Chuck Brown first came to my attention when he, along with David F. Walker & Sanford Greene, launched BITTER ROOT last year. It quickly became one of my favorite comics. But he's also written books at Marvel, such as The Punisher and Black Panther.
Next month, February, is gonna be a big month. Not only do we see the return of BITTER ROOT, but Chuck is also launching his new book ON THE STUMP. The minute I saw that cover for it I knew I had to get the lowdown on it. Chuck was kind enough to answer a few questions for me to share with you guys.
Hope you enjoy!
COMIC LOUNGE: Hey Chuck, first off let's talk about your new book On the Stump. Can you tell us a little about the premise?
CHUCK BROWN: History diverged in 1868 when a pivotal presidential debate turned violent. Today, elections are decided by highly publicized hand-to-hand combat in arenas called Stumps. Unfortunately, the violence doesn't end in the ring, and powerful people can still get away with murder. Senator Jack Hammer and FBI Agent Anna Bell Lister are teaming up to bring it all down.
COMIC LOUNGE: Having elections decide by combat is really interesting. Where did this idea come from?
BROWN: Pro wrestling and politics are kind of similar. Two sides bickering over policy, ideology, and theatrocracy. All the while we the people stand by as spectators cheering them on. It’s not hard to imagine a world where physical combat decides elections.
COMIC LOUNGE: With the current political climate of the country, how much does it influence your writing for the book?
BROWN: It was a big impact. I always thought politics was nuts but as I watched the news from 2016 to now things just kept getting stranger. I kept thinking about how much weirder can it get? Then OTS was born.
COMIC LOUNGE: How long has the idea for this book been cooking in your mind?
BROWN: It was around 2015. Right around the time, the pollical climate began to shift.
COMIC LOUNGE: What made you decide that now was the perfect time for this book?
BROWN: I think the country needs this story. I want people to get lost in this insane world I’ve dreamed up. Then I want them to realize the insanity is a reflection of our society.
COMIC LOUNGE: Is this gonna be ongoing? Or do you have an endgame in mind?
BROWN: The book is ongoing. Although I do have an idea about how it all ends.
COMIC LOUNGE: Ok let's move on to Bitter Root, which is returning the same month (February) as On the Stump is debuting. Can you tell us a little about this new arc?
BROWN: In this arch we explore Dr. Sylvester's origins and how his past will affect the Sangeryes in a major way. I can’t really say more than that.
COMIC LOUNGE: With the book being so critically acclaimed, how rewarding was it for you guys to see so many people gravitate towards it?
BROWN: I’m really happy that Bitter Root means so much to the readers. It’s not the acclaim we seek but to tell a good story and hopefully reach people.
COMIC LOUNGE: Any update on the film adaptation?
BROWN: Legendary Pictures and the producers Ryan Coogler & Zinzi Evans are hard at work to bring the book to life. They are all big fans of the book and are eager to put Bitter Root on the big screen.
COMIC LUONGE: What books are you currently reading?
BROWN: I’ve been reading a lot of Hickman’s X-men. He’s doing a lot awesome stuff and I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes. I’m also reading March, Excellence, Hot Lunch Special and some research articles and books about Maroons.
COMIC LOUNGE: Lastly is there any other projects you're working on that you can talk about it?
BROWN: I have a book of short stories that I’ve been working on. I hope to get those out into the world by the end of 2020.
I’m writing and developing two comic proprieties and I plan announcing at least one of this year.
On the Stump #1, Bitter Root #6, and my Wolverine story in Marvel Voices #1 all drop in February 2020!
That's it guys! Make sure you hit up your LCS and pick up BITTER ROOT #6 & ON THE STUMP #1 both of which come out February 19th.