Comic Book Men Q&A – Kevin Smith

Kevin Smith, star of AMC’s Comic Book Men, talks about a celebrity guest that fans can look forward to in Season 4 and which superheroes the guys from the Stash would play in a movie.

Q: What can fans expect during the upcoming season of Comic Book Men?

A: This year, we find our niche. We let our geek flag fly. In the past, we held back a little because we wondered if anyone would understand who or what we’re talking about, but this season, we went for it. There are a lot of guest stars including DMC from Run DMC, which was awesome for me. My jaw hit the ground. He had some amazing stories about selling comic books to buy his turntables. Stuff like that is heaven to me.

Q: Is there a moment from the first 3 seasons that made you laugh out loud?

A: The beauty of the show is you get to see me laugh out loud during the podcast sequences. There have definitely been moments, like the Trivia Chew-Off we did last year, I thought were really hysterical. Walt has some crazy one-liners and when the boys sit around the store, that’s the stuff that makes me laugh the hardest. To be fair, they’re all my friends. I’ve found them funny for years.

Q: Any plans to live-tweet this season? What do you enjoy most about interacting with fans in real time?

A: Absolutely. I’ll be live-tweeting every episode. I love doing it and answering questions. It’s fun, and when people are just asking questions about my friends, it’s even easier to answer.

Q: How was San Diego Comic-Con this year? What was the coolest thing you saw?

A: This year’s Comic-Con was a wonderful experience. You only get so many in a lifetime and this one had the added attraction of debuting the Tusk trailer there. That was wonderful. I put up a sizzle reel from Comic Book Men and that got a huge reaction. That probably felt the most gratifying. Comic Book Men is a show that, in the beginning, some cats went after. So, to be putting a trailer up for Season 4 and have people embrace it is really fantastic. It felt like, “OK, I guess we weren’t so dumb after all.”

Q: You’re an avid Batman fan. Who do you think will reign supreme once Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice premieres? What are some of the strengths and weaknesses of each hero?

A: Ultimately, they’ll probably give us a stalemate. They have to. You can’t have this man beat this virtual god, although that’s what we love about Batman. The fact that he can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with these giants says a lot about his character. He makes the audience feel like, “Wow. That could be me.” You can’t be Superman.

Q: Who of the Stash guys would you like to see playing which super heroes in a movie?

A: Walt, I could see playing Daredevil. He’s very street savvy and he’s a dude that, if he doesn’t want to be seen, you don’t know he’s there. Bryan, I cast as Microchip, the Punisher’s right-hand man. Ming would be Kitty Pryde and I’m shocked he doesn’t have a little dragon that he hangs out with. I put Mike as the Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange. He has mysticism about him and tons of life experience.

Q: Can we assume you’d play Batman?

A: I would definitely want to be Batman.

Q: Jason Mewes told us Jay and Silent Bob would fare well during a zombie apocalypse. Would you agree?

A: Yeah, they seem like survivors. Jay and Silent Bob are kind of like cockroaches, so I would imagine they’d find a way to elude a zombie, even though Bob would appear succulent as hell to any undead flesh-eater. I’d imagine they’re wild and crafty enough to outlast the apocalypse.

Q: Who would you want on your team from The Walking Dead?

A: Daryl Dixon. Hands down.

Q: You said that fast!

A: C’mon man. With him swinging that crossbow – and of course, I’d take Rick. He’s an excellent moral compass and an excellent shot. He’d be the only person I’d ask, “What should we do?” He and Daryl, I could answer to. Let’s be honest, though, if I were in The Walking Dead, I would have been eaten a long time ago.

Q: But you’d look so cool as a zombie in a jersey...

A: Totally! You’d see me coming.

Q: Your new horror flick, Tusk, premiered recently. What are you most excited for audiences to see?

A: I like the fact that it’s different than anything else I’ve ever done. It’s the kind of movie I loved growing up. When I made Clerks, I only did that because that’s all I could do. Tusk is more based on my childhood faves like The 4:30 Movie, An American Werewolf in London, From Beyond...things like that.

Q: We heard your mom cried when she watched it.

A: She did! I showed Tusk to my Mom and it made her cry and I’m like, “Mom, you’re not crying for my career, are you?!”

Comic Book Men returns Sunday at midnight/11c on AMC.