The Comic Book Gazette

We're interview Howard M. Shum, writer and creator of Image's new book, Hyperkinetic. Here's how Howard describes the book:

"Hyperkinetic is a science-fiction action-comedy. Four intergalactic highly skilled female bounty hunters (Alicia, Shirley, Milla, and Katiya) and their robot (Tejigi 2057) pursue an elusive prey. They end up going through a wormhole and crashing on a weird alien planet. They now have bigger concerns such as giant killer robots and crazy aliens."

The art's done by Matteo Scalera, and the coloring by Oscar Celestini. It's in stores July 2, 2008. And after you finish reading this interview, be sure to check out our advance review of the first issue of Hyperkinetic here!

Comic Book Gazette: How and when did you start reading comics? 
 
Howard Shum: I started reading very young. I like reading all sorts of things and comic books were included. 
 
CBG: What do you consider the greatest influences on your work? 
 
HS: Overall, my work is mostly influenced by filmmakers such as Alfred Hitchcock, George Lucas, and James Cameron and writers such as Joseph Conrad, Kafka, Cervantes, and Voltaire. For comics, Walt Kelly, Al Capp, Bill Watterson, Carl Barks, Dave Sim, and Kyle Baker are my biggest influence. 
 
CBG: Do you have a preference between writing and penciling or inking? 

HS: For comics I would prefer to write my own creations. 

CBG: What other titles would you like to take a whack at in the future? 

HS: Just my own books that I create. I have no desire to do hired gun writing unless it’s for film or TV. 
 
CBG: Do you pick up any comics on a regular basis? 
 
HS: Yes: Usagi Yojimbo, The Goon, Savage Dragon, The Spirit, Hellboy (only when Mignola writes and draws), and anything Kyle Baker does. 
 
CBG: How did the idea for Hyperkinetic come about? 
 
HS: I wanted to do a story about a group of girls having crazy adventures on a strange alien planet and have the action be super intense. 

CBG: How and when did you get Mike Wieringo to do a variant cover for issue one? 
 
HS: Mike is a friend of mine. I just asked him. 
 
CBG: Did you have any reservations about using the Mike Wieringo cover after his tragic passing last year? 
 
HS: I did initially and I spoke to a few artist friends of mine about it. It’s one of the last pieces he did and artists do their work to be seen, not to be stored away. 
 
CBG: Why led to your decision to choose Matteo Scalera for the art? 
 
HS: He fit every criteria that I wanted for the book. He draws amazingly well (especially women), he is wonderful with expressions, his artwork and action actually is hyperkinetic, he can follow my storytelling, his designs are imaginative, and he hooked me up with his friend Scarlett Johansson. 
 
CBG: Hyperkinetic will be a four-issue mini-series. Do you see it continuing beyond that, perhaps as a series of mini-series? 
 
HS: Yes, these girls have many more crazy adventures. People need to buy this one though if they want to see more. 
 
CBG: Are there any other projects you currently have planned, besides Hyperkinetic? 
 
HS: I have some stuff written that I’m waiting on artists to finish other projects so that they can start on mine. 

Chris Giarrusso On 'Mini Marvels: Rock, Paper, Scissors' (05.02)

Today we're go an interview with Chris Giarrusso. I'm a huge fan of his work; he's done Comic Bits, featuring G-Man, for Image, and Mini Marvels for, well, Marvel, and he's got a digest coming out in July called 'Mini Marvels: Rock, Paper, Scissors'. Be sure to check out his website, ChrisGComics.com -- it's updated pretty frequently and there's tons of goodies on there! He's got a lot of his work posted on there, for you lucky readers to read for FREE -- click here and here to see some of what I'm talking about. He's also got an online store with some really nifty merchandise.

The Rock, Paper, Scissors digest will have a limited print run -- here's Chris explaining it better than I could on his blog: "The new Mini Marvels digest collection, MINI MARVELS: ROCK PAPER SCISSORS, on sale in July, is going to be a direct market exclusive with a limited print run. This means you MUST pre-order the book through your local comic shop in order to get a copy. Marvel is printing according to orders, and your comic shop will NOT order this book unless YOU ask them to! If you don’t pre-order, and you just wait until you see it in the store on its release date, you will NEVER see it and you will NOT be able to buy it. So PLEASE, pre-order MINI MARVELS: ROCK PAPER SCISSORS. The time to order is NOW. Comic shops will place their orders within the next two weeks."

Mini Marvels is fun for all ages -- kids AND adults. We need more material like this in the marketplace. Click here (print the page, or Right Click and Save As to save to your computer) to see an order form, made by Chris, that you can print out and give to your retailer! Order extra copies, even -- one for yourself and one for any kids you might want to get into comics!

Comic Book Gazette: Okay, so you've got a new Mini Marvels digest, out in July. Will this be all reprinted material?

Chris Giarrusso: The digest will be all reprinted material.
 
CBG: How much of your work will be included? Will the digest collect your more recent work, or will it include your earlier Mini Marvels strips?

CG: The digest will contain the stories from the old one-shots as well as many of the new strips.  It will contain the "Paperboy Blues" story from GIANT SIZE MINI MARVELS, "Cereal Quest" and "Paperboy Showdown" from SPIDEY AND THE MINI MARVELS, a four-page story titled "Hulk Date," 9 pages of Mini Marvels World War Hulk, 5 pages of Mini Marvels Fantastic Four, and 15 pages of Mini Marvels "Iron Avengers."

CBG: I've been buying a tons of back issues of Savage Dragon recently, and you've done Comic Bits strips -- one or two pages, featuring G-Man -- since, like, issue #93. The last time we got new Comic Bits was in Savage Dragon #132, and the title's on #135 now. So, will we be seeing new Comic Bits anytime soon? You were right in the middle of a storyline, too...

CG: I got too busy with Mini Marvels and so I missed out on a few issues of Savage Dragon.  I do want to return to more G-Man in Comic Bits and finish off that storyline, but I don't know yet when that will be.

CBG: I remember there being a thread on your forum where Erik Larsen was like, "You should talk with the publisher about a new G-Man book, [smilie]." And then the forum was gone. Chris, you will make a lot of people happy if you answer right. Do you see a new G-Man book in our future?

CG: I appreciate the opportunities Erik has given me.  I would very much like to do a new G-Man book someday, but there's nothing planned at the moment.

CBG: By the way, why WAS your forum taken down?

CG: My webmaster/forum administrator has been quite busy lately, and he does his work for me on a volunteer basis, so I thought it would lighten his load to remove the forum.

CBG: I do like that we're getting more Mini Marvels work from you. The newer strips, tied in to Marvel events (Civil Wards, the World War Hulk strip, your upcoming Secret Invasion tale) have been fun. Besides the Secret Invasion story, are you currently working on any other Mini Marvels strips for Marvel.

CG: Right now I'm just working on that Skrulls story.  It's actually less Secret Invasion and more of a Mini Marvel take on the Skrulls' first encounter with Earth and the Fantastic Four.

CBG: Okay. This is a slightly more generic question, yes, BUT... are there any books you pick up on a regular basis?

CG: The books I can't go without these days are SAVAGE DRAGON, INVINCIBLE, WALKING DEAD, and THE GOON.

CBG: I enjoyed the work you did on your PVP fill-in. Do you see yourself doing any more webcomics in the near future?

CG: Thanks!  But no, I don't see any more web comics in the near future.  Right now I'm just trying to focus on the Mini Marvels assignments.

CBG: This [one's] kinda random, but have you read Jack Kirby's Devil Dinosaur? It has a monkey-thing riding this red T-Rex, running around fighting other monkeys on dinosaurs. It's like Jurassic Park on steroids. It's ridiculously awesome. AND it's by Jack Kirby. Because you doing a Devil Dinosaur Mini Marvel would be Da Bomb.

