All right, Jason. THE MARTIAN CONFEDERACY. Give me the Hollywood-style pitch for any studio execs who might be reading. THE MARTIAN CONFEDERACY is…?

It’s the Dukes Of Hazzard meets Noam Chomsky, a percolated mix of high and lowbrow adventure.

And the quick summary for comics fans, who like to know things like “plot” and “character” rather than high concepts?

In the year 3000 a millennium bug wipes out all recorded history. As different groups move in to rewrite history, a dark age of disillusionment sets in. This continues until an archeological dig uncovers a 20th century video store. The films are believed to be documentaries from the past. So films like “Planet of the Apes”, “Star Trek” and “Pulp Fiction” are adopted into history, dollars are renamed Shatners and mankind recovers.

In the year 3535 mankind has spread amongst the stars and Mars has found itself as a second rate tourist trap. Because the air is toxic, Martians are forced to rely on renewable breathers to survive. But one company has a monopoly on the industry and drives up the price. The people of Mars literally suffocate in their poverty.

Boone, Lou and Spinner are three rednecks living outside the law. When a possible cure for Mars toxic air falls into the wrong hands, the trio set out to save their planet from corporate hooliganism. Mars sole lawman, the Alcalde, seeks to maintain the status quo and his pension by opposing them.

The Previews cover features a robot girl with her arm torn off on the surface of Mars. It’s a funny image, but it also sets the stage for the book. Science fiction, violence, and humor. Really, all it’s missing is the alcohol. Despite that, your book has a pretty serious base beneath it, with the tale of toxic Martian air and man’s general inhumanity to man, bear, and robot. Why did you go for that mix, rather than a straight up gag comic or impassioned social commentary treatise?

Ha, that’s funny you like the cover with Lou. I like it too but it’s gone. We’ve changed it. At the eleventh hour Paige opted for a group shot and a trade dress.

To answer your question, I find humor to be more effective when it’s contrasted with drama. Straight up gag stories do nothing for me because I don’t feel there’s anything at stake for the characters.

The Martian Confederacy was inspired by the American company Bechtel’s failed attempt to privatize the drinking water of Brazil. I envisioned the Mars of the future having the same problems as post colonized countries today. I utilized it as a frame of reference and source of story conflict. If people walk away from The Martian Confederacy with a deeper understanding of themselves or the world they live, hey that’s awesome. But mostly I’m looking to entertain the hell outta you.

Give me some character info. Who are Boone, Lou, and Spinner? Who are they going have to go up against?

Lou is our scene stealing tri-sexual android. She’s smart, sassy and wears her mechanical heart on her sleeve. During the tourist season she works as a personal shopper for “chubby white people” from all over the galaxy. In the off season she helps Boone steal it all back.

Spinner is our fatherly nine-foot tall hooch guzzling grizzly. Spinner uses his status as a member of a protected species to openly deal in stolen goods. He’s a good-natured family man with two cubs and a mate at home.

Boone is our idiot swashbuckler. He’s good at getting girls and bad at keeping them. When he’s not hitting the home brew or offending peoples religious beliefs, he’s out robbing summer homes. He trades stolen goods with Spinner to get breathers for the neighbor hood kids.

The Alcalde is our tough as plaque lawman. He’s crooked as a cork screw with a weakness for genetically deformed ladies.

Sally is the Alcalde’s assistant and our dual sided wild card. One side of her is bad, the other good. Depending on which side is upright she’s either helping the Confederacy or trying to kill them.

On to the sci-fi aspects of the book– you’ve got a bear that talks and drinks, vital breathing apparatuses, robots, and, well, life on Mars. How hard do you go into the sci-fi? Are we talking Arthur Clarke levels of detail here? Something slightly less?

We address the obvious issue, like why have animals evolved? Why can’t you breath the air? But the story doesn’t get bogged down in the fictional minutia of living on Mars. If you’re not on board with a horny tri-sexual robot by page 20 then your never going to be.

Any chance of the Face on Mars making an appearance?

Ack! I love the Face on Mars, it creeps me out. Paige and I discussed the Face early on but could never find a place for it in the story. It’s so iconic, just putting it in the background would have been distracting.

