Category: Writer Interviews

The Creators Of Battle Creek, NE Talk Space Solos And Comics On The Web

by admin

In the spirit of honesty, I have to say that webcomics typically don’t really do it for me. Being a lifelong lover of comics, the introduction of self-published, Manga Studio-centric webcomics made me uneasy to say the very least. It’s the ol’ double-edged sword: on one hand, the web made publishing comics accessible to everyone. On the other hand however, the web made publishing comics accessible to everyone, literally everyone, or at least what feels like everyone.

 Everyone I know is working on a web comic (myself included). The market is oversaturated and more often than not, the comics aren’t totally awesome. It’s for these reasons and more that Battle Creek, NEwas such a pleasure for me to read.

Created by writer Mike Steele (great name) and artist Julia Philip (less great, but only because you can’t trust someone with two first names), Battle Creek, NE is young but promising regularly updated web comic. I won’t give too much away because you can head over to BattleCreekNEComic.com right now and check it out for yourself, but I can tell you that an intergalactic battle of the bands may be involved.

It’s great stuff (this Geeks of Doom review written by a staggeringly handsome young journalist says as much), which is why speaking with the comic’s creators was such a blast. I caught up with Steele and Philip to speak about the finer points of web comics and getting noticed in the brutal world of digital publishing.

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Why did you decide to put out Battle Creek, NE as a web comic instead of pitching it to publishers?

Julia: I personally read more online comics than I read comics I buy. I also think that doing it as an online comic we can more easily build a fanbase, and maybe then consider selling it, knowing we’ll have people buying it.

Mike: The idea of pitching the idea to a publisher never even crossed my mind. Maybe it’s just me not knowing how I could even start a process like that, but in my head, this was always gonna be a web comic, down to the way we structure the pages and everything. (if you were to put all the pages in a regular 24 page comic type format, I would imagine people would notice the gaps in time that sometimes pop up between pages).

How did you and Julia start working together on this comic?

Mike: Julia was dating someone that was a regular listener of my weekly podcast (jim and them) and so she started listening to it as well. We eventually became friends on Facebook and I had complimented her on her art in the past, even asking her to do some art for the show a few times. She eventually asked me if I’d ever be interested in doing a comic with her at all. I was thrilled when she asked because I’ve always enjoyed writing, comics, and web comics but never had the art chops to do anything about it. I pitched her the idea I’d had for a while that became Battle Creek, NE (at the time I just called it The Battle of the Bands) and it kind of went from there.

Because there are so many web comics online, it is often hard for creators to get noticed. How are you making sure that Battle Creek, NE gets out there and gets noticed?

Julia: I mostly make posts about it on my Deviantart and Tumblr etc. and hope that people will notice it.

Mike: It helps that we both had existing audiences from the get go because of her presence on Deviantart and the existing listeners of my weekly podcast. Having had a bit of a built in audience from the get-go made spreading it around social networks like Facebook and Twitter a lot easier. I’ve also made sure to get us on a few of the more popular web comic portal websites (Comic fury and Smack Jeeves), which has done a good job of giving complete strangers a place to find our comic who would be unlikely to stumble across our website. Everything else I’m sort of just winging it on: Requesting reviews online, befriending other artists online and most importantly continuing to update the comic on a regular basis.

Mike, you’ve focused heavily on character development in this comic. Why is this so important to you, especially in the medium of web comics, where characters are often neglected?

Mike: Well, you pretty much said it yourself right there. I think there is a bit of a web comic renaissance going on these days, where you can find professional quality stories and art in web comics, and I wanted to be a part of that. You can close your eyes and randomly type a word into google and find a 3-4 panel gaming comic, and don’t get me started on how annoyed I am the amounts of garbage rage comics there are flooding the web, but you have to try a heck of a lot harder to find someone telling a good story. On top of that though, it’s just always been the way I wanted to write. Whether it’s short stories, message board RP’s, D&D or whatever, I’ve always enjoyed the character creation and interaction part of writing. Since I have no formal training in writing, outside of what I learned in high school, I don’t think I’m great at it just yet, but it’s nice to know a LITTLE bit of what I’m trying to do with these characters is coming through.