CG: I haven't read Devil Dinosaur before, but I love checking out anything Kirby's worked on.  It's on the list of things I need to read someday.  I actually drew Devil Dinosaur in Mini Marvels back-up for HULK AND POWER PACK #2, in a story by Paul Tobin titled, "Armageddon Unleashed."  Devil Dinosaur runs a daycare center.

Note: Man, when I was writing this question, I was all, "Chris Giarrusso totally drew Devil DInosaur!" But then I was all, "No, you're thinking of his appearance in Nextwave." Anyways, here is a panel in which the devilish one himself appears!

CBG: *ahem* Okay, getting back on topic... DC just launched a Tiny Titans book. Do you see yourself doing another Mini Marvels one-shot or even a mini or on-going?

CG: It's too early to tell.  I do think that DC's new kid's line is what prompted Marvel to release the Mini Marvels digest.  If the digest performs well, then Marvel may be interested in talking about more Mini Marvels projects.
 
CBG: Finally, thanks for taking the time to answer our questions, Chris!

CG: You're welcome!  It's always a pleasure!

--Interview by Sergio Lopez

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For the final installment of our American Dream feature, we interviewed inker Scott Koblish. And he brings puns! Anyways, American Dream #1 goes on sale May 7, and it's a bi-weekly, five-issue limited series. Look for it at your local comic shop!

Comic Book Gazette: How did you break into comics?

Scott Koblish: The real question I’ve been asking myself nowadays is how do I break OUT?  Everybody always spends so much energy and time trying to get in, but nobody ever tells you how to get out!  It’s like a form of contagious insanity or a zombie virus -- I got bitten at an early age and I was infested with a madness; I have drawn every day, for the majority of each day, for a third of a century. I trained with Joe Kubert from when I was 10 until 16.  I went to SVA, where I studied under Will Eisner and Harvey Kurtzman and then got work as a Romita Raider for Marvel.  I’ve been working in the field ever since.

CBG: What is the first comic you remember reading?

SK: I was offered a box of old comics from a friend of my parents and I was too nervous to take all of them (even though they told me to take whatever ones I wanted.) I took only three – one was a Marvel-Team up with Spidey and Valkyrie, where they fight the Meteor Man; and there were two Marvel Two-In-Ones, where they introduced Spider-Woman and Shang Chi.  My next batch of comics was really confusing because I got an Amazing Spider-Man, the story featuring the second of a two-parter where Spider-Man was fighting the Man-Wolf, and at the same time I got a reprint of the FIRST of a two-parter where he fights the Man Wolf, in his first appearance!  The reprint featured the absolutely STUNNING work of Gil Kane and John Romita Sr. (I think Gil never looked better than when John was inking him), and ends with Man-Wolf about to jump Spidey.  The Amazing issue started with the Man-Wolf jumping Spidey – so I thought the two of them were part of the same story; but it didn’t quite line up. Both had J. Jonah Jameson mewling like a little girl, but I had no way of knowing that there were 60 or 70 issues in between.  It didn’t help that the next time I
was able to pick up Spider-Man I had the same problem with a Vulture storyline. I didn’t know enough about how reprints worked, but the Kane/Romita stuff was so exciting I was more than willing to try and figure it out. I spent years trying to break a pencil like Peter Parker did in that first Man-Wolf story. 
 
CBG: Do you buy any comic books on a regular basis?

SK: Above and beyond reading the stuff that relates to projects I’m working on, I’m really stuck on Captain America. I’m just glued to that book, and it’s got an added bonus that an old friend of mine is coloring it and I think his work is just out of this world.  I’m a gigantic fan of Love and Rockets, Astonishing X-Men, most anything Frank Cho does.  I just picked up Echo, which looks really promising.  I try and keep an open mind about comics and I glance at pretty much everything.
 
CBG: Besides American Dream, which books are you currently working on?

SK: I’m penciling and inking Marvel Adventures Iron Man issues 11 and 12.  Everyone on the book is putting 110% into it and it’s a really rewarding project for
me; it’s something I’ve always wanted to do since I picked up my first issue of Iron Man 30 years ago (the one where he was tossed out of the S.H.I.E.L.D.
Helicarrier with his briefcase handcuffed to his wrist.)  Issue 11 features the original Alpha Flight and issue 12 features one of the last villains to be created for Marvel by Jack “King” Kirby himself!

It’s written by the incredibly talented writer Fred Van Lente, who was recently nominated as a “writer to watch,” and I’m watching him… right… now!  Stop that Fred!

It’s also colored by a fantastically talented colorist, whom I will not mention because you can’t steal him away from me – he’s mine, you hear?  MINE!

I’ve inked some pages in DC Universe Zero, and I’ll be inking whatever mystery project George Perez is working on next, which I think they’ll announce before March is over.

CBG: Prior to working on this series, have you ever read any other series' about the MC2 universe?

SK: Oh sure!  I read a whole passel of the Spider-Girl books as they were coming out – and A-Next was my favorite of the MC2 line when it was coming out in the 90’s -- I thought that book was a heckuva lot of fun!  I love Ron Frenz’s pencils and I thought Al Milgrom did a great job inking it.  I’ve even gotten to ink over Ron’s pencils on the American Dream covers – which is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time now, ever since I had to turn down inking Ron on the Defenders for an issue or two.  And I’ve always followed Tom DeFalco’s work – I practically memorized his runs on the Amazing Spider-Man and Thor!  

CBG: How did you get the job of working on American Dream?

SK: Well – I can tell you that Molly only had to ask once! I think it’s a great idea to focus on Dreamy – she’s been a very big part of each of the MC2 miniseries since Last Hero Standing.  You can see her story evolve through each miniseries as a full arc -- as she grappled first with the death of Captain America; helped defeat Galactus; and rose to prominence within the last Avengers-Next mini.  I think it’s about time she got her own series so we can track her progress more in-depth.  She’s a lot of fun to focus on and Todd draws her with a lot of personality and power.  I think everyone will enjoy where Tom and Todd are taking her.

CBG: You've worked on several MC2 books (such as Fantastic Five, and a few mini-series') before. What is it like collaborating with the same people (specifically, Tom) on these books?

SK: Well, it’s a very fun atmosphere in the MC2 line. Obviously Spider-Girl heads up the line – she’s a great character and has really had an amazing run (pun alert!).  I kind of think of myself as the nutty nephew in the group, and  I’ve tried to help everyone who works in the MC2 give it their best -- from Ron’s Lim and Frenz, to Pat Olliffe and now with Todd Nauck swinging for the rafters, it’s the little pocket universe that could!

CBG: What has it been like working on American Dream, as opposed to any other assignment?

SK: Well, it’s a lot of fun - Tom writes in the old “Marvel Method” and it’s fascinating to see how each artist interprets and evolves the concepts.  There’s a certain leeway that each artist does or doesn’t take that reveals a lot about the process of their creative thinking.  And this is the first time I’ve gotten to work with Todd Nauck -whose art is just astounding! What a talented guy – it’s a sheer pleasure to open up a package from him and see what’s inside!  I have a real soft spot for the MC2 characters – it always makes me smile when I see J2. 

CBG: With Last Hero Standing, you (meaning the entire creative team) finished the series in ten weeks. Are you working on as fast a schedule with American Dream?

SK: Much easier schedule for this one!  I keep nudging Tom and Molly to do the 3rd installment to Last _(Noun Classified!)_ Standing, but I don’t think Tom wants to
do it without Pat, and Pat’s been rising through the ranks over at the Distinguished Competition, so it might take us awhile.  But, boy there are no shortage of stories that Tom is coming up with -- Fantastic Five, A-Next, American Dream -- maybe next there could be a “MC2–in-one” series where the different heroes from that universe could team up over 5 issues? The Buzz and Darkdevil!  J2 and Spider-Girl!  A guy can (American) dream, can’t he?!

