Talking With Teller of Tales Bret Herholz

Extraordinary gentleman Bret M. Herholz is the writer and/or illustrator of roughly half a dozen excellent graphic novels from Alterna Comics. With influences as refreshingly diverse as Agatha Christie, Oscar Wilde, Charles Addams, and Edward Gorey, Bret's work is stunningly intelligent. And great fun to read.
Here he speaks with Richard Caldwell about Doctor Who, Sherlock Holmes, and ruining the minds of today's youth from the land of Wormtown.

Bret, are you a New Englander by fate, or by design?

By fate I suppose. Yes! Definitely by fate. Every Winter I seem to go through the same cycle. Why do I stay here? And then Spring and Summer roll around and I am reminded why. You don't get a Spring and Summer the way you do in New England.

Were you an avid comics reader in your youth, or did that come later, with your art training? What books and names first drew you into the medium?

I really got into comics around Jr. High School. I was enthralled by a friend's collection of comics. That really got me into it. I think the first comic I owned was a collected edition of THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS. That was probably my first proper comic I owned. I got that one and my brother got THE KILLING JOKE. I still own his copy of that. From there I really got into Batman, Spider-Man and X-Men. It was shortly after High School I started to get into Cerebus and then Strangers in Paradise. That was really my first introduction into indie comics.

And when did you first feel the need to embark on your thus far prolific career as a graphic novelist? Did that evolve from your teaching?

High School actually. I think I tried to create a graphic novel in High School. I was more enthralled with the format over the standard comic book. Especially since you could tell more of a story via a graphic novel. But I really didn't have the discipline to create one until I started teaching a friend Andy Fish invited me to do short stories for his anthology. Accomplishing a five to eight page story made me want to go from there which eventually lead to me doing DIARY OF THE BLACK WIDOW.

I know one of your stories began life as a playscript. Was it ever performed? I actually recall reading an interview with legendary comic book letterer Tom Orzechowski, where he suggested that new comic scribes should study stageplays in order to properly craft scenes. Do you find similarities in the structure, by your process?

Diary of the Black Widow was originally written as a performance piece. I had written to submit to First Night Worcester's Arty Gras. The idea was the actors would be made up to look like my characters (black and white attire with white face paint and black circles around the eyes) and the set designs would be my illustrations. At the end of the performance people would be allowed to get up and interact with the play as though they had stepped into my drawings.

The idea was rejected.

But both Diary of the Black Widow and Spaghetti Strand Murder borrowed quite a bit from unperformed plays I had written. I suppose I had all this dialogue and lines going to waste. Why not give it a rebirth in the printed form.
Writing a script for comics and a play are slightly similar with the way you describe the scenes and which characters are talking. But the structure of writing a graphic novel is somewhat different where you have to break your scenes down from page to page and panel to panel.

On which project did you feel like you had really found your voice, and were hitting your stride?

As far as things I have written I would say The Spaghetti Strand Murder. I suppose if I am to choose a favorite, that one might be it. Even though I don't like re-reading my own work because I'm bound to find what I could have done better.
I've always wanted to write sketch comedy and this is the closest I've come to that. It celebrates my love for the Goon Show, Monty Python and the Marx Brothers. I think I like the fact that some people misunderstood my intentions in writing the story and thought I was writing a proper murder mystery.
And if certain reviewers want to compare it to the movie Clue or criticize it because the story is all setup with no punch line then they are right. I wasn't writing a proper murder mystery. I was writing in the tradition of Monty Python. Which, by the way, is all set up and no punchline.

And I like the movie Clue.

And another movie I like which is all setup and no punchline is Murder By Death. By a very respected playwright by the name of Neil Simon for that matter.
I used a great deal of the characters and the jokes from a play I had written called Romance with a Croquet Mallet for that story. Most of the dialogue I think was some of the best stuff I have written thus far. I think what I enjoy about the graphic novel is the fact that some reviewers got it. And others just blew right over their heads. But I suppose whenever you put your work out there, you always risk the possibility of being IN THE LINE OF FIRE as far as REVIEWS are concerned.

Has it been easier for you to win over the naysayers face to face? You swing many a store signing, but I know you are also highly active in that wonderful local Arts scene up there in Worcester. Is it possible that cult followings generally tend to build around word of mouth publicity?

I think so. I think it helps people to meet the artist or writer and not only put a face behind the work. But it's more than that. It's building a good rapport and showing the people who read your work that you appreciate the fact that they are buying your work and that they show an enthusiasm towards your work. If you don't show an appreciation towards their kindness then why should they show an appreciation in return?

Talk a little about your teaching work, because I know that's a huge part of your life. You're getting the next generation hooked on comics, right?

That's pretty much my fiendish plot to corrupt the youth of America. Ha ha!! A lot of what I do with my classes is to bring back many of the art classes I enjoyed as a youth in my own fashion. When I started out, I was doing primarily illustration classes but it was inevitable that I started doing cartooning and comic art classes. Cartooning is like riding a bicycle. You never really forget how to do it. It keeps me from getting stale with my own work to be able to do those cartooning classes. And having had books published being able to impart what I know about promoting your work to my students. Not just the technical part. But telling them not to give up and it's worth a little bit of frustration that may come along with it.

My own favorite of your books is the Adventures of Polly and Handgraves. Is there really a sequel in the works? And where did those characters come from?

I actually have a second script written. I ended up putting it on hold because I had a couple projects in the works that have taken my time. But I'm hoping to have the second Polly and Handgraves story realized at some point.
I think with Polly it came from the fact I didn't feel like there were enough female sleuths in classic literature. Apart from Miss Marple and Nancy Drew. That and it felt like the women always ended up on the other side of the "and" as far as billing went with stories like Nick and Nora or Tommy and Tuppy. With Polly I wanted her to be on the top billing. Somebody, plucky. Seemingly flighty only to prove that she is not stupid. Handgraves was very much inspired by characters like Sherlock Holmes, Jeeves and Magersfontein Lugg from the Campion series. More of the man of action than Jeeves with a past that possibly consisted of either military time or the British Secret Service before she came into the employ of Polly's family.

Well I'm sure you've heard the theories that Wodehouse secretly intended Wooster to be the illegitimate son of Holmes, and Jeeves as the bastard offspring of Moriarty, with poor efficient Jeeves there only to make up for the sins of his father. But we don't need to get into that here. You did mention a couple of other projects demanding your time now, though. Would one of those happen to be the Black Dandy collaboration with Andy Fish?

I think I remember reading something about that. It very well might have been something you mentioned to me. But I think the idea is intriguing.

Unfortunately, the Black Dandy was something both Andy and I had to put on hold for the moment because of commitments to other projects we're working on independently. At the moment I am working with Doctor Who and Brenda and Effie author Paul Magrs on illustrating a book he had written. The story is very much in the same vein as the Phantom Tollbooth Roald Dahl and John Bellair's work. Written for young adults but something an adult can read and still enjoy. Which I think are the best types of story. It's scary but scary in a fun way. I can't reveal too much about the project just yet. But I am really enjoying myself.

I've done some illustrative work for Paul in the past. One of which was a comic strip based on the world he created for the Fourth Doctor audio play series "The Hornets Nest"
I'm also in the works on doing a second Sherlock Holmes graphic novel. This time based on a play titled Holmes and Watson by Lee Shackleford. I have expressed to Lee that I feel his play is the ideal companion piece to William Gillette's play. I'm hoping to get that one started sometime after the New Year.

