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Interview With Brian Clevinger Writer and Creator Of Atomic Robo

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Brian Clevinger is one of the comic industry’s best-kept secrets. Since 2007, Brian’s original series Atomic Robo has been one of the best ongoing independent comics on shelves week after week.

Brian began his career in comics with the Final Fantasy I-inspired webcomic, 8-Bit Theater.  As an independent creator, Brian has worked in almost every comic publishing medium.

I caught up with Brian to talk about being an independent creator, published author, and self-aware super heroes.

One of the first comics you put out was 8-Bit Theater. Why did you decide to start the pixel-based web comic?

Brian Clevinger: I’d just finished the first draft of my semi-terrible novel, Nuklear Age and needed something new to occupy my time. It was the start of the first semester of 2001, so I killed a few birds with one stone and figured I could take an independent study course, get college credit, and have an excuse to tinker around with Photoshop.

I used old video game images because I CANNOT DRAW AT ALL and, really, just needed simple figures in the comic so the reader could tell the difference between any two characters.

I put them online because my professor was terrible about keeping track of his email. And then the internet found them!

You’ve self published, been picked up by a publisher, and uploaded digitally. Is there a publishing method you think is most beneficial to unproven comic creators?

The internet is the king of that. It’s the cheapest investment up front with the widest possible potential audience. From there, you can more easily move into physical publishing.

Much of your work involves characters that are not typically self-aware acknowledging the absurdity of their existence. What about this subject fascinates you, especially in the realm of video games and super heroes?

I’ll be honest, it’s a trick.

We’ve all seen a movie or read a story that asked us to take a very absurd notion very seriously. It knocks you right out of the story and kills the whole thing for you. BUT if you, as an author, can admit to your audience that something is absurd, and you know it is, and it’s okay to think it is, you can get them on your side. You can even have them completely engaged and concerned about the very things they’d have ridiculed if you’d asked them to take it dead serious all along.

It’s easy to take the technique too far and just look like every other insufferably post-ironic shitbag. So, it’s not entirely a free pass. But used in moderation it can let you pull off some crazy stuff.

As a writer working with an artist on Atomic Robo, how did you pitch the comic to Scott Wegener?

I pitched it to him the same way I pitch it to everyone who walks up to the table at a convention. I rattle off the names of the things it’s suppose to evoke: The Ghostbusters, The Rocketeer, Buckaroo Banzai, and Indiana Jones. But with a robot.

How do you think aspiring comic writers should pitch their stories to potential artists?

Do the same thing, just with different movies than I did. I’ve got those four locked down.

Hit them with what it’s like to get them interested. Then bring in some details about what is specifically going on in your story.

And be as upfront as possible about ownership and page rates.

Your first print comic was nominated for an Eisner in 2008; did you expect such critical acclaim with your first print comic?

No! We’d actually finished writing and drawing all six issues before the first one was ever published. So, there were a few months there in mid-2007 where Scott and I knew we loved working on the book, and we had Big Plans for doing more, but we had NO IDEA if anyone else would be on board.

Luckily, we seem to have struck a nerve. But, hey, robots are cool, so that helped.

You’ve also written a novel. How do you manage to find time to write print and webcomics on top of a book?

By finishing the novel before I started a webcomic. For a while I was writing three webcomics and Atomic Robo scripts. That was a crazy time.

These days I just limit myself to a handful of Robo projects and one or two freelance gigs at any one time. With Robo, the writing is as much work as it is therapy. I’m thinking about all kinds of alternative history sci-fi conspiracy contortions all the time anyway. The only way to keep sane is to get them out of my head one at a time by writing stories about them.

Do you have any last minute advice for aspiring comic creators?

Just keep at it. Meet deadlines. Be pleasant to work with. Read stuff that isn’t comics. Don’t watch so much TV. Video games are fun, but they don’t finish pages. Get your stuff online and have a site that looks clean and is easy to navigate. It’s the best portfolio you can have.

Interview With Joey Esposito

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As a independent comic writer and  editor at IGN, Joey Esposito has a unique perspective on the comic industry. His approach of submerging yourself into the industry is something we are huge supporters of at Panel Bound and have found through most of our interviews that this is a common tactic amongst most creators. Joey is the writer of the independently published 4 issue miniseriesFootprints published with 215 Ink that also recently got funded for additional publication with Kickstarter. Here is what Joey describes Footprints as at his website

When Bigfoot discovers his brother brutally murdered, he assembles his old detection team to unravel a conspiracy that spans decades. FOOTPRINTS is a creator-owned comic about a cast of cryptozoological deviants placed inside hard-boiled noir. It’s a fun trip through a unique modern setting that will appeal to fans of noir, comedy, and huge freaking sharks.

I asked Joey about his inspiration behind Footprints as well as his career as an editor at IGN. This is a great interview for anyone looking to get into comics in several different aspects. I hope you all enjoy it

 

How did you first get involved as a comic creator?

I’ve always wanted to write in some capacity and have been writing in various mediums as long as I can recall. But I’ve always loved comics; I used to trace Dan Jurgens’ Superman comics when I was a kid. But it wasn’t until film school that I really wanted to get serious about wanting to tell stories in comics. I was taking some comics courses that really helped me recognize the absolute potential of the medium, and that was that. I love movies, but when you’re in a school like that and trying to think of the cheapest ways to tell your stories because you’re on a budget, it kind of puts a damper on your creativity in a lot of ways. So with comics, it’s free reign, and that was exciting for me.

 

What inspired you to release Footprints as an indie title?

Well, it’s not like I had an option to release it as anything else! [laughs] I mean unless you’re working for Marvel or DC, you’re an indie book. That said, independent comics in general offer a great variety of genres and freedom that just isn’t available in the kind of stories that Marvel and DC’s characters tell. That’s not to say that I don’t LOVE those characters, but I think a lot of creators will tell you that working independently is freeing.

 

Kickstarter has helped fund countless great indie titles, was using KS a good experience for you?

