The Roberts – Inked In Blood
iChat with the Creators of “The Roberts”
The Boston Strangler and Zodiac Killer are alive and kickin’. These days, they reside in Shady Lane Retirement Home and comic book creators Wayne Chinsang (aka Justin Shady) and Erik Rose reveal, in their new book “The Roberts”, what the two “old farts” have been up to all these years. “The Roberts” is a new two issue series from Image Comics’ Shadowline that hits the shelves this week (9/4). I had the opportunity to sit down with Wayne Chinsang, the writer of the book as well as artist Erik Rose. You’ll be as surprised as me to see just how MUCH of themselves the guys chose to put into their work.
We now take you to our instant Message conversation already in progress…
Wayne Chinsang: Join me in this buddy chat!
Geekscape.: Thank Jesus. I was just trying to figure out how to make a room for the last 2 minutes.
Erik Rose: Hey everybody.
W.C.: OMG! What is everyone wearing?!?! Anyone in here want to go PRIVATE?!?!?
W.C.: LOL!!!!
W.C.: Just kidding.
W.C.: People who talk like that are toolbags.
W.C.: And hello.
G.S.: I am wearing stripes and plaid.
W.C.: I am wearing a suit made out of a woman’s flesh.
W.C.: too much coffee.
E.R.: It’s hard to chat and look at all this porn at the same time.
G.S.: Ooooh!
G.S.: Should I call you Wayne or Justin?
W.C.: ou can call me whatever you want. I mean, we can even talk about the “Wayne/Justin” thing.
G.S.: what is it on the book?
W.C.: Well, it’s both, but I explain it. I used “Wayne” as a pseudonym but my real name is Justin. You can Say that, or whatever. No biggie.
G.S.: I will use whatever is on the book, so people aren’t confused???
E.R.: Actually our book will sell more copies if you call him Alan Moore.
W.C.: Yes! Say “Alan Moore” and “Frank Miller”.
G.S.: I am struggling reading Watchmen.
E.R.: Just wait for the movie — books are hard to read and harder to fuck.
W.C.: I hate books!
W.C.: We should burn them!
W.C.: You know what? I hope everyone buys up all of our
copies of the Roberts and BURNS them!
W.C.: The Roberts is SHIT, literary TRASH and every copy
should be bought and BURNED
E.R.: I hope they stab the Roberts, then fuck it, then burn it.
G.S.: so the value can go up?
W.C.: shhhhh, dude!
G.S.: are you guys doing Foil Covers?
W.C.: Foil covers = no. Holograms = fuck yes! We’re going OLD SCHOOL IMAGE.
E.R.: Ralph, You know about the covers?
G.S.: I saw an alternate cover on your myspace page.
E.R.: The original art is drawn in our blood.
G.S.: Is that for real?
W.C.: Yeah, that’s totally for real. I have pictures of me getting my blood drawn for the book.
W.C.: The first issue’s linework was done in my blood, the second issue’s in Erik’s.
Issue One
Issue Two
E.R.: Yep, Issue one is in Wayne’s blood issue two in mine. I t’s not watered down or mixed with anything it’s straight blood — inked with a crow quill hunt 102 nib.
G.S.: did you go to a blood bank, or did you just fucking go to town on yourselves in a bathtub?
E.R.: We know people.
W.C.: Well, my aunt is a nurse.
W.C.: So she had all the shit to do it.
G.S.: Fucking nuts!!
E.R.: It’s surprisingly easy to work with.
G.S.: where are the originals?
E.R.: Right next to me — but they are for sale if anyone wants a piece of us.
E.R.: We’re hoping that old dude from Jurassic Park buys them so Goldblum will come over.
G.S.: Nice! So you did it in pencils then inked it in blood.
E.R.: Yeah pencils on one page an lightboxed up for the bloodwork.
G.S.: was there more pressure on you not to fuck up the art?
E.R.: So I– was afraid it would coagulate but I ink pretty fast.
G.S.: did you fight over who’s blood would make it on the first issue?
E.R.: I try not to think of it that way — I knew If I totally screwed up I had an extra vial of blood to work with.
E.R.: It made sense for Wayne to be on issue one.
G.S.: You should have told Wayne that you fucked up and that you needed more blood.
W.C.: You’re trying to get me weak so you can take advantage of me!
E.R.: Book one’s character Sprunger is basically him drawn as an old man. He really has no blood it’s just red colored booze. At least that’s what it smelled like.
G.S.: Can you give rundown on what the Roberts is all about.
