Author: Ethan Nicolle

Almost forgot to post this!

Today's episode was written during Christmas when we were working on both the Christmas special and the Bat Warthog Man story, so Malachai was on a “Rocket Aero Dacto” kick.  I decided to call the creatures in the Christmas special :rocket Aero Dactos” as Malachai pronounces it, and then use the proper words in this instance.  I always love Axe Cop's revisionist history.  I would like to get Axe Cop to teach an entire class on the history of the world.  If it is not obvious, I basically turned a conversation between Malachai and I into a talk between Graystone and Axe Cop.  Not exactly, but more or less.  i am at least getting more confident drawing dinosaurs now.  Sheesh.  Why can't six year old boys be obsessed with eggs or limbless bunnies?  Why always the stuff that is hard to draw?

A few things worth mentioning:

Today's Ratfist page  made me laugh out loud.  Warning NSFF (Not Safe For Furries)

An articulate review of Axe Cop went up at the Webcomic Overlook today.

I just added Portland's Stumptown Comics Fest to the list of appearances we will be making.  I will for sure be at this, Malachai is a maybe right now.  Big thanks for Stumptown for taking me as a guest. 

We were also invited to be special guests at San Diego Comic Con 2011!!  This is huge.  It's pretty crazy to have Comic Con bring you to it, rather than you struggling to get to it.  We have all of you to thank for that.  I think this is going to be a crazy year!

Also, a reminder that we will be at Emerald City Comic Con March 4-6.  This will be our first convention appearance together!  We will also have the new Bad Guy Earth full color issue one to sell and sign.  Don't miss that!

I think that's enough for now.  The good news is that I just finished Bad Guy Earth.  I need to do some work on the site, then I am going to work on getting Bearmageddon going.  I will be attempting to put out multiple pages of Bearmageddon and Axe Cop on a weekly basis in the next couple months.  I'll make an official announcment once I have a better idea of what is going on.  See you next week! 

Also, don't miss last night's CHOP CAST!

Ethan

I know I am blogging on an off day, but if you are one of the weirdos who does not follow Axe Cop on Facebook or Twitter I did not want you to miss this!  ComicsAlliance.com got an exclusive preview of Axe Cop.  There's like 6 pages here!  That's like 6 weeks worth of Axe Cop in one day!

CLICK:

The full first issue hits comic store shevles on March 2.  If you live near Seattle we will be at Emerald City Comic Con that weekend selling and signing copies!  You can also order it right now HERE!

Ethan

Really Axe Cop, no time for love? What about your pal Sockarang?  Does he have time for love?  Let's find out…

This can only mean drama in upcoming episodes.  Only one female any of the characters will give the time of day and Sockarang has won her heart.  What I appreciate about this comic is how limitless potions for killing usually are, but potions for romance are very limited… you get a quick hug and kiss and then POOF it's over.  The technology for potions that aid in romance is pretty far behind the potion for turning a massive army of zombies into good guys, or making a bad guy into a giant who dies.

I want to let y'all know that there are still prints available in the store.  This is the anniversary print that features every character from the previous year.  Limited to 300 prints, signed and numbered.  They even come with a cool little chart that tells you all the characters.  Get them while they exist! 

And here is another video where someone made an Axe Cop character and recorded the game play.  This time in Fall Out: New Vegas.  Love the head chop at the end.

Also here is an interview along with some coverage of our Meltdown event at Things to do in LA.  I also had a great time giving my first lecture ever at Cal State Fullerton last Friday.  Thanks to everyone involved and who came out to see me.

Bad Guy Earth is SO CLOSE to being done.  Issue one hits shevles on March 2nd!  I can't wait!!  I sent my editor Shawna most of the pages of issue 3 yesterday and she was in hysterics.  Doug TenNapel has seen some of it and he calls it a “car wreck of human creativity” and I think that is a pretty good description. 

Ethan

The missiont to get to the Evil King Bad Guy Planet 2 is still underway… Axe Cop needs a chemist!

Chemist M… can you guess what the M stands for?

