Comics Bulletin logo
Search
  • Columns
    Random
    • Business Development Step 1: Identify; Column Three of Three

      Andre Lamar
      October 6, 2010
      Columns, The Burning Mind
    Recent
    • Revisiting the Witchblade/Fathom/Tomb Raider Crossover

      Daniel Gehen
      February 8, 2021
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 2

      Daniel Gehen
      December 4, 2020
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 1

      Daniel Gehen
      October 30, 2020
    • What Looks Good
    • Comics Bulletin Soapbox
    • The Full Run
    • Leading Question
    • Top 10
    • The Long-Form
    • Jumping On
    • Comics in Color
    • Slouches Towards Comics
  • Big Two
    Random
    • DC Joins Comixology Unlimited, Striking a Blow to DC Universe

      Andre Lamar
      January 8, 2019
      Big Two, DC Comics, News, Press Release
    Recent
    • 3.0

      Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia

      Daniel Gehen
      February 22, 2021
    • 4.5

      DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

      Daniel Gehen
      January 22, 2021
    • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

      Daniel Gehen
      December 3, 2020
    • DC Comics
    • Big Two Reviews
    • Marvel Comics
  • Indie
    Random
    • Review: "Faith" #1 is a Lesson in Keeping Up Appearances

      Andre Lamar
      July 19, 2016
      Indie, Reviews, Valiant
    Recent
    • 4.5

      Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • Image Comics and TMP Announces SPAWN’S UNIVERSE

      Daniel Gehen
      February 18, 2021
    • Reviews
    • Archie Comics
    • Boom! Studios
    • Dark Horse
    • IDW
    • Image
    • Oni Press
    • Valiant
  • Reviews
    Random
    • 1.5

      Phonogram #3

      Andre Lamar
      December 26, 2006
      Reviews
    Recent
    • 3.0

      Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia

      Daniel Gehen
      February 22, 2021
    • 4.5

      Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • 2.3

      Review: SAVAGE #1 Needs Taming

      Daniel Gehen
      February 16, 2021
    • Singles Going Steady
    • Slugfest
    • Manga
      • Reviews
    • Small Press
      • Reviews
      • ICYMI
      • Tiny Pages Made of Ashes
  • Interviews
    Random
    • Interview: Eric Powell: Always Striving for More

      Andre Lamar
      August 26, 2014
      Interviews
    Recent
    • Interview: Jon Davis-Hunt Talks SHADOWMAN

      Daniel Gehen
      June 8, 2020
    • Interview: Becky Cloonan talks DARK AGNES and Her Personal Influences

      Mike Nickells
      March 4, 2020
    • Simon Roy

      Interview: Simon Roy on His Inspirations and Collaborations on PROTECTOR

      Mike Nickells
      January 29, 2020
    • Audio Interview
    • Video Interview
  • Classic Comics
    Random
    • Bernie Wrightson's 'Creepshow' is Back and Scarier Than Ever

      Andre Lamar
      May 16, 2017
      Books, Classic Comics Cavalcade, Reviews
    Recent
    • Countdown to the King: Marvel’s Godzilla

      Daniel Gehen
      May 29, 2019
    • Honoring A Legend: Fantagraphics To Resurrect Tomi Ungerer Classics

      Daniel Gehen
      February 15, 2019
    • Reliving the Craziest Decade in Comics History: An interview with Jason Sacks

      Mark Stack
      January 2, 2019
    • Classic Comics Cavalcade
    • Classic Interviews
  • News
    Random
    • Stan Lee Addresses the Passing of Steve Ditko

      Andre Lamar
      July 14, 2018
      News
    Recent
    • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • Image Comics and TMP Announces SPAWN’S UNIVERSE

      Daniel Gehen
      February 18, 2021
    • SAVAGE DRAGON IS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 17, 2021
    • Press Release
    • Kickstarter Spotlight
  • Books
    Random
    • Review: 'Otto Binder: The Life and Work of a Comic Book and Science Fiction Visionary' by Bill Schelly

      Andre Lamar
      July 20, 2016
      Books, Classic Comics, Reviews
    Recent
    • Collecting Profile: Disney Frozen

      CB Staff
      November 22, 2019
    • Collecting Profile: NFL Superpro

      CB Staff
      August 31, 2019
    • “THE BEST OF WITZEND” is a Wonderful Celebration of Artistic Freedom

      Daniel Gehen
      September 15, 2018
    • Review: ‘Machete Squad’ is a Disappointing Afghan Memoir

      Jason Sacks
      July 31, 2018
    • Review: ‘Out of Nothing’ is the Antidote to Our Sick Times

      Jason Sacks
      July 23, 2018
    • Review: ‘Bizarre Romance’ Shows Rough Edges in the Early Days of a New Marriage

      Jason Sacks
      July 10, 2018
What's New
  • Collecting Profile: Blue Beetle
  • Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia
  • Collecting Profile: Kraven the Hunter
  • Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good
  • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY
  • Image Comics and TMP Announces SPAWN'S UNIVERSE
  • RSS Feed
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Contact Us
  • Write for us!
  • Visit Video Game Break!
Home
Interviews

Billy Tucci: Sgt. Rock and an Appreciation for War Veterans

Andre Lamar
July 18, 2009
Interviews

Accomplished writer and artist Billy Tucci, best known as the creator of Shi, took time to discuss his experience in writing the Sgt. Rock: Lost Battalion series, and how he befriended war veterans from the 422nd Battalion.


