Popbot Intro | Header photo: Barton_ltm
"It's a story of a young man who loses himself, and needs to find his home." - Ashley Wood, Q & A #21
POPBOT is a post modern stream-of-conciousness joyride, a glamorous hodgepodge of ricocheting ideas that slowly unravels into a suspenseful story of lust and revenge.
- Ashley Wood Back cover of Popbot Collection OneStory by T.P. Louise and Ashley Wood Art and Design - Being the adventures of Kitty, lead singer of the most popular band in the world, his mysterious bio-mechanical bodyguard Popbot, and everyone he’s ever pissed off. With the invention of the Ion Engine, man is able to extend its reach to the wilds of the underverse where time is in continual flux, dreams and reality intertwine, and the world is overtaken by the Mortis, sex bots set on enslaving humanity. Lady Sham awakens to hunt the devilish Mr. Bridger, Andy Warhol clones host chat shows.
- 7174publishing.com, Ashley Wood, T.P. LouisePOPBOT is a term for computer networks, plus it's the word POP. I’m a fan of POP artists as well. It seemed natural to put POP with BOT, bot obviously short for ROBOT.
- ThreeA blog Q and A #3, Ashley Wood
Popbot is the name of an award-winning prestige format comic book written and illustrated by Ashley Wood and published by IDW Publishing. The Maxx creator, writer & illustrator Sam Kieth helped Ash script the first issue. There are eight single issues of Popbot released so far, collected in different formats.
- threeawiki.com (now defunct)
We meet Kitty a once famous lead singer of the punk band, "2215 Funlicker", and his robotic companion, Popbot. We quickly learn that Kitty is not a very nice cat. A brief history of cyberbots and the Mortis is revealed by the great detective, Sherlock Holmes, who "has been around for 2000 years". He describes cyberbots through the ages and talks of their descent into darkness. The future doesn't look good for humanity, and it looks even worse for Kitty! A cast of characters are mentioned: Elvis Ronin - male samurai bots, Edith - one of Kitty's old flames. Who is Luther Bean and his son, Luther Bean Jr? Then there's the dark and mysterious Mr. Bridger, the textile kingpin(?) and his son. But the question remains - who created Kitty's friend and protector, Popbot?
As the world of Popbot continues to unfold, we are introduced to a popular talk show program hosted by a clone of Andy Warhol. Kitty is getting press but it doesn't sound good. We get the sense that Kitty is not known for wise choices or good fortune.
The Blind Cowboy makes an appearance as does Lady Sham.
Issue #1 wraps up with yet another villainous character: an evil sock puppet - the devil!? and he's looking to collect on a debt from our feline friend.
The second book opens up with a mysterious dark deal from the '30's, then cuts back to everyone's favorite, bizarre talk show host an Andy Warhol clone. We learn a little about Gina Star - lead singer for Manbirth, super smart and 'hates everyone'. We also get to meet hardore Canadian rapper, Mo' Prostrate. Things get just as weird as you might imagine.
Sherlock gets some unexpected company.
Luther Bean Jr gets some action and reveals a plan of his own. Ever seen a succubus?
A quick interlude introduces Badbot, who is "now missing. Not good at all."
Next cut to an episode of "Tales of the Blind Gunslinger" - This blind cowboy (aka Emit Brown), wears the rag they used to clear the blood from the asassinated US president, John Fitzgerald Kennedy (JFK). This rag gives him the power to see in the DARK. A few pages of story set up more questions than answers.
Next up, we get a glimpse of the "Tomorrow Kings" - Luther Bean Jr's "monster killers" in the form of 1-page pin-up.
Things take yet another strange turn, as we catch up with Kitty and Popbot aboard the luxury space liner, "The Virgin's Tongue". Here Kitty is visited by an old accquaintance, The Maxx (Sam Keith's Image comics creation). Maxx delivers a tough message to Kitty related to yet another unpaid debt.
We see more of Lady Sham, the 'children' workers, and the voice of the mysterious "Auntie" who seems to set the stage for what's to come. Apparently Sham may rendesvous with Mr. Bridger in a not-so-friendly way. There's also mention of "the awakening of Benzinphtine"... which has some folks spooked.
