Most people know something about John Carter, the Warlord of Mars. Dynamite Entertainment currently has the WARLORD OF MARS comic featuring Carter and you might have read the book by Edgar Rice Burroughs (or seen the trailer for the upcoming movie). What people might not know is there was another 'warrior of Mars,' Gullivar Jones. In February, the two warriors will be meeting for the first time. We asked writer Robert Place Napton some questions about this crossover.
Comic Vine: Gullivar of Mars is said to have been an inspiration for John Carter, what’s it like to bring these two characters together?
Robert Place Napton: It’s one of those ‘kid in the candy store’ moments. To have a chance to bring these two characters together on the same stretch of red turf is a thrill. Years ago, like many, I had heard about Gullivar Jones of Mars after becoming a John Carter reader because Gullivar served as a possible inspiration to Edgar Rice Burroughs in the creation of his Martian tales. I say possible because I think we really don’t know. Did Burroughs read or hear about Edwin Arnold’s Gullivar story? Some say yes--others say no. The evidence is circumstantial. I don’t think we’ll ever know – it’s one of those great pulp mysteries. We know that there are striking similarities and that’s enough for some people. We also know that Gullivar of Mars would largely have been forgotten had it not been for his possible connection to John Carter, so in that way these two characters are bound. It’s like Superman and Batman – though they were created separately their histories have become intertwined. It’s the same for Gullivar and John Carter—it was natural to bring them together. They fit together quite well.
== TEASER ==CV: How much impact will this story have on the other WARLORD OF MARS series? Will there be any connection or repercussions?
RPN: This series will definitely broaden the reader’s perspective on Barsoom and its history. We’ll see things through Gullivar’s eyes that we haven’t seen before so that’s exciting. A few things will definitely turn the heads of readers of the other books. They’ll be saying things like “I didn’t know Gullivar met that person.” It’s going to be a bit of a game changer for the ongoing history we’ve created. We are weaving Gullivar’s tale into Barsoom. We made the choice that Gullivar is visiting John Carter’s Barsoom. Gullivar’s Mars in the novel shared common elements with Barsoom, so it was pretty easy to make his story work in that continuity. What Arvid and Dynamite did so well when he kicked things off with Warlord and Dejah Thoris was really define the time periods those books were covering. I followed that pattern and did the same thing on Fall of Barsoom. Warriors will cover three different time periods of Barsoom. It won’t cross over with the other series, but it will all make sense within the context of the larger history. But this isn’t an alternate universe -- there’s no cop out or cheat – John Carter and Gulliver meet and its part of the larger continuity we’ve created with the John Carter comics.
CV: What are the chances of Jones and Carter getting along from their first meeting?
RPN: Slim. [Laughs] Imagine thinking you are unique to a situation – the only one of your kind and then finding out you were wrong – there’s someone else and they came to Barsoom before you. That’s what John Carter feels like when he finds out about Gullivar. And they are very different people. They both fought in the Civil war, but on opposite sides. Carter is a more capable fellow with a sword and getting himself out of tight situations. Gullivar is a lover, not a fighter, lol. He’s got an eye for the ladies. He’s a bit more whimsical. But he’s a hero just the same and he does what he has to do and he’s certainly brave, but just more haphazard. Luck plays a huge role in his success. Carter makes his own luck. So in that way they are very different. Those contrasts are fun to play with – if they were identical it would be boring. I don’t want to spoil things, so let’s just say circumstances force them to deal with each other, even though they would rather not.
CV: Will they see each other as equals or will one be willing to follow the other’s lead?
RPN: There’s a tug of war. When they meet Carter wants to assert himself but they’ll be in a situation and we’ll find out he needs Gullivar, which he doesn’t really like. Conversely, Gullivar doesn’t appreciate Carter trying to push him around, so there’s going to be a lot of head butting. But they’ll have a common purpose and that will enable them to overlook each other’s differences for the time being at least. The stakes are going to be high for both of them. They both feel they’ll no best in this situation – so it’s going to come down to a battle of wills and we’ll see which of them is right.
CV: Will the story be Gullivar and John fighting Martians or will there another threat?
RPN: It will be a Martian threat, but one new to John Carter. I’ll tease it with that. The conflict will be internal, between them and their personal dynamics and external with a larger threat that they will need to contend with. Barsoom won’t be the same after this – it will larger. Burroughs created such a big canvas when he told these tales. He was really the first to populate a world with a pre-history and so many exotic races. He was doing the pulp version Tolkien and Herbert – and if you don’t believe me, find an old copy of the Guide to Barsoom and you’ll see how dense the world is. There are mysteries and stories yet to be discovered. Gullivar Jones and his story, written by a different writer, will now be part of that larger history of Barsoom. The world of Mars is about to get a whole lot bigger!
Be sure to check out this epic crossover, on sale February 22, 2012, to see how it all plays out. And check out this exclusive first look at some of the interior pages.