If you could continue shooting off graphic novels for another twenty of thirty years, what would you like for your magnum opus to be?

Hmm? I'm really not sure! I suppose when I think of Magnum Opus I think of an album like Sgt. Pepper, Tubular Bells, Homogenic or OK Computer. And even though those artists made great music following, those albums were a hard act to follow. I don't really feel like I've reached that level yet. Or at least I hope I haven't. I do like the idea of shooting off graphic novels for the next twenty or thirty years.

I do too. Bret, on behalf of the A.N.A gang, thank you so much for talking shoppe for our readers. You know I'm a longtime fan especially, and cannot wait to see what you do next. Any last words or plugs you'd care to share before the defense rests?

I have a few shows coming up in the next couple of months. I'm doing Stitches Needles N' Guns Alternative Craft Fair at the Printers Building in February, Boston Comic Con on May 1st and I am in the works of doing a new show out in Northampton called Paint & Pixals Festival on April 11th!! I'm also hoping to take part in Free Comic Book Day again this year at That's Entertainment as I do every year. And Sherlock Holmes: The Painful Predicament of Alice Faulkner is going to be distributed nationally through Diamond this year for it's third printing. Be sure to ask your comic shop to order copies!


See more of Bret's work through facebook, myspace, twitter, and especially at his very active and interesting blog.

Breyfogle: Philosopher, Statesman, and Rockstar

Norm Breyfogle is a master storyteller. Considered by many to be one of the premiere Batman artists, he is at once thoughtful, stoic, polite, and unbelievably kind. Since he began life as a commercial artist and graphics illustrator in the early 1980's, his work has encompassed genres such as science fiction, fantasy, pulp, slice-of-life, and super-dudes. From Shadow Of The Bat to Prime to Hellcat to .40 Caliber Mouse to Archie, Norm's work is always distinctive, and always a pleasure to read.
Here Norm talks with longtime fan Richard Caldwell, about this and that.

Norm, in what part of the country were you raised? Do you consider yourself at all the product of your environment?

I was born in Iowa City, Iowa. After my parents' divorce when I was 3, my brother, sister, mother, and I moved to Illinois and we subsequently moved often, living in various suburbs of Chicago until I was 14 and we moved to Michigan. I lived there until I was 22, and right after college I moved to California, where I stayed for about 20 years. 10 years ago I moved back to Michigan to downsize and reconnoiter after being unceremoniously dumped by DC Comics and Marvel Comics. I've lived in Michigan since then.

We're all products of our environments, and our genetics. For a generation or more now, our environmental influences have widened far beyond our mere geographic localities. So, even though I have a lot of the Midwest heartland Plains kid in me, I was very early influenced by, for instance, the cultural revolution of the 1960s centered largely in California. By the time I'd reached adulthood I'd universalized my awareness to include, more or less, all of humanity... at least, ideally and in principle.

Like many children, you drew your own comics when you were young, but were there other forms of creativity that compelled you as well? Was there a singular moment when you were made aware that the realm of graphic arts was indeed the life for you?

You're right; I did draw my own comics. I'd wanted to draw comics ever since I was about nine years old, when I first became aware of Neal Adams' comics work on Batman. However, at that young age I didn't think about it as an actual career, but just as a fun thing to do.
I also felt attracted to acting and athletics while in grade school and junior high school. I also knew that a writer was buried deep inside my psyche.

As I got older, I developed an interest in science, and by the time I was 12 or so I wanted to become either a physicist or an astronomer/cosmologist.

There was indeed a very specific moment in which I decided to pursue visual art instead of science as a real profession. Because I'd continued to develop my drawing abilities all along as a hobby for my own pleasure, when I was 13 my mother started taking me to private art lessons with a commercial artist named Andrew Benson (not Andrew Benson the scientist, by the way; that's someone else, entirely unrelated). After a year of those lessons I felt compelled to make a decision, and because I was becoming a very religious young man at that time, and since I was torn between pursuing science or art, I prayed about it. See, I was afraid that art was too unimportant a contribution in comparison to science.

Well, I didn't hear a voice from the sky answer my question or anything like that, but I did decide then that God wouldn't have given me my drawing ability unless he wanted me to use it. In reality, I guess I simply felt that I was a better artist than I was a scientist. It's definitely WAAAY true NOW! lol

I know that your original Metaphysique books from Eclipse collected much of your college-era work, but what was your first actual published work?

I guess that would be "Tech Team," a one issue comic book which I co-plotted, wrote, drew, and lettered for Michigan Technological University when I was 17. Michigan Tech printed 10,000 copies of it and distributed it to high schools around the nation in 1978, as an advertisement to get graduating high school students to consider attending Michigan Tech. The original artwork for that comic book is still on file in the Michigan Tech Archives.

And as your work generally stands out for always being of the utmost highest calibre, do you feel your earlier contributions still stand well?

Well, I'm my own worst critic. I'd say that some of it stands up quite well, but even the best of it would be better if I did it now. I've often wished that I'd gotten the Batman gig five or so years later in my career, because it might well turn out to be the most popular work I'll have done in my entire life. Still, I did recognize the importance of it at the time, and it was a dream gig come true for me, so I put as much effort into it as I was capable of at that time.

Have your own standards changed much over the years?

Not really too very much, but a bit, yes. I've gained a much greater appreciation for simplicity of technique, and for more personal work. Also, my understanding of storytelling in general (and dialogue, and many other elements in the repertoire of comics) has radically improved.

What resources have inspired you in your approach to graphic storytelling? Your action sequences in particular have always been so marvelously well-thought out, though of course you have tackled a great number of different genres thus far. Are there authors you greatly admire, filmmakers who've influenced your perspective?

When I was a young comics fan and amateur comics artist, I was mostly interested in drawing super-hero action scenes, so much so that, early on, I was able to draw human anatomy in action at a much higher competency level than I could draw anything else. However, I was also always working on single image works of art (paintings and drawings of landscapes, portraits, buildings, science and sci-fi subject matter, etc.) so I also learned about light and shadow and perspective and drawing mundane objects of all sorts, and eventually this improved my comics art, too.

I mentioned that I was an athletic young man, and I loved martial arts films (along with movies of all types), so when I turned pro and drew Batman (for instance) I loved choreographing his fight scenes and exaggerating his cape and shadows for maximum dramatic effect. Martial arts films had an effect on this, especially those starring Bruce Lee.

Many comics artists also mention Sergio Leone's films as an influence, and I'd cite his work, too. Comics art -- especially adventure comics -- is all about maximizing contrasts of all kinds, and Leone excelled at that with his extreme close-ups contrasted against distance shots and with his pacing and with his build-up of mood via music and panoramic movement.

Ultimately, though, I can't say that films had as much an influence on my art as did other static-art artists, from comics art to classical paintings to Impressionism and Expressionism to Modern Art, etc. Although there are some similarities between film and comics, there are just as many differences, and comics is its own art form, with its own rules and parameters. So, when it comes to the influences on my comics art, it's much easier to name other comics artists and illustrators of other types of non-moving (non-filmed) images.