CBG: Would you be willing work on any more MC2 series' in the future?

SK: Always!  Long Live the MC2!

--Interview By Sergio Lopez

We sat down for a chat with Todd Nauck, artist on American Dream. Let's see what he had to say:

Comic Book Gazette: How did you break into comics? 

Todd Nauck: A friend from art school showed my WildGuard mini-comics to Dan Fraga from Extreme Studios at a comic book convention. He took them and showed them to his boss, Rob Liefeld. I got a call 2 days later to come work for Extreme. That was back in 1994. Then I moved on to work for DC and Marvel Comics. 
 
CBG: What is the first comic you can remember having read? 
 
TN: Some readers are probably aware that in the 1970’s there was a public television children’s educational program called the Electric Company. It taught about words and grammar mostly. Spider-Man appeared in a regular, live-action segment called Spidey Super Stories. Marvel published a comic by the same name. I had the issue where Spidey fought a guy who carried a bag of measles and would throw them on people. That was my first comic book and I was about 7 years old. 
 
I didn’t start collecting until 1984, when I was 13. My first comic as an avid collector was Secret Wars #7-9 I bought in a 3-pack at a Target store. 
 
CBG: What are the greatest influences on your work? 
 
TN: Superfriends cartoons in the 70’s got me excited about superheroes. I love the idea of people in costumes with superpowers. That’s probably my biggest influence and why I enjoy drawing superhero comic books. 
 
CBG: Do you buy any particular comic series' on a regular basis? 
 
TN: I read some Marvel and DC books. But my favorite is Invincible at Image Comics. I love Robert Kirkman’s writing and Ryan Ottley’s art. It’s a very fun superhero book! 
 
CBG: Besides American Dream, which books are you currently working on? 
 
TN: I am about to release a new mini-series about my reality TV superteam, WildGuard. It’s a three-issue mini-series called WildGuard: Insider. It debuts on May 14th. 
 
It is fun for me that I have four books coming out in May. Each one [a] week apart! 
 
My Marvel Comics mini-series, American Dream, has two issues out in May. Issue #1 is out May 7th and issue #2 is out May 21st. 
 
I also wrapped up my last monthly issue of Teen Titans Go for DC Comics. Issue #55 will be out on May 28th. 
 
CBG: Prior to working on this series, had you ever read any other series' about the MC2 universe? 
 
TN: I had read over a comic or two. I was familiar with the characters and concepts. But I hadn’t read any of the series regularly. Now that I have read some of the other MC2 mini-series, I am a big fan. It’s great! 
 
CBG: How did you land the job of working on American Dream? 
 
TN: The editor, Molly Lazer, gave me a call to see if I was available and interested in drawing the mini-series. It sounded fun, so I said yes! 
 
CBG: What has it been like working on American Dream, as opposed to any other assignment? 
 
TN: I’ve mostly drawn team books like Young Justice, Teen Titans, WildGuard, etc. Aside from my run on Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, I hadn’t gotten a chance to draw much of a solo character series. That’s probably the biggest difference. 
 
CBG: What is the best part about working on an all-ages title, specifically, American Dream? 
 
TN: It’s fun to work on books so many people can enjoy. It really opens my work up to a wide audience. 
 
CBG: Would you be willing work on any more MC2 series' in the future? 
 
TN: I would. There are a lot of other corners to the MC2 universe, I’d love to come back and draw more stories about these characters.

--Interview By Sergio Lopez

Tom DeFalco On American Dream (04.26)

We sat down with writer Tom DeFalco to talk about his upcoming series from Marvel, American Dream. It's set in an alternate-reality Marvel Universe, affectionately called MC2 for (for Marvel Comics Two) by its loyal fans. It stars a Captain America-inspired character (in this reality, Captain America died heroically, sacrificing himself to save others), called, of course, American Dream. Be back tommorow and Monday for two more interviews, with artist Todd Nauck and inker Scott Koblish!

Comic Book Gazette: How did you break into comics?

Tom DeFalco: Short answer: I graduated college and sent a resume to all the different comic book companies, asking for a job. ARCHIE COMICS liked what they saw, invited me in for an interview and gave me a job in their editorial department. I owe my entire career to the folks at ARCHIE.

Of course, I should mention that my resume contained a few interesting items. While I had been at college, I had sold a few short stories, worked for a local newspaper, wrote articles for the school’s public relations department and produced a weekly comic strip. I had plenty of published samples when I showed up for my interview at ARCHIE.

CBG: What is the first comic book you remember reading?

TD: I believe it was a BATMAN that some older cousin or somebody gave me to read. I don’t remember much about it, other than it scared the heck out of me. Before I saw my first comic book, I was already reading newspaper comics and totally into THE PHANTOM and MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN.

CBG: Do you buy any comic series' on a regular basis?

TD: As soon as I started getting money, I began spending it on candy bars and comic books. The candy bars eventually went away. I’m still buying the comics. I read all types of comics when I was a kid. I loved characters like JIMMY OLSEN and SUPERBOY. I later got into the FLASH, GREEN LANTERN and the FLY. I also used to read HOT STUFF and SPOOKY. My entire world changed one afternoon when I bought FANTASTIC FOUR #3 and #4 together. After that, I was hooked on MARVEL.

CBG: Besides American Dream and Spider-Girl, are you working on any other series' right now?

TD: I occasionally do stories featuring SHREK, SHARK TAILS and MADAGASCAR for TITAN PUBLISHING and I will soon be starting a series called MR. & MRS. SPIDER-MAN that will be appearing in SPIDER-MAN FAMILY. I’d like to do some other things, but most editors in the comic book industry have forgotten that I can write things besides SPIDER-GIRL.

CBG: Most of your work has been for Marvel. Do you see yourself maybe doing more creative-owned work in the future, like your Randy O' Donnell Is The M@n book from Image?

TD: Anything is possible. By the way, the first three issues of RANDY are now available on wowio.com. Anyone who has ever been curious about this series can download it for FREE!

CBG: Without really getting into specifics, what's the main plot of American Dream?

TD: American Dream attempts to help someone, gets involved in a small case and slowly becomes embroiled in a fight for her life against impossible odds. During the course of this story, we’ll finally learn the details of American Dream’s origin and gain a better understanding of the woman beneath the mask.

CBG: You've mentioned a couple of times before that you would enjoy writing an American Dream mini. What is it about the character that appeals to you?

TD: She has dedicated her life to pursing a dream and that’s something we can all identify with. I had a dream of becoming a writer. Many of our readers dream of entering the comic book field or of becoming doctors, lawyers or whatever. Dreams don’t come easy. You have to work hard and face a lot of rejection. Sometimes it’s almost impossible to keep putting one foot in front of the other, but you somehow find a way to keep going. I appreciate that stubbornness in American Dream and I hope the readers will, too.

CBG: I remember it was said that you worked on a really fast schedule on several other MC2 mini-series'. How fast has it taken you to write American Dream, and how many issues have been completed as of right now?

TD: The early series had some really tight deadlines. This one is kind of easy in comparison. Todd Nauck is doing a great job and it’s a real pleasure to script his pencils. At this stage, I believe the first two issues are inked and colored, the third is penciled and awaiting a scripting, and Todd just began work on the fourth issue.

CBG: Now that American Dream is being published, what MC2 series would you like to see in print next?

TD: I think it would be fun to do a THUNDERSTRIKE or STINGER series, but I’d prefer to hear from the readers and learn who they want to see.

