TIM SEELEY:LOADED BIBLE

by Daniel Robert Epstein
Tim Seeley is best known as the penciler of dozens of Devil's Due books and the co-creator of the cult favorite Hack/Slash. Now he's strutting out another creator owned book with penciler Nate Bellgrade in a one-shot called Loaded Bible. The book is set in the near future where after America has become a fervent Christian nation, the usually quiet vampire segment of the population has made its move which caused a nuclear war. The only chance the world has left is the second coming of Jesus Christ. Now instead of loaves and fishes he's got a sword and pistols.
One wouldn't expect a comic book that has Jesus Christ spouting off lines that would make Arnold Schwarzenegger wince to have a strong political substance. But Seeley has managed to infuse his book with intelligence, wit and stupidity all at the same time.
Newsarama: Are people attacking you and Loaded Bible yet?
Tim Seeley: Initially I was thinking "Wow, it's been light so far." But Image got a letter yesterday that was basically someone saying that they're not going to purchase anymore Image books and they're going to encourage others not to purchase Image books for supporting books like Loaded Bible and Battle Pope. I was like, "Yeah. I guess I expected this." But it is surprising when it happened. I'm sure by the time the book comes out, either people will attack it in a knee-jerk reaction or they'll just realize that it's not specifically criticizing Jesus or something. It's more about religion and church and state and then also about stupid action scenes. So hopefully they'll get that and won't just knee jerk.
NRAMA: You and your brother, Steve, came up with this, right?
TS: Yeah. Actually it's really old. It was one of those things we first came up with when I was 18 years old. We started saying, "Loaded Bible. Yeah. We've got to do that comic someday." Initially it was just more of the just fun and crazy idea of having Jesus fight vampires, which changed over the years partially. They released a film that was basically just the fun aspect of that called Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter.
Then I started getting angrier politically, so I wanted to slide more of that in and make it at least partially relevant.
NRAMA: You used to draw G.I. Joe, right?
TS: Yep. Now I'm currently drawing the Forgotten Realms stuff.
NRAMA: It's funny that now you're attacking the stuff that Joe kind of espouses.
TS: Yeah, In its way G.I. Joe does espouse that but it's also generally supposed to be for kids so it's always skirted any political aspect. That's why Cobra has always been very generalized and has very vague motivations of world dominance. I think G.I. Joe has really always avoided that thing. I do think that the adult fans tend to be the more conservative types. I hope it doesn't sound like hypocrisy coming from me. There's definitely ways to do that kind of book and not have it be political and I think G.I. Joe is the best example of trying to pull that off. They're very sensitive about doing anything with actual terrorists and stuff. Hopefully it doesn't come across I'm this guy that's like, "Oh, I'll draw the stuff, but I'll start talking shit about everything else."
NRAMA: It is just G.I. Joe…
TS: Yeah. It's really more of a kid thing. When I worked on G.I. Joe, I wouldn't try to cram my little political beliefs into it like making Cobra clearly this religious regime or something.
NRAMA: Are you a very political person, or is it just impossible to not be a political person now?
TS: I've always really been interested in politics and trying to see the world run the way that it says it wants to be run or the way that it was intended to be, especially this country. I think in the current political climate it is impossible to not to be galvanized and it's impossible to not to have any opinion because it's so extreme. The current administration is about as gung ho in one direction as you can get. It just seems like there's so little room for middle ground anymore.
NRAMA: How did Loaded Bible become this pastiche of action films as well?
TS: Originally that's what it was going to be. When I first started plotting this story with my brother, it really was just the gimmick of "what Blade Runner-esque wacky ideas can we throw into this?" The things that are in there now are really just the leftovers. It's so unnecessary sometimes to make something completely preachy. Give them a good time for god's sake. I didn't want it to be as mindless as something like [the movie] Ultraviolet, but it definitely was intended to have things that make you chuckle because they are twisted and fun. There's no reason not to have some little die-hard foul laughs at a comic book about Jesus in the future.
NRAMA: Putting the World Trade Center burning on the very front page really lays all the cards out on the table.
TS: Yeah. Pre 9/11, the Bush administration was really just a lame duck. It wasn't until they had something to push and something to fight against that they became this really powerful aspect in this country. Anyone who was on the fence picked a side, because now it was about Operation Eternal Justice and us versus them. I thought it was a combination of things. I thought it was all about freedom of religion or from religion and it became this thing where it's Christianity versus Islam. That's really the starting point of when people became angry about what's going on now.
NRAMA: How come you didn't draw Loaded Bible?
