The Guardian (Charlottetown)

INTO THE MULTIVERSE

P.E.I. comic artist drawing upcoming ‘Rick and Morty’ and Dungeons & Dragons crossover

- BY COLIN MACLEAN

P.E.I. comic artist drawing upcoming ‘Rick and Morty’ and Dungeons & Dragons crossover

A P.E.I. comic book artist has found himself drawn into the convergenc­e of two pop culture mega-franchises.

Former Kensington resident Troy Little, (who now calls Charlottet­own home), will create the artwork for an upcoming crossover comic featuring characters Rick and Morty from the Adult Swim cartoon of the same name, and the world of pen and paper fantasy game, Dungeons & Dragons.

Officially titled, “Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons,” the four-issue miniseries is set to publish its first edition in August. The series is being co-written by fantasy author Patrick Rothfuss and comic book writer Jim Zub.

Little does a lot of work with IDW Publishing, which is co-publishing this project with Oni Press, so they approached him several months ago to work on it.

It’s an exciting prospect, explained Little, as the two properties seem like a match made in heaven.

“I think the idea of tying these two properties together are going to be really fun and interestin­g.”

Since the comic series was first announced earlier this month it has made headlines across the internet.

‘Rick and Morty’ has become a pop culture phenomenon since its pilot episode aired in 2013. Its third season concluded in late 2017, but a fourth season has not been confirmed.

With the show in limbo, fans are left to consume their beloved character’s adventures through other media, so news of a new comic series generated a lot of interest. Little said he has received a lot of positive feedback since the news broke and is encouraged by the fan reception of the concept.

The premise of “Rick and Morty” also lends itself well to this kind of crossover between franchises because of the interdimen­sional nature of its storyline.

The story of the show focuses on unwitting teenager Morty Smith who gets dragged through the universe and alternate realities by Rick Sanchez, his nihilistic, alcoholic, super-genius grandfathe­r.

“It’s great because it’s unpredicta­ble. It can literally go anywhere. It’s a kind of brilliant insanity,” said Little.

Despite the hype surroundin­g the project, Little added that he’s unfazed by the sometimes prickly nature of fandom.

“I survived Hunter S. Thompson fans with the ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas’ book – I can survive this,” said Little, referring to his 2015 comic adaptation of that novel.

Anyone looking to catch up with Little about this project or one of his other works can do so at the East Coast Comic Expo, which is slated for May 19, in Moncton, N.B. Zub is also one of the special guests at this year’s event.

 ?? SUBMITTED IMAGE ?? Island-based comic book artist Troy Little has been chosen to draw a crossover mini-series between Adult Swim cartoon “Rick and Morty” and Dungeons & Dragons. To date, only a cover of the comic has been released.
SUBMITTED IMAGE Island-based comic book artist Troy Little has been chosen to draw a crossover mini-series between Adult Swim cartoon “Rick and Morty” and Dungeons & Dragons. To date, only a cover of the comic has been released.
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 ?? SUBMITTED PHOTO ?? P.E.I. artist Troy Little is heading to the multiverse with “Rick and Morty” as the Adult Swim cartoon characters take on beloved pen and paper game Dungeons & Dragons.
SUBMITTED PHOTO P.E.I. artist Troy Little is heading to the multiverse with “Rick and Morty” as the Adult Swim cartoon characters take on beloved pen and paper game Dungeons & Dragons.

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