--Interview by Sergio Lopez

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Comic Book Gazette: After seeing some characters on the Markosia forum I thought that it would be nice to talk to the creator of N-Guard. What it is about, and what more we can expect. So I asked Jon Bryans some questions about N-Guard, but also about who he is.

Well, first, what are you willing to tell us about yourself?

Jon Bryans: I am a lad from Belfast, Northern Ireland, who grew up in Canada who happened to learn how to tell a good story. There isn’t anything fancy about me… I am a normal guy with a wife and two young children. I grew up watching all the cool cartoons of the 80’s and reading comics. I am currently an animation coordinator for an animation company and I have been lucky enough to create a property that I believe will be a major player in the coming years.

CBG: Who are your inspirations?

JB: Well, like most of my generation who have grown up to work in the entertainment medium, I would have to say my greatest inspiration was Star Wars and George Lucas. Like him, I really enjoyed the Saturday afternoon matinees; serial movies that always kept you sitting on the edge of your seat, wondering what was coming next. I am also a very big fan of Larry Hama, the writer of the GI Joe comic and Wolverine. I am luck enough to be able to say that I am friends with Larry today. In the comic book medium, I would have to say Frank Miller. Pssst! Don’t tell him, but Harry Markos has become a big inspiration over the last few months. Other influences would be, GI Joe, Thundercats, Sectaurs, Starriors, Visionaries, C.O.P.S., Inhumanoids, Transformers, Robotech, Starblazers and almost anything from the 80’s and early 90’s (yes, even the Smurfs).

CBG: How did you roll into the comic business?

JB: Wow, that’s a hard one. I never honestly planned on being a comic book writer at first. I was moving toward a career in the toy industry and worked as a freelance designer for a number of years before I even thought about comics. You see, I wanted to create a toy/animation property. It was going to be so easy to do... yeah right… when I approached the toy companies with my property, they said I would need a cartoon first and when I approached animation companies and networks, they would say I needed a toy. You can just imagine the frustration I felt. Then some of the most amazing words of wisdom came from a very dear friend of mine – Gary Smith, who was then working for Hasbro Toys. He said I should teach them both a lesson and get a comic book out there. Wow, that came out of left field, but it sounded like a fantastic idea. This was going to be easy... yeah right… it wasn’t. It took me a number of years to get my first comic book series – Nature’s Guard, published by Warpton Comics out there. 2002/2003 to be exact. Now it is 2008, as you can see, it’s not an over night kind of thing, but in the end, it’s worth it. Now I am in a publishing deal with Markosia Enterprises and I couldn’t be happier.

CBG: How did you come up with the idea for the N-Guard?

JB: Honestly, I don’t remember how the idea came to be, but I know I was driven by the idea of bring back the cool cartoons of the 80’s. I wanted the epic feel, without being tied down by the flavour of the week villain. I wanted a story that would be told over a number of episodes/issues and the implication from these happening would have an effect on future stories. I wanted the characters to have real depths and be interlinked. No more of this one-sided, no-real-fibre-type characters. Mine would have lives beyond the stories I was telling.

CBG: Who are the N-Guard?

JB: Boon is the son of Racky Raccoon, President of the Nature’s Senate. Boon is a natural leader and has a cunning knack for caring deeply for everyone.

Kat is the popular girl, but don’t get the wrong idea, she is extremely smart. She is a brilliant tactician. Kat and Boon are very close.

Klondike is the captain of the Slamball team. He is tough beyond words, but deep inside, he is a very caring person, just for appearances, he keeps the softer side of his personality hidden. Klondike is often prone to rush into situations without thinking it through, and because of this, he and Boon don’t always see eye to eye.

And finally; Quickstep is the joker of the team. She doesn’t often take things very seriously, however, when push comes to shove, she is always there for her friends in a flash.

Together they are battling the evil forces of the SpiderSect Empire. A race of sub-terrain Spiders led by the tyrannical Empress Webula and Grandsilk Weaver. The SpiderSect are driven to re-create the surface world to more of their suiting.

CBG: What more can you tell us about your book N-Guard?

JB: This inaugural mini-series will be an establishing story that will explain how the N-Guard come together as a team and it will plant seeds that will grow into future series (as long as the sales warrant) expanding the Forestyan Universe. I already have plans for at least two more N-Guard mini-series. I am plotting out a mini-series to explain the origins of the SpiderSect Empire and Empress Webula. I am also creating a spin-off series called F.E.R.N. (Forestyan Emergency Response Network), which will tell of the battles with the SpiderSect from the military's POV. Many, many good things are planned, but for any of it to happen, the numbers will have to warrant it.

CBG: All your characters are animals what is the reason behind this?

JB: There mommies and daddies were animals… all kidding aside, I have always loved the anthropomorphic realm. I loved TMNT growing up, and I felt I needed to create something like that. So after years of serious development, I believe I have succeeded with my goal.

CBG: How did you end up with Markosia to publish your book?

JB: Now that’s a funny story. I was working at a retail job and I met this fabulous husband and wife – they became dear customers of mine – and when they discovered I was writing a comic books series, they put me in touch with their nephew, Harry. I reluctantly approached him about the property and at first, I was turned down… but I learned something, persistence and hard work with solid devotion to your craft pays off. I went back to work on the book, improving it immensely, and lo-and-behold, the next time Harry got a chance to see the series, he came on as the publisher and it has been one of the most enjoyable rollercoaster rides ever since… one that I am extremely proud and honoured to be riding with Harry Markos, a truly honest man who is always willing to go the extra mile to help out a creator he believes in. He is my publisher now, but more than that, he is my friend.

CBG: Can we also expect other things [apart from] N-Guard from you?

JB: Yes, you can. Besides being exceptionally busy developing the follow up to this first N=Guard mini-series, I am developing a number of new properties. One is called Wind Lancers, it will be an amazing series, but alas, I am not able to really talk about it right now. I am also developing a property called GoGo Ronin. This will tell the story of four small robots, their creator and his step-daughter as they battle against an alien invasion by an evil race called the Prime8 and their Simian Squads. Both of these new series I am hoping to bring out through Markosia, but only time will tell. I am also currently writing a screenplay for an animated movie called M.E.C.H.A.Riders, I just finished a screenplay for an animated movie called Fire Force 5 for an animation company in Canada, and I am writing a screenplay for a live action movie called Green Horizon. I am unable to talk about these projects as of yet, but watch for some announcements coming soon. I have also just signed on with a toy company to develop a property I have created. So as you can see, there are many other things coming your way from me. I have no plans on being a one-hit wonder.

CBG: And at last what can we wake you up for in the middle of the night?

JB: Honestly, there really isn’t anything you could wake me up for. Given the amount of work I have ahead of me, I will be lucky if I am sleeping in the middle of the night… plus my wife might have an issue with you coming into our room in the middle of the night to wake me up.

CBG: The book itself will be solicited in the previews of May with a release date in July.

--Interview by Antoon Bierman

Today, we're serving up an exclusive interview with comic creator, David Petersen. He's worked on Mouse Guard, a critically-acclaimed title from Archaia Press. (Seriously, this thing had like a gazillion printings. You should still be able to find some at you local comic shop of course, and a really nice hardcover book collecting the first series was just released). He's also done several children's books (check them out here on his website, DavidPetersen.net -- the art's gorgeous), though do note that these haven't been published for the general public. Lastly, be sure to check out the official Mouse Guard website by clicking here.

Comic Book Gazette: For the benefit of those unfamiliar with the title, could you describe the basic concept of your title, Mouse Guard?

David Petersen: Mouse Guard is a medieval fantasy book with mice as the main characters. Because  Mice are so low on the food chain, they have to build their cities deep and hidden to avoid predator attacks. The settlements are also built far apart so  that if any one is compromised, the whole population is not wiped out. This  would leave the mice prisoners of their own towns if not for the Mouse Guard.