As far as writing and stories goes, I've always been an avid reader, but my reading choices never really included comics very often at all. They used to a bit more than they do now, but that was only ever true for me because I wanted to DRAW comics, not really write them. The only comics that really engaged my writing sensibilities were the more philosophical stories I sometimes saw published in Heavy Metal magazine and other avant-garde books. I even loved writing those kind of comics stories and that's what my first version of Metaphysique (published by Eclipse Comics) contained. Sadly, there is isn't much of a market at all for that kind of comics, at least not in the USA.

Basically, what I'm saying, I think, is that my writing sensibilities may too esoteric for the comics market, but my drawing skills are ideal for it. although I love to write, I've never had any deep desire to write super- hero comics. But, I do love drawing them!

And your painting skills remain in a class of their own. Now to the meat and potatoes. In your experience overall, as a popular graphic artist of the field, do you consider your own growing spirituality as playing a cause in how the larger publishers have, thus far, handled your career? Do you ever worry that your own personal beliefs are exactly what is costing you mainstream gigs?

My spirituality was fully "grown" by the time I turned pro, so the answer to that would be "no."

Now, if you're talking political beliefs, that would be a different question. But, you didn't ask that.

Was it during a specific point for you creatively, when your own spiritual beliefs were no longer something one could so easily leave by the way side? I guess what I am trying for... so many of your fellow creators, by my count, seem to think the world of you and your efforts over the years. You are at least, accepted as well as respected, by so many. What could possibly be missing? Is it at all possible that your thorough spirituality in particular might well be what has cost you limelight from the larger publishers, as bland as they can often be?

I don't think my spirituality has had any negative impact on my career as an artist. I never mixed the two professionally, except once, in my creator-owned, written, and drawn Metaphysique. But that was all mine, and it wasn't so iconoclastic, anyway, arguably not even "spiritual" in any classic sense of the word. But especially, it never spilled into any of my other work.

Despite the big two's bizarre shutting out in recent years of numerous creators with incredible skill and experience, you have been meeting with a deserved attention for your more recent work with Archie Comics. Archie has always been surprisingly experimental, and their longevity speaks for itself. In the minds of some fans, your working on those properties fits like a glove, actually. Despite the many other major icons you've handled previously, does this chance to help tell the tales of Archie, Jughead and the rest appeal at all to your inner fan?

What caused Marvel and DC to boot me out of their fold is a mystery to me. On my website, years ago, I speculated about this in depth and I came up with nine or so possible reasons, but they were - and are still - all speculation. I HAD to speculate, because the companies never gave me a reason, and the things they DID express to me seemed quite self-contradictory.

Politics (not spirituality) was just one of my speculations. My liberal/progressive views might have seemed dangerous to the power elite after 9/11/01 (however, it seems I'm being proven more and more correct with every passing year). Other of my speculations included ageism, trendism, cronyism, personal grudges, page rates, and some others I don't recall off-hand. However, I don't know what the real reason is, and I probably never will.

As for Archie: I remember reading and enjoying Archie when I was a kid, but I was always more attracted to the adventure, heroic, and super-hero comics. I can't say that I was ever a "fanatic" about Archie like I was about, for instance, Batman. I never had a desire to draw Archie, either, because I wanted to draw in what I considered to be a more "realistic" and dramatic style, ala Neal Adams, et al. So, when I hooked up with Archie Comics via a chance meeting with Mike Pellerito (Archie Comics president) at a convention, I just saw it as a job opportunity, since the title I was working on at the time was drawing to a close and I anticipated needing the work.

Well, I've been very happy to discover that I enjoy drawing for Archie much more than I would have dreamed, for four main reasons:
1) I discovered that the Archie drawing style is much more malleable than I thought, and as long as one maintains the same basic formulas for the characters' faces and body proportions, everything else can be more or less realistic or dramatic and it will still look like classic Archie.
2) Now that I've professionally drawn thousands of comics pages over 23 years, I find that I can enjoy drawing "mundane" situations and "talking heads" scenes just about as much as I enjoy drawing cosmic battle scenes and muscular anatomy; the storytelling's the thing, and every page has its own dynamic design.
3) I didn't know when I started with Archie that the story lines from Michael Uslan and Paul Kupperberg were going to be so interesting and profound, nor did I know that we'd be getting published in a magazine format with such fantastic production values. I feel that we're really breaking new ground!
4) Archie is a quintessential American icon, with a great pedigree and publishing history, and they seem to really value my contribution.

I just think that success deserves to result from passion. While you have been passed over by the whims of the current powers that be at certain publishing houses, your work still speaks for itself, as does your ethic. And I think it does show in the Archie stuff, that on some level you do seem to be enjoying it.

However, are there any roads not yet travelled that interest you, any genres that you would still love to take a crack at? And for that matter, freelancing life aside, are there preferences for you, insofar as what map to take in your creative path? Are there specific things in mind that you aim to one day accomplish? Like, would you even be willing to ever return to Marvel and/or DC characters, in light of the assorted and sordid behind the scenes politics at play, or is it just onward and upward?

Yes, there are other things I want to do professionally, besides comics. Mainly, I'd like to finish my prose novel, then illustrate it, then have it published, one way or another. Then, I'd like to finish writing (and then publish) a book of my short prose stories, also illustrated, then a book of my poetry, also illustrated. Someday sooner or later, I'll forego all my other paying work in order to concentrate on these projects.

I've also always wanted to paint fiction novel book cover illustrations. I've done precious little of that, so far. And, I've never worked for the movie industry in any capacity. Haven't even approached any film studios; never looked for that kind of work, yet.

As for Marvel and DC, I'd be happy to work with them again, when and/or if the offer came and if I was able to fit it into my schedule. To me, none of what happened is anything personal; I'm a commercial artist as well as an idealistic one, and when I'm being commercial, I accept any work that pays well enough. There's very little that I wouldn't do for the right compensation; I wouldn't illustrate porn or political or other manifestos which offend me too much but, otherwise, I'm easy to work with, and as long as my clients don't mind my honesty, we can get along just fine.

I wonder if maybe you are just too logical for the business. But if sequential art had not panned out for you at all, what do you imagine that the parallel reality Norm Breyfogle would be doing with himself? (Other than scribing poetry!) Essentially, what outside of the Arts maintains your interests?

What would be the most likely alternate reality Norms' professions? Here's some possibilities, in descending order of my opinion of their likelihood):
"fine" or "gallery" artist
art teacher/professor
fiction writer
philosophy teacher/writer
psychologist/psychiatrist
astronomer/cosmologist
athlete; then, physical education instructor and/or personal trainer

Something else I have wondered about- judging from your dealer's site, as well as the many goodies up for grabs through your own website, you seem willing to part with much of your work. Are there though, any particular pieces of yours that you are especially proud of- to the point of their remaining in your own collection indefinitely?

Simply put: no. Everything but my soul is up for sale, and I've already sold almost all of the comics work I produced up to about 4 years ago. I'm a working man. I have no support other than that which I can generate from my own work...no rich relatives, no stocks or savings bonds, no real investments at all at this point... just me. Been that way more or less for 25 years, except for my house I owned in California that I sold a decade ago. And, I'm not in debt; I paid all of that off, on my own. I refuse to immorally slough off my own debt onto others, as so much of our culture is willing to do.

