There is a great write up about Axe Cop over at CBR that just went up.  Apparently Axe Cop is one of the 365 Reasons to Love Comics.

I did what all really lame comic artists do and I was googled my own comic at 4:30am then found this article about it and joined in the discussion in the comments section.  Oh well, I felt like making my case.  I wasn't super offended or anything, but people were writing off Axe Cop as just absurdity for absurdity's sake.  Here is my response to that charge (as posted in the comments on this article):

In today's Ask Axe Cop episode we find out if Axe Cop would ever have kids…

(spoilers) So I liked the timing of this comic, since we just found out about Sockarang going bad in the Axe Cop story, we now find out here how close of a friend Sockarang is to Axe Cop.  He is such a good friend that Axe Cop would marry him if he was a woman.  What I love here is how Malachai is basically turning is best friend into a wife.  He doesn't get why you need two sexes… but he figures rather than find some new girl to marry, just turn your friend into a girl.  The fact that he picked the most hideous and disturbing character out of the bunch (Sockarang) only makes it more hilarious.  We can also see that Axe Cop does not know about Sockarang's 2 new horns, so he only depicts him with the one horn in this hypothetical about having kids.

Another classic Axe Cop moment if you ask me.

Ethan

So two days in a row we have our characters at the beach.  It was no intentional but at least the scenery is nice (and the backgrounds are easy)

I tried to get Malachai to give me more details on how the Moon Warriors would know that Axe Cop's axe can't chop off the Vampire Man Baby Kid's head, but he insisted this is just knowledge they already possess and no explanation is needed.  It's something everyone should know, sort of like that all mermaids are good guys.  I was hoping for a nice preliminary battle where Axe Cop tries to cut off VMBK's head, but it just won't come off and they have to give up.  I think this works just as well though, and it does show how the 6 year old prefers to get strtaight to the action, explanations be damned.   The older we get the more we want explanations.

There are currently 6 prints left in stock.  Just sayin'…

Also, if you didn't see them yet, we posted the new intro sequence for the upcoming Axe Cop motion comics on YouTube.  These guys have gone above and beyond the call of duty on these things, I can't wait for you all to see them.  Thanks for reading AXE COP!

Ethan

Read the new Ask Axe Cop episode, but I warn you, you may need a box of Kleenex.

(don't read the rest of this blog til you read the episode) When Malchai gave me the answer to this question it was pretty priceless.  First he said no, Axe Cop didn't fight Mermaids, then he said, well, yes he did but he thought it was a bad guy.  By the time he made it through all his reasoning, he realized Axe Cop had killed a good guy.  He paused, then quietly said “he cried.” then after another pause… “that was a sad one.”  Of course, it's brilliant and it shows a new side to Axe Cop we have not yet seen… the tender side.  He hates evil, but his heart breaks when the innocent are killed, especially when he chops their head off.

15 prints left in the store!  It would be nice if they got bought up so we could ship them all out at once.  Thanks for reading.  The Moon Warriors story continues tomorrow.

Ethan

Uh oh!  Big trouble on Uni-Smart World!

The prints are finally about to get numbered, signed, and shipped out.  They are glorious and huge and on nice, heavy paper in 3 color screen print.  The print is one foot wide by 39 inches tall (about 3.5 feet tall).

There are only about 30 of these left stock.  They'll be signed and numbered and are limited to 100 pieces.

Hey head choppers,

Sequential Tart did an interview with Malachai and I, and based on one of his answers I did an exclusive Axe Cop cartoon for the article.  Check it out!

Ethan

A fan of Axe Cop who, so far I only know as “the Last Banana” in our forum, has created a mod for the online game “Cortex Command”. 

