1 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:17,140 Zack Beins: Good morning Tromaville, 2 00:00:17,380 --> 00:00:22,060 Zack Beins: and welcome to another episode of Talkin' Troma with your host me, 3 00:00:23,100 --> 00:00:27,560 Zack Beins: Zack Beins, the show where we have all the four-color news that's fit to print, 4 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:32,380 Zack Beins: especially if it's coming from our good friends at Troma. 5 00:00:33,060 --> 00:00:34,960 Zack Beins: Today we have a very special guest. 6 00:00:35,140 --> 00:00:36,740 Zack Beins: We bring you Matt Bors. 7 00:00:37,380 --> 00:00:40,380 Zack Beins: He's the author of "The Toxic Avenger", "Toxic Crusaders," 8 00:00:40,380 --> 00:00:44,180 Zack Beins: and the forthcoming "Toxic Avenger vs. The Noxious Offender" 9 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:45,800 Zack Beins: from Ahoy Comics. 10 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:48,800 Zack Beins: Toxie vs. Noxie number one 11 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:52,480 Zack Beins: lands in stores October 7th, 2026. 12 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:56,460 Zack Beins: I'm personally a fan of this new run of Toxie Comics. 13 00:00:56,520 --> 00:01:00,420 Zack Beins: They're super funny, and Matt totally gets the humor 14 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:03,640 Zack Beins: of Troma and Toxy in these comics, 15 00:01:03,700 --> 00:01:06,860 Zack Beins: and it's nice seeing all the characters that we love, 16 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:09,340 Zack Beins: but just in new stories, 'cause let's face it, 17 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:12,720 Zack Beins: it takes a long time for a Toxic Avenger movie to come out. 18 00:01:13,100 --> 00:01:16,580 Zack Beins: Summer of 2000, but we don't have to wait that long 19 00:01:16,740 --> 00:01:19,520 Zack Beins: for new Toxic Avenger stories from Ahoy Comics. 20 00:01:20,380 --> 00:01:24,540 Zack Beins: Chris Lanphear, producer and co-host extraordinaire, 21 00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:29,940 Zack Beins: brings us a new exclusive interview with Matt Bors, 22 00:01:30,420 --> 00:01:32,780 Zack Beins: and we're gonna find out more about 23 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:35,480 Zack Beins: this new run of Toxie Comics. 24 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:39,520 Zack Beins: So on that note, let's listen. 25 00:01:42,380 --> 00:01:44,620 Chris: Hello, friends, Chris here for Talkin' Troma. 26 00:01:44,860 --> 00:01:48,420 Chris: I am here once again with the man, the myth, the legend, 27 00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:52,240 Chris: Matt Bors, the writer of the recent 28 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:58,360 Chris: Toxic Avenger, Toxic Crusaders, and coming soon to your local comic book store, the Toxic 29 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:05,040 Chris: Avenger vs. Noxious Offender series, all of which from Ohoi Comics and the latest of which 30 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:06,780 Chris: is available for pre-order now. 31 00:02:07,420 --> 00:02:11,660 Chris: Go to your local comic book shop and pre-order Toxic Avenger vs. Noxious Offender. 32 00:02:12,140 --> 00:02:12,960 Chris: Matt, how are you? 33 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:14,040 Matt Bors: Hey, good. 34 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:15,460 Matt Bors: Thanks for having me back on, man. 35 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:17,140 Matt Bors: It's good to be here. 36 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:18,340 Chris: Yeah, absolutely. 37 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:24,980 Chris: You're playing a lot in the Toxie sandbox recently with the new series coming out and 38 00:02:25,100 --> 00:02:27,460 Chris: the two previous series under your belt. 39 00:02:28,060 --> 00:02:33,600 Chris: Can you talk a little bit about the response and reception that you've gotten to Toxie 40 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:34,040 Chris: so far? 41 00:02:34,460 --> 00:02:35,440 Matt Bors: Yeah, it's been good. 42 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:42,140 Matt Bors: We're doing some different stuff and I wasn't sure exactly how it would be received, but 43 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:44,960 Matt Bors: I mean everybody seems to love it. 44 00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:49,140 Matt Bors: We have the Toxic Crusaders series with Tristan Wright. 45 00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:55,680 Matt Bors: That is sort of like - it takes place in the same universe as our Toxie run. 46 00:02:55,800 --> 00:03:01,560 Matt Bors: So, it's different than the cartoon, you know, it's very adult violent, more in line with 47 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:02,360 Matt Bors: the movie. 48 00:03:02,700 --> 00:03:09,020 Matt Bors: So, I like doing those versions of the character and then in the comic book, we know we're 49 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:09,880 Matt Bors: doing crazy stuff. 50 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:14,879 Matt Bors: We just wrapped up an arc where Toxie went - it's called Toxie Goes to Washington where 51 00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:22,280 Matt Bors: We went to Washington, D.C. to pass environmental legislation to better our toxic waste-filled 52 00:03:22,380 --> 00:03:22,760 Matt Bors: country. 53 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:29,940 Matt Bors: And of course, some heads exploded and some people died, and the Senate got blown up in 54 00:03:29,940 --> 00:03:31,820 Matt Bors: a nuclear explosion, amongst other things. 55 00:03:33,359 --> 00:03:36,200 Matt Bors: And now we're going to do The Noxious Offender. 56 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:41,720 Chris: What made you want to take on The Noxious Offender as your next series? 57 00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:49,440 Matt Bors: So to me, and I don't know what they were all influenced by while writing it, but I 58 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:52,980 Matt Bors: mean I have to imagine, it came out in 2000, the movie. 59 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:54,200 Matt Bors: Right, Citizen Toxie. 60 00:03:54,620 --> 00:04:01,680 Matt Bors: Yeah, so this idea of the dark universe counterpart, I mean it's a tried and true comic book trope, 61 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:02,100 Matt Bors: right? 62 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:06,340 Matt Bors: We've seen it, if you read comic books, you've seen this a hundred times. 63 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:11,200 Matt Bors: So the temptation was to try to do something with it 64 00:04:11,740 --> 00:04:15,080 Matt Bors: a little different and something that played into 65 00:04:15,940 --> 00:04:18,880 Matt Bors: the storyline we're telling in the comic books. 66 00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:23,980 Matt Bors: So to me, it was like what did I have to say 67 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:27,060 Matt Bors: about this toxic Avenger that him having an evil version 68 00:04:28,380 --> 00:04:30,020 Matt Bors: would play well with? 69 00:04:30,180 --> 00:04:33,779 Matt Bors: So what's going on in the story is that 70 00:04:33,780 --> 00:04:41,360 Matt Bors: At the end of the Washington's arc, Toxie and Yvonne are going to have a kid. 71 00:04:41,500 --> 00:04:44,400 Matt Bors: She's pregnant with a lovely mutant fetus. 