UTF Exclusive Details on the Watson and Holmes Live Action Property

Last week, indie superstar publisher New Paradigm Studios announced that their hit comic Watson and Holmes will be developed into a live-action property by Feather Films.  This is a major victory for the numerous fans of the series.  Racking up four Glyph awards, two Eisner award nominations and rave reviews across the internet, Watson and Holmes has redefined the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle classics for a new audience.  I had a chance to talk with publisher and co-creator Brandon Perlow at this year’s inaugural Special Edition: NYC convention.

UTF: Tell me a little bit about your comic.

Watson and Holmes is the first African American Sherlock Holmes series. It takes place in modern Harlem. Of course, the characters are African American. I think the main difference between ours and other series is that it’s more of an equal partnership, and Watson is more physically intimidating. He’s taller and stronger than Sherlock Holmes.

Normally they make Watson the short, dumpy guy. In this one he’s an ex-parajumper, which is like top of the line special forces guy that have medic training. These are the guys that rescue the other special forces guys. These are the guys when things get really bad they’re called to rescue people. This is the kind of … someone who has military tactical knowledge.  Our Watson won’t be caught and be the dude in distress like a lot of times in other Sherlock Holmes adaptations.

I’d say the new Robert Downey movies, I like their Watson a lot, because he’s a bit tougher, and, again, he seems to be more of a partner. One of the things that inspired us was just looking at how they did it, but I wanted to go even further.

UTF: Let’s talk about the movie you just announced that people are geeking for.

I would say it’s a little premature to say movie. We signed an option deal for development with Feather Films. The director producer, his name is Jeff Bird. He’s a student of Spike Lee, and he’s done some TV movies, and he’s done stuff for low budget movies. He’s got the ability to develop either as a movie or as a feature. Right now, he’s just looking to cast it and do stuff with it. It’s still in film development, but saying it’s a movie or TV show is a little premature.

UTF: Do you have a dream cast?

Honestly, I like … what’s his name? Yasiin Bey. I think he’d make a great Sherlock. After seeing him on Dexter, I really felt like he would make an awesome Sherlock Holmes.

UTF: Why did you choose Harlem?

That was Karl Bollers [Writer]. We weren’t sure. We wanted to make maybe a new London or something, but Karl’s like, “No. Let’s just stick it in New York in Harlem. Let’s not beat around the bush. Let’s actually make it a real place.” We agreed upon it, so Harlem it was.

UTF: You write about a lot of social justice issues. What ones can we look forward to hearing about in the future?

For volume two, which will hopefully be started within a few weeks on Kickstarter, we are going to have stories that are taken from… dealing with veteran suicides. We’re going to have a takeoff done by Lyndsay Faye of the Solitary Cyclist. It’s going to be a redone version, done by new artist, Eli Powell, very gritty artist, really nice pen and inks.

Lyndsay Faye is, also, going to be writing … She’s actually writing a plot right, of the Irene Adler adaptation, so we are going to make a new Irene Adler, and just give you a hint. She’s going to be named Irene Adalero, so she’s going to be Hispanic, and she’s going to be much closer to the original Sherlock Holmes story than any other Irene Adler. She’s going to be less like the femme fatale, but more of the woman who outsmarts Sherlock Holmes.

UTF: Tell me about your upcoming Kickstarter.

Our Kickstarter is the fund, the printing of a volume two trade paperback, and to finish the stories for volume two we will be offering some new print and new t-shirts and other stuff. Look for it within the next couple of weeks.

UTF: Awesome. Thank you so much.

There ya’ go, baby!  Visit New Paradigm Studio‘s website by clicking here, check out the Watson and Holmes Facebook page here and follow them on Twitter here.