So what are die-hard Sonoda fans going to do for fun now? Most likely, they'll be reading Sonoda's latest and greatest comic-book series, Cannon God Exaxxion, which debuts in America in November -- and is published, of course, by Dark Horse.
Dark Horse supersleuth Ivana Fanboy wanted to learn more about this intriguing and highly-anticipated new project, so she caught up with Cannon God Exaxxion editor Tim Ervin-Gore to get the scoop on this fun and fantastic new series.
Ivana Fanboy: Before we start talking about the book, I understand this is your first
official editing gig. How did you get so lucky? And what's your editing background?
Tim Ervin-Gore: To start, I studied communications in school, and I've found a need for
those skills in this job; communicating ideas between artists, letterers, designers, marketing folks, licensors -- all of that can be challenging. It's fascinating watching differing elements of a creative process come together over time and effort. I should have studied juggling in college too, because that's half of the job.!
To answer the question more directly, I've worked at Dark Horse for almost three years, and I've been assistant editor on Dark Horse's entire manga line for over a year now. This is my first solo editing job, and it's been great so far. It really helps to appreciate the material, and Cannon God Exaxxion is easy to like.
IF: Given your background in manga and the fact that you must have worked on Gunsmith Cats, I'm sure you've noticed that Cannon God Exaxxion is a bit different
than Sonoda's work on Gunsmith Cats. Without giving too much away, can you
sum up the series for me and the readers?
TE-G: Rebellious teen inherits a big responsibility (ensuring the freedom of planet Earth from oppressive, shifty aliens) and a big gun (and I mean BIG, with legs!) to deal with his problems. Expect usual teen-age mistakes, but on a grand scale. Japanese-scale destruction and typical manga perversion abound.
IF: Wow! That sounds quite a bit different than Gunsmith Cats, but it sounds like lots of fun, too. What signature Sonoda characteristics will his fans find in this series?
TE-G: Attention to detail, very charming and sexy characters, clever dialogue,
and bullet holes in everything.
IF: That sounds about right! Sonoda's become very popular and influential to American comics fans, especially in the last few years ... what do you think he does best? Why do you think fans have become so enamored of his work?
TE-G: With Gunsmith Cats, Sonoda was able to attract an audience with his non-stop action, sexy characters, and sharp wit, but then there were the fans in love with his obsessions: picture perfect hot rods, down to the detail firearms, ingenious explosive booby-traps, and all that fun stuff. He was able to capture a very specific manga audience and ensnare new fans to the medium as well.
IF: What you said about Sonoda's obsessions really rings true. How do his obsessions surface in Exaxxion?
TE-G: Well, Cannon God Exaxxion takes Kenichi Sonoda's obsessions and advances
them to a distant future. Now his guns are huge and powerful, but remain detailed studies of firearm technology. However, this time around Sonoda is using his imagination a lot more than his reference file.
IF: You mentioned some alien conflict when you first described the series... is this a serious, deadly alien threat, or is this something Sonoda's having fun with?
TE-G: Well, the aliens are certainly deadly. Their technology is incredibly threatening. But what's scary about them is that they are colonizing, not decimating. They seek to threaten and enslave.
IF: It seems like most stories, comic-based and otherwise, that deal with aliens are sort of moral parables ... does Exaxxion fit that model?
TE-G: Oh, yeah. As I said, these aliens are colonizing the Earth, and the old struggle between native good and invading evil is as basic as it gets. But beyond parables, Sonoda adds elements that resonate with human history. It's like a Trojan Horse story, but the invasion vehicle is much more impressive and underhanded. Think subversive tactics in world history.
IF: Before I let you go, is there anything you want the readers to know about this series?
TE-G: I'm a little apprehensive about how people will handle the body proportions in this comic. Kenichi Sonoda is definitely creating a fantasy world here, and it would be best if readers approached this series as a light-hearted romp, because then the serious elements will sneak up on them from behind. I think Cannon God Exaxxion reflects basic human nature in many ways. On the surface it's silly, almost vapid, and certainly perverted, but once you get below the skin, you'll find that things aren't so simple, that actions can sometimes have unpredictable reactions, and that those breasts are there for a reason!
Kenichi Sonoda's Cannon God Exaxxion is a new ongoing manga series from Dark Horse Comics and Studio Proteus. The first big issue of the premiere eight-issue miniseries, called Cannon God Exaxxion: Stage, hits your favorite comic-book shop starting November 21.