Regarding an earlier response of mine to one of your questions about influence on my art from movies/films: I was watching Hitchcock's "The Birds" last night (must've seen that film about 15-20 times by now, the first being on TV at 6 or 7 years old, in 1966-7, just 3 or 4 years after its release to theaters), and I was once again struck by its expertly clear visual storytelling. I'm sure there are many other movies by many other directors that have equally influenced my storytelling, but in addition to Sergio Leone, I'd have to list Alfred Hitchcock as being at or near the top of my list, just off the top of my head. Orson Welles would be another such director. Stanley Kubrick, another.

Ya know, I've actually heard before that Hitchcock was one of the first major directors to utilize storyboards for his films, so he surely put tremendous thought into the construction of his visuals, even prior to actual filming. And it is one thing to succeed at survival, but to do so while bringing so much wonderful art to the world in the doing, well that's just incredible. I guess as our dialogue comes close to its end, one other bit I'm sure many fans would appreciate your sharing- what's your literal creative space like? Do you put together a specific atmosphere for yourself, movie in the background and a bowl of snacks, music and ambiance, etc? Are you the sort who can chat on the phone while inking, or does solitude play a bigger role in your practice?

I can't chat while working; way too distracting to me.

One of the bedrooms in my two-bedroom apartment is my studio, and it's functional but messy. At any one time I'll have tons of reference material and even artists' materials all over the place, even all over the floor. I don't eat or drink in my studio, or watch TV (that would create too much temptation to look at the screen rather that at the object of my work). I do listen to music, though. During the thumbnail stages of drawing a comic book (for instance), when I'm reading the script and designing the pages based on it, I can't listen to lyrics because it interferes with my processing of the words of the script, so at that stage I listen only to instrumentals (jazz, classical, or other). Once the layouts are all done and all that's left is the detailing, I can listen to songs with lyrics while I work.

Norm, it has been a rock-solid honor and privilege to share these words with you. Thank you, sincerely, from the full A.N.A gang, for putting up with my infernal questions and sharing. Your many fans already know how much you have helped lead this medium in terms of graphic innovation, but your candidness and honesty are totally icing on the devil's food cake. Thank you, sir. But before we part ways so that you can return to your bread and butter and satori, what upcoming projects might readers look forward to?

My hands are chock full with 50 pages of Archie comics per month for an indefinite amount of time (basically as long as I wish to continue; they've expressed that they'd like to keep me employed for the rest of my life!), so, other than my eventual finishing of my novel, and short story and poetry books (none of which are on any kind of schedule), that's it for now.

And, it's been a pleasure for me as well, Richard!

To see Norm's latest work, check out the good Archie Comics.

To see some recent non-Archie work, enjoy the Munden's Bar story for comicmix.

For all else Norm, including commissions and forum fun, go to his website.

Stephen Lindsay Interviewed!

Stephen Lindsay writes 10,000 comics a month. Best known for his Jesus Hates Zombies series from Alterna, he is the kinda guy who gets things done, with style. Richard Caldwell has enjoyed Stephen's comics for a long time, so this interview was a kick in the pants. Read it.

Stephen, thanks for sharing your notes with the readers. I understand that you dabbled in movie making before. With your having hit so many different genres in comics, did any of the books or characters begin life intended originally for film? Or are your creations medium-specific?

I have a comic in the works called Being Super which is about a support group for over the hill heroes (and one reformed villain) who are losing their powers or just don't feel very super anymore. That one started out as a short film of the same name that I made for a national competition called The 48 Hour Film Challenge. Truth be told, the film, while a TON of fun to make, kinda sucked. That's just the nature of only having 48 hours to write, direct, edit, score and finalize an 8-11 minute film! But taking it into the comics medium has allowed me to really play with the characters more.
Other than that, the comic characters have pretty much stayed separate from the film characters, and I think the main reason is that independent filmmaking is very, very limiting. You're constantly held in check by budgetary constraints. So something may seem really cool when you're writing a screenplay, but if you plan to make that film yourself, you're always thinking "I'll never be able to afford this, or to even find a creative (and cheap) way around it. So I guess I'd better scrap it." And eventually that thinking becomes so ingrained that those cooler elements don't even make it into your scripts. Comics, on the other hand, are limited only by your imagination. You can do ANYTHING! As a writer, it's very freeing, and you still get that rush of seeing your creation come to life. Only instead of actors breathing that life into your characters, it's an artist doing it. I love that!

What was your first published comic book work? And what were the circumstances that led up to it?

My first published work was the anthology Jesus Hates Zombies: Those Slack-Jaw Blues.
I was originally doing a serious zombie survival drama called After the Rising which had started life as a screenplay, then an abandoned novel. Once I decided I wanted to make comics, I began taking what I'd written as a novel and adapting it for comics. But about mid-way through the first script I discovered The Walking Dead and realized that zombie survival drama comics had hit their peak- it just doesn't get better than The Walking Dead. So I decided I better switch gears.
Looking over the zombie comics at the time, none of them had really gone the comedy route. Most were gore-fests with little else going on. So I knew I wanted to make mine a comedy. And being a fan of old B Movies, the first thing I wanted to come up with was a really killer B Movie title. That's when Jesus Hates Zombies popped into my head. It literally made me laugh out loud, but I didn't know if it would end up being a one-note joke. So I started writing it and realized it had some legs. The only problem was, when you're a nobody writer who can't afford to pay page rates, getting an artist on board for a full book is really, really hard. BUT, if you can find talented artists who are hungry to get their work shown, convincing them to do a five page story ISN'T as hard. So that's what I did. I networked online on a site called comicspace.com telling every artist who would listen about this anthology I was putting together. And to my surprise, a bunch of them were into it! So the stories were being written, the artists were sending me pages, and it was awesome! That was such an exciting, creative time! Every day felt like Christmas when I would check my email and find new pages pouring in from artists all over the world!! That was when I started my daily regiment of heavy online promotions. I went onto as many comics, horror, and zombie-related bulletin boards as I could find and talked up the book. And it was working! People were into it! At that point I was planning on self-publishing the thing by taking pre-orders and paying for the printing with them. And I did that for the first fifty books. It was at that point that I started talking to Alterna Comics. They were into the book, but a little apprehensive at first. It didn't take long for them to just say "To hell with it! Let's see how this thing does if we put it out!" And the rest, as they say, it history.
Long story short, I hit comicspace at the right time with a catchy idea that a lot of really talented artists were into...I got lucky as hell!

And that has lead you to more Jesus Hates Zombies stories, as well as other collaborations with those collaborators. With so many projects going at once, do you see an end to your Jesus Hates Zombies series? And has there really been that much negativity thrown at you because of the content?

The 'Zombie' portion of Jesus Hates Zombies is coming to an end with the publication of Volume 4 in May. But that doesn't mean that the adventures of Jesus and Lincoln won't be continuing on! And, to be honest, I haven't really caught any flak over the series. I think the reason is that I'm still indie enough to fly below the radar of any groups that would get a real hate on for the books. So I've dodged that bullet thus far. Not that I wouldn't mind a little controversy or a nice theological discussion about the books! Hell, I was an altar boy for several years back in my Catholic School days! I can dish the religious with the best of 'em!

Oh, I was raised so Roman Catholic we only attended Latin masses until I was in my early teens or so. So I can relate. But thankfully folks have been giving you a chance, at least enough for you to have all of these other books in effect. The webcomics you host at your site alone- where do you find the time? Has it gotten easier for you to wear so many hats, or is there still a struggle, in getting your work out there and finding audiences for it?