72 00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:53,040 Matt Bors: Now this new series is really about them becoming parents, which was present in the movie too. 73 00:04:54,090 --> 00:05:00,360 Matt Bors: She was controversially pregnant in the movie, through controversial methods I guess. 74 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:02,700 Matt Bors: There's no Kabuki man here. 75 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:09,420 Matt Bors: doing things differently but Noxie's there and so that plays into this. 76 00:05:09,480 --> 00:05:17,760 Matt Bors: It's like the Noxie, the different version of Toxie is not going to be a dad nor is he 77 00:05:17,780 --> 00:05:20,320 Matt Bors: wear a tutu nor is he a nice guy. 78 00:05:20,780 --> 00:05:27,980 Matt Bors: He basically reacted to his bullying a lot differently and became a school shooter before 79 00:05:28,540 --> 00:05:29,360 Matt Bors: he became a mutant. 80 00:05:29,620 --> 00:05:33,940 Matt Bors: So he becomes a school shooter and then he goes to lay down on the train tracks to die 81 00:05:34,500 --> 00:05:41,340 Matt Bors: and that's when the toxic train derailment, the train full of toxic waste hits him, which 82 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:44,520 Matt Bors: is the origin story in the comic book of R-Toxi. 83 00:05:45,300 --> 00:05:50,840 Matt Bors: So they come from different universes and a lot of it has, their differences have to 84 00:05:50,840 --> 00:05:52,120 Matt Bors: do with parenting. 85 00:05:52,500 --> 00:06:01,140 Matt Bors: So this is like where the Washington arc was more political, this is more personal. 86 00:06:01,150 --> 00:06:03,180 Matt Bors: It's about the characters on the character level. 87 00:06:03,420 --> 00:06:09,640 Matt Bors: So like Miss Junko plays a big part in it and Toxy's long lost dad shows up kind of 88 00:06:09,840 --> 00:06:10,320 Matt Bors: mysteriously. 89 00:06:11,100 --> 00:06:17,579 Matt Bors: So I'm doing a lot about like parenting and how those choices affect people and like Toxy 90 00:06:17,580 --> 00:06:23,760 Matt Bors: wrestling with, you know, how can he be a dad? Can he be a good dad? That type of thing. 91 00:06:24,560 --> 00:06:29,900 Chris: That's one of the things I love most about the comic series that you've done so far is 92 00:06:30,020 --> 00:06:36,820 Chris: that you take the seed thought that is in these stories that come from either the movies 93 00:06:36,880 --> 00:06:44,459 Chris: or the cartoon series and expand upon it to probably make it much more meaningful than 94 00:06:44,460 --> 00:06:48,660 Chris: ever thought it was given in those previous iterations of the character. 95 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:56,880 Chris: So for example, for Noxie, I know the, when Troma made Citizen Toxie in 1999, the main 96 00:06:57,040 --> 00:07:03,600 Chris: impetus for having Noxie at all, for having the multiverse at all, was simply because 97 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:09,800 Chris: we would get fan mail at the office asking who would win in a fight, either Toxie or 98 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:10,900 Chris: Sergeant Kabuki Man. 99 00:07:11,300 --> 00:07:15,760 Chris: And the response was always that can't actually happen because they're both good guys. 100 00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:17,940 Chris: How do we make a bad Kabuki man? 101 00:07:18,320 --> 00:07:19,820 Chris: We have an alternate universe. 102 00:07:20,480 --> 00:07:22,000 Chris: And that's sort of where that came in. 103 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:27,640 Chris: So, Noxie was kind of a byproduct of that and we just sort of take for granted in that 104 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:29,400 Chris: film that Noxie exists. 105 00:07:29,520 --> 00:07:35,220 Chris: But here you give him a backstory, you give him some purpose, you explore a little bit 106 00:07:35,260 --> 00:07:40,380 Chris: of the nature versus nurture and how that creates people, especially during our like 107 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:41,900 Chris: formative younger years. 108 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:44,680 Chris: I find that really, really interesting. 109 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:45,880 Matt Bors: Yeah. 110 00:07:46,300 --> 00:07:53,340 Matt Bors: And I think part of it is, and to be clear, there's a lot of silliness and humor and violence 111 00:07:53,380 --> 00:07:54,800 Matt Bors: and gross stuff happening as well. 112 00:07:56,120 --> 00:08:02,880 Matt Bors: But I try to introduce some serious themes to it in part because it's like, well, we're 113 00:08:02,900 --> 00:08:03,780 Matt Bors: doing a fun comic book. 114 00:08:03,830 --> 00:08:05,080 Matt Bors: I mean, we're not trying to make this tedious. 115 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:11,980 Matt Bors: But I think it's easy to sort of make a two-hour movie and you make it fun and it's two hours 116 00:08:12,020 --> 00:08:12,580 Matt Bors: in with it. 117 00:08:12,680 --> 00:08:15,620 Matt Bors: But you know, we're asking people to read a comic book series month after month. 118 00:08:15,700 --> 00:08:22,420 Matt Bors: At this point, we're going to be close to 30 issues I think by the end of this series 119 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:26,280 Matt Bors: and the idea is we have some more plans after that that we hopefully do. 120 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:30,640 Matt Bors: So you know, to me it's like well, if you're writing a character for that long, you're 121 00:08:30,640 --> 00:08:34,860 Matt Bors: asking people to pay attention to these characters and their stories for that long, you have 122 00:08:34,760 --> 00:08:37,780 Matt Bors: to sort of imbue it with a little more substance. 123 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:38,860 Chris: Absolutely. 124 00:08:39,200 --> 00:08:44,219 Chris: And you talk about how this new series is, you know, part of what you're talking about 125 00:08:44,260 --> 00:08:48,660 Chris: is Toxie grappling with becoming a father and how that's going to affect him. 126 00:08:49,520 --> 00:08:50,600 Chris: You're a father as well. 127 00:08:50,940 --> 00:08:57,000 Chris: Is there anything you're saying about Toxie's grasp with fatherhood that you perhaps grappled 128 00:08:57,060 --> 00:08:58,060 Chris: with in your life? 129 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:05,000 Matt Bors: Yeah, you know, I am definitely pulling from, you know, some of my own thoughts and experiences 130 00:09:05,090 --> 00:09:05,760 Matt Bors: for this one. 131 00:09:05,940 --> 00:09:11,900 Matt Bors: I mean, when we start out in the first issue of this new series, they're in a clinic, I 132 00:09:11,900 --> 00:09:19,060 Matt Bors: think it's called the Trauma Baby Prego Clinic and the doctor looks very suspiciously like 133 00:09:19,100 --> 00:09:23,679 Matt Bors: Lloyd Kaufman and he's telling them, you know, he's doing the ultrasound and he's telling 134 00:09:23,680 --> 00:09:27,660 Matt Bors: him, "Your baby's irradiated, mutated." 135 00:09:27,760 --> 00:09:30,140 Matt Bors: Basically he's saying, "I wouldn't go for it." 136 00:09:30,460 --> 00:09:34,360 Matt Bors: And Yvonne's position is kind of like she wants to do it. 137 00:09:34,520 --> 00:09:36,560 Matt Bors: And they're young too. 138 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:38,460 Matt Bors: Like they're just out of high school. 