ISSUE #

1
RICK SPEARS JAMES CALLAHAN LUIGI ANDERSON TM
DIGITAL COMIC
THE SHOCKING
SCENES YOU ARE
ABOUT TO SEE ARE
NOT SUGGESTED
FOR THE WEAK
OR IMMATURE.
WARNING!
Issue 1, Volume 1
Digital Edition
Presidents Day
Part 1 of 5
Oni Press, Inc.
TM
rickspears.com / @rickspears
barfcomics.com / @barfcomics
laweegee.tumblr.com / @laweegee
thegoon.com / @goonguy
THE AUTEUR #1, March 2014. Published by Oni
Press, Inc. 1305 SE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.,
Suite A, Portland, OR 97214. The Auteur is &
2014 Rick Spears and James Callahan. Oni
Press logo and icon are & 2014 Oni Press,
Inc. All rights reserved. Oni Press logo and icon
artwork created by Keith A. Wood. The events,
institutions, and characters presented in this
book are fctional. Any resemblance to actual
persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. No
portion of this publication may be reproduced, by
any means, without the express written permission
of the copyright holders.
publisher, Joe Nozemack
editor in chief, James Lucas Jones
director of publicity, John Schork
director of sales, Cheyenne Allott
editor, Jill Beaton
editor, Charlie Chu
production manager, Troy Look
senior graphic designer, Jason Storey
administrative assistant, Robin Herrera
onipress.com
facebook.com/onipress
twitter.com/onipress
onipress.tumblr.com
Edited By
Charlie Chu
Designed By
Jason Storey
Lettered By
Sick Rears
Colored By
Luigi Anderson
Written By
Rick Spears
Illustrated By
James Callahan
iDEA SPACE.
Im in the
shalows.
Cheap
ideas.
I dive
deper.
For the
big fish.
I sek
the truth.
Im to dep.
Drowning!
and then
sudenly--
Gimicks
and gags.
But I
become
afraid.
Surounded by al
the shit ideas anyone
could come up with.
I hunt the
depths for
something
simple, honest,
universal.
--An epiphany.
--An epiphany.
Where
you are?
Rex,
Nathan
T...
La La
Land.
Did
you have a
vision?
I...
At such a
high dose the
efects of the
Dimethyltryptamine
may... linger.
So
whatever
hapens...
Dont
panic.
Doctor Love,
my charlatan
guru.
Ouch...
Do you
know your
name?
Tinsel
Town--
Yes.
Did it
work?
One wek
earlier.
Nathan
T. Rex was one
of Holywods
latest rising
stars.
With hits
like Death
Fist, The Ten
Comandments 2,
and Zombie High,
his brand semed
unstopable.
But his
latest project,
the masive C.G.i.
space opera epic
COSMOS, opened
this holiday
wekend--
T
h
at
s
r
ig
h
t, b
il
io
n
w
it
h
a
B
--
O
u
r
C
.D
.E
.
c
a
m
e
r
a
s
c
a
u
g
h
t
u
p
w
it
h
t
h
e
n
e
w
ly
n
o
t
o
r
io
u
s
p
r
o
d
u
c
e
r
lo
k
in
g
m
o
r
e
lik
e
a
h
o
b
o
t
h
a
n
a
h
a
s
-b
e
n
.
T
-R
e
x
!
H
e
y,
R
e
x
...
--and
floped big
enough to be
sen from
space.
C
r
it
ic
s
a
r
e
id
io
t
s
.
F
r
u
s
t
r
a
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im
p
o
t
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s
W
H
O
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n
ly
b
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k
.
b
u
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it
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m
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t
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u
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t
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w

d
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x
p
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m
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t
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is
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M
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f
il
m
s
--
c
r
it
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s
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n
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v
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b
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n
k
in
d
t
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v
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s
--
I
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P

w
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l
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b
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C
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t
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t

s

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b
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o
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p
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!
W
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P
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D
A
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-

