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Hey guys, I just returned from the New York Comic Con, where my current project was finally announced (after over a YEAR of me keeping silent about it!)
DC's Press Release:
First time comic book writer, Jason Aaron, confronts the emotional and political aspects of the Vietnam war in THE OTHER SIDE. The project was announced by Karen Berger, the Vice President and Executive Editor of Vertigo during the New York Comic Convention on Friday, February 24, 2005. This mini-series will be published by Vertigo, the For Mature Readers imprint of DC Comics, in the summer of 2006.
“THE OTHER SIDE was one of the most visceral scripts I've ever read. Writer Jason Aaron's portrayal of both sides of the Vietnam conflict is so achingly real and the relevancy is obvious and immediate,” said acquiring editor Will Dennis. “And for my money, this is the best work that Cameron Stewart has ever done, period. A perfect Vertigo project.”
THE OTHER SIDE will be written by Aaron and drawn by Cameron Stewart (Manhattan Guardian, Catwoman); it is Aaron’s first project with DC Comics and Vertigo. THE OTHER SIDE follows two men on opposite sides of the Vietnam war who must trudge through the ghosts of soldiers that fell before them, before their fateful meeting during the siege of Khe Sanh.
“Jason Aaron and Cameron Stewart deliver a timeless and visceral work in THE OTHER SIDE,“ said Vertigo VP Executive editor Karen Berger. “It provides a brutal and breathtaking look at war and its impact on the hearts and souls of the fighting men on both sides of conflict. Once you read it, you’ll never forget it.“
I don't how best I can describe my excitement and enthusiasm for this book, other than to say that the script inspired me to actually fly over to Vietnam last summer for research. I crawled on my hands and knees through Viet Cong tunnels, fired off some rounds on an AK-47, and explored the staggeringly beautiful country of Vietnam so that this work was informed by something greater and more authentic than just Google Image Search and my Full Metal Jacket dvd. I really wanted to knock myself out on this book, to raise my game to the level of the script, which had me honest-to-god utterly captivated from about page nine of the first script. Jason Aaron is a newcomer to comics but if this first book is anything to go by he's going to be a name to watch very closely. It's a project that he's extraordinarily passionate about, being the cousin of Gustav Hasford, the soldier/novelist who wrote "The Short Timers," the book that provided the basis for Full Metal Jacket. He recently did an interview about The Other Side over at CBR which is well worth checking out for more of what the book is about.
I realize that the needle on the Hype Machine is veering dangerously close to "Mark Millar" with this post, but honestly, I'm in love with this project and I'm so glad that I can finally talk about it. I'll post some artwork up here when I get the clearance to do so! |
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