Man's On The Menu For Titan Comics' Hookjaw

In February 1976, a terror came to British comic stores. Inspired by the Steven Spielberg film, Jaws, Hookjaw — a monstrous Great White shark which tore to shreds those who threatened the environment — burst through the surface of newsstand comic Action #1.

The tales of this destructive murdering machine were so violent, gory, and controversial, they incited a campaign to ban the comic from stores!

This December, just when you thought it was safe to go back to the comic store...Titan Comics is proud to present the publication of a petrifying all-new Hookjaw #1 (OCT161792) comic! To bite down on the meat and gristle of this marine evil, we join writer Si Spurrier and dive into the unknown fathoms! Read our PREVIEWSworld Exclusive interview with Simon below!

Hookjaw #1 (OCT161792) is in comic shops December 21.

**********

PREVIEWSworld: For the uninitiated, what can you tell us about Hookjaw?

Si Spurrier:  It’s an action-horror which combines high seas drama, Somali piracy, CIA skulduggery, cutting-edge zoological research, and a pack of great white sharks led by a singular, vast, unstoppable and near-mythical monster.

Forget all the stupid mutant-shark nonsense cluttering up the B-movie screens, forget dire shrieking starlets and improbable protagonists. The new Hookjaw is based on solid bloody science, terrifying realpolitik, and splendidly hazy moral behavior. It’s a story in which everyone involved believes they’re the hero... and they’re all wrong.

By way of a quick history lesson, the original Hookjaw started life in 1976 as one of the inaugural strips in the (in)famous comics anthology Action, which would be banned within a year thanks to public hysteria about its violent content (and would eventually be replaced by the legendary and still ongoing 2000AD).

Hookjaw was only ever really meant to be a “dead crib” — that is, a knowing cash-in on a popular story, in this case Spielberg’s blockbuster Jaws – but quickly became something more special. Based on an idea from Pat Mills, written by Ken Armstrong and drawn by Ramon Sola, it mutated into a subversive take on moral redemption. Unlike Jaws, pretty much every human character in the original Hookjaw was a villain. Hence the eponymous shark — a gigantic great white with a barbed fishing-gaff snagged through its cheek — which chomped its way through the entire rascally lot, played the role not of Evil Monster, but as a sort of avatar of natural retribution. It brought a fittingly grisly end to legions of bastards.

It’s become something of a cult story to long-time British comics readers. With the new strip we’ve aimed to pay our heartfelt respects to the original, while presenting a modern, murderous, and just plain fun story which requires no prior knowledge at all.

PREVIEWSworld: As a fan of the original series, how does it feel to bring Hookjaw to a new audience?

Si Spurrier:  It’s lovely. It’s one of the very few work-for-hire IPs I was literally incapable of turning down.

Part of the pleasure lay in discovering that, just as the original story tinkered with notions of heroism, villainy and morality, I could have a lot of fun flipping expectations about heroic archetypes.

PREVIEWSworld: Titan’s Hookjaw is a brand-new series. Can you tease a little about what we can expect from your new take?

Si Spurrier:  In the new Hookjaw the main character — an oceanographer called Maggie — is literally the only person involved who doesn’t think they’re the hero. We’ve got the well-intentioned ecological warrior, the square-jawed soldier, the world-saving spy and the honorable-thief pirate.

All of them dropped into a murky mystery involving a shipwreck, a polluted coast, the moldering wreckage of an old war, and a small group of female sharks — the Virgin Brides, each named for a Catholic Saint — waaaay out of their own territories, which seem to be displaying social hunting behaviors.

PREVIEWSworld: You are joined on this journey by legendary British comics editor and marine life expert artist, Steve White, and rising star artist Conor Boyle. Why is this the perfect creative team for Hookjaw?

Si Spurrier:  There is literally no editor better equipped for this project than Steve, so I’m honored he picked me to write it. He knows sharks better than anyone I know, so you can be sure there’s nothing in this story which strays too far from scientific orthodoxy. In my opinion it’s a lot scarier as a result.

Conor’s been doing amazing work for years in small and medium press circles, and is finally getting the recognition he deserves. His broody, moody inks have been an absolute revelation. In a medium like comics it’s tough to tread the line between hint and reveal, but he’s got it down pat. He’s joined by a genuine comic book giantess, the amazing colorist Giulia Brusco, who somehow manages to find new heights and new depths as required. It’s stunning stuff.