David Hedgecock knows comics. The former IDW executive has been behind some of the biggest franchises in the medium, but with Sugar Bomb he’s gleefully ditching corporate polish for pure, unfiltered chaos. Co-writing alongside Chase Marotz and teaming with artistic madman Juan José Ryp, Hedgecock is helping to unleash a candy-colored superhero book that promises glitter, satire, toilet humor, and, yes, boobs. Lots of boobs.

Billed as “beyond decency, beyond shame,” Sugar Bomb is more than just another Kickstarter oddity, it’s a punk-rock swing at what superhero comics used to feel like: dangerous, unruly, and just a little bit wrong. When Hedgecock sat down with us, he didn’t hold back. From monkey-shit first dates to panicked reverence for Ryp’s art, he proves that the making of this comic is every bit as outrageous as the book itself.

Strap in. This is Sugar Bomb through the eyes of David Hedgecock

Question. Sugar Bomb is described as “beyond decency, beyond shame.” As a co-writer, what was the spark that set this story in motion for you?

David Hedgecock: Inspiration is hard to nail down, right? I had a name. The name told me it was for a science hero. I threw some story ideas and a power set at the thing to make it go away but it stuck around and kept taking up space in my head.

So, I sat down and wrote a brief manifesto of what a superhero comic from Fun Time Go! should be to try and put an end to the nonsense… and that only made it worse.

From there it’s all jazz and riffing and laying down beats for Chase and Juan to play over.

I don’t know, man. MAGIC.

Q. How did you and Chase Marotz develop the tone together? What was your process for balancing genuine character moments with absurd, outrageous comedy?

DH: When I was a teenager, I went on a first date with this really cute girl to the zoo. We walked in through the entrance and right in front of us was the monkey cages. There were some kids in front of the cages teasing the monkeys mercilessly. Real obnoxious.

Now, one of the monkeys didn’t take kindly to the teasing. So, as he dangled by his arms from a tree branch slightly off to one side, he grunted out a truly impressive sized turd grabbing it carefully with his foot as he did so.

Then with his foot he flung it at those damn kids. As it hit the fencing at truly dizzying speed, it broke up into a chunky shotgun spray of monkey shit, that proceeded to literally cover the two twits doing the teasing. Crying and screaming immediately followed.

It is a similar process working with Chase on this book.

(Also, I dated that girl for a while and she swore it was the best first date she had ever been on.)

Q. Sugar Bomb herself is such a bold, candy-colored character. From a writing standpoint, how did you shape her voice and personality?

DH: She’s still telling us who she is for the most part. We really only just met…

She’s got a good heart. She’s loyal to her friends. I think she’s a bit of a book worm who’s discovering that maybe there’s more to life. She doesn’t think she’s that pretty.

Q. The relationship between Sugar Bomb and Thom Dolphin drives the book. What do you find most fun — or most challenging — about writing their dynamic?

DH: Thom-Tom is that college buddy who would come over and randomly sleep on your couch for a week smoking pot and leaving beer cans everywhere but for some reason it was ok and you always sort of enjoyed having him around.

It’s like that.

Q. The book jumps through bizarre new dimensions. How did you approach imagining these worlds so they serve the comedy while still pushing the story forward?

DH: We thought of the dumbest, horniest things we could think of and then somehow convinced Juan to draw it. We’re not well.

Were there moments in the script where you had to pull back, or times where you said, “No, we need to go even further with the weirdness”?

DH: <Drops futuristic sunglasses over eyes> Roads? Where we’re going we don’t need roads.

Q. Sugar Bomb is packed with satire and social jabs under the toilet humor. What kind of commentary were you hoping to sneak in beneath the absurdity?

DH: Probably something super smart and insightful but… in all honesty? I’m mostly there for the boobs.

Q. As someone who’s worked across different kinds of comics, what was creatively liberating about writing something this over-the-top compared to more traditional superhero stories?

DH: Super hero comics used to feel a little dangerous. They used to feel like the sort of thing your pastor or priest would shake his head disapprovingly at if he saw you reading one. Like, simply reading a superhero comic was this little act of rebellion. You know?

I think we’ve lost some of that unruly spirit in the current crop of mainstream comics as they are forced to serve large corporate masters.

I like to think Sugar Bomb is my way of recapturing that sense of mischief. I find that very gratifying.

Q. Juan José Ryp’s art is known for its incredible detail. How did knowing he would draw this book influence the way you and Chase wrote the script?

DH: I think we just tried desperately not to fuck it up. It’s Juan FREAKING Jose Ryp! The dude has worked with some of the greatest writers in the history of the medium! I’M NOT PANICKING! YOU’RE PANICKING! EVERYONE JUST STAY FUCKING CALM!! WHERE’S MY GODDAMN XANAX?! SOMEONE BRING ME A PAPER BAG! I CAN’T BREATHE. I CAN’T BREATHE!!!

Q. Sugar Bomb clearly has franchise potential — do you already have future arcs or stories in mind, or is this designed to be a one-and-done adventure?

The next one-shot is already complete! Somehow we managed to tap legendary artist Bart Sears(!) to draw it for us (I was as shocked as a kid covered in monkey crap when he said yes). Much like Juan, Bart has brought his entire “A” game to the art and we paired him with one of the best inkers working today, Drew Hennessy!

Beyond that, Juan has agreed to come back and do four more one-shots! He’ll begin drawing in November with more from Bart following closely on his heels as well.

All the one-shots will be colored by the famous, incredible, multi-talented Xong Brothers!

I am very humbled and grateful that such amazingly talented artists who could be doing just about anything at the “Big Two” have chosen to do Sugar Bomb.

Q. If you had to sum up Sugar Bomb in one wild sentence to hook someone scrolling through Kickstarter, what would it be?

Look, we can’t possibly know where this book is going to take us but two things are certain… There will be monsters and there will be boobs. Dear God, there will be so many boobs.

End of Interview

Talking with David Hedgecock is like plugging straight into the chaotic heart of Sugar Bomb. He’s sharp, funny, and just as unfiltered as the comic itself—which is exactly what makes this project so damn fun. The team at Fun Time Go! isn’t just making another superhero book; they’re throwing glitter in the face of convention and inviting all of us along for the ride.

So here’s the deal: if you want comics that feel dangerous, hilarious, and alive again, now’s the time. Sugar Bomb is live on Kickstarter, packed with monsters, satire, and yes—boobs. Lots of boobs. Go back it, spread the word, and help make this wild, unruly vision a reality!