<\/p>\n","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Steve Ellis","post_excerpt":"Monsterwood","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-steve-ellis","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 02:15:49","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 01:15:49","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206741","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206719,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-08-11 19:57:45","post_date_gmt":"2021-08-11 18:57:45","post_content":"

With the release of Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done? Graphic novel today, we are so delighted to be joined by the very talented co-writer and artist Eric Powell.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Hi Eric, thank you for sitting and chatting with us today. We are so happy that we can do this; we have been fans of your work for a very long time. We are so excited to chat with you about your new graphic novel with Harold Schechter.<\/span><\/p>\n

How would you describe Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

At its core I guess I\u2019d have to say it\u2019s a period piece about a family steeped in madness. But there are a lot of angles to this book. We examine the distorted inner workings of Gein\u2019s fantasy world, and how the sterilized 1950s America dealt with these almost inconceivable crimes, among other things.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

How did the collaboration with Harold Schechter come about?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been a long time fan of his. And was very aware of his book\u00a0Deviant<\/em>. The best and most accurate account of the Gein case. When I got the idea to do a graphic novel on Gein I began to have second thoughts because I didn\u2019t believe I could do anything better than what Harold had already done. But I thought perhaps Harold might want to collaborate on it. Thinking he had probably come up with more material and insights since working on\u00a0Deviant<\/em>. I reached out through his agent and had little hope he would respond. In which case I would just move on to another project. But luckily it turns out that Harold is a huge comic fan and was really excited about the idea.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0What was it like to write with Harold?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Great. He\u2019s a super generous and unselfish collaborator. He also came up with perspectives that I would have never dreamed of. It was a very positive experience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

On average, how long did it take you to create a page of art for the graphic novel?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

It depended on the page. And the way I worked on the book, I can\u2019t even really say how long an individual page took. I did pretty extensive story layouts to make sure it was flowing well, and those were done in chunks. I do know I was inking a minimum of 2-3 pages a day when that part of the process came about.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Before you started work on this graphic novel, how much did you know about Eddie Gein?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I wouldn't say I was an expert, but I was pretty knowledgeable. That didn\u2019t really prepare me for the experience of completely immersing myself in this part of history, though. I found out pretty quickly the difference between working in fiction and non-fiction. Fact checking and research really add a lot of complexity to the process.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Was there a time when you were creating the art for the graphic novel that you found it difficult to create the art?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

There are projects I\u2019ve done where I found it difficult to portray the subject matter.\u00a0Big Man Plans\u00a0for example was a hard book to draw. I got pretty depressed at times. But the kind of analytical approach Harold and I took with this book made it not too difficult to tackle. We didn\u2019t set out to make a grotesque book. Although it\u2019s impossible not to be grotesque at moments when telling this story. But we wanted it to be more of a psychological horror.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

