Brian Winkeler and Robert WIlson IV’s slacker superhero series Knuckleheads, is affectionately known as our ‘11th favourite MonkeyBrain title’ after narrowly missing out on a spot on our rundown of the digital first publishers best titles. However with the first story arc now finished and the first 8 issues set to be collected into a print edition from IDW Publishing called Knuckleheads: Fist Contact we are rethinking that moniker and changing it to our ‘#1 vomiting superhero book’ (and new favourite graphic novel!). We catch up with Brian and Robert to find out how things are going for our nausea-challenged hero Trevor K Trevinski (a.k.a. The Crystal Fist) and friends.

For those who are new to the world of Knuckleheads with Fist Contact, how do you explain the premise? Do they get it or do they have to read it to truly understand?

BW: I usually explain it as “aliens come to earth with a powerful cosmic weapon but they give it to a fat, lazy slacker who was massively hung over and doesn’t remember the directions so he only uses it to cheat on video games and steal Netflix. People seem to get the vibe pretty well from that. So far almost everyone who reads it gets what we’re trying to do with the book and they appreciate that it’s a rare humor book in today’s grim and gritty superhero world.

RWIV: People talk to me a lot about the puke which I don’t mind in the least. I fancy myself one of comic’s premiere vomit (and breakfast food) artists.

How excited are you about Knuckleheads coming to print with IDW and what has the reaction been like to the digital issues that you’ve produced via MonkeyBrain?

RWIV: It’s incredibly exciting! It’s something Brian and I have been working towards for a long time and it feels awesome and surreal to have our book in comic shops and to be published by the same people who publish Locke & Key. We have such a loyal and enthusiastic readership through MonkeyBrain. Considering that it’s a relatively small readership, it’s kind of mind boggling to get the kind of feedback we’ve gotten so far. We even had a fan make Knuckleheads shirts and give them to us (thanks, Hansel)!

Are you happy with how the issues have turned out and is there any thing you would do differently or would like to change if possible? Less vomiting perhaps?!

BW: It maybe sounds pretentiously zen but the book is what it is so I wouldn’t change a thing. I think readers can see our growth as storytellers over the eight issues. We got to know the characters more throughout the series so I feel like after the first few issues they settled into who they are and who they want to be. And I’m proud that we’ve produced a book in which the main hero expelled product from virtually every orifice within the first five issues.

RWIV: I’m very pleased with the amount of vomit in the book.

By teaming up with IDW you are opening yourself up to a whole new world of potential crossovers – from Dr Who to Mars Attacks – any of their franchises which you would like to see in your story lines and any comics you’d like to see Trev and Lance gate crash?

RWIV: I think MARS ATTACKS is kind of the obvious answer, but if I had my druthers, I would have the cast of STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION stranded on earth in the past and they have to live with Trev and Lance while they work on a way to get back to their present. Trev would obviously have a crush on Counselor Troi but she’s not having any of it. Lance, Guy, and Geordi could teach Data some great lessons about being human or is it Data that’s teaching them? I think you can see where this is going.

With every other comic book being turned into a movie, if you got to make Knuckleheads the movie who would you like to see casted? Would you go indie and credible or mainstream and popular?

BW: Robert mentioned once that Charlie Day from ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ has a very Trev vibe. If he could Brando out and gain about 50 pounds he’d be great. I think ‘Book of Mormon’ star Josh Gad has a good look for Trev. Emma is inspired by British singer Kate Nash so she’d be fun to actually play the part.

RWIV: Edgar Wright would my choice for director, he really gets visual comedy and I think that’s such a huge element of KNUCKLEHEADS. He could cast whoever he wants, though I do like Charlie Day a lot.

What can we expect from the guys next? Will Emma ever sober up and will Trevor ever get to grips with the powers of the crystal fist? Will there be a regular run of new Knuckleheads in 2014?

BW: We’ve got a lot of stories to tell, jumping back to when Trev & Lance just met to possibly jumping into the future (or maybe another dimension)? Time and book sales will tell if we get the chance. So buy KNUCKLEHEADS: FIST CONTACT!

RWIV: Please.

You can purchase Knuckleheads: Fist Contact as a collected edition from Amazon. Or purchase individual issues of Knuckleheads from ComiXology for £0.69/£0.99.