Tamar, now armed with the knowledge of her past and the depths of Bullet Corp.’s evil agenda, sets out to take down the real Mr. Six and his cronies. She will have to fight fire with fire to stop the addictive energy drink TASTY BULLET from ruining more lives, and enlists an unlikely ally to reveal the deadly conspiracy behind Bullet Corp.’s secret formula.

Tamar, left for dead in India, attempts to kick her TASTY BULLET addiction while in hiding, but Bullet Corp. agents are closing in on her location. Tamar is about to awaken from one nightmare and into another. Meanwhile, news reporter, Sharia Agbani, uncovers the hidden location where Bullet Corp. did their early tests to develop the Tasty Bullet secret formula. When Tamar awakens from her detox will she be able to fight her enemies without TASTY BULLET’s adrenalin-enhancing power?

Tamar is kidnapped while promoting TASTY BULLET in Tokyo by a radical group led by the “Spiritual Terrorist,” Ali Hallaj. He believes that Tamar is linked to a deadly adrenalin illness sweeping the globe called H.O.A.R.D., and wants only one thing from her – blood!

Tamar quickly discovers that she may be an expendable asset to Bullet Corp. as she threatens to uncover what’s in Bullet Corp.’s secret formula and discover the true identity of their shadowy CEO, Mr. Six. How far can Tamar probe before she becomes a Bullet Corp. liability?

TASTY BULLET is an “energy drink,” targeting kids around the globe. Thrill seekers “Drink Pink” as the ad slogan demands. TASTY BULLET is also the story of Tamar, the “Tasty Girl,” whose image appears on every billboard for the popular beverage. Tamar’s death defying stunts for Bullet Corp. are powered by her own thirst for the very product she is promoting. After a stunt nearly costs Tamar her life, she seeks the truth behind the drink’s secret formula and her own dark past. Bullet Corp. will stop at nothing to keep Tamar from kicking the bullet and discovering how she came to be the Tasty Girl. To free herself from her pop persona, Tamar must take aim at Bullet corp. and expose the conspiracy behind TASTY BULLET!

Once again, we here at Dreamland continue with our haphazard interviewage of comics creators. This time, it’s writer/artist Arnold Pander.

Pander first gained the widespread notice of comics fans as part of the Eisner-nominated art team of Comico’s “Grendel,” along with his brother Jacob. Since then, both Arnold and Jacob have cut a unique path through the comics industry, working both in the fringes and with mainstream characters like Batman, always imbuing them with their unique vision. Most recently, the pair has delved into the realm of film with their independent film, “Selfless.” Now Arnold has teamed with noted writer and editor Jonathan Vankin to create “Tasty Bullet,” an original graphic novel from Image imprint Shadowline.

“When a stunt goes awry, and almost causes her death, Tamar has to look in the mirror and ask herself who she really is and how she came to be the adrenaline-charged Tasty Girl.” Pander said of his main character. “When Tamar begins to look into her past that has been clouded by her own addiction to Tasty Bullet, she begins to realize there is a far more nefarious world behind the drink’s creator, Bullet Corp. She sets out to reveal the truth behind the secret formula and Bullet Corp.

“She enlists the help of a youth named Zak who had once been a test subject for the secret formula. He was a failed attempt to create a perfect specimen to promote Tasty Bullet. Zak reveals her connection to the formula which awakens a host of baddies including, Bullet Corps.’ Teen Death Squad, “spiritual terrorist” Ali Hallaj who seeks the cure to a disease thought to be linked to Tasty Bullet and the ultimate villain, Tamar’s own addiction to the very product that has shaped her life. In her search for the truth behind Tasty Bullet, Tamar begins to find herself.”

Pander characterizes the book as an action drama with a Manga-injected style. ”It’s very ‘branded ‘ in its approach,” said the creator, “with the Tasty Girl ads running through out the story and in some way reflecting the actions in her personal mission. Art and life begin to blend as the adventure goes into overdrive. Its also very cinematic in its approach, Jon and I have always seen the story as a movie and wanted to have that type of epic quality where the audience is taken into a intriguing new world.”

