Transmetropolitan is a comic book published by Vertigo comics, the science fiction part of the DC Comics empire. It deals with a journalist named Spider Jerusalem, a raving lunatic (sometimes) and voice of reason in a wacky futuristic urban world. You've seen many visions of possible chaotic "world gone slightly mad" technologically insane futures, but rarely do the heroes of these worlds ever lay down the smack upon them. And that's pretty much what Spider does. Spider was a columnist many moons ago who wrote books that made him a star and beloved/hated public icon. He signed a book deal and fled to the mountains to write. However, he discovered that he couldn't write a damn thing; the only way he could write was if he was in the city, which he hated and still seems to hate regardless of how it fuels him. After paying five bucks (and a dead chipmunk) in tolls to get back into the city, he was soon on his way to assaulting receptionists, housing two-headed cats, and walking his way through a nudie bar and into the heart of a riot. And all in his first week back. Transmetropolitan follows Spider as he harasses people with the ugly, painful truth until they are practically driven insane, fill their pants up with defecation wrought of abject terror, or simply kick his ass. Then he writes articles about them. This critically-acclaimed, Eisner-nominated comic is available in most comic book stores and is "suggested for mature readers" (strong language, graphic pictures for the weak of heart, and terms and themes guaranteed to offend any pussies in the audience). All of which are available at everybody's favorite online, money-grubbing, life-force-stealing, mega-corporation (embodying everything Spider hates): amazon.com. Darick Robertson Darick Robertson is the co-creator of Transmetropolitan. At 30 he can easily be considered a seasoned veteran of comics, having worked for Marvel, DC, Vertigo, and a few now defunct companies, such as Malibu Comics (where he co-created and designed the Nightman, and wrote and created Ripfire), Acclaim, Eclipse and Innovation. His career started just out of Aragon high school in San Mateo, California when he was 17. He created, wrote drew and painted covers for "Space Beaver" which became the only title published by Tibor Sardy's Ten Buck Comics. Space Beaver, (as laughable as it was from the title alone), enabled Darick to learn the ropes of the comic book business and at 21 he broke into the mainstream with his work on Justice League for DC Comics. From there he went on to work for Marvel on Wolverine, Spider-man and most notably the New Warriors; A two year run with Fabian Nicieza, who in his own way was partially responsible for bringing Darick and Warren together on the project for Accalim comics "The Man Of The Atom", which lead Warren to choose Darick as his co-creator for Transmetropolitan. Transmetropolitan came about as a meeting of the minds for Darick and Warren. Warren wanted somebody with his own sick sensibilities and desire to shake up the current medium of comics. Transmetropolitan was originally a title for the now dead "Helix" line, DC's and Stuart Moore's hope for a line of science fiction comics. Though the line died, Transmet survived and was adopted by Vertigo comics, where it survives today. Warren originally saw Transmetropolitan as a book with alternating artists every story arc, but Darick was so enthusiastic about the concept that he committed to the book as a monthly artist and Warren brought him aboard as partner and co-creator. Raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Darick currently lives in New York City with his wife Meredith. When he's not drawing comics, which is almost all the time, he writes songs, sings and plays guitar. (Don't worry, he's not offering a CD.) Warren Ellis Warren Ellis is the writer of Transmetropolitan, and it's a creator-owned title, so we don't have to worry about anyone else taking over and mucking up a good thing. He's one of the mad Brits who've been providing a needed shot in the arm to American comics for the past fifteen years or so. Most people probably noticed him first for his work on Excalibur for Marvel Comics; he also wreaked bloody havoc on the Marvel universe with Hellstorm (which was canceled out from under him) and Druid (which was canceled out from under him after four issues). He also did quite a few issues of Doom 2099. Excalibur made his skill with the superheroic genre clear, while Druid and Hellstorm demonstrated all too clearly that he was in tune with the darker corners of the human psyche. Warren's horror comics are notable in that his protagonists are utter bastards who often do the right thing but don't much care who they fuck over in the process. Doom 2099 showed what happens when you let the man help define your universe. He'll take it and shake it up until you're dizzy, then spin things again, and it'll all be rock solid writing. Following those Marvel years, he wandered over to Wildstorm to write the first six issues of DV8 and take over Stormwatch, one of the two flagship Wildstorm titles. His DV8 run was brutal, blunt, and moving; his Stormwatch run, which still continues, thrust superheroes into the age of political conspiracy. Look them up. Now he's writing Transmetropolitan for DC Comics' Vertigo line. He recently did a run of Wolverine with Lenil Francis Yu, he was going to do Satana as a followup to Hellstorm but Marvel's owners wanted it to be Code, which is like cutting the legs off the horse you want to ride. He currently is also doing Planetary and The Authority. It's also worth looking up his earlier work and his indy work. Lazarus Churchyard is a very fine cyberpunk graphic novel, for example, and there's more. Check out Smoke Damage, his personal Web page (www.warrenellis.com), for lots of details and a new column by the man himself every month. Go to a comic store and ask 'em for Transmetropolitan! To find a comic book store near you, call the Comic Shop Locator Service, toll free, at 1-888-COMIC-BOOK, or use the CSLS online at: http://www.diamondcomics.com/csls/. Alternately, you can buy the graphic novels (compilations of several issues of the comic) over the web from Amazon.com.