NO BOSS.  NO TIMECARD.  NO TAXES.  EVERY TIME YOU GO TO WORK YOU BREAK THE LAW.  YOUR CO-WORKERS ARE ALL CAREER CRIMINALS… JUNKIES, CON MEN, CAST-OFFS, DRUNKS AND PUNKS.  ONE MINUTE YOU’RE GETTING OVER AND THE NEXT MINUTE YOU’RE GETTING BEATEN OR BROKEN.  IT IS QUICK CASH AND A FAST CRASH.  IT IS DEAD CALM AND AN ADRENALINE RUSH.  IT IS OFF THE GRID AND ON THE FRINGE.  IT IS THE LIFE OF A HUSTLER.  IT IS BLACK MARKET.

CREATED BY JEREMY MADDEN

SPECIAL THANKS TO JONAH WEILAND OF COMICBOOKRESOURCES.COM FOR THE TITLE SUGGESTION.

Get a sneak peek at Black Market in the Antix Press Primer [.pdf, 8.2MB]!

BLACK MARKET Copyright © 2008 Jeremy Madden and Antix Press.  All Rights Reserved.  Black Market, all characters, the distinctive likenesses thereof and all related elements are trademarks of Jeremy Madden and Antix Press.  Antix Press and logo are trademarks of Antix Press, a Division of Gigapix Studios, Inc.  The stories, characters and incidents mentioned in this magazine are fictional.

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Q&A with Black Market creator, Jeremy Madden

What is Black Market about… it’s themes, basic driving ideas, message..?

Black Market is a peek into the lives of a small group of ticket scalpers. The story touches on the conflicts they have with themselves, their families, each other, the law, their customers, and other hustlers. One of the main attractions I have to the world of scalpers is freedom. These guys are their own bosses. They work when they want to and they don’t pay taxes. Their cars are unregistered and unisured. They don’t have to pass a drug test or a credit check to get their jobs. Some don’t even have social security numbers.

Where did the idea for the series originate from?

It was spawned from the seedy city in which I was born. My hometown is filled with all kinds of hustlers, scam artists and gangsters. It is corrupt to the core. Black Market is based on a blend of the people and places that surrounded me for most of my life. It is a combination of the characters I have met, things I have seen, and stories I have heard all woven and warped together by tiny, twisted mind.

I love ticket scalpers. They are my heroes. Nobody hustles like a ticket scalper. They are out on the streets grinding out every buck they can. And it’s not easy. They are caught between cops, criminals and customers. Anything can happen on any night. Who cares what’s happening on the inside. The real show is on the outside of the venue. That’s where the action is. That’s where the scalpers are.

I’ve spent a lot of time around ticket scalpers. My best friends are ticket scalpers.

On a few occassions I’ve scalped tickets to make some quick cash. I even seek out scalpers when I travel just to see how things are in their neck of the woods.

Why does Black Market fit the comic format?

Black Market and comics are a natural fit. Comics are raw, out on the edge. They test the limits and push the envelope. Black Market is full characters who live on the edge, testing the boundaries of society. In their own way comics and Black Market fight for freedom.

What role does humor play in the series?

Humor plays a big part in Black Market. It’s part of the lifestyle. When you have a group of hustlers, half of whom are disfunctional deralects, all hanging out together there are going to be some laughs. Whether it’s on the job or in their lives it doesn’t matter. Add in the limitless potential that comics have and you can really have some fun. But it’s not all laughs. Black Market has its share of tragedy and tough times. Even then, some of the most terrible times can lead to the biggest laughs.

What’s the story of the first mini-series?

The first series focuses mainly on Jimmy Sullivan, a scalper in his early twenties. Even though he sometimes falls out of character Jimmy does his best to be a wise-ass punk who doesn’t care much about anything other than having a good time. If he’s not sitting on his ass he’s doing his best to get paid and laid. But he’s not as cool as he thinks he is. He has troubles with the law, his co-workers, family, a crazy meth dealer and just about anyone else he encounters. Someone is brutally beating and robbing ticket scalpers at random. After one of Jimmy’s crew falls prey to the thief they are determined to find the perpetrator and exact revenge. 

Where do you see the series going after the first mini-series?

It’ll keep spreading. Getting deeper into our characters and adding new ones. Widening out with more adventures, scams and stories. With the characters we have and the situations they can find themselves in there is no where that Black Market cannot go.