IamA (Creator of Axe Cop) AMA!

who do the lion gota smoke out 2 get on tha show?

Axe Cop is going to answer this one...

Axe Cop: No drugs. I hate drugs. I'm Axe Cop.

Axe Cop is one of my favorite things ever. The unbridled creativity of a child's mind is in full effect and you, Ethan, do a tremendous job bringing it to life.

One thing I've often wondered, has Malachai ever come up with an idea that, when illustrated, you felt was too violent to show him?

Ethan: First, thanks for the compliment. I think that one thing I always do is try to envision it the way HE sees it and not the way it would happen in reality. He think in video games and toy battles. One very revealing moment was when we watched this fan-made live action Axe Cop movie, which is basically episode 1 verbatim, shot for shot in real life. http://vimeo.com/19119108 When Malachai saw it, he had to shut his eyes, and it scared him. He is not thinking in reality. That is why when he says something that would be really violent in real life, I don't draw it that way. Most of the bad guys heads pop off like toys. I think that kids are much better at discerning cartoons from reality too. More than most adults give them credit for anyway.

[deleted]

Ethan: He's an awesome guy. As jovial and kind as he seems like he would be. I've interacted with a few famous hollywood folks in the Axe Cop journey, and he is not your average celebrity. He doesn't put off an air of superiority, he's humble and friendly and funny. He really genuinely likes Axe Cop and he really respects Malachai and me as the creators.

Malachai, do you think you will still be writing Axe Cop when you're Ethan's age?

Ethan, you've been working on Axe Cop with Malachai since he was five - how has his writing style changed over time?

Malachai: Probably not. I think I will stop when I don't have that crazy imagination any more. Around 18.

Ethan: He is getting better at making writing a discipline. He can put down what he is doing (like playing a video game) and write, and write well. It used to be that I would have to trick him into it. He also has begun to get a better understanding of story, why it is good to give the bad guys a motive and to make the good guys almost lose. These were concepts that made no sense to him when he was five. He likes surprising and tricking his audience now.

Any chance of a Dr. McNinja tv team-up.

Ethan: Who knows, anything is possible. Axe Cop getting a TV show on FOX is proof of that.

My wife and I occasionally cosplay as Axe Cop and Dinosaur Soldier (see here w/ Chris Hardwick: http://imgur.com/mpkq4o0 ).

Is Dinosaur Soldier going to be in the TV show?

p.s. We're currently expecting a daughter and we're going to expand the cosplay to include unibaby!

Ethan: Nice! I like the costumes. Yes, Dinosaur Soldier will be in the show. I am 99% sure anyway. I am there for the writing, then I am not around for the entire process, so sometimes the finished shows are different from the script, but as far as I know there is going to be some dinosaur soldier. Flute Cop is going to be much more prominent in the show though, because Nick feels (and I agree) that he works so well as an anchoring adult character to contrast Axe Cop.

Congrats on the imminent daughter!

For Ethan: In what ways do you hope to expand yourself as an artist now that you have an animated series? What had to change to get Axe Cop on the air?

For Malacai: If you were given to fight 100 duck sized horses AND 1 horse sized duck, would you fight them with Flute Cop's flute, or Axe Cop's axe?

Ethan: I would love to work in animation more. I have had three TV shows optioned besides Axe Cop, so I would love to become a show runner or work on a film. I have a lot of ideas and I love to create. If I could pick a dream project next, definitely a live action Bearmageddon film.

When did you first realize you had something special with Axe Cop? EDIT: Also what was the tipping point for you?

Ethan: Well I posted axecop.com really as an experiment in web comics. I just wanted to see if I could make a functional web comic and get the hang of the medium, because I was realizing that as an indy creator, the only way to build an audience was to put your stuff on the web. Axecop.com went viral about two days after we posted it and I instantly had a bigger audience for it then I had ever had for any of my other work, so I called Malachai and we started to make more comics. I guess when the site went viral was the tipping point... I had actually been laid off from both of my jobs a month prior and was out of work, so we started selling T shirts and stuff and though I wasn't making that much money, I could afford to just work on Axe Cop because I was unemployed anyway.

Malachai, if Axe Cop could hang out with any of the other super heroes, like Batman or Superman, Iron Man, etc., who do you think he would hang out with and what would they do?

