Last summer at Comic-Con, I met Matthew Dickens, stuntman née comics creator. The first issue of his first comic with artist Julius Abrera had just come out from Bliss on Tap Publishing. The title had caught my attention, but it was Dickens himself who made the strong first impression. I’m not saying he’s the embodiment of his protagonist, but he comes close.
The book? Shitkicker + Bullseye. It’s a title that sticks with you in its boldness, though it’s not going to be in the kids’ section of a comics shop. As for the story, it’s ambitious as hell, and if it’s a little uneven that’s because Dickens pulled out all the stops and had to establish so much mythos in a too short first issue.
The pitch? A time traveling stuntman — maybe undead — gets a team together to rob the Devil’s Train. Literally. THE DEVIL’S TRAIN! How can you not be intrigued? It’s so out there and yet so strangely grounded in Dickens’ extensive research and love of the history of film and television stuntmen. While the story bears little resemblance to David Leitch’s upcoming The Fall Guy, some of the film’s publicity images look a lot like the comic. This first issue cover, laden with easter eggs, could have influenced the instagram image of Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt jumping the shark.
I’ll be honest — sometimes ideas are low-hanging fruit and different people come up with them. The movie opening next week is after all based on a TV series from the ’80s starring Lee Majors. After spending time just nerding out with Dickens in San Diego, I know he knows stunt history, loves the job, and takes more risks in a day than I may have in my life. I’ll give Leitch the benefit of the doubt that he loves stuntmen, too. That said — the visuals look terribly similar. We can also stipulate that Shitkicker + Bullseye first appeared in Diamond Previews in May of 2023. Minus the mask, this costume for Ryan Gosling looks similar.
Did Dickens influence Leitch? Possibly and plausibly. Is that cause for legal action? I’m no copyright lawyer, but it seems like it. The best thing you can do as a comics fan is check out his book and make up your own mind.
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