Interview with the Author... and Artist!
Joining us today is Daniele Serra, the artist of Pray For Death, and Nicholas Doan, the author of Pray For Death!
The Webcomic Review: What first inspired you to start your webcomic?
Nicholas Doan: For me it began with a deeply rooted fascination in the Jack The Ripper case and a complete lack of good Ripper fiction. Any time I watched a movie about Jack or read a story about him it was just plain awful and completely disrespectful of the actual facts in the case. One of the worst examples is a movie called Murder by Decree, starring Christopher Plummer as the great Sherlock Holmes. Holmes versus the Ripper! Pure cheese. This lead me to the decision to write the first ever good Ripper story. That lead me to the decision that it couldn't be assembled into a viable narrative without urinating on the facts. So I wrote a comic featuring a modern day Ripper copycat called Jack Jr. I met Daniele Serra through an interested publisher and we began working on it together. In the end, The interested publisher was unable to finance the project and it remains unpublished. But, while we were waiting for a contract from them, I had the idea to do a comic with a similar detective. I'd gotten very attached to the Detective from Jack Jr., she was a supporting character in that book and I wanted to do a story that centered on a similar character. I'd heard about Zuda and wanted to enter and be the first ever winner. So I enlisted my new friend, Dani and we set out to do just that. We were unable to enter the very first Zuda contest, because all of the entrants were solicited so that the website could go live with content, but I am very proud to be the very first user submitted contest winner.
TWCR: Have you based the personalities and/or appearances of any of your characters on people you've met?
ND: Ricardo Juarez is a riff on Geraldo Rivera. Also, it's fun to think of some of the victims as people I knew in High School.
Visually, Dani has begun to sneak some real people in. My face appears in one panel and some other fun ones may be on the way.
TWCR: This may be because your webcomic is still young, but what sort of backstory does Detective Jenkins have? I admit curiosity to her pervious much-referenced case.
ND: Detective Jenkins solved a very big case, but things were a little messy and Internal Affairs had a lot of questions regarding the way she handled the case. The mayor of Chapman needed to give the public a hero, so he got I.A.D. off Jenkins' back and offered her up to the press. She was an instant sensation with the public, but despised by her peers. Jenkins also has some bad blood with Ricardo Juarez. But you already know all of this. If you want to learn more, keep reading. That's right, I'm not giving up any of the good stuff yet.
TWCR: What is your inspiration for the serial killer? He appears insane, but he still possesses his wits. What is this 'war' on god's plan that he's enacting? Is he going to be the recurring nemesis of the main character, or can we expect a cycle of cases?
ND: Most real life serial killers have a very firm grasp on their wits and can't legally be classified insane. They know what they are doing and they know it's wrong. The serial killer is the most terrifying monster of all, because it is clever and can blend in with society. You never know when you're standing next to one.
Most serial killers are born out of a feeling that they lack control. Killing is a way for them to feel empowered, they control a person's destiny. The "Pray For Death" killer feels oppressed by "God's Plan" and seeks to take control of it.
This killer is currently the main villain. Our contract is for a total of 60 pages (8 page submission + 52 page contract.) . In an ideal world, we would get a contract renewal at the end of our 60 pages and the PFD killer would remain the primary antagonist for the following 52 pages. If we were able to get a renewal beyond that I would want to start a new case with a different killer. This is all dependant on the ongoing success of the comic.
Daniele Serra: About the character design of serial killer, I worked for a normal guy, I think is much creepy a serial killer with a ordinary face, no scars, no deformations...I can be a killer, you can be a killer, for me this is creepy. Just his smile is insane, really insane.
TWCR: About how long would you say it takes you to write a single entire strip? How far forward have you taken the storyline?
ND: Once I sit down to write, I can bang out a few pages in a couple of hours, but I am constantly thinking about the upcoming scenes and how they can or should go. This way I have a good idea of what I want to do when I sit down to write. It's difficult to write a lot at one time, because once I get a scene done, I stop to think about the next scene and how I want it to play out. I usually write 4 or 5 pages in a sitting. 9 if I'm on fire. The story is plotted out to the end of our 60 page run and I have some strong ideas about the direction of the next 52 if we get picked up for a renewal.
TWCR: What sort of drawing style would you say you emulate the most? What sort of process do you go through from start to finish to put online?
DS: Well, generally I work with pencil and, sometimes, watercolor on paper, after I scan a lot of materials rusty, dirty, coffe (for the blood), and other dirty things. Scan design and color the page with my computer using the scan materials like textures and colors. Generally I don't use a lot of colors, I try to create an atmosphere with colors, just this.
TWCR: Have you had any schooling in art, or are you self-taught?
DS: I had two years on school of art, I learned the basic to use oil painters; really important because when I color with my computer the pages, I use a really similar process. I start with a dark background color and I work for create the lights.
TWCR: The flash player you use to go through the comic is certainly interesting. What made you decide to use that sort of browser? (Not talking about a web browser) Have you found any advantages or disadvantages to that system?
ND: The flash player was part of Zuda's design and to be honest, I know so little about computers that I couldn't have made an educated choice on the matter if it were up to me.
DS: I think the system is really good, with a good connection you can surf the comics really fast, zoom, movement on the pages...I like it.
TWCR: What sort of advice would you give to others that would like to start their own webcomic?
ND: Just do it! I have been studying the craft of writing comics for years, but I've learned more in the short time since Pray For Death went live than in the years leading up to it. It is the perfect crash course in comics. Once you're done, you can post it and immediately get feedback. The public response, good or bad, is the best tool in learning about your craft. It has been the most amazing experience and I really hope it doesn't end soon.
DS: I think first thing is a really good idea, but I think the key is the script, for me work for a good dialogues and sequences is the thing more important...the art is just a detail. :)
TWCR: Who would win in a fight between a gigantic but modest bee in an all-wool jumpsuit and a similarly gigantic moth?
ND: Is the moth allergic to bees? Oh who am I kidding, the bee would kick the moth's ass anyway! That stupid moth would just flutter around aimlessly while the bee flys fast and direct! The bee could just ram the moth quick-like from all directions. He doesn't even have to use his stinger. Of course once he does use his stinger, it's a double KO. So he'll probably just ram the moth until he's clubbed the moth to death and then, modesty be damned, he'll unzip that wool jumpsuit and piss on the moth's bent and broken wings. Proud of his success, he'll go shopping for a more fashionable outfit with an easily accessible pee pee hole.
DS: I don't understand...
TWCR: And that's all, folks!