CHRIS RYALL ON IDW & GI JOE

[MattBrady]

As announced earlier today (and not surprising many people), the comic book license for Habsro’s G.I. Joe has been acquired by IDW Publishing, with a start date of October.

G.I. Joe comics began in 1982 with the title series at Marvel Comics. The series lasted at the publisher for 155 issues and a handful of spin offs. The property saw a short-lived run at Dark Horse following its acclaimed run at Marvel, and then, in 2001, was picked up by Devil’s Due, which revived it (and started a wave of ‘80s properties coming back as comics). Devil’s Due produced two main series, G.I. Joe and G.I. Joe: America's Elite, as well as many miniseries and spin-offs, including a more realistic take on Joe with G.I. Joe: Reloaded.

As Newsarama reported Hasbro began the process of replacing Devil’s Due late last year, with many assuming that IDW would get the license.

With the news finally official, we spoke with IDW’s Chris Ryall about the publisher’s plans for the property.

Newsarama: Chris, not to give too much credence to rumors, but this was something that had been in the "probably true" category for a while now. Can you give us the timeline of this - when you pitched, and what you've been doing with the property since?

Chris Ryall: You.... knew about this already and didn't tell me? I thought we were friends, Matt! Imagine my surprise today when I saw the announcement and... okay, this probably was one of the worst-kept secrets in comics. Or at least the most-unconfirmed-rumored bits of news, anyway. As soon as word went out that Devil's Due would no longer be doing Joe comics, many people naturally assumed we'd jump in on this, due to our association with Hasbro's Transformers. We started talking seriously at the start of '08 or so--I forget the exact timeline since the timing of all of this. We met with Hasbro and presented our plans, and then from there, the business side back-and-forth takes over for a few months.

It was fun to watch the online speculation, even though we couldn't comment on it at all. There was someone--possibly here at Newsarama--that ranked all the possible companies and the odds of them landing the license. At the time that ran, we'd already secured the license and yet the person had us ranked like fourth or something. There were also a few "insiders" who were vocal about how they had inside information that we had the license, back before we had the license. Many were insides who neither side had ever heard of or talked to. It's always fun to watch the online scuttlebutt.

NRAMA: This probably goes to your pitch to Hasbro, but how will IDW be handling the series? What's the larger vision for it? Clearly, there's some timelessness there, but the live action movie seems to be suggesting something of a, slight at least, shift in tone...

CR: We'll take a similar approach to the Transformers, with the movie continuity being its own animal.

NRAMA: So, in other words, you’ll be publishing bridge and prequel material as well as an adaptation?

CR: Yep, exactly, and likely some comics that spin out of the movie as well.

NRAMA: What will the main monthly series be like? So - between this and the monthly, are we looking at two distinct continuities?

CR: Second question first, yep, two continuities, movie and the regular Joe "universe" comics. As to what the main monthly series will be... we'll talk details on that very soon. Until then, I'll be watching all the "reboot vs no-reboot" discussions with great eagerness.

NRAMA: So you can’t answer the continuity question?

CR: That certainly is the big question. Big answer to come.

NRAMA: You've got the crown jewels of Hasbro's boys line. They've been teamed before - are more GI Joe/Transformers meetings in the future?

CR: You know, when we first started the Transformers books, we had the rights to do a crossover and I had some ideas about doing that, but held off since there were an array of others already out there. So right now, I don't really have any interest in doing those. I do think there's a good way to do a new one but I'm much more interested in establishing Joe comics for the foreseeable future.

NRAMA: Your agreement also includes reprints - what materials will you be looking at reprinting first?

CR: Aaaaall of 'em, including some old comics that have never been collected in traditional comic-book form, which will be explained more thoroughly later on. I especially want to get all the hard-to-find Marvel material offered up in attractive new formats. And we have some plans to update some of those stories in ways that will make long-time fans very happy.

NRAMA: Any creators that you can mention that will be working on the property?

CR: Well, it wouldn't be G.I. Joe with Larry Hama's involvement, I'll say that for now.

NRAMA: Last thing – from your chair, how do you make Joe work for an audience today? This is a property that's shown amazing resilience over its lifespan, but 2008 is not the 1960s. What keeps it pulling in an audience?

CR: It's the characters, like with any property, no matter when it started. Doctor Who, James Bond, Spider-Man, Maxwell Smart, James T. Kirk... all of these characters have legions of fans because people love and respond to the characters. G.I. Joe is the same thing, no matter what era they appear in.

[XtremeX]

First Post!

Definitely interested in what they do with the regular series... no interest though in the movie tie-ins.

[Hunter]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

NRAMA: Your agreement also includes reprints - what materials will you be looking at reprinting first?

CR: Aaaaall of 'em, including some old comics that have never been collected in traditional comic-book form, which will be explained more thoroughly later on. I especially want to get all the hard-to-find Marvel material offered up in attractive new formats. And we have some plans to update some of those stories in ways that will make long-time fans very happy.

Woo-hoo! Yay for reprints!

[Tobey Cook]

Would be interesting to see if they bring in Larry Hama to help spearhead this launch, like they did Simon Furman with the Transformers stuff.

[Paladin]

I've got some 100 plus Marvel G.I. Joe comics. You got me onboard Chris!


-Chris
Ramona, CA

[C20Percent]

Originally Posted by CR

Until then, I'll be watching all the "reboot vs no-reboot" discussions with great eagerness.

You ____ing better.

Here's a hint: NO-REBOOT!