The popularity of Jesus Hates Zombies has definitely made it easier to find an audience for my other work. But along with that comes an obligation to make that work the highest quality I can. Getting people to check something out is one thing. Getting them to stick with it is another thing entirely! Personally, I think I do my best work when I've got several projects going at once. It helps all of them feel fresh. If I was only working on one book, I think I'd get bored with it. But when I've got several books and three webcomics going at the same time, it's much easier for me to stay interested in all of them! And I've gotten better over the last few years of knowing when I've hit my limit. If I take on too many projects at once, then the work can suffer. So there's a balance to it. When I hit that sweet number of projects to juggle, that's when things really click!

You have collaborated the most with artists Lauren Monardo and Daniel Thollin, each on JHZ as well as The Slightly Askew Adventures Of Inspector Ham And Eggs with Lauren, and Happy Panda Funtime Show and Vaempir Testament with Daniel. In your experience, is there a fine line between business arrangement and all-out creative alliance? And as an experienced creator, do you prefer now these longer-term collaborations, or does it rely entirely on the individual?

I think you go into each project hoping for an all-out creative alliance. But sometimes it just doesn't progress beyond being a business arrangement. I've been very lucky to work with such amazingly talented people like Lauren and Daniel, and now also Jim McMunn and Dave Myers.
What happens when, as a writer, you click with an artist is that aside from simply the joy you get from working with them, a very high degree of trust evolves. And when that trust is a two way street, then the all-out creative alliance is formed. So when I'm writing something for Lauren, Daniel, Jim or Dave, I know they're going to totally get what I'm trying to do. I know that they're going to send me back work that exceeds the meager words I've put down on the page. I never have to worry about whether they're going to 'get it'. And I think, conversely, they know that I'm going to write to their strengths and that I have complete faith that they're going to do what best serves the story. I'm not the type of writer who insists 100% that an artist follows my panel layouts or scene descriptions. If the artist feels that a page would be better served with five panels instead of seven and they can combine a few to make it flow better, I'm all for it! But the freedom for them to do that and to know that I'm going to be totally cool with it comes from that built up trust. And when you've got it between you...making comics can be one of the most fun experiences on the planet!

Nowadays, small press and indie writers really do need to multi-task, like producers. You yourself have done a bit of lettering and packaging. Were these things that were difficult for you to get into, or does it just add to the overall fun, the immersion into the work?

Getting into the lettering was actually fairly easy. I love having that final pass at the writing that lettering affords me. And, I often tweak dialogue based on the art. So yeah, it definitely adds to the fun and immersion into the work. The other things, like packaging and logo creation come from the fact that I'm a graphic designer by day. So again, it was a fairly easy thing for me to get into.

You actually designed and maintain your own proper website as well, right?

Yes. I'm not exactly a whiz when it comes to the back-end workings of web development, but I do know HTML and would rather have that level of control over my sites than to use a template or a service. It just allows me to do whatever I want to do without any constraints.

So how do you kill your free time? What beyond funny books interests you?

Free time? What the hell is that! Aside for working and comics, I'm married and I have two kids. So the time not spent working in one form or another is usually spent with my family. But I'm also a total movie buff. I love all manner of flicks, so I'll watch just about anything. And I read as much as I can, too. Oh, and I'm also working on my first novel which will be published in Spain sometime next year (hopefully it'll be published in the US at some point as well).

Congratulations on the novel! What other projects do you have coming up, other than the aforementioned webcomics in progress?

Jim McMunn and I have the first issue of a 4 issue mini series coming out in May called "The Devil's Trail". It's a supernatural Western and new publisher Creators Edge is putting it out. Dave Myers and I (along with colorist Freddy Lopez) are currently shopping around an all-ages book called "Warriors of the Dharuk". That one is along the lines of a Mice Templar or Mouse Guard, and it's about a young koala who's a warrior in training that ends up in the midst of a fight to save his entire clan. I'm also working on a horror book with artist Michael Montenat called "The Tipper Ripper". It's a fairly psychotic book that's loads of fun!

The Devil's Trail especially sounds like a boatload of fun. Any final words you'd like to share, before I let you jump back ever so eagerly into the salt mines- for readers or fellow creators?

For fellow creators, just keep doing what you're doing! With the wave of digital comics growing bigger and bigger, it's a terrific time for all of us to carve out our niche. There's plenty of room on the shelves, the internet, mobile devices and in whatever comes along next for all of us. It's not about competing, it's about community. We can all grow as storytellers if we all stick together!
And for the readers, you've all got my most heartfelt thanks. Without you, I wouldn't be realizing a dream by doing this!


Follow Stephen's work on comicspace, facebook, myspace, and twitter, but especially via his own website, captions and balloons.

Interview with Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegener!

Atomic-Robo is a very original series from Red5 Comics, co-created by writer Brian Clevinger and artist Scott Wegener. Nominated for awards, and with talk of movies and toys, Atomic-Robo is one smart and cool comic book with a bright future. As their fourth mini draws to a close, Richard Caldwell was fortunate enough to stage a hostage negotiation with Scott and Brian...

Guys, thanks for taking the time to share with the readers like so. Let's begin with a little background info on each of you. Were you both really rocketed here as infants from dying planets?

Scott- I applied for the position of Superman, but when I told them that capes were just not fashionable anymore and blue-red-yellow was an offensive color combination, they turned me down. So rather than Krypton, I'm from New York City.

Brian- I emerged fully formed from the Nexus Of All Realities in the swamps of Florida, exactly where you'd expect to find it. Later, I was bitten by a radioactive writer.

And what sort of creative lives were you leading before the dawning of Atomic-Robo? And where exactly did Atomic-Robo come from? Has he been with you for awhile?

S- Atomic Robo is actually one of the first creative-type jobs I've ever had. I've always been doodling and sketching and drawing for my own enjoyment. Brian and Robo just happened to come along at a period in my life when I was looking to do something completely different. I had a couple of options at the time, but drawing was the only thing that I could do that I absolutely loved.

When Brian first approached me with the concept for Robo I was instantly hooked. With Brian's help, we rolled a lot of the ideas I was messing around with on my own into Atomic Robo, and the end result is the comic book we've got now.

Brian, as the initial idea originated with you, is science something you are passionate about? I mean, the stories are all very clearly science fiction/adventure, but there have been more than a couple of soliloquies along the way, that makes one wonder at the research that goes into a work like this.

B- Yeah. When I was growing up, all the kids I knew were into sports. They'd watch games, collect cards, etc. But I was watching Nova and Cosmos and obsessively scouring astronomy books from the library. Other kids looked up to Dan Marino, but my hero was Carl Sagan. It's no coincidence he's popped up more often than any other guest star.

So, yeah, I developed a respect for the practice of science over the years. Its development is probably the greatest single achievement in history if only because so many other contenders for that title came about through scientific inquiry, however informal.

And a tremendous amount of research can go into these comics. A ridiculous amount really. It's doubly ridiculous when you consider how little of it actually gets into the final product. I looked into about thirty years of Sentai teams during the production of Volume 4, Issue 2 because it involves a parody of one. I researched the history of cartography just to make a throwaway joke about longitude inside another joke in Volume 3, Issue 4. There's one or more moments like that in nearly every issue.