B
L
E
E
P

n
o
!
Zaul
Pear!
You
glorious
bastard!
Zaul!
I sek
an audience
with the great
oracle!
Whats
the best
movie title of
al time?!
Im
dead.
Ive
sen my
shadow.
Come
and find
hardly half
a man.
Octopusy.
Never
say die.
I...
destroyer!
Ive come
for your
blod!
Out of
chances...
You just
ned a god
nights--
No
slep!
No! I ned
DRUGS!
What are
these--
Ah, that
would be
Spanish
Fly.
That
was
fast.
I dont
want your
pity.
My
bals
tingle.
Al
women
have
pusies.
When I
was about
twelve it hit
me like a bolt
from the
blue.
Even
my mother.
Even my
Gran...
Al of
them had vaginas
and tits and they
fucked dicks and
thats how we al
got here.
Were al
just horny
monkeys that
fucked our fur
clean of.
its never
ben rocket
science.
You know
this. Youve just
goten lost in
the paralax.
Show
them your tits.
Stab them in the
heart. Make that
monkey laugh.
This is
the number of
a shaman who
helps the blind
to se.
Wait,
stop!
I
think
I heard
some-
thing.
Relax,
its just
the Earth
moving,
baby.
The
Present.
Did
you hear
that?
Cut!
What the
fuck was
that?
You
cal that
gore?!
Rex,
you cant
cal Cut.
thats my
job!
Everybody
take five.
OK,
thats
five
every
one!
I say
cut!
I want to
change some
things.
What
things?
Youre
only the
Producer.
Ive had
A vision!
Oh,
shit...
I
get the
visions,
to!
First,
fuck
Reagan.
--it
neds to be a
Lincoln mask
and get him
an axe.
Sir,
Juniors
coming!
Hes
on the
lot?
His
asistant...
loking
for you.
But weve
already shot
a ton with
the Reagan
mask...
I say
action!
Im the
director!
No!
You
just get
to tel me
that you
love me!
Then
we have to
re-shot!
Ive got
the big
name!
I get
the blow
jobs!
But
Thatl
put us
over and
behind...
We are
custodians
of the most
pervasive art
form of al
time.
We must
be bold,
be brave, be
amazing!
I am
amazing!
We
ned only
try!
We can
do great
things!
eP!
Rex!
Everyone
tels me
so!
Rex!
Run,
igor!
igor,
my trusted
asistant and
loyal minion.
Rex!
RUN!
Why
are you
runing?
its
the 21st
century,
idiots!
Fuck.
-ping-
CALENDAR
UPDATED
I never
believed
in love
at first
sight--
Until I
saw her big
black as.
My heart got
caught in the
gravitational
pul of the
thing and I
was done for.
Holy
hel.
Who
was that,
igor?
ice
Q*bert,
I think.
Not him--
The Buble
But.
I dont
know,
sir.
Find
out.
I
have a
lunch.
Thanks
for
waiting.
You're
late.
Il
have two
of whatever
hes having
and a triple
martini in a
to-go cup.
You
se the
news?
People
are only
interested
in seing
just how
bad a train
wreck it
realy
is.
Up is
up.
So--
Whats this
I hear about
changes on
Presidents
Day?
Lok,
Junior--
Mm--
Im not
going by
Zaul Junior
anymore.
People
are caling
me Zed
now.
Zed?
its
the British
pronunciation
of Z.
Whose
choper
is this?
Ha...
Ha...
Thanks.
Tickets
for
Cosmos
are up.
My
father
isnt runing
the studio
anymore.
its mine
now.
No
more
Teflon
T-Rex.
No more
swet-
heart
deals.
Zeds.
Now
youre just
like any other
producer on
the lot.
Expendable.
I think
we have a real
chance with
Presidents to
make a great
fucking film.
Real
horor.
Real gore.
None of this
C.G.i. bulshit.
Real practical
efects, and
old schol
slash.
Youre a
hack, Rex.
But we like
hacks. Dont
go geting
creative
on me.
The
script is
fine. The
efects
are fine.
As long as
tenage Timy
from Tacoma can
finger his date
in a dark theater
come opening
night we al
win. it
doesnt
ned to
be god.
Just on
budget.
But I
think--
You
werent
hired to
think. You
are paid to
produce.
Not one dolar
over. Not one day
behind. No excuses.
No wigle. Dont
test me.
Just
bring the
ship in. Or
Il drown
you at
sea.
Fine.
Ive stil got
eighten days
and Il give back
my Producers
fe to fund
it.
Youd use
your own
money?
My
names
going
on it.
Thats
something
you never
understod,
Zed...
Youre
not your
father.
And
youre
not his
son.
You
couldnt
cary his
bals.
Fucking
ego.
Unburden
your soul,
my son.
Im
a joke,
sister.
But
I dont
want to
be.
Young
dreamers
are always
domed, but
you yet draw
breath.
its
not to
late.
I know I can
be god. Im
just not
sure how.
I ned
some-
thing...
You
have
faith.
A wise man once
told me that the
best producers
were al Roman
Emperors who
snifed glue
al day...
I put my
neck right in
the nose.
Christ--
Again in the
depths but
not alone.
--Unending
cruelty
and horor.
Al the mad
things a sane
person would
never put
to paper.
My film
was about
death
and I
neded a
Reaper.
I could se
the truth
in it.
it moved