Kickstarter was great. What I always tell people that ask me about it is that Kickstarter, as a company, only make money if you reach your goal. So by that logic, they WANT you to succeed, which means they’ll do what they can to help promote you. They blog and tweet about their favorite projects, sometimes you’ll find yourself on their homepage, and the employees are very active on Twitter and promoting their personal favorites as well. We were even backed by some of them. It’s very much a community. I had the pleasure of being on their panel at NYCC this year, and the room was packed — there’s a definite interest in funding comics in this way, and it’s extremely encouraging. I’d definitely use it again.

 

Many writers find it difficult to find an artist they can work with, how did you first begin working with Jonathan Moore?

I found him on a creator forum called Digital Webbing. I was looking for an artist for a Zuda pitch, before they closed down, and I sifted through hundreds of e-mails and found Jonathan’s. At the time he was working on a webcomic called New Holland Days that was very stark black-and-white noir, which wasn’t what that Zuda pitch was going to be at all, but I loved his style. After the pitch was done and went no place, we started talking about working on something else and I recalled New Holland Days, and suggested we do a detective story, which eventually evolved into Footprints.

Jonathan is a fantastic artist; he’s most known for Footprints I guess, but he’s actually very skilled in a variety of techniques. If you remember the Star Wars vs. Marvel feature we did at IGN (http://comics.ign.com/articles/118/1187420p1.html), he did all of those digital paintings. And for our next project, a graphic novel, he’s doing something even more radically different. I love his sense of exploration.

 

As a comics editor at IGN and a comic writer have you gained any insights that the two exclusively create?

I mean, my thing is that I love comics and I want to explore it from all angles. Working on the press side of things has informed me of the way that the marketing of the industry works, trends, and all of that. And of course, as a creator you obviously get the creative side of things dealing with editors, publishers, readers, and all that. I think the only way you can be the best you can be at something — whether it’s comics or anything else — is just by immersing yourself in it and approaching it from all angles. I’m (very) slowly learning how to letter and I’d like to get more involved in learning the production side of things, and eventually, start dabbling in color too. No matter what role you take in comics, it’s essential to at least understand everyone else’s role so you can make the whole machine run smoothly.

Making connections seems to be crucial to breaking into the comic industry has your time at IGN influenced your career as a comic creator?
If you’re asking if I’ve used connections made through IGN for my own personal gain, then no. In fact, Footprints was in the works before I ever even applied to IGN. There’s some degree of crossover with people you become friends with and whatever, but comics is like a community where everyone — well, most people — just love the medium and want it to succeed. Hopefully I can help it from both ends — promoting it and creating within it.

 How did you first get started as a comics editor at IGN?

Years of writing for free. It’s kind of funny, because I applied as a comics freelancer way back in the day when the comics channel first launched and was rejected. After that, I began writing for a small website called CC2K and eventually became their Comics Editor. After that I spread out everywhere, writing at a bunch of different places for free. I think that’s something not a lot of people realize. You do a lot of shit for free until you get decent enough to get paid for it, and it’s a lot of hard work and time for nothing aside from the occasional free comic and a press badge. I blogged for a while at DCBS, wrote for the now-defunct gaming site Kombo, wrote at Broken Frontier for a bit, and some other ones I don’t even remember. Eventually, I ended up freelancing full-time at CraveOnline (finally getting paid) as their Comics Editor alongside working my regular day job, and that is really where I made most of the friends and connections that continue to today. But last fall, IGN posted a job opening for a new Comics Editor, I applied, got the job, and packed my shit and moved to California.

 

What comics have inspired you recently?

Oh man. So many. I guess most recently are two works from Brian Wood, New York Five and DV8: Gods and Monsters. New York Five (sequel to New York Four) is just a fantastic look at a couple of girls enduring their freshmen year of college. The premise is so simple, but so endearing. I love real life that’s depicted in this grandiose fashion. Looking back on their story, it’s something many of us have gone through in our journey to adulthood and that we now recognize as a miniscule piece of drama. But it’s not. It shapes the way we grow and at the time, it’s the center of our entire world. Against the background of New York City, the book is just a wonderful love letter to youth, city life, and relationships. And though DV8 is heavy on the science fiction, the characters and their relationships feel incredibly real.

Reading stuff like that is incredible inspiring to me. Footprints is obviously about monsters and is extremely heavy on fantasy, but I think — or at least hope — that the relationships of the characters have something very real to them.

 

What can people expect when they read Footprints?

Hopefully a lot of fun. Footprints is a hardboiled murder mystery about Bigfoot and his old crew of private dicks (Jersey Devil, Chupacabra, Nessy, and Megalodon) as they try and solve the murder of Foot’s estranged brother Yeti. It’s a lot of fun and I think you’ll be surprised at the heart of these characters and how exactly the noir element and our presumptions of these creatures plays into the story as a whole. But, I’m biased.

 

Any last advice for aspiring comic writers, and those who would like to work in comic journalism?

In terms of making comics, if you want to do it, then do it. Especially with things like Kickstarter, webcomics and digital distribution, it’s more possible than ever. I always see people talking about how they can’t find an artist or can’t afford to pay one. The internet is an invaluable tool, but so is going to conventions and talking to people. As for paying an artist, you’re shit without them, so don’t ever forget that. They deserve a fair page rate. If you can’t afford an artist but are buying video games and iPads and apps and blu-rays and other shit you don’t REALLY need, then your priorities are out of whack. It’s a lot of hard work and devotion to get a project off the ground, it just takes a bit of focus.

As for writing about comics for a living, it’s the same deal, really. It’s a job, and don’t ever forget it. Treat it like one. It’s a lot of work for very little reward at first. You’ve got to be passionate about it, because you’re likely not going to get paid for it for a long time. And I don’t want this to come off the wrong way, but it’s still work. Believe me, I’m not complaining that my day job consists of reading and talking about comics, but especially at a place like IGN, it’s a 24-hour job. If something breaks at midnight, you have to be on top of it, because someone is relying on you to do so.

