Mr. T and Me: News

Meet Chris Bunting, Writer Of “Mr. T,” The New Comic From APComics

Welcome to the first interview done by the staff here at Mr. T and Me. Chris Bunting contacted us back in February to let us know that he’s writing the new Mr. T comic for APC. Chris was nice enough to answer a few questions about the comic. (Once we finally get our hands on one of these books, we’ll be sure to post a review!) Thanks go out to Chris and APComics for giving us a heads up about the comic and for spending some time answering our questions.

Mr. T and Me: How did APC decide that the world was ready for a new Mr. T comic book? It had seemed that this idea had kind of gone and went with the NOW comics Mr. T and the T Force. How is this comic series going to differ from the NOW series?

Chris Bunting: You know what, I think it was the other way around, and that the world decided it was ready! The real-life Mr. T, and the Mr. T comic book, have real social relevance. The time is right for the return of this icon.

You see all these celebrities who act so fake for the press and even undergo physical changes via surgery it’s disturbing. It even spreads into something as magical as music, where there’s these fake bands who split up the moment that they get the opportunity. Then along comes Mr. T, this genuine guy who’s completely no-nonsense and has a real heart of gold.

The Mr. T comic is going to be very modern and explosive, and tap in to the world today. But at the same time, you’ll have ‘trademark’ Mr. T, as we’re not trying to reinvent him or anything stupid. Fans won’t be disappointed!

M and M: Did Mr. T come to you guys or did you go to him with the idea? How did he respond to it? How much input does he have in the series?

CB: I’m a huge Mr. T fan, so as a professional comic book writer, what was a better idea than a Mr. T comic book? I approached publisher APComics with it, and that’s how it all came about.

Mr. T’s response has been fantastic, and he even took the promo story to show his daughter. I couldn’t feel much more honored than that!

He is also Creative Supervisor for the entire series, which means that he has huge input. He makes sure that the Mr. T comic is of the highest quality and that everything’s on track.

And launching on Mr. T’s actual birthday (21st May) is a nice touch I think.

M and M: Are there any plans on doing an animated series based on the comic?

CB: We’d love to. It’s certainly not something to be ruled out, as APComics have a lot of ties to the animation business. And I tell you what, if we do a cartoon, I’ll be writing it!

M and M: Apart from the May 21st premier in the UK, will T be doing any US appearances?

CB: It’s very likely indeed. We have a lot being arranged as we speak, as well as to be arranged, so keep checking the official AP Comics website for the latest info.

We have a special sneak peek launch of Mr. T at the UK Comics Expo in Bristol, 13-15th May 2005. Plus, we’re hoping to have Mr. T join us for the superb San Diego Comic-Con on July 13-17th 2005. That would be amazing, and we’ll even be having exclusive Comic-Con versions of the Mr. T comic!

M and M: Have you thought about doing a Mr. T action figure based on the series?

CB: I’m constantly involved in that very issue, but you know what? You’re the first to ask me about it! I love action figures, love ‘em, and I know everybody involved in the Mr. T comic wants to do it. But it’s not something you rush into at the first offer. We need someone who’ll really do a good job on a Mr. T action figure, and capture him perfectly. Stay tuned!

M and M: You mention that you have been getting a lot of exciting fan mail in regards to the Mr. T comic. What are the fans saying? What kind of questions are they asking?

CB: Well, if I tell you that we’ll have nothing left for the letters page that’ll appear in the back of every issue of Mr. T! All the creative team, including Mr. T, will be on hand to answer fan’s questions!

As Mr. T is such a hugely popular figure, one very frequent request is that we handle the comic book to the utmost of our abilities and really do it and Mr. T justice. My reply to them is that we’ll do even better than that! Expect one awesome read come the launch of Mr. T on May 21 2005!

Mr. T - ADDITIONAL DETAILS / INFO:

Mr. T: Ongoing / 22-Page / Full Color. Published Monthly By Apcomics.
WRITER: Chris Bunting ARTIST: Neil Edwards
INKER: Randy Emberlin COLORIST: Don Mackinnon
CREATIVE SUPERVISOR: Mr. T
Mr. T #1 SHIPPING IN: May 2005 – Released Worldwide 21 May 2005 (To Coincide With Mr. T’s Birthday)
APC PREVIEW COMIC (WITH EXCLUSIVE MR. T STORY) SHIPPING IN: Late April 2005
APC WEBSITE: www.apcomics.com
APC DEDICATED MR. T PAGE: www.apcomics.com/mrtpage.htm
CHRIS BUNTING’S PERSONAL WEBSITE: www.writing.me.uk