Andre Lamar: Prior to Lost Battalion, the last Sgt. Rock book released was 20 years ago.

Billy Tucci: The regular Sgt. Rock series hadn’t been printed in 20 years but Brian Azzarelo and Joe Kubert did Between Hell and a Hard Place and Joe Kubert did The Prophecy in 2003 or 2005. They were miniseries that came out or trade paperbacks…they went through Vertigo.

AL: Did you feel any pressure in taking on the task to reintroduce this series?

BT: I was under major pressure because, again, I’m known for doing girl books and um…this is like comic book lore. No one’s really done Sgt. Rock for decades other than Joe Kubert, and Joe did the covers if he wasn’t drawing it and being the editor of the books.

So I was kinda coming into this unknown territory…so yeah…in a nutshell, yes. I was really nervous about this because I loved it. These were the books that I bought…I bought Sgt. Rock and Batman growing up…I love the war stuff.

AL: To my understanding you’ve befriended a number of war veterans and were compelled to tell their stories in this miniseries. Briefly explain how you met these courageous men.

BT: Through the internet…literally through the internet that I posted on the 36th Infantry Division website saying I’m doing a book on this story, and the family members came out of the woodwork. Then when I met Mark Higgins he put me in touch with the Japanese American Veterans, then with the J.A.V.A. J.A.V.A. stands for Japanese American Veterans Association, and I got in touch with them and became friends with Jimmy Yamashita who was one of the eight.

Then I got to meet Joe Secada who was awarded the Medal of Honor during one of the Banzai charges. He came to San Diego and I had him at my booth.

These guys kind of accepted me as a grandson you know. [Chuckles] They said, “Well you’re not a Japanese American why do you care about this?” Well you guys don’t understand you’re my heroes! What you went thru…how bad they had things, they were given the worst in World War II…you know? You were on a suicide mission…that’s it… send in the Japanese, because their superior officers didn’t care if they lived or died. They really didn’t care…their just a bunch of Japanese…just send them in. And that’s actually what the general did because, after the white troops tried to breakthrough to them and failed, he sent the 442nd in and they went in with tanks, machinegun fire, mortars, and grenades on their feet.

AL: Have any veterans read the books from the Lost Battalion series?

BT: Oh yeah…yeah, they’ve been buying it a lot. [Chuckles]

AL: What was their response?

BT: They like it…well they’ve been telling me they like it. [Chuckles]

AL: Now that Sgt. Rock #6 was released in June, will you continue to write for the series?

BT: I’m going to push them and pitch a Sgt. Rock series which will be more war. I wanna do it like they do Jonah Hex, [with] self contained good old fashioned war stories and telling the stories of war veterans and stuff…you know not as heavy handed as this.

AL: Will Shi ever hit the big screen?

BT: Well hopefully. You know we signed a new film deal, we got with a producer, [and] we re-upped the option. After Sgt. Rock I’ll be working on the second draft of the screen play.

AL: Aside from the recently released, Lost Battalion #6 , what other projects can we expect from you in the near future?

BT: That’s it…I gotta do a new Shi. This is Shi’s 15th anniversary so I have to put out a book by the end of the year or people are going to have to kill me. And um…I have other secret projects that I can’t tell…that I can’t talk about, with other cool ideas.

Andre LamarBilly Tucci

Share On:
Tweet
Fred Chao: Building Your Everyman’s Hiro
Rags Morales: A Black Tide Approaches

About The Author

<a href="http://comicsbulletin.com/byline/andre-lamar/" rel="tag">Andre Lamar</a>
Andre Lamar

Andre Lamar is a writer for Comics Bulletin

Related Posts

  • This The Last of Us Fan Film is Infectious

    Andre Lamar
    August 19, 2013
  • Tina Alexander Tells us How it Should have Ended

    Andre Lamar
    April 24, 2012

Latest Interviews

  • Interview: Jon Davis-Hunt Talks SHADOWMAN

    Daniel Gehen
    June 8, 2020
  • Interview: Becky Cloonan talks DARK AGNES and Her Personal Influences

    Mike Nickells
    March 4, 2020
  • Simon Roy

    Interview: Simon Roy on His Inspirations and Collaborations on PROTECTOR

    Mike Nickells
    January 29, 2020
  • Interview: V.E. Schwab on revisiting Red London in The Steel Prince

    Stephen Cook
    March 13, 2019
  • Interview: David Foster Wallace and Hellblazer, words on Wyrd with writer Curt Pires

    Stephen Cook
    February 27, 2019
  • “The Night Has Teeth” An Interview with Sarah deLaine, Artist of Image Comics’ “Little Girls”

    Jason Sacks
    February 26, 2019
  • Interview: Caitlin Kittredge talks the future of Witchblade

    Daniel Gehen
    February 12, 2019
  • Interview: Andy Nakatani and the Future of Weekly Shonen Jump

    Daniel Gehen
    December 19, 2018
  • INTERVIEW: Todd Matthy talks robots, princesses, and bridging the divide with storytelling

    Stephen Cook
    September 13, 2018
  • INTERVIEW: Gallaher & Ellis discuss THE ONLY LIVING GIRL

    Daniel Gehen, Thea Srinivasan
    September 7, 2018
RSSTwitterFacebookgoogleplusinstagramtumblr

Comics Bulletin is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, audible.com, and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, Comics Bulletin earns from qualifying purchases.

All content on this site (c) 2018 The Respective Copyright Holders