The funny thing is, I've been accused of writing scripts that show off all this research I've done. I spent a week figuring out a timeline of Nazi advances into the islands of the English Channel, their strategic value to both sides, attempts to fortify and retake them, the fate of the civilians there under Nazi rule, etc. Do you know how much of that made it into the comic book? The year and name of the island in Volume 2, Issue 5. Information people probably forget a page later. That's showing off? A simple date and place tucked into the corner of a panel, as you would do in any comic book when making a big jump through time and space, is seen as this huge effort to draw attention to how smart I think I am? Moron.

Don't even get me started on the research Scott conducts for the architecture, fashions, advertising, vehicles, and technology of the times and places we're always jumping around to.

People, or most people anyway, deserve to be intimidated by intelligence. There is nothing wrong that can possibly come from that.
I'm finding though, in reading up for this dialogue, that you both actually have a heckuva diehard following. I know you have each been able to slide in side projects too; Brian with an array of webcomics and Scott with Image's Killer Of Demons. As you are rising stars, is it becoming at all difficult to balance the storytelling with "real life"? Do you live and breathe this stuff or what?

B- I have the unhealthy habit of focusing on my work to the exclusion of everything else in life. So, that helps.

S- I'd say yes, we do hyper-focus on making comics. Not exactly because we want to, but because that's the only way to make a living doing what we do. I was told once that comics are not a job. They are a lifestyle, and it's true. Work is constantly intruding on family life. I find I have to be very deliberate in saying, "These days and these times are for family and I am not allowed to work."

It doesn't help that I love what we do, so I'm constantly trying to sneak off and draw.

If making comic books was absolutely not an option in any way, shape, or form, what would you be doing with your time and your lives instead?

B- I don't even know. I'll cheat and say, "Go back to webcomics."

S- I'd be living a life of quiet desperation. Kind of like I was before I started drawing comics.

I guess like too many people, I'd have a job to pay the bills and put food on the table, and then what little free time I had would be channeled into something creatively fulfilling; cooking, sculpture, music. The things I used to do, I guess. The only downside (if you can really call it that) to working for myself, on Robo and other books, is that it consumes all the time I used to put into other things. But I don't mind at all.

So what's the technical process of your collaboration like? Do you plot together, or does Brian just write too far ahead? And what tools are your favorites right now, Scott?

B- It's hard to say. But basically we'll talk about the kind of storyline we want to do, or about a specific historic event we want to wrap a story around. Then we'll figure out the major beats to hang issues on. Then I get to writing the scripts.

When Scott gets them he puts his own spin on them, which is just as well because I'm more concerned with the gags and narrative than what the page will actually look like or how it'll work. So, lots of times, he'll have to change things around to make what's in the script work in pictures. As Scott finishes his pages, I go back to the script and make changes to better accommodate his changes so everything flows naturally.

And throughout the entire production process, we're sitting around on AIM bitching at one another about the changes we have to make to each other's work so the pages make sense.

S- Yeah that sums it up nicely. I can't really add anything to that.

As far as my tools go, I keep it pretty simple. I've got a fist full of mechanical pencils (the "clicky" kind), with .03 through .09 leads, and one loaded with blue lead. I don't even ink my work anymore. I just do really tight pencils.

That's shocking, on the pencils. And I'm sure you gripe at each other only because you care, really. What's been the craziest thing yet to come from the overall Atomic-Robo experience? Convention groupies? Mark Millar begging to direct the film?

S- We gripe at each other because we're jerks. Haha.

Yes, we both do care, an awful lot. It probably seems silly, especially with a book as lighthearted as Robo, to put that much effort into research, or getting a line of dialogue just right, etc. But we both want to make the best book that we possibly can, and whether that book is about deep interpersonal relationships, expressing a political agenda, or just about a Robo who punches things, if it's not as good as we can possibly make it then I'd feel like we were cheating people.

Are my pencils shocking? I just hate inking. It's as simple as that. I want things to be light and have bounce on the page, and most of the time, when you ink over pencils, things get stiffer. I'm very restricted in what I can and cannot do because it's no longer inked. But so far I'm very happy with the results.

What's the craziest thing to come from the Robo experience so far? Hmm, that's a hard one. I wish I could say it was the movie that almost got made- but that was more like a giant pain in the ass that left us shattered and discouraged.

I'd have to say it's the fans and what they do with Atomic Robo. The art, the emails, the guy who made a life-size Atomic Robo costume. Right now there are three animation studios working on Atomic Robo short films- not because anyone's going to make money off of it, but because they love Robo and want to show people that they love him. A big check from Hollywood would be great, but nothing can ever be as gratifying as these people who get involved just for the love of it.

I could tell you about the time Brian and I had to parachute to safety from the top of the Seattle Space Needle to escape a horde of lunatic fans. But that's not really what you want to hear about...

So what does the future look like from where you both are sitting?

S- Oh you know. Multi-million dollar movie, television, and video game options. Living a life of luxury. The usual stuff.

Realistically? It's hard to plan more than a few months ahead. I'd like to see the book increase in popularity so that we can focus on Atomic Robo to the exclusion of everything else. Comic books are a tricky market though. Who can say if that will ever happen.

We've got another eight or nine mini-series plotted out or in rough-outline form. It's at the point now that it will take us several years to tell the stories we have lined up, and that assumes we don't keep adding to the list!

Excellent. And Brian- any closing thoughts or parting shots?

B- Please buy Atomic Robo. I need new shoes. Not even kidding.


Learn more (and buy the books) at www.atomic-robo.com.

To see more of Brian's work, check out his website here, and his twitter here.

To see more of Scott's work, check out his website here, and his twitter here.

HC Noel Interviewed!

HC Noel is a dedicated writer and artist whose Tara Normal strip is soon to enjoy its first anniversary, so he was cool enough to sit and chat with our resident Galactus impersonator, Richard Caldwell...

Howie, thanks for speaking and sharing with our readers. To begin, was Mr. Scootles really your first published comic strip work? What was the production and timeframe like?

Thank you for interviewing me! I had a comic strip published once in my local newspaper and I did some cartoons for my college newspaper, but Mr Scootles is my first comic work professionally published. I created the character in 2000 and self-published the first chapter in 2003. It's been a long journey!

As that book is what you're best known for (so far), where did the character come from? Is there some Tex Avery and Chuck Jones influence in there? I know there is a great modern cartoonist named Rich Koslowski who explored some similar themes in his excellent book Three Fingers, but ya know, I think you actually beat him to the punchline by a few years there.

There's definitely some Tex Avery and Chuck Jones in that book. A lot of influence from early black and white Walt Disney films too. I love that stuff! I definitely wanted the look of the book to tribute animation. My other work like Vincent: The Painter of Death and Tara Normal, all have a different stylistic approach to the art side of the storytelling.

Did you take classes for this stuff in school, or were you just a natural doodler? When did you know undeniably that you wanted to be a storyteller?

I've always drawn, since I was young. My mom is an artist and art teacher and she always encouraged me. Growing up, teachers were also encouraging, so I kept drawing. I went to Pratt Institute and received a BFA in Illustration. A lot of Mr. Scootles is based on my time at Pratt. I've always had stories in my head and when I was younger I had wanted to be a syndicated cartoonist, but switched to long form cartooning as it was more suitable for the larger stories I wanted to tell. For me, my imagination plays like a film in my mind and I'm just trying to capture it on paper to share with my readers.

