are the perfect protectors for the crime-thick city because they're immune to temptation. Or...are they? Heh-heh.

AG: What's it like working with Guy Davis (the book's illustrator)? What kind of working relationship do you have with him?

PA: Guy and I have never met, oddly enough. It's amazing what you can accomplish with e-mail. I'll work with Guy anytime, any place. Even in a top-secret underwater biosphere. So help me, I'll do it!

AG: Do you have plans for The Nevermen past this series?

PA: Definitely. As long as Dark Horse wants to keep doing them, Guy and I will keep telling these weird-noir tales. Dark Horse has been incredibly supportive. My editors on the front lines, and behind the scenes. The publisher. The Dark Horse parakeet. They've all been there for this project.

AG: How about future comics' plans in general?

PA: Immediate future: a new Sky Ape comes out in February, subtitled "All The Heroes." Fans of The Legion of Substitute Heroes, and Jonathan Adams' Truth Serum should like it. A gorilla with a jetpack. Drunk, pitiful villains--not unlike Wade Boggs--and even more drunk, pitiful heroes. It's what the best comics are all about: Drinking, fighting crime, crying yourself to sleep. Haven't you read The Authority?

The Nevermen: Streets of Blood, a full-color, 32 page comic written by Phil Amara, drawn by Guy Davis, and colored by Dan Jackson, will be available in comics shops January 29, 2003.