Max Marks talks WolfCop #2, on sale in November from Dynamite!
BYRON BREWER: Max, what have been the true challenges of translating the horror and humor of the film WolfCop into panelgraphic literature (comics)?
MAX MARKS: Well, WolfCop’s greatest strength in film has always been his focus on practical FX. That’s not really going to translate as well into comics. While maintaining his WolfCop-ness, he’s more of a warrior than a detective for his part in the comics. You don’t see him as Lou Garou quite as often as you do in the films, since every page he isn’t WolfCop feels wasted.
BB: Is the experience you gained working on the film that inspired this series an asset or a hindrance to you in doing YOUR iteration of the lupine lawman?
MM: I think my experience working with the WolfCop franchise as a whole has been a big asset in allowing me to come up with an authentic version of the character. I’ve seen him go through all sorts of different phases, but after a few years, I think I have a very strong view of what Lowell envisions the character as, what the studio wants out of him, and, very importantly, what the fans love about him. I do think my interpretation of the character honors all of these facets.
BB: We’ve discussed the film and Lou a lot, Max, so tell us about Willie Higgins. What purpose does he serve for Lou and for the storyline in general?
MM: Willie Higgins is an interesting character. In the film, he’s played by Jonathan Cherry, who is an absolutely brilliant actor and a hilarious guy all-around. He’s probably most recognizable for having one of the best lines in Goon a la “Don’t touch my percocets.” but the energy he brought to Willie made him a character almost as interesting as WolfCop outright. The first time I saw him performing the character, I knew we needed him in the comics.
The character himself is a redneck conspiracy nut who also happens to own Woodhaven’s gun shop. Lou, being the layabout he is, is usually sent to investigate whatever nutjob theories Willie is complaining about, whether it’s drones setting down chemtrails or teenaged satanic sex orgies. But when Lou becomes WolfCop, Willie quickly becomes one of the few people Lou can rely on, because he’s been living in this weird world for pretty much his whole life.
In the comics, he brings a strong voice to the protagonists’ dialogue. WolfCop is more of the strong, silent type, and generally won’t string together a sentence longer than two words at a time. Willie’s got a crazy, ranting style that I think contrasts with that nicely, and stops a lot of scenes from getting too quiet.
He’s also got a few secrets of his own. By the end of WolfCop 1, you’ll have a rough idea of what they are, but the comics leave a bit of that mystery still up in the air.
BB: What can you, in a non-spoilery manner, tell us about Madame Fey? I hear there may be a dark secret involved?
MM: Madame Fey is an original character WolfCop meets looking for rest on the road. She’s a madame at a local, unusually decorative brothel and immediately takes a liking to Lou after she helps him out of a bind near a local strip club. But she’s also got some less-than-innocent intentions for him, and her brothel itself is not exactly what it seems.
BB: The idea of “on the road” adventures for Lou is genius. Are we going to be picking up any new supporting cast as we go along? If so, what can you tell us about them?
MM: Lou and Willie both come across strange new characters as they’re on the road, but very few of them survive their encounters with WolfCop. I’ve tried to give each comic so far a bit of the Mad Max feel -- his enemies don’t live to see him again, and the people he helps don’t even manage to see him to make a thank you. If we get to do more of these, I’d love to start bringing in some recurring characters, but for now my priority’s been to show just how big the world of WolfCop can be.
BB: Along the “road,” will Officer Garou find amore?
MM: It’s a lonely road for Lou Garou. But, as in the film, he manages to find company in the most unexpected places. But he’s never been one for commitment.
BB: Has there been anything you would love to use from the film in this series, but either Lowell Dean or the Powers That Be have put the kibosh on it?
MM: Well, I’ve been privy to the development of WolfCop 2 for some time, and believe me, there’s tons of stuff there that I’d love to have in the comics. For obvious reasons I can’t get into specifics right now, but when you get to see the new movie, I think it’ll be pretty obvious. There’re quite a few things in there that just call out to a comic book hero. Just another thing to look forward to!