W.C.: Well, the book is about an old guy who lives in a retirement community Robert Sprunger. He’s anti-social, a little bit of a curmudgeon, and keeps to himself and he is the Boston strangler, but has never been caught. He has just gone through life getting away with his crimes. So, this other guy moves into the home and he’s the opposite. His name is Robert Steib and he is very social, talks all the time, makes an effort to become friends with Sprunger. He’s the Zodiac. Both of these guys are killers. It’s what they are and they can’t help it, but life and aging keeps them from doing what they’re best at, which is murder. So these two old farts hit it off and Sprunger doesn’t understand why they have this connection, but it’s Because both of them are killers.
G.S.: Do they find out who the other is?
W.C.: Yeah, by the end of the first book, both guys know exactly who the other is.
G.S.: Cool.
W.C.: So these two guys have a lot in common in that they’ve both lived their lives faking it but they’re both still extremely different in their social structure.
E.R.: In fact Sprunger doesn’t really have friends which is what throws him about meeting and getting along with Steib.
W.C.: Right, Sprunger has no FRIENDS. In fact, he’s never had a friend. He’s “faked it” a few times (his words), but he’s never really been close to anyone, never been married, no kids.
E.R.: But Steib is this outgoing Eddie Haskal kind of guy. Everyone’s friend.
W.C.: Whereas Steib was married, has a kid, grandchildren.
E.R.: But also a cold blooded killer.
W.C.: Right which, to me, makes him MORE creepy.
G.S.: Sounds great!
W.C.: I’d had the idea for awhile, but the capture of BTK really started my thinking on what if he had NEVER been caught. It seems like our society pays no attention to the elderly either. The elderly are ignored, so there could be some seriously sinister shit going on and no one would ever know.
E.R.: You’d just think — Aw, look at hat cute old lady.
G.S.: sorry, BTK?
E.R.: BTK stand for Bind Torture Kill. BTK was a serial killer named Denis Rader who lived in Kansas.
W.C.: He killed people DECADES ago and then disappeared. He was just arrested a few years ago, finally, after he started leaving clues around for the police and people suspect that he WANTED to get caught.
W.C.: So, yeah, if he would have just played low and kept his fucking mouth shut, he could have EASILY lived out the rest of his life without anyone ever knowing.
G.S.: how much research did you do to tell the story of these guys?
W.C.: I read up a lot on the Boston strangler and the Zodiac, obviously.
W.C.: But Erik and I-
E.R.: Oh, we’re fans.
W.C.: We have this morbid fascination with serial killers so We knew a lot about them already. I interviewed Charles Manson a few years back.
E.R.: Field trips to Ed Gein’s grave — that kind of thing.
W.C.: I’ve been to the spot where Dahmer’s apartment complex stood, Ed Gein’s grave, John Wayne Gacy’s house, etc.
G.S.: Really?!
W.C.: Oh, and I also have mailed back and forth a bit over the past few months with Richard Ramirez, the night stalker.
G.S.: Oh shit! I grew up in LA county. I was fucking scared of that dude, BIG TIME!
W.C.: Ha!
W.C.: Yeah, Ramirez is an odd one, to Say the least
E.R.: He had a look and a name for sure.
W.C.: His letters are creepy. They’re like, “Do you have a sister?”
G.S.: Dude, I remember my mom would go to the store and leave us at home and tell us to lock the door. I think I Actually hid in my closet.
W.C.: Whoa!
W.C.: I’ll let him know! He’d be flattered!
E.R.: A real life boogy man.
G.S.: I am at a loss for words.
E.R.: In the second issue Sprunger and Steib talk about their favorite killers.
G.S.: you are obviously a fan of the Mind of Serial Killers, are you hoping that the book will bring these “Roberts” to have a IM chat with you? What if they get pissed?
W.C.: Well, then I’ll be hiding in the closet along with
you!
E.R.: Well, like Wayne says — they’re all impotent pathetic losers. And Wayne’s address is…
W.C.: HAHA!
G.S.: Nice!
W.C.: I thought about that, Actually. Like, what if the zodiac is really out there still. He’d be, like, 300 years old or something and probably isn’t reading comic books.
G.S.: If they are still around, they probably have google alerts, right?
W.C.: Damn. Right!
E.R.: I think he’d go after Fincher first.
W.C.: Exactly. And Fincher’s address is….
G.S.: LOL
E.R.: It is a little freaky– if you think about it too long. Like the entire 5 months you’re drawing it.
W.C.: But yeah, doing this book was fucking great, especially with Erik. We’ve been friends for a long time, and I’m glad a project came along that We could work on.
E.R.: It has been the single most challenging and rewarding thing I have ever done.
G.S.: Is this your first Comic book?