I think you do pull off that connection. You really do seem to be one of the ones who leave folks divided- either they love your work or they just haven't read it yet. As sharp-tongued as Mr. Scootles is, your next book, Vincent: The Painter of Death, was a very different creature. Were you actively trying to keep from being pigeon-holed as a "cartoon guy"?

I think I was in, a way. I wanted to show more of my ability. When I draw, you can always tell I've created it but it does change depending on the story. With Vincent, I wanted a more realistic feel to the characters and I wanted a darkness to the linework. I like to think of that story as a Dr. Seuss murder story because of some of the linework I implemented and the use of only red, black and white as colors.

Experimenting with different styles as you have, has it been at all intimidating? I mean, is it harder to find an audience for your stories, or does the compulsion for creativity itself take precedence, like cause over effect?

I draw for what fits each story so I don't feel any intimidation that way. Once people hear the idea for the book, it's either something they'd like to read or it's not. Mr. Scootles is about a living cartoon character who gets sent to Hell and his journey to get out so I think the art being stylistically cartoony, while also portraying darkness, is a neat combo for the reader. I really want them to enjoy the visuals as much as the text. The experimentation of the art is really natural so it's not a problem. It's fun to expand on my style.

What sort of writers do you like to read? What artists impress you regularly?

My favorite authors are Stephen King, Charles Bukowski, and Edgar Allen Poe. I love the art of Mort Drucker, J. Scott Campbell, Berkley Breathed, Dr. Seuss and many, many more!

What can you tell us about your new webcomic, Tara Normal? When did she launch, and what's her story? Have you been satisfied by the reception thus far?

Tara Normal is a female paranormal investigator who solves cases involving the supernatural. She tries to find the truth behind each mystery. She believes in the paranormal but also looks to debunk things as she investigates. It's like X-Files meets Scooby Doo. She hangs around with her friend Shadowman, an inter-dimensional traveler who looks like a living shadow and is currently being followed by Baby Cthulhu. I started the webcomic last April and will soon be celebrating a year working on it without missing an update on Wednesday. Tara Normal is also published in TAPS Paramagazine, the official magazine from the crew of Ghost Hunters. That's a huge honor for me because I love the show, everyone on it and their philosophy of doing paranormal investigating. I love the reception so far. I started doing the comic because I really enjoy seeing a project grow and gain new readers. I also run a blog on the site pointing out weird things in the world and the usual favorite government conspiracies. I love hearing monster sighting stories and ghost stories so I encourage readers to send me things they want posted.

Is this a premise that you would like to keep going for awhile, or do you have a distinct end in mind?

I would say I know the middle moreso than the ending. There's a large storyline that everything's leading to but Tara's the kind of character I could write forever. I know where the overall arc leads and each case has an ending. However, she'll always be investigating and there will always be stories to tell.

Have you ever found interest in working outside of comics? For that matter, are you a purist, or would you be open to seeing any of your properties become animated films, games, toys, etc?

I would love to see my work in other mediums. A movie of my properties would be great. There is an interest in a Tara Normal TV show in Hollywood and I'm very open to that. It's a great fit with the episodic format and I'm big fan of the medium. I would love a video game and toyline, as I'm a collector myself too.

As your work has gone more and more into digital formats, have your tools of choice changed along the way as well? How do you get those crisp ink lines?

I pencil and ink on paper and then scan them into Photoshop for coloring. Thank you for the remark about my linework. I spend a lot of time on the linework to make sure it's varied and crisp. I'm glad you appreciate it!

Before I cut your chains loose, how do you stay so upbeat and focused? If there is a common theme to your stories, it does seem to be humor in the face of darkness. Is that something you especially believe in, in the real world?

I think you nailed it. That's how I strive to be in life. My characters have an easier time living that way than I do sometimes. I think it's important to keep a sense of humor when times are really rough. It will help you through it.


http://www.hcnoel.com

Look for HC Noel on the web via cafepress, comicspace, facebook, myspace, and twitter.
And follow his Tara Normal on facebook and twitter, too!

J.K. Woodward Interview!

Phenomenal graphic artist and illustrator J.K. Woodward found the time in his nonstop schedule making IDW look good (like they really need the help) to answer these bothersome questions from our own man hipdeep in the frontlines, Richard Caldwell...

James, thanks for taking some time out to share with us. You've had one of those lives thus far that has pulled you all over the country. Do you think the travel, the exposure to so many different places and people, has sharpened your creative mind's eye?

In all honesty, its hard to say. I've been bouncing around for so long. But, I think so. I remember my first move in 1986 (to Los Angeles) was an almost culture shock experience. I quickly moved back to New England but tried again for L.A. 2 years later. If I hadn't done that I'm not sure I'd be the painter I am today. I had taken myself outside of my environment and found that it was a lot easier to say "why not". It's as if I was giving myself all these restrictions based on peers and surroundings that were completely unnecessary and I wasn't even aware of it until I was separated from it. There are "rules" that govern people's behavior in every location and/or scene within it. When you're new somewhere, you're not aware of it yet and I think that can open you to new things. For me, in L.A., it was art. I had always been penciling comic pages and had dabbled in some acrylic and watercolour painting, but never really explored the art scene outside of comics until I got to L.A. If you had told me in '86, that I'd be experimenting with surrealism, impressionism or even abstract; that I'd be painting in oil on 6 foot canvas instead of brush and ink on 11x17 bristol board, I wouldn't have believed it.
I think this is just part of a person's natural development and growth, but I think by making big and sudden changes in your life, you can accelerate it and even take it to levels you hadn't considered before. So in that sense I would have to say that yes, the exposure to so many different places and people, has sharpened my creative mind's eye, because that kind of exploration is what it takes for me, personally to grow.
In addition, if you're working in comics, it's always nice to have experiences in different regions and cities because you never know what a script may call for.

So which came first for you, the commercial art or work in comic books? And how did you land that very first comic book gig?

Commercial work.
In the 90's I was doing a lot of freelance album covers for a German record producer. This would later (1999-2000) lead to a move to Frankfurt to do this full time. After moving there I worked full time for this record company for about a year and then it all went to hell. I started getting work for advertising agencies as a freelance illustrator, but found this new career EXTREMELY unrewarding. I started painting a lot more and I was doing a lot of small gallery shows around the Frankfurt area. It kind of took the sting out of working in advertising, but what I really wanted to do was publish something.
Here's where I got back into comics. At the time I was working on an oil painting series called Flesh Angels and I really wanted to publish all the pieces as an art book. I arranged the pieces and worked out the story with writer and long time friend, M.D.Koffin. She wrote some first person narratives to go with the paintings and the art book was ready. Finding a publisher to take a chance on an unknown was going to be near impossible, so having no patience for that I published it myself as a comic. It had the same dimensions as a comic and a saddle stitched spine, but any similarity to an actual comic ended there. It was basically 32 paintings, though I still consider it my first work in comics.
Flesh Angels got the attention of Phil Smith who was looking to self publish a story himself and needed an artist. We did two and half issues of a book called Gelding, but it never went anywhere. Phil and I went our separate ways professionally, but are still friends today. Phil is now an editor at Top Cow. During and after this time working with him I also did two other very important twelve-page stories. One was for A David Lewis' Mortal Coils and the other was Michael Colbert's Crazy Mary. Both got a great deal of attention for indie titles, but it was my work on Crazy Mary that got the attention of Chris Ryall over at IDW. He started me on a four issue mini for CSI:NY and while I was still finishing up issue 3 he told me Peter David was bringing Fallen Angel to IDW and had decided on me as the artist. I worked on this series for the next three or more years as well as X-Men Origins:Beast, a few Star Trek books and a myriad of covers for IDW, BOOM! and DDP.
So it all started because I hated working in advertising and I couldn't afford to publish a proper art book and I couldn't be happier it worked out the way it did. Comics are a huge part of my life and I kind of turned my back on them in the 90's. I'm glad I got pulled back in.

