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At the last NYCC, I got shown a few pages of the new Airboy series by James Robinson (Starman, FF) and relative newcomer Greg Hinkle. As I turned each page, my jaw dropped more and more and more.

This is a roman á clef, a reboot, an autobio (?) comic, wish fulfillment…whatever, it’s crazy. Metafictional. In the grand tradition of 8 1/2, a movie about a movie director trying to make a new movie, which happens to be 8 1/2, this is a comic about Robinson and Hinkle making an Airboy comic. But having debauched Bay area adventures along the way, based on Robinson’s own past ups and downs in his personal life.

It’s wild.

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Bestselling writer James Robinson (Starman, Fantastic Four) and artist Greg Hinkle are hired to write a reboot of the 1940s action hero Airboy, but what better way to seek a little creative inspiration than a night of debauchery? Robinson and Hinkle team up to star in this metafiction about two comic book creators gone wild in the new series AIRBOY.

In AIRBOY, Robinson’s reluctant to do yet another Golden Age reboot and he’s worried about his stagnant career, ailing marriage, and all-around doldrum life. But that’s nothing a stiff drink can’t fix! Enter artist Greg Hinkle and a night of partying that has to be seen to be believed. Even Airboy himself will have his work cut out for him if he plans to get the two comic book creators in-line and back on the straight and narrow! Could this task be too much for hero?

“This is me trying something I would never have had the balls to do in the past. Namely, I’m combining the sad details of my real life at a recent much darker time, and having those revelations combined into a stew with gross exaggeration and comic book action fantasy,” said Robinson. “If you like semi-autobiographical drama, combined with drugs, alcohol, flagrant promiscuity, air fighters in two-fisted battle action and myself and artist Greg Hinkle doing full-frontal nudity… then this is the comic you’ve been waiting for. It’s been a blast to write and very cathartic and I hope everyone enjoys seeing a different side to me.”

AIRBOY #1 hits shelves on June 3 and can be ordered with Diamond Code APR150494.

 

13 COMMENTS

  1. I just threw up in my mouth a lot. I hate to see the Emperor’s new clothes, but this is kind of disgusting. Why can’t the hipsters leave the icons alone? Go invent your own hero to contrast yourselves with.

  2. I always find James Robinson to be fresh, insightful and smart (enjoying his two Marvel series now and sad they are winding down) and am looking forward to this one too. And I like classic Airboy too.

  3. Sorry. I want to read Airboy, not the sad behind the scenes of the creators’ life guest-starring a hallucination of Airboy. There are personal blogs for that kind of writing.

  4. Good to learn James is now a ‘hipster’. LOL

    This series looks fantastic. I’ve been waiting. I want him to return to The Saviors, as well.

  5. I dug Dixon’s Airboy but, man this version looks sweet. Shades Wolf of Wall Street meets 8 -1/2 meets Grant Morrison! Think about what they create when they come down- The Heap!!!

  6. “Sheesh! If I hear one more middle-aged fanboy whining that someone is making a comic that he doesn’t want to read”

    As opposed to all the whining about a COVER someone doesn’t want people to see? What makes that whining okay?

    Mike

  7. Jason, the only one I see here whining is you complaining that not every single person agrees with you. I was voicing my dislike of the preview. I didn’t realize only 100% positive messages are allowed. I’m pretty sure discussion of both the good and bad of the subject is the whole reason for even having a comment section. But maybe I’m mistaken and it’s only here for stroking the creators’ egos. Though I doubt Robinson needs a bodyguard against a negative comment or two. And as for your advice to us, I’m pretty sure Jerry and I had already figured out we weren’t going to buy it before you said anything. I’ll wait for his next project and hope it’s something more akin to Starman or JSA in quality.

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