From 2010 to 2016, Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt released 60-something issues of The Sixth Gun. Set amid the “darkest days of the Civil War,” the book followed Drake Sinclair and his many ornery cohorts as they delved into the mystery/adventure behind the titular weapon, one of “six pistols of otherworldly power.” And like the guns themselves, so too has this book returned, with a brand-new Kickstarter launched for a massive omnibus.
The Sixth Gun Deluxe Omnibus Library features all 50 main issues as well as The Sixth Gun: Sons of the Gun #1-5, The Sixth Gun: Days of the Dead #1-5, The Sixth Gun: Dust to Dust #1-3, and The Sixth Gun: Valley of Death #1-3 as well as the spin-off series, Shadow Roads #1-10. Not only is there some 1,500 pages of dark western action, but the omnibus will help prepare for the Sixth Gun‘s return in 2025, with “three, all-new prelude stories that will unlock as the campaign reaches new milestones.” (Plus, each prelude features “chapters of a brand-new Sixth Gun prose story” a la Western dime novels.) If you’re gunnin’ for more shootouts and sorcery, this is the project to back.
Ahead of the Kickstarter campaign’s debut, both Bunn and Hurtt were kind enough to answer our questions. That includes their shared connection around this story, what we can expect from these preludes and Sixth Gun‘s return, and any other long-term plans and projects, among other topics and tidbits.
If you’d like to contribute to the Kickstarter, head here.
AIPT: What does The Sixth Gun mean to the two of you creatively or artistically?
Cullen Bunn: The Sixth Gun wasn’t my first published comic book. It wasn’t even my first collaboration with Brian. That honor falls to The Damned. The Sixth Gun, though, represents something special to me. It was a book that got a lot of attention for me, allowing me to pursue writing comics as a full-time career. More than that, this was a series that Brian and I poured our blood, sweat, and tears into, and we were able to tell the story exactly the way we wanted. It wasn’t cut short. It wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t derailed by corporate initiatives or mega-crossovers. This was our story, beginning, middle, and end. We achieved the goals we set for ourselves, and I’ve found that can be rare in comics.
Brian Hurtt: As Cullen said, The Sixth Gun represented for us a creative vision without compromise. We had the full support of our publisher and, most importantly, the fans–who not only joined us for the ride but did everything they could to encourage others to come along. As a small press comic with little to no marketing budget at the time, that kind of support was invaluable. We literally could not have done this book without the reader support we had.
AIPT: How would you describe The Sixth Gun to new fans? Why should they pick up the book?
CB: The Sixth Gun is an epic dark fantasy set in the Old West. It’s the story of six magical revolvers, each with its own terrible power. The most powerful of those guns falls into the hands of an innocent farmer’s daughter, turning her into the deadliest gunfighter to walk the dusty plains. It also sets the forces of darkness on her trail. From there, it explodes into a huge story full of action, adventure, fun, heartbreak, and everything else you could possibly want from a story like this.
Courtesy of Oni Press.
BH: It’s a western for people who don’t like westerns. A fantasy for those who don’t like fantasy. It eschews the aesthetics of classic westerns–those dusty sepia tones–and embraces the pop sensibilities of superhero comics: heightened colors, big sound effects, and so on. It lives in a strange, unique space that I still find hard to easily compare to anything that came before. The Sixth Gun draws on too many influences to list but is also, in my opinion, a complete original.
AIPT: Why do book omnibus editions like this really matter? How did you try to make this one feel special (beyond that staff we’ll get to shortly)?
BH: The unsexy answer is cost and accessibility. I love the oversized Gunslinger Editions we did–they are big and beautiful–but they are not built for casual reading. On top of that, the cost to read the entire series in that format can be prohibitive for a lot of folks. And to read the same stories in trade paperback format, you’re talking about fourteen separate volumes as opposed to the four omnibus collections. These omnibus collections really will put a whole world at your fingertips and in this hardback edition they look classy and absolutely gorgeous!
