Preview of Malignant Bullet + Q&A with Jesse DeStasio

Jesse DeStasio is preparing to release Malignant Bullet as a full-colored comicbook featuring both Issues #1 and #2 in a single issue. We previously featured the ashcan edition of Issue #1 - which was made available at Toy Street (which I now also own, courtesy of the generosity of Rob Losito). Check out a small sample of colored preview pages posted here today, along with words from Jesse himself! (Do note that artwork pages shown here might not be sequential and reveal the whole story.)


TOYSREVIL: What is the story of Malignant Bullet? bring us thru the happenings and tell us why should folks buy it? And how can folks buy it?

JESSE DESTASIO: Malignant Bullet follows two former soldiers Rex Ganon and Vaughn Von Braughn who've taken jobs as battlefield custodians (or private military contractors who go into hot zones to recover lost gear). Rex is reluctant for battle and doesn't want to hurt anyone, while Vaughn is a bit of a wild card and seems to be looking for trouble. They are the Jungian archetypes of Riggs and Murtaugh.


JESSE DESTASIO: Folks should buy it because it's like that scene in a movie where the girl says she is going to slip into something more comfortable (only in comic book form). There will be a small run of full color copies available on my site www.jessedestasio.com within the next month or so.


TOYSREVIL: Was it always the plan to release both issues #1-2 as a complete book, since you released Issue #1 as an ashcan at Toy Street? Why is that so? (Do pardon my ignorance, as I know what an "ashcan" edition is supposed to do in the first place lol)

JESSE DESTASIO: Parts 1 + 2 represent the first half of the story. The entire arch will be either an additional 2 parts (roughly one comic book issue each) or 3 parts. I released the ashcan back at Toystreet for the simple fact it was ready and easy to do.

I don't have an official time line for this story nor a release or deadline planned. It's as leisurely a pursuit as projects get for me and I don't want to impose bigger restrictions on it. I want the book to work for me, I don't want to work for the book.


TOYSREVIL: Who are the creators of Malignant Bullet? And what have they done before?

JESSE DESTASIO: Malignant Bullet was created by myself and Matthew Bandle. I've had the character of Rex Ganon in my brain my whole life and he was constantly scribbled in the margins of my notebooks when I should've been paying attention in class. Eventually I manufactured an action figure of him with the help of Plan B Toys.


JESSE DESTASIO: Bandle and I grew up together, but where I went off into the toy industry and then the film industry, he joined the Marines and essentially became the idea behind Rex Ganon. We reconnected a few years ago and started fleshing out this idea which revolved into Malignant Bullet. Having his military expertise behind my creative ideas really galvanized the story.

As for what we've done before, we used to draw and sell comic books in our middle school cafeteria, so I figure that gives us as much experience as you need to write a comic book.