Welcome, X-Fans, to another uncanny edition of X-Men Monday at AIPT!
If you haven’t been reading the X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic on Marvel Unlimited, you’re missing out on a lot of great stories and character spotlights I know you crave (sadly, no Hellion spotlight… yet!) by some very talented creators. Writer/artist Jason Loo, for instance, is responsible for several very fun X-Men Unlimited stories, so when I saw he kicked off an all-new Jamie Madrox-Strong Guy story, I had to get him back to X-Men Monday.
With two chapters available to read, X-Men Unlimited: Madrox Family & Fantastic Four Team-Up is off to a very fun start. And I think we could all use a bit of fun before the Fall of X begins, wouldn’t you agree? Let’s see what Jason has to say.
Courtesy of Jason Loo and John Keigher Photography
AIPT: Welcome back to X-Men Monday, Jason! This is your third X-Men Unlimited story arc featuring Multiple Man and Strong Guy. First, how does it feel getting to continue these X-Friends’ adventures, and second… Madrox Family ongoing series when?
Jason: Any time I get to work on Multiple Man and Strong Guy, I feel like I’m on cloud nine. Especially now that I got them back to being the fun-loving, comedic duo that I enjoyed from the ’90s X-Factor run. I’d like to think of them as the X-Men’s Abbott and Costello, but instead of meeting The Mummy and Frankenstein, it’s the monsters from Monster Island, the Starjammers, and now the Fantastic Four!
As for a Madrox Family ongoing series? I would be so open to it!
AIPT: Funny enough, this isn’t the first X-Men Monday to reference Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (shout out to Roy Thomas!). Now, a lot of people probably forget that Multiple Man started as a Fantastic Four character, but he’s got history with the FF. What made you want to bring the Madrox Family and Marvel’s first family together for this story arc?
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Jason: I wanted to bring some A-List level star power for Madrox and Strong Guy’s next adventure. Madrox’s history with the Fantastic Four was the obvious reason why I picked Marvel’s first family. A BIG THANK YOU to the collaborative efforts of editor Lauren Amaro and Tom Brevoort for allowing this team-up to happen! I was elated when my pitch got approved. Pairing up the beloved FF with the not-so-perfect Madrox Family has lots of comedic potential. Like Jamie trying to prove to Reed how much he’s matured since their first encounter, and other awkward interactions between Sue and Layla, as well as Thing and Strong Guy.
AIPT: Let’s talk about some of those interactions. Given the outcome of Chip Zdarsky’s 2020 X-Men/Fantastic Four mini-series, it seems a bit dangerous having Mister Fantastic on Krakoa — even if he’s mostly there for Madripoor-style shrimp bites. Any chance you’ll play with some of those unresolved plot threads in your story?
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Jason: I mean… do you really think Reed accepted Jamie’s invite just so he can get more of those Madripoor-style shrimp bites or to look at Jamie’s family photo wall? He’s surely there to do some digging but… I’ll leave it at that.
AIPT: I’d… like to stay on those shrimp bites a little longer. What makes them “Madripoor-style?” And What more can you say about Krakoan iced tea? If you can’t tell, I’m gunning for an Eisner with this interview.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Jason: That’s a great question! I believe anything Madripoor-style would be similar to flavors from its neighboring countries of Indonesia and Singapore. Madripoor-style shrimp bites are deep-fried tiger prawns coated with coconut flakes, topped with a purée blend of peanut butter, Sambal and soya sauce, and sprinkled with crushed nuts. As for Krakoan iced tea; besides the usual ingredients of a Long Island iced tea, it relies heavily on the island’s medicinal tea leaves. Y’know, the one that works as a strong stress-reducer.
AIPT: Delicious! I’m still going for that Eisner, so just one more important comics journalism question. Does Sue not know who Yoda is, or does she not know who Fozzie Bear is? “Ah’m Davey” and you think Yoda? Come on, Sue…
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Jason: Let’s not put the entire blame on Sue… Layla’s execution of a Fozzie Bear impression might have been a little off. Either way, Fozzie and Yoda are both voiced by Frank Oz, so Sue was sorta close?
