Q & A with Billy Tucci

Courtesy of Diamond Previews

Billy Tucci has had quite a year. Having published all seven issues of Shi - The Illustrated Warrior, two tour books (one the 96 page Owari), the Victoria Cross 1/2 and most importantly his 9/11 benefit book Shi - Through the Ashes. He's also been very busy on the licensing front, signing an 8 comic book deal with Avatar Press, (which ends with this month's thought provoking Shi - Sempo #2 written with J.C. Vaughn) in addition to the Shi -LaserMach Prints, Blue Box Shi- 12" Action Figure, five Shi- HeroClix figures and the stunning Shi -Statue through Dark Horse Comics. Then of course there's Tucci's new job of penning the screenplay to Shi - The Motion Picture.

But we haven't even mentioned the fact that Tucci also wrote, produced, and directed the award winning some trouble of a SeRRious nature. Based on an infamous hoax letter written to Vought Aviation in 1946, this "live action cartoon" hilariously chronicles World War 2's final days, one unfortunate F4U Corsair fighter plane, and the Arkansas hillbillies who are determined to fly it!

After debuting at the prestigious Long Island International Film Festival (where it was awarded "Best Short Film" and delighting comic convention audiences around the country, some trouble of a SeRRious nature is now exclusively packaged for PREVIEWS customers in two versions, a "Deluxe Diamond DVD Edition" and "Deluxe Diamond VHS Edition."

Previews sat down with the Indy publisher, filmmaker and new father to give us the low down on the "seriousness of comics and movie-making."

Previews: So Billy you've been quite busy this past year haven't you?
Billy Tucci: Man oh man, it's great to be back!

P: So how was making the jump from comics to film?
B: The shoot itself was nothing short of the most brutal but satisfying eight days of my life! Murphy's Law applies to comics and you can quadruple that when it comes to filmmaking. We encountered every type of obstacle -- rain, cold and an of course New York airspace was closed for months after 9/11, and the fact that the first time I was ever on a movie set was my own, with 40 mph winds, 100 extras and a two million dollar piece of history.

P: The Corsair?
B: That's right. Joe Tobul was forced to fly his 1945 Korean War veteran F4U 30 miles out to sea all the way up from South Carolina. Joe said he didn't mind it much because he was reading the script and laughing all the way. Actually we used four different aircraft in the film to substitute for Caleb's Corsair. It was a dream come true working and filming those wonderful planes.

P: You seem pretty obsessed with airplanes?
B: You can ask anyone who knows me and they'll tell you I've got an obsessive personality. For years it was all Japan, Japan, Japan. But I did get a little burnt out and needed a break. But I'm also obsessed with aircraft, flying, and the history of air power. Like comics, the pilots and the aviation community are very close and helpful to one another. Take Joe for instance, here he was flying this precious fighter plane all the way up to New York, and did everything from letting us crawl all over the Corsair to doing countless fly overs. He even helped out with setting and striking the sets and driving the equipment truck. Unfortunately, Joe was killed and the Corsair was completely destroyed last November at an airshow. He actually could've bailed out but the plane would have crashed into a neighborhood. He flew the crippled 12,000 lb. Fighter all the way down to the ground and crashed 75 feet from the nearest home where people were hosting a baby shower He was such generous; straight up guy and we became very close friends. He just loved being a part of "some trouble…" and we produced a mini doc on Joe and dedicated the film to his memory.

P: How did your comics' background help with your filmmaking?
B: It was crucial. I don't think I could have pulled it off if it weren't for comics. Film is an extension of a comic book, or more specifically a comic panel where you actually get a chance to take something two-dimensional and bring it to life without having a little black line around your actors. More importantly is that you learn a storytelling discipline that teaches you to forgo the unneeded, wasteful aspects of being a filmmaking and stick with what's important and that is the story. I believe that the next great crop of film directors will be born out of the comics industry.

P: The movie's tagline is "You will believe a moron can fly." And I've got to admit; the film's CGI looks flawless. Was it difficult to obtain those results on such a limited budget?
B: I was hoping you'd ask that question so I can openly applaud the amazing work that John Vilardi did on his $2,000.00 PC. He too was so generous with his time and dedication to the project that he kept on bringing me updated versions of his scenes right until the final edit! Sorry thing is that he charged me next to nothing and I still owe him $250.00 dollars!

P: Where did you find such hilarious actors?
B: Brian Finney who stars with his brother Andrew as Caleb Flerk and George Murch, the hillbillies who attempt to fly the Corsair were just amazing. They're both professionals as is Bob Miller who played Pa (along with doubling as Asst. Director and Production Manager.) But everyone else were just friends and family like Jack Garland (Jake Bragan) and my sister-in-law Lauren who played Mabel. They were all just terrific and all the credit goes to them, pretending it was summer in Arkansas when it was actually freezing and putting up with a insane first time director/producer.

P: On that subject, you've actually produced two films haven't you?
B: Yes, the documentary on the movie is "Any Damn Fool" which will be free to retailers for every 10 copies of the DVD/ VHS they order. To be honest, I think that's funnier than "some trouble…" because you really get into the madness that is Indy filmmaking, from pre-production to the premier at the Long Island International Film Expo and all the trials and tribulations along the way. You'll even watch me explode and lose my mind at some unruly crewmembers. I also want to point out that there will be our "Comic Book Pro Auditions" mini-doc that hilariously casts all my buddies "auditioning" for the film by reading "Rectum! Damn near killed em!" and acting like the Chicken Man.

P: What do you feel was the most important thing you learned from the whole experience?
B: Some days it seemed like we'd never pull it off, but we persevered, learned a lot and created a film that's made a lot of people smile and laugh. It was an incredibly rewarding process, and I look forward to doing it again very soon.

P: What's next for Billy Tucci the "Director?"
B: I'm obsessed with Art! (Laughter) Mostly writing and drawing. On the writing front, I'm working on what I plan to be my first feature film "The Burning Blue" a couple of other treatments and pitches and the "Shi" movie script for Mandolin Films. On the comics side I'm working on "Shi - Hot Target" with Marc Sparacio and cannot wait to start pencilling the new four-issue Shi mini series (but that's for another interview!)

P: Both editions of "some trouble of a SeRRious nature" come in full-color shrink-wrapped plastic cases and retail for $24.99. The DVD version is limited to 5,000 copies and is signed and numbered by Writer-director Billy Tucci.

More Press & Interviews