In Bob Fingerman’s hands, even the apocalypse is hilarious.

Talk-show tyrants and cannibal foodies experimenting with dipping sauces that complement long pig are just part of the fun as Fingerman laughs his way through the End Times in his invented memoir, From the Ashes, due in collected form Wednesday from IDW Publishing.

“I look at things like The Food Network as part of the problem with modern America,” the New York-based Fingerman told Wired.com in an e-mail interview. “Too much emphasis on food, food, food. And if it all came down, I think some people would start chowing down on their barbecued neighbors.”

The Cracked vet unleashes his biting satire on all manner of public figures, cultural traditions and political movements in his comic book series From the Ashes (see panels above and below). It’s a light-hearted romp through the post-apocalyptic landscape that’s lately been charted in deadly serious films as different as the environmental documentary The Age of Stupid and John Hillcoat’s The Road.

But if we’re all going to hell-on-Earth in a handbasket because of our apathy, hyperconsumption or deep love of the Food Network, Fingerman reasons, we might as well have some laughs on the way to our demise.

“Paradise is what you make of it,” said Fingerman, who’s worked on Heavy Metal and the Ignatz-nominated Beg the Question. “A tropical beach can be a nightmare if you hate tropical beaches. If you’re not big on your fellow humans, a post-apocalyptic wasteland is not without its charms.”

So when comes From the Ashes, the movie?

“I’d love to tell you that and not, at this point, be lying,” Fingerman said. “But who knows? We’ve had our serious post-apocalypse movies, so I think it would be great to have a balls-out comedy to balance things.”

From cannibal foodies to talk-show tyrants, From the Ashes makes sweetly smoked fun of the End Times.
Images courtesy Bob Fingerman/IDW Publishing

Against all odds, some of From the Ashes‘ outsider freaks, cannibals and other irradiated mutants have held onto their previous humanity. Those living the good life in underground bunkers are ruled by a tyrannical cyborg squid named Modoz (pictured above), a purposeful mash of Marvel’s villainous MODOK and a certain bilious talking head from Fox News.

They’re subjected to totalitarian rule that governs everything from slave labor to sex work. It’s a well-padded futuristic nightmare we’ve seen before, in books and films like Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and the cult classic A Boy and His Dog.

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If you’re like me, then you’re one of a dozen people who’ve seen the indie comedy Rocket Science. If not, then toss it in your Netflix Queue or whatever and watch it ASAP, if for no other reason then to at least check out yet another fantastic performance from Oscar nominee Anna Kendrick. In addition, you’ll be familiarizing yourself with Jeffrey Blitz who has dabbled in narrative features such as this in addition to documentaries like Spellbound. Now Blitz has his eyes on superheroes as Collider discovered he has started work on a documentary about the history of DC Comics and plans to premiere it at Comic-Con this year.

On top of that, this project was actually commissioned and encouraged by DC Comics. However, their involvement might turn this into an ass-kissing session whereas I would much rather see an objective exploration of DC Comics, especially their rivalry with Marvel. Blitz and his producing partner Sean Welch (who worked with Blitz on all of his previous features, including the film Lucky, a documentary about people who’ve won the lottery, which was just showcased at Sundance this year) just started shooting the DC doc a little over a week ago. Welch said:

“DC Comics contacted us and asked if we would do this.  Jeff and the director are comic book enthusiasts since they were kids and remain comic book enthusiasts.  So yes, we have access to their archives, their material, their covers, their panels, the creatives and the executives in the DC world.”

So this is going to come together pretty quickly in order to premiere by July’s Comic-Con. Hopefully it doesn’t feel rushed and contains more than moving stills and voiceover like a half-ass History Channel feature. Spellbound was proof that Blitz knows his way around the documentary, but Alex absolutely hated Lucky, so I’m not sure what to expect. If it does premiere at Comic-Con, you can be sure we’ll do out very best to check it out and let you know the verdict.

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Warner Bros has debut the official trailer DC Comics’ The Losers starring Zoe Saldana as Aisha, Chris Evans as Jensen, Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Clay, Columbus Short as Pooch, Idris Elba as Roque, and Óscar Jaenada as Cougar. This actually looks pretty awesome, I love the style, I love the cast, I love the action, what’s not to like? Some comparisons can be made to The A-Team, but I think this has its own good story and since it’s based on a DC Comics graphic novel, it’s got a lot to draw from that’s completely different The A-Team. Anyway, I’ve said enough, because the action in this speaks louder than any words. Fire it up and enjoy!

Watch the official trailer for Sylvain White’s The Losers:

You can also watch the official trailer for The Losers in High Definition on Apple

Originally a Special Forces team seconded to the CIA in the 90s, the Losers were betrayed by their handler, Max, and left for dead following the conclusion of their operation. Eager for revenge and the opportunity to remove their names from a secret CIA death list, the Losers regroup and conduct covert operations against the CIA and its interests, uncovering startling operations spearheaded by the enigmatic villain Max, whose influence within the CIA and US government is unparalleled. The Losers is directed by Sylvain White and will hit theaters on April 16th, 2010 this year. Who is planning on seeing this now? Look like a fun action movie?

Discover More: Hype, Trailers, Worth Watching

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