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The hip-hop legend talks about the Public Enemy comic and teases an upcoming soundtrack for the book!
By Matt Powell

Source: www.wizarduniverse.com

Chuck D has it all: his own comic, international admiration and, to top it off, a long line of eager fans at New York Comic Con on Saturday waiting to get an autograph and a glimpse of the hip-hop legend. Amid the clamoring crowd, we caught up with the Public Enemy frontman to briefly talk comics and music.

WIZARD: I would ask how the fan response has been, but that seems like a stupid question looking at the line that?s here to meet you.

CHUCK D: There?s never such a thing as a stupid question, but you know what it is? Public Enemy is in our 20th year, and it was invented off of comic book imagery because it?s something I grew up with, being a graphics person myself. On top of that, it was a long line and I?m personable, so I give each person the time, which is a blessing and a curse.

How so?

CHUCK D: The blessing is that I give each person the time, the curse is that the line gets longer and people wait longer. I?m not going to be a robot and sign [for] people and tell them to get moving.

I can tell that everyone here really appreciates it. How have fans responded to the Public Enemy comic series?

CHUCK D: It?s a world of its own. And most people, if they came into [the Javits Center] from this city and are not into comics, would be surprised how many people are here. The music business is big, the comics industry is big, and we?re fortunate that we have a brand and name to enter each of these things and not be contrived or corny, so there is definitely a method to our madness, because we started from the blocks with a goal and a mission.

How do Public Enemy the hip-hop group and Public Enemy the comic intertwine?

CHUCK D: If you study our track record in music, we?ve always been waving the flag for independence, and finding new ways to keep on pushing. When we get to the comic realm, in the past there were dabblings in the Marvel thing. The more things we?ve done in music, and because of the Internet, we hooked up with Adam [Wallenta] by him being a member of the Public Enemy [message] board, which is the longest-running hip-hop Web site for a group. When we hooked up, Adam was already doing comics and he was a rapper, so we said if we?re going to do [comics] we would always remain independent.

How would describe the comic series to people who are familiar with your music, but don?t know about the comic?

CHUCK D: I never count people who don?t pick it up because it?s art and it will be out there and people will seek and find. Whether [the comic] becomes a collector?s item or an ongoing [product], our independence will allow us to take it as long as we want. We?re going to release a Public Enemy comic soundtrack, with various artists from my label Slam Jam and a couple of new PE cuts, in the summer. Our mission is truth, justice and the international way.