Malachai: Axe Cop would hang out with THE HULK. Axe Cop also likes TO SMASH. He has a secret basement full of very old tea cups and stuff that break very easily and he goes down and smashes them every day after his nap.

I just wanted to say that Axe Cop has brought a lot of nostalgia to me. I used to dream about having a cartoon as a kid, and I'd play "Transformators" with my best friend all the time, and it was lots of fun. (I was Fire Wolf and had flaming claws that I could shoot, and my friend was Diamond Beam Warrior, I think he had diamond armor.) Reading Axe Cop has brought back lots of memories of my youth, and I love it a lot. A message to Malachai, you're incredibly lucky to have a brother like Ethan, because most writers can never find artists like him.

Malachai: thank you, thank you very much.

Hey! What has been the most surreal thing you've experienced during Axe Cop's road to success? Thanks for your work!

Ethan: Well, there was that 57 foot Axe Cop balloon at Comic Con this year. That was definitely surreal. Also, on Twitter, seeing all these celebrity twitter accounts I followed suddenly talking to me and about my comic was very surreal. It felt like I was watching TV and the characters suddenly turned and looked at me through the screen and acknowledged my staring at them.

Thanks for responding! That last sentence is a great summary, haha.

UPDATE: Getting offered weed by Snoop Lion on Reddit, definitely surreal.

Malachai, what weapon should I use when fighting bad guys?

Malachai: Probably, if you can get your hands on one, an Axe like Axe Cop's, or a dinosaur like Wexter... or a super special mustache that contains a golden battle axe.

[deleted]

Malachai: I don't know yet, I'm only 9.

Ethan: Love the family and friends God gave you first, do what you do best second, and do not make success a goal, just vow to do good regardless of success.

Will we be seeing any paper copies of Axe Cop if any exist?

Ethan: Do you mean books? There are four volumes out now, and I am almost done with vol. 5. There are two volumes that were never online (Bad Guy Earth and President of the World).

How involved are both of you in the TV show? I noticed in an ad it said "viewer discretion advised" and was worried that neither of you had any involvement in it.

Ethan: If you scroll around here you'll see I've answered this already, but to be breif, we are both involved. So far the content isn't any more mature than what is in the comics. ADHD has been very cooperative with keeping Axe Cop childish and not filling it with bad language, gore, drug references and other things that would detach it from what Malachai and I created together.

What it's like for Malachai, to have his own cartoon show? Did he get to see people making it, for example?

Ethan: One thing people don't realize is that Malachai was too young to even want to have his own TV show when this all happened. It just happened to him and because of how things happened he can't really grasp the uniqueness of it until he is older and can realize that most 5 year olds don't create TV shows. He has been able to visit a couple times and meet the animators, do some voice recording (see the show open) and meet Nick Offerman. But he lives up in Washington in a small town, so he is pretty far removed from the day-to-day, though we call him often for input when we are working on scripts.

How was it to work with Christopher Hastings? Do you think that Axe Cop and Dr. McNinja would be friends beyond what we've already (briefly) seen?

Ethan: Chris Hastings is one of my favorite dudes in comics. He is one of the funniest writers, and most humble creators I know. We have similar sensibilities and styles and we have a lot of mutual respect for one another's work. I think that we could work together well on any project. Malachai, Chris and I actually met up at San Diego Comic Con two years ago to discuss another, longer story where Axe Cop and Dr. McNinja team up again, but we have both been so busy it has not happened yet.

Who got the idea to make Axe Cop a tv series?

How did you react?

Ethan: The idea was there from the moment Axe Cop went viral. When I drew the first episodes, the possibility it could become a TV show was the furthest thing from my mind. I was doubtful it would ever be a real, published comic. I was just goofing off. But, as with a lot of TV deals, many of the ones offered or discussed demanded all of the rights, and I didn't want to give up all our rights. When FOX/ADHD approached us and said we could have a show on FOX and keep our rights to our character, it just seemed like a rare opportunity and we went with it. I was apprehensive about Axe Cop being on with adult programming, but I think it is the only way to make the show be like the comic and not watered down.

I don't have a question, but will you accept praise for your well-developed art style and original plot development?

Ethan: I'll just relish the praise here and absorb it for a moment. Thanks so much.

