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Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris’ Ex Machina burst onto the scene in 2004, telling the story of Mitchell Hundred, a New York City civil engineer who is gifted, during a freak accident, with the power to talk to and command machines. At first styling himself as a superhero named “The Great Machine,” Hundred later decides to run for mayor of NYC, which he wins, after he saves one of the Twin Towers during 9/11.

Half high-flying superhero adventure, half thoughtful discussion of modern politics, Ex Machina has been a bright spot on the comics scene for the past five years, with Vaughan’s flashback-filled, tightly plotted stories perfectly offset by Harris’ richly detailed art. If you haven’t had a chance to start this series yet, now’s the time: issue #45 came out this month, which means there are only five more issues before Ex Machina concludes for good. Fortunately for me, Vaughan found a rare free hour to answer some questions for us:

TFAW.com: Thanks for taking the time to talk with us, Brian!

Brian K. Vaughan: My pleasure, I’m really honored you guys decided to take a closer look at Ex Machina as we enter the homestretch.

TFAW.com: So let’s start from the beginning: what triggered Ex Machina?

BKV: I wanted to somehow write about 9/11 after watching the towers fall from the roof of my apartment in Brooklyn, but I wasn’t sure that comics were the right medium. But the political landscape obviously started to change after September 11th, and whether it was George Bush in his flightsuit or Kerry running on his war record or Schwartzenegger getting elected governor, it seemed like Americans were suddenly craving leaders who were also “heroes.” And comics, particularly superhero comics, have always been a great vehicle for discussing the nature of heroism, and whether such an ideal can be attained or is just a fiction we unfairly impose on people.

TFAW.com: Why the mix of superhero adventures and politics?

BKV: I love combining the fantastic with the mundane. And in Ex Machina, the politics usually represent the fantastic, while the superhero “adventures” are a little more mundane.

TFAW.com: I love that “The Great Machine” is a throwback to the old-school, do-it-yourself superheroes, with his homemade gadgets. Why did you choose that angle, instead of making him more like Superman or Green Lantern?

BKV: That was 100% artist and co-creator Tony Harris. I had always pictured the Great Machine being a more archetypal, cape-wearing do-gooder, but it was Tony’s brilliant suggestion to make our hero more like his namesake: mechanical, bulky, and beautifully grounded in the real world.

TFAW.com: At first glance, Mitchell Hundred reminds me of JFK: handsome, young, charismatic. Did you model Hundred on any real-life politicians?

BKV: He has attributes of many of NYC’s prior mayors, but no, he’s not based on any real-life figure.

TFAW.com: Now that we’re nearing the final six issues, I have one question: how the heck are you going to resolve everything? Are you going to wrap up all of these plotlines/mysteries, or will you leave them open ended?

BKV: Actually, if you go back and reread the series, I think you’ll find that many questions have already been answered. But yes, all will be made clear before our story is over.

TFAW.com: Are we finally going to discover the origin of Hundred’s superpowers?

BKV: See above!

TFAW.com: Are there any new characters you have yet to introduce, or are you bringing any past characters back?

BKV: We’ll meet one important new character in the very last issue, but even that character isn’t exactly “new.” Beyond that, our final story is going to focus on our major players, almost all of whom were introduced in the first pages of our very first issue, including our unexpected new villain.

TFAW.com: Why is Kremlin so obsessed with destroying Hundred’s political career? Does he know more about the consequences of someone with Hundred’s powers being in political power, or does he just miss being Alfred to Mitchell’s Batman?

BKV: A bit of both, don’t you think?

TFAW.com: Does January’s hatred of Hundred solely stem from her sister, Journal’s, death? Why does she blame Hundred so completely? Why hasn’t Hundred picked up on at least a little of her enmity?

BKV: I think January is looking for someone to hate for her sister’s death, and she’s chosen Mayor Hundred, irrational as that may be. As for why Hundred hasn’t picked up on her enmity, it’s becoming increasingly clear that that are certain aspects of his own life that Hundred willfully chooses to ignore.

TFAW.com: Continuing in that vein, Hundred seems possessed by almost blind idealism at times. Why do you think he’s like this? Do you think there should be more of his type of idealism in politics, and do you think it can actually spur change?

