In case you were unaware, Dynamite Entertainment is release a series of one-shots featuring kid versions of their popular characters. In many cases, it gets pretty weird in a you-have-to-see-this way. Last week LI'L ERNIE by Roger Langridge was released.
Mike Carroll, writer of JENNIFER BLOOD and JUDGE DREDD MEGAZINE, spoke with Roger to find out what it was like converting Evil Ernie into a more cuter version.
MIKE CARROLL: Li’l Ernie is based on Evil Ernie… Man, it must have been tricky-as-heck to adapt a pretty hard-hitting adult-targeted character for an all-ages book! Any particular stumbling blocks? Did you receive much direction from The Powers That Be in Dynamite, or were you given a free hand?
ROGER LANGRIDGE: I was probably helped by my complete ignorance of the character, to be honest. I just looked for something I could work with in the PDFs editor Molly Mahan sent me and made up the rest! The only thing I remember being specifically asked to do was to get some zombies in there, which I was happy to do.
MC: Have you had any input (or feedback) from Evil Ernie’s creator Brian Pulido or Jesse Snider who’s writing the current Dynamite series?
RL: Not a word! I suppose the "Li'l" version is really its own thing, though, so that's hardly surprising. We're all off in our own little corners.
MC: Li’l Ernie – along with the other “Li’l” Dynamite titles – is designed as a one-shot, but would you be keen to develop it as a mini-series or ongoing series if the public demand is there?
RL: Maybe writing it. I've got a pretty full plate with other projects right now, so drawing it as well would be out of the question for the foreseeable future. But I'd be happy to return to it in some capacity, for sure.
MC: How do you think the legions of existing Roger Langridge fans will react to Li’l Ernie? (Personally, I reckon they’ll love it, but I figure you know them better than I do!)
RL: I expect they'll both buy a copy!
LI'L ERNIE is now on sale!