In other news, some awesome fan posted this video on YouTube:

Comics Alliance even did a story on this video.  I know there are a lot of us who would like to see an Axe Cop video game, but this guy is making it happen.  Seriously, if you want to see an Axe Cop video game, do this.  The game companies are watching, they see this stuff go up and they know that people are hungry.  Like this video, share this video, comment on this video, and post your own Axe Cop video game videos and send them to me.  Let the industry know we want Axe Cop the game! 

Also, don't miss the latest podcast and if you live in Souther California, come see me speak at Cal State Fullerton on Friday night.  It's free and open to the public.  This talk is geared more towards people trying to get into the industry, but I will be taking a lot of questions.  It should be pretty in depth, and hopefully a lot of fun.  It's my first “college lecture” ever.  I put that in quotes because it feels weird saying it as a man who never went to college. 

Ethan

We presented these moments at the Axeiversary Party in Los Angeles, but I wanted to put the official list here, and also mention a few moments I thought deserved it.  One amazing thing about Axe Cop is that there really isn't a consensus on the best moments.  It was very widespread and the ones that made it in the top ten were by no means unanimous.  The fact is, there are a lot of moments that a lot of people like, and it seems like we all have our favorite.  When I look at my favorite moments from the last year I look at the most pivotal moments that had the biggest effect on the comic, not just the funniest.  So, I will present them from 10th to 1st, and after I'll share some of the moments I picked that didn't make the list and why I think they should have.

I also feel like I should say up front that I write this stuff as a proud older brother.  None of this is to pat myself of on back.  I have watched this stuff unfold with as much excitement as any reader has.  I get the privilege of packaging it and presenting it, and that is a big job, but the substance of where the story goes never ceased to amaze me, and this whole endeavor has been totally fascinating to me.  I hope you do not read this list as self-aggrandizing, I feel like though I am on the creative side of Axe Cop, my unique position enables me to also be a big fan and not look too cocky.  Hopefully.

Hint: All of the images below can be clicked and enlarged and would make great desktop wallpapers.  Also… TONS of spoilers below.

TOP TEN AXE COP MOMENTS of 2010

(voted on by the fans)

#10:  We Should Put These Heads on a Stick and Hide Bombs in Them

I actually picked this moment as my number one.  Not because it is the funniest moment in the entire series, but because it was, to me, the moment we really found out who Axe Cop is.  He's crazy.  Most of the time when you read Axe Cop episode One this moment gets the biggest laugh.  To me, this is the moment that defines Axe Cop and once you read this line you know what you are in for… something totally insane and unpredictable.

#9:  The Always Shift

This has been a favorite Axe Cop quote from the beginning.  It's another example of Axe Cop's extreme commitment to his work.  I love that Malachai decided that Axe Cop actually hangs motivational posters in his kitchen. 

#8:  Our Gun Bill Is Really High

Most of the great moments of Axe Cop come from a conversation with Malachai where I am asking him questions.  He says they get a job, I ask where.  He says fruit stand, I ask why.  He says they need money, I say what for?  I tell him most people have to pay bills of some sort.  What bills do Axe Cop and dinosaur soldier pay?  He says they have a high gun bill.

#7: Abraham Lincoln: Explosion God

One of the most bizarre Ask Axe Cop episodes came from the question “did you ever shake hands with Abe Lincoln”.  Malachai's response was “no Axe Cop tried to marry her” and I said “Abe Lincoln is a man” and Malachai said “oh, well Axe Cop thought he was a girl so he tried to marry him.”  We went from there.  Axe Cop attempting to marry Abe Lincoln is not on the list, but I think it deserves mention here next to the moment it led to, which is when Abraham Lincoln used all the power of God to put a bomb in every bad guy so that he could change his sexual orientation and marry Axe Cop.

Ah the sweet random innocence of a child.

#6: Axe Cop Destroys the Xmas Monster Planet

One of the great surprise endings we all should have seen coming a mile away, but most of us got caught up in the Christmas spirit of the moment.  Sure Axe Cop blesses the Xmas Monsters with gifts for Christmas… full of bombs.  No mercy for the wicked, even on Christmas.

