Cullen Bunn's Blog, page 21

The End of Venom

A lot of folks have been asking me why a new issue of VENOM was not solicited for November. I’ll write more about this, I’m sure. For now, though, I’m still playing catch up from a couple of merciless weeks. But, VENOM ends with issue 42. I wrote or co-wrote 28 issues of the book (if you count the MINIMUM CARNAGE issues) and I spoke with Marvel.com about bringing the book to a close. Give it a read here.

Fight For Comics Interview

This week, I spoke with the team at the Fight For Comics podcast. We talked about THE SIXTH GUN, HELHEIM, FEARLESS DEFENDERS, VENOM, and cougar attacks aplenty! You should give it a listen when you have a chance! They are also giving away a copy of THE SIXTH GUN Vol. 1 as part of their trivia contest!

X-Position: Deadpool Kills Deadpool

In today’s X-Position article on Comic Book Resources, I took some time to answer a few questions about DEADPOOL KILLS DEADPOOL, FEARLESS DEFENDERS, and THE SIXTH GUN. The article also includes loads of sneak previews! Give it a read!

Bunn, Hurtt, and Crabtree Ride On THE SIXTH GUN, An Interview

Tomorrow, issue 33 of THE SIXTH GUN hits the stands! 33 issues! Can you believe it? To celebrate, Brian Hurtt, Bill Crabtree, and I spent a little time talking to Comics Alliance about the book. The interview, along with a MASSIVE preview of tomorrow’s issue, is posted here. Give it a read!

A Mania for Venom, An Interview

I spoke with Comic Book Resources about the current arc of VENOM–which sees the creation of Mania, a new symbiote-powered hero. What’s going on with Venom? Why is Jack O’Lantern so cool? Will Mania be sticking around for more than an issue?  Check out the interview for hints about what I’ve got planned for the arc. Issue 39 comes out tomorrow!

Gen Con!

I started playing role-playing games when I was in second grade. A friend of mine brought a copy of his older brother’s Tomb of Horrors module to school one day, and I was hooked.

In the years that would follow, I played at school during lunch, on the bus, at the library, at the Boy’s Club. I forged strong childhood friendships by rolling a bunch of funny-shaped dice. I went out with friends on summer mornings, selling boxes of Krispy Kreme doughnuts as a fundraiser for the “athletic club” and we turned that cash into dice and modules and Dragon Magazines and rule books. There have been gaming droughts, when I didn’t have the time or a gaming group at hand. In fact, as of this writing I haven’t gamed in nearly a year. But I still love role-playing games, and I still think comic books can be a great source of inspiration to role-players.

With that in mind, I’m attending Gen Con this weekend, and I’ll be signing copies of THE SIXTH GUN (a book I believe has a wealth of material for gamers) at the Oni Press booth. I’ll be there off and on Thursday through Saturday. If you’re at the show, please stop by and say hello!

I promise not to tell you about my favorite D&D character.

Roman Franklin Bunn, 8/18/1936 – 8/7/2013

When I was very young, I had this plastic riding horse toy that I loved. It was just a piece of molded plastic, a smiling horse on four little black wheels. I rode it through the house and up and down the gravel driveway from dawn til dusk. I was the Lone Ranger. The horse was Silver… painted with a blue polka dot pattern.

By the time I was 4 or 5, Silver was in rough shape, cracked in numerous places, the wheels falling off. Our many adventures had taken a toll on the horse.

Rather than throw Silver in the trash, my dad had other plans. Early one morning, he and I walked out into the woods with Silver in tow. We walked for a long time (or at least it seemed that way to me), out to a secluded section of the forest. There, my father and I built a makeshift stable out of brambles for Silver.

After the stable was finished, we stood there for a while, until my dad broke the silence by saying, “It’s time to say goodbye.”I checked in on Silver years later, and the bramble stable had become overgrown with weeds. It was still there, though. A few years after that, a developer bought the land and the forest was razed. But walking out into the woods to bid farewell to that horse will always be one of my most treasured memories of my father.

Bunn, as everyone–including his kids–called him, passed away this morning. He would have been 77 years old in two weeks.

I was lucky enough to have a chance to say goodbye to my dad over the past week. But this is a day I thought would never come. Even as an adult, I saw Bunn as nigh invulnerable until recent years. That bulletproof quality was something he spent many years cultivating. The best way to honor my father… the way he would want to be honored… is to think of all the lasting memories he left behind. There are many to choose from–an endless host. But when I think of my dad, here are a few that, like the memory of putting Silver out to pasture, resonate to such a degree that they have made me who I am… and remind me of who I should strive to be.