139 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:43,760 Matt Bors: So like in the series, I'm treating it as if they're basically aging in real time. 140 00:09:43,920 --> 00:09:46,820 Matt Bors: So I would say they're like 20 in this series. 141 00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:55,340 Matt Bors: And I think Toxie's initial response is similar to a lot of young men when they find out their 142 00:09:55,380 --> 00:10:00,180 Matt Bors: girlfriend's pregnant, which is maybe not so sure that we have to commit to this, right? 143 00:10:00,820 --> 00:10:07,440 Matt Bors: And one of the things I am trying to get across I think is obviously it's less common for 144 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:10,640 Matt Bors: people to have kids young these days or even have kids at all. 145 00:10:12,080 --> 00:10:15,320 Matt Bors: that I know some of my friends from high school 146 00:10:15,500 --> 00:10:19,060 Matt Bors: did have kids right out of high school. 147 00:10:19,700 --> 00:10:22,440 Matt Bors: Funny enough, they're now my age, 148 00:10:22,880 --> 00:10:24,080 Matt Bors: I'm about to be 43, 149 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:26,300 Matt Bors: and they don't have any kids at home anymore, 150 00:10:26,520 --> 00:10:27,480 Matt Bors: so they're getting the, 151 00:10:28,220 --> 00:10:29,840 Matt Bors: they're on the other end of it now. 152 00:10:30,540 --> 00:10:32,060 Matt Bors: But I'm just trying to pull from that, 153 00:10:32,460 --> 00:10:33,780 Matt Bors: from their experiences, I guess, 154 00:10:33,780 --> 00:10:36,960 Matt Bors: to be like a young parent who chooses 155 00:10:37,100 --> 00:10:38,740 Matt Bors: to be a parent at a young age, 156 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:42,240 Matt Bors: which is I think increasingly rare. 157 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:48,520 Matt Bors: But Toxie and Yvonne are also like, they're not of the professional class. 158 00:10:48,660 --> 00:10:53,920 Matt Bors: They're not necessarily, like Toxie is a famous superhero in this world, but they're also 159 00:10:54,040 --> 00:10:55,120 Matt Bors: not wealthy people. 160 00:10:55,240 --> 00:10:58,000 Matt Bors: They're not really on some kind of like professional track. 161 00:10:58,140 --> 00:11:04,479 Matt Bors: And I think that there also is an idea I'm going for in this book where there's like 162 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:07,580 Matt Bors: sort of an environmental apocalypse, alien invasion, 163 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:10,160 Matt Bors: hanging over everything, is like, 164 00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:11,280 Matt Bors: why have a kid in this world? 165 00:11:11,400 --> 00:11:14,520 Matt Bors: Which is what a lot of people think about and talk about, 166 00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:17,460 Matt Bors: and a lot of my friends and people who have kids 167 00:11:17,500 --> 00:11:18,200 Matt Bors: and don't have kids. 168 00:11:18,500 --> 00:11:20,100 Matt Bors: And so that's kind of one of the things 169 00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:21,520 Matt Bors: that I want to bring out, is like, 170 00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:23,960 Matt Bors: yeah, why would you have a kid 171 00:11:23,960 --> 00:11:25,500 Matt Bors: if things are getting worse all the time, 172 00:11:25,580 --> 00:11:26,740 Matt Bors: or seemingly getting worse? 173 00:11:27,100 --> 00:11:31,420 Chris: That harkens back to the previous Toxic Crusaders series 174 00:11:31,620 --> 00:11:33,500 Chris: that you just wrapped the first volume up of, 175 00:11:34,100 --> 00:11:36,060 Chris: which is available now in trade paperback 176 00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:37,460 Chris: at your local comic book stores. 177 00:11:37,660 --> 00:11:38,900 Chris: And if you haven't read that, 178 00:11:39,340 --> 00:11:41,200 Chris: I don't understand what you're doing with your life 179 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:42,520 Chris: or why you're listening to this, 180 00:11:43,100 --> 00:11:47,080 Chris: because if you're digging what Matt has done with Toxie, 181 00:11:47,500 --> 00:11:49,880 Chris: you have to go back and look at 182 00:11:50,200 --> 00:11:51,600 Chris: what he's done with the Crusaders, 183 00:11:51,780 --> 00:11:54,260 Chris: giving them all backstories, giving them all purpose, 184 00:11:55,080 --> 00:11:56,980 Chris: expanding on the world of Smogula 185 00:11:57,200 --> 00:11:59,800 Chris: and the alien invasion that takes place in that series 186 00:12:00,340 --> 00:12:01,900 Chris: is wonderful, wonderful stuff. 187 00:12:02,020 --> 00:12:07,740 Chris: And really, you know, the previous Toxic Avenger, 188 00:12:07,780 --> 00:12:10,380 Chris: Toxic Crusader series that were done by Marvel 189 00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:15,060 Chris: 30 years ago were little more than tie-in opportunities. 190 00:12:15,360 --> 00:12:18,520 Chris: I don't think that the writers who were working on that, 191 00:12:18,700 --> 00:12:20,280 Chris: which, you know, who did good work, 192 00:12:20,720 --> 00:12:22,380 Chris: I don't think they were plotting out 193 00:12:22,700 --> 00:12:24,540 Chris: long-term storylines for these things. 194 00:12:24,820 --> 00:12:29,220 Chris: It was a mandate of, hey, we have this licensing tie-in, 195 00:12:29,540 --> 00:12:32,400 Chris: I need eight issues by next week kind of a thing. 196 00:12:33,300 --> 00:12:40,360 Chris: Um, but having talked with you, you have been ruminating on these ideas for years now. 197 00:12:40,860 --> 00:12:41,040 Matt Bors: Yeah. 198 00:12:41,760 --> 00:12:46,600 Matt Bors: You know, I always sort of had it in my head that I would love to do something with 199 00:12:47,320 --> 00:12:48,760 Matt Bors: Toxic Avenger and the Toxic Crusaders. 200 00:12:49,390 --> 00:12:55,939 Matt Bors: And then, you know, in 2023, I think it was, I approached Lloyd at San Diego 201 00:12:56,020 --> 00:13:01,019 Matt Bors: Comic-con and sort of pitched this concept and it's all worked out and I mean I've I 202 00:13:01,680 --> 00:13:06,500 Matt Bors: Didn't have everything figured out at that time. But like like you said, I'm giving backstories to the characters 203 00:13:06,990 --> 00:13:13,780 Matt Bors: So the train spill that I mentioned is sort of like the origin for all the mutants in this world. So like no zone 204 00:13:14,700 --> 00:13:20,019 Matt Bors: Instead of being a pilot. He is the he is the train conductor. He was the guy running the train 205 00:13:20,740 --> 00:13:26,520 Matt Bors: Junkyard is a homeless woman with her dog that gets merged together. That's near the train tracks 206 00:13:26,920 --> 00:13:33,620 Matt Bors: Bonehead is his bully that was chasing him, but then this would be a spoiler for the verse first volume 207 00:13:33,620 --> 00:13:37,520 Matt Bors: But he kills bonehead and then his mom actually becomes 208 00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:44,060 Matt Bors: Obsessed then and vengeful and she mutates herself and becomes like a new bonehead 209 00:13:44,510 --> 00:13:46,319 Matt Bors: And so we have this female bonehead 210 00:13:46,320 --> 00:13:51,580 Matt Bors: that's like the mom of the bully that bullied Toxie who Toxie killed and 211 00:13:52,220 --> 00:13:59,920 Matt Bors: she she's like his like Red Skull to Captain America or you know, like his arch-nemesis and 212 00:14:00,580 --> 00:14:03,180 Matt Bors: She is even in this new series with the noxious offender 213 00:14:03,380 --> 00:14:09,120 Matt Bors: She'll play a decent role like so and then I'm pulling the these themes of parenting are 214 00:14:10,390 --> 00:14:12,119 Matt Bors: you know present here because 215 00:14:12,120 --> 