Loaded Bible 2: Blood of Christ
Comic Books: Horror: 0 comments: 05/26/2007
By Rae_rae
Jesus Christ Vampire Slayer
Quick warning: if you do not like vampires, if you do not have a sense of humor when it comes to Christianity, if books like Battle Pope and The Goon offend you then do not even think about picking this up. Everyone else should at least be mildly amused by this. Almost a year or so ago the first Loaded Bible came out. In that we were introduced to a post apocalyptic world where vampires ruled most of the Earth, the Vatican controlled most of society and killed anyone who rebelled, and Jesus came back to kill the vampires. Or so that’s what Jesus and the people thought. A circle of vamp leaders infiltrated the priests that ran society in order to show humans ‘the truth.’ What was this ‘truth’? How about the fact that their faith did not bring the second coming of Jesus to save them but cloning did. Add that with film of Jesus talking to a very sexy, very naked female vampire showing him (and the camera) the reserve of clones makes for a rebellion of the people. Then nothing. I don’t know what took Image so long to put this second book out but I’m glad they did. This issue picks up two days after the people who followed the Vatican learned ‘the truth.’ Jesus, trying to cope with the fact that he is not the messiah, is now MIA in the desert. Things get more confusing for him when he finds a vampire baby and tries to save it but cannot. Meanwhile, an angry mob becomes violent when drones for the Vatican try to kill the vamp that told them the truth about their Jesus. Then the priests let loose they other Jesus clones, but not before letting hell break loose on the mob by releasing some starved test vamps they had captured first. After all, what better way to restore faith then by the farce of saving people from monsters you let loose yourself.
This book was very comical. Ok, so not obviously comical like Battle Pope, but the plot is just so fanatical that I couldn’t stop laughing. This book has a bit of a dark tone, is bloody, has boobies, and is violent. Maybe I just have a sick sense of humor, but if you want something different pick this book up. The only downside to this for me was the $4.99 price tag. Looks like gas isn’t the only thing going up in price.
http://www.popsyndicate.com/site/story/loaded_bible_2_blood_of_christ
Showing posts with label comic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label comic. Show all posts
2008/02/26
THE BLASPHEMOUS COMIC :LOADED BIBLE
JESUS SAVES: SEELEY TALKS "LOADED BIBLE" by Dave Richards, Staff Writer Posted: February 1, 2006 — More From This Author
NOTE: The following contains some adult content and language.
Contrary to what the heavy metal band Slayer would have you believe, Jesus saves everyone; not through sermons, but by kicking some undead ass! This is the premise behind "Loaded Bible: Jesus vs. Vampires," a 48 page one shot shipping in April from Image Comics. CBR News spoke with writer Tim Seeley about the book, which is set in a dystopian future world overrun by blood thirsty nosferatu.
The roots of "Loaded Bible" stretch back to Seeley's teenage years. "Waaaay back when I was a teenager I was driving around listening to college radio when they played this crazy song where the lyrics were something to do with 'a rifle in one hand and a bible in the other,'" Seeley told CBR News. "For whatever reason, it gave me this idea to do a western where Jesus fought vampires. I went home and told my brother Steve about it and he started talking about an idea he had involving Jesus. I liked his, so we combined our ideas into 'Loaded Bible.' When I worked for Dead Dog Comics, I actually published a 'Loaded Bible' short story in 'From Heaven to Hell' #1, with art by pre- 'G.I. Joe' Steve Kurth. Eventually, I started working for DDP, and 'Bible' got back-burnered as I worked on 'G.I. Joe,' 'Dark Elf' and 'Hack/Slash.'
"But, one day a year ago, I sat down and wrote a 42 page story, out of nowhere," Seeley continued. "I was surprised it just came out like that. I 'm friends with several of the guys at Image and I sent it to them. They thought it sounded fun, so we began the slow process of getting an artist on it, and scheduling it up. Robert Kirkman, who's an old friend of mine, kicked it in high gear by hooking me up with Nate Bellgrade and Make Englert. And, away we went, hopefully right in time for an Easter release!"
