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Food Ain't Fun In Brian Wood's Starve

Article Image c0f8by Vince Brusio

Originally a sequel to a previous opus that grabbed readers by the throat and crushed their windpipes, Starve #1 (APR150495) looks to be a new book by Brian Wood that will similarly leave fans bleeding, and fighting for breath. It’s fast, furious, and full of character. Starve is about inner turmoil, burned bridges, and a world in decay. But don’t take our word for it: the writer dishes the dirt in this PREVIEWSworld Exclusive interview!

Starve #1 (APR150495) is in comic shops June 10th.

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PREVIEWSworld: What’s the attraction for you to work on Starve #1 (APR150495) as a monthly series? Do you already have a year’s worth of material in the can?

Brian Wood: Right now, about 6 weeks out from launch, we have 5 issues in the can, which comprises the first story arc and eventual collection.  So that's pretty good!  The first "season" of this book is planned out as ten issues.  And honestly, this was always a monthly endeavor for me, going all the way back to when I pitched it to Vertigo as my follow-up to DMZ.  It’s very episodic in nature, and I think it reads really well like that.

Article Image 6cf1PREVIEWSworld: When you put together your ideas for this book, did you bang it out all at once, or did things change, and new outlines emerge?

Brian Wood: I had this pitch, this document I wrote back in 2009 or so, the original pitch for the book.  When I revisited it last year as one of a bunch of ideas I sent over to artist Danijel Zezelj, I realized I had used a lot of it already in The Massive, my Dark Horse series. 

So I had to retool it, de-emphasize a lot of the environmental themes, and up the character stuff. 

But that ended up working out better, as the character stuff is now the heart of Starve, and it’s the best thing about it.

PREVIEWSworld: If you had to give a presentation at a panel, how would you describe this book to the audience? What would you say in your pitch that would make people get excited about a story that sheds light on “criminal excess”?

Brian Wood: Honestly, I wouldn't focus on that detail.  What "criminal excess" means in relation to this story is how food and sustainability is treated in this fictional near-future world.  In it, we have depleted ocean stocks and certain animals near extinction, but a certain class of people still want to revel in buying it and eating it.  But like I said, that's a detail of the world.

Article Image e437

What the story is about is this aging chef who emerges from his self-imposed exile into this world of foodie culture he barely recognizes.  He gets back on his old TV show Starve and vows to tear it all down, this blasphemy to what he considers the sacred art of cooking.  Along the way, of course, he has troubles, from both his peers and his family.  He has a lot of burned bridges that need mending.

Article Image a8b0The story has a lot of heart, especially when it comes to his estranged wife and daughter, and also a lot of dark humor.

PREVIEWSworld: If you had to type up a blog entry about your experience writing this book, what scene in the story would you most likely “geek” over?

Brian Wood: Honestly, I'd geek over the art first and foremost.  But I know that's coming in the next question, so I would have to say it’s this insider chef culture that I created for the book.  It’s an exaggeration, to be sure, but its fun to amp it up, to take the ideas of celebrity chefs and crazy foodie types and shift it to the extreme.  I don't write a lot of humor, and a lot of tongue-in-cheek stuff, so its been fun.

Article Image 14fePREVIEWSworld: What was it like to work with the art team of Danijel Zezelj and Dave Stewart on this project? Describe for us the give-and-take that went on to bring this vision to life. Did they surprise you?

First, for the record I just want to state that this book is created and owned by all three of us, equally. We're all on the copyright.  And for that, I am truly blessed.  What a dream team these guys are.  I've worked with each of them before, on DMZ, The Massive, and Conan The Barbarian, so I was able to email them and ask them if they wanted to get a series off the ground with me.  Like I said, I'm blessed.  And the working relationship is strong, it’s one of those rare cases where each of us is left alone to do our thing and the end result is a perfect blend of everything.  I've not asked for a single change so far. Its all been one hundred percent.

So pick it up!  It’s out June 10!

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