Check out these videos of Axe Cop characters in action.  First, Wexter performs his super duper fast bite, breathes fire, flies, and blasts in machine guns. (machine guns are fast!)
Wexter

Here's Axe Cop chopping heads off, throwing lemon grenade bombs and then becoming Axe Cop FIRE with the help of his pet T-Rex.
Axe Cop

Flute Cop walks into battle with his flute, then he gets dinosauur blood on him, then he eats and avocado… then he throws grenades at Uni-Baby… you just gotta see it!
Flute Cop

And of course the tossing of the horned child:
Uni-Baby

The game can be downloaded from the Data Realms website, and there is a free trial version that only limits how long a match can last, so anyone can play with the mod, even if they haven't bought the game.
To download the mod, people can visit the topic on the Data Realms forums for a download link.  A guide on installing mods can be found here.

Mr. Banana says he may be adding more onto this mod later, but for now, it is basically some extra weapons and playable characters for the game.  I give this man props.  Comment on those youtube videos if you love them like I do.  I don't have much time for video games, but seeing these in action still makes me giddy.

Ethan

Today the coolest 5 year old on the internet (and in the universe in my opinion) becomes the coolest 6 year old on the internet.  Today is Malachai's 6th birthday.

This kid has been one of the greatest things to ever happen to the Nicolle family, and I say that totally regardless of the whole Axe Cop thing.  He is incredbly smart, which is an anomally among Nicolles.  We have all been bright people, but usually not very book smart.  Malachai, so far is way ahead of his class and a natural learner.  He plays video games on the net that require reading, but he just figures them out with logic.  He is a very genuine and loving kid and when people try to interview him about Axe Cop, he wants to interview them because he is fascinated by everyone and wants to play with anyone who is willing to pick up a toy dinosaur or plastic fireman axe and imagine with him.

I have seen a lot of comments online saying things like “this kid is disturbed”.  I don't think that is anywhere near true.  He has the same innocent detachment from reallity we all had at five.  Imagine you and a friend in a plastic sword fight at that age “I just chopped off your legs, you can't walk now!”  We did not think about the gruesomness of the idea of chopping off heads and legs, with bloofd gushing out and our family looking on in horror, clutching the floor and dragging our bloody stumps until we die somewhere from loss of blood.  We were not violent in the true sense of the word.  It was playing, and for boys, playing means chopping off appendages more often than not.  My mom kept me away from He-Man and G.I. Joe when I was really young, so I played My Little Pony with the girl across the street.  I remember mainly I would put them at the edge of the table and make them have a fight to the death on the ledge, til one plummeted to their death from a good horse kick in the face.

Thanks to you I have been able to really dig into the stories in Malachai's head and find ideas in him he may never have come up with because no one would have been asking.  It has been the funnest collaboration of my life and something that, no matter what happens here and now, will be a great memory for us for the rest of our lives.  Of course, there is real life, and I assumed that real life would dictate I could not spend my time making comics with my 5 year old brother, because that will get me nowhere.  I seem to have been wrong.  As long as we keep receiving the supports we have been, (and as long as it remains fun) we will keep making these comics and we will go an an adventure few brothers 24 years apart in age ever have in the history of the earth. 

Many heads will roll.

Thanks for reading Axe Cop.  Post your birthday wishes here for Malachai, he does not read the Facebook page or Twitter.  Happy Birthday little brother!

-Ethan

I'm about to leave for San Jose so I got the new episode up bright and early. 

If  you live anywhere near San Jose California you should come out to my gallery tonight at SLG's outiki gallery.  Lots of art will be on display with live music and good people. It is tonight from 8pm-11pm.  More info at the SLG website or here on Facebook.

Saturday I am doing a workshop for aspiring comic artists.  If you come to this I will give you a free “CHOP” president Axe Cop poster.  More info is here.

Also, for those of you who ordered a “Good VS. Bad” poster print, don't worry, they still haven't shipped.  They took a bit longer to print then expected and I have to singlehandedly sign, number, package and ship them all when they get here on top of everything else.  Thanks for being patient we'll get them out as soon as possible.

Off to San Jose!  Thanks for reading Axe Cop.  And don't forget…

Ethan