00:14:16,640 Matt Bors: she hates toxic Avenger because he killed her son and 216 00:14:18,140 --> 00:14:25,360 Matt Bors: Then Noxie, you know also dealt with her son in the other dimension. So I love playing with this stuff 217 00:14:27,380 --> 00:14:32,880 Chris: It's so cool, yeah having having bone mom emerge as as a new threat 218 00:14:33,300 --> 00:14:37,200 Chris: I'm gonna call her bone mom. I like that the way that sounds you can have that for free 219 00:14:37,230 --> 00:14:39,559 Matt Bors: All right. Well have somebody call her bone mom in the comment 220 00:14:40,840 --> 00:14:49,060 Chris: Awesome, you know just talks about the the world in which they inhabit and the ways in which our decisions kind of like 221 00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:54,160 Chris: Follow us down the line. I think there's there's an interesting through line through that 222 00:14:55,020 --> 00:14:58,760 Chris: and you talked about I saw in another interview where 223 00:14:59,460 --> 00:15:04,300 Chris: Whereas toxic crusaders because of the background of the toxic waste spill 224 00:15:05,060 --> 00:15:08,680 Chris: Had a lot of political allegory going on and you know, sadly 225 00:15:08,400 --> 00:15:14,540 Chris: we're still dealing with much of that climate right now as you write this new series, but you also talked about how this is becoming 226 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:18,060 Chris: This series would focus on more personal issues 227 00:15:18,600 --> 00:15:24,640 Chris: You make Noxie a school shooter now in citizen Toxie. There is a school shooting that takes place 228 00:15:25,070 --> 00:15:29,940 Chris: But it's not related to how Toxie or Noxie become who they are 229 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:32,920 Chris: What made you want to go the route of the school shooter? 230 00:15:33,480 --> 00:15:39,960 Matt Bors: Well, you know obvious you say, you know, I say this and it doesn't sound like super appealing or funny 231 00:15:40,840 --> 00:15:47,240 Matt Bors: Stuff and we're not treating as such but we're also not it's it's not meant to be extremely 232 00:15:48,060 --> 00:15:51,660 Matt Bors: dour or nihilistic either, but I did want Toxie to be sort of like 233 00:15:53,600 --> 00:15:59,799 Matt Bors: Really nihilistic and not like like almost the exact opposite of toxic Avenger 234 00:15:59,800 --> 00:16:07,480 Matt Bors: So like his dress is even sort of modeled after the Columbine shooters. So which is you know as a 235 00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:13,100 Matt Bors: Elder millennial sort of that's like a touchstone for me. So they have he has like white shirt 236 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:14,280 Matt Bors: suspenders 237 00:16:15,380 --> 00:16:20,840 Matt Bors: He's got a ball cap on, you know, he looks a lot different than Toxie who's wearing a tutu 238 00:16:21,420 --> 00:16:23,720 Matt Bors: so I guess I guess I wanted to 239 00:16:24,540 --> 00:16:28,320 Matt Bors: pursue that because first of all, there's the the origin in the bullying and 240 00:16:29,320 --> 00:16:35,280 Matt Bors: that a fact of our modern age is like the mass shooter 241 00:16:35,340 --> 00:16:37,140 Matt Bors: and the school shooter, and a lot of these 242 00:16:37,300 --> 00:16:43,080 Matt Bors: very despondent, angry young men becoming shooters. 243 00:16:43,400 --> 00:16:47,080 Matt Bors: And that's sort of what I imagine would be 244 00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:53,720 Matt Bors: the darker origin of Toxie where he didn't have his mom 245 00:16:53,820 --> 00:16:55,880 Matt Bors: or he didn't have Yvonne or he didn't have 246 00:16:55,820 --> 00:17:00,680 Matt Bors: like these guideposts in his upbringing to make him into a good person. 247 00:17:01,130 --> 00:17:06,280 Chris: You can clearly see the influence in one of the promotional images of Noxie that you shared 248 00:17:06,540 --> 00:17:06,660 Chris: online. 249 00:17:07,350 --> 00:17:11,880 Chris: You see the backwards baseball cap and you see the white shirt, the black pants and the 250 00:17:11,900 --> 00:17:18,860 Chris: suspenders and as someone who grew up an hour away from where Columbine took place and was 251 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:24,900 Chris: in high school on that day, it definitely rings true to the kind of character that can 252 00:17:24,819 --> 00:17:30,400 Chris: And if I'm not mistaken, is there also an evil version of Blobby that he's got with him? 253 00:17:30,980 --> 00:17:34,380 Matt Bors: No, what you might be seeing is a head in a backpack. 254 00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:41,480 Chris: Okay. Yeah. Yeah, I I thought that might have been a an evil Blobby or a Nobby if you will. 255 00:17:41,840 --> 00:17:47,240 Matt Bors: No, that's a good idea. The Blobby is in this book because Blobby is sort of like 256 00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:54,800 Matt Bors: Toxie's sidekick. 257 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:57,020 Matt Bors: There isn't a dark version of Blobby. 258 00:17:57,700 --> 00:17:59,580 Matt Bors: There's too many different characters 259 00:17:59,720 --> 00:18:00,700 Matt Bors: being thrown around now. 260 00:18:00,760 --> 00:18:02,680 Matt Bors: I couldn't throw another one in. 261 00:18:02,740 --> 00:18:03,560 Matt Bors: That's a good idea though. 262 00:18:04,080 --> 00:18:05,640 Chris: We know this one's gonna be a smash 263 00:18:05,740 --> 00:18:07,160 Chris: just like the first two were a smash. 264 00:18:07,260 --> 00:18:10,460 Chris: So for series two, you can have that for free as well. 265 00:18:10,660 --> 00:18:11,060 Chris: That's good. 266 00:18:11,620 --> 00:18:13,540 Chris: And now the artists that you've worked with, 267 00:18:14,160 --> 00:18:16,400 Chris: within each series you worked with a different artist. 268 00:18:16,580 --> 00:18:17,860 Chris: Obviously you've had a lot of artists 269 00:18:18,060 --> 00:18:20,080 Chris: contributing different variant covers 270 00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:21,580 Chris: that have been super fun to see. 271 00:18:22,040 --> 00:18:24,800 Chris: but on the main series you worked with Fred Harper. 272 00:18:25,820 --> 00:18:29,520 Chris: On the Toxic Crusaders series you worked with, 273 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:30,620 Chris: remind me of the name? 274 00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:31,420 Matt Bors: Tristan Wright. 275 00:18:32,220 --> 00:18:32,960 Chris: Tristan Wright, thank you. 276 00:18:33,080 --> 00:18:34,640 Chris: And then this new series you're working with 277 00:18:35,140 --> 00:18:37,840 Chris: Felipe Sobrero, hopefully I'm saying that correctly. 278 00:18:38,120 --> 00:18:38,440 Chris: Yeah. 279 00:18:38,820 --> 00:18:42,060 Chris: So each series is kind of getting its own look. 280 00:18:42,380 --> 00:18:43,660 Chris: Can you talk a little bit about that? 281 00:18:44,160 --> 00:18:47,520 Matt Bors: Yeah, so I would say like Fred Harper is the main artist. 282 00:18:47,820 --> 00:18:49,960 Matt Bors: He's been on a couple volumes 283 00:18:49,960 --> 00:18:53,900 Matt Bors: And we were producing a couple different ones concurrently. 284 00:18:54,080 --> 00:18:57,840 Matt Bors: So he is working on something else 285 00:18:57,960 --> 00:18:59,240 Matt Bors: that we can't talk about right now, 286 00:18:59,480 --> 00:19:01,140 Matt Bors: but could be Toxic Avenger related. 287 00:19:01,899 --> 00:19:05,480 Matt Bors: And we had to tap in a new artist for this. 288 00:19:05,560 --> 00:19:08,100 Matt Bors: So Felipe has worked with Ahoy and myself before. 