Some of you might recognize Jonathan Coulton from the end credit Portal songs ‘Still Alive’ and ‘Want You Gone’, or his most popular song, ‘Code Monkey’, or maybe you’ve been keeping abreast of his all-around-nerdy music since the beginning. If you haven’t been aquatinted, here’s a sample:
If you’re the one who has been listening since the beginning, you might want to sit down, because a Kickstarter promising a limited comic book series based on his songs has gone live.
Titled Code Monkey Saves the World, the comic is to be written by Greg Pak (which some of you, possibly the same people who recognize Jonathan Coulton songs, might recognize as the writer of World War Hulk) with art by Takeshi Miyazawa, the artist from the undeniably awesome Runaways.
The four issue story would center around a literal monkey (who is also a computer programmer, or Code Monkey. Eh? Eh?!) who fights both for the object of his affections, a woman named Matilda, and against the villain, the aptly named Robot Queen Laura.
Another Laura, Laura Hudson of Wired, chatted with Coulton and Pak, who had this to say about building a universe from Coulton’s songs:
“There’s a song called ‘The Future Soon,’ where a young nerdy kid who’s in love with this girl Laura fantasizes about a future where he will win her love by creating robot army and taking over the world,” said Coulton. “As Greg pointed out, that seems like it’s a prequel to ‘Skullcrusher Mountain.’ So that character – the boy in that song – could potentially grow up to be villainous genius in ‘Skullcrusher Mountain.’ What would happen to Laura under those circumstances? What would their relationship be like? That ties in very beautifully with “Chiron Beta Prime,” which is all about these robots, this robo-slave colony where robots have enslaved humans.”
If the project makes its goal, expect the first issue sometime in August with the remaining three issues following monthly, as well as digital copies released on Comixology under the Monkeybrain banner.
In case you’re thinking, "just four issues? You expect this to sate my appetite for Coulton-inspired narratives?", don’t worry, Pak hints at a possible expansion of the so call JoCoverse if the Kickstarter does well.
“If the Kickstarter is extremely successful, we may expand with the [comic] book–or use it as a launch-pad to do more things down the line.”
So if this sounds like the best thing, head on over to their Kickstarter and donate. Prizes include a brand new song, figurines, and even a personalized voicemail message from the musician himself.
Will Code Monkey save the world? How faithfully will they adapt Code Monkey’s love of Fritos, Tab, and Mountain Dew? Will Code Monkey continue to talk in third person? I’m afraid the answers to these questions and more lay within the pages of Code Monkey Saves the World. You’re just going to have to donate to find out.
