Writer Daniel Kibblesmith talks about his arrival at Valiant Comics writing the “world’s worst superhero team.”
Daniel Kibblesmith is primarily known for his work as a writer onThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
And theres also a goat.
Quantum and Woody were created by famedBlack Pantherand currentDeathstrokewriter Christopher Priest and Priests artistic partner onBlack PantherMD Bright.
Den of Geek: So what comics work have you had published before you landedQuantum and Woody?
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Daniel Kibblesmith:Ive been published in various anthologies before.
I had some humor pages inUnity#25 andBloodshot#25 for Valiant…
I did a book forHeavy MetalcalledThe Doorman.
I did a digital only book for Valiant calledValiant High.
You come from the world of late night comedy…
Yes, for Stephen Colbert.
So how did you get involved with comics?
It comes from having a lot of passion and not knowing whats going to hit.
Trying to work the hardest you might on the things you love.
When you do those things in parallel, sometimes you arrive at the same place.
I started doing comics when I befriended then Valiant editor Alejandro Arbona.
He was the one that recruited me forUnity#25 with other comedians.
Thats how I got on Valiants radar.
Did you have to change your process to do comics?
Its very much a day job and a night job.The Colbert Showis very regimented.
We pitch news stories in a meeting and then our deadlines are immediate.
Its a different schedule and a different muscle.
In the case ofQuantum and Woody, with the characters clashing off each other.
Lets talkQuantum and Woody, youre starting with a new #1.
Where are they when youre picking them up?
Its a new jumping on point for readers of the previous series.
Its the same Quantum and Woody and Goat from James Ausmus run.
We join them a little down the road where theyve grown completely estranged from each other.
He kept that from Woody maybe for selfish reasons, maybe to protect Woody.
We dont really know.
Thats the fight that broke up Quantum and Woody and where we pick them up.
Where does the comedy come from in Quantum and Woody?
It comes from their characters.
Its like the biggest gift that 90s Quantum and Woody gave us.
Its the biggest gift Bright and Priest gave us.
Their personalities were so complete right out of the gate.
Its like Peter Parker had such a complete personality.
You recognize your best and worst self in them.
Its a buddy cop story, its an adult sibling story.
Its about two guys that literally cant stand each other.
Its them bouncing off each other.
Because their personalities are so complete, you could do any story with them.
you might send them to caveman times and theyre immediately recognizable as Quantum and Woody.
Im glad you mentioned Priest and Bright.
It seems were living in Priests world now.
I discovered [Quantum and Woody] as an adult.
It wasnt until I read AusmusQuantum and Woodyand then went back and read Priest.
It was shocking how ahead of its time it was.
It was Deadpool before Deadpool.
Yeah, it was, it was also Hawkeye before Hawkeye.
The personality and the storytelling techniques.
It wasnt just self-awareness in the sense of breaking the fourth wall, it was self-awareness.
It was aware of the role of this comic in the real world.
It was incredible how ahead of its time it was.
Are there are any Valiant characters you also have the bug to write?
So off the top of my head, it would be Ninjak and Faith.
Does Mister Colbert know about this book?
Hes a comic guy, right?
Yeah, hes a comic guy.
I dont think he knows Im doing this.
When you watchThe Late Show, theres lots of nerd references.
If he doesnt know about it now, maybe he will soon.
So to wrap up, tell us something about the goat.
The goat we know and love is back.
You do not find out what happens from the big cliffhanger in the previous series.
When we last saw the goat, the big cliffhanger is not resolved in our first issue.
The way we have been explaining it is, we have a plan for the goat.
No one will be disappointed with the goat.
Everyone is looking for the next Deadpool, you have it.
Who would you cast as Quantum and Woody?
Oh man, keeping in mind I have nothing to do with any of this.
Taran Killam as Woody and Michael Jai White as Quantum.
With me as the goat.
Quantum and Woody#1 arrives in December.
Mr. Kibblesmiths childrens book, Santas Husband,is now available on Amazon.
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