Legally Blonde scribe to pen Smooth Criminals buddy comedy comic series

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Not long ago, it was announced that writers Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith and Karen McCullah would be teaming for a third film in the LEGALLY BLONDE franchise with Reese Witherspoon set to reprise her role as the effervescent Elle Woods. The news brought a smile to the faces of many fans of the character, especially when a Valentine's Day 2020 release date was confirmed. Today, those same fans have been given yet another reason to show off their pearly whites, as we've just discovered that Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith is in the midst of penning a new ongoing comic series for BOOM! Studios entitled Smooth Criminals.

Created by Smith, screenwriter of such films as THE HOUSE BUNNY and 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU, with writing partner Kurt Lustgarten and artist Leisha Riddel, the series follows Brenda as she rescues Mia from cold storage and teams up with her for two reasons: Firstly, to find out why she’d been frozen in the first place — and also to pull off the heist of the century as well. Well, why wouldn’t you, if you had the chance? Our thanks to THR for the synopsis.

In talking about the new title, Smith and Lustgarten released a statement saying that, "With Smooth Criminals, we want to tell a female friendship story wrapped in a jewel heist — a buddy comedy about a somewhat-out-of-touch cat burglar from the past who teams with a socially awkward tech savvy genius in 1999 that shows just how much times — and crimes — have changed," the duo remarked. "We want to explore the idea that women era and different backgrounds can accomplish true change by working together in a world where anachronistic rules are meant to be broken. If you're fan of James Bond or nostalgic for the 90s, you’ll love seeing these two team up to pull off the the heist of the century… if they can figure out how to be friends first."

Riddel chimed in as well by saying, “I'm very excited to work on Smooth Criminals, as someone who identifies as a woman of color, creating characters that are closer to who I am is always great. The story is a bit sci-fi, and a bit action, but still relatable as a coming of age, which is a recipe for everything I'm all about. Brenda and Mia are super fun to draw, and I can't wait to draw all their escapades.”

Indie comic book publisher BOOM! Studios announced their BOOM! Box label in late November of 2013. Since that time, the offshoot has published a glut of must-read titles such as By NIght, Fence, Heavy Vinyl, Lumberjanes, SLAM!, The Backstagers, Misfit City, Jonesy, and my personal favorite, Giant Days. From what I see here, Smooth Criminals looks to be another exciting addition to their lineup, and I can't wait to see what the team has planned when the title hits stands this November.