What does a comic book robot that looks like a humanoid have to do with military veterans and helping out the neediest of them in real life? Well, in the case of Junkyard Joe, a whole hell of a lot. The brainchild of a team given the green light by Image Comics and Mad Ghost Productions, Junkyard Joe takes the memories of the Vietnam War and combines with them with graphical story-telling that appeals to multiple age brackets.
At the same time, the project launched via the first issue of the comic book will have a direct impact on two veterans’ organizations, the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans as well as Veterans’ Aid. Both organizations work tirelessly in helping veterans who have gotten lost in their return home, unable to adjust back to normal life because of a variety of issues ranging from mental health to financial inabilities and education.
Solid Experience Behind the New Title
The Junkyard Joe team, including Geoff Johns and Gary Franks, have worked on a labor of love. Johns himself had a grandfather who served in World War II, and he was profoundly impacted by the nature of the conflict for years afterward, never really shaking the experience of it. In memory of his relative, as well as in an effort to provide some help and assistance for veterans now, the Junkyard Joe project is intended to generate direct financial assistance for the two veterans’ organizations via comic book issue sales of the commemorative #1 issue.
A Legacy of Good Title Choices
The appeal is expected to be very responsive to audiences, particularly older readers who loved St. Fury storylines years before. Image Comics is no slouch in the graphic story arena. The company gained fame early on with the launch of Spawn, a hit title that ultimately ended up gaining its own movie on the big cinema circuit as well. While Image is not going to be a competition for the big boys of Marvel and DC, the company has consistently picked titles that appeal to audiences, which is why Image has been such a success over the years.
For folks who want to get in on the bottom floor of a new project launch, Junkyard Joe to be released in October 2022 will be that ticket. However, for the project team, the Junkyard Joe comic book will be a small way of saying thanks to the men and women in the military over the years who’ve made tremendous sacrifices and need help now back home.