289 00:19:08,180 --> 00:19:12,320 Matt Bors: He's the colorist on my creator on series, Justice Warriors, 290 00:19:12,740 --> 00:19:15,160 Matt Bors: which I'll plug briefly, 291 00:19:15,460 --> 00:19:17,660 Matt Bors: people who like my Toxic Avenger stuff 292 00:19:17,660 --> 00:19:18,620 Matt Bors: and Troma should like it. 293 00:19:18,720 --> 00:19:22,060 Matt Bors: It's like a dystopian cop satire and future. 294 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:27,080 Matt Bors: It's kind of like if you take Judge Dredd and Robocop 295 00:19:27,180 --> 00:19:30,720 Matt Bors: and cranked him up on acid, that's what it would be. 296 00:19:31,820 --> 00:19:34,240 Matt Bors: So he's done, he's an artist in his own right. 297 00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:37,340 Matt Bors: And he, him and Tristan and Fred, 298 00:19:37,420 --> 00:19:38,340 Matt Bors: they all have different, 299 00:19:38,410 --> 00:19:40,140 Matt Bors: they definitely have different styles. 300 00:19:40,860 --> 00:19:44,200 Matt Bors: But they're all really good at gore and goop 301 00:19:44,320 --> 00:19:45,540 Matt Bors: and mutants and stuff. 302 00:19:45,680 --> 00:19:50,460 Matt Bors: And so I really like the work that Felipe is doing on this book. 303 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:56,660 Chris: Just seeing the handful of pieces I've seen from this series, it's going to be really 304 00:19:56,740 --> 00:20:01,520 Chris: interesting because yeah, we're getting deep and talking about heady stuff, but it's a 305 00:20:01,600 --> 00:20:03,500 Chris: Toxic Avenger story. 306 00:20:03,720 --> 00:20:07,820 Chris: You've got to have heads exploding and you've got to have body parts getting smashed and 307 00:20:07,860 --> 00:20:10,440 Chris: you've got to have the gore. 308 00:20:10,460 --> 00:20:14,880 Chris: And that's one of the things that's always been great just about the Toxic Avenger in 309 00:20:14,760 --> 00:20:22,060 Chris: general is that you get to talk about serious things without making it too serious by including 310 00:20:22,140 --> 00:20:29,160 Chris: all of these kind of wacky elements, the multiverse, the gore, the slapstick. 311 00:20:29,680 --> 00:20:33,180 Chris: The only way to be able to talk about some of this stuff is to make it fun, right? 312 00:20:33,820 --> 00:20:33,940 Matt Bors: Yeah. 313 00:20:34,130 --> 00:20:40,860 Matt Bors: I mean, and that's what I love about comic books is I sometimes do wish, not that comics 314 00:20:40,860 --> 00:20:43,400 Matt Bors: were more serious in the literary sense, 315 00:20:43,520 --> 00:20:46,020 Matt Bors: but like, you know, that I wish some of them 316 00:20:46,140 --> 00:20:47,740 Matt Bors: would tackle serious issues. 317 00:20:47,940 --> 00:20:51,380 Matt Bors: But I also really like the comic book-y myths, 318 00:20:52,120 --> 00:20:53,620 Matt Bors: if that's a term, of things. 319 00:20:53,740 --> 00:20:57,120 Matt Bors: I love playing with genre, I love gore and violence. 320 00:20:57,220 --> 00:21:00,860 Matt Bors: I mean, Justice Warriors is also a pretty ultra-violent book. 321 00:21:01,400 --> 00:21:03,240 Matt Bors: So, there's plenty of that. 322 00:21:03,900 --> 00:21:05,100 Matt Bors: I mean, I would say in a lot of ways, 323 00:21:05,180 --> 00:21:07,320 Matt Bors: this series is more violent 324 00:21:08,900 --> 00:21:10,480 Matt Bors: than some others that we've done, 325 00:21:12,060 --> 00:21:13,540 Matt Bors: especially because we do have, 326 00:21:14,820 --> 00:21:17,540 Matt Bors: I mean, we're not showing school shootings 327 00:21:17,740 --> 00:21:20,320 Matt Bors: and innocent people being gunned down 328 00:21:20,460 --> 00:21:21,960 Matt Bors: in a horrifically realistic way. 329 00:21:22,740 --> 00:21:25,500 Matt Bors: But we do have a lot of action 330 00:21:25,930 --> 00:21:28,700 Matt Bors: and there's a lot of different elements happening. 331 00:21:29,300 --> 00:21:32,580 Matt Bors: The Smogulan aliens are around still. 332 00:21:32,880 --> 00:21:34,380 Matt Bors: Noxie is killing people. 333 00:21:34,540 --> 00:21:36,600 Matt Bors: So Toxic Avenger, our Toxic Avenger, 334 00:21:37,260 --> 00:21:41,480 Matt Bors: He doesn't kill as liberally as he does in the movies. 335 00:21:42,450 --> 00:21:49,740 Matt Bors: He does kill people in self-defense, and he kills smogulans, and he's killed people before. 336 00:21:50,280 --> 00:21:53,540 Matt Bors: But he doesn't kill as wantonly as he does in the movies. 337 00:21:53,660 --> 00:22:01,320 Matt Bors: So Nazi has sort of allowed us to have a lot more violence where Nazi is the opposite, 338 00:22:01,520 --> 00:22:04,380 Matt Bors: and he just goes around kind of wrecking people. 339 00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:06,560 Matt Bors: So it's plenty violent. 340 00:22:07,220 --> 00:22:12,480 Chris: So what you're saying is that your comic, while being bloody and violent, is not going 341 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:18,660 Chris: to open with a school full of developmentally disabled children getting mowed down by a 342 00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:19,000 Chris: machine gun. 343 00:22:21,660 --> 00:22:22,240 Matt Bors: You're correct. 344 00:22:23,060 --> 00:22:30,340 Matt Bors: Although, don't be surprised if you one day see the Diaper Mafia pop up in the comic book. 345 00:22:32,880 --> 00:22:37,720 Chris: You know, that's always been something in the back of my mind going way back to when 346 00:22:37,720 --> 00:22:43,100 Chris: I saw the first like kind of fine cut of the movie thinking to myself, you know, there's 347 00:22:43,180 --> 00:22:47,260 Chris: got to be some kind of backstory as to why these people are the diaper mafia. 348 00:22:49,860 --> 00:22:57,020 Matt Bors: Well, all I'll say is that if Toxie, with Toxie having the baby, you know, the diaper 349 00:22:57,080 --> 00:23:00,000 Matt Bors: mafia contending with the diaper mafia can't be far behind. 350 00:23:00,560 --> 00:23:04,300 Chris: Speaking of contention, you have so much going on. 351 00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:06,840 Chris: You're working on these series. 352 00:23:07,460 --> 00:23:09,020 Chris: You've got other stuff in the works 353 00:23:09,120 --> 00:23:10,840 Chris: that has not been announced yet. 354 00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:12,460 Chris: You're writing a piece for the 355 00:23:12,580 --> 00:23:14,760 Chris: Attack of the Killer Tomatoes anthology. 356 00:23:15,140 --> 00:23:15,420 Chris: Oh yeah. 357 00:23:15,780 --> 00:23:17,580 Chris: That's coming out, which is really exciting. 358 00:23:18,460 --> 00:23:21,380 Chris: You just had a very successful Kickstarter 359 00:23:22,180 --> 00:23:23,960 Chris: for That One Matt Bors comic. 360 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:27,880 Chris: Can you talk about that for a moment 361 00:23:27,930 --> 00:23:29,560 Chris: and just kind of what brought that on? 362 00:23:29,740 --> 00:23:30,960 Chris: 'cause I just think that's fascinating. 363 00:23:31,120 --> 00:23:35,600 Matt Bors: Yeah, so for anyone who is not familiar with me, 364 00:23:35,630 --> 00:23:37,500 Matt Bors: which I suspect is plenty of people, 365 00:23:38,220 --> 00:23:42,180 Matt Bors: I used to be a political cartoonist for a long time 366 00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:44,960 Matt Bors: and I did a comic 10 years ago 367 00:23:45,780 --> 00:23:49,480 Matt Bors: that is known as Mr. Gotcha 368 00:23:49,820 --> 00:23:52,180 Matt Bors: or a lot of times the Matt Bors comic now. 369 00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:56,360 Matt Bors: So it's like you may have seen the peasant saying 370 00:23:56,360 --> 00:23:58,059 Matt Bors: we should improve society somewhat 371 00:23:58,060 --> 00:23:59,360 Matt Bors: and the guy pops out of the well, 372 00:23:59,820 --> 00:24:01,280 Matt Bors: yet you participate in society. 