TS: Same reason as usual. I just get too busy. It's always that thing where you want to do a little of both, but in this case it was just time. I would've loved to draw it, but I think Nate kicked my ass so hard that I'm glad I didn't touch a pencil on this thing.
NRAMA: How'd you find Nate?
TS: He was given to me by [Walking Dead creator] Robert Kirkman, who is an old friend of mine. I went through two artists on this book basically. One of the things you learn about working on an Image book is that all these people are going to be doing this book for free off the front end. They don't know how much money they're going to make. When it comes down to it, they could make nothing. So I had two artists that started and they couldn't finish. Finally I was just so frustrated, I called Kirkman. He seems to have this amazing ability to have all these great artists at his beck and call. So I was like, "Oh great and powerful Kirkman, could you please give me some artists because I am not having any luck?" He said, "Oh yeah. I've got a perfect guy for you." He hooked me with up with Nate and [inker] Mark Englert. They did an awesome job. Those guys are so interested in making sure it looked good that they went out of their way to make themselves look good, which ended up making the whole book look good.



NRAMA: Why did Loaded Bible go to Image and not Devil's Due?
TS: There are a few reasons. I love Devil's Due, so it's not like any "Fuck you guys" thing. I always wanted to do a book for Image by myself because I think it's one of those things that can give you a good resume point. Also I really like Image. There. Also I knew that if I did it at Devil's Due I wasn't going to be able to advertise it because Devil's Due is primarily a licensing company. They do G.I. Joe and stuff like that. I knew it wasn't going to be possible for me to like put an ad for Loaded Bible in the newest issue of Snake Eyes. Image is known for Battle Pope and other stuff. It just makes more sense for them to put this stuff out than it does for Devil's Due.
NRAMA: How do you like the whole process of working with Image?
TS: I liked it a lot. It's a learning experience. I'm lucky because I know how it works. I've seen it done and I've put together books. You're dealing with putting the book together; getting your artists to get their shit done and you're doing promotion for yourself. If I didn't have previous experience in this, I probably would be a babbling incoherent wreck at this point. It's a lot of work and it's really worth it.
NRAMA: Is Loaded Bible a one-shot?
TS: Yep, but there will be a sequel. It's going to be like Caine from Kung Fu, yeah. He's going to be walking the world. The second one will probably be more about Jesus. But after this, it will be more Jesus and crazier vampire death scenes.
NRAMA: Touching on your other projects, what's the status of the Hack/Slash movie?
TS: I read a treatment yesterday. I'm impressed because what I've read so far is really good. I wasn't sure about it but now I'm actually excited. Any time you go into this, you just remember everybody's horror stories. You start thinking "Bulletproof Monk the movie! Oh fuck." But so far, so good.
NRAMA: Is the girl from Sleepaway Camp supposed to be in it?
TS: No. That would be awesome though.
NRAMA: I wasn't sure.
TS: I would love that. If I ever have anything to do with anything involving Sleepaway Camp, consider me the happiest guy on fucking Earth. That's one of my favorite slasher films.
NRAMA: Will you be credited as executive producer and co-creator?
TS: I think my credit on the film is "created by Tim Seeley and Stefano Caselli," which is more than enough for me. I'm a comic guy. My interest is purely in doing a comic and having it come out and then going to see the movie and being happy with it. That's good enough for me.
NRAMA: Do you ever want to make movies?
TS: No, I'm a comic guy. I think if I ever decided to work in film, it would be on a very basic level where I'd take out a loan for a few thousand bucks and make some cobbled together Troma-esque films. I don't think I would ever go directly to Hollywood and try to like weasel my way into directing the latest Mission Impossible. I'm glad there are people that are all about that thing, but I'm just not that talented.
NRAMA: Has there been a bump in sales with Hack/Slash since the announcement of the movie?
TS: Yeah, there has. The sales of the trade paperback went up which is just so weird to me. I guess people get excited like, "Oh Hollywood cares. It must be good." Hopefully the movie will be great and people will be interested in seeing the source material. Then Hollywood will want to buy Loaded Bible and make a movie out of that, which everyone will hate.
NRAMA: Is the movie going with a whole new slasher or is it going to be a pastiche like you do in the comic?
TS: It's a combination. The story's pretty fun, but it is like a combination of the comics that you've seen before with some new, completely different shifts on it.
Loaded Bible is 48 pages, priced at $4.99 and will be in comic book stores May 24
Keep checking out the official website of Tim Seeley for updated info on Loaded Bible and its eventual sequel: http://www.timseeley.com/