Paige Braddock is probably best known for JANE’S WORLD, but THE MARTIAN CONFEDERACY is pretty much a couple thousand years and a few million miles removed from that. This is her first time working with a writer, right? How’d you hook up with her, and how’d you convince her to illustrate your book?

It is Paige’s first time working with another creator. We met on the convention circuit and became friends and fans of each other’s work. Paige was looking to do something outside of Jane’s World and asked me to collaborate with her. She gave me some sketches and concepts she wanted to explore and let me go bat shit with the story.

I was definitely a little intimidated at first because I’m also a fan of Paige’s. But in re reading her work I saw where her and I shared strengths and where we didn’t. We debated a couple of odds and ends and edited the final script together. She’s just a lot of fun to bounce ideas off of.

Is it too early to talk sequel? Have you sketched that out at all?

The Martian Confederacy was supposed to be a creative one night stand. But we’ve gotten too attached to these characters and to working with each other. So we’ve decided to continue the Martian Confederacy as a series of graphic novels.

The other night I was in the shower and the entire plot of the second book came together in my head (which is unusual as I typically only discover short stories in the shower).

I know it’s a ways off, but tell me a little bit about SUCKER and Tony Talbert. Blood sucking, incest, and baby-eating sound like a great combination.

Well Sucker is actually my interpretation of the flawed pursuit of American ideology at the expense of the family unit. We just put the baby eating and incest in there so kids will buy it. Think Kramer vs. Kramer meets the Hunger. It’s a vampire book but you won’t see any blood sucking or sad sack poor me goth bullshit.

Vampires are exposed as real and immortality becomes the new gold rush. The last surviving vampire enslaves the ghosts of vampires past in a spiritual sweat shop and seeks to surpass his late fathers wealth and rekindle a romance with his sister. The only thing standing in his way is a washed up alcoholic vampire hunter going through a custody battle. I recognize incest can be dicey subject material, you can expect our take to fall somewhere between Hamlet and Amityville Horror 2.

Let’s switch it up a little bit. What comics are you reading? What ones are you enjoying? I know that you’re a Spider-Man fan… how’s Brand New Day treating you?

I’m loving Secret Invasion. I’ve got Skrulliosis bad.

I’m also reading DMZ, Conan, Northlanders, Captain America, Young Liars, Spider-Girl, The Walking Dead, X-Factor, Daredevil, Nexus, Madman and the Damned. As for Spider-Man…let me give you some background.

My father taught me to read using Spider-Man comics. “Thwip” was one of my first words. When I out grew my Spider-Man footsie pajamas I cut the feet off so I could continue wearing them. When I turned 18 I went out and got a Spider-tracer tattooed on my wrist. But nothing lasts forever. After “Sins Past” a few years ago I had to sit down and have a little talk with the Spidey inside me. I told him we had a good run but I think it’s better if he went on without me.

I checked back in for BND (Crisis on Infinite Peter Parkers), mostly because of Dan Slott’s involvement. It’s nice to see Harry and the web shooters again. My personal favorite supporting character, Robbie Robertson, is getting more screen time. As for Peter himself I have mixed emotions. I understand that this is the Peter of yesterday, he can be kind of a jerk, he makes mistakes, ect. But it’s still a hard transition from what we’ve known.

My biggest complaint would be the seemingly never ending appearances of “Freak” the ten foot tall cocaine snorting possum. Also I want more insight into how his unmasking is perceived. Does Peter remember doing it? If not that’s called a blackout. I’ve had a couple and I’m usually concerned about them.

Overall BND is fun and let’s face it, something had to be done to fix Spider-Man. But I had already decided I could live without Spidey and any further reading was just break up sex. So as I was packing my Spidey bags again I came across the Dan Slott / Marcos Martin issues. Fuck me that is a perfect Spider-Man book. I’m going to stick it out a bit longer…but don’t tell my long boxes.

What’s next up for Jason McNamara? Free plug time.

Next I’m working on a drama / comedy about sick children and autistic savants called “Short Hand.” Should be another knee slapper.

Catch up with Jason and Paige online at The Martian Confederacy site.