ZIPPER #1
© Simmons Comics Group/IDW Publishing
Wagging Tongues: Ten Questions with Gene Simmons
By: Kurt AmackerDate: Wednesday, October 10, 2007
You think you know Gene Simmons. You know Kiss and the Demon with the extraordinary tongue, the actor, and the writer. Now, in his effort to enter every medium imaginable, Simmons has branched into comic book publishing with his IDW imprint, Simmons Comics Group. Comic readers have seen Kiss comics in the shops since the band’s first rise to prominence. Marvel published the band’s first incarnation as superheroes. Image, Dark Horse, and, most recently, Platinum Studios have published the band’s exploits since the 1996 reunion. But, Simmons Comics Group stands as a departure from Kiss and a personal project. In fact, Simmons efforts to distance the imprint from his band and its licensed comics suggest a desire to attract not just Kiss fans, but all comic readers. Speaking as one who’s never cared for Kiss but admires Simmons’s ambition, the first issue of Zipper pleasantly surprised me. Plotted by Simmons but written by IDW editor Tom Waltz and drawn by Casey Maloney (respective writer and artist of Children of the Grave), Zipper tells the story of Xeng Ral – an alien rebel that escapes from Etheria, collectivist planet, and reaches Earth, with his former masters in pursuit. He lands on our planet clad from head to toe in a PVC suit similar to what you’d see at a fetish club. Before he even arrives, a televangelist named Dr. Deveroux prophesizes his arrival to rapt audiences – all of whom willingly fill the Doctor’s coffers for his good word. And, to Xeng Ral’s dismay, the first humans he encounters do not come in peace. Zipper is the next series launched by Simmons Comic Group, after Gene Simmons House of Horrors and Dominatrix. The first issue will hit shops in November. Mr. Simmons kindly answered a few of my questions about both Simmons Comics Group and Zipper.
Kurt Amacker: Zipper begins with a dystopian premise – an individual trying to break out of a collectivist society. A “dystopian escape” is not an uncommon premise in science fiction, but it’s a very deliberate and forceful story angle. What drew you to that idea, as opposed to just having Xeng Ral escape his planet for some other offense?
Gene Simmons: My mindset in creating Zipper and, as later named by Tom, Xeng Ral, was to take a page out of Anthem by Ayn Rand and Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein – a fish out of water fable. In Heinlein, the Martian boy comes to Earth and, though a human being himself, doesn't really understand the human condition. Rand's main character "dares" think OF himself and FOR himself – an individual. I'm sure there's a bit of Silver Surfer's personality in there as well.
KA: In the first issue, we see Xeng Ral behaving heroically. He escapes from an oppressive collective. He kills a few drug dealers. But, it’s not so much out of altruism or vigilante justice as self-preservation. Do you see Xeng Ral as a hero in the traditional comic book sense – an altruistic do-gooder – or is he a sort of Ayn-Rand-Objectivist hero?
GS: Zipper is more Rand than not. If you really think about it, even here on Earth, the definition of good and bad depends on the cultural reference point. Indeed, even in our own Westernized culture, there are vast differences between "religious" folk, vegetarians, "Spirituals" and so on. I DO have a Universal sense of Good and Evil. But, that's purely an individual point of view. Zipper is doing the best he can to sort out what it all means, and who HE really is.
KA: The preacher, Dr. Deveroux, seems to know something about Xeng Ral’s planet of origin. But, the religion he preaches and profits by seems more akin to Epicureanism than Christian fundamentalism, though he reminds the reader of Jim Bakker, and the like. Was that intentional, or is that reading too far into it? Feel free to elaborate.
GS: Deveroux, like most self-styled zealots (religious or otherwise), was modeled more on…L. Ron Hubbard. Not that Hubbard was good or bad, if anything he had a very long sci-fi resume. In fact, Hubbard and Damon Knight, it's said, often met to discuss various Utopian Society ideas. Both went off to write their own versions. Hubbard wrote Scientology or Dianetics. Deveroux is my own creation that combined Hubbard and a "culture of fear" – be afraid of the Etherians, he says. Unfortunately, in this case, he's probably right but for the wrong reasons.
KA: As I understand it, you did the plotting on Zipper, while Tom Waltz wrote it based on your ideas. Did you have any interest in personally writing the comic, or did you just prefer to see your ideas produced?
GS: While it's true I came up with "the bible" – the Nether Ether, the Etherians, Zipper, Dr. Deveroux, and the basic origin story – I didn't come up with Zipper's alter ego name. I did not come up with the Earth dynamic, and who Zipper hangs with. I'm a big picture guy. Wordsmiths like Tom can write rings around me, and he does.
KA: You read comics a lot as a child as a sort of escape. Have you always been interested in creating them or pursuing them as a career?