AIPT: You know, I never knew that. But now I hear it instantly. Apologies, Sue. So, you’re also illustrating this story arc. You’ve got a great art style that pairs perfectly with your whimsical scripting. Who would you say are your biggest artistic influences?
Jason: Aww, thanks, Chris! I’d say my style is influenced by cartoonists Adrian Tomine, Daniel Clowes, as well as David Mazzuccheli, while also attempting to emulate the beautiful, energetic style of Pepe Larraz.
AIPT: I’m a HUGE Adrian Tomine fan. I got to meet him at an event at the Harvard Book Store. (Read all about it here, Tomine fans!) That’s awesome to hear Tomine’s influence is seeping into X-Men comics in some small way.
Jason: Oh wicked! I still have a bunch of his Optic Nerve floppies from my college days and also met him once when he was promoting Killing and Dying. I love those quiet moment feels in his books. There have been times I deliberately added a silent pause and my editor is like, “Maybe that character should say something.” Haha.
AIPT: I think Tomine’s Weezer superhero poster was my gateway into his work and I never looked back.
Jason: Ohmygosh, I remember that Weezer poster! I had a print of it in my parents’ unfinished basement. It’s where my friends and I used to jam as a band. I used to stare at that poster almost every day while “In The Garage” played in my head. Good memories.
AIPT: OK, back to X-Men. What can you tease about the rest of this story arc?
Jason: With all the deadly threats happening on Krakoa (especially in the X-Force series), Jamie Prime and his family have managed to live a comfortable, mundane life as can be. But knowing my arc was coming out around the eve of Fall of X, I’m going to say that things won’t be as normal as it was by the end of it.
AIPT: Beyond X-Men Unlimited, you’ve got Iron Man Annual #1 this August, which will tie into Contest of Chaos. What can you share about this story, which seems to focus on Tony battling Storm? No pressure!
Jason: Not gonna lie, I was a little nervous about writing Storm. Only working with Marvel for two years, I saw Storm as a character I would work my way up towards later down the road. She’s such a poetic and intellectual character. So I was surprised when I was offered this opportunity by editor Annalise Bissa. I did so much research on both Tony and Storm. Before I even came up with an outline, I was checking their stats, measuring their strengths and weaknesses, and refreshing myself on their history. I believe I concocted the ultimate showdown between Iron Man and Storm, with both displaying an impressive showing thanks to David Cutler on art duties. Also expect some deep cuts.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: Before we wrap, do you have an all-time favorite Madrox story?
Jason: This is tough narrowing it down to one… I actually made a Madrox must-reads list on Marvel.com that can be read here.
But if I have to choose one… probably Avengers: Children’s Crusade? It’s always cool to see a C-list character like Madrox involved in a big Marvel event as more than just a background character. Plus, Jim Cheung draws a pretty sweet Jamie Madrox. Runner-up is any issue when he sits across from Doc Samson where we get into the core of Jamie Madrox.
AIPT: Finally, what would you do with Jamie Madrox’s powers?
Jason: Well, I’m already working a full-time day job while balancing multiple comic projects, house chores, finding time for friends, and taking care of my cat son. It’ll be nice to have a dupe to learn a different language, another to read books from my pile, and another to go on a non-comic related vacation.
AIPT: For your sake, Jason, I hope you get those powers. I’m not sure how, but I’m hoping! But on that note, thanks for swinging by X-Men Monday.
before we wrap, here are this week’s eXclusive preview images, courtesy of X-Men Senior Editor Jordan D. White.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Until next time, X-Fans, stay exceptional!
Join the AIPT Patreon
Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:
- ❌ Remove all ads on the website
- 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
- 📗 Access to our monthly book club
- 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
- 💥 And more!
You must be logged in to post a comment.