Why had you turned your back on comics? I know everyone even remotely related to the industry still holds grudges and regrets over the implosion, but were there other reasons for you? Are you passionate about the medium now, beyond it just being your trade of choice?

I didn't really make a choice to consciously abandon comics, life just started to get in the way. The early 90's were a crazy time for me. I was just distracted for a few years and then when I tried to come back on board I was lost. A lot happens in superhero comics in just a few years.
But the 90's weren't a total comic reading void. Because I was so lost in what was going on in the big 2 (and the new and blossoming 3rd), I directed my attention to stuff I had previously ignored. I would buy the Cerebus phone books because it was something I could just keep by the bed and read some pages every night, or not, whatever. It required very little commitment from me. Reading comics like that was a lot more fun at that time. I had enough on my mind and didn't want to worry about getting to the comic book store on time every week. When I was done with my Cerebus phone book, I would go get or order another one. I could read at my own pace which was crucial at this time in my life.
That all changed in or around 2000-2001. I started reading Jones' Hulk, Grant's X-Men and Arcudi's Doom Patrol. This was also around the time I discovered Alex Robinson's Box Office Poison, so it was a VERY good year for me and comics, be it superhero titles or indie cartoonists. So, yeah, I would definitely say I'm passionate about the medium now! I always have been. I just took a small break for a short while.

Who has influenced what you do, in or out of comic books? And what's your studio space like- are you big on ambiance, beit movies, podcasts, music?

Influences outside of art are just too numerous to name, but if I keep it to just art influences, then the great cubists Braque and Picasso, surrealists from Dali to Giger, contemporary I like Warhol and Hockney and comic artists John Byrne and Bill Sienkiewicz. Byrne for form, Sienkiewicz for style.
My studio? Well I rent a space separate from my home at a place called Juvenal reis studios (http://www.juvenalreisstudios.com). The atmosphere here is different from day to day, depending on things like what I'm working on, when the deadline is, how much sleep I've gotten (or haven't gotten as is generally the case). But most of the time it's music or podcasts, as movies or tv can demand too much visual attention.
Usually for music in the studio, I prefer classic 77 punk or some Kalifornia 80's hardcore. I need that constant energy feed it gives me. When it comes to podcasts, it's usually comics related. I don't have any friends in NYC yet that are into comics, so it doesn't come up much as a topic of discussion in my social life. In comics it's good to know about stuff even if it is outside your area of interest. That's where podcasts come in.

If you had been unable to pursue art so directly over the years, what do you think that alternate reality you would be doing with himself? What else interests you?

The alternate reality me would be doing life without the possibility of parole.
Seriously though, I'm not sure. I spend every waking moment (literally 16-20 hours a day, 7 days a week) painting. I can't imagine doing anything else. My work IS my life. It IS me. There is no distinction. I can't see how I would exist without art. It's rare that it happens, but if I'm not working and still awake, I'm usually drinking. So I guess without my work, I'd be an alcoholic...or a sex addict...a junkie perhaps. Point is, without art, I'm left with only base, animal-like, self-indulgent interests. I think without art I'd be this barely human thing scurrying around the city in an effort to satisfy whatever particular craving or lust happens to be rolling around in my primal beast head at that particular moment, with nary a thought of consequence or future. By night I'd be a frontman for an 80's style hardcore band called "Testicular Fortitude".
Either that or I'd probably do something in computers. I actually have an associates degree for it that I'm still paying for.

There is a lot of honesty to that. Not in working with computers, but in the connections between obsession and addiction. So many great writers and artists have danced on that thin grey line, throughout history.
So what do you have to look forward to in the future? What current and upcoming projects are you at liberty to plug away with here for our readers?

Yeah, you're right. There is a lot of truth in that. It's a little frightening (and invigorating) to think about.
Let's see, what am I doing? There's a lot of uncertainty in the future because I'm planning out all these ambitious but secret endeavors. So I'll have to wait to tell you about that stuff. But in the meantime, I'll be plenty busy with freelance work. I just finished a Star Trek: Captain's Log and am currently working on an 11 page guest spot on GI Joe: Cobra II. I have another Captain's Log after that and a project lined up with Chris Ryall, but it's too early to talk about that one. Somewhere between finishing the next Captain's Log issue and starting the Ryall project, I expect Peter will have the script for the next Fallen Angel mini. I'm anxiously awaiting that one!

How is it, working with Peter David? I've heard he can be the artist's writer, but I know he really has formed some great rapports in the past, like with Larry Stroman on X-Factor and Dale Keown on the Hulk. Do his scripts challenge you, or does he play into your strengths?

Both. When Peter needs something for a scene, it's going in the script. I have no doubt about that and sometimes that means a challenge.The apocalyptic New York battle scene between Fallen Angel and Illyria at the end of Reborn is a good example of that. But he also seems to pay attention and remember when something works with an artist. I hear a lot of artists complain about underwater scenes. And yes, if you're penciling, it can be hard to pull off. You often have to rely a lot on the colourist to make the underwater atmosphere believable. But as a painter these scenes are easier for me and in issue 3 or 4 of Fallen Angel he had written a short underwater scene and it really worked. Underwater scenes came up two more times after that. They were longer and more complex. I think he knew I enjoyed them or at the very least, noticed I could do them well, remembered this, and made a point to accentuate any water scenes that came up. There are many examples of this kind of thing that leads me to believe he pays close attention and knows how to get the best out of me, but that doesn't mean he goes easy on me. In the end the script needs what it needs and we both understand that it's my job to deliver. I really do enjoy working with him. I feel like I have an understanding of what he expects from me and he has a good grasp of what I can do and what I enjoy.

That is fantastic. Now let's end this on a silly note. Your jetpack is soon to crash on an otherwise deserted isle. What tools of the trade could you absolutely not live without? Presuming alcohol and wi-fi are already in the picture, of course.

Brushes, canvas, and oil paint. That would be the absolute minimum. Though since I have wi-fi, I'd probably want a laptop. That way I don't have to worry about which books or music I'd have to bring with me since I'd have access to all of it. Though I think I'd still want a paperback copy of Catcher in the Rye. I always found Holden Caulfield to be good company. Does it have to be deserted? I was kind of assuming that I crash landed on Themyscira. Yeah, if I crash land on Themyscira, then all I need are brushes, canvas, oil paint, a laptop, and a paperback copy of Catcher in the Rye... and a toothbrush.
Brushes, canvas, oil paint, a laptop, paperback copy of Catcher in the Rye and a toothbrush on Themyscira.

ah paradise island...


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