Pander and Vankin first developed an interest in working together after meeting at the San Diego Comic Con in 2000. Said Pander, “We had just released ‘Accelerate.’ We thought it an ideal time to put a project together so we explored avenues for the project. In the end Jon took a job with Vertigo and I took the reigns of “Tasty Bullet,” self-producing the book over the past few years. It’s been a slow cook for a fast paced tale that is right on time for our current cultural state.”

The collaboration with Vankin reaches back into the genesis of the idea for “Tasty Bullet.” Said Pander, “I was interested in exploring some high concept material based an obscure conspiracies. Jon been tossing around an idea about an energy drink icon based on a short-lived Asian energy drink from the 90’s. I recalled having a similar sounding energy drink while visiting family in Holland and we both wondered if it might be the same drink. It was simply called ‘Tasty’ and presumably there was a girl who did wacky stunts to promote it. Tasty was never available in the US and we began to wonder why. This put us on a path of curiosity with the central question, ‘what had happened to the Tasty Girl?’ We thought, ‘hey there’s a story here!’”

Pander’s collaboration with Vankin had many benefits for both the project and for Pander himself. “Jon has a wealth of knowledge in conspiracies that he’s researched for his books,” said Pander. “We tapped that well as we delved into the possible speculative reality that the Tasty Girl inhabits.

“Many of the books I’ve written with Jacob in the past deal with some type of personal transformation. ‘XXX’ dealt with a character who had to face his fears, ‘Secret Broadcast’ with someone who need to change the way they operate in the world. ‘Accelerate’ with a girl who had to learn to be a leader. The notion of a character faced with her identity being defined by the product she promotes was fascinating. I was also writing ‘Batman: City of Light’ with Jacob at the time so it allowed me a chance to work with a different co-author an experience a new type of collaboration.”

“Tasty Bullet is designed for an audience hooked on the next buzz,” said Pander in talking about who the graphic novel is aimed towards. ”Anyone who is a video game or movie junkie or a trend-driven consumer who wants anything that will take them into a new fast-paced experience. It’s also for people who want to go deeper into what’s behind the chaos and mayhem of our culture. Tamar is the ideal personification of the today’s hip youth, faced with a future that is uncertain. The choices she makes in defining who she is and not allowing it to be defined for her is the stories’ crux. It’s a fun ride.”

“Tasty Bullet” has already seen interest from some quarters of the film industry, but Pander is unable to comment on it, however he encourages those who enjoy the book to blog about it. “We need to get that grass roots support to help us take “Tasty Bullet” to the next level,” said Pander. “Also follow our updates at www.tastybullet.com.”

Tasty Girl – GO!

TASTY BULLET is a speculative tale of an “energy drink” targeting kids around the globe. Thrill seekers, “Drink Pink” as the Japanese ad slogans say. TASTY BULLET is also the story of Tamar, “the Tasty Girl”, whose image appears on every billboard for the popular beverage. Tamar’s death defying stunts for Bullet Corp. are powered by her own thirst for the very product she is promoting. After a stunt nearly costs Tamar her life, she must seek the truth behind the secret formula and her own dark past. Bullet Corp. will stop at nothing to keep Tamar from kicking the bullet and discovering how she came to be the Tasty Girl. To free herself from her pop persona, Tamar must take aim at Bullet Corp. and expose the conspiracy behind TASTY BULLET!

by Alex Dueben, Staff Writer

Tue, June 16th, 2009 at 2:58PM (PDT) | Updated: June 16th, 2009 at 4:09PM

“Tasty Bullet” graphic novel on sale in July

Arnold Pander is best known for the many comics projects he’s worked on with his brother Jacob collectively as The Pander Brothers. The two illustrated the classic Christine Spar story in Matt Wagner’s “Grendel” series, now collected by Dark Horse as “Grendel: Devil’s Legacy.” They also collaborated with novelist Richard Kadrey on the miniseries “Accelerate” from Vertigo, now available in a collection from Image.