[matchesmalone]

Will this be a $4 book, or $3 like they tried with some Transformers books?

[Alexlucard]

Originally Posted by C20Percent

You ____ing better.

Here's a hint: NO-REBOOT!

Agreed. If there is one thing Joe fans seem to be a stickler about more than even long time Marvel/DC fans,. it's the importance of the continious and trackable timeline.

Remember DD tried a reboot of sorts a while back and it failed miserably. The long running timeline even with the supposed unfriendliness to new readers won out because it's the same characters in every way, thus being something older readers can share with younger readers without any bloody reboots or explinations or weird universal shake ups.

Reboot = no money from me. Leaving it alone = subscription if it is offered.

[Paladin]

Originally Posted by C20Percent

You ____ing better.

Here's a hint: NO-REBOOT!

G.I. Joe The Early Years!

(Just kidding, just kidding)

[Peasily]

Please put Snake-Eyes in his original goggles. That medieval visor/mini-blinds thing always looked idiotic.

[I am MODOK]

Count me in the camp that will pass on a reboot. Bring in Hama and let's continue the classic stories.

[Scott Mateo]

Let Beau Smith write some Joe stories - he'd be great!

YO BEAU!

[Silencer]

I would like to address the reprints.

I'd really like to see a "definitive" reprint collection that encompasses Marvel and DDP, plus any Action Force stuff that could possibly fit in.

BUT I'd like to see it presented in a chronologically correct manner, with the specific date references removed / changed. One good thing DDP did, in my opinion, was to make the timeline non-specific (Southeast Asia vs. Vietnam) and try to streamline things. So, I'm hoping IDW will do the work to make the "big picture" timeless. This would mean (I think) that the reprints would have to start with Snake-Eyes Declassified and move forward from there. That series is hard to find in single issues and trades / hardcovers, so I think that starting with a DDP title wouldn't be a bad thing in this case. Might even be cool to have Hama (and Jerwa, I still hope, though it's not looking good now) do some fill-in stories that fit into the continuity at particular times.

I don't want much, do I?

[Howard]

At least Dynamite didn't get the license.

[TF_Loki]

Originally Posted by Silencer

I would like to address the reprints.

I'd really like to see a "definitive" reprint collection that encompasses Marvel and DDP, plus any Action Force stuff that could possibly fit in.

BUT I'd like to see it presented in a chronologically correct manner, with the specific date references removed / changed. One good thing DDP did, in my opinion, was to make the timeline non-specific (Southeast Asia vs. Vietnam) and try to streamline things. So, I'm hoping IDW will do the work to make the "big picture" timeless. This would mean (I think) that the reprints would have to start with Snake-Eyes Declassified and move forward from there. That series is hard to find in single issues and trades / hardcovers, so I think that starting with a DDP title wouldn't be a bad thing in this case. Might even be cool to have Hama (and Jerwa, I still hope, though it's not looking good now) do some fill-in stories that fit into the continuity at particular times.

I don't want much, do I?

I wouldn't want the reprints altered. Those comics are a product of their time and we shouldn't be afraid of that. If you're going to alter it, might as well reboot from scratch...

[Peasily]

Yeah, no massive reboot, and please no influence of the forthcoming movie.

[Ryall]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

CR: Well, it wouldn't be G.I. Joe with Larry Hama's involvement, I'll say that for now.

I can't stress enough that this is supposed to say "it wouldn't be G.I. Joe WITHOUT Larry Hama"...

[Bobby Nash]

Congratulations, Chris. Looking forward to seeing IDW's take on the Joes.

Bobby

[Jim Connick]

If I can somehow get an Action Force reprint, my inner childhood geek will explode. In a nice way, that is.

[Union Jim]

Reboot or no reboot I'm there from the start

*cough*but i'd love to see a comic carrying on the current continuity*cough*

[SouthtownKid]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

CR: Well, it wouldn't be G.I. Joe with Larry Hama's involvement, I'll say that for now.

I hope he meant to say, "without." As in, "It wouldn't be G.I. Joe WITHOUT Larry Hama's involvement."

And yes, they should reboot it. It's not realistic to read adventures of active soldiers well into their 50s, and it would be a disaster to try and remove Vietnam from everyone's backstory. Don't cheapen the excellent Marvel continuity. Try and match or top it if you can, but don't tear it down by altering it.

[JamesSchee]

I wouldn't mind seeing Steven Grant write some stories. I think he was actually the first Joe writer, before Hama even, and wrote some pretty good things.

I'm looking forward to the reprints, and hope they recapture the original series feel which the DP stuff never quite did.

James

[Union Jim]

Originally Posted by JamesSchee

I wouldn't mind seeing Steven Grant write some stories. I think he was actually the first Joe writer, before Hama even, and wrote some pretty good things.

I'm looking forward to the reprints, and hope they recapture the original series feel which the DP stuff never quite did.

James

What Joe comics did Steven Grant write? I don't remember him writing a single one. Larry wrote #1, so he can't have written any before Larry.

[jamarmiller]

Ill support all your joe books if the continutity of the past 25 some years is kept, Just ONE BOOK is all Im asking here LOL ONE book and Ill support everything else Joe related

if not I wont be there for the ride for the first time since marvel did GI JOE #1

[Kintoun]

Originally Posted by JamesSchee

I'm looking forward to the reprints, and hope they recapture the original series feel which the DP stuff never quite did.

James

How could the reprints not recapture the original series feel?