The Mouse Guard acts as escort, trail blazer, weather watcher, and guide for any mouse to travel. The first series Fall 1152 serves as an introduction and gives the mice a traitor to deal with. The current series Winter 1152 is the follow up in dealing with the results of that treason and the effect it has had on supplies in the harshest of seasons.

CBG: Did you ever read any comic books as a kid?

DP: Sure! I discovered comics when I was about eleven. I don't remember which came first for me, Eastman & Laird's Ninja Turtles, or Claremont & Cockrum's X-Men. I was hooked on both. I was buying Marvel's Classic X-Men, which were the 70's  reprints of X-Men stories with new covers (usually by Art Adams) and with a  backup story by John Bolton & Chris Claremont. I became a Jim Lee fan when I  found that he was doing the X-men books that were being currently published at  the time.

In high school I started finding artists that I felt were really breaking the "norm" of comic book art like Mike Mignola, Frank Miller, Chris Bachalo, and Joe Madureira.

CBG: What are the greatest influences on your work?

DP: My home state of Michigan he really become the backdrop of Mouse Guard. I was a  Boy Scout, my family camped, I was a kid who tromped in the mud and climbed trees and dreamed of adventure, so I think those things really influence Mouse Guard strongly. In terms of storytelling I like to work with the standard building blocks that make up good stories, the classic betrayals, small vs big, sacrifice for success, type blocks. I know that George Lucas wasn't making anything new in terms of story goals, but for me, Star Wars is my cultural mythology. It's more resonant and familiar to me that Homer's Oddesy or the Epic of Gilgamesh or any Celtic myth (I still enjoy those things, but I am not as steeped in them). 

CBG: Do you have a preference between writing and drawing?

DP: Definitely drawing. I like coming up with story ideas, but a lot of those come to me as images, so the whole process for me is very visual. I really enjoy the inking process and now also the coloring process too.

CBG: How did you manage to get Mouse Guard published?

DP: I started out self-publishing Mouse Guard. The sample images had gotten some interest from convention attendees at the Motor City Comic Con in Novi, MI. I had some experience with Comixpress, an online print-on-demand comic printer, so I figured it was time to just get some of my work out there. Those were black and white versions of issue #1. After having some success with them at the Motor City Con, I took a handful with me to San Diego that year. I was advised to show Mouse Guard to Archaia Studios Press. I didn't think they would want to publish it, but thought that already having had a portfolio review from Mark Smylie a few years beforehand, I'd at least get a good critique out of a meeting. Archaia wanted to publish the book...and in color! I was floored.

CBG: Is there any reason as to why you chose to publish Mouse Guard in a book-sized 8" x 8" as opposed to a standard 6½" x 10" size?

DP: Before comixpress and some of the other print-on-demand places were around (or in the public eye) the way to self-publish a comic on the cheap was to do a mini-comic. The idea is to use supplies already found at a copy shop. I was thinking about how to make a mini-comic stand out at a convention without adding too much cost. Using legal paper instead of letter paper came to mind. a folded legal sheet comes to 7" x 8.5". I liked what it did to panel layouts. I liked that the horizontal panels had more 'umph'...like a David Lean movie. So when it came time to do Mouse Guard, I thought "why not make it perfectly square?"

CBG: Currently, Mouse Guard: Winter 1152 is being published. Are more series' scheduled for the near future?

DP: I have more of the stories planned for sure. The next series will be set further in the past and deal with a few historic figures in the Mouse Guard history, namely the Black Axe. I have the outlines for the next two series after that as well, one showing a historic war from the Guard's past, and one that will chronologically follow the current Winter storyline. I didn't get much of a breather between the Fall and Winter series, so there will be a bit more of space of time before the 3rd series starts compared to last time, but it's a story I am excited to tell. 

CBG: Did you envision Mouse Guard as a comic book from the start? In some ways it almost seems like it was originally intended to be a picture book.

DP: The earliest incarnations of the project that Mouse Guard became was a comic. Although once the mice became the soul of the story, I thought more about telling it as prose with chapter illustrations. The illustrations were just the thing I wanted to work on more than page and pages and pages of text, so it surely had to be more visual than a chapter book. Comics seemed like a logical choice to me because it was a story telling method I enjoyed reading and was familiar with and always wanted to try my hand at.

CBG: Are there any other titles that you'd like to work on, or will it be only Mouse Guard for now?

DP: I have another creator-owned book I'll get to some day. I would never say never about working on another person's/company's characters, but I think I'd rather be telling my own stories, so that means a lot more Mouse Guard.

CBG: What advice would you give someone trying to break into comics?

DP: I'd say to work hard on having a finished product. Even if it's not what you  show publishers (like if you are only turning in 5 pages of sample scripted  work) the excersice of doing an entire project will give you the experience of what 24 pages in a row is like. If you have the sample book publsihed (either by  print-on-demand or mini-comic form) It gives you something to leave with a  publisher or art director.

--Interview by Sergio Lopez. NOTE: Images taken from MouseGuard.net.

Tom Beland Interview (03.18)

Today we're inteviewing Tom Beland. He's well-known for his series, TRUE STORY SWEAR TO GOD, currently from Image Comics, but he's also done work for Marvel, such as FANTASTIC FOUR: ISLA DE LA MUERTE, and another special which was well-received by fans, WEB OF ROMANCE (which featured Spider-Man and Mary Jane). To learn more about some of Tom Beland's work, be sure to visit his excellent website, TomBeland.com.

Comic Book Gazette: Did you ever read any comics as a kid?

Tom Beland: Oh man, did I read comics as a kid. Here's how good I had it as a six-year old who loved comics. 

My mother worked in the pharmacy department at a local drug store, Levinson's. I'd go there after school, since the store was practically right next door and that's where I'd buy my comics. They had one of those "HEY KIDS... COMICS!" rack, loaded with comics. Anyway, the woman who was in charge of the magazines was Ruth, a super-old woman who HATED dealing with those books. 

So, one day I walk in and she's mumbling about what a pain in the ass it is to change those comics every week. I told her that I'd be glad to change the comics and she tells me that not only can I change the comics, but she'd also pay me FIVE DOLLARS to do it! This is back when comics were still fifteen cents, so this was a huge deal. I changed the comics and bought a shitload of comics and carried them all home.

My dad sees this huge bag of comics and when I tell him about the deal I made with Ruth, he felt I was doing something nice to take advantage of an old woman. So we went back to the store to return the bag of comics, with me crying my ASS off every step of the way and Ruth refused to take them back. A deal is a deal she told my dad. After a short conversation, he was cool with the idea... so long as I brought home the new MAD magazine.

So I had a great collection. I was reading 99% Marvel, I would try some Charlton Comics and I think they had Elongated Man at the time. I was buying those big PLANET OF THE APES books and some of the DC stuff. 

I was in love with Gold Key Comics. Man, what a bummer they're gone. Devastating. Those books, as well as the golden-age Looney Tunes and Hanna Barbera cartoons are what got me into cartooning. Those old Yogi Bear cartoons where he was just a smart-ass bear looking for a free lunch had me ROLLING. Same with those first few seasons of Flintstones. I LOVED smart-ass cartoon characters... still do. And you don't see those younger entry-level comic books that are just about goofy fun.

I got so into cartooning at that time. I just wanted to draw comics when I got older.

CBG: How did you break into comics professionally?

TB: I took the long way. TRUE STORY, SWEAR TO GOD was originally a weekly comic strip that was sent over an e-mailing list. There weren't too many places you could get your comics online back then. 