Ethan: are you and your brother happy with the way Axecop munchkin came out and any chance of expansions?

Ethan: Yeah it's great! Malachai likes it too. I think that an expansion is definitley likely if the TV show raises the sales on the current game. We definitely have a ton more material for cards.

How do you think Axe Cop will change as Malachai gets older?

Ethan: Whatever Malachai thinks is awesome, Axe Cop will think is awesome. Obviously, in our current storyline, Axe Cop is open to getting married. That is some big progress for him.

Love the comic and the show - I try and tell as many people as I can about it. Keep doing what you're doing.

Regarding the TV adaptation - What has been added to Axe Cop that isn't in the comics that you really liked? And if you can, what was added or changed that you wish had been done another way?

Ethan: Thanks so much!

I really like the personalities the voice actors have brought to the characters. Flute Cop is not nearly as great in the comic as he is with Ken Marino voicing him. Grey Diamond by Rob Huebel makes him a whole new character. Offerman is the perfect Axe Cop, I love how he brings him to life.

I think that what I like about the comic better than the show is how unconstrained it is by time or network expectations. The show has to fit a time block and it has to "feel adult" because it is on late at night. I never have that pressure on the comic, so sometimes it feels very childish, sometimes it feels adult. Sometimes the stories are short, sometimes they are long.

But at the same time, I think as its own incarnation the TV show works and is awesome. I think that those constraints serve it well as an animated show and everyone involved is treating it with respect and making a great show.

I've got two questions.

1) Bearmageddon is really cool. Will it be available in trade paperback form at some point in the future?

2) Are you planing on appearing in TX?

Ethan: 1.) Thanks! Yes, I really need to publish a volume 1. I'm currently looking for the right publisher for it. I also need to work out my colorist issues, since, as you may have noticed, our colorist sort of just stopped coloring it. 2.) I'd love to! Just need to convince a TX Comic Convention to host us.

How do you plan to keep the spirit of a child's imagination in the comic as Malachai grows older and older? Loving everything so far though, good luck to both of you!

Ethan: I think that as things progress we will naturally do what we need to if we want to keep making Axe Cop comics. I think that Malachai has set up a world and a character that can only be written sing childlike thought. The TV writers will be forced to do their best to think that way, and I think that when we write Axe Cop together, we will have to think that way. I think letting other kids guest write story lines is a possibility as well, and maybe even other team ups between comic artists and kids. I think that Malachai and I will probably continue to revisit Axe Cop throughout our lives... but even if we don't, if Axe Cop is finite and it ends as soon as Malachai hits puberty, that is fine with me. I'll be proud to have created that monument to imagination and I think he books will live on.

Malachai, all your friends at school must know that you are behind the Axe Cop series. Do they think you're the coolest kid ever? Do they bring you Lunchables in exchange for plot requests? (because I would). Do kids at school treat you like a celebrity or get jealous of your success at such a young age?

Malachai: No they just are very happy about my success. I don't know if they are jealous. But if you want to talk about if I brag, you should talk to my Dad about that. He's the one who brags about Axe COp. Like to every person he meets.

Hi! So are you smoking better cigars these days than you were 6 years ago! :) Congrats on the success, I still enjoy the work you did for us years ago.

Ethan: Haha, actually I smoked better cigars back then because I was getting sent amazing stogies from all the guys I was doing art for. Thanks!

Axe Cop is weird, especially for a network show. Have you had any struggles with executive meddling? Also, you're both flipping awesome.

Ethan: Thanks from both of us. I think that, all things considered, FOX has been amazingly open with this show. I think it's pretty rare that such a big network would give such a strange property so much freedom, so hats off to them for that.

More of a curiosity of mine, but did Adult Swim or IFC ever approach you to create an animated series, or was Fox the first? And what is your opinion of the late Saturday night block that you guys are in?

Ethan: There were other companies that approached us, but the deals didn't feel right for us. We went with this one because we got to keep rights and keep making our comic after the show came out.

In all honesty, I am not generally a big fan of "adult" cartoons. Too often they seem to be trying too hard to be naughty, or ironic. I'm not a stoner, so the stoner-centric humor isn't for me. Axe Cop fits into the genre by accident... but it is something those other shows generally aren't, and that is really sincere. Axe Cop is a product of child wonder, most adult animation is a product of jaded adults.