BKV: Well, I never discuss my own politics, but I will say that they don’t share a great deal in common with Hundred’s. As for why the mayor is the way he is, your interpretation is always more important than my intent.

TFAW.com: Ex Machina is set during the Bush administration, but there’s very little critique of it, at least by the central characters. Was there a reason for this?

BKV: I just think local politics are much sexier than national politics. The difference between being mayor and being president is the difference between being a beat cop and sitting behind a desk as a sergeant. Which story would you rather read?

TFAW.com: Do you think this story could have been told during the Obama administration?

BKV: Maybe, but it certainly would have been told differently.

TFAW.com: A lot of people surrounding Mitchell Hundred tend to go crazy–either a little (Kremlin) or a lot (Trouble). Is this a side effect of his powers, the after effects of living through 9/11, or just a byproduct of living in New York City?

BKV: All of the above.

TFAW.com: Speaking of 9/11, we just passed the 8th anniversary of the attack, which was a large part of Ex Machina’s story. How do you feel this event has shaped the country, years later?

BKV: I think I’d rather let the last few issues of the book speak for themselves on this front.

TFAW.com: Why did you have Hundred save one of the Twin Towers in Ex Machina?

BKV: Because I wanted to say something about the world we live in by showing a world one DNA strand removed from our own.

TFAW.com: In issue #44, we were introduced to the “White Box,” which appears to have the power to compel loyalty from others. Is this why Bradbury has been so devoted to Hundred?

BKV: I think Bradbury has been devoted to Hundred since the day of the accident, but the White Box is indeed the “dark secret” that we’ve always been hinting Bradbury and Mitchell shared.

TFAW.com: There is a lot of speculation about Hundred’s sexuality, and it seems like it’s deliberately been left vague. Do you think it’s important to the story to know whether Hundred is gay or not, and will we get an answer?

BKV: Do you think he is? Is it important to you that you get a definitive answer? If so, why?

TFAW.com: Who created the “member of the Seraphim” who was controlling the animals of NYC?

BKV: That question was partially answered in issue #44, with more details on the way.

TFAW.com: It appears that Hundred was supposed to use his power over machines to make way for an invasion of Earth. Is this subconsciously why he chose to go into politics? Has he been a tool of whoever gave him his powers all along?

BKV: Stay tuned, True Believer.

TFAW.com: Where do you see Commissioner Angotti, Dave Wylie, and Candice Braving today, in 2009?

BKV: Who says any of them are going to make it out of 2005 alive?

TFAW.com: Is there any chance of a continuation of Ex Machina sometime down the road?

BKV: I’m afraid not. Endings are what give stories meaning.

TFAW.com: What comes next for you?

BKV: More television, more movies, but most importantly, more comics.

TFAW.com: What can you tell us about the Y: The Last Man movie, which is officially “in development”?

BKV: Nothing, unfortunately.

TFAW.com: Thanks again, Brian!

BKV: Thank you!

If you’re new to Ex Machina, stock up on our selection of graphic novels, or pre-order upcoming issues!

So what do you think will happen in the final five issues of this series? Are you sad to see it go (I am)? Did I miss any burning questions? Post below!

New Video Post: Fall Out Boy Comics!

If you’re a Fall Out Boy, Pete Wentz, or Darren Romanelli fan, you’ve probably already heard about Fall Out Toy Works, the new series from Image Comics inspired by the music of Fall Out Boy! Now, you can enter to win a series subscription if we pre-order Fall Out Toy Works #1 by September 1, 2009! Check out the video below:

Are you excited about this upcoming series? Have you read other comics from musicians, like The Umbrella Academy? Post your thoughts below!

CHECK OUT OUR CONTEST PAGE!

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL!

Questions? Comments? Post them below!

The Martha Jones Jacket is the perfect companion to the licensed Tenth Doctor’s Coat, AbbyShot Clothiers has designed the ultimate collectible for female Doctor Who fans: You can FEEL like Martha Jones!

Slip into her sporty leather jacket, based on the Doctor’s companion from the ever-popular Series 3, as played by Freema Agyeman!

This replica garment, officially licensed by the BBC, features: 100% leather, full lining, two-way zipper and detailed stitching. Available in Ladies’ Sizes: S-XXL, this jacket will make a great addition to any Doctor Who fan’s collection!