373 00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:03,520 Matt Bors: If you don't know what I'm talking about, that's fine. 374 00:24:03,800 --> 00:24:05,160 Matt Bors: It's used a lot online. 375 00:24:05,300 --> 00:24:07,200 Matt Bors: It's a very ubiquitous kind of meme. 376 00:24:07,780 --> 00:24:11,080 Matt Bors: And so this editor and publisher, Glenn Fleischman, 377 00:24:11,780 --> 00:24:13,980 Matt Bors: he got in touch about doing a book about it. 378 00:24:14,740 --> 00:24:16,780 Matt Bors: So in some ways, I'm kind of hesitant 379 00:24:17,180 --> 00:24:20,160 Matt Bors: to constantly be known by this comic. 380 00:24:20,300 --> 00:24:22,720 Matt Bors: You know, I wanna go on, write Justice Warriors 381 00:24:22,800 --> 00:24:24,020 Matt Bors: and Toxic Avenger and stuff. 382 00:24:24,180 --> 00:24:26,800 Matt Bors: But nevertheless, it's a very popular comic. 383 00:24:27,380 --> 00:24:31,880 Matt Bors: He wanted to do a whole book examining it, so there's like essays and comics by different 384 00:24:32,100 --> 00:24:33,760 Matt Bors: people about it. 385 00:24:35,040 --> 00:24:39,540 Matt Bors: And it's actually I think it's quite fascinating so that I agreed to be a part of it. 386 00:24:40,100 --> 00:24:46,220 Matt Bors: And so, that is coming out in the fall or the late fall. 387 00:24:46,230 --> 00:24:51,760 Matt Bors: I actually just today turned in my introduction where I sort of wrote about what it's like 388 00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:55,340 Matt Bors: have your work become a meme and have everybody be arguing about it for a decade. 389 00:24:56,540 --> 00:24:58,680 Matt Bors: And then you mentioned Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. 390 00:24:58,760 --> 00:24:59,240 Matt Bors: I loved that. 391 00:24:59,240 --> 00:25:08,460 Matt Bors: I just got in touch, I was introduced to them, Panic Entertainment at Comic-Con and you know, 392 00:25:08,870 --> 00:25:09,300 Matt Bors: why not? 393 00:25:09,360 --> 00:25:15,020 Matt Bors: I mean, it's just a short story, but I think it's fun doing these properties sometimes. 394 00:25:15,150 --> 00:25:20,300 Matt Bors: I have friends that are in like indie comics and art comics and they'd never lower themselves 395 00:25:21,600 --> 00:25:25,540 Matt Bors: to be doing Toxic Avenger and Killer Tomatoes comics, but I kind of love it. 396 00:25:25,580 --> 00:25:28,560 Matt Bors: I don't care. I love doing this type of stuff. 397 00:25:29,350 --> 00:25:33,500 Chris: If the toxic Avenger was good enough for Stan Lee, it should be good enough for anyone. 398 00:25:33,700 --> 00:25:34,900 Chris: Yeah. Right. Yeah. 399 00:25:35,360 --> 00:25:39,720 Chris: That's just phenomenal to see, because, you know, I'll admit, like before we met 400 00:25:39,820 --> 00:25:43,460 Chris: and before you were announced as the writer for Toxic Avenger initially, 401 00:25:44,500 --> 00:25:48,360 Chris: I wasn't too familiar with your work, but I didn't know a lot about, 402 00:25:48,720 --> 00:25:50,440 Chris: you know, some of the more indie comics. 403 00:25:50,600 --> 00:25:54,839 Chris: But just seeing the insane workload 404 00:25:55,140 --> 00:25:59,380 Chris: that you have. I suppose my question to that is when do you sleep? 405 00:25:59,800 --> 00:26:04,800 Matt Bors: Well, I got kids and I sleep, you know, a decent amount. I mean, I am busy, 406 00:26:05,080 --> 00:26:12,500 Matt Bors: but this is my full-time work too. So I'm lucky enough that I get to do this full-time. I mean, 407 00:26:12,600 --> 00:26:18,739 Matt Bors: right now I do have a full, a really full workload because we're doing a couple different projects 408 00:26:18,740 --> 00:26:25,720 Matt Bors: that I can't talk about and we are working on more Justice Warriors and I'm doing a few 409 00:26:25,780 --> 00:26:27,020 Matt Bors: things for this Kickstarter book. 410 00:26:27,340 --> 00:26:31,880 Matt Bors: It's a good year actually because it feels like with that comic, I never really made 411 00:26:32,060 --> 00:26:33,740 Matt Bors: I didn't make any money off it. 412 00:26:34,060 --> 00:26:38,100 Matt Bors: It just - when something is just popular online and people share it forever, you don't get 413 00:26:38,140 --> 00:26:38,660 Matt Bors: paid for that. 414 00:26:39,160 --> 00:26:43,140 Matt Bors: So, we did like signed prints and I'm getting paid from this book. 415 00:26:44,460 --> 00:26:47,800 Matt Bors: So that's nice, it feels like the fruits of my labor 416 00:26:48,040 --> 00:26:49,980 Matt Bors: are coming to fruit, whatever. 417 00:26:50,180 --> 00:26:51,940 Matt Bors: The tree of labor is bearing fruit. 418 00:26:52,280 --> 00:26:54,280 Matt Bors: And then with Toxie and Justice Warriors, 419 00:26:54,520 --> 00:26:58,540 Matt Bors: these are now turning into multi-year gigs 420 00:26:58,780 --> 00:27:00,840 Matt Bors: where I get to do multiple volumes of this stuff, 421 00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:03,320 Matt Bors: which is what I pitched from the jump. 422 00:27:03,420 --> 00:27:07,880 Matt Bors: So I'm really, like I came in to Toxic Avenger 423 00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:12,159 Matt Bors: with a plan to do a whole run that culminates 424 00:27:12,160 --> 00:27:17,080 Matt Bors: in the storyline that we're working on and it appears that I'm gonna get to do it all. 425 00:27:17,640 --> 00:27:24,560 Chris: And folks, if you want to keep Matt employed for the foreseeable future, go out and pre-order 426 00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:27,780 Chris: Toxic Avenger versus Noxious Offender number one. 427 00:27:27,780 --> 00:27:34,080 Chris: It is in stores October 7th, but you should get your pre-order in as soon as possible 428 00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:40,740 Chris: because that is how comic book shops gauge interest in terms of pre-ordering books ahead 429 00:27:40,740 --> 00:27:41,500 Chris: of street date. 430 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:46,880 Chris: So, the more people that pre-order it, the more copies they will order to make available 431 00:27:47,060 --> 00:27:50,040 Chris: for other people who pick them up after the on-sale date. 432 00:27:50,640 --> 00:27:53,500 Chris: So, it's really, really important that people get those pre-orders in. 433 00:27:53,660 --> 00:27:54,240 Matt Bors: Yeah, that's correct. 434 00:27:54,660 --> 00:27:57,860 Matt Bors: Pre-orders before September 7th. 435 00:27:58,540 --> 00:28:03,920 Matt Bors: You know, shops may have it in stock obviously when it's out, but pre-order is the way that 436 00:28:03,960 --> 00:28:05,580 Matt Bors: you guarantee that you get a copy. 437 00:28:06,240 --> 00:28:12,200 Matt Bors: And then this fall, various dates, I don't have them at the top of my head but September, 438 00:28:12,460 --> 00:28:19,520 Matt Bors: October, we're seeing the Toxic Crusaders trade and Toxie Goes to Washington comes out 439 00:28:19,540 --> 00:28:20,380 Matt Bors: and trade paperback. 440 00:28:20,500 --> 00:28:25,380 Matt Bors: So, those are the things that you can order online, order on any bookstore, any comic 441 00:28:25,480 --> 00:28:31,680 Matt Bors: shop without having to pre-order necessarily and it's a good way to get caught up on the 442 00:28:31,780 --> 00:28:32,000 Matt Bors: run. 443 00:28:32,680 --> 00:28:37,580 Matt Bors: four or five volumes of Toxic Avenger before the end of the year. 444 00:28:38,160 --> 00:28:43,500 Chris: Which is really, really exciting. Yeah, I think Toxic Crusaders trade was either just 445 00:28:43,560 --> 00:28:48,540 Chris: released or is about to be released. Toxic Avenger volume one is out now and then the 446 00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:51,760 Chris: you also did the Toxic Avenger teams up. 447 00:28:52,240 --> 00:28:52,500 Chris: Yes. 448 00:28:52,640 --> 00:28:59,319 Chris: Kind of one shot series and that's being collected into a trade as well. Like there is such a 449 00:28:59,320 --> 00:29:02,600 Chris: crazy amount of Toxic Avenger stuff available. 