Although Adam Rifkin’s resume only includes one comic book so far — Shmobots — he’s written and/or directed many movies over the course of his career, including Detroit Rock City, Underdog, Look and Small Soldiers. This week I conducted an interview with Rifkin over email to find out more about his comics work, what he’s working on now and, of course, The Kitten Channel.
JK: So how did the Shmobots come about? Did you know Ross Richie and Andrew Cosby (BOOM! co-founders) before you pitched the series?
Adam: The idea for Shmobots came to me in a flash of thinking that it might be funny to see a group of pot smoking, slacker robots incompetently try to pick up a hooker. At first I considered writing it as a short film, but then I couldn’t help but feel that there was a bigger idea to explore. The bigger idea being that of a whole subculture of stupid, pot-smoking robots who don’t work, don’t contribute to society in any productive way, but have an offensive sense of entitlement. I grew up with a lot of kids like that, so I knew what there voices would sound like. I wondered what people might call this subculture of mechanical loser and thus, Shmobots was born.
Regarding Andrew and Ross of BOOM! Studios, no, I didn’t know them until the book was finished. Les Toil (the artist) and I had produced the entire graphic novel independently. Just like an indie movie. Once it was done we met with a number of publishers and were offered many deals, but we ultimately chose to partner up with BOOM! because we felt that they really got what Shmobots was about.
JK: How did you and Les meet?
Adam: Les Toil, the genius illustrator who’s fantastic artwork brings my words to life, is someone I’ve known for many years. Originally we met through a mutual friend named Chris Gore who published a film magazine (now a website) called Film Threat. Les had painted one of the covers and I happened to be looking for an artist at the time that I saw it. I was about to direct a film I had written called The Dark Backward and needed someone to help me visually realize BLUMP’S, a fictitious, ACME style company, that made all the products in the film’s surreal world.
Les’ work and product designs were brilliant. They encapsulated that bleak 50s sensibility I was looking for perfectly. The company mascot we call the BLUMP’S Lady, and she’s based on my Grandmother Libby Sokol.
One of the reasons I knew Les would be so prefect for Shmobots is because his style is so clean and easy to read. Since The Dark Backward I had gone on to work with Les many more times on many other films and TV shows, and his work was always stellar. Looking at his work is almost like like watching a movie sometimes. And as I had said, I approached Shmobots as I would if I were directing it as a film, I wanted it to be very cinematic in its style and composition. Each shot had to progress the story forward, just like the script. And the characters, though robots, needed to each be infused with real individual personality at a glance. I knew it had to be Les. I sent him the script and much to my delight he dug it and said he was in!
JK: I hate to say it, but I think I grew up with at least two of the Shmobots. Were their personalities based on anyone you know?
Adam: Well, the character of Miles, the Shmobots’ human friend, isn’t just based on someone I know, it IS someone I know. Miles is my lifelong friend Miles Dougal. Miles and I grew up in Chicago and I put him in all of my films. I thought it would be funny to inject Miles into this world.
As far as the Shmobots go, I wouldn’t say that the individual characters are based on anyone in particular, but I did grow up with a lot of guys like this, so they’re kind of based on a group of people I’ve known all my life. That’s why I knew what their voices would sound like straight away.
JK: Was it easy to make the transition from film to comics? Any challenges?
Adam: Shmobots is actually my first foray into the comic world, up until this point I’d only ever done movies. Interestingly, approaching Shmobots wasn’t any different than approaching any film I’d ever made. I wrote the script just as though it were a film script. Then, when working with Les on the book, I approached each shot as though it were a storyboard for a film. Les has an amazing cinematic style. In actuality, save for the hectic pace of film production, making Shmobots was just like making another move.
JK: Shmobots is currently being serialized for free up on the BOOM! site. As a creator of both comic and movies, how do you feel about your material being up on the web, both legal and otherwise?
Adam: I love it. Any way to make more people aware of Shmobots is a good thing in my opinion. As far as the legality goes, it’s not a concern of mine. It’s not like you can really safeguard stuff these days anyway, better to get more people reading Shmobots and talking about Shmobots.
JK: Space Kittens — do I smell a spin-off?
Adam: You know it baby! Bigger than Star Wars!
JK: What else are you working on right now?
Adam: Aside from promoting Shmobots? Well, let’s see…the last film I wrote, directed and star in is called National Lampoon’s Homo Erectus, and it’s making the rounds on the art house scene as we speak. It already came out in L.A., Chicago and several other key markets. I’ll continue to support it as it travels. It comes out on DVD this November. I’m also writing a comedy that’s being produced by the WWE for Fox Atomic Pictures called Sucker Punch, and I’ll also be executive producing a network television series this year based on my surveillance camera drama Look.
JK: Should we be looking for Shmobots, the feature film, at some point?
Adam: Oh yes! Movies, A TV show, toys, video games, cartoons, breakfast cereals, fast food licensing deals, bed sheets, condoms… Shmobots is going to be the next pop culture juggernaut! Can you tell I just read The Secret?
JK: Your resume also includes a couple of superhero flicks — Underdog and Zoom. Were you a comic fan before working on Shmobots? If so, what titles are/were you into?
Adam: Yes, I was a comic fan, but I never was too terribly into the superheroes. I was a big MAD Magazine fan. I was also way into all the old EC horror and crime comics like Tales From The Crypt, Weird Science and Two Fisted Tales. Additionally I loved the underground comics of the 60s and 70s. Robert Crumb is a big influence.
JK: Are you planning any more comic work?
Adam: Yes, I have several other graphic novels and comic books in the works.
Making a movie takes SO long, I’m really thrilled that through comics I can get a chance to tell more stories than I might not otherwise get an opportunity to tell. I can’t discuss them yet, but once I can I’ll certainly let you know.