It’s a great job to have and I’m very fortunate, but it takes a lot of hard work and sacrifice to make it work. And to get to that point, for two years straight I worked two full-time jobs, including weekends, after a long time of doing it all for free. Again, that’s just my experience.

But I guess I would also say don’t be beholden to the big websites that cover comics. If they don’t want your work, show them why they should. It’s the 21st century. If you’re good enough and you start your own blog or whatever, you’ll find a place. If anything, you’re building a body of work that you can show off on a resume. I know if I’m looking for freelancers, I find their blog entries on MyIGN (IGN’s blog system) or their own wordpress sites just as viable as something they’ve had published for a top site. I don’t think we live in a world anymore where it’s about the outlet so much as it is the quality of the work and the way we consume it.

 

[End Interview]

I want to thank Joey again for taking the time to speak with me about his experience in comics. You can check out   artwork and sample pages fromFootprints at Joey’s blog as well as read issue #1 for free. Links below

215 Ink, Footprints, IGN, Joey Esposito

by admin

Mark Andrew Smith is an Eisner and Harvey award winning author who has has worked with Image Comics for several years. His work in comics includes The New Brighton Archeological Society, Sullivan’s Sluggers, The Amazing Joy Buzzards, Popgun, and the wonderful Gladstone’s School for World Conquerors.We are all huge fans of Gladstone’s School for World Conquerors here at Panel Bound and it was a pleasure to talk to Mark about his work in comics. We spoke about the comics that inspired him and his process of creating Gladstone’s School for World Conquerors.

How did you first get started as a graphic novel and comic writer?

I went to UCSB and studied film.  When I was there my faculty adviser recommended ‘Understanding Comics’ to me.  I read it and a light clicked.  I’d always been a comic reader but fell out of it.  I went to the comic shop and caught up on everything I’d missed.  From there I started writing.

As a creative writer was it always your intention to write for comics?

It’s always been my intention to write for comics.

How did you first develop the concept for Gladstone’s School for World Conquerors?

Gladstone’s School for World Conquerors started with the title.  From there I brainstormed 20 characters, and then took that list down to the main 6.  When Armand came on board and did the concepts for them, they were easy to write because I knew what they looked like.

What made you want to work in the all ages genre?

I think it’s a lot of fun, and I want to make comics that everyone can read and enjoy.

How did you get Gladstone’s picked up with Image Comics?

Gladstone’s is my fifth book with Image Comics, so it’s as simple as I e-mailed them and they said, “Okay.  Let’s do it”.

What pitch process (script, sequential art) did you use when presenting to Image Comics?

I think you should have a good ten pages or so of art done to show the style and the tone of the book.  Also have an outline of the series, and perhaps a character sheet.  The submission guidelines are up on the Image site, anyone interested in pitching to Image can go there and follow them.

As a writer do you typically leave most of the art direction to the artist or do you write specifics for panel lay out, character design, etc?

I don’t write Alan Moore style where I describe everything, and I don’t write Screenplay style where there is only dialogue.  I write someplace in between those two.  If it’s a new scene, then I’ll go heavy on the description, or if there’s something vital to the story.  I think a lot of my writing is more pacing and beats for the artist to draw to.  For character designs, the characters will all be designed before the book is done, so they’re written on another sheet of paper and sent off to the artist, but for a new character or bad guys, those go into the scripts, and often I’ll include photo references of things that I want to help the artist out and to save them time.

What comics inspired you to want to write for comics?

Too many to name haha.  I think the work of Scott Morse, and Jim Mahfood got me inspired to write for comics.  With Morse, he was using a lot of silent panels, and his pacing was excellent, and I hadn’t seen anything like that before.  It was really interesting to me, and he’s been a large influence on my work.  Powers also inspired me to write for comics, and the work of Mike Allred, and Paul Pope.

What’s next for Gladstone’s School for World Conquerors?

The next story arch is starting in early summer and they find out there’s some big trouble headed their way.

 Any last advice for aspiring writers?

Don’t be so committed to your craft and stubborn that you miss out on life and friendships.

[End Interview]

I want to thank Mark for taking the time to answer some questions for us at Panel Bound, Gladstone’s School for World Conquerors is really a fantastic all ages title that is definitely worth picking up. You can find links to buy it in trade paper back below.

10 Questions with Chuck Dixon By Darrick Patrick

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Chuck Dixon is a professional writer who has primarily worked within the comic book industry.  He has written for titles such as Batman, Punisher War Journal, Detective Comics, G.I. Joe, The Simpsons, Marc Spector: Moon Knight, Robin, The ‘Nam, Snake Eyes, Birds of Prey, Savage Sword of Conan, El Cazador, Alien Legion, Catwoman, Winterworld, Green Arrow, Team 7, Nightwing, and a plethora of numerous other projects.

 

Darrick: What was the journey that led you to writing professionally as a career?

Chuck: I really don’t have a talent for anything else.  My main talent is strictly focused on writing stories told in a series of static pictures.  There wasn’t a time I didn’t want to work in comics.  Seriously.  When I was six years old, I toyed with the idea of being either a milkman or a priest because the hours seemed cool.  The milkman was done by ten in the morning and priests only work an hour a week, right?

Darrick: Who are some of the people that greatly influenced you while growing up?

Chuck: Obviously, my parents played a big part.  My dad especially was a real role model for me.  He was tough, but empathetic, and loved a good story.  Teachers, not so much.  I found most teachers were only a day ahead of me on any subject they were teaching.  My uncle Bob influenced my sense of humor.  He’s a true character who always seems to have a ready answer and can tell a great story himself.

 

Darrick: Do you have any words of advice for other individuals looking to make a career through their abilities in writing?

Chuck: Persistance.  It’s a tough world out there for writers.  You also need to be agile.  A writer has to be able to seize on any opportunity in any genre and in any medium that comes up.

 

Darrick: How do you spend your time on a typical work day?

Chuck: I appear to be goofing off a lot.  That’s the reason I always turn down requests from local schools that ask if students could spend a day with me watching me work.  Somehow though, at the end of the day, pages have been completed and deadlines met.  The toughest thing for me is being able to walk away.  I’d write all day and all night if there weren’t meals to eat and chores to do.

