That's a good question.
I suppose I should have answered it a few months back, but instead focused the blog more on the production process. I thought people would enjoy the Point A to Point Z development of the comic book and didn't really give much time to the emotional side of it. I focused on the physical. The book in hand. In fact, I never really committed the emotional thoughts of "Why Bigfoot" to paper before.
So bear with me.
Why Bigfoot?
Well, if you're just starting out, they always say, "Don't write a superhero comic." DC and Marvel OWN that genre. If you're going to play in their backyard you have to know that they already have the best toys. They've had 'em for 50+ years and they'll have 'em long after you're gone. Trying your hand at a superhero story would be like Mark Wahlberg's character at the end of THE PERFECT STORM praying for someone to find him as he bobbed alone in the ocean. No beacon, no lifejacket, no way of letting anybody know he was there.
Okay, so that tells you why I didn't write a superhero story, but it doesn't really say... why Bigfoot?
By now you've all seen the "Bigfoot on Mars" photo that I first saw on the Cryptomundo site way back in 2009. Hopefully, you've all read the initial posts on the
origin of the story, so I don't need to go into the (in my opinion) kickass idea of Bigfoot on Mars. Come on, Bigfoot... with a broadsword... fighting super-science, magic and a few barbarians while we're at it? Who wouldn't think that was cool?
But
"because it is cool" really doesn't get to the heart of it. I mean, it's no secret that it feels like Bigfoot's been a part of my entire life. I've had three different personal business cards and all three have had some iteration of Bigfoot on them. While I've been to a Bigfoot conference, outside of Rene Dahinden, I couldn't really name any of the great Bigfoot hunters and I've never actually seen a full episode of FINDING BIGFOOT.
So really then...
WHY?
Because to me, Bigfoot is the ultimate loner in an alien world. Even before I put him on another planet, he was always seen as hunted, lost and alone. Growing up, I never read any stories about a pack of Bigfoot sightings. It was always the big guy by himself.
"No one knew where he came from... no one knew how he got here..."
And a story like that really plays on an impressionable mind. It sticks with you. You sympathize... You empathize.
"No one knew his name."
And besides, it's Bigfoot... with a broadsword.
I couldn't pass it up.
Josh S. Henaman
Be sure to return in ONE WEEK! We finally have an update to beat all updates.
