Shock rock band GWAR are in the midst of one of their busiest summers to date. Even without a GWAR-B-Q on the horizon, they just finished up taking part in the Vans Warped Tour (and making their mark by killing members of Silverstein, Stick To Your Guns and American Authors). Additionally, the band is ready to release new album in October of 2017 – the first with Berserker Blothar as lead vocalist – and the band’s new comic book series is hot off the presses. Issue #1 of the book is titled GWAR: Orgasmageddon and it was released in June and issue #2 was released in July. Those who have purchased both issues and anxiously await more are in luck; the series will include two more issues slated for release this year.
The comic was co-written by the band and Matt Miner with artwork from Jonathan Brandon Sawyer. GWAR: Orgasmageddon is a time travel story that shows how GWAR is responsible for many of the major turning points in world history. The book begins with the group being banished to Earth by a cold character named Mr. Perfect during a time in the past.
According to the GWAR creation myth, after being banished to the “insignificant” planet of Earth they had sex with apes, thus creating humans. The story follows them as they continue to shape human history into what it is today and even features an entire splash page with Kurt Cobain’s exploding head. Not only is the book riddled with signature GWAR violence, humor and grotesqueness, it also briefly touches on a serious matter. In one portion, former lead singer Oderus Urungus (played by Dave Brockie until his death in 2014) is killed by Mr. Perfect.
According to Matt Miner, combining all these aspects into one comic series was “a fun challenge.” “[You] kind of have to balance the violence and the humor with the story,” Miner elaborated. “The story isn’t that complicated. The real thing that I watch for is the balance of the grossness and the humor so that it doesn’t become just gross and it doesn’t become just one big fart joke.”
Regarding the numerous exploding and severed heads in the book he added, “I don’t know that too much violence is a thing. I think it’s just a matter of being told with a wink and a smile and not taking it too seriously. It kind of counter balances the grossness and the absurdity.”
Longtime GWAR nemesis Sawborg Destructo (Matt Maguire) was not afraid to hold back when describing the collaboration with Miner. “Aw man, that pathetic human?” said Destructo. “I mean, just look at him.” He did admit that the creation of the comic book could be a good thing for humanity. “No, you know he did a good job,” said Destructo. “He’s getting the comic out there so people can read the story of GWAR. That’s good because the more people that know about GWAR the better. Then they can learn that they are pathetic humans that can get in line so we don’t have to track them down to kill everybody on this planet.” Bassist Beefcake The Mighty (Jamison Land) interjected, “I think he’s a sissy.”
“That’s funny,” Miner said, responding to the insults. “Working with Matt Maguire is great but working with Sawborg Destructo is a little challenging. First we had to run a Kickstarter campaign to fund all of the art and production while he had me and the artist Jonathon tied up in a basement. He was torturing us trying to stop the production of these comics, so it doesn’t surprise me that they would call me a pathetic human. GWAR hates all humanity, so it’s okay.” How would Miner rate the torture inflicted by the members of GWAR? “3 out of 10” the writer claimed, firing an insult back at his cosmic overlords. “He needs to step up his game. If Jonathon and I can get away from him then anybody can.”
GWAR is also working on their new album titled The Blood of Gods, their follow-up to 2013’s release Battle Maximus. Set for release this fall via Metal Blade Records, it will be their first with Berserker Blothar taking on the lead vocalist duties following the death of Dave Brockie (Oderus Urungus). “Well you know as far as I can tell it’s very hard to take over from what Oderus did,” said Sawborg Destructo, giving his stamp of approval on the new vocalist. “But Blothar has done an admiral job on this new record and it’s going to melt your faces off.” Beefcake added, “And he’s really good at sloppy seconds so I think he’s perfect for what we’re doing right now.”
According to Beefcake the album title was his idea. “I think it has to do with when I cut myself shaving the other day I thought ‘Hey, Blood of Gods.’ That’s a good name for the album,” he said. He went on adding that he has to “shave with a lawn mower, so every now and then I nick myself.”
This summer was the legendary band’s first-ever appearance at the punk rock institution that is Warped Tour. However, Beefcake recalled spending some time at the Warped Tour: “I went trying to pick up underage kids once. But they shooed me away.” Now that the Vans Warped Tour has wrapped up, GWAR will continue playing shows on their just-announced Fall 2017 tour with He Is Legend, Ghoul and Doyle.
Featured Image Photo Credit: Sharon Alagna
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