GS: I always loved comic books and even as a young teenager of 14, I created The Astronuts (a sort of Three Stooges in space, meeting aliens and the like) and Omar, the Cliff Dweller (a sort of Turok, Son of Stone meets Joe Kubert's Tor).
KA: For that matter, you’ve worked (or otherwise appeared) in almost every popular media imaginable – books, movies, television, video games, and, already, Kiss comic books. What drives you keep moving and keep expanding like that? Are there any other mediums you’d like to break into?
GS: Not to be too dramatic about all this, but you ain't seen nothing yet.
KA: Xeng Ral’s costume is obviously inspired by the fetish and BDSM scenes. Do you think the title will explore some of the ideas inherent in that lifestyle – of trust, extreme power dynamics, and pushing the limits of sensual experience? Or, is it just a cool vinyl costume with a bunch of metal attached to it?
GS: First, I came up with the title and name. I loved the sound of it. I loved what it inferred in language. I also did research and found no one had trademarked it. It's mine. Then, I applied the Zipper idea to how Ral "zips" through the Nether Ether (as in "woosh"), and – presto! – Zipper. And, I tortured our artists and editors in making sure Zipper had very few muscles to speak of. It didn't make sense for someone who more closely had the consistency of Jell-o to have muscles. I wanted a leaner, long body like the Elongated Man and Mr. Fantastic.
KA: What separates Zipper and the rest of the titles from Simmons Comic Group from the tons of Kiss comics that have come before?
GS: That's a tough one. This one's up the fans. But tone has a lot to do with it. We are dealing with big, cosmic landscapes and talking about small, human issues. It’s not a very sexy book. This ain't Dominatrix (one of our other books).
KA: Obviously, you want everyone to enjoy Zipper and be entertained by it, but do you feel like there are any larger themes the reader should understand? Are you trying to say anything broader, or do you want it to just be escapist action?
GS: This is escapist, as are most comic books. But, I do want to delve into some deeper notions about what an individual is and what good and bad are. We will find out together.
KA: Do you have any parting words for the readers of Mania.com?
GS: Check out www.genesimmons.com and thanks for reading.
The Spinner Rack
By Ben Johnson and Kurt Amacker
Ben: It just keeps getting better, every single time…
DARK HORSE COMICS
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Blade Of The Immortal #130 (MR) $2.99
BPRD Killing Ground #3 (Of 5) $2.99
Deadlander #1 (Of 4) $2.99
Little Lulu Vol 17 The Valentine TP $10.95
Living With The Dead #1 (Of 3) $2.99
Ben: The conversation sucks but it leaves plenty of time for video games.
Oh My Goddess Vol 27 Rtl TP $10.95
Star Wars Dark Times #5 (Of 5) $2.99
Ben: George Lucas announces he will direct another trilogy.
Kurt: You didn’t hear about the television show?
Umbrella Academy Apocalypse Suite #1 (Of 6) 2nd Ptg Var Cvr $2.99
Kurt: Second printing of the first issue of Gerard Way’s comic. I don’t like My Chemical Romance, but I liked this comic.
DC COMICS
Absolute Sandman Vol 2 HD (MR) $99.00
Ben: Worth every penny.
Kurt: I agree. Somebody call the newspaper.
Batman Confidential #10 $2.99
Black Adam The Dark Age #3 (Of 6) $2.99
Ben: Black Adam kicks ass.
Kurt: A few weeks ago, one of my friends was wearing a Black Adam shirt – just a black t-shirt with the gold lightning bolt on it. We promptly called him Mary Marvel and laughed long and hard.
Booster Gold #3 $2.99
Canon Vol 3 $9.99
Captain Carrot And The Final Ark #1 (Of 3) $2.99
Ben: At last!!! Here’s hoping a Zoo Crew ongoing isn’t far behind.
Cipher Vol 9 $9.99
Countdown 29 $2.99
Ben: I love the intricate way this plot weaves through each book and yet goes no where. A masterpiece!
Kurt: Is this the Deathmate of 2007?
Exterminators #22 (MR) $2.99
Friday The 13th Summer Vacation #2 (Of 2) (MR) $2.99
Ben: The first issue had an interesting premise, but was totally screwed up by introducing an unneeded and annoying character in a crack smoking sheriff.
Green Arrow Black Canary #1 $3.50
Green Arrow Black Canary Var Ed #1 $3.50
Green Lantern #24 $2.99
Ben: The Sinestro War comes to earth. Hopefully the crew behind Countdown will perish in the fallout.
Kurt: Um, do you mean the Monitors or the comic’s creators? If you mean the creators, you’re wishing death on Paul Dini, to start with.
