Based out of the Show Me State of Missouri, Crude Comics Inc is a throwback to comics of previous years. With influences that include Robert Crumb and James O’Barr, Crude Comics tells stories about the darker side of the human psyche with more than a hint of humor. Adventures in Poor Taste had the chance to speak with the owner of Crude Comics Inc and one of its key contributors, Robbie Lopez.
AiPT!: How did you get into comics?
Robbie Lopez: Actually, comics were one of my first non hard labor jobs ever and I started making a living off them [when I was] around fifteen years old. Once I got my first check from a publisher I literally signed myself out of school the same day. That’s how I found tattooing was through comics; I’ve own and operated Rose Tattoo Parlor for eleven years so far and [have] been tattooing professionally for nineteen years. I am also a muay thai and MMA cage fighter.
AiPT!: Your mission statement on your website clearly states what your company is all about. How were you introduced to “lowbrow” comics?
R.L: I had an older cousin; he was into metal and always trying to scare me. He was probably thirteen, I was eight or nine. He showed me all the crazy shit trying to give me nightmares. The big stand out was the James O’Barr graphic novel, The Crow. That was the first non-superhero comic I [had] seen and I had never seen cartoons do drugs or blow people’s brains out or do all this sick stuff. It totally blew my mind and stuck with me. I remember thinking, “people can make money off of monsters and scary stuff??” because I always sucked at drawing the stereotypical heroes. I’m more of a natural disturbed or monster creator. Of course, not too long after we found ourselves at his neighbor’s looking through the Robert Crumb classic Fritz the Cat XXX Rated comics .
AiPT!: What were your favorite comics growing up? What do you like to read now?
R.L: My favorite comic to read growing up was hands-down Tales from the Crypt! They would sell them at a gas station in the shitty neighborhood I grew up and I’d love walking down there to look at them. Nowadays, I’m let down by the current condition of mainstream comics. That being said, here’s some stuff I’ve been really impressed with:
Turbo Kid comics! There are only two one-shots made and they are so hard to get in the USA I had to get mine from the artist directly. Hillbilly by Eric Powell. Shirtless Bear-Fighter! Lord of Gore, The Goon, Wolfcop comics, Vinegar Teeth, Shaolin Cowboy.
AiPT!: Your work has clear B movie influences. What’s your favorite B movie?
R.L: The Dark Backward. Bill Paxton, Judd Nelson, and Wayne Newton, and also Repo Man was really good.
AiPT!: Nightcall has a pretty obvious inspiration, I am on board with zombie sluts, but Hitler and the Yeti? Where do your ideas come from?
R.L: Nightcall, contrary to your belief has nothing more to do with Drive other than a hammer and main character shares a resemblance to our beloved Ryan Gosling. A big part of all that unravels in the following books. Nightcall book one doesn’t say much because it’s more of a cold opening scene and sets a pace but not spilling much info out to keep you, the reader, asking questions.
Now the whole Hitler Yeti thing is actually the part of the entire story that’s factual and rooted in real history. During World War II he sent the Thule Society, his special secret service occult agents, on an expedition to hunt and capture a yeti in Nepal so they could study and experiment in order to make super soldiers from the yeti DNA. The opening line from the book is a government statement featured in the Nepal paper in the 1950s stating the yeti’s existence [and] not to kill it. so the Nazis have very big historical ties to the Himalayas, Nepal and the yeti.
AiPT!: What are some of the difficulties of being a small publisher?
R.L: Honestly it’s hard to have any difficulties if you enjoy what you do. Every day is difficult already in life. We make our stories and art to escape that realm daily.
AiPT!: Part of your mission statement mentions the importance of creators and originality. How far is too far? Is there such a thing?
R.L: I used to say nothing’s off the table. Then I saw the movie A Siberian Film. Eeek.
AiPT!: Congratulations on getting your work in Melissa McCarthy’s Life of the Party. How did this come about?
R.L:. An old friend of mine I covered in tattoos moved to LA couple years back and she’s been finding success. She voiced a character on a Comedy Central animated show and she landed a part in Life of the Party and I guess it has something specifically to do with her tattoos and my original artwork I created. I’m stoked to see the screen time we got!
AiPT!: We have seen diverse comic book movies this year. What is your favorite comic book movie?
R.L: Ghost Rider with Nick Cage….Hahaha just kidding. Umm, welp not many but, Deadpool was cool. Guardians of the Galaxy 1 and 2 are a lot of fun.
AiPT!: What suggestions would you have for someone wanting to become a comic book writer/artist?
R.L: Do it for love and to stand out and make a bang, not to make money. You will be greatly disappointed by the corporate industry.
AiPT!: Do you ever see Crude Comics becoming one of the “Big Boys?”
R.L: No, we have no desire other than to be around til the end of time doing our own thing. We never wanna mass produce shit. Everyone can see our stuff but not everyone can have one. There are only so many of our comics and toys. That’s kinda our whole thing. Collector’s Spanish Fly.
AiPT!: Where do you see Crude Comics five years from now?
R.L: Straight up? Making short films and animations, and of course shit tons of cool new comics.
AiPT!: What upcoming projects do you have?
R.L:. We have so much awesome stuff launching and premiering before the end of the year! We got:
The Boxing Baby issue #1 of 4 out in July
Nightcall Book Two “Under your Spell” comes out in August
Some special horror treats for October too!
Zombiesluts Springbreak Bloodbath issue #2
New original Horror anthology series
MOTEL666
Then before New Years we have a amazing, action-packed, dark sci-fi ride from hell coming out: BRËLLA Space Agent. Think Devil’s Rejects mixed with Starship Troopers with Tank Girl and Barbarella’s lovechild as the star.
And a book of short comic stories of the silver age superhero Ghost George Chance [who] also went by the Green Ghost for awhile. We have been working on a new series re-imagining Ghost [as] a master magician and paranormal detective. In our stories he is more of a dark gritty Angel Heart era Mickey Rourke paranormal detective with a British talking white lab rat sidekick. Crazy fun stories. It’s called GHOST P.D. Ghost Stories.
You can find out more about Crude Comics upcoming projects at:
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