I'm thankful for ADHD because they have done an awesome thing with Axe Cop, they have worked very hard on it and they kept it very faithful to the comics. I have not seen much of the other stuff ADHD is putting out, and whether or not I like it, I love what they have done with Axe Cop.

Ethan: what is the coolest thing you've ever done?

Malachai: what do you want to be when you grow up?

Malachai: a chicken. BOCK BOCK BOCK.

Ethan: Get married and become an instant step dad. I love my family.

How would Axe Cop handle the Headless Horseman?

Malachai: Axe Cop would chop off his horses's head, then its legs, then tail. Then the headless horseman's arms and legs. He'll decapitate his whole body. Eventually he would die.

Ethan: Are there any plans for an Axe Cop video game? A side-scrolling multi-player beat 'em up in the tradition of the Simpsons Arcade, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade, and Castle Crashers, where you can play as Axe Cop, Dinosaur Soldier/Flute Cop/Uni-Avocado Man, and Sockarang would be pretty awesome.

Ethan: Malachai and I completely agree that this kind of Axe Cop game would be amazing. The right video game deal has not come along yet, but there has been a lot of talk and I feel more confident now more than ever it's got to happen at some point. I'd also like to see a GTA style Axe Cop game that obeys the laws of the Axe Cop universe. Just run around and be Axe Cop.

Malachai: I want it to be more 3D like... where you just walk around and fight and can destroy stuff. Like a fighting game. I want to create a new genre of game that has never been made. You can actually change the genre in the game on each level.

Thanks for this AMA as well as your amazing comic!

• Do you see comics ever switching completely to digital?
• What are some of your favorite current comics to read?
• Lastly, I host a podcast that interviews comic book artists and writers. We would love for both of you to be guests on an episode! Would you be interested?

Thanks again for this AMA and look forward to your responses!

Ethan: Hi, and thank you!

• Honestly, with the next generation I think it is possible. My step kids prefer reading comics on the iPad, and though I have a nostalgic attachment to paper, kids don't seem to. They seem to think holding that heavy book and not being able to zoom in is inconvenient. It's sad, because I love paper comics and hope they stay around forever, but it's really up to the next generation.

• I don't read much right now, but I like the Walking Dead (I'm a little behind), Bone, Dr. McNinja, and Doug TenNapel's graphic novels to name a few. I have been much more into art books larely. Creature Box and Daily Zoo are amazing!

• Send me an email, info at axecop.com. We keep interviews with Malachai to a minimum, but I'll promote all day.

Ethan: I'm a huge fan of Axe Cop, it's truly my favourite comic! out of curiosity, how much do you influence the initial story line created by Malachai if at all?

Ralph Wrinkles: Do you ever miss your old family?

Ethan: Thanks! I think my influence rests mainly as a questioner. Also, I have kicked off stories before... like in Bad Guy Earth, I wanted to know how Axe Cop would interact with normal cops, so Malachai and I pretended to be pulled over by cops in my parked car and acted it out. I asked him "would Axe Cop ever get Married" and it led to the story "Axe Cop Gets Married". I asked him what would happen if Axe Cop had to babysit Uni-Baby and it led to the story "Axe Cop Babysits Uni-Baby". I try to make sure that whatever I use came from Malachai, but it is all pieced together from a series of play times and conversations. I think that my influence comes out more in the art and designs, since I have a lot of freedom to make things look how I want. Malachai does not art direct, and I get to decide what to draw when he uses generic terms like "bad guys" or "aliens".

As Malachai gets older, he won't be able to retain the same personality/innocence that gave Axe Cop its charm. Do you have plans to engage other young (6 year old) writers in the future?

Ethan: I think that Malachai and I will keep the Axe Cop story going together, even if Axe Cop changes with Malachai, as long as we both feel like doing it. We will probably take breaks and revisit.

But yes, I think that there is a good possibility we could give more kids the chance to write Axe Cop down the road. I think it would be cool to have Malachai partner with someone younger to write also.

So we know that Ethan can draw, and Malachai can come up with great stories. What I'd like to know is if Malachai can draw and Ethan can come up with some stories.

Yes. Malachai Draws.

Super bummed that the Moon Warriors bit it, but at least it was the God of All Bears that did them in.