JLA Classified #44 $2.99
Justice League Unlimited #38 $2.25
Justice Vol 3 HC $19.99
Mystery In Space Vol 1 TP $17.99
Nightwing Love And War TP $14.99
Presents Vol 1 (MR) $12.99
Ben: The title says is all.
Simon Dark #1 $2.99
Kurt: This is by my main man, Steve Niles. Buy it, or he’ll send vampires to your house for 30 days.
Stormwatch PHD #12 $2.99
Ben: More appropriate would be atmospheric science PHD.
Suicide Squad Raise The Flag #2 (Of 8) $2.99
Superman #668 $2.99
Kurt: The first of three parts of The Third Kryptonian, by Kurt Busiek.
Un-Men #3 (MR) $2.99
Variante Vol 1 (MR) $12.99
Wonder Girl #2 (Of 6) $2.99
Ben: Because you asked for it…
Wonder Woman #13 $2.99
Kurt: Gail Simone finally writes Wonder Woman. Feel free to add it to your pull list again.
IMAGE COMICS
Brawl #1 (Of 3) (MR) $2.99
Drain #5 (MR) $2.99
Ben: This time it’s in your bathtub.
Kurt: Mine showed up in the sink.
Dynamo 5 Vol 1 Post Nuclear Family TP $9.99
First Born Keown Cvr A #2 (Of 3) $2.99
First Born Sejic Cvr B #2 (Of 3) $2.99
Frank Frazettas Death Dealer #4 (Of 6) New Ptg $3.99
Graveslinger #1 (Of 4) $3.50
Hiding In Time #3 (Of 4) $3.50
Noble Causes Vol 7 Powerless TP $15.99
Sorrow #2 (Of 4) $2.99
Ben: There are better things to grow attached to.
MARVEL COMICS
Amazing Spider-Girl #13 $2.99
Amazing Spider-Girl Zombie Var #13 $2.99
Ben: If you buy this I will hunt you down and give you paper cuts to death via the latest issue of Archie and Jughead.
Kurt: I have a copy of Archie Meets the Punisher on the floor next to my toilet.
Civil War Chronicles #4 $4.99
Fallen Son Death Of Captain America Prem HC $19.99
Kurt: If you missed this when it came out, here’s your chance. Of course, there’s an omnibus hardcover with Brubaker’s entire run up to #25 in it. If you were a real fan, you’d get that.
Fantastic Four #550 $2.99
Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #24 OMD $3.99
Ben: One More Day is the most riveting story of the year… if you’re drunk.
Kurt: That means I won’t like this story until Saturday night! Damn it!
Ghost Rider #16 $2.99
Kurt:It looks like Marvel fast-tracked the entire series’s premise. Blaze has hunted down almost all of the 666 parts of the Devil roaming the planet, with only a few left.
Heroes For Hire #14 $2.99
Magician Apprentice Vol 1 TP $15.99
Marvel Adventures Hulk #4 $2.99
Marvel Adventures Iron Man Vol 1 Digest TP $6.99
Ms Marvel Vol 3 Operation Lightning Storm Prem HC $19.99
New Avengers #35 $2.99
New Avengers Transformers #4 (Of 4) $2.99
Ben: But imagine how much cooler this would be with a zombie variant.
New Warriors #5 CWI $2.99
Nova #7 $2.99
Powers Vol 10 Cosmic TP (MR) $19.95
Punisher #51 (MR) $2.99
Kurt: So, Frank Castle has an infant daughter. This can only get more brutal.
Punisher War Journal #12 WWH $3.99
Punisher War Journal Zombie Var #12 $3.99
Ben: Who are the ass-faces that are buying these things?
Runaways #28 $2.99
Ben: With Whedon on board, lateness must be expected.
Runaways Zombie Var #28 $2.99
Ben: I hate you, Joe Q.
Kurt: There goes your job in comics.
Spider Man Back In Black HC $34.99
Spider-Man Fantastic Four Silver Rage TP $10.99
Spider-Man Red Sonja #3 (Of 5) $2.99
Ultimate Spider-Man Immonen White Var #112 $2.99
Wolverine #58 $2.99
Wolverine Zombie Var #58 $2.99
Ben: Imagine something that is at once deadly and disgusting. I curse those who purchase this with such a fate.
World War Hulk Front Line #5 (Of 6) WWH $2.99
Kurt: And I curse you, Ben, to write a World War Hulk column for me, because I ain’t doing it.
X-Factor #24 $2.99
X-Factor Visionaries Peter David Vol 3 TP $15.99
X-Men Die By The Sword #1 (Of 5) $2.99
Ben: Wouldn’t that be anti-climatic.
Kurt: It would be, wouldn’t it? All of those Sentinels, wasted.