 

Darrick: Your resume of work is highly extensive.  For new readers who may not be familiar with your writing, what are a few projects of yours that you would recommend to begin with?

Chuck: Well, there’s eleven years of Batman-related work.  Anyone can jump in there anywhere.  I also did extensive runs on the various Punisher titles at Marvel.  A career highlight would be Winterworld by me and Jorge Zaffino.  It’s been recently collected by IDW.  I also have two current monthlies featuring G.I. Joe andSnake Eyes.

 

Darrick: Who are a few of the people in the comics industry that you hold a high deal of respect for?

Chuck: Lots of the artists I work with.  I’m in awe of so many of them and have no idea how they do what they do.  I can picture the work in my head but they make it happen.  Guys like Graham Nolan or Butch Guice, who can work magic on the page.  Lots of others as well that would be too numerous to name.

I got to work with Stan Lee recently.  I wish I had his energy now.  He still has it, the passion and the craft.  People say to me, “Stan’s showing his age though.  He doesn’t remember people’s names anymore.”  Stan neverremembered people’s names.  Why do you think he came up with “true believer” and “effendi”?

 

Darrick: Outside of constructing stories, what are your other interests?

Chuck: Since my profession is a geek fantasy come to life, my hobby needed to be even geekier.  My second love in life is toy soldiers.  I collect, paint, and customize them.  The more obscure the period, the more I want to learn about it.  People who visit my Facebook page know my secret obsession.  I also go range shooting whenever I can.

 

Darrick: What is your oldest memory?

Chuck: Being bathed in the kitchen sink…way back.

 

Darrick: Tell us something about you that most people don’t know.

Chuck: I wrote my sixth grade play.

 

Darrick: If you had a working time machine, what are some of the points in history that you would visit?

Chuck: There would be lots of places.  I’d love to visit America in the 1940s.  Also, ancient Rome.  I’d only go though if I was accompanied by an experienced dentist.

Interview With Jim Zubkavich

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Jim “Zub” Zubkavich is the writer and co-creator of Skullkickers currently out with Image comics. We recently featured Skullkickers as one of the 5 comic that change the way we read and buy comics. Since Skullkickers hit stands it has found it’s way into my pull list. By now you have had to of noticed the absolutely gorgeous covers gracing your comic shops shelves, the art work throughout the comic match if not exceed the cover art making this one of the best looking comics Image is putting out right now. But Skullkickers isn’t just a pretty face, the writing and story are equally brilliant with a tone and style that match the artwork. Jim Zub is the man behind the brilliance, we caught up with him and he was kind enough to answer a few questions for Panel Bound. We were able to speak about how Skullkickers was developed, working with new editors, and the importance of creator owned comics in todays marketplace. I hope you enjoy it.

 

First off how did you develop Skullkickers and how did you get the fantastic art team of Edwin Huang and Misty Coats on board?

Skullkickers was co-created with Chris Stevens, a ridiculously talented artist, for Image’s Popgun anthology series. Chris was invited to contribute to the anthology and we came up with a short story about two nameless monster hunting mercenaries who caused trouble and kicked ass and it was printed in Popgun V2. Erik Larsen, who was Image’s Publisher at the time, quite liked the story and asked us if we’d be interested in expanding it to a mini-series at Image.

The original mini-series (which became issues #1-5 of the ongoing series) was written with Chris in mind as the artist, but scheduling and financial problems lead to him having to bow out. I figured the series would never get done and put the story away until I met Edwin Huang over a year later. Edwin and I hit it off well. He was just getting ready to graduate from the New York College of Art and was looking for a way to get his foot in the door with the comic business so he ended up jumping onboard Skullkickers.

Christina Strain, a friend and professional comic colorist, recommend Misty as a good option for the kind of coloring I was looking for on the series and she worked out fantastically well. The two test pages she did on the series are actually in the first issue. That’s how on target they were.

 

Did you use a traditional pitch procedure when presenting SK to Image, or something less traditional? 

Although Erik Larsen had ‘approved’ Skullkickers, enough time had passed between that initial pitch and Edwin coming on board that Eric Stephenson was now the Publisher in charge at Image. In turn, I didn’t want to assume that he would approve us too so I ended up compiling a full pitch package containing the story outline, full first issue script and completed first issue artwork to show Eric. He was impressed with the package and gave us the go ahead on the mini-series.

By the time sales figures came in for issue #3, Eric asked if we’d like to make the series an ongoing and we happily accepted, expanding the story idea and building a much larger overplot than I’d originally planned.

 

Skullkickers takes the action fantasy genre and adds a unique humor violence element to it. As a writer how did you first develop this tone for SK?

I write Skullkickers as a book that I as a reader would enjoy. The violent/cartoonish tone of it, the banter and the strange situations are things that amuse me and, I hope, will also entertain our readers. Writing humor and continually trying to pull out unexpected situations that work well and keep the reader guessing is a challenge and I thoroughly enjoy it.

Skullkickers, when it’s working well, should feel sort of like Army of Darkness meets Red Dwarf or a D&D game where the players are having a good time at the Dungeon Master’s expense. If I can maintain that attitude than it all seems to come together.

 

You have spoken in great detail about the importance of publisher integrity especially in creator owned books, what has SK taught you about creator owned comics?

Creator owned comics, especially in this market, are a labour of love. Very few titles make enough money to provide enough income to make it a job, but you’re still competing on the exact same store shelves as titles from major publishers, so you can’t scrimp on quality. You have to work harder and push yourself further in order to stay on that level, with less time and a much smaller budget. That’s exactly why Marvel/DC hire people who are able to stand out in the creator-owned market. They know you’ve proven you can deliver under extremely difficult conditions.

 

When did you first decide that you wanted to write and create comics?

