Meet the Clean Up Crew!

A brief introduction to the characters in my next comic.

As I continue to prepare for the launch of Clean Up Crew #1 on Kickstarter, I wanted to take a minute to introduce you to the characters. This is a relatively small cast with six total characters. We’ll follow them throughout the night and see who makes it to sunrise.

Miles - He’s a recent college graduate in a small town. He’s worked at The Tool Box throughout his time at school and he’s good at it, but he’s not sure if this is the career path he wants to go down. Miles has trouble standing up for himself and Evan, the store manager, often takes advantage of that. Miles has a good heart and he wants to help people.

Roger - Total goofball. He’s a little older than Miles and he likes working at The Tool Box because he enjoys the lack of responsibility. He never passes up an opportunity to have fun or to slack off. He takes nothing seriously. Despite his laid back nature, Roger is a loyal friend and looks out for Miles.

Maxwell - The owner and manager of Bloody Good Cleaners, the overnight janitorial crew made up exclusively of vampires. He’s a few hundred years old and has seen some scary stuff in that time. Maxwell avoids risks and wants to keep a low profile. This business is a way for him to enjoy the benefits of modern society like cellphones and video games without worrying about pitchforks and torches coming for him.

Victoria - A newly turned vampire. She went to high school with Miles and the two were friends. They lost touch after they went to different colleges. Victoria has not yet tasted human blood. She is still coming to terms with her second life and the challenges that brings. She’s quiet and a little timid as she figures that out.

Bruce - He’s a big oaf who believes vampires should take their rightful spot on top of the food chain. He’s slumming it with Maxwell after an incident across the country that had local authorities looking for him. He’s the reason everything goes wrong at The Tool Box this evening.

Evan - The assistant manager of The Tool Box. He’s uptight and a total jerk, always happy to use his minimal power to lord over the store employees. He hires Maxwell’s crew to clean up the store to prepare for a big visit from the district manager the next day. He will try to short change them and take credit for their work.

What do you think of these six characters? Is there anyone you’re more curious about? Who pulls you in?

I can tell you that Bruce has quickly become a favorite of mine. Samir also really digs him, pointing to him as the breakout character. I agree, especially with how Samir draws him. He’s a brute and a total idiot, which makes him the perfect catalyst for everything that happens.

The entire story of Clean Up Crew takes place over the course of a single night. Throughout that time there will be alliances, betrayals, and bloodshed. The entire first issue is done and ready to go so once the campaign wraps up, we’ll go right to print. To be notified when the campaign launches, be sure to hit the button below and sign up!

Have you ever read something that was so good you got mad about it? That’s how I felt about the first hardcover collection of Criminal from Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. I read these in single issues when they were released, but I honestly couldn’t remember anything about them so this read through was like experiencing it for the first time. It is just so friggin’ good.

I know that Brubaker and Phillips have worked together several times before and they have honed their craft on tons of comics, however they make it look so easy. Their work is so smooth. This world feels lived in and real. I know that there’s a ton of work behind this to research and prepare for it in order to delivery such a complete and perfect product.

Criminal centers on incredibly flawed, yet sympathetic characters. These are people that are breaking the law so they’re technically the “bad guys” but it’s easy to see how their actions are justified. All of them are hoping for one break that could change their lives forever, however the universe just keeps stomping on their dreams.

This book provided equal parts inspiration and frustration. I was inspired because this is a real testament to the kind of powerful, emotional stories the comic book medium can produce. I was frustrated because I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to create something that’s even half as good as this. This is such a great book that you wonder why anyone else tries. That sounds so defeatist to say and to be clear, I’m not going to stop making comics, nor do I want anyone else to stop. It’s a book that I finished and just exclaimed “Damn.”