IDENTITY STUNT - DRIVE FAST AND READ LIKE A CHAMP

If you're a big fan of 80s action movies that are jampacked with high-speed car chases, heroes with attitude, and, you know, that sort of thing, then please check out the following interview I did with Joe Khachadourian, the mastermind behind a great new independent comic book called...


Identity Stunt (Online Store)


1) What are your own origins, Joe Khachadourian?   I suppose it all started back in high school when I was bitten by a radioactive pen. Ha! Seriously though: I am a child of the '80s, raised on the very best of Super Friends, Transformers, Thundercats, G.I. Joe, TMNT, and more, along with a healthy dose of comic books. I spent my childhood in the Middle East, where television wasn't a viable entertainment source 24 hours a day. So, I'd end up re-reading a lot of the same comics and re-watching a lot of the same recorded cartoon episodes, and I either fell in love -- or brainwashed myself -- into submitting to the genre. You can decide. Flash forward, after studying screenwriting and dabbling in journalism, I'm now creating the things I love.

2) What inspired you to create, ‘Identity Stunt’?   After listening to an episode of Kevin Smith's "Fatman on Batman" podcast a few years ago, I decided to go home and write a four-issue mini-series. I was having a hard time deciding if I wanted to tell an action-thriller story, akin to great '80s and '90s action films like Lethal Weapon and Die Hard, or if I wanted to take on a street-level, as-real-as-I-can-make-it vigilante story. So, I decided to do both.

It was also important to me to feature an Arab-American lead as an accidental hero, because, for the most part, Arab-American characters tend to be relegated to sidekicks or villains. And, I like dialogue, lots and lots of it. Luckily, combining all of these elements yielded an adventure unlike any seen on the comic book stands to date.

3) In your own words, how would you describe this story?   After being falsely outed as a vigilante, a professional stuntman must battle to reclaim his identity by circumventing the police, outsmarting bionically-enhanced mercenaries, and rescuing his family from the clutches of a notorious madman. Capturing the bombastic tones and dialogue of '80s and '90s action films, Identity Stunt is a relentless odyssey featuring complex characters, a touch of romance, and a fistful of masked lunatics. Basically, it’s Lethal Weapon meets Unbreakable in an era of viral media and “fake news”.

4) What song would you say best represents this comic and why?   "The Heat is On" by Glenn Frey. If you watch Beverly Hills Cop, where that song gained notoriety, and then read Identity Stunt #1, the "why" will be obvious. 

5) If you could get a celebrity – either living or dead – to promote your wares, who would you choose, and why would you want to choose this particular person?   Clint Eastwood. I mean, who would say "no"?

6) What have you learned about yourself through this endeavor?   I've learned that time-management is critical if you want to succeed in any creative endeavor, and if you really love something, be prepared for just as much heartbreak as joy. Creating comics is amazing and extremely self-fulfilling.

7) During your time in this field, what is the one thing that has kept you in good stead?   Alcohol and Kit Kat bars.

8) If ‘Identity Stunt’ had a motto, what would it be?   This is what happens when the fall guy fights back!

And on that note, I'd like to thank Joe for telling us about his comic book series, Identity Stunt, before encouraging you to check out his official website, www.identitystunt.com, as well as his twitter feed.