Be sure to get your pre-order in by 8/31/09! These high-end collectibles won’t likely be available after that.

What do you blokes think of this one? Let us know below.

AbbyShot Clothiers has designed the ultimate collectible for Doctor Who fans–the Doctor Who Tenth Doctors Coat, a replica with excellent attention to detail!

Based on David Tennant’s costume, this designer-quality coat is bound to be your favorite everyday garment! This replica trenchcoat, officially licensed by the BBC, features high-quality wool blend fabric, full lining (color matched to the costume coat), double-breasted buttoning, detailed stitching on the back, and outside welt pockets with flaps.

Available in Men’s sizes SM-XL, this coat will make the centerpiece of any Doctor Who fan’s collection. Feel like the last of the Time Lords!

Be sure to get your pre-order in by 8/31/09! These high-end collectibles won’t likely be available after that.

Planning on ordering one for your collection? Let us know what you think below.

The Anchor. Holy warrior, unholy war. Freak of nature, beast of burden, hulking outcast, medieval prize fighter, Viking raider, God’s leg-breaker.

One thousand years ago a hulking outcast sought refuge in the crumbling ruins of an ancient monastery, offering in return the one thing he had to give–his fists.

Transformed into an immortal warrior monk standing at the gates of Hell itself to keep our world free from its invading armies, The Anchor is mysteriously tricked into centuries of slumber. But today, this holy warrior rises to battle all the unholy monsters unleashed during his slumber.

We had the chance to chat with Phil Hester and Brian Churilla, the creators of this exciting new series from Boom Studios! Here are the fruits of that chat.

TFAW.com: Phil, you’ve spent a lot of time writing complex, dark stories and The Anchor certainly looks like it’s going down a similar road. What can you tell us about the tone of the book? What’s it going to feel like?

Phil Hester (PH): In the same vein as The Coffin or Deep Sleeper, but with an emphasis on action. In the past most of my protagonists have been everyman types thrown into bizarre situations. In The Anchor, the main character is the bizarre factor thrown into our world. So, while I hope fans of my work find the same kind of thoughtfulness they found in my other books, there will be a lot of balls-out fight scenes. I’d say “teeth rattling” would best describe the feel of the book.

TFAW.com: Little saint, God’s leg-breaker? Is it safe to say that religion will play a key role in The Anchor?

PH: Only obliquely. The Anchor is a Christian monk, but we’ll see in the first issue that he doesn’t even know what a psalm is. His training, we’ll come to find out, is very unorthodox. As far as he knows his powers come from the almighty and that’s good enough for him. We don’t dig much deeper than that. There’s no time for navel gazing in his world or our funnybook. It relates to Christianity about as accurately as The Mighty Thor does to worshipers of Odin, but there’s certainly no effort to demean it at all.

As Chris Walken said in defense of The Prophecy when some interviewer bemoaned the idea of evil angels (paraphrasing): “I’m sure real angels are good. This is a film.”

TFAW.com: Starting a brand-new series and establishing mythos must be very exciting and exhausting.  What can you tell us about our hero and how’d you come up with his name?

PH: The Anchor doesn’t have a full recollection of his own identity in issue #1, so we’ll be learning along with him. I hate to spoil plot points, so I’ll just say that every time The Anchor kills a monster, he gets a little bit of his memory back. Here’s what we know: He’s basically Gandhi’s soul in The Incredible Hulk’s body, his soul is in hell preventing demons from invading Earth, the wounds he suffers in hell show up on his body on Earth, and he’s on a mission to destroy any demonic critters that make it to our world.

The name came from stumbling across the practices of Anchorite monks, who walled themselves up in the foundations of churches to prevent outside influence. That extreme commitment to a cause is both startling and inspirational. What kind of person does that? A person who has rejected the world as he or she sees it and is looking for something else. Also, we’ll see that our main character has other reasons for the nickname when we get a flashback in #2. In the end, it implies a rock-solid base, unwavering strength–that’s our guy!

TFAW.com: Has this idea been simmering for awhile or did inspiration hit you recently?

PH: It’s pretty recent. I cooked it up just for Brian to draw.

TFAW.com: How did you two come to meet and work together?

