Back in December, I was asked by Dynamite if I’d like to write a letter to the comic shop retailers in support of Army of Darkness/Bubba Ho-Tep (issue 1 on sale 2/13) and I jumped at the chance. Reaching out directly to these key industry influencers is crucial to getting your comic out in front of as many potential new readers as possible and so I hope my letter convinced a buyer or two to order a few more copies.
Here’s what I wrote:
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Listen up you primitive screw—er, I mean… Dear Retailers,
First off, to the person(s) reading this, thank you for serving our industry well on the front lines. I’ve lived in many places over the years and I love seeking out and getting to know my local comic shops, so I know how hard you’re all working to spread the good word and get our books in customers’ hands. Thank you!
Let’s talk Bruce Campbell.
If you’re anything like me, the square-jawed B-lister has played a significant role in your pop culture consumption over the years. And he’s the reason this comic book crossover exists.
ARMY OF DARKNESS/BUBBA HO-TEP is a celebration of two of Campbell’s most famous onscreen characters – Ashley “Ash” Williams and Elvis Aaron Presley. Two Kings portrayed with charisma and humanity and heart. And let’s be honest, in this particular case it’s probably a bloody heart getting hacked up by a chainsaw, or worse…
Army of Darkness was my first introduction to the Evil Dead franchise. Bruce Campbell’s portrayal of Ash grabbed hold of me and I was an insta-fan. I eventually worked my way backwards through the film series (an odd order but it works) and I still believe Army of Darkness to be Campbell’s greatest performance as Ash. He is at the height of his powers here, dropping some of Ash’s most quotable lines. It’s this evolution of Ash which has kept the Army of Darkness comics so popular for so long after all these year. Fans can’t get enough of Ash’s latest, most outlandish crossovers, and I could not be more honored to add to the immense tapestry that has become an Army of Darkness comic book staple.
But what to cross AOD over with that it hasn’t already been paired up with?
Enter Elvis! I never got a chance to see Bubba Ho-Tep in theaters, but I bought the DVD sight unseen. It. Was. Weird. But in an unforgettable, “I have to watch that again to try and understand what I just saw” way. Underneath its bizarre surface, Bubba Ho-Tep was complex and thought provoking. But most of all, it was a joy to see Campbell show us a different side of him, while also going head-to-head with the undead. It only made sense to shelve this DVD with the other Campbell movies, as it felt like a companion piece. So what I’m saying is the idea for this more or less comes down to how I organize my DVD collection. I’ve been dreaming about doing this crossover for a few years now, and I never thought I would get the opportunity to make it a reality but here we are!
In ARMY OF DARKNESS/BUBBA HO-TEP we find Ash, who is getting closer in age to when Elvis supposedly checked out. Based on a rumor that Elvis is still alive and kicking mummy ass, Ash heads to East Texas to seek out his hero’s wisdom. But where Ash goes, trouble isn’t far behind, and it’ll take his and the King’s powers combined to thwart a re-animated Bubba Ho-Tep, now possessed by the Evil Force! What follows is a road trippin’, time hoppin’ journey that’ll spit Ash out into ‘70s Vegas (and that’s just issue one)!
Not only will this yarn we’re spinning give fans the ultimate team up of Ash and Elvis, but here’s the cherry on top: I have the stupid luck of being paired with a dream team of artists to try and make sense of the madness. Vincenzo Federici bringing his kinetic energy on line art and is absolutely killing it (and all Bubba’s victims), turning up the volume on every fight scene while managing to fit Ash’s chin into every panel! He’s joined on art duties by Michele Monte, whose eye-popping yet moody colors perfectly set the tone for each scene, plus everyone’s favorite letterer Taylor Esposito, bringing his distinct Ghost Glyph stylings.
What more can I say except this is gonna be one groovy crossover that should excite your regulars as well as new fans alike! I hope you love the selection of covers as much as I do, including some iconic imagery from Carlos Gomez, Tom Mandrake, Robert Hack, Diego Galindo, and Emma Kubert.
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