Although I’ve been a comic fan since I was young, I didn’t actually think it was a viable job until relatively recently, the last 4-5 years. My original intent was to stay in the animation industry because so many people are needed for animation production. The frustrating part of animation that I didn’t anticipate was that I was also going to be a very small part of a very large production pipeline and it would be extremely difficult to have creative control or contribute ideas in that field. Comics are much more immediate and I can put my ideas out there much more quickly.

 

What comics can you recommend to someone looking for inspiration especially from a writers stand point.? 

It’s an incredible time for creator-owned comics right now. There are a ton of great books that are establishing a solid foothold in all kinds of different genres. Some of my favorite ongoing series that inspire me lately are Atomic Robo, Casanova, Chew, Locke & Key, Invincible, The Sixth Gun and Orc Stain.

 

Most writers I speak with have a great deal of trouble finding an artist to draw their comic, what advice do you have for them?

There are a lot of outlets where artists gather: Penciljack, The Drawing Board, deviantART, ConceptArt.org come to mind. Put together a professional pitch and then personalize your messages to artists who are available and fit the tone of the work you’re going for. Expect that it’s going to take a while to find a good artist who is available and looking for collaboration. Also expect that the less money you have to offer them, the more flexibility and input they’ll want in the process, ownership and scheduling.

 

Writing a book with a humor tone can be really hard for writers, do you ever read a joke or gag you put in SK after it’s printed and think “what was I thinking?”

I think the toughest part is that you come up with a bit of banter or visual gag and then you’re going to see it dozens of times at each stage (writing, sketch, line art, color and lettering) before it’s in print. It’s hard to remember how funny it originally was and that readers will see it for the first time and, ideally, have that spontaneous reaction rather than the feeling you have now that you’ve seen it so much. You have to trust your instincts a bit, knowing that it was funny originally and that it will probably still be funny later on to the reader.

 

  Any last minute advice for aspiring creator owned comic writers or artists? 

Don’t try to create a comic based on trends. Don’t write creator-owned material you’re not personally invested in. The best way to make your mark is to put out something you believe in rather than hoping to piggyback on the market at large. If you’re not intensely inspired initially you won’t be able to keep dedicating yourself to it when the hours are long and rewards are distant at best.

 

[End Interview]

I want to thank Jim again for taking the time to chat with me about being a comic writer and creator. You can check out links to Skullkickers website as well as a link to purchase the book.

SkullKickers.com

Buy Skullkickers

Talking Space Sadness & Kickstarter With Lee Milewski Creator Of ‘With The Earth Above Us’

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Every so often, we either come across or are sent an independent project that we feel – being starving artists ourselves – deserves a little recognition. Recently, comic artist and writer Lee Milewski tipped us off about an independent comic beautifully titled With The Earth Above Us.

With The Earth Above Us is somewhere between Blade Runner and 2001: A Space Odyssey mixed with an oppressive air of isolation and rendered in grey scales.

Lee is currently seeking funding over at Kickstarter to help him complete this 70-page B/W graphic novel. It is really a beautiful tale of isolation and paranoia wrapped in the cold metal hull of an interstellar spacecraft. That said, check this book out, give Lee some support and head over to the official Kickstarter.

To help flesh out this comic a little more, we got together with Lee via the magic of email to talk about With The Earth Above Us and the perils and perks of self publishing.

Why did you choose Kickstarter over Indiegogo?

IndieGogo has many limits towards it’s overall presentation, though I’d say the primary reason is due to popularity. Kickstarter has so many projects going on at once, which means that you have tons of people who come to the site and check out your project as well. I also enjoy the “all-or-nothing” concept that Kickstarter goes by, which makes it a much more intense and exciting thing to be apart of.

Why did you choose to self publish?

Self publishing allows me to keep my identity, I guess. I love that my book can look, feel, and go exactly where I want it to; And the fact that my ideas are the only ones which affect the end result is great!

What are some of the difficulties you have encountered?

The main thing that I’ve found to be the most difficult for my own personal growth, which probably comes off as a little odd, is getting my name out into the wide world of independent comics. In fact, before this campaign, I hadn’t really shown my stuff around. It really was a challenge to get out of my comfort zone.

What do you think are the benefits of self publishing?

The benefits largely consist in being able to direct your project whichever way you choose, which is great. Unfortunately, you do lack advertising (unless you shell out your own money), but you can make that up by joining in on the many conversations that consist to help spread the word on independent comics. There are many forums to use, along with Facebook/Twitter/etc., which allows for a person like myself to reach a wide audience.

Interview With Marian Churchland

by admin

After a brief intermission, I AM BACK, with a wonderful interview with Marian Churchland.  You may have noticed her work in Elephantmen or Northlanders.  You could also just recognize the name from the awesome blog she has, hchom.  She is wonderful to speak with and one of my personal favorite artists.  We talked about everything from skipping classes to draw to future goals and aspirations (and a little bit of Skyrim as well).  I hope you all enjoy this wonderful interview with Marian and check out her blog (and be prepared to spend hours reading every detail).

-Eastyn

So my first question would be is there anything in particular that inspired you to start drawing/consider using your artistic talent for a career?

I guess I started drawing when people started giving me crayons – I suspect it was an easy way for an introverted kid to avoid attention and be left alone. I had various parents and teachers telling me I was going to be a “famous artist” (har har) long before I was capable of considering it as a career, so naturally I had to rebel against them when I hit my teenage years. I ended up studying English rather than going to art school, and in retrospect I’m glad it turned out that way, though I skipped a lot of classes to stay home and draw.

I can’t actually remember when I finally caved in and decided to make it a career. It still feels like something I’m skipping classes for.

 

Were there any specific comics or artists you found helped to inspire you and develop your style?

Most of my favourite artists (as a teenager) were videogame artists. I had really limited access to comics – I owned a few issues of X-men (Joe Madureira and the Kubert brothers were doing the pencils, back then), but I had a lot of trouble getting my hands on new issues. More often I’d flip through Gamefan Magazine (a great videogame magazine from the 90′s), and see stuff by Bengus, or Yoshitaka Amano, or Akihiko Yoshida, etc. That was my main source of inspiration, at that age, and the one that still resonates the most.