PH: I’d been an admirer of Brian’s work since I saw it in the Archaia book, The Engineer. I emailed him to buy some pages and we hit it off well enough to work together. I sent Brian my list of 20 or so unpublished proposals and he rejected them all! As I said earlier, my heroes tend to be average Joes, and Brian wanted to draw an iconic character. I was turning all that around in my head when I saw a travel special about anchorite monks at Lindisfarne. He seemed to dig it and away we went.

TFAW.com: Brian, you’re a relative newcomer on the comics scene, where have you been hiding? I mean, your art is pretty incredible. How is it that we haven’t seen a lot more of you?

Brian Churilla (BC): I’ve been around, cutting my teeth for a while now. I started out doing a graphic novel with Fred Van Lente called Watchdogs, went on to do The Engineer for Archaia, Dark Horse Presents, Rex Mundi, Creepy for DH and We Kill Monsters with Red5, to name a few. I’m definitely doing my best work in The Anchor because aesthetically, it’s smack dab in the ol’ wheelhouse, so I feel very inspired.

TFAW.com: How has the character design process gone?  Has The Anchor changed a lot since his initial inception?

BC: There have been some changes for sure, but overall, he’s retained his likeness since his initial design. There are a lot of monsters to design, a lot, and who wouldn’t want to draw monsters all the time?

TFAW.com: Anything else we should expect to find in The Anchor?

PH: I think there will be a more romantic bent to this than anyone might suspect looking at the previews and first issues. Also, I can’t help myself, even though this is billed as a punch-up kind of comic, it will get heavy and/or touching when you least expect it!

TFAW.com: Let’s say I’m a reader who’s on the fence about The Anchor. How are you going to push me over the edge?  What’s your used-car salesman pitch?

PH: There’s an under-served market in comics, and that’s readers craving smart action. We get plenty of dumb action from superhero comics and plenty of smart shoe gazing from lit comix. We’re trying to wrangle the best of both worlds. I think we offer thrills and spills coupled with plenty of emotionally resonant moments and witty dialogue. Imagine Michael Chabon writing play by play for a demolition derby. That’s us.

Thanks for taking the time to talk with us about The Anchor, guys. We’re eagerly awaiting October 28th.

For those of you who’d like to see a bit more of the book, check out the First Look. The first issue is available for pre-order now, so hurry and get your copy while you can.

Phil and Brian were also kind enough to give us some signed copies, so be sure to pre-order The Anchor #1 or comment below and we’ll throw your name in the hat to get one of those coveted copies!

Coming in October: Deadworld HC Vol. 03 Slaughterhouse

So if you’re a fan of zombies and comics, you probably don’t need me to tell you that Deadworld is bone-crunchingly fantastic. But on the off chance you’ve not yet heard about the title (probably because you’re holed up in preparation for the imminent zombie apocalypse), I strongly advise you to catch up on this series and quick. You’re timing couldn’t be better, as Deadworld Vol. 03: Slaughterhouse (the first volume to be offered in hardcover), is just around the corner with an October release.

Alright, so you refuse to leave your fortified refuge and go check it out? Lucky for you, the folks at Desperado Publishing are sympathetic to your fears and have made a preview trailer of the video available, which you can view right here. And if that wasn’t enough, you can go right here and preview the entire first chapter of the book for free. Oh, and if the Zombie-geddon doesn’t happen before then, keep your eyes peeled here for news about the upcoming Deadworld movie, which is being developed as a major motion picture from the producer of Coraline and David Hayter, the screenwriter of X-Men 2 and Watchmen. Enjoy.

PRE-ORDER DEADWORLD: SLAUGHTERHOUSE AND SAVE 20%!

PREVIEW THE FIRST CHAPTER FOR FREE

Questions? Practical advice for disposing of unwanted undead? Post them below!

Our price: $219.99 Buy it now for $219.99 (List Price: $219.99)

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They’ve been hired to think the Unthinkable. But what happens when the unthinkable actually happens?

After 9-11, best-selling author Alan Ripley joins a government think tank consisting of the most imaginative minds in diverse fields.

Their job? Think of nightmare scenarios and crippling terrorist attacks so the government can safeguard against them. But what happens when the think tank folds, and the attacks start to happen?