E.R.: Yeah, first full length book.
W.C.: Quite a task: first book and 96 pages.
G.S.: Awesome. The art looks great!
E.R.: Thanks. I’m really proud of it — I think book two looks even better.
W.C.: Yeah, book two for some reason, I think for both of us just seemed to click.
G.S.: What would you classify the book as? Horror, Dark Comedy…?
W.C.: I’d Say it’s more of a dark comedy than it is horror.
E.R.: It’s like if on Golden Pond had serial killers.
W.C.: Well, I’d Say the book is mainly a dialogue-driven story about these two old guys and their past, but there is action, too. I can tell you this: in book two, the Roberts agree to playing a game, a contest of sorts and that leads to some mischief.
G.S.: So, strangling vs. calendars!?!
W.C.: It’s got murder, for sure.
W.C.: I mean, you can’t have a book about two serial killers and not have it be about murder
G.S.: And they’re are old people and We all know they need to go!
W.C.: Damn right. Some sooner than later.
G.S.: So you mentioned that it was 96 pages? It’s two books, how long did it take you to draw and ink, Erik.
W.C.: Yeah, two 48 pagers.
E.R.: It took me about 5 months.
G.S.: I really like the black and white was it a style choice or a budget choice.
E.R.: Shadowline talked us into black and white and I think it really suits the book.
E.R.: Color probably would have killed me.
G.S.: A lot of blood.
E.R.: Yeah, I would have been light headed the whole time.
G.S.: Are you the first guys to make your covers in blood. I think I heard about a Saw poster that did something similar, but is the first for a comic?
E.R.: I think so — I’m sure someone out there will correct us if we’re wrong.
G.S.: Some Little Lulu fan probably.
E.R.: Kiss put blood into their red ink for that comic in the 70s.
E.R.: But everyone who touched that book had AIDS now.
W.C.: Yeah, I was going to Say KISS did it but that was in the ink during the printing process this is just during the original art stage.
E.R.: I’m going to have to head out Ralph — any last questions for me?
G.S.: I was just going to suggest the same. I realized that We have been chatting for a while. Congrats on the book! Thanks for chatting.
G.S.: I may ask Wayne a few more.
E.R.: Okay — cool — thanks so much!
G.S.: I think I will only ask one more.
W.C.: Okay, shoot.
G.S.: how long has it been from the time that you came up with the concept until the 4th when the book comes out?
W.C.: Ah, Well, I’ve had the idea of two old serial killers. Wait, no, let me back up. Originally, I had this idea about two old ladies who meet in a retirement home and become friends. Both of their husbands are gone, their kids have grown up, etc. and they’ve always played the role of perfect 1950s housewife. But both of them are Actually lesbians, even though they never acted on it and they fall in love and start dating, and it’s about the transition and how their families react, etc. Because I thought what would be MORE CHALLENGING than a story about lesbo grannies so that idea was in my head, like, four years ago and then BTK got caught and I thought, what if the secret wasn’t about the present and their sexuality, but about their past and being a serial killer so the women became men, the lesbians became serial killers and then what happened was, I was at a Christmas party this past December and Erik said that Image had started a new line, Shadowline, and that Jim was in charge Well, Jim and I always got along really Well. he signed me for both of my previous books. so I emailed him and said, “hey, I have this idea.” he dug the idea, and asked which artist I had in mind and I sent him to Erik’s site and they were like, “cool. We’ll send you a contract.”
W.C.: So…
G.S.: Just like that? Wow!
W.C.: The book got picked up before Erik even KNEW about it.
G.S.: Wow!
W.C.: And then I was like, “hey, I got us a book.”
G.S.: that’s great.
G.S.: Erik mentioned that it was a dream come true, that is cool that he got the chance to do it.
W.C.: Yeah, and it’s always great to work with friends. It sometimes makes shit rocky, but it’s easier to get past shit when you Actually like the person.
G.S.: yeah.
W.C.: The thing is, this book is Erik’s book too, not just mine and I have to keep that in mind, that it’s a marriage of both of our visions, and that’s going to conflict at times, but you just push through it. I mean, we’re able to make a comic and do it with a friend. What’s better?
W.C.: I wish I could write and draw, but that’s why I’m going to get into other projects like TV and film, Because you don’t have to draw.
G.S.: So you would be all for making a the Roberts film?
W.C.: Heh. Well…
G.S.: shhhh….. Don’t Say anything that will get you in trouble. I will go ahead and leave the readers on that very mysterious note and let you go.
W.C.: Alright, thanks, man! This was fun!
G.S.: I had a blast. Can’t wait to check out “The Roberts”..
