Welcome to another installment of “The Secret Ingredient of Chew” where we talk to the creative team behind the hit Image Comic series Chew.  This month we talk about the first part of the second story arc International Flavor.   

The Comic Addiction: So we jump into the second story arc with Tony getting a new, old partner.  John Colby is back.  Was this always part of the original plan?

JL: Always. I always thought it was funny that people assumed Tony and Colby hate each other, because there was a line in #1 where they said exactly that. Thing is, nobody who hated each other would ever talk like that, so it was misdirection. Chu and Colby are more like a somewhat dysfunctional couple that constantly bickers, but ultimately have each other’s back.

The Comic Addiction: In your description of Colby you mention that he is a good cop.  Based on our early introduction of Colby I pictured him more of a slacker instead of a dedicated police officer.  Is that just a front he puts up or is there some truth to the “slacker” persona?  

JL: I don’t think it's a contradiction to do both. Colby is a cop who cuts corners, but gets results and has good instincts.

The Comic Addiction: Is it safe to assume that Colby is the person that Tony was talking to in the hospital bed back in issue #3? 

JL: Safe to say, yes. Now the truth can be told!

The Comic Addiction: What can you tell us about all of Colby’s upgrades?

JL: Nothing beyond what is presented in issue #6, and discussed in #8.

The Comic Addiction: I think I bring this up just about every time but I feel compelled to consistently ask this question, what is up with Applebee?  We know he hates Tony but does he hate everyone?

JL: Applebee is an asshole! I know plenty of people just like him. He does not need a reason!

The Comic Addiction: I am sure this is a hard one to answer but how do you come up with the dialogue for Tony and Colby’s conversations?  Do you just hang out at a local bar and listen to people talk because it is so funny and real.    

JL: No, in fact, I hate that type of writing. I have some writer friends who listen to conversations and jot down stuff they here, and then it ends up showing up in comic after comic of theirs. Or, we're having a conversation and somebody says something clever and they say, “oh, that’s good, I’m gonna use that in my upcoming issue of XXXX.” I’m the opposite. The dialogue comes very organically, on the spot as I write it. If anything,  when I come up with something I think is clever, I use it in conversation afterwards, not the other way around.

I do write dialogue before almost anything else, though, as I pace out an issue. I write the dialogue, break it into panels, and go in and write panel descriptions last.

The Comic Addiction: In this issue Colby decides that he and Tony are going to solve the case with good old police detective skills.  Has Tony started to rely on his powers too much and will we see him trying to get away from eating so many nasty things?   

JL: If anything, Tony has a lot more nastiness in his immediate future. Eating gross stuff is going to me more and more of a reality in his life.

The Comic Addiction: It was nice to see D-Bear again.  I love the little details that Guillory puts in each page.  So D-Bear likes to read “Booty Mag”.  Does Rob tell you about all of the little details he puts in each page or do you just catch them during the lettering process? 

JL: I find ‘em as Rob does them. I love them. Finding the stuff he adds is a real treat, but I usually don’t see it until I get the high rez files when I am doing production, so it is like discovering the pages all over again.

The Comic Addiction: Speaking of D-Bear, is there a connection between the villainous characters that we have seen to this point?  Are we going to have an “ah-ha” moment in the near future and see an overriding master plot or anything? 

JL: Sorta. Some surprises are in store for D-Bear, that is for sure. But not EVERYTHING is connected.

The Comic Addiction: The supposed fruit that we see in the start of the issue, is this the same thing the man with the funny little hat was trying to show Amelia Mintz a few issues back? 

JL: Yep.

The Comic Addiction: Can you tell us any more about the fruit?  Is it man made or natural?

JL: See issues #7, #8, #9, #10. 

The Comic Addiction: Will we be seeing Savoy or Amelia anytime in the near future? 

JL: Yes. One sooner than another.

The Comic Addiction: Several issues back I mentioned to you that with the exception of Tony’s abilities this book seemed to be grounded in reality.  Apparently I spoke too soon because since that point we have seen aliens, vampire loving Russian chics, and now a bionic Robocop.  Do you have any more jaw dropping awesomeness planned for us?

JL: I said that? I guess sometimes I need to take a step back and look at Chew. I’m living so close to it is ceases to be weird—which I guess is a little scary. 

The Comic Addiction: The first trade will be out at the same time as issue #6.  Will there be any extras in the trade? 

JL: Not really. We did not have a lot of time or spare pages, plus at a $9.99 we needed to keep costs down, so it’s basically just the five issues down and dirty. We’ll have a more deluxe edition in the future, ideally an oversized hardcover with the first ten issues.

The Comic Addiction: I also understand that there is going to be a hardcover releases after the second story arc.  Can you give us any details about that or is it too soon?  

JL: Is pretty soon, but we’re following the publishing plan of The Walking Dead and Invincible, at least wherever feasible, so it will probably be similar in content and presentation to those hardcovers.

The Comic Addiction: So in one word, how would you describe the next issue? 

JL: Er, #6, or #7? #6, compared to the heavy issue #5, is sitcom-light. #7 things start getting darker, and more surprising, with the introduction of a new MAJOR character.

The Comic Addiction: As always thanks for taking the time to sit down and give us some behind the scenes information on the book.  If anyone is hungry for more Chew you can go to www.chewcomic.com.  Additionally you can check out Rob’s site at www.robguillory.com and John can be found at www.themightylayman.com.  Check us out again next month when we try to figure out if it is a fruit, a vegetable or if it just tastes like chicken.