Dan: ::Walks into room, finds Kate grinning ear-to-ear:: Whatcha got there, Kate?
Kate: It’s “COW BOY”, from Nate Cosby and Chris Eliopoulos, and it rocks! I mean, so far it’s got this 10-year-old kid, out on some kind of a personal mission, not taking any guff from anyone!
D: Yeah? ::flexes muscles, scowls:: I don’t take guff from anyone, either…
K: ::Looks uncomfortable:: Um… sure… He’s kind of like Clint in that Josey Wales flick you’re always making me watch. Except he’s… you know… a 10 year old kid.
D: Lemme see that. I’ve seen Eliopoulos’ work before. I was a huge fan of “Desperate Times”! That strip at the back of “Savage Dragon” was awesome. Just a cool “day in the life of these two dudes” kinda vibe. And now he’s drawing horses and cowboys? NICE!
K: Calm down, Cowboy Dan. Eliopoulos does draw a mean looking horse. But I’ve seen those “Savage Dragon” back-ups, and they don’t have the cinematic vibe this book does.
D: No doubt. Cosby’s script seems to really lend a “wide open space” vibe: very sparse dialog, panels with little or no dialog lending mood and effect. Heck, sometimes the horse has more dialog than the people! And what creative sound effects they have, too!
K: The mood and the pacing are really different. Heavy tone, but add in an action hero lead who’s 10 years old, it’s a different kind of comic. Even though it has a light-hearted look, Boyd, our 10-year-old hero, is kind of a sad figure, which you learn more about as the story unfolds.
D: Gotta give props to Cosby for writing a script with a lot of depth and character development while not talking down to an audience that would read an all ages book.
K: So when Boyd’s story starts to really take off, Cosby and Co. throw in a couple guest pieces? That’s something you don’t see in most of the comics we read.
D: True. But I really dug it! It felt like one of those “DC 100 Page Giant” books from way back in the day. The kind of books where you really feel like you got your money’s worth. And these stories are sure worth reading!
K: Oh yeah. A little romance, arctic birds in the Old West, and some missing underpants? I’m in! THESE ARE STORIES THAT NEED TELLING! But really, I dug these tales a lot. And now I know artists and writers I wasn’t familiar with before. Good stuff! Especially the missing underpants!
D: I totally knew that one was your favorite. So, what do our readers have to look forward to when the book rolls out in January?
K: Readers will have a front row seat as they follow our hero, Boyd, as he sets out on a very personal journey. He shows real strength and character as obstacles are overcome, bullies are put in their place, and things that need doin’ are done. But even while bullets and fists are flying, Boyd also learns some pretty important lessons, as well.
But my favorite part? Hands down, when he punches a guy with a horseshoe! I liked that part. ::throws punch in the air:: PUHPLANGGG!
You can follow Nate Cosby (@NateCosBOOM) and Chris Eliopoulos (@ChrisEliopoulos) on Twitter to learn more about the release of “Cow Boy” in January 2012 from Archaia.
Dan and Kate Malmon are a happily married couple (except when Dan forgets do the laundry) in Roseville, MN. When not working, reading comics and mysteries or watching sports, they hang out with Franklin the dog. You can find both Kate and Dan on Twitter.