#5: Baby Man Chases a Duck

Yep.  After the initial Axe Cop tidal wave, Malachai hit a dry spell for a while and I decided one day to draw Baby Man chasing a duck.  It really went no where until Malachai caught wind of it and added his own twist: it shoots exploding eggs, and Baby Man is trying to eat it so he can gain its powers.  This was sort of a cat and mouse chase which I learned doesn't work extremely well in web comics because it moves so slow, hardly anything happens on each page and then you wait and wait to get to the end.  I think now that this is in book form the chase reads much more smoothly and fast like it was intended.  It is one of the craziest sequences I have ever drawn.

#4: The Old Fashioned Way That Nobody Knows

I admit I am surprised this one made it so high on the list, but it is one of those hilarious yet obscure lines that just sums up the confidence and ignorance wrapped up in the character of Axe Cop.  He is totally bold, even when he says something totally contradictory.  It turns out that the old fashioned way that nobody knows is to start your whole gang on fire and burn your opponent with fire power.

#3: Axe Cop Accidentally Kills a Good Guy

I consider this one of the greatest moments of Axe Cop because it proved to all the nay-sayers that Axe Cop, though written by a 5 year old, could develop as a character.  When Malachai wrote this, it sort of happened by accident.  He didn't realize he had written a sad story until he got to the part where Axe Cop killed a good guy and the only option was for him to cry.  So hilarious, so sad, so touching.  One of my favorite all time moments.

#2:  The Introduction of Wexter

This moment definitely deserves this spot.  I remember the day I posted this episode the internet when wild.  Wexter remains probably the favorite character of the Axe Cop universe.  He is the essence of awesomeness, childhood fantasies and total manliness.  I think it was the creation of Wexter that really got Malachai into Axe Cop too.  The Axe Cop character was sort of made up by accident.  Wexter was purely Malachai welding his power as a new comic creator.   He is Malachai's dream pet.

#1:  World Peace or New Costumes

I was surprised this made first place, though it is one of the funniest moments for sure.  Malachai had actually decided that the Sea Ghost would give the Moon Warriors a prize that would make it so no one ever had to fight again (basically world peace).  But later on he decided they got new costumes.  I reminded him he had already decided that the Sea Ghost was supposed to grant them world peace and he said that it gives them two choices.  They pick the new costumes.  The new costumes were inspired by some dollar store ninja toys I bought for Malachai.  When he saw them he decided they Moon Warriors needed a new look.

And now for a few honorable mentions I think deserve some recognition…

Uni-Baby

This was the beginning of Axe Cop's strange relationship with babies.  The cuteness, and violence of a baby with a unicorn horn used as an explosive device used to lob at bad guys is so iconic of the cute and insane world of Axe Cop.

I Pray For the Sharks

This episode came out of an actual prayer Malachai wanted to pray after a discussion on sharks.  Even the last panel.  We weren't even talking about Axe Cop at the time but it was so perfect I used it.  It remains one of my favorites.

Uni Man Gets Super Powerful

An amazing moment.  The once wussy, push over Uni-Man gets fed up, and he makes the ultimate wish: the get super smart.  Intelligence of course causes unicorn horns to sprout out of your body and he becomes a uni-porcupine.  He proceeds to send projectile unicorn horns sailing into every bad guy, including Satan and all his ships and soldiers.

Meanwhile, Inside a Nearby Swordfish

Totally random.  I remember asking Malachai where the Vampire Man Baby Kid is in this scene and he just says “inside a swordfish”.  OK… awesome.

the Fighting Zoo

Similar to the mermaid story, but definitely a memorable moment, Axe Cop once again kills an innocent creature.  This time, it was an elephant.  Woops.  I still hope that someday Axe Cop does visit the fighting zoo, because it sounds awesome.

And lastly…

Axe Cop Marries Sockarang

I really felt like this moment deserved to be in the top ten because it was one of those moments that was not just hilarious, cute, bizarre and horrifying all at once, but it was one of those “raw humanity” moments where Malachai without realizing it says something very true about human relationships.  He doesn't want to spend the rest of his life with some girl, he wants to spend it with his best friend.  It's the lucky ones who find someone who is both. 

