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2 TV ENCORE By Brian Craddock TV Media R ecently, it seems, television has developed a love affair with series based on comic books. From Fox's "Gotham" to CW's trifecta of "The Flash," "Arrow" and "DC's Legends of Tomorrow," some would say that there are too many of them — even online streaming servic- es are jumping on the comic book bandwagon, with Netflix's "Daredevil" and "Jessica Jones" proving immensely successful. The list of comic-based shows grows a little this week, when AMC (which is already home to the juggernaut that is "The Walking Dead") airs the pre- miere episode of "Preacher" — based on the DC Comics/Vertigo series of the same name — on Sunday, May 22. The "Preacher" comic series is relatively unique in that its entire run spanned only five years (1995 to 2000). Written by Garth Ennis and illustrated by Steve Dillon, the often vulgar comic book told the story of Jesse Custer, a small-town Texas preacher who somehow finds himself possessed by a heavenly being named Genesis, who informs him that God has all but abandoned his creations. Incensed, Custer sets off in search of an audience with God, which proves to be just as diffi- cult as it sounds. Dominic Cooper, who recently starred in another comic book- inspired series, ABC's "Marvel's Agent Carter," plays the epony- mous preacher in the new show, Avelle Mechanical 2 x 3" Pear Tree Gallery 3 x 2" Rans Funeral 2 x 3" On the Cover and he's not the only cast mem- ber with a history of starring in comic book series — Ruth Negga of "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." plays Custer's ex- girlfriend, Tulip O'Hare. Rounding out the main cast is Joseph Gilgun, who starred in the British hit "Misfits" and recently appeared on the big screen in "The Last Witch Hunter" (2015). The BAFTA-nominated actor is set to play Cassidy, an Irish vam- pire who, through a bizarre chain of events, falls in with Custer and O'Hare. While on their quest for an audience with God, the trio goes up against a bevy of bizarre peo- ple: To start, there's the racist, conspiracy-spouting sheriff named Hugo Root, played by "Deadwood's" W. Earl Brown, and his son, Eugene (Ian Colletti, "Rake"), a deadbeat teen rock- star left deformed after a botched suicide attempt. There's also the Quincannons: Vyla and Odin, played by Elizabeth Perkins ("Weeds") and Jackie Earle Haley ("Watchmen", 2009), respectively — a lovely pair of slaughterhouse magnates, local benefactors and proud support- ers of the Ku Klux Klan. Fans of the comic have been eagerly awaiting the series' arrival since it was announced back in 2013, no doubt in a mixed state of anticipation and apprehension, as limited/lesser- known comics have something of a rough history when it comes to adaptations (just look at 2005's "Constantine" starring Keanu Reeves, and last year's NBC series of the same name). "Preacher" was a comic infa- mous for its dark, edgy content. In fact, part of the reason it's taken so long for a TV series to happen is that many networks were turned off when they real- ized how little Jesse Custer prac- ticed what he preached. In 2008, HBO passed on the series because of the comic's cynical attitude after almost two years of development. Despite all of this, "Preacher" showrunner Sam Catlin, who spearheaded the series' AMC revival alongside actor/comedian Seth Rogen ("Knocked up," 2007) and Rogen's longtime partner-in-crime, writer/producer Evan Goldberg ("This Is the End," 2015), promised fans in an April interview with Collider that, regardless of any changes they make to the content, the show definitely won't be "Preacher-lite": "Garth really pushes the envelope in terms of those sto- ries, and I will say we really did, too. ... There's some silly violence and there's some crazy violence, but there's also some real vio- lence and some real sin." Rogen admitted to Crave in October that, in a controversial move, the story progression in the series does not closely fol- low the comics, saying: "We are changing the specifics of how the narrative is unfolding. A lot of the building blocks we are not changing, a lot of characters we're keeping, but we want to make a show that, if you're a fan of the comic, you don't know what to expect." While in most adaptations, straying from the source materi- al would raise many red flags, it's unlikely to be a problem for "Preacher." In the comics, some of the most hilarious moments came from the smallest charac- ters, those seen briefly, but years later are still the most memora- ble. Rogen wants people to know the "Preacher" series is going to have its fair share of zany characters, too. "To us, the tangential element is one of our favorite things," he told Crave. "The fact that it does go off into these other worlds and explore these other charac- ters, I mean that's something that we wholeheartedly intend on indulging in, because it's one of the best parts about the comic. Just the massive tapestry of weirdos." Despite some significant changes, it seems Catlin, Rogen and company understand the spirit of "Preacher." Tune in to see how the series plays out when it premieres Sunday, May 22, on AMC. Joseph Gilgun as seen in "Preacher" AMC goes to Texas with its adaptation of Garth Ennis' 'Preacher' D&J Liquors 3 x 2" Harrison-Metzger & Rans Funeral Homes Marocco-Rans Funeral Chapel 574.753.6282 • 119 E. Market St. • Logansport www.ransfuneralhomes.com • Funeral & Cremation Services • Monument Sales • Preplanning Options Funded by Pathway from Pekin Insurance F 574.643.2265 • 304 S. Chicago St. • Royal Center 574.653.2265 • 123 E. Main Street • Kewanna 109 S. Main Street Walton, IN 46994 Call: 574-626-2328 avallemechanical@frontier.com David Avalle, Owner Tip of the week: Keep weeds, mulch & shrubs away from your AC unit. This will allow air to circulate around the unit and maximize effi ciency w w w . p h a r o s t r i b u n e . c o m

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