like a shark.
simplicity,
grace--
Do me
next!
its
the big
reveal!
Multiply,
vary, let the
strongest
live and the
weakest
die.
Yes!
Me!
I just
want
people to
like me!
Lo and be-
fore me was
a pale horse
and its rider
was named
Death!
...arest of
the acused
serial kiler
known as
Darwin...
I ned a
mother
fucking
murder
consultant!
To be
continued...
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PORTLAND HOLLYWOOD NEW YORK LONDON PARIS MOSCOW
The Auteur is the book that terries me.
By CHARLIE CHU
|
Wednesday September 18, 2013 @ 1:49pm PDT
Tags: Auteur, Nathan T. Rex, Creator-Owned, Porn, Murder, Penis
Its not for everyone.
If youre looking for a high-concept Hollywood pitch document thats
masquerading as a comic, look elsewhere.
Hunting for a gritty, hyper-violent, superhero book that thinks being
edgy with a side of misogyny is something worth aspiring to? Pass on
this one.
A new take on zombies? Sorry pal, youre in the wrong place.
Comics is a hard business, and if were being honest, itd be a lot
safer working on books that rely on familiar genres and tropes. A
retread with a hint of familiarity, preferably with a touch of 80s
nostalgia, would be so much easier to publish, promote, and sell in
the current marketplace.
This is not that book.
The war for pop culture relevance is over. Comics are all over the
damned place. And for what, so we can have a bunch of its like A
meets B?
Fuck that.
I want a STORY. That MEANS something. With CHARACTERS. That I
give a shit about because theyre INTERESTING.
And so, we have The Auteur--a funny book about a Hollywood
douchebag as rendered in the endearing medium of funny books,
fnally turning that bit of industry exploitation around on itself.
It is hysterical, profane, and more than likely to get us all in trouble
for publishing it.
[Shout out to the fne folks at the CBLDF. Please donate. No, really,
do it. www.cbldf.org.]
The Auteur scares me because it demands full attention. And
theres no genre hook, no bit of cultural touchstone to make it all
go down easier. The best thing I can tell you going in is that its
fucking hilarious.
And just what is it that makes this book so special?
Its like no other book on the stands.
James Callahan is responsible for our Looney-Tunes-on-PCP artwork
that is one part skater hooligan and one part Geoff Darrow. His
artwork makes me think hes only read Jack Kirby comics while
hoarding Garbage Pail Kids cards. Hes not that guy drawing this
book so he can one day make the jump to superheroes--hes
drawing the hell out of this book because he means it with every
stroke and every line.
Colorists never get enough love. On The Auteur, we are lucky to have
discovered the magic sauce that is Luigi Anderson. Luigis approach
to the book is entirely through color choices, rendering a book that
is powerfully saturated, and adding punch and edge to Callahans
artwork. This is not a book that leans on flters and gradients, but
instead turns everything up to 11 with a sharp palette that demands
you to stand up and notice.
And fnally, we have writer Rick Spears. Rick is one of the best writers
in comics, a creator with uncompromising vision. Beyond all the jokes,
beyond all the hyperbole is this story of Nathan T. Rex. Nathans story
is Ricks story. And Ricks story is the story of anyone who wants to
make things--things that reach past just being cool, things that might
live on past a concept and a hook. For all the jokes and buffoonery
in The Auteur, this is a book that will reach past your eyeballs and go
gunning for your brains and your heart.
What Im proudest of by being involved with this book is that its
not just a comic--its a declaration of intent. Its a book where our
creative team is throwing down the gauntlet. Its challenging you, dear
reader, to see if you can keep up. And we hope you enjoy reading it as
much as the team has enjoyed putting it together.
Buckle up and hide your children. This is a ride that comes with dirty
words, dirty people, and gut laughs. Its not for the weak and is adult
in all the ways that matter.
Read it, love it, tell your friends, and hide copies of it around your
neighborhood like its porn in the woods.
What you hold in your hands is the most dangerous book in comics,
because its that most elusive of things:
Its original.
-Charlie Chu
Editor
September 2013