Horror movie fans might incorrectly think that Seeley was influenced by the 2001 independent horror comedy "Jesus Christ, Vampire Hunter." "That movie came out several years after young Steve and I started working on 'Bible.'" Seeley said. "I was so bummed when I saw the ad for that movie. But, I rented it anyway...it's good. Check it out. But, it's pretty different from 'Bible.' 'Bible' is actually this sort of epic science fiction story (believe it or not!), with more in common with stories like 'Blade Runner' and 'I Am Legend.' No seriously. But, being me, I also wrote in a fair amount of silly, bad-ass Jesus one-liners. I mean, I'm just not that strong. I had to."
"Loaded Bible" is set in the near future in a dark, dystopian world. "After 9/11, Americans become more insular, more routed in Christian faith, to the point where church and state become inseparable. Then, one day, we find out that vampires exist. And from there, everything goes to hell," Seeley explained. "Bible takes place in the aftermath of a nuclear war with the Vampire Nation. The last outpost of humanity is a giant theocratic church-state called New Vatican City. Vampires are everywhere, most of them starving due to a lack of human prey. They're getting desperate. And then, our boy Jesus comes along."
Seeley is keeping mum on the details of Christ's return, but Jesus finds himself thrust into a world where living up to the role of Savior of mankind won't be an easy task. "Our Jesus is as much based on what I could find out about the real Christ as possible, combined with a sort of Snake Plissken bad ass hero. He's a good person - a thinker, a progressive. But, he's responsible for all these people, who all look to him to save them. It makes him sort of tortured hero - a guy with the weight of the world on his shoulders who covers it up with brash confidence."
Some people might wonder what kind of special skills the Jewish carpenter possesses to aid him in his crusade against the vile, blood sucking hordes. "Well, he's Jesus. I mean, just the image of a cross fucks with vampires," Seeley stated. "Imagine what the actual guy who hung from it can do. Three words....holy water spit."
Jesus will need all the weapons and skills at his disposal to take on the horde of adversaries he faces in "Loaded Bible." "In this first story, it's mostly vampires that Jesus will be tussling with, but by the end of the tale, we set him up for a whole new set of adversaries," Seeley explained. "Also, there are different kinds of vampires, so you get to see the difference between Jesus chopping up lesser vampires, which are more like zombies, and Greater Vampires, which can do all kinds of Dracula-shit."
In "Loaded Bible: Jesus vs. Vampires," readers will also meet some of the major players in the Vampire Nation, including their ruling body the Vampire Council. "The head of the council is Lilith, the first vampire," Seeley said. "But, our Lilith ain't no sexy, Vampirella looking dame. She's the first vampire. She's a goddamn monkey. An Australopithecus to be exact. And, Sistine Centura, the vampire assassin plays a major role."
The plot of "Loaded Bible: Jesus vs. Vampires" will reveal the answer to a mystery and introduce readers to the book's unique setting. "'Loaded Bible' deals with Christ coming to find the truth of his existence, while setting up the world and the colorful characters that inhabit it. Also, there's shitloads of crazy fight scenes."
Seeley hopes "Jesus vs. Vampires" is just the first installment in the "Loaded Bible" series and notes that if it does well, there'll definitely be more stories to come. "I have [the next story] all plotted out and ready to go," said Seeley. "And the sequel will involve a familiar character. After all, what kind of Bible story would I be telling if I didn't include the devil?"
Some people might mistakenly dismiss "Loaded Bible" as just a humor book, but Seeley says it's a tad more serious than the solicitation text had people believing. "It's an epic, so it's got a heavy tone," Seeley explained. "But, on the other hand, at it's heart, it's still a sacrilegious romp, with plenty of big summer blockbuster moments"
Seeley feels that anyone who appreciates fun, sweeping cinematic adventure epics should appreciate "Loaded Bible." "If you're a close-minded type who can't stand any criticism or exploration of Christianity, you should probably avoid it," warned Seeley. "But, if you're up for a wild, action/horror comic, you should definitely get it. The art is great, the characters are cool, and it's not just another corporate superhero book."