450 00:29:02,720 --> 00:29:03,300 Chris: I love it. 451 00:29:04,660 --> 00:29:04,960 Chris: Yeah. 452 00:29:05,280 --> 00:29:06,660 Chris: It's very funny. All with your name on it. 453 00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:07,920 Matt Bors: Yeah, it's funny, man. 454 00:29:07,960 --> 00:29:09,200 Matt Bors: You know, it's like I had this idea 455 00:29:09,340 --> 00:29:11,980 Matt Bors: and then now it's become a years long thing 456 00:29:12,020 --> 00:29:15,780 Matt Bors: and the Toxic Avenger is a huge focus of my work 457 00:29:15,820 --> 00:29:19,780 Matt Bors: and something that I'm going to be hopefully associated with. 458 00:29:19,780 --> 00:29:21,260 Matt Bors: You know, I will be associated with it 459 00:29:21,480 --> 00:29:22,180 Matt Bors: having done this run. 460 00:29:23,059 --> 00:29:24,920 Matt Bors: And I feel great about that, you know? 461 00:29:25,060 --> 00:29:28,239 Matt Bors: It's like there was this Marvel run for a long time 462 00:29:28,240 --> 00:29:32,780 Matt Bors: And I always, I just, I was like, this world is just begging 463 00:29:33,730 --> 00:29:38,760 Matt Bors: to have more comics and weird mutants and everything. 464 00:29:39,160 --> 00:29:39,260 Matt Bors: So. 465 00:29:39,800 --> 00:29:41,480 Matt Bors: Yeah, it really is tailor made for it. 466 00:29:41,740 --> 00:29:41,880 Chris: Yeah. 467 00:29:42,340 --> 00:29:45,980 Chris: Another thing that we can reveal exclusively here 468 00:29:45,980 --> 00:29:48,540 Chris: on Talkin' Troma, you are involved 469 00:29:48,680 --> 00:29:52,780 Chris: with another Toxic Avenger art project coming out soon. 470 00:29:53,300 --> 00:29:56,380 Matt Bors: Yes, yes, yeah, I'm doing, you want me to say it? 471 00:29:57,240 --> 00:29:57,460 Matt Bors: Sure. 472 00:29:57,960 --> 00:30:02,260 Matt Bors: I'm doing the cover art for the VHS release 473 00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:04,620 Chris: of the newest Toxic Avenger movie. 474 00:30:04,860 --> 00:30:08,160 Chris: And the VHS is being released by Nerd's Nest Collectibles, 475 00:30:08,820 --> 00:30:11,060 Chris: who we work together with on some things. 476 00:30:11,240 --> 00:30:16,140 Chris: So not only have you kind of created your own version 477 00:30:16,440 --> 00:30:20,160 Chris: of Toxie and Noxie and different characters in this world, 478 00:30:20,520 --> 00:30:26,420 Chris: but you'll also now be able to touch the dinklage Toxie. 479 00:30:26,640 --> 00:30:27,080 Chris: Oh, I know. 480 00:30:27,720 --> 00:30:30,440 Matt Bors: And I was excited to get to draw that stuff 481 00:30:30,620 --> 00:30:32,560 Matt Bors: because I hadn't drawn the Dinklage version. 482 00:30:33,300 --> 00:30:35,900 Matt Bors: So I'm drawing him and then I'm also 483 00:30:36,140 --> 00:30:38,760 Matt Bors: drawing a few of the characters that exist in it. 484 00:30:39,080 --> 00:30:41,720 Matt Bors: Miss Meat is gonna be drawn as well as 485 00:30:42,800 --> 00:30:44,360 Matt Bors: one or two of the Killer Nuts. 486 00:30:45,070 --> 00:30:46,240 Matt Bors: And I'm excited about that. 487 00:30:46,250 --> 00:30:47,220 Matt Bors: I liked that movie. 488 00:30:47,840 --> 00:30:49,480 Matt Bors: I love the Killer Nuts so much. 489 00:30:50,200 --> 00:30:53,320 Matt Bors: And also just kind of getting to do a VHS tape is cool. 490 00:30:53,400 --> 00:30:56,440 Matt Bors: This year I did an album cover, 491 00:30:57,480 --> 00:31:00,660 Matt Bors: which I've never done before and I'm also doing a VHS cover, 492 00:31:00,870 --> 00:31:01,600 Matt Bors: which I've never done. 493 00:31:01,700 --> 00:31:05,040 Matt Bors: So I feel like I'm getting to do these kind of cool gigs 494 00:31:05,200 --> 00:31:06,140 Matt Bors: that I've never done before. 495 00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:08,260 Matt Bors: Next on my bucket list is a skateboard. 496 00:31:08,410 --> 00:31:09,640 Matt Bors: I have to do a skateboard. 497 00:31:10,440 --> 00:31:13,040 Chris: A skateboard with Matt Bors on it would be dope. 498 00:31:13,200 --> 00:31:14,100 Matt Bors: I like that. 499 00:31:14,100 --> 00:31:18,040 Matt Bors: I have to say, I mean, I was a skater in high school. 500 00:31:18,120 --> 00:31:19,600 Matt Bors: It was like my life at one point. 501 00:31:20,200 --> 00:31:23,360 Matt Bors: So I have a special affection for skateboarding 502 00:31:23,420 --> 00:31:25,839 Matt Bors: and skateboard graphics and it kind of kills me 503 00:31:25,840 --> 00:31:27,580 Matt Bors: that I've gone this long in my life 504 00:31:27,720 --> 00:31:28,980 Matt Bors: without having designed a skateboard. 505 00:31:29,220 --> 00:31:30,200 Matt Bors: So it's on my list. 506 00:31:30,760 --> 00:31:31,860 Chris: That would be super cool. 507 00:31:32,520 --> 00:31:35,700 Chris: There have been a few Toxic Avengers skate decks 508 00:31:35,760 --> 00:31:37,160 Chris: over the years, just saying. 509 00:31:37,380 --> 00:31:38,940 Matt Bors: Yeah, that's, I mean, 510 00:31:39,600 --> 00:31:41,820 Matt Bors: hey man, if there's a chance to do that, I'm in. 511 00:31:42,540 --> 00:31:45,460 Matt Bors: See, now I'm wanting to do a whole line 512 00:31:45,720 --> 00:31:48,560 Matt Bors: of Toxic Crusaders skateboard decks, you know? 513 00:31:48,800 --> 00:31:50,600 Chris: Each character, each character. 514 00:31:51,220 --> 00:31:52,380 Chris: One thing we should mention too, 515 00:31:52,540 --> 00:31:54,719 Chris: for those of you who are listening to this 516 00:31:54,720 --> 00:31:56,280 Chris: right around the time it comes out, 517 00:31:56,860 --> 00:31:59,040 Chris: you will be appearing at New York Comic Con 518 00:31:59,340 --> 00:32:01,700 Chris: in support of the new Toxic Avenger 519 00:32:01,960 --> 00:32:03,260 Chris: versus Noxious Offender series, 520 00:32:04,020 --> 00:32:07,140 Chris: along with creator of the Toxic Avenger, Lloyd Kaufman, yeah? 521 00:32:07,560 --> 00:32:10,980 Matt Bors: Yes, so we are doing a signing, 522 00:32:11,440 --> 00:32:13,240 Matt Bors: not at New York Comic Con, but that week, 523 00:32:13,540 --> 00:32:15,820 Matt Bors: which is the week the book comes out, 524 00:32:15,920 --> 00:32:17,980 Matt Bors: so October 7th, that weekend, 525 00:32:18,680 --> 00:32:19,760 Matt Bors: we don't have the date figured out, 526 00:32:19,760 --> 00:32:21,660 Matt Bors: so you're gonna have to follow me on Instagram 527 00:32:21,880 --> 00:32:22,940 Matt Bors: or something to get the date. 528 00:32:23,360 --> 00:32:28,180 Matt Bors: But that weekend, October 9th, 10th, we are going to do a signing at Forbidden Planet 529 00:32:28,500 --> 00:32:31,640 Matt Bors: with the new number one release and we're going to have a lot of people there. 530 00:32:31,860 --> 00:32:33,980 Matt Bors: Lloyd Kaufman primarily, as you mentioned. 531 00:32:34,620 --> 00:32:40,360 Matt Bors: Me, Felipe Subrero, the artist on the new series and Fred Harper who lives in New York 532 00:32:40,400 --> 00:32:44,260 Matt Bors: and is the artist on three of the other books. 