 

What steps did you take to start getting your work published once you decided to go down that road? Did you frequent conventions, send in portfolios? And did you ever try to do something like concept/character art for video games?

Hrmm. I guess I decided that I wanted to draw a graphic novel, and I just naively assumed that once it was done, I could send it in to publishers until I found one that would take it. I never did the conventions/portfolio thing. At that point, I didn’t know anybody in the comics industry, but within several months I met Brandon and Justin Norman (Moritat) and others, which was lucky timing. Even knowing people, getting a book published was far from straightforward, but I was probably spared a large share of uncertainty and disregard.

I showed finished sections of Beast around for about a year, and Image took it after I’d drawn three issues of Elephantmen (which was a job I got via Justin).

 

How did the process go for getting you into Elephantmen and Northlanders? Those are huge names. Was it a “Hey, guys. This girl’s art is awesome she will be drawing for us now.” Or did you still have to go through everything but you just had somebody’s name backing you?

My getting the Elephantmen job was entirely Justin’s doing. He was the artist on the series, and he convinced Richard Starkings to hire me for an 8-page backup, which was eventually upgraded to three issues. Richard was also extremely supportive in propounding me to Image, and once they took Beast, other opportunities followed – the Madame Xanadu and Northlanders issues.

I’m probably not the best example! I’ve taken a relatively passive role in my career (at least from a networking standpoint) mainly wanting to be left alone to do my own thing, and I’ve been lucky to have outstanding friends in positions to land me work.

 

That’s still awesome that you have had those opportunities.   I saw on your blog that you offer up “Packages.”  What else do you do with art between working on the bigger stuffs?

Hchom posts constitute most of my in-between work. I angst so much over the details of the bigger stuff – does this belong here, should I remove that, etc. – and having an outlet that’s less controlled and self-conscious helps keep me sane. I can draw the same loaf of bread seventeen times in a row, and it might not have any artistic merit, but piss if I care, because I’m just doing it to please myself!

And the big projects do take me a really long time, so the blog has some social importance as well. Left to my own devices I’m a complete hermit, so getting comments from a variety of awesome people who also like art, or videogames or tasty loaves of bread is probably good for my sanity as well.

 

Anything you would like to do in the future?  Big goal plans for your artwork?

Really my hope for the future is to be able to focus entirely on my own books, simple as that is. Staying at home and drawing (and having people pay me to do that) is already a fantastic scam, but I find that I have trouble juggling the side jobs with the longer projects I’m really passionate about. I’m not a creative multitasker.

Sometimes I think about what it would be like if I hunkered down, and worked on one thing – people would find me later, a skeleton at the bottom of a dungeon, surrounded by paper (pardon me, I’ve been playing Skyrim). My point is, if I could do that without starving to death, and somewhere that didn’t have giant rats, then life would be roses.

And big goals for the work, of course, but I’ve never been any good at talking about that stuff anywhere other than in the work itself.

 

What is some advice you could give to some aspiring artists?  Or advice you received from somebody that you really took to heart?

I was once complaining to my friend Sachiko Murakami, who is a poet, about some comics-related social terrors, or something I didn’t want to do, and she told me that I should view it as serving the work. I thought that was nicely put (well she is a poet, after all), so I often remind myself, now, to serve the work – that it’s not actually about me.

So if I had to give broad advice, it would be to put the work first. For me that means dialing back my panic about external pressures, emails, deadlines, publishers (whether you have one or not), etc. And it also means trying to disentangle my various anxieties (whatever they happen to be, that day) from the work, so that I can actually sit down and get on with it. (Not that I’m any good at either of these things, mind you, which is why I think it’s such good advice.)

[End Interview]

Thanks again to Marian for the interview you can check out a link to her blog below

Interview With Ray Friesen

by admin

Ray Friesen is the writer and illustrator of the comic compilation Pirate Penguin vs. Ninja Chicken currently being published by Top Shelf Productions. Ray is one of the funniest and open comic creators I have ever met. I spoke to him briefly at APE previous to this interview and in just a few minutes I felt we had been friends for a while. It’s this kind of attitude that had made Pirate Penguin vs. Ninja Chicken such a success among kids and adults.Pirate Penguin vs. Ninja Chicken is about well…a penguin who is a pirate and a chicken who is a ninja, it’s a love hate realtionship between the two hence the title of the book “Troublems with Frenemies”. I asked Ray about the openness he shares with his fans as well as where his ideas for this book first came about. I hope you enjoy the interview

 

Pirate Penguin vs. Ninja Chicken is one of the most creative all ages comics out in comics today. How did you first develop the idea for this completely wild project?

First of all, you said it, not me,I’ve been drawing penguins since forever; they’re my favorite creatures. I had a fairly normal penguiny penguin named Mellville, and he was always getting confused for other penguins. ‘Chilly Willy! Happy Feet! Madagascar!” people would say at me, so I began wondering at ways to make a penguin that was more distinctive. Simultaneously, I drew a book called Yarg! in which the major villains were Pirates. They were far more interesting to write than the quote unquote hero character, and had a lot more storytelling capabilities, it seemed to me. Jerks are funnier!

Simultaneously, I had been spending a while trying to get a comic strip into Nickelodeon Magazine. The editor Chris Duffy liked my work, but it wasn’t right for the magazine. He gave me some very good advice: “You’ve got 80 billion characters, with complex storylines. Can you write something with like, one or two people in it?” and my brain went BOOM! Pirate Penguin. I then figured he needed a friend to argue with, so a Ninja Chicken happened.

 

What process did you go through to get PP Vs. NC picked up by Top Shelf Productions?

Chris Duffy said he really liked PPvsNC, and I did a little dance, and then Nickelodeon Magazine was shut down. It was a strange roller coaster week. So I sat on the characters for a bit, started putting them on my website, and then I saw Top Shelf was publishing several collections of cartoons formerly of Nick Mag. I sent them a package, explained what was going on, and the next day, Chris Staros (are all my editors named Chris?) wrote me an email saying I was really funny and we should make some books. Books! I had been hoping for Book. It was surprisingly easy!

