With the release of Mine is a Long, Lonesome Grave from Oni Press on the 12th of February, we are delighted to be joined by writer Justin Jordan. Justin has written numerous comics, including The Strange Talent of Luther Strode, Superboy, Deathstroke, Team 7, Deep State, Spread, Dead Body Road, Dark Gods, Savage Things, Breaklands and Reaver.
Hi Justin, It is so wonderful to have you here with us.
Thanks for having me!
Could you please introduce yourself to our readers?
Sure! I’m Justin Jordan, and I write comics. I broke into the industry with The Strange Talent of Luther Strode over at Image, and I’m probably best known for that and Spread, although I’ve worked for almost literally everyone.
Could you tell us about the origins of Mine is a Long, Lonesome Grave?
It started, actually, when Hunter Gorinson mentioned a podcast to me. It was about a guy who thought he got cursed and basically lost his mind about it, and that led pretty naturally to: what if he was right? And a violent criminal. (Hunter Gorinson is the Publisher of Oni Press)
Who is Harley Creed?
A man with a long dark past. Most of which he doesn’t regret, but the bits he does regret make up for it. He gets cursed (or at least, thinks he does) for something he did a long time ago, and has to kill his way to the person who did it before the curse kills him.
What made Chris Shehan the right artist for Mine is a Long, Lonesome Grave?
Well, Chris is amazing. We looked at a couple artists, all of whom were awesome, but Chris’ work just hit that dark, noir vibe we wanted for it. And Chris has knocked it out of the park on the actual book.
Can you tell us about the world that Mine is a Long, Lonesome Grave is set in?
It’s set in rural Appalachia, which is where I’m from and a place we don’t see much of in fiction. It’s Justified, which is amazing, and Winter’s Bone, and that’s about it. Like much of the Appalachians, Briar Falls, the town LLG takes place in, is long past its prime, a little place locked out of the world and circling the drain.Â
How did Chris Shehan, Alessandro Santoro, Micah Myers and Oni Press get involved with Mine is a Long, Lonesome Grave?
Well, since Hunter was at least partly responsible for the book happening and he’s the…er….president of Oni? You know, I’m not sure of his actual title. But anyway, it seemed only right to do it there. (Hunter Gorinson is the Publisher of Oni Press)
Who is Zeke?
Zeke is the shadowy leader of the Weaver crime family or at least, what’s left of the Weaver crime family. Harley and him have a long and complicated history that’s just now coming to a boil.Â
What has it been like working with Chris Shehan, Alessandro Santoro, Micah Myers and Oni Press?
Amazing. Everyone is really hitting on all cylinders with this, and I was able to get exactly the team I wanted, which is a credit to Oni Press.
How long have you been working on Mine is a Long, Lonesome Grave?
About a year, I think. Although since time is broken, I could be wrong.Â
How would you describe Mine is a Long, Lonesome Grave?
Hillbilly John Wick is usually my go to. But the longer version is that it’s about a bad man who tried to do one good thing and now has to kill his way through an entire town to try and survive.Â
Can you tell us what other projects you are currently working on?
I’ve got Zero Ghost’s second half coming out later this year, and Urban Animal is wrapping its five year run up over at Webtoons. Beyond that, I’ve got…ah…six other things greenlit that I can’t talk about.
I stay busy.
Any message for the ComicBuzz readers?
I just wanted to thank you for reading this interview and I hope they give Mine Is A Long Lonesome Grave a shot. I think we’ve made something pretty special and I hope people dig it.Â
We would like to say a big thank you to Justin for chatting with us and wish him the best of luck with the release of Mine is a Long, Lonesome Grave.