To paint a picture for you, in the year 3535, Mars has come and gone as
a tourist destination and turned into a shell of its former self. When
the money dries up, living on the Martian surface goes from vacation to
grueling life. With breathing air in short supply thanks to a
monopolized distribution system, the inhabitants of Mars are fighting
for themselves and against each other. That's exactly what the three
rogues at the center of the graphic novel The Martian Confederacy
are all about until a glimmer of hope prompts them to reach higher than
themselves. The writer Jason McNamara has described it like Dukes of Hazzard in space, and that's a good starting point.
Originally conceived by Jane's World
creator Paige Braddock, she brought in Jason McNamara as writer and
went from there. Available now from Braddock's Girl Twirl Comics, The Martian Confederacy
is a word of seedy mercenaries, corrupt leaders, androids and a talking
bear or two. It's a modern western in a futuristic time and place, but
inside it's still human – even when the most human acting of them all
is an android.
NRAMA: Thanks for talking to us. Let's start off with the facts -- what's this book about?
Jason McNamara: In the 3535 the Martian population struggles to
afford breathable air. Boone is a womanizing thief whose friend is
murdered by a corrupt lawman. In investigating his death he uncovers a
conspiracy concealing a scientific advance that could bring breathable
air to Mars. Boone, his android partner Lou469 and his hairy friend
Spinner soon find themselves marked for 'prescription.' Before they can
free Martians from corporate hooliganism they'll have to escape their
own personalized death traps.
The story was inspired by Bechtel's failed attempt to privatize the
drinking water in Brazil. I was fascinated by the idea that a
corporation would threaten to sue people for collecting rainwater on
their roofs.
NRAMA: This isn't Total Recall with bears, is it?
JM: Oh, hell no. If anything we owe a tip of the sombrero to the Dukes of Hazzard. The shows down home spirit of family values, community and absolute lawlessness live on in The Martian Confederacy.
NRAMA: How would you describe Mars in the year 3535?
JM: Long past its heyday as a destination planet Mars gets by as
a third rate tourist trap. Casino's, Duty Free Markets, Exotic
Entertainment. Imagine Reno without all the class.
The people are poor but resilient. Most only work during the tourist
season and then have to ration their oxygen supply to last the rest of
the year. There's big money in letting people suffocate.
NRAMA: Reading over the advance sent to me, I really like Boone
– he's like a slutty and smarmy Han Solo. How would you describe him,
Paige?
Paige Braddock: I would describe him sort of the same way. He's
a good natured, "do no harm" sort of guy... who just wants to work
enough to get by, party as much as possible (enjoy life) and has a soft
heart for the ladies. He's sort of like a futuristic Robin Hood, with
just a shade of Romeo mixed in.
NRAMA: How would you describe the Professor and Boone's relationship with him?
JM: Boone, swimming in the shallower end of the emotional pool,
probably doesn't realize the professor has been like a father to him.
Raised as an orphan, Boone met the Professor when he broke into his
laboratory. Over the years the professor would try to check in on Boone
and give him honest work. Both were the only family each other had.
When something bad happens to the professor, Boone's tries to adopt his
mentors more altruistic ways.
NRAMA: How would you describe Boone's partner, LOU469?
JM: She's my favorite character in the book and not just because she's got a bubble butt.
Because she's an android Lou doesn't have any of your normal human
hang-ups. Whether it's playing tug of war with the girls, Russian
roulette with the guys or engaging in a little hot talk with a space
ship, she's down for a good time. When Lou gets kidnapped she's excited
because she's never been kidnapped before "ooh, where are you taking
me? No, don't tell me I want to be surprised."
NRAMA: Spinner's also a real hoot, especially when he gets out
from behind the bar. How did he and the whole talking animals thing
come about?
PB: Don't ask me why, but I've been wanting to do an
anthropomorphic bear since like 1996. I have the sketches in my
sketchbook to prove it. Spinner is my favorite I think. He tries to
keep his animalistic side under wraps, but when he's pushed he is a
force to be reckoned with. Plus, he was really fun to draw. I loved
that Jason played up the "animal" prejudice and classism on Mars, in
regards to Spinner and his family. He's really the only one of the main
characters who has cubs.
NRAMA: I noticed an undercurrent of free-spirited sexuality
here, between men, women, robots and other types. How does that factor
into the book?
PB: Well, Jason and I both wanted the story to have some
free-spirited sexuality... imagining that things might be quite
different at this point in the future... but we also wanted to keep
things "clean" enough for an all-ages audience. I think we found that
balance and still made it sexy and fun. Striving to do an all-ages book
made the shower scene a little tricky, but I think I managed.
JM: The future people of Mars know how to have a good time.
They're poor, they're living under a corrupt government and Mars is a
hot dry dump. What else can you do but try to enjoy yourself before you
die?
NRAMA: How did this idea start out with you two?
PB: I've been wanting to do a humorous sci fi story for several
years, and I've always been fascinated by Mars, but I couldn't seem to
get much more than a basic concept/pitch down on paper. I had a couple
of the characters in mind... Boone and Spinner specifically. Lou and
Sally were concepts of Jason's. But really all I had was a vague notion
of who these characters were. Jason really brought them to life and
made them a team.
NRAMA: How did Paige bring you in on this project, Jason?
JM: We met at a convention, traded books and hit off. We kept in
contact and eventually Paige asked me to write something for her. She
gave me some concept sketches of this Martian society that had been
kicking around in her head. I pinned them to my wall and kept wondering
what the story was going to be…
You ever watch a trailer and then put the whole movie together in your
head? As a writer I'm always doing that. So one day all her sketches
clicked for me and I knew what the story was going to be about.
NRAMA: Paige, this is a big shift from your work on Jane's World
and the Peanuts library, and the first time you've worked with another
creator. What led to that?
PB: As I said, I've been wanting to do a Sci Fi book for quite a
while but between the day job at the Schulz studio and my night job on Jane's World
I had to give myself a little "reality check." There are only so many
hours in the day. I actually thought I'd be able to keep working on
Jane's World while I was working on the Mars book but I began to
realize that I couldn't live in both worlds at the same time... there
were too many characters in my head... plus, I wanted to work with a
brush on the Mars pages and that was a big style change from Jane's
World. I ended up taking a break from Jane's World for a few
months to finish Mars. It was great to be working on a totally
different project from an art perspective. I feel like the Mars book
pushed me as an artist and I feel like Jane's World will benefit from
that expansion. It was also really nice to not have to worry about the
story. As you said, this is the first time I had worked with a writer
and luckily, Jason was great to work with. We only had a few creative
points that we debated in the early stages of the project and those got
worked out really smoothly and I think worked out for the benefit of
the book overall. What else can I say? Not only is Jason the funniest,
most clever guy I know, but he's a real peach to work with.
The Martian Confederacy hit comic shops in August. It can be
ordered via Diamond with item number MAY083907, or via bookstores with
ISBN 978-0-9794207-1-9