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Julia, how did you come up with the designs for the various alien species in this comic?

Julia: I try to just do whatever comes to my mind. I know that Mike and I both kinda agreed on that we didn’t wanna go too crazy with the alien designs, keep them mostly humanoid. Mike wanted to have the characters of them shine through rather than just having them be interesting because of how they looked. I like keeping the designs pretty simple. Just including features to a basic humanoid idea or a funky skin-colour is usually enough. I know Mike’s only concern was that we make sure they don’t stray too far into the realm of “Fantasy” looking characters, but I think we’ve done good at avoiding that so far.

How do you guys work as a team? Julia, do you prefer Mike write out direction in detail or leave room for you to stretch artistically?

Julia: I like it when he describes the things with a lot of detail, as much as he can give me. I hate making mistakes because I might have misunderstood something. Usually I handle more of the environment based direction myself though, since as a writer there is really only so much you can say to convey the blocking of how a page is set up. I know Mike always says he feels like I can read his mind though, because so far he says stuff tends to look exactly how he pictured it. I also love pages that have very little dialogue, it leaves more room for me to do more fun things with the characters.

Mike: For the most part we use Skype, Livestream and Facebook. I won’t lie and say its exactly like being in the same room, but as far as the fact that I live in Las Vegas, NV and she lives in Sweden, I feel like we have a nice utility belt of tools that that allow us to work on stuff together in a way that definitely doesn’t feel like were on opposite sides of the planet. When we can hop on Skype and she can stream her Photoshop on Livestream for me in real time, it becomes pretty easy to work on laying out pages and designing characters together with nothing lost in our distance from each other.

Mike, how do you usually write your scripts? Similar to the way traditional comics are written or different for Web?

Mike: I basically write them like a mix between a short story outline and a screenplay. I break out out dialogue and directions of characters, facial expressions, their more subtle feelings, and position of the characters when its important. When I feel like that stuff should be more organic though, I’ve found that Julia is very good at taking a little bit and filling in the holes the way she see’s fit in a way that I’m always okay with. Julia is excellent with body blocking, facial expressions and expressing emotion in the ways she draws our characters, so sometimes it can be a strength to let me leave that stuff to her.

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Any advice for aspiring comic creators?

Julia: Try and keep moving on. Your first comic pages will always look terrible, so don’t go backwards and try drawing the first ten pages over and over, you won’t get anywhere. Try and push yourself to do things you’ve never done before, and don’t avoid drawing the backgrounds (people always ignore backgrounds!) Your readers can easily lose track of where the characters are.

Mike: Don’t kill yourself over the small stuff. Take your idea, break it down into a few broad pieces and just go with it. You’re always gonna end up wishing you did something different (I can’t count the amount of things I think are awful in some of our early pages that I’m sure no one EVER noticed) but the more you put put there, the more you’re gonna just naturally get better and feel more comfortable doing. Also, don’t be afraid to try something different. There is no better feeling of satisfaction, than to be told that you’re doing something creative and unique.

James Asmus & Jim Festante On Hell, Heaven And ‘The End Times Of Bram & Ben’

by admin

Sometimes, being a weekly comic reader can get a little heavy. Currently, with the exception of books like Skullkickers and The Goon (which in itself has gotten pretty dark), the best comics on shelves right now are extraordinarily dark or offer some type metaphysical commentary on the human condition that leave us, the readers, feeling very Kafkaesque. That is to say, most comics right now are kind of a bummer.

The End Times of Bram & Ben might just be what is needed to help shake off our collective 2013 existential comic crisis. Created by veteran comic writer James Asmus and actor/writer Jim Festante, The End Times… is a breath of light-weight comedic fresh air that couldn’t come soon enough.

