Fans line up for celebrity book signing at local comic store
VENTURA, Calif.— Actor and comedian Patton Oswald and showrunner and writer Jordan Blum greeted fans Saturday afternoon for their book signing at a Ventura comics store.
Fans lined up for hours just to catch a glimpse of Oswalt and his latest comic “Minor Threats.”
“We got here at 4 am,” said Gerald Alatorre, who made the commute from LA to Ventura at dawn to create a memory he says will last forever.
He is one of dozens of Patton Oswalt fans who see the world of storytelling as both an escape from reality and as something he can relate to.
“You can find something that relates to your life,” said Arsenal Comics General Manager Brittany White.
This new comic follows a group of C-list super villains that are trying to make a name for themselves.
In a medium that’s dominated by the trope of good vs. evil, co-author Jordan Blum says he’s most proud of humanizing the villains.
“These are guys who dress up in snake costumes and rob banks with freeze guns. But, you know, why did they end up in this life of crime? You know, what kind of tragedy has led them to be like? This is the only way I can escape my lot in life. So, you know, if we can make you care for these guys, I think that's that's the victory,” said Blum.
Blum says that the villains in the story are trying to make the best of a bad situation, drawing the parallel between how real life issues like crime are rooted in structural inequality.
“I think we've all been in a place where, you know, you look you feel like you're trapped right in the life you live and what can I do to kind of get myself out of the situation,” said Blum.
The comic also shows how these characters’ motivations progress throughout the story.
“First, Their motivation is pure survival. And then as you go along and you get each one of them are their stories, you see that, oh, there is a sense of honor, a sense of pride, a sense of loyalty, but it's very, very twisted because of the lives they've led,” said writer Patton Oswalt.
All four issues of “Minor Threats” are out now.
