Paul Dini's MUTANT, TEXAS: TALES OF SHERIFF IRA RED
© Oni Press

Related Links

0

Paul Dini's new mini-series

Oni Press has announced the May premiere of Paul Dini's second creator-owned mini-series, MUTANT, TEXAS: TALES OF SHERIFF IRA RED.

The four-issue mini-series is illustrated by Alison Dare artist J. Bone, and it stars the sassy, superpowered lawgal Ida Red, who has previously appeared in JINGLE BELLE JUBILEE and ONI DOUBLE FEATURE.

Here's how Oni describes the concept:

"Ida Red is a pretty-as-pie, ginger-locked sheriff that can fly and shoot blasts of lightning from her hands. But she's not the only one in town with extraordinary abilities. Mutant, Texas, is a place where several natural and nuclear disasters have irradiated the environment, giving strange new attributes to the inhabitants human, animal, and otherwise. It comes complete with talking cacti, armadillos in cowboy hats, and dastardly coyotes."

"With MUTANT, TEXAS, I wanted to create a place where basically, anything goes," Dini says. "At the same time, with Ida, I'm creating another twist on the fun superheroine characters that I'm known for contributing to BATMAN ADVENTURES and other places. Ida's story is filled with action, humor, some tragedy, and a lot of excitement. I'm removing all limits from what kind of trouble, both real and comedic, that I can get Ida and her friends into. Plus, it's great to create a place where it doesn't matter what corner you looked in, there's always something different to be seen. Not only is it a big, sprawling comedic neo-western epic, MUTANT, TEXAS is a creative ground with infinite possibilities."

"For me, it's all about denim," Bone says. "Paul said he wanted to do something in the southwest, and I thought, 'Oooh, great! Denim!' There's not enough denim in comics, and I've had my fill of plaid school-girl skirts."

Dini agrees. "I have seen what Bone is doing with Ida's little blue shorts, and I am extremely pleased with the visual direction this book is taking," he says.

Later this year, Ida Red will also be featured in a story in the co-ed issue of ACTION GIRL COMICS, edited by Sarah Dyer and published by Slave Labor Graphics. The issue will also feature a cover by Jaime Hernandez, and interior stories by Andi Watson, Evan Dorkin, David Mazzucchelli and Chynna Clugston-Major.

"The ACTION GIRL story is a short one-off that Barry Caldwell and I did to introduce the character," Dini says. "This will be the first time it has seen print, and it should serve as a good teaser for Sarah's readers."