Free Comic Book Day 2017 Kid Savage NM Image Comics Joe Kelly Ilya

Description

Kid Savage FCBD #2017
Published May 2017 by Image
Written by Joe Kelly
Art and Cover by Ilya

A mysterious wildboy becomes an unwilling guide to the dysfunctional “First Family in Space” when they crash land on his primordial and dangerous planet. “Kid Savage” must help a disconnect science-minded dad, his nervous son, and too-cool-to-care daughter survive the rigors of his world if he is to learn the true meaning of family and make amends for the sins of his mysterious past. Man of Action Entertainment (Ben 10, Big Hero 6, Camp Midnight, I Kill Giants) presents this epic all-ages adventure from the minds of Joe Kelly and Ilya.

36 pages, full color.

We sat down with writer Joe Kelly and artist Ilya to talk about their Free Comic Book Day 2017 issue Kid Savage. They tell us what makes the characters so diverse, the “over-the-top adventures,” and how this dysfunctional family will learn how to coexist.

Free Comic Book Day: Take us through the cast of characters: the wildboy, the science-minded dad, the nervous son, and the too-cool-to-care daughter. What makes this cast of characters so interesting?

Joe Kelly: From the beginning, I wanted to do a fun, over-the-top adventure book but with a very realistic family. They spar and snipe. They love one another but don’t get a chance to show it because we meet them hours after the biggest mistake of their lives. Even if they are the “First Family in Space”, they’re still normal human being who have been thrust into extraordinary circumstances – some willingly and others not so much. I relate to each of the core family members in some way: I get young Ethan’s fears and desire to please his dad, Alina’s drive to stay cool and above it all even if she’s scared witless, and Gerard’s completely unbalanced approach to parenting as soon as things go lopsided. And then there’s “kid”… the savage. The survivor. Crossing a dysfunctional family of the future with a self-sufficient wild child illuminates the heart of the book for me. Forces everyone in the cast to reconsider who they are and their definition of family… while being chased by space monsters. Don’t forget the monsters!

Ilya: It’s their having to get along to survive, despite all of their differences. Aside from Kid himself of course they are related by blood, and as the saying goes, you can’t choose your family. But they will have to work together as a family unit while opening up to include a new member, Kid, and that introduces all sorts of rich character dynamics. People can allow or display their weaknesses, be dependent, be unpleasant and selfish around their relatives, and to an extent get away with it and still be accepted and loved. I guess their true selves are revealed, warts and all. That must now extend to a family of choice. Partly this is the transition from childhood to adulthood, and all that comes with that. I think every reader will find behavioral echoes in their own lives. It’s also fun to be able to spectate this level of dysfunction, while aware that it probably reflects something of our own.

Where did you come up with the idea for the book?

Ilya: The title itself was our trigger, around which Joe and I emailed back and forth a whole bunch for a period of time, developing characters and concept together. Building an entire world from scratch is great fun. One easy answer is that for Joe it is a chance to riff on an old monster-cartoon that he loved, The Herculoids: for me, Kirby’s 1970’s comic series Kamandi. I’ve never seen an episode of Herculoids and Joe’s never read any Kamandi – so between us we have hopefully synthesized something new.

JK: Ha! Ilya pretty much nailed it. We were trading off ideas and riffing on shows and comics that inspired us both as kids, and Kid Savage was born.

Why should fans pick your book first on Free Comic Book Day 2017?

Ilya: First? Because it’s the snazziest! Who could resist that cover? It doesn’t hurt that Joe penned one of last year’s best-selling titles with Spideypool (Spiderman + Deadpool) – and folks had to pay for that! Kid Savage offers something totally and tonally different to a lot of what else is out there. The emotional core of the book is super strong, and it will move you. It comes from the heart.

JK: And, it looks awesome! Ilya’s stye is energetic and fun and really captures the vibe I’ve always had in my head. Recognizable but not a straight up “homage” to our collective childhood. Layer in Gary Caldwell’s colors and it’s something else. And did we mention it’s free? Free is good!

7-0985302297800111

Near mint condition