 

Did you use a traditional pitch when pitching to Top Shelf (high concept, sequential art, outline)?

I just sent them some of the comics I had already create, about a half dozen two pagers. They wanted to know if I could write a longer story to anchor the shorter ones, so I wrote a script. Since my characters do a lot of talking, that suited me fine. I had to punch up the adventure and plot a bit more, which I hadn’t done with these characters, but felt confident about from some of my other books.

 

What made you want to begin working with the all ages genre in general? 

I like all forms of comedy, but the best kind always appeals to adults, and kids. If done right, they’re just better, more jokes per square inch than the next leading brand. Think classic Looney Tunes, there are different tiers of laughs (which also means the kids can rewatch it when they’re older, and laugh at entirely different things!) I love the immediate reaction I get from kids, they laugh uproariously. Whenever I do a school visit, I get to be rockstar!

 

The relationship between pirate penguin and ninja chicken is something between Tom and Jerry and Spy vs Spy, a love hate kind of thing, was it always your intention to create this kind of rivalry between the two?

It’s definitely an Odd Couple kind of thing. When it started, the plan was to be much more spy vs. spy antagonism, but it mutated. I think I’m best writing comedy arguments for some reason, talking in addition to the sword fights. They kind of have a brotherly level of antagonism. They’ll punch each other, but then go out for ice cream. I just felt I had more storytelling possibilities, although that was probably a subconscious thing. I like Tom and Jerry, but they do tend to repeat themselves sometimes.

 

You manage to create a sense of competition between pirate penguin and ninja chicken, but keep it wholesome and generally silly to suit a younger audience, how did you find this great in-between spot of not to serious competition. 

I didn’t have to look too hard; I think it just comes naturally. Most writers find a sweet spot between writing what they know, and a writing challenge. I tried writing something completely different lately, and it didn’t work out all that great, because I was forcing myself to be something I wasn’t. Pirates who are also penguins are the sort of thing I’m good at, I’m gonna stick with them! Plus do a bunch of other things; I always like variety, even if I only write 3 basic personality types (The crazy one, the cranky one, and the responsible one.)

As an all ages creator you have made yourself completely open to the public, on your site (http://www.donteatanybugs.net) you have contact methods and personal responses everywhere. Have you found this attitude of openness and being a generally fun guy better for you as an all ages creator?

I live in a tiny cave full of art supplies, so I have to be real open to the public so I can have some social interaction! Seriously, I love hearing from fans, and I want them to contact me any way possible! And reversing that process, I’ve met a wide variety of cartoonists I admire, some are open and fun, some aren’t. I like the former much better! You always want the story of how you met the author you like to be a good one.

 

 As an artist do you ever consider working with a writer to collaborate on projects, if so what would be the best way for a writer to present you with a project in your opinion?

I’ve definitely considered it, and tried it a couple times! It hasn’t worked out all that great… I think I would do better writing something somebody else would draw, rather than me drawing something somebody else writes, I keep wanting to change things. There’s no specific way to approach me about anything, just email me ala paragraph seven!

 

What next for Pirate Penguin Vs. Ninja Chicken?

I’m working on Book Two for Top Shelf, and I think it’s gonna be even epicker (epiculent?) than the first one. It’s tentatively titled ‘Escape From Skull Fragment Island’ and yes, it does have hot air balloons in it. I *may* temporarily retire Pirate Penguin from being the weekly web comic on my site in favor of a different thing, while I draw the book (there’s no such thing as too much Pirate Penguin, but… it’s twice the normal amount of Pirate Penguin for my drawing arm.

 

Any last minute advice for aspiring all age’s comic creators?

DRAW! Draw all the time! Draw the sort of things you like to draw, draw the things you hate to draw (so you get better at them, for me its technology. I keep writing stories with motorcycles in them, and I hate drawing motorcycles!). Start doing a comic, and keep it up. Practice makes you soooooo much better. Show it to friends, show it to enemies, post it online! Make copies and sell them, and then draw the next issue! Figure out what you’re best at, and then do it times a bajillion, and that’s how you become King of whatever it is.

 

[End Interview]

I want to thank Ray again for taking the time to answer some questions, if you haven’t checked out Ray’s site yet I highly recommend you do, there are regularly updated web comics that Ray has created for free!!!! You can check out Links below.

Interview With Ray Friesen

by admin

Ray Friesen is the writer and illustrator of the comic compilation Pirate Penguin vs. Ninja Chicken currently being published by Top Shelf Productions. Ray is one of the funniest and open comic creators I have ever met. I spoke to him briefly at APE previous to this interview and in just a few minutes I felt we had been friends for a while. It’s this kind of attitude that had made Pirate Penguin vs. Ninja Chicken such a success among kids and adults.Pirate Penguin vs. Ninja Chicken is about well…a penguin who is a pirate and a chicken who is a ninja, it’s a love hate realtionship between the two hence the title of the book “Troublems with Frenemies”. I asked Ray about the openness he shares with his fans as well as where his ideas for this book first came about. I hope you enjoy the interview

 

Pirate Penguin vs. Ninja Chicken is one of the most creative all ages comics out in comics today. How did you first develop the idea for this completely wild project?

First of all, you said it, not me,I’ve been drawing penguins since forever; they’re my favorite creatures. I had a fairly normal penguiny penguin named Mellville, and he was always getting confused for other penguins. ‘Chilly Willy! Happy Feet! Madagascar!” people would say at me, so I began wondering at ways to make a penguin that was more distinctive. Simultaneously, I drew a book called Yarg! in which the major villains were Pirates. They were far more interesting to write than the quote unquote hero character, and had a lot more storytelling capabilities, it seemed to me. Jerks are funnier!

Simultaneously, I had been spending a while trying to get a comic strip into Nickelodeon Magazine. The editor Chris Duffy liked my work, but it wasn’t right for the magazine. He gave me some very good advice: “You’ve got 80 billion characters, with complex storylines. Can you write something with like, one or two people in it?” and my brain went BOOM! Pirate Penguin. I then figured he needed a friend to argue with, so a Ninja Chicken happened.

