Sugar, sugar, a brand new super-sweet antiheroine is hitting the stands! Meet NYC’s Sweetie Candy Vigilante – from creator/writer Suzanne Cafiero and producer John Cafiero.
Honey-dipped and dark humor infused, Sweetie Candy Vigilante is a unique multimedia character following in the footsteps of other “bad girls” like Harley Quinn and Dynamite’s own Vampirella. She first debuted on the cover for the album Ear Candy by the group Osaka Popstar (featuring a dynamic punk cover of the classic Archies track, “Sugar, Sugar”). The first issue of the new comic series comes bundled with an MP3 download code to check out the song – perfect to put on while reading the book!
“I’m honored to have Sweetie continue the long legacy of badass vigilante women in comics and media, including those in the stellar orbit of Dynamite’s roster,” said writer Suzanne Cafiero. “I created Sweetie Candy Vigilante because I wanted to read a comic that has authentic NYC flavor infused with fantasy, horror, and dark humor. I’m really immersed in the SCV story. My lifelong NYC residency, along with childhood obsessions, love of art, music, film and comics has culminated in the creation of Sweetie, so buckle-up gumdrop!”
Dynamite and the creative team are kicking off this exciting treat with an extra-sized first issue – extra pages, same sweet price of $3.99. The comic series is written and created by Suzanne Cafiero, produced, edited, and art directed by John Cafiero, and features artwork by Jeff Zornow (Godzilla). Artist Josh Howard (Dead@17) provides two variant covers in addition to Zornow’s, with one presenting the artwork he created for the aforementioned album cover.
Sweetie is an ethereal, charming, and beautiful relative of the mythical “candy man.” She might just be a little bit unhinged, or perhaps unconventional. When she starts to notice her community of New York City being plagued by blight, decay, and dourness, she becomes hell-bent on spreading her blood-caked and sugar-coated manifesto on society. Equipped with other-worldly powers, confectionary weapons, and a passionate heart, she won’t stop until the world around her is as sweet as her!
First on her list is her favorite sweet shop the Ice Cream Bunny, run by an eponymous old friend. Only problem is, what stands there now is a front for a notorious crime syndicate. Which means it’s time for Sweetie to tear the whole place and all its thugs apart, limb by limb. All the while enjoying the new version of “Sugar, Sugar” on the jukebox!
“I was readying to record new material with Osaka Popstar and Suzanne asked if I would record a punk cover of “Sugar, Sugar” to connect with Sweetie,” said producer John Cafiero. “I thought it would be fun and cool to include it as a free MP3 in the first issue and decided to take it a step further by having Sweetie appear on the cover of the record, which I titled Ear Candy. I love to create a full multimedia experience, and thought, let’s introduce Sweetie to the world not only on the cover, but set the stage for the upcoming series by including a variant version of issue #1, digitally, on the download card of the physical vinyl and CD. For the cover art, I wanted Josh to illustrate Sweetie holding a record literally made of candy, with a bite taken out of it. Bringing it full circle, I went to great lengths to create a real-life vinyl record you could hold in your hands, and even spin on your turntable, that looks exactly as you see it in Sweetie’s hands in the cover art!”
Osaka Popstar is the pop-punk multimedia music and art project led by singer/producer John Cafiero, longtime Misfits and Ramones collaborator and platinum selling film and video director. Alongside backing band members from the Misfits, Ramones, Black Flag, and more, Cafiero and Osaka Popstar have been met with rave reviews.Their latest release Ear Candy has been featured on CNN and debuted at #7 on the Top 10 SubModern album chart.
“When John called us to publish the new comic series he’s produced, we were more than intrigued. He then sent us some of the art and story, as well the album, and we were floored at how great everything is and said yes immediately!,” said Nick Barrucci, Dynamite CEO and Publisher. “The mix of story and art is fantastic, and the fact that John is adding in an MP3 to the comic, is helping to grow the market in bringing his audience to comics retailers. We know the fans will love this, and to bring in more fans, is what any publisher wants for the industry, to grow it.”