The Rapture has come, and 20 somethings Bram and Ben were not among the lucky few to ascend to heaven. This of course, has left them dealing with life after the end times, which sometimes is a drag, but most of the time its business as usual. The mini series’ third issue drops on March 13, 2013 and will mark the second to last issue in this four part series.

Jim and James are two writers with an infinite love of comics. I caught up with the duo, who shared some insight into exploring uncomfortable territory like religion and working together as a comedic writing team.

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First off, how did you guys end up working with each other and eventually Image Comics?

JIM: James and I met through a mutual friend in comedy while doing improv in Las Vegas and LA. We discovered a shared love of End Times stories and began collaborating on a web series that eventually became END TIMES. We originally sought to publish the first book ourselves, using Kickstarter to raise funds for an artist and printing, but were extremely fortunate to have interest in the book from Image.

Jim, you have a long resume as a host, actor and writer for television and the stage. Why comics?

JIM: I’ve written a lot of scripts for TV and web projects, but was always interested in comic books. Ultimately, the freedom to do whatever you want is a huge draw — an angel/demon fight that ends in an apartment building collapsing like something out of Rampage would require a budget. A very large budget. Also, it’s such a collaborative endeavor, since you have an artist interpreting your script to realize your world. My comedy training is based in improv so I’ve always believed that a give-and-take between several creative people can lead to something really amazing and unique — Rem Broo’s art for END TIMES, I think, proves that.

James, you’ve written on Dark X-Men and Gambit, how did you first get started in comics?

JAMES: I had been working as a playwright in Chicago, and once we took a crazy little show I wrote to the New York Fringe Theatre festival. I knew a few folks working at Marvel and invited them to see the show, just hoping I could geek out with them. Soon after, though, they offered me the chance to write a short comic for an X-Men anthology book. I guess they were happy with the results, and continued hiring me from there! I know it’s not the most helpful breaking-in story on the surface, but I think it still highlights what you need – the dedication to actually create work, initiative, and your own voice.

The End Times of Bram & Ben is written in such a way where religion, specifically, isn’t mocked for no reason. Why was it important to write this comic without falling into easy territory of poking fun at something that is arguably easy to poke fun at?

JAMES: To me, the whole benefit of exploring uncomfortable questions through a fictional narrative is that they (can) become wrapped in a coating that makes them easier and more appealing to engage in. The truth is, I want as many people to engage in this story, and the ideas lurking within it, as possible. The hope is, our different characters reflect different ideas – and the conflicts between them raise the questions that we find most compelling. Every character is going to have their blind-spots and foibles called out, but that (in my opinion) is when satire is at its best. If your lead character is just a cipher for your opinion, and he’s always right, then you’re just a bully. And not only is that not funny, but if you really did want get someone to consider a new idea – too bad, they stopped listening to you the minute you were kicking sand in their face. Besides, our beliefs in the unknowable Truth of Existence are so personal, that if I made a story about what I actually believed, very few people would agree with it. Instead, we can poke at the kinds of questions we think are important (and too often not asked), and it engages and has value to many, many more people. The sex jokes help with that, too.

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Jim, as a newer comic writer, what things surprised or were tough for you when it came to writing a script?

JIM: The pauses! I love pauses, beats and silent reactions between characters, but you’ve just given up a panel of limited space to do so, so it better count. Also, learning how to structure your book properly, like setting up a page turn or landing on a good cliffhanger to keep the readers’ interest piqued. The arc of a mini-series is different than the arc of a TV show, so learning how to adjust your storytelling can be frustrating learning experience. Fortunately, I had James’ expertise to lean on and learn from. If you’re not reading his other books, you’re missing out — the guy is a fantastic storyteller!

James, both you and Jim are comedians, how did you get jokes into The End Times… that you were both happy with, but spoke uniquely to your own voices?

JAMES: I actually think there’s a very big overlap in our senses of humor. And the nature of improv is that you work to find the combination of your brains — not just trade off from one POV to the other. In the end, we both just kept flinging jokes until something genuinely made us both laugh.