Discuss this story here on CBR's Image Comics Forum.
http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=6560
NOTE: The following contains some adult content and language.
Contrary to what the heavy metal band Slayer would have you believe, Jesus saves everyone; not through sermons, but by kicking some undead ass! This is the premise behind "Loaded Bible: Jesus vs. Vampires," a 48 page one shot shipping in April from Image Comics. CBR News spoke with writer Tim Seeley about the book, which is set in a dystopian future world overrun by blood thirsty nosferatu.
The roots of "Loaded Bible" stretch back to Seeley's teenage years. "Waaaay back when I was a teenager I was driving around listening to college radio when they played this crazy song where the lyrics were something to do with 'a rifle in one hand and a bible in the other,'" Seeley told CBR News. "For whatever reason, it gave me this idea to do a western where Jesus fought vampires. I went home and told my brother Steve about it and he started talking about an idea he had involving Jesus. I liked his, so we combined our ideas into 'Loaded Bible.' When I worked for Dead Dog Comics, I actually published a 'Loaded Bible' short story in 'From Heaven to Hell' #1, with art by pre- 'G.I. Joe' Steve Kurth. Eventually, I started working for DDP, and 'Bible' got back-burnered as I worked on 'G.I. Joe,' 'Dark Elf' and 'Hack/Slash.'
"But, one day a year ago, I sat down and wrote a 42 page story, out of nowhere," Seeley continued. "I was surprised it just came out like that. I 'm friends with several of the guys at Image and I sent it to them. They thought it sounded fun, so we began the slow process of getting an artist on it, and scheduling it up. Robert Kirkman, who's an old friend of mine, kicked it in high gear by hooking me up with Nate Bellgrade and Make Englert. And, away we went, hopefully right in time for an Easter release!"
Horror movie fans might incorrectly think that Seeley was influenced by the 2001 independent horror comedy "Jesus Christ, Vampire Hunter." "That movie came out several years after young Steve and I started working on 'Bible.'" Seeley said. "I was so bummed when I saw the ad for that movie. But, I rented it anyway...it's good. Check it out. But, it's pretty different from 'Bible.' 'Bible' is actually this sort of epic science fiction story (believe it or not!), with more in common with stories like 'Blade Runner' and 'I Am Legend.' No seriously. But, being me, I also wrote in a fair amount of silly, bad-ass Jesus one-liners. I mean, I'm just not that strong. I had to."
"Loaded Bible" is set in the near future in a dark, dystopian world. "After 9/11, Americans become more insular, more routed in Christian faith, to the point where church and state become inseparable. Then, one day, we find out that vampires exist. And from there, everything goes to hell," Seeley explained. "Bible takes place in the aftermath of a nuclear war with the Vampire Nation. The last outpost of humanity is a giant theocratic church-state called New Vatican City. Vampires are everywhere, most of them starving due to a lack of human prey. They're getting desperate. And then, our boy Jesus comes along."
Seeley is keeping mum on the details of Christ's return, but Jesus finds himself thrust into a world where living up to the role of Savior of mankind won't be an easy task. "Our Jesus is as much based on what I could find out about the real Christ as possible, combined with a sort of Snake Plissken bad ass hero. He's a good person - a thinker, a progressive. But, he's responsible for all these people, who all look to him to save them. It makes him sort of tortured hero - a guy with the weight of the world on his shoulders who covers it up with brash confidence."
Some people might wonder what kind of special skills the Jewish carpenter possesses to aid him in his crusade against the vile, blood sucking hordes. "Well, he's Jesus. I mean, just the image of a cross fucks with vampires," Seeley stated. "Imagine what the actual guy who hung from it can do. Three words....holy water spit."
Jesus will need all the weapons and skills at his disposal to take on the horde of adversaries he faces in "Loaded Bible." "In this first story, it's mostly vampires that Jesus will be tussling with, but by the end of the tale, we set him up for a whole new set of adversaries," Seeley explained. "Also, there are different kinds of vampires, so you get to see the difference between Jesus chopping up lesser vampires, which are more like zombies, and Greater Vampires, which can do all kinds of Dracula-shit."
