Various web sites have picke up on the information that Turf, the prohibition-era mash-up of gangsters, vampires and aliens written by TV presenter Jonathan Ross and drawn by Tommy Lee Edwards for Image Comics may be headed to the big screen.
IVC2.com and Scoop both follow up on UK news stories, initially from papers such as The Guardian earlier this month, that the mini series could be movie-bound, directed by Kick-Ass and Stardust director Matthew Vaughn.
“Both Kick-Ass and Stardust were co-scripted by Vaughn and Ross’s wife, Jane Goldman,” notes Scoop, “so there’s a connection there that only the government could miss.”
The first issue – which has already sold out and gone to a second printing – opens in New York, 1929. The height of prohibition. The cops turn a blind eye while the mobs run the city, dealing in guns, girls and illegal liquor. But the arrival of the mysterious Dragonmir Family from Eastern Europe with more of a taste for blood than booze coincides with a series of brutal attacks on the gangsters themselves.
As the gangs fall before the fangs, only handful of mobsters survive. But an unlikely alliance formed between tough guy Eddie Falco and a character from a long way from New York City – a long way from Earth in fact – offers the humans a glimmer of hope…
“What Turf is about – in my head, anyway – is connection,” Ross has revealed. “It’s about a life not being worth living unless you have people around you and connect. It’s about not following your basest instincts, not following urges or ambition. It’s about saying family’s important, other people are important.
“One of the characters, Susie, is initially an ambitious young journalist who wants to make a name for herself. And then she comes to realise all of her ambitions mean nothing, because actually, you know, deep down all the things we achieve or acquire via work are ultimately unimportant.”
• Buy Turf from Forbidden Planet (.com)
The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
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