JIM: We have a similar sense of humor, which lead to us wanting to work together. Writing the book was a blast — basically, whatever made the other person crack up was a good indication we were going in the right direction. It’s like getting an instant second- or third-pass on your writing, a constant punch-up for your jokes so they land strongly and clearly.

Any advice for aspiring comic creators who would like to put our their own creator-owned work?

JAMES: Especially when you’re starting out — make the thing you love, not the thing that you think will ‘sell.’ The truth is, your passion and idiosyncratic choices will be far more compelling to people than your thinly veiled Batman fan fiction. And by creating something no one would have, you define yourself so much more clearly. Especially early on, you’re better served by a smaller passionate audience than a larger, ambivalent one. Also — don’t underestimate putting your work online. Web comics, PDF sales on your site, or digital comics vendors are all great ways to get your work out and in many cases those get bigger audiences than a lot of stuff published and solicited to shops.

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If someone hasn’t read The End Times… why should they start reading it now?

JIM: It’s a unique book and I’m so grateful that there was a publisher out there like Image willing to take a chance on it. I think it’s the kind of book you can read a second or even third time and get more from beyond your initial reading. So… you get your money’s worth? That’s a very grown-up reason! You can feel good knowing you’ve helped support independent comics and your parents can feel good knowing they raised a conscientiousness consumer.

Interview With The Creators Of Indie Comic Rapture Burgers

by admin

A few months ago Matt and I made our way to an event that essentially worked as speed dating but for artists and writers of comics.  There we met Chris, Adam, and Mimi.  Chris and Adam were the creative minds behind the Rapture Burgers comic and were desperately looking for somebody to put a face to their characters and world.  After reviewing their first two issues, I had to interview them.  Thanks again to Chris, Adam and Mimi for dealing with my technical difficulties!

So all three if you met at the [Creators] Conference?  How was that experience for all of you?

Adam: Well Chris and I knew eachother before that, but yes, we met Mimi at the creator conference.

Chris: Right, we did meet there. Our goal, from the outset, was to find someone to replace my sister, who was our original artist. It was an interesting event, which is that is was basically speed dating for an artist.

Mimi, how did you enjoy the conference, as an artist?

Mimi: When I explain it to people I use the term “speed dating” as well.  I thought it was a really great experience.  I got to see a bunch of other artist and what was out there in addition to getting actual work.  It was an awesome way to well… get commissions.  I wouldn’t have met Chris and Adam with out it.

So, how did they go about asking you to be their artist? Did they have to woo you a bit?

Mimi: Not really.  Their project seemed fun and my art style was close enough to what they were looking for.

Adam: I did wink at her pretty suggestively. I don’t think that’s what did it, though.

Chris: We were talking about whether or not we wanted to go forward with things, because Mimi sketched out Camille on the spot, which was totally cool. I think my words were, “…If we can afford you.”

How did the money negotiations go?

Chris: I think money negotiations went pretty well. I offered what I thought was “right” basically on the spot.  We followed up with some emails and talk about schedule of pages per week. Typical stuff, I imagine.

Sounds like that the Creators thing worked out wonderfully for all three of you.  So you have two issues out, what are your long term plans for RB?

Chris: Really, when we started, it was planned to be a typical, weekly webcomic that had a punchline at the end of each page/strip, but over the years that it took to get anything actually produced, we evolved into a full-fleshed story that we wanted to pitch to publishers.

WHY is it no longer a weekly webcomic?

Mimi: I know Chris as a specific answer for this, because I’ve asked the same thing.

Chris: Well, like I said, it started that way. I suppose it veered away from being a 4-panel strip into full pages. Back then, it was less of a story and more of a general premise that was going to be exploited for laughs, then eventually get some kind of continuity.

Adam: A lot of the first chapter was original written in this webcomic format. A few jokes survived from that period.