COMIC BOOK GALAXY was one of the sites that carried the strip. We had some arguments and it was your typical internet bitch-slapping. And I did a LOT of the slapping. It wasn't one of the most amicable breaks when I left there. I still carry some guilt about that time in my life.

Alan David Doane really did a lot to help me get started and I was passing off the anger and frustrations of living in a new and strange place like Puerto Rico onto Alan. I feel horrible about that to this day. I'd love to buy Alan a beer and have one of those "remember when I was an asshole back then..?" conversations you have when you're older and, hopefully, wiser. I think we would both have a laugh over those days. Ugh. Embarrassing.

So, eventually, I took those strips and made some mini-comic collections. Each zine had about twelve strips in it and, to my surprise, they did very well for the stores who carried them. I wasn't looking for a new car to buy, but more importantly, it gave me some self-confidence in my work. I got nominated for an Ignatz Award for my zines.

Then I took a book I made about how I met Lily at Disneyworld and after MANY conversations, created the first issue of TSSTG in a comic book format. I submitted the book in the most amateur way possible. I took photocopies of the pages, put them in some plastic sleeves in a three-ring binder and wrote "TRUE STORY, SWEAR TO GOD by TOM BELAND" on the white cover in Sharpie and shipped it off to Diamond for review. And they accepted it. I mean... HOW the fuck did that work??

I thought that would be it. We did the book, got it distributed from Diamond and I had it printed at Quebecor Lebonfon. It was a learning process every step of the way, on the fly. Then, when Lily asked me what the next issue was going to be about, I was like "NEXT book??? There IS no next book! I only HAVE one story in me!" I really didn't know what else I could write about, so I just went to the coffee house, took out my sketchbook and breathed slowly and decided to write about the little things. Those moments that may not seem too dynamic or exciting, but... if I could get the reader to relate to my stories, maybe there's be something there. At least for two or three issues.

That lead to 17 issues and six Eisner nominations. I did stories about San Juan, Napa Valley, family, love, hurricanes, weddings with drunken priests, comic book conventions, meeting my idols, comic shop retailers and getting spit on during a Vieques protest. You never know how many stories you have in you until you just start writing them down.

During that time, AiT/PlanetLar took my work after the fourth issue and began making the trade paperbacks. They also did the TSSTG: 100 STORIES that collected all the strips, which was pretty popular. 

And along the way, it turns out that other professionals were reading my books and one night, during a book-signing at Jim Hanley's Universe in New York, Tom Brevoort strolls in, tells me he liked how I wrote couples and romance, and said I should write some Spidey stories with Mary Jane. I had NO IDEA this was Brevoort, so when I said, "Yeahhhhh that'll be the day THAT dream comes true," he slaps down his business card, with this huge Spidey on it and says, "Give me a call," and walks out. 

Blew. My. Fucking. Mind.

Also, Joe Ferrara, owner of Atlantis Fantasyworld in Santa Cruz, turned Bill Morrison, over at Bongo Comics onto my 100 STORIES book and Bill liked how I wrote boy characters. My stories about my childhood definitely had a Bart feeling to them. I was very much like Bart as a teenager.  So, that's how I got to write for them.

It's bizarre to me how my career has morphed. I was known my entire youth as someone who drew good. Then, all of a sudden, I began to notice the focus go towards my writing. I'd NEVER thought of myself as a writer.... ever. Eh-VAH. Now, I'm making my living on writing scripts [rather] than drawing comics. I love drawing, it's deeply embedded in me... but this writing side of me is something I'm finding fascinating. Mind blowing. Because I'd never see myself smart enough to be known as a writer. I don't mean brainy smart... but... well.. the kind of smarts that make you respected in a way. Accepted is probably a better word. 

I keep picturing my English teacher hearing about how I'm known more as a writer... and I keep seeing her grab her chest and collapsing. *laughs* 

CBG: What are the greatest influences on your work?

TB: Those early Hanna-Barbera cartoons were HUGE. I loved the Flintstones immensely. A lot of the expressions I use were greatly influenced by that animation. I also tend to do panels where one person is standing there thinking of what the other person had just said before the next panel has the reaction. Fred Flintstone did that a lot, I remember.

Al Hirschfeld was also huge. My father LOVED his work and we'd try to find the "NINA" in those pieces. He would draw these characters of people in action and it looked as though they didn't have bones. He could stretch an arm or curve a leg in that way that gave a more fluent motion. Wow, was he great. 

Pete Doctor, over at PIXAR, has a commissioned piece by Hirschfeld, that features Pete, his wife and their baby. It's pretty huge and it's right over their fireplace and it's... it's... AL HIRSCHFELD for Christ's sake!!! How insane is it to have something so impossible??? That, to someone in cartooning or animation, is like being in a swinger's party and some guy just flops his junk over the bar and says, "Who's bigger?" and nobody challenges him. That's probably the oddest compliment to an artist, but it doesn't mean it's not true. Pete's got four aces on his wall. 

Keith Knight is a huge influence. If you're reading and enjoying my work and not reading THE K. CHRONICLES (www.kchronicles.com), then you're missing out on the single reason I'm making autobiographical comics. The K. CHRONICLES is greatest strip out there. It's real. It's honest. It's hilarious. And it's challenging. 

And the television series, MAD ABOUT YOU really taught me what to examine in a relationship. What little things go on, how we all relate to each other. They both had their issues and they both fucked up and they had this HUMOR throughout the series that I fell in love with. That's the relationship I wanted to be in... Paul and Jamie's. And, in many ways, it's the relationship I DID get in with Lily.

CBG: Do you buy any comic series' on a regular basis?

TB: How do you NOT get excited about Wednesdays? And you know what..? Lily gets that about me. It's so cool. I've heard her make dinner plans on the phone and she's actually  said to people "Why not make it at seven...? It's Wednesday, Tom's getting his comics." And you want to hear something even MORE insane? Her GIRLFRIENDS get that about me. They've never joked, never questioned, never did anything disrespectful about a 45-year old guy getting jacked-up about new comics. They treat it the same way as movies and music. I've never seen anyone's eyes roll skywards. I'm very impressed by that. I dig her friends.

I've got such a boner for Ed Brubaker's work. How do you write THAT much awesomeness? The new issue of Daredevil... YOWser. That last panel with Mr. Fear looking at the reader. COOOOOOL. And then there's Captain America. Rocks. Love on the rocks, rocking. X-Men.... Criminal... it's against the laws of nature. 

I'm also into MOUSEGUARD... RASL by Jeff Smith is very cool... TEEN TITANS: YEAR ONE... 

CBG: Is there any particular series you'd like to work on that you haven't had a chance to?

TB: I'm just finishing a story for CLASSIC AVENGERS that began in one direction, as this slapstick goofy story, and then, in one day, was rewritten (I'd made a goof in the timeline that made one major joke impossible) in ANOTHER direction, as a dramedy, which features a very cool Captain America/Spider-Man sequence. And no, they're not fucking. I know the posters over at [Brian Bendis' forum] JINXWORLD and this would be the FIRST thing they'd post after hearing that from me.

TombelandTSSTG:

"...IT FEATURES A VERY COOL CAPTAIN AMERICA/SPIDER-MAN SEQUENCE"

MattMan:

"DOES HE FUCK HIM IN THE ASS?" ;)

TombelandTSSTG:

"YES, MATT... CAPTAIN AMERICA FUCKS SPIDER-MAN IN THE ASS. AND MARVEL WANTS A SEQUEL."

MattMan:

"DIDN'T YOU SEE THE SMILEY AFTER THE SENTENCE??!! FUCK MAN, EASE UP!!!"