533 00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:53,340 Matt Bors: We'll all be there signing, signing new number one issue and so you can come and get your 534 00:32:53,340 --> 00:32:58,180 Matt Bors: Buy some comics, get them signed by Lloyd, bring your DVDs or whatever and he'll probably 535 00:32:58,260 --> 00:32:58,820 Matt Bors: sign those too. 536 00:32:59,280 --> 00:33:05,760 Chris: So if you are a comic scalper, go ahead and load up on Toxic Avenger vs. Noxious Offender 537 00:33:05,800 --> 00:33:13,700 Chris: number one, buy 15 copies, make sure you pre-order them, and then Matt and Lloyd will sign them 538 00:33:13,700 --> 00:33:17,700 Chris: and Felipe will sign them and you will be an instant millionaire probably. 539 00:33:18,300 --> 00:33:18,620 Matt Bors: Yes. 540 00:33:18,900 --> 00:33:22,040 Matt Bors: I would say in this economy it's the surest bet. 541 00:33:22,560 --> 00:33:31,460 Matt Bors: It's a hedge against inflation and I'm in Canada by the way, so the trade war is punishing 542 00:33:31,880 --> 00:33:36,480 Matt Bors: and we just all need to some financial security in this day and age. 543 00:33:36,890 --> 00:33:39,480 Chris: But not the trade paperback war, folks. 544 00:33:39,770 --> 00:33:45,720 Chris: For trade paperbacks, those are readily available and you can get those now from Ahoy Comics. 545 00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:54,720 Chris: I get paid five cents every time I plug the show, which is why it's happening so much. 546 00:33:55,140 --> 00:33:58,100 Chris: Well, Matt, thanks for taking the time to chat with us. 547 00:33:58,120 --> 00:33:59,320 Chris: Where can people find you online? 548 00:33:59,780 --> 00:34:05,180 Matt Bors: Pretty easy to find among most social networks and I'm just M-A-T-T-B-O-R-S, my name. 549 00:34:05,680 --> 00:34:09,520 Matt Bors: So follow me and grab some Toxic Vendor Comics. 550 00:34:09,600 --> 00:34:11,540 Matt Bors: And if you're in New York, come out to this signing. 551 00:34:12,280 --> 00:34:12,580 Chris: Absolutely. 552 00:34:12,800 --> 00:34:14,399 Chris: Follow Matt Bors online. 553 00:34:15,440 --> 00:34:21,340 Chris: Ahoy Comics as well. You can find all of the info there at comicsahoy.com. And of course, 554 00:34:21,840 --> 00:34:26,919 Chris: go to your local comic book shop and tell them you want Toxic Avenger versus Noxious Offender 555 00:34:27,129 --> 00:34:32,879 Chris: number one, and then number two, number three, number four, number five. Make sure that you get 556 00:34:32,940 --> 00:34:38,600 Chris: those pre-orders in to not only secure your copy, but put Matt's kids through college. 557 00:34:39,240 --> 00:34:44,500 Chris: So thank you again, Matt, for chatting with us. Can't wait to read the book and hear more from 558 00:34:44,320 --> 00:34:45,139 Chris: from you again later. 559 00:34:45,360 --> 00:34:46,860 Matt Bors: All right, man, thanks for having me on. 560 00:34:47,060 --> 00:34:47,500 Matt Bors: Appreciate it. 561 00:35:00,180 --> 00:35:02,280 Zack Beins: Awesome, thank you, Chris and Matt. 562 00:35:02,400 --> 00:35:04,960 Zack Beins: I'm really glad that we were able to do this. 563 00:35:05,300 --> 00:35:06,880 Zack Beins: Once again, for everybody out there, 564 00:35:07,360 --> 00:35:09,140 Zack Beins: Toxie versus Noxie, number one, 565 00:35:09,780 --> 00:35:12,480 Zack Beins: lands in stores October 7th, 2026. 566 00:35:12,940 --> 00:35:15,640 Zack Beins: and be sure to go to your local comic book shop 567 00:35:15,640 --> 00:35:18,620 Zack Beins: to pre-order because it guarantees you a copy 568 00:35:18,860 --> 00:35:20,720 Zack Beins: and it helps the comic book shops 569 00:35:21,080 --> 00:35:22,800 Zack Beins: know how many issues to order. 570 00:35:23,240 --> 00:35:26,380 Zack Beins: And let's face it, we really wanna keep these local shops 571 00:35:26,780 --> 00:35:29,260 Zack Beins: up and running because they're what helps 572 00:35:29,350 --> 00:35:31,060 Zack Beins: drive our community and what makes your neighborhood 573 00:35:31,070 --> 00:35:31,880 Zack Beins: a better place. 574 00:35:32,860 --> 00:35:34,200 Zack Beins: But if you don't have one, 575 00:35:34,380 --> 00:35:37,140 Zack Beins: the evil devil worshiping mega conglomerate, Amazon, 576 00:35:38,320 --> 00:35:39,640 Zack Beins: will also have it available. 577 00:35:39,840 --> 00:35:42,820 Zack Beins: But really, order it from your local comic book shop. 578 00:35:42,900 --> 00:35:46,740 Zack Beins: because we want things to be nice still 579 00:35:46,840 --> 00:35:49,380 Zack Beins: and comic book shops are still nice. 580 00:35:49,860 --> 00:35:51,600 Zack Beins: So come on, come on. 581 00:35:51,680 --> 00:35:55,000 Zack Beins: Also, the trade paperbacks for the Toxic Avenger 582 00:35:55,080 --> 00:35:57,820 Zack Beins: and Toxic Crusader runs are also available 583 00:35:58,020 --> 00:36:00,940 Zack Beins: so you can catch up with those before April. 584 00:36:01,140 --> 00:36:03,020 Zack Beins: Also, order from your comic book shop, 585 00:36:03,500 --> 00:36:06,720 Zack Beins: read all your Toxic comics from Ahoy Comics 586 00:36:07,220 --> 00:36:09,360 Zack Beins: and if you have some extra time, 587 00:36:09,620 --> 00:36:12,480 Zack Beins: Check out our socials, our YouTube page. 588 00:36:13,120 --> 00:36:16,940 Zack Beins: Very cool things happening on the Instagram page as well. 589 00:36:17,580 --> 00:36:19,340 Zack Beins: Our good friend from Jimmy from Sweden 590 00:36:19,520 --> 00:36:21,800 Zack Beins: has been doing a deep dive on there 591 00:36:22,060 --> 00:36:25,680 Zack Beins: on all the locations from past Troma movies. 592 00:36:25,860 --> 00:36:27,300 Zack Beins: So you get to see before and after 593 00:36:27,500 --> 00:36:29,460 Zack Beins: and learn a little bit about the history 594 00:36:29,560 --> 00:36:30,580 Zack Beins: of these shooting locations. 595 00:36:30,780 --> 00:36:33,560 Zack Beins: It's super awesome and definitely got to thank Jimmy 596 00:36:33,580 --> 00:36:34,200 Zack Beins: for doing that. 597 00:36:34,600 --> 00:36:35,240 Zack Beins: Thank you, Chris. 598 00:36:35,380 --> 00:36:36,000 Zack Beins: Thank you, Matt. 599 00:36:36,220 --> 00:36:41,100 Zack Beins: and everybody out there, stay traumatized. 600 00:37:04,820 --> 00:37:07,300 Announcer: Talkin' Troma with Zack Beins is hosted and produced 601 00:37:07,400 --> 00:37:10,360 Announcer: by Zack Beins, Chris Lanphear, and Chaz Kangas. 602 00:37:11,000 --> 00:37:13,300 Announcer: Our head of research is Dr. Nolan Stolz. 603 00:37:13,820 --> 00:37:15,980 Announcer: The show is recorded at Loudspeaker Studios 604 00:37:16,040 --> 00:37:17,200 Announcer: in Fort Collins, Colorado. 605 00:37:18,180 --> 00:37:20,940 Announcer: Executive producers for Loudspeaker are Chris Lanphear 606 00:37:21,100 --> 00:37:22,100 Announcer: and Charles Joseph Kelly. 607 00:37:22,780 --> 00:37:25,900 Announcer: Our theme music is by J57 and Bald Halfwit. 608 00:37:26,500 --> 00:37:28,900 Announcer: Talkin' Troma is a listener-supported production 609 00:37:29,010 --> 00:37:32,740 Announcer: of Loudspeaker Studios, a nonprofit public radio service. 610 00:37:33,420 --> 00:37:36,100 Announcer: To support the show, please consider making a donation 611 00:37:36,380 --> 00:37:37,560 Announcer: at loudspeaker.org. 612 00:37:38,200 --> 00:37:40,200 Announcer: Catch new episodes of the show Thursdays 613 00:37:40,500 --> 00:37:43,700 Announcer: at 9 p.m. Eastern, 6 p.m. Pacific streaming 614 00:37:44,160 --> 00:37:47,160 Announcer: at loudspeaker.org and the Loudspeaker mobile app. 615 00:37:48,040 --> 00:37:49,720 Announcer: Past episodes of the show can be found 616 00:37:49,780 --> 00:37:52,220 Announcer: at talkintroma.com and you can find us 617 00:37:52,260 --> 00:37:53,740 Announcer: on social media at TalkinTroma. 618 00:37:54,640 --> 00:37:56,840 Announcer: Thanks for listening and we'll see you in Tromaville. 619 00:38:03,020 --> 00:38:07,380 Announcer: This has been a listener supported production of Loudspeaker Studios. 620 00:38:07,740 --> 00:38:11,720 Announcer: For more on this and other programs, visit loudspeaker.org.