Popbot Book #3 continues the story from "The Virgin's Tongue" party ship. We get a dark, passing glimpse of two sultry vixens, Le Fay and Guinevere. Are they Mortis fembots? Something else?
Things get a little out of hand on the "Geeee Bob" show between Warhol and Prostrate, including Mo's three boyz - "...the Account Holders: Mochaman, Surly P, and I.R.S.'
Next up, we get a sampling of what Lady Sham is capable of when she has a run in with Mr. Bridger's devil bots (is Bridger THE devil?) in the nuked-out remains of London, England.
Bridger wants to wake something up. We get a brief introduction to Misty Slush and her Ball-bot, which pique's Sham's interest, as she reveals a familial connection.
Things get a bit extra weird as the story revisits the Blind Gunslinger... and he has a connection with Kitty, who he calls, 'Mr. Paws". It appears that the Blind Gunslinger knew Kitty well back before the days of the "Funlicker 2215" band - the band he started - and before Kitty took over as frontman. This bit of the story is a bit unclear.
Book #3 wraps up with the introduction of yet another character, the sexy Miss Luwong, riding atop her dark bot. We also learn more of Luthor Bean Jr. and his father, the monster hunter. He shares brief exploits involving dark beings such as porceLAIN and her creepy 'milkhand', and the vampiress Madam Bat - Bean Jr.'s mother! JR goes on to tell of his father's scientific breakthroughs involving time travel.
We finally close book #3 with Sherlock getting some more unexpected company.
Tomorrow Kings are a very popular line of toys from Ashley Wood. Learn more about Tomorrow Kings
They train from childhood, when they hit certain skill levels they go into active service.
- ThreeA Blog Q and A (#41)7Bones
How did Punk King select his personal guards? What is so special about the 7Bones rogues to be chosen by The Forth.
The Punk king was assigned them by Luthor Bean JR. They are considered 7 of the best in their individual skills, so its natural they were given the task of guarding the King. As mentioned, they all know the day they die and how, so they fight without fear, they know their part in the history!
- ThreeA Blog Q and A (#9)I actually figured out the entire sequence of their death, its tragic but cool, a pivotal moment of 8 seconds.
- ThreeA Blog Q and A (#13)Q: Is there special lore behind the TK's weapons? Where do they get their swords from?
A: They are made by the Weapon Forger TK's, outside of the TK forces their weapons are very popular, now that the war is finished, the black market is the place to buy them, most have forgotten that they were in fact TK weapons, most are sold as antique swords and whatnot from the past, not the future!
- ThreeA Blog Q and A (#19)
Tomorrow Kings are a very popular line of toys from Ashley Wood. Learn more about Tomorrow Kings
[...]TK hunter looks great! But we need more bad guys? What surprises do you have from the dark side of Popbot?
Well its hard to answer without giving away the main plot of the TK, now we can make seamless female bodies, I'm interested in a Mortis fig, I have some ideas there, the 13 shit heels are villains in a way, 5 bros etc. Remember Popbot isn't SW or GIJOE with a linear good vs bad storyline, its a story of a young man who loses himself, and needs to find his home. He is probably his own best villain and hero.
- ThreeA Blog Q and A (#21)
The Underverse is a void, [without oxygen, so breathing masks are] needed when hanging out in it!
- ThreeA Blog Q and A (#40)Note: Underverse (UV) is the name of Ashley Wood's newly formed toy company created at the end of 2019. Ash describes UV as a "new label, same band". "Opera Ashtro Lad" is set to be the first toy release on May 17, 2020 at Underverse.com.
High-tech pleasure devices, sex-bots if you will, that turned on humanity and declared war. Lead by the indestructible Mortis Queen, they seek world domination.
...the MORTIS do like to represent their clans through color and design
- ThreeA Blog Q and A (#8)
It's a big ass Dark bot ol' Schatten, only famous as they existed before and after, that's a key position in the PB universe, before and after! There are many robots at the disposal of the Mortis, they don’t like to actually sully themselves fighting, etc. Devil bots are mid range at best!
- ThreeA Blog Q and A (#39)