 

Okay, I'm back on track now. I'd love to do a Nightcrawler story with him in Paris. I've always seen Kurt as [a] ladies' man, in the mold of Beast back when he was fun and in the Avengers. I miss the old Beast. Maybe a story with both of them... Kurt trying to lighten Beast up.  A night on the town in Paris. Yeah... and I'd love to have Darwyn Cooke on the art chores. That's just about Hirschfeld for me. Cooke is the man.

And I'd love to write something for DC some day. I'm just not sure what best fits my style over there. Marvel characters, to me, have always been personality-driven... so it's easier to slip into character. DC has always been a puzzle to me. But they have lots of good moments. I was in LOVE with Marv Wolfman/George Perez's TEEN TITANS. That was so Marvelesque to me, as a reader. 

"WHO IS DONNA TROY?" is right there in my top ten list for favorite comic book. So is Kurt Busiek/Stuart Immonen's SUPER-MAN: SECRET IDENTITY. Wow, that was a great series. Keith Giffen/Kevin Maguire's JUSTICE LEAGUE was a blast. And, of course, I buy anything that's NEW FRONTIER related. 

You know what I'd love to write? Nightwing and Starfire... first date. I could get into that.

CBG: Do you have a preference between writing and penciling?

TB: Love pencilling. It's total control and it's giving birth to a thought. There's a workmanship to drawing. 

But there's also that new girl in school named writing. It's so new to me to do scripts that it has a bigger fun factor. Plus, it's very cool to write down the image that you have in your head and see how it comes out of someone else's. It's like writing down a recipe and then having a master chef work with it. It makes Wednesdays all that much cooler, because we rarely get our comps before the book ships. So, it's fresh in the store.

 

CBG: How long does it usually take you to finish the penciling on a regular-sized comic? Alternatively, how long does it take for you to finish a regular script?

TB: If you ask my readers and the folks at Image, it takes me roughly fifteen years to complete a regular sized issue. 

It can take me eight hours to finish a regular script. 

Here's why. TSSTG is me. It's all of me poured into book and I've always said that I'd never make a book that I wouldn't personally buy. So, I really work on each page. I've drawn a page four times because I wasn't happy about the pacing. Then, when it's all done, I give the book to Lily and she's very honest about my work. Because I'm expecting her to have the same feeling I have with the book. If she hands it back to me, she's usually cried or is moved by the story in some way. Once I get that reaction, I send the book off. 

Again, and I'm sorry to use a food reference again but I'm really into cooking... it's like cooking dinner for someone you really care about. You're not going to just throw a can of Cambells into a bowl and serve it. No. You check the sauce... make sure the pasta is right... the garlic bread is toasting in the oven. You want it all to be good. 

That's how I see my book. It's not someone else's book. It's not Marvel's or DC's or Bongo's or even Image. It's me. I want it to be right. I'd hate to say, "Well... issue #20 didn't make any sense because I had to get it out." I'd rather hear someone say "It took a while, but it was worth it." I'm just saying, when it's late, there's a reason. 

Which, if Joe Quesada is reading this, he's gotta be doing a spit-take with his Red Bull. Because I gave him sooooooo much shit about that back when he was on Daredevil. I mean, I was not just an asshole to him, I was that second layer of skin within the anal lining... THAT much of an asshole. I went off on him and proclaiming no comics should ever be late and, wowwwww.... I was a dick. 

And y'know what happened then? I fucking grew up. I spent some years with a woman who is a Buddhist and made me a better person to the point where I was embarrassed of those years. So, I decided I was going to apologize to everyone I embarrassed. I wrote to Joe and I'm sure he flipped me off to the screen so close, there's DNA off the tip of his middle fingernail. 

And y'know what happened? The dude forgave me. He took me at my word and the dude hired me to write some dream gigs years later. I mean, how can you get to a point in your life like that and not be impressed with someone? 

Here's what I think of Joe Quesada. He took away the single-most cherished thing to me in the Marvel Universe, blamed it on magic, and basically erased my WEB OF ROMANCE story... and I think he's awesome. The day the wedding ended, I thought it would've been great to have a beer with him, just before the comic boxes opened, clink bottles together and say "the shit is about to hit the fan." 

I mean, there's gotta be a this weird... rush knowing fanboys' heads are about to explode. It'd be like being a kid again and knowing dad was on his way home to whip my brother's ass. "Oh man... dad is going to GET you...." sort of feeling. So, while everyone was typing with their fists, just as I would've done in my earlier days, I was looking over at Lily and I told her, "They just dropped Little Boy."

And I told her the same thing when they killed Captain America. And now they've got Skrulls. You may not agree with it, and yeah, it can bum you out, but wouldn't you love to have been around computer and saying, "Okay... they're posting."

If the guy wasn't a class act, there would never have been a WEB OF ROMANCE or FANTASTIC FOUR: ISLA DE LA MUERA for me to write. I love Tom Brevoort for believing I could do this... but Joe really did a huge thing and it taught me a LOT. I've never held a grudge against anyone since. Ask Greg Burgas. I'd love to split a beer with Joe at a con sometime.

 

CBG: Do you have a preference between doing creator-owned work and work-for-hire?

TB: Not really. Because they're two completely different beasts to me. One of them is this deep and personal journey I'm putting to pencil and ink. It feels good to hear when someone relates to it or, in whatever way, helps them know they're not the only people working on a relationship... and understanding how great it is. 

The other beast is this insane playground I get to screw around in. Characters that got me through some devastating times in my life. These characters at Marvel... they're more than just line drawings and dialogue. They are a part of my life. Simple as that. So, when someone lets me actually put words in their mouths and tell them what to do... it's a very surreal experience. I'm as close to those characters as I am my best friends. And noooo... I'm not drunk or stoned. That's a very sober statement.

And I've had a great experience working with the editors like Steve Wacker, Mark Panaccia and Alejandro Arbona. Alejandro gets what I'm trying to say in my stories. His work on FANTASTIC FOUR: ISLA DE LA MUERTA was very crucial to it being a success. He was the guy who also did all the translation for the Spanish edition, because we wanted it to be genuine Puerto Rican Spanish. He really helps a writer like me guide the ship to the sales rack. 

Marvel has taught me patience and to be flexible and not anchor myself to just one view of a story. In WEB OF ROMANCE, the opening sequence with Spidey speaking with a webbed-up Mandrill... that scene was originally Spider-Man and the Rhino. But Mark told me that the Rhino was in a slew of books and that if I wanted the story to stand out, we should use another villain. He recommended Mandrill and that entire scene was changed for the better.

So, I love the control I have with TSSTG, but I love the team concept with work-for-hire... to ummm... make a long answer seem forever.

CBG: You've worked in a wide range of comic genres. Which title has been your favorite to work on?

TB: I think the FANTASTIC FOUR [ISLA DE LA MUERTE] book. It was me, Juan Doe and Alejandro, three guys who love Puerto Rico, and we were having a fucking ball making that book. We really had a feeling that we were doing something special on that one. People here are STILL buying that book, both editions, and sending them off to relatives in the states. It's insane!

And WEB OF ROMANCE is right there with the FF. Because... and this ain't bragging, it's just how it feels... I really feel I nailed those characters. I really think I celebrated Peter and Mary Jane. I've always thought Peter belonged to Gwen Stacy until I sat down and wrote Peter's thoughts on why Mary Jane was a better fit for him. I actually talked myself into understanding why Mary Jane is his life love. I still feel that way. And those web-shooter bracelets... fun stuff.

CBG: Finally, what advice would you give to someone who was trying to break into comics?

TB: Don't make anything you wouldn't buy. Give your stuff the same type of criticism and scrutiny you give all those books you see on the shelves on Wednesday. 