Chris: But, as we continued to work with it and evolved, I guess I got the “I want to publish this” bug and really pushed for full pages and a continuing story.

How has it been working with each other for writing, and Mimi, How is it drawing something that is not your story/vision?

Adam: It’s pretty easy as far as colaborations go. We have complimenting strengths when it comes to storytelling. He has the big ideas and the clear vision, and I provide the specific words for them.

Chris: And also, he’s a much better techical writer than I am, and usually adds the funny to my jokes.

Mimi: These two are actually very liberating to work with as far as most commissioners go.

Why so?

Mimi: I mean, I can do almost anything I want with the background enviornment and character, and even add some sight gags.

Adam: Mimi has contributed quite a few of my favorite sight gags.

Mimi: They give me a script and then I can just have fun with it.  Of course some times there are a few issues, like some character’s hair needs to be different, or Camille looks a little too angry in this picture and I fix it.  I’m glad when I get those notes, because I want these pages to be what they want.

Chris: That’s actually one of the things we wanted/encourage. My sister wasn’t very uhh…obedient? Is that a good word? We’d call something out in the script and she’d just do whatever she wanted instead, and it was usually funny.

Adam: Ha ha ha. Obedient  is not a good word, and I hope she doesn’t read it.

Mimi: Hmm, this is to imply that I am.

You guys all recently met, and started working together, and it appears to be going well for everybody with a solid plan in the future.  What do you think is the most important factor to keep that positive feel good feeling going?

Adam: Company retreat, maybe? I’m thinking Disneyland. But for real, I love that we each have our ideas, and everyone gets an input into the comic. Our various senses of humor have gelled into a project I’m pretty proud of.

Chris: Yeah, I agree with Adam. I think we have good communication and rapport these days. I trust Mimi to meet the deadline or let me know if there’s going to be a delay, and we know what to expect from her art.

Mimi: I think just making sure we all understand what is going on and being communicative.  This is the best job ever.

[End Interview]

Interview With The Creators Of Indie Comic Rapture Burgers

by admin

A few months ago Matt and I made our way to an event that essentially worked as speed dating but for artists and writers of comics.  There we met Chris, Adam, and Mimi.  Chris and Adam were the creative minds behind the Rapture Burgers comic and were desperately looking for somebody to put a face to their characters and world.  After reviewing their first two issues, I had to interview them.  Thanks again to Chris, Adam and Mimi for dealing with my technical difficulties!

So all three if you met at the [Creators] Conference?  How was that experience for all of you?

Adam: Well Chris and I knew eachother before that, but yes, we met Mimi at the creator conference.

Chris: Right, we did meet there. Our goal, from the outset, was to find someone to replace my sister, who was our original artist. It was an interesting event, which is that is was basically speed dating for an artist.

Mimi, how did you enjoy the conference, as an artist?

Mimi: When I explain it to people I use the term “speed dating” as well.  I thought it was a really great experience.  I got to see a bunch of other artist and what was out there in addition to getting actual work.  It was an awesome way to well… get commissions.  I wouldn’t have met Chris and Adam with out it.

So, how did they go about asking you to be their artist? Did they have to woo you a bit?

Mimi: Not really.  Their project seemed fun and my art style was close enough to what they were looking for.

Adam: I did wink at her pretty suggestively. I don’t think that’s what did it, though.

Chris: We were talking about whether or not we wanted to go forward with things, because Mimi sketched out Camille on the spot, which was totally cool. I think my words were, “…If we can afford you.”

How did the money negotiations go?

Chris: I think money negotiations went pretty well. I offered what I thought was “right” basically on the spot.  We followed up with some emails and talk about schedule of pages per week. Typical stuff, I imagine.

Sounds like that the Creators thing worked out wonderfully for all three of you.  So you have two issues out, what are your long term plans for RB?

Chris: Really, when we started, it was planned to be a typical, weekly webcomic that had a punchline at the end of each page/strip, but over the years that it took to get anything actually produced, we evolved into a full-fleshed story that we wanted to pitch to publishers.

