Do any of you out there read Madman? If so what do you think about the new Madman Atomic Comics that Mike Allred has put out? I personally think that they are awesome but a little far from the earlier issues. I am biased though because I have been an Allred fan for many years and even own The Golden Plates, Red Rocket 7, and the entire run of X-Statix. So I am just trying to get other peoples opinions.

I'm a pretty big Mike Allred fan pretty far back.... I think I started reading Madman around Madman Adventures (the series after the Oddity Oddessy). I missed the Golden Plates (i think it came out when I was living in an area without a good shop, and didn't really keep up with things), but have pretty much tried to nab everything else he's gotten into. I'm particularly fond of The Madman books, indcluding the Atomics, G-Men From Hell, etc. X-Force/X-statics were fun, I enjoyed but am less enthusiastic about Red Rocket 7. My claim to Allred fandom fame is owning the album he put out around the time RR7 was coming out.... "The Gear."

The new series is a TRIP... I actually felt put off by the first few issues, but now that things are coming together I can see more where he's going with it, and I can go back and appreciate the first issues a little more. Madman has always had a tendency to be a little bit out there, but, you're right, Mike's come at this from a whole new angle-- so its a bit more of an adjustment as a reader than just jumping back into a story that we've been sort of grooving with on and off for the last... what? 15 plus years....

Overall: I diggit. And i've always loved his art.

Curious about the movie...

Hey did anyone see the G-Men from Hell movie? I desperately wanted to see it, and almost rented it once, but my girlfriend at the time was not so keen on renting it, and I never got around to it (and haven't see it around to pick up since).

I've read some of the early issues, liked them, want to read more but don't have any. If I could afford it, I'd buy the "Madman Gargantua" hardcover, which has all of the old series + bunch of extras (and apparently costs 125$, haha), so that'd solve the problem. but yeah, no money :(

Haven't touched the new series yet as I heard they explain a lot of older stuff that was not explained, so I avoid reading it to avoid any spoilers. I'm the kind of a guy who prefers to go back and read even a hundred issues before hitting on the new ones :)

I actually own the G-Men From Hell movie... its pretty good in a bad way if you know what I mean. I have never even heard the album I have always wanted to check it out though. I don't know if you read Grendel at all.. but in one of the Black White and Red issues Allred did an awesome pic of grendel in the back.

I spent the better part of my teen years hunting down every back issue of Madman and Madman related comics... still haven't gotten Graffik Muzak though..supposed to be the first appearance of Madman.. or at least his criminal past life identity

Mushroomcomix
I actually own the G-Men From Hell movie... its pretty good in a bad way if you know what I mean. I have never even heard the album I have always wanted to check it out though. I don't know if you read Grendel at all.. but in one of the Black White and Red issues Allred did an awesome pic of grendel in the back.

I spent the better part of my teen years hunting down every back issue of Madman and Madman related comics... still haven't gotten Graffik Muzak though..supposed to be the first appearance of Madman.. or at least his criminal past life identity

I've never really gotten into grendel, though I did see a killer panel at a con once with Mike Allred and Matt Wagner. I might have to poke around for that picture.

And yes, I've squandered many a dollar on Madman related stuff. I have magnet sets, playing cards, statues, toys, a zippo lighter (which my son nabbed and tried to use... arg). yeah. I've calmed down a little, but I tried to get as much stuff as I could. And of course.. the comics I dont have that Graffik Muzak book either, but i did read that story at some point, or at least part of it. From what I remember he kind of just introduced Madman as Frank Einstein and left it at that.

I do have some nifty autographed copies... I met Mike at bother WonderCon and APE one year. He signed my Madman/Superman Hullabaloo #1 and a Red Rocket 7 #1 and maybe some others... i forget. He's a cool guy, hands down. Very nice. I was fairly young at the time, and was a bit star struck, I wish i had struck up more of a conversation with him-- I kinda kick myself over that.

BTW - Madman just had a guest appearance in Savage Dragon 137.

Really, I have never really read savage dragon I have got to pick that up! The only swag I ever got was the black and yellow shirt. I have always wanted more though... I'd love to meet Mike at a Con but here in colorado we don't get any big cons at all, just the majesticon where the biggest star we get is the lady who played violet in the old willy wonka movie.

I may have to fly out to one of those big cons next year, I have always wanted to go to one. Have you heard anything on the Madman Movie that Robert Rodriguez is supposed to be making? One of the rumors I have heard is that they finally started casting for it... but you can never know if they are true. Supposedly the dude who played Aragorn in Lord of the Rings is supposed to play Frank.

Mushroomcomix
Really, I have never really read savage dragon I have got to pick that up! The only swag I ever got was the black and yellow shirt. I have always wanted more though... I'd love to meet Mike at a Con but here in colorado we don't get any big cons at all, just the majesticon where the biggest star we get is the lady who played violet in the old willy wonka movie.