CB: This type of book is something that avid fans of The Sixth Gun can collect and treasure, something that can be placed with pride upon the shelf alongside the absolute finest of first editions. They’re artifact editions. And for readers who have never experienced The Sixth Gun , what a cool way to read the story for the first time. Picking up one of these books is an engrossing experience.
AIPT: What can you tell us about the prelude stories (plot, exciting bits, etc.)? What do they do to add or extend this story world?
CB: Just as we played the nature of the campaign for The Sixth Gun very close to our chests, we’re keeping the plot details of the prelude stories a bit of a mystery for now. We had two stories that have come before. The Sixth Gun and Shadow Roads. Those two stories were connected in some ways, but each existed in their own world. Quite literally. Going forward, those two stories will be intermingling and fusing together in some unexpected ways. The prelude stories will begin to set that up. They’ll whet the appetites of our readers, and they’ll start to stitch together threads in some unexpected ways.
Courtesy of Oni Press.
BH: These short stories we’re doing in conjunction with the Kickstarter campaign will stand on their own as individual pieces but will also be sowing seeds for what is to come in 2025.
AIPT: What can we expect from The Sixth Gun in 2025? How do those prelude stories inform whatever plans you might have?
CB: The prelude stories are stepping stones to what comes next. A new series will rise in 2025. One part Shadow Roads, one part The Sixth Gun , with a whole bunch of action, adventure, and epic fantasy thrown into the mix. When The Sixth Gun first came out, no one knew what to expect from it, and I feel like Brian and I delivered a book unlike any other. No pressure, but we’re looking to make lightning strike twice.
AIPT:: We’re also supposed to get some prose stories. What can we expect from those? Is it from a book by a character in the series, or maybe someone new?
CB: The prose stories, like the prelude comics, will play in a space that helps connect what has come before with what will be coming next. These stories are just one of many ways we can tell tall tales within this world we’ve created. You will definitely be seeing some familiar faces, though.
BH: I think I can comfortably say that somewhere in these additional stories readers will see a familiar face or two! I’m particularly looking forward to doing the illustration pieces for the prose–it’s a different approach to our collaboration than we’re used to and, personally, can’t wait to see the final work.
AIPT: What was it like to work on those new stories? Was it weird or mostly comfortable to get back into the saddle together?
BH: Our working relationship is getting to the point it can be measured in decades and our friendship goes back even farther than that! So when it comes to working together creatively, it’s like breathing. It’s autonomic like that. And The Sixth Gun is something we’ve lived with for years — even after the series was wrapped it still lived on in us.
Courtesy of Oni Press.
CB: Yeah, we’ve known each other a long time, and we’ve worked together on so many projects. Even when we aren’t “actively” working on a book together, we are almost certainly brainstorming new ideas. So, pursuing this is just a continuation of our typical interactions.
AIPT: Do you each have a favorite moment/story arc/etc. from this series? Something that speaks to why the whole thing ultimately matters?
CB: There are so many moments… from the very small, like Drake trying to replace his hat; to the visual tentpoles, like Becky riding into the town of Penance; to entire arcs, like the Ghost Dance arc; to the heartbreaking, like the events of “Not the Bullet, but the Fall.” This is one of those books that I simply love every part of it.
AIPT: Is there something still super relevant about this book set in the Civil War? I keep thinking we’re also divided and equally grappling with feelings of the End Times.
BH: These are imperfect characters finding common cause with other disparate, imperfect characters and working towards a better future. So, always relevant.
CB: Technically, we’re post-Civil War here (though the specter of that event hangs heavy over the story). In the world of The Sixth Gun, this is a time of rebuilding.
AIPT: Do you think you may keep returning to the series from time to time? Can we expect Sixth Gun stories for the 20th/25th/30th/etc. Anniversaries?
BH: God willing.
CB: I’m already planning the 100th anniversary story!
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.