AHOY Comics Editor-in-Chief and writer Tom Peyer has been a busy man of late, writing another story arc in his hit The Wrong Earth series and grabbing up a number of high profile projects by top name talent in the comic industry.
We spoke to Peyer about the continuation of his multiversal storyline in The Wrong Earth and all of the upcoming series from AHOY Comics in this exclusive interview.
The Wrong Earth is back again with Dead Ringers and Dragonfly and Stinger II are stuck on Earth Alpha this time around. Is Earth Alpha more difficult for them to navigate than Dragonfly Man and Stinger on Earth Omega?
Tom Peyer: Dragonfly seems to be having a terrible time on Earth-Alpha this go-round. He said that he likes the planet better when Dragonflyman isn’t there, but his problem seems to go deeper. Not that he’ll open up and talk about it. But it has to come out sometime, and soon. Meanwhile, after a bumpy start, Stinger II starts to find his Earth-Alpha lane.
Multiverse stories are all the rage, but The Wrong Earth is soundly grounded in different eras of comics. Which era do you have more fun playing in?
Peyer: When we started, I thought Earth-Alpha would be the really fun part, with gags like Dragonflyman getting shot and swallowing a gunshot-antidote pill. But over on Earth-Omega, Dragonfly was winning a melee by setting his opponents on fire! How could I not love that? I wouldn’t want to choose.
AHOY Comics continues to attract top talent to creator-owned projects. Thoughts on Garth Ennis and Jacen Burrows’ Babs?
Peyer: It’s such a delightfully funny book, such a pleasure to read and to look at. The sword-and-sorcery elements have high stakes, the satire has bite, and the main character is immediately engaging. I can’t wait for people to see it.
AHOY Comics also ventures into the licensing game with Toxic Avenger. How did Toxie come to AHOY?
Peyer: Matt Bors loved the Toxic Crusaders cartoon as a kid, and has always dreamed of writing a Toxie comic. So when he met top Troma boss Uncle Lloyd Kaufman at a convention, the wheels started turning. We never would have been so lucky if Matt hadn’t incited the whole thing.
Project Cryptid is now an ongoing series. Still plenty of cryptids for artists and writers to explore?
Peyer: Absolutely. And I think it’s fair to revisit ones that have already been covered, as long as the treatment is different. Running out of cryptids isn’t something we worry about. I’ll bet they’re still discovering new ones.
Many independent comic companies are producing some great content as of late. Does the explosion remind you of the 1980s independent comic company scene?
Peyer: Now that you mention it! That’s a nice thought, Nick.
Other projects on the way that fans should be on the look out for?
Peyer: Deadweights hits comics shops April 10. It’s a witty and good-hearted look at a couple of super-villains who try to quit the life by Tyrone Finch and Sebastián Piriz. May brings a new series of My Bad, the fantastically ridiculous superhero comedy by Mark Russell, Bryce Ingman, and Peter Krause, and featuring everyone’s favorite acid-splashing chimp, the excitingly-named Acid Chimp!
The Wrong Earth: Dead Ringers #1 is currently in stores. Stay tuned to Conskipper for more about update about all of AHOY Comics upcoming series and check out an additional interview with Peyer about AHOY right here.