The Pander Brothers also have a long list of projects they’ve written and illustrated themselves, including “XXX” from Dark Horse (which should not be confused with the Vin Diesel movie); the experimental miniseries “Exquisite Corpse,” also from Dark Horse; “Secret Broadcast” from Oni Press; and “Batman: City of Light” from DC.

In addition to a lengthy resume that includes visual art, multimedia projects, music videos, the Panders have also collaborated on the recent feature film “Selfless,” which they wrote together and Jacob directed.

Next month, Arnold Pander has a new graphic novel from Image, “Tasty Bullet,” which he worked on with writer     Jonathan Vankin and illustrated himself. Pander describes “Tasty Bullet” as “a high-velocity dramatic story of Energy Drink Icon, Tamar, the ‘Tasty Girl’. After her a near death experience from a publicity stunt for the energy drink Tasty Bullet, she decides to step off her roller coaster lifestyle and discover what led her to become the adrenaline driven Tasty Girl. The truth is a dark reality that she must face head on if she is to enact her revenge upon Bullet Corp.”

‘Tasty Bullet” has its own distinctive look and style, but is very much a part of the body of work Arnold Pander’s already produced. The writer-artist took some time out to talk with CBR about the project.
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CBR: Are you or is someone you know an energy drink addict? Is this where “Tasty Bullet” came from?

ARNOLD PANDER: It’s based loosely on an energy drink that I came across while in Amsterdam in the ‘90s that had some kanji writing on it and cured my jet lag in a hurry. Jon [Vankin] and I compared stories and thought it may have been a drink that came out of Japan around that time that had a cute spokesmodel that did wacky publicity stunts for the ads. The supposed drink’s name translated to “Tasty.” We thought, hey, there’s a twisted story in there somewhere! We’ve packed the story full of conspiracies of what really happened to the Tasty Girl. It’s pure speculation and any resemblances are purely coincidental. [laughs

CBR: A lot of your stories can be viewed as coming-of-age tales where a growing political awareness is key to that growth and “Tasty Bullet” seems to fall into that category as well. What is it that makes this such an effective storytelling tool and how do you think it plays to your strengths as a writer?

I think the stories that Jacob and I explored as the Pander Bros. have always dealt with characters that go through some type of larger than life experience to address an inner conflict. In “XXX,” it was facing the fear of persecution. With “Secret Broadcast,” making a choice between the people in your life or your vision. This story has at its core the idea of finding out who you are in a world where there is no time for self analysis. Its just go, go, go. Better, stronger, faster, skinnier, prettier, etc! When Tamar makes up her mind to search for her true self, its sort of a personal liberation but as you may expect it comes at a price. In Tamar’s world, she is the property of Bullet Corp. It’s not as easy as she thinks to just walk away. In the process of her trying to escape the life she’s known, she ends up living out an adventure she could never had imagined. Art and life begin to blend. Hopefully that comes through in a way that leaves the reader wondering what’s real and what’s fantasy and in a way what’s the difference? As long as you’re determining your own destiny, live it all!

CBR: Most people know you as one half of the Pander Bros. but unless I’m mistaken “Tasty Bullet” is the first major comics project you’ve done as a pro without your brother Jacob. Why and how do you think that affected how you worked on the book?

It’s actually my second. The first being a Western called “Jack Zero” that appeared in “Dark Horse Presents.” However, it’s true that most of the published work has been under the Pander Bros. moniker. After the success of “Grendel,” we really saw it as an opportunity to showcase our abilities as a creative team. We’ve created quite a number of solo media projects outside of comics so I never really felt I needed to prove myself in any way. I recall a major comics company asking me once to submit art samples to see if I could do a book on my own. That was the first time I thought, wow! For real? It was very humbling and it seemed an absurd request to me. It’s easy for people to see you as one half of a whole but we have always pushed ourselves to be creative individuals not a co-dependant entity.

When “Tasty Bullet” came about, I was living in LA and wanted to get a new project going. I felt it needed a carefree style that I could do in my own way. At the time, Jacob and I were already collaborating on “Batman: City of Light” so “Tasty Bullet” would be a chance for me to show my stuff as both artist and chief writer, having scripted the book well after the early co-plotting with Jon.