In "Loaded Bible: Jesus vs. Vampires," readers will also meet some of the major players in the Vampire Nation, including their ruling body the Vampire Council. "The head of the council is Lilith, the first vampire," Seeley said. "But, our Lilith ain't no sexy, Vampirella looking dame. She's the first vampire. She's a goddamn monkey. An Australopithecus to be exact. And, Sistine Centura, the vampire assassin plays a major role."
The plot of "Loaded Bible: Jesus vs. Vampires" will reveal the answer to a mystery and introduce readers to the book's unique setting. "'Loaded Bible' deals with Christ coming to find the truth of his existence, while setting up the world and the colorful characters that inhabit it. Also, there's shitloads of crazy fight scenes."
Seeley hopes "Jesus vs. Vampires" is just the first installment in the "Loaded Bible" series and notes that if it does well, there'll definitely be more stories to come. "I have [the next story] all plotted out and ready to go," said Seeley. "And the sequel will involve a familiar character. After all, what kind of Bible story would I be telling if I didn't include the devil?"
Some people might mistakenly dismiss "Loaded Bible" as just a humor book, but Seeley says it's a tad more serious than the solicitation text had people believing. "It's an epic, so it's got a heavy tone," Seeley explained. "But, on the other hand, at it's heart, it's still a sacrilegious romp, with plenty of big summer blockbuster moments"
Seeley feels that anyone who appreciates fun, sweeping cinematic adventure epics should appreciate "Loaded Bible." "If you're a close-minded type who can't stand any criticism or exploration of Christianity, you should probably avoid it," warned Seeley. "But, if you're up for a wild, action/horror comic, you should definitely get it. The art is great, the characters are cool, and it's not just another corporate superhero book."
Discuss this story here on CBR's Image Comics Forum.
http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=6560
LOADED BIBLE-WIKIPEDIA
Loaded Bible
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Cover to Loaded Bible #1.
Cover to Loaded Bible #2.
Loaded Bible: Jesus vs. Vampires is a comic book written by Tim Seeley, with art by Nate Bellgrade published February 2006 by Image Comics. The story is about an apocalyptic future where Jesus Christ must save America from vampires after a nuclear war. A follow-up was released May 2007 called Loaded Bible 2: Blood of Christ and it takes place right after the first one. Loaded Bible 3: Communion is being released February 20, 2008 and will the be the conclusion to the first part of the series.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loaded_Bible
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Cover to Loaded Bible #1.
Cover to Loaded Bible #2.
Loaded Bible: Jesus vs. Vampires is a comic book written by Tim Seeley, with art by Nate Bellgrade published February 2006 by Image Comics. The story is about an apocalyptic future where Jesus Christ must save America from vampires after a nuclear war. A follow-up was released May 2007 called Loaded Bible 2: Blood of Christ and it takes place right after the first one. Loaded Bible 3: Communion is being released February 20, 2008 and will the be the conclusion to the first part of the series.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loaded_Bible
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/
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/
LOADED BIBLE :JESUS vs VAMPIRES-BLASPHEMOUS COMIC
Loaded Bible: Jesus vs Vampires
Book Released: 24 May 2006
Review posted: 03 June 2006
Writer: Tim Seeley
Artist: Nate Bellegarde
Publisher: Image Comics
3.00 out of 5 Stars
Reviewed by Adam White
Ever since I first heard about it I had been excited about Loaded Bible; I mean, who wouldn’t like Jesus fighting vampires (except nutty religious zealots, of course)? It was just a strange enough concept that I thought it would either be utterly brilliant or complete rubbish, so imagine my surprise when I actually ended up feeling conflicted about the final product.
