October 25, 2007

Snaked with Meth & Dayglo
by Rik Offenberger

While his name may be better known to industry insiders than it is to many comics buyers, Cliff Meth has been a part of comics for years, working with many of the masters of the craft. This December, Meth will join with artist Rufus Dayglo on Snaked, a ”noir horror story with political overtones.” The story follows one Bill Timmons a man who has snake-like abilities – with all the pluses and minuses that brings. Meth first developed the story with Dave Cockrum, and we spoke with the writer for more about the new project.

Newsarama: Let’s start at the beginning Cliff - who is Bill Timmons?

Cliff Meth: Bill Timmons is an honest, educated, well-read, hard-working accountant who is naïve enough to believe that people are what they pretend to be. He doesn’t realize, until it’s too late, that his wife is being unfaithful, that his friends aren’t really his friends, and that working for politicians during an election year will involve far more than attention to one’s work. So Bill receives a new education at the school of hard knocks and wakes up somewhat dysfunctioned in a world where everyone—and I mean everyone—is a bit of a snake, metaphorically speaking. Unfortunately for the people who screw him, Timmons is the genuine article. By that I mean Timmons is authentically snake-like; not dishonest or conniving or scheming or slick or wily… but physically snake-like.

NRAMA: Is he literally a snake?

CM: Timmons is most certainly a man, but he’s a man who must shed his skin from time to time. And he’s rather fast. And he can swallow your whole head if your head isn’t too ridiculously large. I think he’d have a hard time swallowing Rush Limbaugh’s head but we haven’t had to deal with that yet.

NRAMA: Has he had these abilities since birth?

CM: Yes. And not arbitrarily. I’m afraid I can’t reveal the source of his abilities yet, but it’s clever and I dare say unique. All I can reveal to you at this point is that he wasn’t bitten by a radioactive snake. Or a radioactive Republican. But you’re getting warmer.

NRAMA: When he sheds his skin, how is he different?

CM: It’s quite like you and I feel after being constipated all day long and finally being able to deliver the punch line. Well, maybe you don’t have that problem but when you reach my age… Let’s just say he feels a bit cleaner and relieved. Imagine suddenly having to deal with that—literally itching to climb out of your own skin. The poor chap has to roll about on the floor and rub up against things just to get the skin to loosen. It’s quite embarrassing, I would think.

NRAMA: Rufus, it sounds like there are emotional and nearly…spiritual elements tied up in a shedding. How do you handle the transformation?

Rufus Dayglo: Well, I've just finished the first issue where we start to see the suggestions of Timmons true character… I'd like it to be a suggestive story, like in my favorite old horror films, where horror is suggested as opposed to slapping you round the face. I'm looking forward though to some selective grotesque moments!

NRAMA: You are primarily known for your work on 2000 AD's Judge Dredd, how did you get involved with Snaked?

RD: I've been doing a few projects with Ashley Wood, Metal Gear Solid, Doomed, and Tank Girl, and Ashley discussed a new project for me with Ted Adams at San Diego Comic-Con, head of IDW, and Ted put me forward for Snaked. It's great doing a monthly book, as you've got 22 pages, as opposed to the shorter UK weekly strips. The story jumps around in the timeline, and location, so it's a bit like drawing a jigsaw... great fun!

NRAMA: Let’s expand on that a little – what can you do in the 22 pages that it’s more difficult to do in a strip?

RD: Again, there's a bit more scope for characterization in a monthly book, and I've had the opportunity to experiment with a looser style, and I've also colored the first issue myself, which was a blast. It's a bubonic blend of Horror, action and intrigue, and will definitely appeal to 2000 AD readers sensibilities for the darker things in life... and death.

NRAMA: How did Ash Wood end up doing the covers?

CM: I asked Ash because I'm a huge fan of his work. It's always brilliant, artistic and emotional.

NRAMA: Delving into the history a little Cliff, the character was featured in a text story in Aardwolf Comics #2 -- do readers need to know any back story for this mini-series?

CM: None whatsoever. That’s a collector’s item now, but it’s not integral to this story.

RD: Reading the script was like watching someone doing a very clever card trick... The way he tells the story in flashbacks and vignettes, piecing it all together. You don't know how he's doing it… or where he's taking you.

NRAMA: Is the new series just an expansion of the original story?

CM: The original story was a rudimentary basis for this series, but the five-part story arc in Snaked is far more intricate, with parallel story arcs and important supporting characters.

NRAMA: How does the political angle fit into the story?

CM: Timmons’ own story takes place against a backdrop of current historical events and how various politicos use these events to advance their own interests... I remember the day following George W. Bush’s victory in 2000, I said to my best friend, “If we have any sense, we’ll invest every dime we have in defense stocks.” That wasn’t a political statement; it wasn’t judgmental—it was just pragmatism speaking. Sadly, I’m neither that pragmatic nor that mercenary, but there was clear logic lurking beneath my comment; it was plain to me—and I’m sure too many others—that the U.S. government, under Bush, would increase defense spending. Fast-forward a short distance and we find ourselves ass deep in the War on Terror. No matter what your stance might be on that war, it is still clear that certain people profit and maneuver towards advantages, given this new reality. That, my friend, is the world of politics—the world in which Bill Timmons must navigate.

NRAMA: Is the story more political intrigue and horror, or more of an action and horror story?

CM: It is all of that. I think a comic book without action is rather dull.

NRAMA: Cliff, you have been working as a writer for more then 25 years, and you are known for a great number of projects both in and out of comics. However, you aren't known primarily as a comic book writer. Why is this project a monthly comic?

CM: I think most writers want to recreate, at some level, the works that impressed them most when they were growing up and making the decision to become a writer; we want to play in the same arena. I remember marking my calendar (I think it was my Marvel Calendar) so I’d know when the next part of the Avengers vs. Defenders series was coming out… Or the anticipation I had for each part of Captain America #153-#156 by Steve Englehart. The comics I enjoyed most as a boy were the cliff hangers, so that’s what I wanted to create—a page turner that builds with each issue and gives you something to look forward to each month. If Snaked didn’t live up to that promise, I wouldn’t have bothered.

NRAMA: Do you have plans to adapt Snaked into a screenplay?

CM: Yes. Of course. Ted Adams and I have high hopes for this project... But for now, I want to deliver a great comic book--the kind I'd have looked forward to as a kid.

NRAMA: What happens to Bill Timmons after issue #5? Are there plans for Snaked II?

CM: Oh, Bill Timmons isn’t going anywhere. The truth is the speed with which we’ll see a sequel will depend upon how well the first five-part series does. But to play it safe, I’ve already started plotting it. For a pessimist, I like to think positive.

NRAMA: How about you Rufus, will you be working on Snaked II as well?

RD: I certainly hope so... or I'll have to get all reptilian on ya...