Think the idea’s too far out there? Tell that to the series’ writer, Mark Sable, who was detained and interrogated by the TSA in LAX in June because he had the script for Unthinkable in his luggage.

Dark Horse Deluxe is giving one of the comic-book medium’s most revered casts of characters the Syroco-style treatment in this series of statuettes based on the classic Uncle Scrooge comics.

First up in the series is Uncle Scrooge, followed soon by Donald Duck, Gyro Gearloose, and Magica de Spell.

Each character comes with a collector’s button and is packaged in a special collector’s tin, and makes a great addition to anyone’s Disney collection. Be sure to take advantage of our pre-order discount to save 20% off the retail price.

I’m kinda partial to Gyro Gearloose because I remember him from Ducktales and he was a wacky character. Walking home from school to turn on the Disney Afternoon was usually a highlight of my day when I was growing up. Which one’s your favorite? Share your story with us below.

The 1979 movie The Warriors was an instant cult hit, with millions of fans who have thrilled to the adventures of the Warriors, a street gang who had to beat down every other gang in New York–and escape from 20,000 police officers–to make it to the safety of their home turf: Coney Island. But what happened next? After a 30-year wait, everyone finally gets to see the next chapter with The Warriors: Jailbreak from Dabel Brothers Publishing.

While creating a sequel to a movie with a following like The Warriors might be intimidating, Dabel Brothers–and fans–are lucky to have three Warriors fanatics on the job: Erik Henriksen, Todd Herman, and Herb Apon. I was lucky enough to be initiated into their gang and got the inside scoop on how they came up with The Warriors: Jailbreak and where they plan to go from here!

TFAW.com: Hi guys, thanks for meeting with me!

Herb Apon: Thanks for doing this for us, Elisabeth.

(more…)

Mike Mignola, the creator of Hellboy, just debuted two new series: Witchfinder: In the Service of Angels, and B.P.R.D. 1947! Witchfinder chronicles nineteenth-century occult investigator Edward Grey’s adventures as an agent of the queen, and B.P.R.D. 1947 reunites Mignola and Joshua Dysart, the team behind the Eisner-winning B.P.R.D. 1946.

To mark this auspicious occasion, we’re throwing a Witchfinder/B.P.R.D. 1947 Contest! We’ve gotten 25 copies of Witchfinder #1 and B.P.R.D. 1947 #1 signed by Mike Mignola! We’ve already randomly picked five people who ordered Witchfinder #1 and five people who ordered B.P.R.D. 1947 #1 to receive signed copies, but the remaining comics are up for grabs!

Enter to win now! To be eligible to win a signed copy of Witchfinder #1, pre-order Witchfinder #2 or #3. For your chance to win a signed copy of B.P.R.D. 1947 #1, pre-order B.P.R.D. 1947 #2 or #3. For all the details, check out our Witchfinder/B.P.R.D. 1947 Contest page!

This contest ends August 31, 2009 at 11:59 p.m., so make sure to place your orders now! Questions? Comments? Post them below!

With MySpace dealing with significant layoffs, including its entire MySpace Comics staff, the ever-popular MySpace Dark Horse Presents has temporarily moved back to the mothership at DarkHorse.com.

This is fantastic news for Buffy lovers, as this issue includes something fans have been clamoring for: an entire story with artwork by regular cover artist Jo Chen! This is the first time Chen has done interiors for the series, and it’s a doozy, featuring the return of Angel and Spike! Sorta. You have to go read it. But with cameos from other past characters from the television series, you don’t want to miss this issue, and you’ll want to place your pre-order for MySpace Dark Horse Presents Volume 3 TPB riiiiiiiight . . . now. Okay, now.

But wait! There’s more! (^TM Billy Mays, RIP.) There are three other awesome short stories, including The Giant Man in Paris from Harvey Award-winner Matt Kindt (Super Spy, 3 Story: The Secret History of the Giant Man), Dreamstar, from Love & Rockets‘ Gilbert Hernandez, and Tickets from Mike Lawrence–a story that had me tearing up at my desk.

So head on over and check out the latest issue of MySpace Dark Horse Presents, and let me know what you think. Were Jo Chen’s interiors all you hoped they would be? Post your comments below!

Great TV on DVD under $20

Pre-order Border’s Exclusive special edition of Twilight the movie