Well, that's that.  Onto year two!!  Thanks for sticking around, sharing the link, spreading the word and buying the stuff.  You make this possible, and it's a lot of fun. 

Ethan

Today's guest episode comes from Sear McGowan, who you may remember having done another guest episode where Book Cop tells a story.  In this episode Sean actually gets a child to do the writing.  He even stole the sound effect “Udder Cup!” which is how Malachai pronounces “Upper Cut” that I mentioned in a tweet a while back.  I still want to use that someday. 

And now here is a video I put together that captures the entire inking, gray toning, and lettering process of Ask Axe Cop #51.  I recorded all this for use in Eric Branscum's film Asking Axe Cop, but he didn't end up using any of it, so I decided to make it into it's own little video.  I wish I had recorded the rough pencil stage too but you get most of the process here beyond writing and penciling.  I draw in Manga Studio EX, gray tone is Photoshop CS4, and letter in InDesign CS4.

If you happened to watch the footage of our Meltdown event on Thursday you probably sort of already experienced this episode of Ask Axe Cop.  This is a special episode because my buddy Eric Branscum filmed the whole process and made a short documentary of it called “Asking Axe Cop”.  I think it may be more fun to watch the video before you read the actual episode, so I'll post the video here first:

And, not that you need it now, but here is the episode:

So we can add to the list of Axe Cop's questionable practices:  reanmation and slavery.  I like that he justifies the slavery by killing the bad guys first, sort of as if they are reborn into a new life of Axe Cop slavery.  I also like that he feeds them fruit and vitamins, but for some reason they shrink.  There is a lot to like in this episode.  The tiny robotic bugs, again, something normally bad guy would use, but Axe Cop remains the most thorough and relentless crime fighter in history and unleashes hordes of tiny robotic insects who seek out bad guys to poison. 
Why didn't Bat Man ever think of that?

Well, I have one more guest episode for tomorrow from my buddy Sean McGowan.  Thanks to everyone who contributed, it's been a fun couple of weeks.  See you tomorrow!

Ethan

One of the most commonly asked questions is will Axe Cop have any girls on his team.  The answer is now here…

I am pretty sure that this is the stance taken by 99% of 6 year old boys.  Sorry girls, you just aren't good fighters.  And with that, what little female fanbase Axe Cop had has now disappeared.  At least Axe Cop makes an exceptionfor the Best Fairy Ever.  He is ok with girls being on his team as long as they are tiny and live in a TV set.

I know I keep reminding you guys, but that Anniversary Screen Print is still for sale.  I only printed 300 of them, and only 200 are available in the online store.  They are signed and numbered and they feature every character to show up in the first year of Axe Cop.  I couldn't be happier with how they turned out.  They are a true must-have for any Axe Cop fan.

ETC was at the Axe Cop event last Thursday in Los Angeles at Meltdown Comics and they interviewed Malachai and I.  Malachai was about as hyper as he has ever been:

You can actually watch our entire live presentation on video as filmed by Axe Cop fan Paul Auerbach at the event on youtube!

Well, tomorrow I will be releasing a new Ask Axe Cop.  It will be the one in Eric Branscum's short documentary on the creative process of an Ask Axe Cop episode titled “Asking Axe Cop”.  Both the episode and the video will be released tomorrow.  See you then!!

Ethan

Hey, if you haven't got yours yet, there are only 300 of these, signed & numbered 2-color screen prints of every character in Axe Cop this year!:

I am having Topatoco handle the shipping on these this time, but they are all signed, so go buy one!! This is a slice of Axe History!!

Speaking of Axe History, today, another guest episode.  Probably the longest one ever made.  Nik Houser put some work into this thing and he calls it “the Origin of the Axe”!

He also did this… (click to enlarge)

Tomorrow I'll be posting a new episode of Bat Warthog Man Can't Find His Friend, and I promise it will be one episode we will never forget.  Can't wait to post it!

Ethan