Bestselling creative team Geoff Johns, Gary Frank, and Brad Anderson are launching a new comic book series this week called Junkyard Joe.
This explosive new story about a mysterious robot soldier will feature a special black and white edition to benefit veterans.
Here is an exclusive interview with Geoff Johns and Gary Frank discussing the inspiration behind their new comic and the unique partnership with Veterans Aid (UK) and the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (USA), who are committed to ending veteran homelessness and improving the lives of veterans…
Tell us about your new original comic, Junkyard Joe. Who is Joe and what is his story about?
GEOFF: Joe is a bad ass robot. Designed to be the perfect soldier and support to a platoon. From keeping watch while the others sleep, to fighting alongside them, to hunting down and killing the enemy that tries to escape, Joe was created to do all of this without thought or question, without the weaknesses of being human, without ever tiring of it. But can anything truly be impervious to trauma and loss? And why would someone build a machine like this in the first place? For what purpose beyond fighting war? And what happens when Joe develops agency? That’s what the story is about.
When we open the first issue of Junkyard Joe, we are plunged right into the Vietnam War. Why was it important for you to open the story in this era and how do you make it relatable to a new generation of comic book readers?
GARY: I think that the elements of the war experience which we are dealing with are universal. Camaraderie, trauma, abandonment… It could be WWII, Iraq, etc. The important thing was to lay the groundwork for the relationship between Joe and Muddy.
GEOFF: Muddy is a central character in the series, alongside Junkyard Joe, and it was important to see what he experienced during his time in the Army before we flashed forward to today, to see how it affected his life then and now. We wanted history to Muddy and Joe, and to set up where the story goes from 1972-on. Also, visually, I wanted to go to a place and time that Gary and I have never been before. Seeing Gary’s illustrations of the Vietnam War and the soldiers in it, the horror and humanity and even the beauty, it’s breath-taking.
In addition to the titular hero Junkyard Joe, we also meet Muddy Davis, and it’s as much Muddy’s story as it is Joe’s. Can you tell us more about Muddy and what makes him an unforgettable character and veteran?
GARY: We talked a lot about how Muddy’s return home would have gone — the things he would have dealt with, overcome, etc. They might not make it onto the page, but they are there under the skin. Ultimately, Muddy had someone to come back to. Joe, like many servicemen and women, didn’t, but the bond he formed with Muddy in Vietnam is still just about intact.
GEOFF: I love the contrast between the soldier and the man. Muddy has such a full heart, focused on the love of his life, when we meet him in both 1972 and then today. He’s a romantic and a cartoonist by nature, forced to fight in a war. And today, everything he’s gone through and going through will inform how he’ll deal with Joe when he encounters him decades later.
Both Joe and Muddy are soldiers, albeit very different types. What are the themes you explore through Muddy and Joe’s personalities and relationship?
GEOFF: Their relationship develops early on in the series, solidifying as fellow soldiers in the first issue, then developing into a very unsure and tension-filled one today. But they both share the fact that they don’t know what their place is in their world, and together they might find it.
What kind of look and feel did you want to create for Junkyard Joe’s universe?
GARY: We wanted to contrast the heat of Vietnam — the intensity, the friendships, the fear — with the coldness that comes later. The loss and the loneliness, the need for a home and a family. So, the colour palette was deliberately made to emphasise that contrast. In some ways, it feels like two separate books tied together by a common thread.
GEOFF: Gary and I have worked together for a long time now, and every single story we’ve told I’m so proud of. There’s something both dynamic and emotional that comes out of working together – whether it’s on Superman, Batman, Shazam, the Legion of Super Heroes, Geiger or Junkyard Joe… there’s a magic that happens, I think. We talk about the emotional center, what the characters are feeling, why we want to explore it, that’s where we always start. Then the concept builds around that at the same time. It evolves into something special.
This first issue of Junkyard Joe is dedicated to veterans, including Geoff’s grandfather and Gary’s grandparents, who served in WWII. All proceeds from this limited veterans edition will go to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans in Washington, DC, and the Veterans Aid in the UK. Additionally, for each special edition issue sold, Geoff’s company Mad Ghost will donate $2 to both charities. Why did you want to team up with these charities and how did the partnership come about?
GARY: Honestly, this was Geoff’s brainwave. I can’t take any credit for the idea, but I think it’s hard to get involved with these issues without wanting to contribute to some kind of… I think “solution” is too strong… but some kind of effort or momentum towards making the situation better.
GARY: In terms of both awareness and materially, we were afforded an opportunity to make a positive contribution, but we don’t forget that what we do in the comic book world does not compare to the incredible work these dedicated charities do every day. The people we are fortunate enough to be working with are pushing this rock up the hill every day. I think we both feel honoured that we have been allowed to add our shoulders for some small distance.
What do you hope veterans and readers will discover from Junkyard Joe?
GARY: I hope readers might think about the fact that there are those out there who have experienced things which are hard for us to imagine before being dropped back into society where they are often ignored or even shunned.
GEOFF: I hope veterans might just enjoy the story and feel that, however imperfectly, we have tried to say something on their behalf.
Geoff Johns is an award-winning and New York Times bestselling writer known for re-imagining superheroes of yesteryear—including DC Comics’ Green Lantern, Justice Society of America, Aquaman and Shazam!—while also creating new popular characters to diversify and expand DC’s mythology. Along with artist Gary Frank, Geoff recently launched a new creator-owned universe at Image Comics with Geiger. He is currently showrunning the third season of the critically acclaimed Stargirl series for The CW and HBOMax, among other projects throughout media.
Gary Frank is a comics veteran of nearly 30 years having worked on the Incredible Hulk, The Avengers and Squadron Supreme for Marvel and Supergirl, Superman, Batman: Earth One and Doomsday Clock for DC alongside Geoff Johns before launching Geiger at Image Comics.
Pick up Geoff Johns & Gary Frank’s JUNKYARD JOE #1 on Oct. 5 at your local comic shop: https://www.comicshoplocator.com/StoreLocator ask for the black & white edition, which will have proceeds go to Veterans Aid & the NCHV #JunkyardJoeComic
View the Junkyard Joe trailer from Image Comics on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxzRRU3udMc
