ROB WILLIAMS RESURRECTS ROBOCOP

“Classwar” writer Rob Williams gets inside the circuits of robotic law enforcement.

He’s part man, part machine, and all cop! In January, writer Rob Williams (“Classwar”) takes readers back to the universe of RoboCop for another heroic run with the future of law enforcement. Set in the original universe sculpted by Paul Verheoven, Williams is taking RoboCop to new heights and new adventure with the first arc, “Revolution”. With the release date recently announced, Dynamite decided to go straight to the source to see what the future holds for the future of law enforcement – and Rob doesn’t disappoint as we chat about the original movies, what draws Rob to the character of RoboCop, his unique take on the franchise and some of the greatest challenges he faces in bringing RoboCop back from the depths of time onto the streets of Detroit.

Are you a big fan of the original RoboCop movies? How have some of the events from the original canon influenced this new series?

We're trying to keep the series and the initial REVOLUTION arc as accessible as we can, and that means ignoring pretty much everything aside from the original classic movie. I'll be honest, I don't think I'd seen RoboCop since the eighties when we started this project. When [Dynamite President] Nick Barrucci asked me to pitch, I bought the DVD and came at it very fresh, and I was really pleasantly surprised to find how great aspects of the movie are, despite the years and the occasionally clunky stop motion effects etc. It's got great energy, is one of the most visceral slices of sci-fi you'll ever see and has an amazing sick sense of humour, which really comes from Paul Verheoven, I think. Let's face it, all Verhoeven's movies are more than a little eccentric. I loved the satirical aspects, the news reports, the adverts etc. That's what makes it stand out from any number of dumb '80s action movies. That’s what made me excited about taking the job on.

How much research have you had to do? You've mentioned in previous interviews that this is a new canon away from the old comics, but did you take a look at some of the older RoboCop comics or animated shows? If so, did you find any that you particularly enjoyed?

No, I deliberately steered clear of the old comics, cartoons, TV show. I didn't even watch RoboCop 2. I'm sure that will aggrieve some die-hards but I wanted to come at this with an outsider's perspective. I figure, go to the heart of what made RoboCop work, and that's the origin story and the crazy Dutch extreme aesthetic of that first movie. Lines like "B----s, leave!" are like the violence - so excessive that it actually goes past offensives and becomes funny. Like Starship Troopers, RoboCop’s more of a comedy than a 'straight' action thriller. There has to be drama too, of course, but that's what I like about the concept – that mix.

What interests you most about the character of RoboCop?

Well, his fight for his humanity is pretty noble and easy to empathize with in a world gone mad, but any stoic, robotic character who isn't exactly known for his verbal diarrhea is really going to be the straight man that you can bounce a lot of crazy off. That's what we're doing with this series. There are extremes all around Murphy - Old Detroit's ludicrous crime levels, large killer robots, an OTT media, a ferociously ambitious corporate predator. He's the only sane one left, pretty much - and he's called RoboCop. What does that say?

What do you think fans of the character and new readers, respectively, will enjoy most about this new series?

First off, it’s huge big messy fun. I’ve kind of gone for it on this one. RoboCop should be big, broad and OTT with lots of extreme violence and action with a strong dramatic spine at the middle. I’ve really tried to stay true to the sick spirit of Verhoeven here. I think, if you like the original movie, you should see where we’re coming from. And if you’ve never come across RoboCop before, you’re in for a thrill ride.

What has been the biggest challenge for you as a creator in creating this new story for RoboCop?

I guess it’s mixing the humor – which can be quite silly and extreme – with a dramatic core that’s going to make you care bout these characters when we put them in tight spots. Then you throw in some big widescreen action and a fairly obvious bit of political subtext. We’re serving several masters with RoboCop. If we’ve done it right, REVOLUTION will be a comic version of the type of movie I love. Lots of stunning action and spectacle but with a bit of grey matter there too.

What are you most looking forward to for the release of RoboCop?

Everything about it, really. I’m genuinely pretty excited about my scripts here. It’ll be interesting to see if what I’ve envisaged translates to the readers. And there’s a few moments in our Media Break news reports that made me laugh out loud when I wrote them, and that’s usually a good sign.

Anything else you'd like to add?

Buy this comic. You have ten seconds to comply! Obviously.

Be sure to keep an eye out for RoboCop, hitting comic stands January 2010.

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