My friends and family know how much my dad meant to me. People who have never met Bunn have heard me tell tales of his adventures. There were many.  He was an auctioneer, a salesman, a public speaker, a farmer, a photographer, a land developer, and a stage hypnotist. He was a country boy at heart, a fisherman, a helluva gambler, and a scrapper when he needed to be. He came from nothing, amassed a fortune, and then lost it all. He took risks, many of which paid off, and he made mistakes, which he answered for. He was generous (some would say to a fault) and forgiving, even though he would tolerate no insult against him or his family.

He took me to the movies (JAWS and FOOD OF THE GODS and KING KONG and THE JERK and Godzilla marathons all come to mind). He told lewd jokes. He let me–at the age of 5–ride my go kart around and around the house at top speed (and sometimes he built ramps over flame pits for me to jump). He helped me collect comic books. He wasn’t a fan himself, but he loved hunting down the books and wheeling and dealing with the sellers. He built haunted houses for the kids every Halloween, and when he did so he had the demeanor of a gleeful kid himself. He took me to more yard sales and flea markets and CB jamborees than I can remember. He loved animals–from cats to dogs to horses to chickens to a pair of vultures he swore were the best pets he ever had. He stood up for me… many times when it felt like no one else would. And he believed that I could make my dreams come true… even when I didn’t.

He told stories.

Bunn could spin a yarn. He never wrote these tales down. That wasn’t his style. He wanted to talk. He didn’t like everyone, but he could strike up a conversation with anyone. I’ve never known anyone who could work a room or break the ice with a complete stranger the way my dad could. He could walk into a room full of strangers, and by the time he left, they’d all feel like he was their best friend. Sure, some of his stories were made up on the spot, but they became part of a mythology that was all his own. He met Elvis (who told him, “I’m just a country boy like you fellas. I wipe my ass with corn cobs, same as you.” He bought a stolen camera from James Brown. He learned hypnosis from an old French man. He watched as a good friend of his punch a charging bull out cold. He rode his motorcycle to a haunted church and was so spooked by what he saw there he left the bike behind and ran down the road, not to return until hours later.

You’ll see glimpses of my dad in many of my stories. R.F. Coven in “Blood Feud.” Billjohn O’Henry in THE SIXTH GUN. The unnamed father in “Remains.” He’s there, always a little larger than life, because that’s the way I’ll always remember him.

I inherited my dad’s love of storytelling. I only wish I could be half the man he was in terms of his sheer confidence. He approached every opportunity, obstacle, and challenge with an almost baffling fearlessness. Maybe it’s too late for me to muster that gusto… that approach to life… but I’m gonna keep on trying.

I guess what I’m trying to say is… he was my hero.

I believe that we all have to forge our own path in life, but I hope to God that my son will remember me as fondly as I remember Bunn.

Rest in peace, old man.

You’ll be missed.

This Week’s Comics – 8/7/2013

A trio of my comics come out this week! From Vikingsteins to demon-fighting to Deadpool killing sprees! There’s something for everyone… at least there is if you like awesome.

First up is HELHEIM #6… the last issue of the series. For now. This is also my favorite issue of the book for many, many reasons. I can’t wait to see what people think of how it all wraps up.

THE NEW SERIES FROM SIXTH GUN WRITER CULLEN BUNN AND FAN FAVORITE ARTIST JOËLLE JONES CONTINUES! Rikard’s crusade against the witches draws to an end. Only Bera–the woman he loved… the woman who raised him from the dead–remains. In order to destroy her, though, Rikard must overcome the hold she has over him. Is he her creature? Or is he–even in death–a free man? The final bloody chapter of Helheim unfolds!

Next, we have CABLE AND X-FORCE #12, which I co-wrote with my pal Dennis Hopeless. Dennis is weaving one helluva sci-fi/time-traveling/action joyride with this book, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it for an issue or two.

Domino and Colossus team up for the heist of the century!

But will their mounting feelings for one another keep them from pulling of their mission?

And here’s a preview of the issue!

Last but not least, we have DEADPOOL KILLS DEADPOOL #2, featuring the deaths of… I dunno… several dozen Deadpools and the introductions of one of my favorite characters ever!

Hope you’re not a Deadpool fan—he DIES in this issue!

Oh, but, uh…I hope you are a Deadpool fan, because, like…there are a lot of Deadpools in this issue. LOTS.

TIME TO THIN THE DEADPOOL HERD!

And here’s a preview!

The Sixth Gun, Now Available For The Nook!

Nook users! The first four volumes of THE SIXTH GUN are now ready for you! If you’ve been waiting to read the series, now’s a great time to jump on board!

Here’s where you can get ‘em!

And if the Kindle is your thing, check it out here!

 

Fearless Defenders Roll Call

When I was a young man, my favorite comic books (most notably The Micronauts) featured these awesome “roll calls” on the splash page. It’s something that has fallen to the wayside in recent years, but I’m bringing it back in the pages of FEARLESS DEFENDERS. Here’s a look, including a rundown of the core team as of issue 8.