CBR: “Tasty Bullet” looks different in some ways from your previous work and your style has changed over the years, but were you consciously trying to emulate manga layout and design for this book?

Oh, yeah. It’s true that the art styles have always changed depending on the story. “Grendel” was truly of its time with the ‘80s fashions and its sleek pulp treatment. “Exquisite Corpse” explored German Expressionism for its dark effect. “XXX” was very post-punk with its political agitation theme. It too lead into an edgier style. By the time the new century was kicking in, with “Accelerate” we took a technocratic approach where the artwork almost looks like pure data to match the cyber storyline.

With “Tasty Bullet,” the whole idea was to capture the over the top energy of manga with a lot of creative license. Obviously I am not a strict manga artist but I wanted to allow myself the ability to explore my own technique in the genre while paying homage to the things I love most about manga. It’s really just me having fun, to tell you the truth.
“Tasty Bullet” art by Arnold Pander

CBR: How do you know Jonathan Vankin and how did the two of you come to collaborate on the book?

Jon and I met at a San Diego Comic-Con around 2000. We were both doing Vertigo books and thought it might be a good time to collaborate on something for that company. In the end they passed on the project but we pitched the story to a few other companies in its plot form. In the end, Jon became a fulltime editor at Vertigo and the project reverted to me. I decided to stop pitching it and do the heavy lifting of self-producing the entire book. It’s been four years of writing drawing and the final production this year. It’s the hardest I’ve ever worked on a book since “XXX.”

CBR: Image/Shadowline put out a collection of the Vertigo series “Accelerate” you and Jacob drew a couple years back, and now they’re publishing “Tasty Bullet.” What has your relationship with them been like?

So far so good. I’ve chosen to work with Image so we can maintain the rights to our intellectual properties. Since the beginning, we’ve been filmmakers as well as artist/writers, so our dream is to see our comics translated into cinema with as little resistance as possible.

CBR: Do you prefer working in black and white or does it depend on the project?

I guess it sort of depends. “XXX” was originally meant to be color. It still needs colors for us to feel that it’s truly complete. “Accelerate” was originally colored but we felt it was done poorly. When we went to do the reprint we were satisfied to just allow the line art to speak for itself. If there had been a real budget for “Tasty Bullet” there would be only one color throughout – pink. That is the branded color of the project. Since only the cover will be in color, as you can see, it’s very pink.
“Tasty Bullet” art by Arnold Pander

CBR: A lot of people may not be aware but you co-wrote the recent film “Selfless” with your brother Jacob, who also directed it. What’s the film’s status right now and have you found a distributor yet?

“Selfless” is our first feature-length movie. We have done a number of music videos and some shorts but it was really time to push ourselves further to make it happen. Selfless stars Mo Gallini (“2 Fast 2 Furious” “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” “24”) as a brazen identity thief who meets a Dylan a somewhat self-absorbed architect. The two have a confrontation in an airport that leads to Dylan’s identity and pretty much his whole life being ripped out from under him. Dylan must confront his true self if he’s to have a chance at getting back his identity.

The movie has been touring festivals around the country and won Best Feature, Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor (Mo Gallini) at the Bend Film Festival. “Selfless” plays on Sunday June 7 at the Seattle True Indie Film Festival. Come see it if you live in the area. As for a distribution deal, were working on it now with our sales agent so stay tuned. Hopefully “Selfless” will be available to purchase or download by the fall. You can keep posted on it and view the trailer at: www.selflessthemovie.com

CBR: One of my personal favorite projects of yours is “Secret Broadcast” that you did at Oni. Are there any plans to do more with it?

Cool you would ask. We had an earlier screenplay adaptation that I have since done a rewrite on. We’re focused on another original screenplay at the moment but we’re hoping to position “Secret Broadcast” as our first movie based on one of our comics. Keep checking our website for info on our upcoming media projects in film, comics and more at: www.panderbros.com