I may have to fly out to one of those big cons next year, I have always wanted to go to one. Have you heard anything on the Madman Movie that Robert Rodriguez is supposed to be making? One of the rumors I have heard is that they finally started casting for it... but you can never know if they are true. Supposedly the dude who played Aragorn in Lord of the Rings is supposed to play Frank.

First off: I have that same shirt! Mine is a bit worn for the wear, though... I actually wore that shirt to the Allred/Wagner panel, and they joked about the fact that a lot of people though that particular shirt was a Mage shirt. They pointed me out... hahah... The same shirt also appears in the movie Chasing Amy, which also has an Allred cameo (that's where they started talking about the shirt...). I think that's really the only other thing I remember about that panel!

I havent been to a con in maybe 10 years-- i used to hit wondercon annually. I'm looking forward to starting again to promote my comic. Maybe mike will be at WonderCon this year.

As far as the movie... I always hear that its "about to go into production." Mike did hint that the lead would go to an actor from "the biggest selling movie of 2003," which of course, would be LOTR... so, I'm guessing Elijia Wood or Orlando Bloom? Who knows how solid that is. I just read an intereview with mike, and it sounds like they are closer than ever to starting production.. but its been a long process. Apparently its been optioned since the first comics came out with Tundra.... long time. Though Rodriguez got involved much later....

I was so excited when I heard that Rodriguez was going to be involved. He's one of (if not) my favorite directors. He's pretty inspiring... the way he works... and his story. I read his book, Rebel Without a Crew... amazing stuff. Amazing.

Yeah Rodriquez rules! My Madman shirt is trashed too, I have had it since like 11th grade or something like that... I also had the Mage shirt but I had to retire it after it got ripped bad at a concert.

Perhaps if Mike hadn't introduced Frank Miller to Robert Rodriquez we would already have a Madman Movie but no Sin City Movies... I kind of wish that Allred had talked Wagner into getting Rodriquez to do his movies, from what I have heard the V for
Vendetta people got Mage and Grendel movie rights. If the movie never gets made we will always have the blatant rip off of Freakazoid I guess.


Where is Wonder Con usually held at?

Mushroomcomix
Yeah Rodriquez rules! My Madman shirt is trashed too, I have had it since like 11th grade or something like that... I also had the Mage shirt but I had to retire it after it got ripped bad at a concert.

Perhaps if Mike hadn't introduced Frank Miller to Robert Rodriquez we would already have a Madman Movie but no Sin City Movies... I kind of wish that Allred had talked Wagner into getting Rodriquez to do his movies, from what I have heard the V for
Vendetta people got Mage and Grendel movie rights. If the movie never gets made we will always have the blatant rip off of Freakazoid I guess.


Where is Wonder Con usually held at?

True. I heard about Rodriguez on Madman well before Sin City was even mentioned. Next thing you know, 3 Spy Kids movies, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Shark Boy/Lava Girl, and Sin City. Can't complain, though... Sin City was well done. And Miller probably wouldn't have ever ventured into film, were it not for him seeing how Rodriguez operates (he once noted how much he hated the film process until he met Rodriguez... stating that Robert can shoot a whole scene in the time it takes other productions to get coffee ordered). So... I guess time will tell with this Spirit movie, but I'm looking forward to it.

ITs crazy how stuff can just sit around for so long once its optioned. I bet its frustrating as a creator. But i guess for stuff like Madman, it payed off. If the movie gets made. I guess there might be an actors strike now too.. hoo boy.

Heh-- and Freakazoid. Pretty blatant, yeah. I guess Bruce Timm had told Mike Allred that he literally had Madman comics open while developing the show (of course Bruce Timm left, as Speilburg wanted to develop it more and more into an animaniacs kinda show). I commend Mike a bit for not really making a big public hooplah over it... I mean, it doesn't really steal Madman's thunder, in the least, but, hey, credit where credit's due!

WonderCon is the big con of the SF Bay Area. For several years it was held in Oakland (every year I've gone, it was over there), the last few years, and for the forseeable future, its held in San Francisco. Its put on by the same people who do San Diego (they also do APE (alternative press expo), which is currently in SF as well... I'll be there this year, for sure). I'm hoping to make it to WonderCon this year (or next year, technically)! I'm originally from the Bay Area, but have moved around the state over the last several years, and am actually currently closer to LA. Yep!

San Francisco eh, I have been all over the west coast except for Northern Cali. Thats just one place I never made it to. I've been all around Southern Cali, Oregon, and Washington several times. I may just have to go this year then I have always wanted to go to San Francisco, my partner on my comic says its awesome there.

An actors strike jeez, after the writers strike just ended a while ago, What do actors have to strike for?

I'm pretty stoked for the Spirit movie, Millers first solo directing job. I'm hoping that its gonna be freakin awesome.
I have read interviews with Miller after he left Marvel saying that he would never sell out his comics to movies or let other people write them because no one else could see his vision, so Rodriquez had to have impressed the hell out of him when they met. Wasn't it Miller who did the Robocop 2 and 3 scripts and they totally screwed it up so he had to go and create the comic book to explain it right.