Tim interviews Tom…. (Jane that is)
BusyGamer.com catches up with Tom Jane this past weekend at Dallas Comic Con.
You may know actor Thomas Jane from his recent hits THE MIST and THE PUNISHER, but you may not know he is a huge Sci Fi and horror fan, and now, a comic book publisher. While meeting up with Thomas Jane at Dallas Comic Con, he took the time out to answer some questions by Timothy Danger…
BUSYGAMER: So What brings you out to this Con?
Thomas Jane: Good looking women, pre code horror comic books, and my friends… Tim Bradstreet, James Daly, Todd Farmer, Bernie Wrightson, Bill Stout, Joe Jusko, Howard Chaykin, these are my pals, and they are all here, we have some good times together.
BUSYGAMER: Yeah I see that, looks like you are all working on a big project together, is that right?
Thomas Jane: Yeah, I mean we all work on stuff, we like to group up as much as we can.
BUSYGAMER: That’s right, you know a lot of people in mainstream America, they see you in the movies and stuff, they don’t know you actually are a big comic book guy.
Thomas Jane: That’s right I am, and now I’ve become a publisher and we’ve put out two titles, BAD PLANET and ALIEN PIG FARM, and we’re putting out a third this year called THE LYCAN. A band of werewolf hunters in the 17th century and we are having a blast. We put out a book called SHOCK FESTIVAL with IDW. It’s got great reviews, we’re putting out a couple of graphic novels. We are having a lot of fun, I get to work with some pretty terrific guys.
BUSYGAMER: Yeah… so you are the publisher then?
Thomas Jane: Yeah, I’m the publisher, and I wrote BAD PLANET, also helped conceive ALIEN PIG FARM, Todd Farmer wrote the script.
BUSYGAMER: How long have you been into comics?
Thomas Jane: When I was like 8 years old, I think I bought a copy of MAD MAGAZINE, and my dad said “you know that used to be a comic book, when I was a kid it was MAD COMICS??? I was like, no way. That led to comic book shops. I never got into superheroes, I think they are soap operas, I’m not really into guys in tights, I’ve never been into it. I never got into soap operas.
But I love stories, I love westerns, I love science fiction, crime comics, horror comics, war comics, so many more you know? I love the comics that comprise the other 3 percent of comic books OK? Charles Burns, Will Eisner, Art Speigelman, these guys are artists, and the art of comics and the art of graphic storytelling is absolutely fantastic. I’m happy for the superheroes, I guess it keeps the industry afloat. I think in a strange way it also hobbles the industry by keeping in a world of daytime Fucking soap opera. So FUCK YOU Superman alright? You’re time has come and gone.
BG's Tim Danger & Thomas Jane
BUSYGAMER: With that in mind. You were obviously in THE PUNISHER, how do you feel about him as a character?
Thomas Jane: I love him as a character, he’s not a super hero.
BUSYGAMER: Right.
Thomas Jane: That is why from day one, what I’ve been trying to get across in the comic book, what I fought to do in the film that I made. I think that we succeeded partially. Maybe 30 percent of the film is actually a real and gritty story and where my film failed is where we tried to get comic booky with it. I think that the story should be treated as a real story in a real fashion in the real world. That becomes a fascinating and compelling story. As a comic book movie it’s a failure and it will always fail and they have done it three times and each one has failed in its own way. Because the people making the movies can’t extrude the comic book from the film. When we can make that film, it will be incredibly successful. It’s a massive Greek film that fires on all levels, it hits you in the psyche in all the places where it hurts like a good Greek Tragedy should. One day someone will get it right.
BUSYGAMER: Speaking of films… do you have any coming up?
Mutant Chronicles April 2009
Thomas Jane: I got the MUTANT CHRONICLES that comes out in April , I did a film with Mickey Rourke called KILLSHOT which might finally see the light of day this year. I did a film called GIVE EM HELL MALONE with Ving Rhames which is a low budget action movie that I’m interested to see how it turns out, we did some cool stuff in there. I directed a film called DARK COUNTRY in 3D a thriller which is like a David Lynch meets Alfred Hitchcock style film that should be out this year. I’m about to shoot a series for HBO called HUNG I play a basketball coach with a big dick. That should be out this summer.
BUSYGAMER: If I could, I’d like to say the name of a movie title you’ve done, and have you summarize it in one word.
Thomas Jane: I’ll try.
BUSYGAMER: THE MIST.
Thomas Jane: Upsetting.
BUSYGAMER: Is that like personally?
Thomas Jane: Just upsetting. When you watch the movie, it’s upsetting.
BUSYGAMER: DEEP BLUE SEA.
Thomas Jane: Gay.
BUSYGAMER: My friend (Crutchboy) wanted to ask you if you did your own stunts in that movie?
Thomas Jane: Yeah I did, all my own stunts.
BUSYGAMER: You grabbed the fin of the shark and…
Thomas Jane: Oh Fuck yeah, man I was strapped to that fucking thing, and underwater in a tank the size of a football field and a remote control shark that weighed as much as a Mack truck and the damn thing went out of control and went to the bottom of the fucking pool and I’m strapped to the fucking thing. So yeah I got scars from that film. I still got a rash on my face that won’t go away from shooting in a damn tank. Thank you James Cameron.
BUSYGAMER: How about BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER.
Thomas Jane: Fun.
BUSYGAMER: Really…
Thomas Jane: Yeah… a blast I mean you got Paul Rubens, David Arquette, I got to be friends with these guys, not then but years later. But I got to meet them and be friends and that was career changing for me, I got one day on BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER but for me, I was an unknown street kid actor. That movie kind of opened the door for me.
BUSYGAMER: How about one more? BOOGIE NIGHTS?
Thomas Jane: Big. Another big movie for me. That was kind of my calling card for awhile.
BUSYGAMER: Anything else you’d like to add while we close this up?
Thomas Jane: No… I’m good.
BUSYGAMER: Well thanks for your time. We appreciate it.
*Click*
-T. Danger