BYRON BREWER: Max, what have been the true challenges of translating the horror and humor of the film WolfCop into panelgraphic literature (comics)?
MAX MARKS: Well, WolfCop’s greatest strength in film has always been his focus on practical FX. That’s not really going to translate as well into comics. While maintaining his WolfCop-ness, he’s more of a warrior than a detective for his part in the comics. You don’t see him as Lou Garou quite as often as you do in the films, since every page he isn’t WolfCop feels wasted.
BB: Is the experience you gained working on the film that inspired this series an asset or a hindrance to you in doing YOUR iteration of the lupine lawman?
MM: I think my experience working with the WolfCop franchise as a whole has been a big asset in allowing me to come up with an authentic version of the character. I’ve seen him go through all sorts of different phases, but after a few years, I think I have a very strong view of what Lowell envisions the character as, what the studio wants out of him, and, very importantly, what the fans love about him. I do think my interpretation of the character honors all of these facets.
BB: We’ve discussed the film and Lou a lot, Max, so tell us about Willie Higgins. What purpose does he serve for Lou and for the storyline in general?
MM: Willie Higgins is an interesting character. In the film, he’s played by Jonathan Cherry, who is an absolutely brilliant actor and a hilarious guy all-around. He’s probably most recognizable for having one of the best lines in Goon a la “Don’t touch my percocets.” but the energy he brought to Willie made him a character almost as interesting as WolfCop outright. The first time I saw him performing the character, I knew we needed him in the comics.
The character himself is a redneck conspiracy nut who also happens to own Woodhaven’s gun shop. Lou, being the layabout he is, is usually sent to investigate whatever nutjob theories Willie is complaining about, whether it’s drones setting down chemtrails or teenaged satanic sex orgies. But when Lou becomes WolfCop, Willie quickly becomes one of the few people Lou can rely on, because he’s been living in this weird world for pretty much his whole life.
In the comics, he brings a strong voice to the protagonists’ dialogue. WolfCop is more of the strong, silent type, and generally won’t string together a sentence longer than two words at a time. Willie’s got a crazy, ranting style that I think contrasts with that nicely, and stops a lot of scenes from getting too quiet.
He’s also got a few secrets of his own. By the end of WolfCop 1, you’ll have a rough idea of what they are, but the comics leave a bit of that mystery still up in the air.
BB: What can you, in a non-spoilery manner, tell us about Madame Fey? I hear there may be a dark secret involved?
MM: Madame Fey is an original character WolfCop meets looking for rest on the road. She’s a madame at a local, unusually decorative brothel and immediately takes a liking to Lou after she helps him out of a bind near a local strip club. But she’s also got some less-than-innocent intentions for him, and her brothel itself is not exactly what it seems.
BB: The idea of “on the road” adventures for Lou is genius. Are we going to be picking up any new supporting cast as we go along? If so, what can you tell us about them?
MM: Lou and Willie both come across strange new characters as they’re on the road, but very few of them survive their encounters with WolfCop. I’ve tried to give each comic so far a bit of the Mad Max feel -- his enemies don’t live to see him again, and the people he helps don’t even manage to see him to make a thank you. If we get to do more of these, I’d love to start bringing in some recurring characters, but for now my priority’s been to show just how big the world of WolfCop can be.
BB: Along the “road,” will Officer Garou find amore?
MM: It’s a lonely road for Lou Garou. But, as in the film, he manages to find company in the most unexpected places. But he’s never been one for commitment.
BB: Has there been anything you would love to use from the film in this series, but either Lowell Dean or the Powers That Be have put the kibosh on it?
MM: Well, I’ve been privy to the development of WolfCop 2 for some time, and believe me, there’s tons of stuff there that I’d love to have in the comics. For obvious reasons I can’t get into specifics right now, but when you get to see the new movie, I think it’ll be pretty obvious. There’re quite a few things in there that just call out to a comic book hero. Just another thing to look forward to!