Marvel Comics line, it is perhaps easy to forget that someone had to design all those brightly colored costumes for heroes and villains alike. In our heroes' universe, this task may be handled by Reed Richards or custom crafted with a given adventurer's own needs in mind. Outside the fictional universe, the costumes are designed by the likes of Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby, or, more recently, John Cassaday and Alex Ross. An exhibition last year at New York's Metropolitan Museum even featured comics-inspired couture from major designers. In August, comics and high fashion will join forces once again in "Models Inc.," a four-issue miniseries written by Paul Tobin ("Marvel Adventures Avengers") and illustrated by Vicenc Villagrassa. The first issue will also feature an eight-page backup story starring Project Runway's fashion mentor Tim Gunn, which will be written by Marc Sumerak with an artist yet to be announced. CBR News caught up with Tobin and Sumerak to discuss the series, which stars Mary Jane Watson, Patsy "Hellcat" Walker, Jill Jerold, Chili Storm and Millicent (a.k.a. Millie the Model) Collins as they try to solve a Fashion Week murder."Models Inc." is somewhat unusual for modern American comic book, even though it has precedents going back some fifty years. The project might go so far as to defy reader expectation with its style and tone - though the concept appears fairly lighthearted, there is, after all, the matter of a dead body. "At heart, it's a murder mystery, so it has some dark elements," Paul Tobin told CBR. "I tried to stay away from making it 'noir,' though, because I think that can become a crutch for a writer, and if a writer starts out on a crutch, that means the reader will be hobbling along as well. It's almost Agatha Christie/Nancy Drew, but with very pretty ladies, and set in the Marvel Universe. Johnny Storm plays a large role, for instance. Overall, it's a tense thriller, but within those parameters I tried to remain true to the models' characters, which are fairly whimsical."As to what special abilities -- or superpowers -- each of the models might bring to solving the crime, Tobin said that the strength of this team is in the personalities. "The main thing they bring is that they're all there for each other. That's the number one thing a friend needs in a crisis, and it is a crisis, here, because evidence is pointing to Millie as the murderer. So the models have to delve into the crisis, band together, track down the real bad guys, and crack some heads," Tobin said. "Pasty 'Hellcat' Walker is righteously skilled at kicking butt when it needs to be kicked. Chili Storm is the stalwart anchor, because she has a fire that never quits. And Toni Turner and Jill Jerold know how to put things together, see the puzzle, and match up the pieces. I have to say, one of the great joys of working on this title is moving these women out of their comfort zones and seeing how they react."Bringing something new to the table was incentive enough for Tobin to work on "Models, Inc.", but that there is more to the series than mere novelty. "I love watching the Hulk beat up Thor (which he can totally do) but every writer loves to work on unusual projects precisely because it stretches the writing muscles," he said. "I've been mentally writing Iron Man fights since I was five years old, but this is something new, and that makes it a different kind of exciting.
Amidst all the high-stakes action and stunning revelations that occur every month across theThe issue #1 backup story starring Tim Gunn, a fashion consultant most famous for his role on the Bravo reality series "Project Runway," will be written by Marc Sumerak, who said the idea to bring in a real-life icon arose from the attention that "Models Inc." received when it was first announced. "From what I understand, when Marvel was originally putting together the 'Models Inc.' limited series, they discovered that there was a lot of unexpected buzz about the series from media outlets outside the comic book world," Sumerak told CBR. "Since the book had a very obvious connection to the world of fashion, the folks in charge were looking for some interesting ways to bring the Marvel Universe and the fashion universe even closer together. Someone on the Marvel staff happened to be friends with a producer on one of Tim Gunn's TV projects, calls were made, and the ball began to roll!"Sumerak was then approached to write Mr. Gunn's first comic book appearance. "I had the great honor of working with editorial whiz-kid Charlie Beckerman on a few projects in [editor] Mark Paniccia's office, including 'Weapon X: First Class.' One day, Charlie dropped me a line to see whether or not I was familiar with fashion guru Tim Gunn. Having been a big fan of 'Project Runway' since its first season, I was well aware of Tim and his impeccable sense of style, so I obviously jumped at the chance to be involved in a project featuring him," Sumerak recalled. "After writing up a few possible takes on how to bring Tim into the Marvel Universe, we found a story that everyone was happy with and, as Tim would say, we made it work!"The "New York Times" article revealed that Tim Gunn will be donning the Iron Man armor, and Sumerak was reluctant to reveal details beyond this intriguing teaser. "I don't want to give away too much of the story, but Tim is on hand to help celebrate the life of a fashion icon who has been a major part of the Marvel Universe for decades. That celebration quickly turns into complete chaos, though, and someone has to step up to play the role of Fashion's Greatest Defender! And who better than the man that plays that role everyday in the real world (and on TV)?"As to Gunn's thoughts on Tony Stark's design for the Iron Man armor, Sumerak said that this and other memorable costumes would be addressed in "Models, Inc." #1. "Readers will get to see Tim's opinions on a number of Marvelous fashion statements in this story -- from the tres chic to the just plain weak!" Sumerak revealed. "As for his opinion on the Iron Man armor? Wait and see! But anyone who knows Tim is already aware of how he feels about a well-made suit..."