This week sees the release of the trade paperback collection of Aliens Vs. Parker. The comic comes from the comedic minds of Paul Scheer and Nick Giovannetti and published by BOOM! Studios. You might know Scheer best from his work on FX Networks’ The League, Adult Swim’s NTSF:SD:SUV::.
Game over! Set in the not so distant future, a group of Space-Ex employees spend their days doing what they always do: loading and unloading cargo all over the universe and playing video games. That is, until they have to deliver a “classified” package to the most dangerous planet in the galaxy. The rag-tag team of slackers, malcontents, and gamers must put all their skills (or lack thereof) to the test if they want to survive.
Scheer and Giovannetti took time out of their schedules to discuss the sci-fi action comedy series and what’s next for the two. If you’re a fan of Shaun of the Dead and alien farts, head to your shop and pick up a copy which hits shelves this Wednesday, February 5.
Graphic Policy: So where did the idea for Aliens Vs. Parker come from?
Paul Scheer: From a dude named Stan. He sold the idea for a can of beans and one of those singing big mouth bass novelty plaques.
Nick Giovannetti: We both loved hybrid comedies like Ghostbusters and wanted to try and take a stab at it ourselves.
GP: Nick and Paul, how did you come together to write the series?
NG: The answer we normally give is that we share the same manager, but the truth is we were both well known authors in the cryptozoological erotica world. We met at a big foot convention where we were both researching how to 69 a big foot. We hit it off and the rest is history.
PS: Yeah and if you decode the book properly, you’ll be able to find Big Foot and kill him.
GP: Paul, you’re mostly known as an actor, but you’ve also written a lot of episodes for the various series you’ve acted on. Is there a difference between writing for live comedy as opposed to a comic?
PS: Well I’ve been lucky to create a lot of the shows I’ve done namely Human Giant and NTSF:SD:SUV:: so it’s the same idea, you just try to take the right idea and do it in the medium that gives you the least amount of pushback. This idea for instance was originally a script and we liked transitioning it into a graphic novel mini series because we felt like we could execute the world and characters properly without limitations. Which is rare.
GP: Nick, you consider yourself a “renowned dick joke futurist,” and the comic has a “big” one. In both your opinions, what goes into a good dick joke?
NG: In my defense I tried to be a regular futurist but the science community wouldn’t have me. As for what makes a good dick joke, I don’t think there is a set thing. It’s just a joke with more colorful language.
PS: You always have to make sure to cradle the balls and stroke the shaft.
GP: Which is scarier, the aliens in this comic, or the fact that lolcats are still a thing in deep space?
NG: Cats will out live us all. The Egyptians knew this. They were one of the firsts to embrace lolcats.
PS: Yeah I believed they were found in King Tuts tomb.
GP: There’s lots of debate as to where the aliens actually come from. That’s never quite answered. Did you purposely leave that hanging? Do you think that those types of reveals some times ruin the story and in the end it doesn’t matter?
PS: Yeah that was kind of our thinking, as far as our characters are concerned it’s really not important to know why or how these aliens popped up — all the need to know is that they are here and they need to get away…Whose to say they are even aliens, they could be animals….
NG: I think it’s more fun when you don’t know, but with that said we did have to cut out a few scenes where we might have tipped our hand a little more.
PS: Oh yeah we had a scene in a science officer’s quarters that explained it a bit more, but I’m glad it’s cut.
GP: The last we saw him Grey was tied up. Hints as to what happened to him?
NG: Much like Scheer’s character in Piranha 3D he was supposed to die, but we had to cut the scene so he will possibly return with Ving Rhames for the sequel. Is that too inside? Did people watch Piranha 3DD?
PS: Ha! I make Nick reference my award winning film work at least once in every interview…We had a pretty spectacular death for him but in the interest of revisiting these characters and this world, we didn’t want to tie up everything…Plus BOOM! only gave us 110 pages!
GP: The NTSF: SD: SUV:: San Diego Comic-Con comic is included in this collection. Might we see more comics of the series?
PS: I’d actually love to continue the series as a comic. We could do all the ideas we could never afford to make on the actual show. Now we just need to get someone to finance it. I’m starting a Kickstarter to fund my idea for a Kickstarter campaign to finance this book.
GP: This series ended with a bit of a cliffhanger. Might we expect a second volume?
PS: Yeah we’ve bounced around a few ideas but I’d love to try something completely different.
NG: Maybe. We love the characters, so it’s possible.
GP: What can we expect next from you two?
NG: Squatching and maybe trying to figure out how to 69 the Loch Ness monster for a new book.
PS: Fashion Modeling, plus I have a new series I’m producing called Hotwives of Orlando that will debut on Hulu in April plus a comedy special with Rob Huebel that will be available somewhere but I can’t announce exactly when/where just yet. Also Season 6 of The League will be on FXX next fall.