 

--Interview by Sergio Lopez

 

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Today we're interviewing comics creator David Mack (who happens to be one of my favorite creators in comics right now). If you've never heard of him, go to your local comic shop right now and pick up a Kabuki trade paperback (may I suggest the current volume, Kabuki: The Alchemy), and both the Daredevil: Wake up and Daredevil: Echo - Vision Quest trades. He's also got a picture book out called The Shy Creatures. If you're hesitant to drop money on any of these without knowing what to expect, you can check out previews for Kabuki and The Shy Creatures at the super-comprehensive DavidMackGuide.com. Also be sure to check out David Mack's official site, DavidMack.net. You can also order this stuff from his site cheap. Finally, look for Kabuki: The Alchemy and an upcoming New Avengers story about Echo, by David Mack, and both from Marvel, in stores soon.

Comic Book Gazette: What is the first comic you remember reading?

David Mack: It was a Frank Miller Daredevil when I was 9 or 10 years old.

CBG: How did you break into comics professionally?

DM: Writing and drawing my book Kabuki. Caliber comics published it as a creator owned book, and I was able to keep doing it, and I was offered other projects based on my work on Kabuki. Based on the story in Kabuki, Joe Quesada offered me to take over as writer on Daredevil after Kevin Smith. That was my first Marvel work.

CBG: What are the greatest influences on your work?

DM: My mother mainly. She was a first grade teacher, and as a kid I observed her making artisting things to communicate lessons to her class.

When I began reading comics, writers Alan Moore and Frank Miller were very inspiring to me. Also artist, Jim Steranko. Then in my formative years in drawing comics, Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Oeming and I began kind of learning from each other and trading out secrets.

CBG: Of all the titles you've worked on, which one have you most enjoyed having worked on?

DM: Well, I’ve worked on more Kabuki stories than any other thing combined. I have seven complete volumes of Kabuki available right now with over 1,500 pages of story.

That has been a great joy, because I’ve been able to evolve on it as the characters and stories have evolved, and I’m able to cultivate a different writing and artistic style for each of the volumes.

Also, I’m working on my fourth Daredevil story right now, and that has been a joy, because I read it as a kid, and I’ve been able to collaborate with some of the most talented creators in the medium.

CBG: Is there any title you'd like to work on that you haven't had a chance to?

DM: I have a Captain America story I’d like to write. I’d enjoy writing a mean Punisher story.  Also, I’d write a fun Wolverine.  I have some upcoming Marvel projects that I can’t announce yet, but they are dream projects.

CBG: How long does it usually take you to finish one fully-painted or collaged page of comic art?

DM: With Kabuki I like to have 2 months for each issue. With Marvel titles, I need to do an issue in one month. So like a page a day.

CBG: How did the idea for the Kabuki series' come about?

DM: The first volume (Kabuki: Circle of Blood) is kind of a crime story/espionage story.  On one level it is a kind of version of a George Orwell 1984 story where the media has become a mouthpiece for corporations and government to influence the culture. The (multi-national) corporation super-cedes the nation state as the real power in the world and used the media and what we used to call the news to maintain its true interest- making money and keeping control by exerting a state of fear and constant war about something.

I wrote it in 1993 and began publishing it in 1994. I thought I would take some of what was beginning to happen in the media then and turn up the volume of it, exaggerate it, to make a point. It doesn’t feel as exaggerated when I read it now.

In the story, there is a kind of interdependence between the organized crime, corporations, government, and media. And there is a government agency that polices that interdependence. It is an agency called the Noh. The Noh also has its own television channel called Noh TV in which it exerts its influence by soft power or cultural power. With characters clothed in nationalistic iconography and cultural masks. The general populace believe these characters to be kind of media idol talking heads about the daily propoganda. But there are also rumors that the masked animations on the news are also operatives of the media that keep the scales balanced between the organized crime corporations and the political pundits if they go too far in either direction.

Kabuki is one of these media icons of channel Noh. At a certain point, her personal family obligations supercede the nationalistic propaganda that she grew up believing and she embarks on a path that puts here against the powers that she formerly served.

The current volume (Kabuki: The Alchemy), from Marvel’s Icon line, follows the same main character, but it is after she has left her former line of work and has decided to start a new career. It kind of starts in that place people can sometimes find themselves after graduating high school or college, or switching jobs where you ask, what am I really here to do? How do I figure that out? And after figuring that out, how do I make it happen?

It is about practical applications of making that happen, and about the nature of ideas and creativity in general (about practical applications for turning those ideas and dreams into reality). And specifically, how to turn the problems of your past, into something useful and practical for your future. How to turn your garbage into gold.

Each of the volumes has a different theme to it and uses a different storytelling style. DavidMackGuide.com has preview pages for each and every issue, so readers can see how each one has its own approach,.

CBG: I've never heard of another comics creator having worked on a children's book. How did the idea for your book, The Shy Creatures, come about?

DM: I believe Neil Gaiman has written a children’s book. And also Jon Muth who I share my book agent with.

Children’s stories has been a kind of running theme in the Kabuki volumes. The first volume, Circle of Blood is a kind of retelling of Alice In Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, where each of the characters in the story lines up to a character in that.

In Volume five, Kabuki: Metamorphosis, there is a children's book story I made inside the story, called My Invisible Friend. It kind of gives you a hint of how to read the surface story but from a kid's metaphorical view.

I continued this theme in The Alchemy when The Shy Creautures appeared as a book within a book in the story.

It is about a Shy Girl, who wants to be a doctor to all of the mythological or cryptozoological creatures who she instists, do exist, but are just shy. Reviews seem to compare it as a cross between Dr. Seuss and Where the Wild Things Are.

CBG: Would you say your art style has evolved over the years? If so, do you think of this as a natural progression or something you had to do conciously?

DM: Yeah, well, I don’t really have one style. I tend to cultivate a new visual approach for each story based on the tone of the script. So yeah, there is a very conscious evolution to the artwork and also a natural progression as you say.

Anytime I do any kind of book, it is all based on storytelling. So I’m a writer first, and I view the art as another tool of the writing, so I like to develop a visual look that best communicates that particular story.

CBG: Do you have a preference between writing and penciling/painting?

DM: I love writing and I love all kinds of visual arts. The wonderful thing about working in comics is that when it is done at its best, they become indistinguishable from one another. At its best, you can’t tell where the writing ends, and the art begins. They become one thing.

CBG: What advice would you give someone trying to break into comics?

DM: Just do it. Do the art and story you’d like to do. Start it… complete it, and then show it. Repeat.  Often many people tend to not fulfill one of these stages.

When you get a project, follow through and finish it and give it your best. And don't wait for someone to give it to you. Just start your own project.

--Interview by Sergio Lopez

We sat down to talk with comics writer Joe Casey, who has done work on several titles over the years, including Superman, Avengers, Iron Man, Wildcats, and more. More recently, he's writing Youngblood form Image Comics. He's also worked in television.

Comic Book Gazette: Did you read comics as a kid?

JC: I had a good time with WILDCATS, AUTOMATIC KAFKA, AVENGERS: EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES (both series), the IRON MAN minis I've written.  I'm sure there are more.  Honestly, most of the past ten years have been a real kick. 
 
CBG: Is there a title you'd like to work on that you haven't had a chance to?

JC: I didn't "join" MOA, I co-founded it with the other three partners.  We're a four-man creative think tank that's worked in every area of the entertainment media.  Most notably so far, we created BEN 10 for Cartoon Network. 
 
CBG: What advice would you give someone trying to break into comics?

David Hine Interview (02.09)

Today, we've got for you an interview with comic book writer and artist, David Hine. He's got a diverse resume, from his creator-owned Strange Embrace, to several titles at Marvel, to his current assignment, Spawn, at Image Comics. Click here to visit the official Strange Embrace website.