 

What process did you go through to get PP Vs. NC picked up by Top Shelf Productions?

Chris Duffy said he really liked PPvsNC, and I did a little dance, and then Nickelodeon Magazine was shut down. It was a strange roller coaster week. So I sat on the characters for a bit, started putting them on my website, and then I saw Top Shelf was publishing several collections of cartoons formerly of Nick Mag. I sent them a package, explained what was going on, and the next day, Chris Staros (are all my editors named Chris?) wrote me an email saying I was really funny and we should make some books. Books! I had been hoping for Book. It was surprisingly easy!

 

Did you use a traditional pitch when pitching to Top Shelf (high concept, sequential art, outline)?

I just sent them some of the comics I had already create, about a half dozen two pagers. They wanted to know if I could write a longer story to anchor the shorter ones, so I wrote a script. Since my characters do a lot of talking, that suited me fine. I had to punch up the adventure and plot a bit more, which I hadn’t done with these characters, but felt confident about from some of my other books.

 

What made you want to begin working with the all ages genre in general? 

I like all forms of comedy, but the best kind always appeals to adults, and kids. If done right, they’re just better, more jokes per square inch than the next leading brand. Think classic Looney Tunes, there are different tiers of laughs (which also means the kids can rewatch it when they’re older, and laugh at entirely different things!) I love the immediate reaction I get from kids, they laugh uproariously. Whenever I do a school visit, I get to be rockstar!

 

The relationship between pirate penguin and ninja chicken is something between Tom and Jerry and Spy vs Spy, a love hate kind of thing, was it always your intention to create this kind of rivalry between the two?

It’s definitely an Odd Couple kind of thing. When it started, the plan was to be much more spy vs. spy antagonism, but it mutated. I think I’m best writing comedy arguments for some reason, talking in addition to the sword fights. They kind of have a brotherly level of antagonism. They’ll punch each other, but then go out for ice cream. I just felt I had more storytelling possibilities, although that was probably a subconscious thing. I like Tom and Jerry, but they do tend to repeat themselves sometimes.

 

You manage to create a sense of competition between pirate penguin and ninja chicken, but keep it wholesome and generally silly to suit a younger audience, how did you find this great in-between spot of not to serious competition. 

I didn’t have to look too hard; I think it just comes naturally. Most writers find a sweet spot between writing what they know, and a writing challenge. I tried writing something completely different lately, and it didn’t work out all that great, because I was forcing myself to be something I wasn’t. Pirates who are also penguins are the sort of thing I’m good at, I’m gonna stick with them! Plus do a bunch of other things; I always like variety, even if I only write 3 basic personality types (The crazy one, the cranky one, and the responsible one.)

As an all ages creator you have made yourself completely open to the public, on your site (http://www.donteatanybugs.net) you have contact methods and personal responses everywhere. Have you found this attitude of openness and being a generally fun guy better for you as an all ages creator?

I live in a tiny cave full of art supplies, so I have to be real open to the public so I can have some social interaction! Seriously, I love hearing from fans, and I want them to contact me any way possible! And reversing that process, I’ve met a wide variety of cartoonists I admire, some are open and fun, some aren’t. I like the former much better! You always want the story of how you met the author you like to be a good one.

 

 As an artist do you ever consider working with a writer to collaborate on projects, if so what would be the best way for a writer to present you with a project in your opinion?

I’ve definitely considered it, and tried it a couple times! It hasn’t worked out all that great… I think I would do better writing something somebody else would draw, rather than me drawing something somebody else writes, I keep wanting to change things. There’s no specific way to approach me about anything, just email me ala paragraph seven!

 

What next for Pirate Penguin Vs. Ninja Chicken?

I’m working on Book Two for Top Shelf, and I think it’s gonna be even epicker (epiculent?) than the first one. It’s tentatively titled ‘Escape From Skull Fragment Island’ and yes, it does have hot air balloons in it. I *may* temporarily retire Pirate Penguin from being the weekly web comic on my site in favor of a different thing, while I draw the book (there’s no such thing as too much Pirate Penguin, but… it’s twice the normal amount of Pirate Penguin for my drawing arm.

 

Any last minute advice for aspiring all age’s comic creators?

DRAW! Draw all the time! Draw the sort of things you like to draw, draw the things you hate to draw (so you get better at them, for me its technology. I keep writing stories with motorcycles in them, and I hate drawing motorcycles!). Start doing a comic, and keep it up. Practice makes you soooooo much better. Show it to friends, show it to enemies, post it online! Make copies and sell them, and then draw the next issue! Figure out what you’re best at, and then do it times a bajillion, and that’s how you become King of whatever it is.

 

[End Interview]

I want to thank Ray again for taking the time to answer some questions, if you haven’t checked out Ray’s site yet I highly recommend you do, there are regularly updated web comics that Ray has created for free!!!! You can check out Links below.

Comic Writer Nolan T Jones Talks ‘Colonial Souls’ & Boring Manga That Is Actually Pretty Exciting [AUDIO]

by admin

We first met Nolan T Jones after he contacted us to write a little piece on “The Legend of Luther Strode.” Nolan wasn’t necessarily attached to the book in terms of art or writing he was actually just out there marketing the book.

Marketing in comics has, strictly speaking, been reserved for The Big Two as they send teaser pages to a handful of major comic publications online. Marketing and comics still to this day have a rocky relationship. There were at least a dozen different books announced at San Diego Comic Con this year that I still haven’t heard anything on since. No teasers or press releases, like they dropped right off the face of the Earth.

Nolan is looking to work around this problem by reaching out and contacting sites big and small to write, post, and talk about new projects. Nolan isn’t only marketing though, he also writes a wonderful independent book “Colonial Souls,” which is now on its first issue.

We caught up with Nolan via the wonders of the Internet to talk about his many comic projects, why manga about baseball isn’t boring, and — although we would never admit it – our borderline obsession with Brandon Graham.