Ethan: Thanks again, Zamoose :-)

Question for Malachai: how does it feel to have created such a popular franchise, that even has it's own t.v. show, at such a young age? Question for Ethan: Have there been any other projects, besides axe cop, that you have worked on that you wish more people knew about.

Ethan: Well, my other web comic that is fully mine, Bearmageddon, has a solid following but I would love more readers. www.bearmageddon.com.

Also, I did two voumes of a series called Chumble Spuzz at SLG comics that were nominated for an Eisner award for best humor publication. They got great reviews, but few people bought them. They involve things like a pig possessed by Satan. You can get those dirt cheap (asically wholesale price) at http://www.slgcomic.com/Chumble-Spuzz-Volume-One-Kill-the-Devil_p_564.html

Malachai: Um... I'm very amazed.

Bearmaggedon sometimes has some of the more ridiculous humor that Axe Cop is known for (such as bear head punching technique). Is this Malachai's influence bleeding into another comic, or is this a reflection of your similarity as brothers?

Ethan: It's our similarity as brothers. Plus I think my humor seeps into Axe Cop quite a bit. He is highly influenced by me as his big brother, and Axe Cop comes from him, but the stories are told by me, since I adapt them. Malachai is too young to read Bearmageddon, so no, he has not been involved in it. I actually wrote the Bearmageddon script before Axe Cop existed.

How did yall celebrate when you found out Fox picked you up?

Ethan: It happened so gradually there never really was a specific moment to celebrate... also, you never know if a deal will really lead to the actual outcome, so there wasn't a real moment like that.

I don't really have a question as it seems like everyone has covered most things. However I just wanted you guys to know that the first comic books I ever bought were the 2nd and 3rd Axe Cop books (The 1st was temporarily sold out at the store). You are doing some awesome work and always get a laugh out of me.

Here is to a long successful run of Axe Cop comics!

Ethan: that's awesome! We are honored.

Malachai, I haven't seen your show. Should I see it? And why?

Malachai: Yes. It has action, and heads being chopped off, and more awesomness. YOU WATCH IT OR ELSE (heavy breathing).

I don't have a question, just wanted to say Axe Cop is incredible and that Malachai is one of the coolest little dudes ever to have graced this planet!

Ethan: Thanks, I agree!

I love Axe Cop. It gave me great laughs with my friends. One of the funniest things I have seen in the Internet

Ethan: Well, thanks. Glad you liked it!

Thanks for creating one of my favorite comics :D i would like to know: what was the inspiration behind the mini-arc where baby man goes hunting? (it was super intense and my favorite part of the series that i have read so far)

See Ethan's answer to the comment above by TheDubDubs.

UpVote for you for mentioning me :D

Yeah thanks, I answered that in pretty good detail above.

Malachai, does Axe Cop have an ultra-form, and if so, what is its power level and what does it look like?

Malachai: He has been stuck as Ultra Axe Cop for a while, no one realized it. Power level is a thousand to earthlings. But to aliens it is 100.

When did you think it would be a good idea to start animating a comic based on the things that Malachi said? Because I can tell you that everyone here is glad you did :D

Ethan: Haha thanks. Well, I always drew pictures with my little sisters and with Malachai. I show some of that in this article: http://2012.scriptfrenzy.org/node/3593686

Before Axe Cop, I would sometimes draw characters that Malachai would describe. I kept considering making a comic or story book based on the things he would say, but when he said "Axe Cop" it became practically involuntary. I HAD to draw it.

Can you do an episode about Axe Cop going back in time and teaming up with George Washington to win America's independence?

Nope. Book Cop already did it. Ask Axe Cop #39 & Ask Axe Cop #40

Oh good at least it has been done before.

Ethan: Yeah and the animated version airs on Saturday night! Possibly my favorite episode. Featuring Jonathan Banks from Breaking Bad as Book Cop and Jared Harris from Mad Men as the King of England.

I am so happy I got to meet you at the Anaheim Wonder Con about 2 years ago! Considering where you guys were then and where you you are now, does it ever shock you? What's the weirdest/hardest thing to get used to?

