The Hosts Of ‘Carmen Sandiego’ Shows Reunite For ‘Host Mortem’ OGN
by Brendan M. Allen
Kevin Shinick used to have all the answers as the TV game show host of Where In Time Is Carmen Sandiego?. That was back before he started writing comics on titles like W.E.B. of Spider-Man and The Flash. That was also before he was a writer on Robot Chicken, before he was a novelist, and before he was a producer.
Now Shinick is writing Host Mortem, a tongue-in-cheek, time travel metafiction mystery in which he appears as himself. Shinick collaborates on the book with former Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? host Greg Lee. When the two former game show hosts are transported to the year 1947 by a time portal they discover at Comic-Con, they find themselves enmeshed in a murder mystery involving Humphrey Bogart’s legendary noir film The Big Sleep. When one of the stars winds up dead, Kevin and Greg’s knowledge of random trivia might be the key to solving this Hollywood caper.
“Between the two of us, Greg and I have hosted a number of game shows,” says Shinick. “As a result, we have a lot of random trivia floating around in our heads and I always wished I could put that knowledge to better use other than just, “Hey, did you know the singular of spaghetti is spaghetto?” And since we both played fake detectives on Carmen Sandiego (me a time traveling detective and Greg a classic gumshoe detective) I got to wondering how we might fare with an actual murder? The ultimate question being, “Are hosts really smart? Or do they just have the answers?”
Joining the smarmy TV detectives on this project are artists Damien Torres and Andrea Schiavone, colorist Pippa Bowland, and letterer Taylor Esposito. The 180-page graphic novel will be told in four chapters, from four different characters’ point of view. Shinick, Lee, their fast-talking receptionist, and a surprise mystery narrator will guide readers through the time travel adventure.
“I think what Kevin’s come up with is simply brilliant and it continues to be a blast just getting to be a small part of it,” says Lee. “With his hilarious and nuanced writing I actually feel I’ve spent time in 1947. Why I didn’t buy some potential stock or at least win an Oscar pool while I was there is beyond me.
“Instead, Kevin puts me in the middle of a murder scene and expects me to rely on my game show trivia to help him solve the crime. But the real crime is that we don’t know the first thing about being detectives so it’ll probably come down to something random like knowing Humphrey Bogart’s middle name. (It was DeForest, by the way. A fact I know because I’m a game show host and not a detective!) Luckily, Kevin’s a great friend and a talented writer, so this project is nothin’ but “win-win-and more win” for me and, if I’m being honest, for all our backers and readers.”
“Working on Host Mortem has been the biggest and most rewarding story of my career so far,” adds Torres. “Comics has been my dream, but film is my first love, and I’ve been afforded the opportunity to bring that love into this graphic novel. As someone who is a fan of the likes of Sean Phillips, Greg Smallwood, Lee Weeks, David Mazzucchelli, and Alex Toth to name a few, channeling the use of heavy black has been key to nailing the noir tone.
“Researching the 1940s and grounding the scenes with iconic LA landmarks has helped bring pages to life, and I’ve worked to make that authenticity show through in each panel. Watching a good number of Bogart and Bacall films hasn’t hurt one bit either. I’d be remiss in not mentioning how fun and thorough Kevin Shinick’s writing is, and an honor it’s been to work with someone who happened to play a part in my childhood!”
Each chapter will have a distinct look and will be available in a slipcase drawn by Jesse Larson. Host Mortem will be crowdfunded on Kickstarter and by Clover Press. Kickstarter tiers include original art from the book, critical evaluation of work-in-progress comic books, offers of voice over narration on your next animated project, and variant covers by Tony Foti, Timothy Anderson, and Damien Torres. Backers can sign up for notifications at the pre-launch page here.
