The late Ever Niebel is taking a big new leap into comic book pages. Released on Half Evil Comics’ Kickstarter on September 9th, Evel Knievel: The Last Gladiator is Daredevil’s first full-length comic series. Written by the arts by Ringo Award-Winner Rylend Grant (The Jump, The PeaceKeepers) and Dave Acosta (Terrorwar, Elvira), the book reimagined Evel as a modern folk hero during his lead-up to the infamous Caesars Palace Fountain Jump.
You can notify us of the launch here (it will come soon).
I spoke via Zoom last month with Evel’s son and brand managers Grant and Kelly Knievel to talk about the project, its inspiration, and how Evel’s legacy continues to move forward.
Bring Ebel to the comic
When creators said “folk heroes,” they meant it in every sense.
“Ebel is a folk hero in the purest sense,” Grant said. “We’re leaning against it. He’s a steel horse gunslinger. He unravels mystery, throws punches, makes insane jumps, and romances all the bombs watching the local bombs.”
“My dad was bigger than life. He wasn’t just doing stunts. He told the story every time he came back,” Kelly Niebel said.
In Grant’s case, Evel’s idea as a comic book character was almost inevitable.
“He’s essentially a superhero who actually existed,” Grant said. “He was dressed in a costume. He had a story of origin. He was overcoming the pain and stood up over and over again. If that’s what I’ve seen, it’s a comic book character.”
Las Vegas year
As mentioned before, the story fully plays the infamous Las Vegas stunts as a stepping stone to Evel’s life and work.
“The book is set while at the front of Caesars Palace,” Grant said. “You see Eeble not just as Daredevil, but as this American mythical figure. It’s part of an action thriller that’s part of the modern West. That’s the fun.”
Kelly said, “I remember being a kid, and Caesars was everywhere. It wasn’t just a jump. It was the moment he became Evel Kuniebelle in the world. People had forgotten that he had broken almost every bone in his body, but he still stood up and continued. That made him a legend.”
Myth and history clash
My job here was to find, to some extent, a balance between history and storytelling originality.
“We wanted to root this in real history,” Grant said. “The Cow Palace, Butte’s million-dollar party, Snake River Canyon – it’s all there, but we wanted to be the outlaw hero who always was in the hearts of people.”
Kelly said, “This isn’t a documentary. It’s entertainment. Dad always did. He lived like a gladiator, so the title works. He was fighting, crashing, bleeding, but always back in the arena.”
Grant went to compare Ebel further with the actual cowboy hero.
“He’s been doing this gunslinger figure wandering around town, entangled with outlaw bikers and then doing the impossible,” Grant said. “It’s not too far from reality, but it’s elevated in the way comics can elevate things. Evel was already a myth. Our job is to lean on that myth and roar.”
Carrying the heritage
Kelly Niebel said his father’s spirit makes it different from any other Evel Kuniebel adaptation.
“People always ask me why my dad was important,” Kelly Niebel said. “It’s because he was standing for something. He was standing to show people you can live big, to take courage, to take risks. That’s what we want people to see on the page.”
Grant said, “It’s a love letter to Evel, but I also agreed on how comics can mythologize their appearance. If he’s there today, I think he’s going to love this.
Certainly, we couldn’t grow up with evil Nibels, but this comic might be the next best.
“When people read this cartoon, I want them to feel what I felt like I’ve grown up. Not only do I know he ride that bike and he might crash, but I know he’ll stand up no matter what,” Kelly Niebel said. “It’s Evel Kuniebelle. That’s the last gladiator.”
Kickstarter will be released next week. You will receive a notification when you start up!