Ethan: I feel like I am still in the middle of it. The TV show JUST came out, so I am sort of in this limbo right now waiting to find out if it is really a success or not. In comic book terms, Axe Cop is a success, but now we are waiting to see in TV terms. I think the big adjustment for me is the loss of control with the TV show. I knew it would happen, but it is a weird feeling when other people are writing your character and representing it on a much larger scale than you ever could on your own. I think they are doing a good job, but it still just feels weird.

Hello, longtime fan, here! I think the first time I came across Axe Cop, you only have five (ish) pages up on the website!

I thought the absolute funniest thing about the TV series was the warning beforehand when I watched on Hulu, "Warning. The following is intended for mature audiences only."

I just wanted to know if you got as much of a kick out of that as I did.

Ethan: I was fairly confused by that. It seems like the ratings are for the overall programming of FOX's ADHD block, which is very adult. So far, there isn't anything in the show any more mature than what is in the comics.

Malachai: What do you like more, nachos or tacos?

Malachai: I like nacho cheese Doritos.

[deleted]

Malachai: A video game tester. And an inventor. And then also I'll become a video game tester. I want to invent stuff. Everything.

Baby Man is completely EPIC! I would LOVE to see a spin-off comic with Baby Man as the hero. What are the chances of that happening?

Ethan: I had that same feeling when I started drawing Baby Man chasing a duck. ( http://axecop.com/comic/episode-24/ ) It was a comic I started to draw on the side when Malachai was not in the mood to come up with Axe Cop material, so I was going to post a side story about Baby Man by me. But then I told him about it and he got all excited, and he said the duck shoots exploding eggs, and Baby Man is trying to hunt it so that HE can shoot exploding eggs. So it ended up becoming a story that we wedged into the Ultimate Battle storyline. i would love to do another Baby Man side story at some point, I think he is hilarious. We have a Baby Man episode in the works for the TV show with Michael Madsen doing the voice... so, just get ready for that.

Malachai - Have you ever gone back and reread the early Axe-cop stories now that you are a bit older? What do you think of them now?

Malachai: I haven't really read them and decided what I think about 5 year old me and 9 year old me.

A sincere congrats on all of your successes! I've been a fan of the comic for awhile now and love seeing others enjoying your characters for the first time.

Speaking of characters... Will we get to see more of Wexter in the show? Maybe killing some bad guys on the moon?

Ethan: Thanks!!

I think so, he really acts as a weapon and a vehicle right now, but in the comic and in the show we have talked about getting more into his past. Malachai and I have written some unused stories about Wexter's father and his past in dinosaur times. Some day those stories need to be told either in the comic, the TV show, or both.

Xbox, Ps3, or PC

Malachai: I like Xbox and PS3 the same.

Unfortunately I haven't been keeping up with the comic recently, but I have always wondered:

What happens if Socakarang shoots one of his boomerang sock arms and it doesn't come back? Is it lost forever (or until he retrieves it), or can he grow one back?

Malachai: It gets lost. He just gets another one out of the laundry.

How closely tied are you guys to the production of the TV show, and what was it like to finally see completed episodes?

Ethan: I am a producer and I have been in the Writer's room for a majority of the episodes, so I did have some input on the adaptation from the comics. We have also called Malachai to get his input. A good example is the wish Axe Cop makes at the end of Zombie Island... we called to ask Malachai what he would wish for and he said Axe Cop would wish for all poop to go into space and that no one would poop ever again.

It is thrilling to see your comic come to life on the screen. It is also weird to not be fully in control of it, but it's exciting to see it turn out so well. I love the cartoon, it's such a great combination of awesome and weird.

No question, just wanted to say thank you both for bringing massive amounts of entertainment to me!

Ethan: thanks!

How do you pick which questions to ask Malachai for the Ask Axe Cop feature? I'm sure you get truckloads of them :)

Ethan: I pick all the ones I think would get a good comic or are not repeats, then I ask them. The ones that get good answers become comics. Sometimes he just doesn't have much to say in response.

Malachai.. do you have to TRY to think like a 6 year old, or does it come naturally?

Malachai: I just think like I think now, as a nine year old.

What inspired you to make comic books? for example a certain series or person

Ethan: Ninja Turtles pretty much. When I was 8.

Eef, when you were at the Mariott in San Diego, did you try the breakfast buffet? It was great, but for 26 dollars I had to stuff my pockets full of cheese and dried apricots.

