Tartin' It Up: An Exclusive Interview with Kevin Joseph, Co-Creator of Tart! - RPC Capes #4
Greetings and welcome to RPC Capes, our comic book show here on Renegade Pop Culture! We recently had the opportunity to speak to Kevin Joseph, the writer behind Kechal Comics’ Tart, a very unique fantasy/action/adventure/time-travel story that follows a group of women called the Toxic Fruit Organization and their battle against the King of Hell and his demon horde! If that ain’t a good hook, I don’t know what is! Featuring incredible painted artwork by Ludovic Salle, Tart is a comic that reads like a modern version of Buffy with a little bit of Hellboy and Sandman thrown into the mix, with an aesthetic unlike anything you’ve seen before! Click that play button and enjoy the interview!
In case you want to read the book, there are some spoilers in our discussion. So just beware if you want to read the book without knowing anything.
He’s the King of Hell. Nasty little bugger.
One of the many reasons I love this book is the fact that Joseph and Salle clearly have an epic backstory at play here, as there are hints to Tart’s origins and the history of the Toxic Fruit Organization that have been seeded through the series’ first nine issues. The mystery behind who these women actually serve is one of the major questions at the heart of the book, and personally, I can’t wait to see the answers play out! The concept behind the TFO seems inspired by the Slayer line in Buffy, so I’m very intrigued!
Here’s Tart giving off some sassy Zatanna vibes…
There are also time travel elements at play in the story, as demonic forces sow chaos on earth and only Tart Acid, Cherry Macabre, Lemon Du Morgue, Gloom Tangerine, and the rest of the Toxic Fruit can stop them! Issue ten of the series, which was part of Kechal Comics’ Kickstarter campaign, was successfully funded, and the creative team says that the issue will show us just what Tart knows about her war against Hell and perhaps the origins of the Toxic Fruit. Heaven is also aware of the ongoing battle, but seems disinterested in acting. For now, at least.
And here she is paying homage to our favorite vampire slayer. Artwork and words from issue 9.
I have to say, I have never been more excited to see the kind of content independent creators are bringing to the world of comics! Whether you get your comics in store, online, digitally, or through Kickstarter and other crowdfunding platforms, I urge you all to support indie comics! They’re the lifeblood of this industry, and so many talented artists and writers rely on their independent work to survive! And while I’m at it, I’m going to tell you to go out and support your local comic shop. I know these are tough times, but I’ve just read the news about my childhood shop back in Hawaii (shout out to Gecko Books in Kaimuki!) closing down, and I’m so sad to see it happen. As Kevin says during the podcast, you can also check out the re-release of Tart #1-7 in Scout Comics’ brand new trade paperback through their website, but please, please help out your LCS! If they can’t secure a copy, the Scout webstore is up and running for you!
A beautiful variant cover for Tart #1.
Art by Piper Rudich.
With that, I believe we shall close up the show notes yet again. Special thanks to our amazing guest, Kevin Joseph, for sharing his knowledge and insight with us! Please read Tart at this link if you want to catch up with the series! And please stay tuned for more content on RPC coming soon! Next up is Tooned Up with my buddies Mike and Cameron, and I’m going to take the next few days off and try to catch up with everything! September was a huge month for us and we hope to keep that momentum going while simultaneously staying sane. Not an easy task, what with the election coming up. Everyone go vote so we can get things back on track in the good old USA! And remember, stay safe and look out for each other, Renegades!