Tim Seeley definitely has the right ideas, and also unveils a frighteningly accurate potential future for those of us in the States. Seeley creates a believable Jesus that is neither corny nor sappy (as in many portrayals), and a Jesus that relies on his own humanity rather than
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seeley creates a Jesus that relies on his own humanity rather than others’ notions of him as a religious symbol.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
others’ notions of him as a religious symbol. The main vampire characters are interesting if brief and provide both contrasts and similarities to the religious warmongers ruling the world in the book. There were some great one-liners, but most were there for the sake of being there and didn’t flow naturally with the dialogue. The revelations of this future Jesus’s origins come as a believable surprise, yet also unfold too quickly. Which is my main complaint about the story — this story told in 48 pages should have been told in at least sixty issues. Loaded Bible has many layers that Seeley could have richly explored over the course of a great series, yet because the market will not sustain any new ideas or ongoings at the moment he was forced to cram it all into a one-shot. So my problem is not so much the concepts in the book but the brevity that was forced on the creators involved.
The art from Nate Bellegarde suited the book well, with eerily deformed vampires and taciturn clergymen. I felt that Jesus sometimes looked as emaciated as the vampires, but not enough to take me out of the story at hand. The subject matter might have drawn other artists in the direction of cartoony satire, but Bellegarde rightfully gave the book the gritty, primal treatment it deserved. I believe that Bellgarde would have grown with a longer series as well and only improved with each issue.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Loaded Bible has many layers that Seeley could have better explored over the course of a long series, yet the market’s atmosphere forced him to cram it all into a one-shot.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I guess I hyped myself up on Loaded Bible too much before I actually read it, which is always a danger, but the more I think about it the more I see a potential Preacher stamped out before it began by a violently apathetic readership. That makes me extremely sad, because we could use more longterm series that explore issues beyond costume changes and endless resurrections (ironically enough). So while Loaded Bible was an entertaining diversion of a one-shot, it would have really flourished as long-form series in the tradition of Preacher and Sandman.
—CCdC—
Book Released: 24 May 2006
Review posted: 03 June 2006
Writer: Tim Seeley
Artist: Nate Bellegarde
Publisher: Image Comics
3.00 out of 5 Stars
Reviewed by Adam White
Ever since I first heard about it I had been excited about Loaded Bible; I mean, who wouldn’t like Jesus fighting vampires (except nutty religious zealots, of course)? It was just a strange enough concept that I thought it would either be utterly brilliant or complete rubbish, so imagine my surprise when I actually ended up feeling conflicted about the final product.
Tim Seeley definitely has the right ideas, and also unveils a frighteningly accurate potential future for those of us in the States. Seeley creates a believable Jesus that is neither corny nor sappy (as in many portrayals), and a Jesus that relies on his own humanity rather than
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seeley creates a Jesus that relies on his own humanity rather than others’ notions of him as a religious symbol.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
others’ notions of him as a religious symbol. The main vampire characters are interesting if brief and provide both contrasts and similarities to the religious warmongers ruling the world in the book. There were some great one-liners, but most were there for the sake of being there and didn’t flow naturally with the dialogue. The revelations of this future Jesus’s origins come as a believable surprise, yet also unfold too quickly. Which is my main complaint about the story — this story told in 48 pages should have been told in at least sixty issues. Loaded Bible has many layers that Seeley could have richly explored over the course of a great series, yet because the market will not sustain any new ideas or ongoings at the moment he was forced to cram it all into a one-shot. So my problem is not so much the concepts in the book but the brevity that was forced on the creators involved.
The art from Nate Bellegarde suited the book well, with eerily deformed vampires and taciturn clergymen. I felt that Jesus sometimes looked as emaciated as the vampires, but not enough to take me out of the story at hand. The subject matter might have drawn other artists in the direction of cartoony satire, but Bellegarde rightfully gave the book the gritty, primal treatment it deserved. I believe that Bellgarde would have grown with a longer series as well and only improved with each issue.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Loaded Bible has many layers that Seeley could have better explored over the course of a long series, yet the market’s atmosphere forced him to cram it all into a one-shot.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I guess I hyped myself up on Loaded Bible too much before I actually read it, which is always a danger, but the more I think about it the more I see a potential Preacher stamped out before it began by a violently apathetic readership. That makes me extremely sad, because we could use more longterm series that explore issues beyond costume changes and endless resurrections (ironically enough). So while Loaded Bible was an entertaining diversion of a one-shot, it would have really flourished as long-form series in the tradition of Preacher and Sandman.
—CCdC—
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