Bam! Pow! Um…Bang?

Showing up at the San Diego Comic-Con in a cleavage-friendly and belly-baring ensemble that threatened to cause heart failure among hefty Comic Book Guys whose primary idea of a sexy night in bed is reading a yellowed copy of Josie and the Pussycats, the world’s most famous porn star unveiled her latest entrepreneurial effort, the comic book Shadow Hunter, a five-issue miniseries due in 2008 that casts her as a sultry, supernatural enchantress who uses a wicked sword–and possibly the occasional Reverse Cowgirl–to battle the forces of evil.

Published by Richard Branson and Gotham Chopra’s celebrity-centric Virgin Comics line (insert obligatory “Jenna Jameson” and “virgin” joke here, and then insert second joke about the use of the word “insert”), Shadow Hunter is a dream project for Jameson, who loves the idea of mixing demonic duels and double-Ds.

“I’ve been a horror fan since I was young,” she said. “I used to watch John Carpenter’s The Thing and I would watch it alone, because I loved that feeling of being scared. When I was told we were able to bring those kind of elements into this comic book, I was so f*cking excited! Sorry for my French.”

She’s taking a hands-on approach (okay, knock it off) to the comic, bubbling with mystical notions to share with the book’s creative team. “I’m writing storylines and emailing people at midnight saying, ‘This is what I want to do. This is the idea that I have. Can we spin it this way? Can we have this? I want more of a lot more of a sensitivity factor to this cheater, and I want incredible powers.’ I’ve sent so many great ideas that have never been tapped into in this industry, so I’m just really stoked.”

Jenna sat down with Hollywood Web (sadly, nothing more horizontal than sitting) to talk about penetrating the comics industry with a title that, despite her heroics, won’t shy away from her hardcore history. And why should it? “I have a wide audience,” she said. “What I’m most proud of is being a porn star and changing my industry. I developed it…I will forever be ‘Porn Star Jenna Jameson.’”

HW: Were you aware of the crossover appeal between comic book fans and the fans of your adult film industry work?
JJ: Of course. I’ve been aware of this for many years. I think that it’s all a matter of the fact that as human beings we love fantasy. And whether it’s fighting legions of zombies or being sexual, it’s the same sort of thing. So I’m excited to kind of gel the two together.

HW: There’s not going to anything as explicit as what some of your fans may be used to, but what would be the movie-style rating on the comic book? Hard R?
JJ: Oh, absolutely. When I was young I was a huge fan of the movie Heavy Metal and that’s kind of the vibe I want to bring to it. That edgy, cool artistic fun thing and I think that taking away that whole, my sexual edge, doesn’t really do me justice. So yeah, it’s certainly going to have that.

HW: What’s it like to see yourself drawn as a superhero?
JJ: It’s stunning. It’s so stunning.

HW: Artist Greg Horn, who specializing in painting superheroic sex bombs, really created an amazing cover that captures you perfectly. Were you familiar with his work before?
JJ: Of course–I mean, he’s obviously, I think, the best artist in the industry. And I proofed quite a few different pictures and when this one came across my desk I was like, “Done.” There’s nothing I would change, it’s so perfect. Yeah, so I’m just stoked.

HW: What other steps are you taken to further mainstream yourself?
JJ: A lot. I really don’t do movies anymore. I’m launching my fragrance in October. I’m launched my clothing line next month, which is called “Hello Jenna.” And I’m launching my lingerie company, tentatively with Ed Hardy. A huge amount of things: I’m in pre-production for a movie based on my book [How to Make Love Like a Porn Star], which is called Heartbreaker.

HW: I heard Scarlett Johansson is going to be in that–true?
JJ: It’s all in negotiations, but we are in final negotiations.

HW: Why did you feel she’s the right actress to play you?
JJ: You know it was kind of a weird process. Obviously the companies that I sold my rights to wanted me to play myself. Or they wanted to have the rights to grab the actresses they wanted, and I saw Scarlett in Lost in Translation. And I remember thinking to myself, this girl has such a sexuality without even really trying to be sexy. She doesn’t even have to try, and I was like “This girl could play me.” I don’t want someone who’s going to go in there and be, like, bouncing around. I want someone who can bring some depth and she has that. She’s kind of dark.

HW: Have you guys met? How’d you get along?
JJ: I love her. She’s amazing. She’s smart, she’s funny.

HW: She surprise you in anywhere from what you expected?
JJ: Well, it was a quick passing meeting. But she’s stunning.

HW: How far is the movie going to go in depicting the adult film industry? Something akin to Boogie Nights?
JJ: Anybody who is in the industry knows that Boogie Nights was a complete fabrication. I think that it really kind of put us in a light that wasn’t very endearing.

HW: You found it demeaning to the industry?
JJ: Yeah, and it wasn’t reality. My movie is going to be one hundred percent reality.

HW: Explicit?
JJ: Yeah, because it has to be. It has to be. Not because we want to draw male fans. Because I want to tell the true story.

HW: What’s the lesson in your true story?
JJ: That no matter what, you can achieve anything. I think I came from nothing and I turned something that was an industry that was completely unaccepted by America into something that is widely accepted now. And I think that writing my books changed things for a lot of women to accept their sexuality and be more powerful in a way.

HW: When you get to do the inevitable movie for Shadow Hunter, what are you most excited to do?
JJ: Well I’m so athletic. I’m SO athletic. I can’t wait to do the whole…I’m a gymnast, so I can kind of show off all my talents, finally.

HW: Do you still keep up with gymnastics, outside of, well, you know…
JJ: It’s like riding a bike, baby! I just did a movie called Janine Loves Jenna and we did the whole tethered thing. I mean, I was doing flips and it was so much fun. So I’m looking forward to like doing all the pre-production of fighting and stuff. Because my boyfriend is a UFC fighter so I think it will be fun to be able to integrate of that all together.