Ethan: Yeah I love that buffet, but it costs too much. I was counting calories this year so I didn't do the buffet.

Ethan, I'll be asking questions for myself and my wife, who got me in to Axe Cop initially. For you,

Are there any other comics we should know about that are all your style and story lines, or is your primary focus Axe Cop? Also still for you but from me, a bit of a stretch, but could you draw a quick sketch up for me of Axe Cop "axe-copping" my my wife for whatever reason you can come up with, or Malachai for that matter? Violence is not an issue, and it will not be mean spirited, she will think its hilarious, and maybe cry from happiness.

For Malachai, how do you feel about all the attention you've been getting from your awesome stories? What is your favorite part about working with Ethan on Axe Cop?

For Axe Cop, Why don't you join up with the Avengers or Justice League? Do you think you could beat batman in a fight? you can't use Ralph Wrinkles or anyone else for help.

Ethan: Hi, well Axe Cop is definitely the only comic of it's kind as far as what I make, I do not make other comics with my brother. But I think that if you like it, you should give my other stuff a chance. www.bearmageddon.com is not for kids, but it is a fun comedy action horror web comic that I update weekly. I also have some older books from SLG called Chumble Spuzz that are super cheap now: http://www.slgcomic.com/Chumble-Spuzz-Volume-One-Kill-the-Devil_p_564.html

AXE COP is fantastic. I was laughing the entire time. That's all I wanted to say. Nick offerman is a perfect choice.

Ethan: Awesome, thanks. I laugh the entire time I draw it, and I couldn't agree more about Nick.

Hey Malachi what's the coolest thing you've gotten to do/coolest present you've gotten since so many people love Axe Cop?

Malachai: Going to Lego Land. We used Axe Cop money.

From Thor, age 10: Hi Malachai! Axe Cop is awesome! What's your favorite animal?

Malachai: T Rex.

What did the creative process involve while creating Axe Cop? Like what were the initial ideas and how did your thoughts evolve over the course of however long you were creating for? Thanks guys

Ethan: It started as play time. Literally a toy axe, a toy flute and some toy dinosaurs. Later, it involved some lemons and avocados on the kitchen table. The process really starts with play time, then a whole bunch of interviews after the play time. I ask Malachai every question I can think of that will turn play time into a story... like why were the bad guys so mad? Why did Axe Cop handle it this way? Why didn't they do it this way? etc. I connect the dots using his answers, then work it all into a story and make a comic of it.

How rich is Malachai?

Ethan: Neither of us is rich. If the show is a success, then we'll most likely get rich, and maybe stay rich if we spend our money wisely. Right now... not rich. I know if you are on TV you are supposed to instantly turn rich, but so far, no that's not how it works.

To Ethan: Any chance of us getting see an animated Bearmageddon? Seems like epic man vs. bear battles is just begging to be animated!

To Malachai: So, did the Moon Warriors ever escape the God of All Bears? How did they get out?

Ethan: I would love that obviously. If I had it all my way in life, Bearmageddon would be an epic live action movie, but fate will have to decide. I wrote it as a screenplay and it is a movie in my head. One reason I draw it with so much detail is because I want it to feel cinematic.

Since some of the funniest Axe Cop moments come from Ask Axe Cop, will we ever see that segment in the show?

Ethan: We have incorporated them into the show at different places, working them into stories and I know in a version of one of the scripts Axe Cop starts the show of by answering some mail. A couple of the shows are based on Ask Axe Cop episodes, like Book Cop which airs this coming Saturday! http://axecop.com/comic/ask-axe-cop-39/

When did Malachi first come up with Axe Cop?

Ethan: Christmas 2009, when he was 5 years old! You can read the story here: http://axecop.com/introduction/

Ethan: How has Malachi changed (personally and professionally) since the beginning (5) to the current date (8)? Is he easier to work with now that he's older? Same? Is he gaining interest as he understands what is happening?

Plug: "CHOP!" The Axe Cop Podcast from 2010 featuring Ethan Nicolle, 25 episodes archived at http://www.nlcast.com

Ethan: Hi James. Yes if you love Axe Cop definitely listen through the CHOP archives, we recorded some great shows.

Malachai is actually easier to write with now more than ever. He focuses better and he likes to earn video games, so he actually will call instigate new stories when he wants to get a new game.