Kyle Starks, creator of the high-octane books Sexcastle, The Legend of Ricky Thunder and Kill Them All, has a new book coming from Image Comics in April — Rock Candy Mountain. Image describes it as an action comedy, filled with “epic stakes, magic, friendships, trains, punching, kicking, joking, a ton of hobo nonsense, and the Literal Devil. Yeah. The Literal Devil.”
The story revolves around the world’s toughest hobo, who is searching for the mythical Rock Candy Mountain, perhaps because he’s seeking hens that lay soft-boiled eggs or cigarette trees. If you aren’t familiar with the folks song — also about hobos seeking paradise — it was written by Harry McClintock in 1928. You can find a more recent version by Pat Green below.
“I really wanted to tell an epic journey with major stakes mixed with sort of a mystery and tons of fighting,” said Starks in an interview with Image+. “I also wanted to do some magical realism. And it’s hobos. Hobos fighting. I mean, what’s more magical than riding around the country, living off the grid?”
Chris Schweizer (The Crogan Adventures series) is coloring the project. “I’m coloring it, and also enjoying getting to read it before anyone else,” he told me over email. “It’s really, really good, which is why I asked Kyle to let me color it – it’s a great comic and if I can help with making it even a little bit better than it already is, I want to. Kyle’s writing and drawing it himself, and he’s just a spectacular storyteller.”
Here’s the cover art for the first issue:
