Garth Ennis on "Streets of Glory"

Anyone who’s read Garth Ennis’ work, especially on "Preacher," knows he has a deep love of the West. Now, Ennis is going back to the old West in a new six-issue oater from Avatar Press called “Streets of Glory,” due to start in October with art by Mike Wolfer.

Here’s how Avatar describes the tale:

In the past fifteen years, Joseph Dunn hasn't seen much of the little civilization Montana had to offer in 1899, but his absence along with the death of a generation has rendered the atmosphere unrecognizable.  Dunn is the last of the drifters that independently roamed the western frontier of the United States in the 19th century.  These were men who fought with nobility, wits, and an easily un-holstered gun at their side.  The body count will rise when Dunn's trigger finger is forced to settle new problems with the only solution he knows.

Ennis answered a few questions via email about the new series.

Variety: You obviously have a great love for Westerns. Which films, books and especially comics in the genre do you admire?

Garth Ennis: “Unforgiven,” “The Outlaw Josey Wales,” “The Good, The Bad And The Ugly,” “The Shootist,” “The Searchers,” “The Wild Bunch,” “Lonesome Dove,” “The Cowboys.”
“Blood Meridian,” by Cormac McCarthy, also his Border Trilogy. “True Grit,” by Charles Portis. “The Tonto Woman And Other Stories,” by Elmore Leonard. “St. Agnes' Stand,” by Thomas Eidson. “Lonesome Dove,” by Larry McMurtry, also “Zeke And Ned.”
The only comic that comes to mind is “Jonah Hex: Two Gun Mojo,” by Joe Lansdale and Tim Truman.

Variety: Tell me about Joe Dunn. What makes him a hero? How is he different from some of your other, cowboy-like protagonists, like Jesse Custer?

Ennis: He's the protagonist, the lead character. He's capable of heroism, but whether he's a hero or not is up to the reader to judge. He's a harsh man born of harsh times, capable of extremely harsh acts. He's not a million miles away from Jesse, in that both are dangerous men given to patient consideration before acting. Dunn, however, is a good forty years older.

Variety: The description of Streets of Glory meshes pretty well with your previous work, in that it’s the story of a man at odds with society. What about that kind of character do you find appealing?

Ennis: The conflict it throws up. The enduring appeal of the outsider, the underdog.

Variety: Your protagonists also have a real talent for giddy, extreme violence that suggests a certain fatalistic viewpoint. Does Streets of Glory continue in that vein and do you see an optimistic side to this story as well?

Ennis: Yes and yes. The Old West was a wild and brutal time, but I can't believe it was 100% squalor and misery.

Variety: Talk about working with Mike Wolfer. How much latitude did you give him in your scripts and what do you think his strengths as a comics artist are?

Ennis: I write the same way for Mike as I do for anyone, sparsely. He's an excellent storyteller, does a lot of it in the faces. Great characters. Very good with action. Not afraid of detailed research.

Variety: Your track record in comics seems to give you the latitude to work with any publisher you wish, so what prompts you to bring projects like this to Avatar?

Ennis: Total creative freedom, good contract, William Christensen's care and attention to detail regarding production values. Essentially, I can do anything I want and the end result will look very good indeed.

Variety: What is it about the Western as a genre that manages to endure despite constant pronouncements of its loss of influence or impending doom?

Ennis: It's utterly classic. Truly epic in scope. We're talking about a time of exploration, colonization, violence, romance, horror; filled with myths that have seared themselves into our culture. The Western isn't going anywhere, no more than sci-fi, crime, war, fantasy or any other genres are.