WHY is it no longer a weekly webcomic?

Mimi: I know Chris as a specific answer for this, because I’ve asked the same thing.

Chris: Well, like I said, it started that way. I suppose it veered away from being a 4-panel strip into full pages. Back then, it was less of a story and more of a general premise that was going to be exploited for laughs, then eventually get some kind of continuity.

Adam: A lot of the first chapter was original written in this webcomic format. A few jokes survived from that period.

Chris: But, as we continued to work with it and evolved, I guess I got the “I want to publish this” bug and really pushed for full pages and a continuing story.

How has it been working with each other for writing, and Mimi, How is it drawing something that is not your story/vision?

Adam: It’s pretty easy as far as colaborations go. We have complimenting strengths when it comes to storytelling. He has the big ideas and the clear vision, and I provide the specific words for them.

Chris: And also, he’s a much better techical writer than I am, and usually adds the funny to my jokes.

Mimi: These two are actually very liberating to work with as far as most commissioners go.

Why so?

Mimi: I mean, I can do almost anything I want with the background enviornment and character, and even add some sight gags.

Adam: Mimi has contributed quite a few of my favorite sight gags.

Mimi: They give me a script and then I can just have fun with it.  Of course some times there are a few issues, like some character’s hair needs to be different, or Camille looks a little too angry in this picture and I fix it.  I’m glad when I get those notes, because I want these pages to be what they want.

Chris: That’s actually one of the things we wanted/encourage. My sister wasn’t very uhh…obedient? Is that a good word? We’d call something out in the script and she’d just do whatever she wanted instead, and it was usually funny.

Adam: Ha ha ha. Obedient  is not a good word, and I hope she doesn’t read it.

Mimi: Hmm, this is to imply that I am.

You guys all recently met, and started working together, and it appears to be going well for everybody with a solid plan in the future.  What do you think is the most important factor to keep that positive feel good feeling going?

Adam: Company retreat, maybe? I’m thinking Disneyland. But for real, I love that we each have our ideas, and everyone gets an input into the comic. Our various senses of humor have gelled into a project I’m pretty proud of.

Chris: Yeah, I agree with Adam. I think we have good communication and rapport these days. I trust Mimi to meet the deadline or let me know if there’s going to be a delay, and we know what to expect from her art.

Mimi: I think just making sure we all understand what is going on and being communicative.  This is the best job ever.

Indie Comic Spotlight: Carpe Chaos

by admin

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This week we have a mammoth interview and spotlight event going on with the guys from the web comic Carpe Chaos. Those of you not familiar with Carpe Chaos here is a little synopsis from the crew…

Carpe Chaos is an independent science-fiction space-opera webcomic about five alien races who learn to travel between stars, and it focuses on the ways their cultures collide and how they work to solve their problems. Each story stands on its own, but because our stories follow their histories over several thousand years you can get a really wide perspective on their societies and personalities if you read through the archives.

When I first approached Carpe Chaos I literally had no clue what to think. But after reading through their work I was hooked. The amazing part about Carpe Chaos is the diversity and depth that they have managed to capture in this saga. Each writer,creator,and artist in this series has a defined concept of the scope and voice of not only every creature but every alien race.

Jason Bane is the editor, one of the writers and project leader. Eric essentially created the universe and is the second main writer. Anthony, Daniel, and Joeare all artists on the series and have contributed to different stories.

Today I wanted to feature a few pages from one of the Carpe Chaos story lines that I personally really enjoyed. It’s called Filter Dregs and, well it speaks for itself. So head over to the Carpe Chaos website and read the rest of Filter Dregs and also check out the rest of the series. Tomorrow we will be putting up an interview that we did with most of the Carpe Chaos team. Until then enjoy some free awesome web comic goodness, thanks again to the dudes at Carpe Chaos for sharing their great vision with us.

Interview With Brian Clevinger Writer and Creator Of Atomic Robo

by admin

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

by admin

 

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