During the process of creating this graphic novel, have your thoughts about Eddie Gein changed?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, a little. While his crimes are unforgivable, I always had a bit of sympathy for what he went through in life that turned him into the ghoul of Plainfield. However, I found myself having slightly less sympathy for him as I did more research. He never acknowledged or showed remorse for his crimes. He always claimed ignorance or tried to pass blame. It\u2019s hard to find anything redeeming in that. I see him as an unredeemable pathetic and pitiable figure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Any message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0If you enjoy true crime, dark history and horror, I hope you check out \u201cDid You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?\u201d!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We would like to say a big thank you to Eric for taking the time to chat with us.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Eric Powell","post_excerpt":"Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-eric-powell","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 02:16:41","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 01:16:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206719","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206727,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-08-11 15:09:39","post_date_gmt":"2021-08-11 14:09:39","post_content":"As the graphic novel Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done? is released today we are joined by the co-writer and true-crime writer Harold Schechter.<\/span>\n\nHi Harold, we are delighted and so happy to have you here with us today. We are so excited that we can chat with you about your new graphic novel with Eric Powell.<\/span>\n\nThanks for inviting me.<\/span>\n\nAs some of our readers may not be familiar with your work, could you please tell us a bit about yourself?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nUntil my recent retirement I was a professor of 19th-century American literature at Queens College City University of New York, for 42 years. I also taught classes in myth and folklore. To supplement my meager academic salary, I started writing commercial books back in the late 70s, basically on whatever subject interested me at the moment. I was working on a book about movie special effects when I encountered the fact--unknown to me at the time--that both PSYCHO and TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE were inspired by the same real-life criminal, the \"Wisconsin Ghoul,\" Ed Gein. I began looking into the case and that became my first true crime book, DEVIANT. Since then, I've written a bunch of historical true crime books, along with encyclopedic works like THE SERIAL KILLER FILES.<\/span>\n\n\n\nWhen did you first hear about Eddie Gein?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nAs mentioned above, it was while researching the horror chapter in my book, FILM TRICKS: SPECIAL EFFECTS IN THE MOVIES.<\/span>\n\nCould you tell us about the origin of Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nOne day, my agent called to say that he had heard from a comic book artist, Eric Powell, about the possibility of collaborating on a graphic novel about Gein. As it happens, I've been a lifelong comic book fan and, at one point, a serious collector. I was familiar with THE GOON and have always regarded Eric as arguably the finest draftsmen working in comics today. So I leapt at the opportunity.<\/span>\n\n\n\nHow did you go about researching Eddie Gein?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI wrote my book DEVIANT before the internet age so I had to do a lot of digging in archives. I went to Wisconsin, interviewed Gein's neighbors in Plainfield, psychiatrists who treated him, the judge who presided at his hearing. I corresponded with Robert Bloch, the author of the novel PSYCHO. All in all, I assembled hundreds of pages of legal, psychiatric and other documents, along with xeroxes of the local papers that covered the case before embarking on the actual writing of the book.<\/span>\n\nWhy did you want to tell this story?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nBecause of the undying fascination with Gein, who--thanks to his influence on twentieth-century American horror--stands as a significant cultural figure.<\/span>\n\n\n\nHow would you describe Eddie Gein?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nPeople think of him as a serial killer but he doesn't really fit that profile. He wasn't a sadistic sex-killer like Bundy, Gacy, Kemperer, etc. Essentially he was a necrophile, driven to exhume the corpses of elderly women who reminded him of his mother, take them back to his farmhouse, dissect them, and make grotesque artifacts out of their body parts. To be sure, he murdered two women but (without minimizing those crimes) he was not interested in torture-murder but in acquiring the raw material for his bizarre rituals.<\/span>\n\nHas it been difficult working on this graphic novel?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nNot for me. It's been a terrific experience, one I hope to repeat.<\/span>\n\n\n\nAny message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nIf you're interested in the Ed Gein story, our book will shed new light on the inner workings of his deranged psychology. And if you're a lover of amazing comic book art, this is the book for you.<\/span>\n\nWe would like to say a big thank you to Harold for talking to us.<\/span>","post_title":"Harold Schechter Chats With ComicBuzz","post_excerpt":"Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"harold-schechter-chats-with-comicbuzz","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 02:17:19","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 01:17:19","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206727","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206675,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-08-05 15:19:39","post_date_gmt":"2021-08-05 14:19:39","post_content":"

Today we are thrilled to be joined by the multi-talented Jason Rosen, not only is Jason a special effects artist but also the founder of Skinwalker Studios. Jason joined us for a chat to talk all about Monsterwood.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hi Jason, thanks for joining us today. We are so happy that you have taken time out of your busy schedule for us; we are delighted to chat with you and find out more about\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s great to be with you, Shabbir! Thank you for speaking with us!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

For some of our readers who may not be familiar with your work, could you please tell us a bit about yourself?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Creatively, I have an eclectic background. I grew up in the 70\u2019s and 80\u2019s, devouring comics and film. Looking back, it still feels like a golden age of both comics and film. All of the great work, artists, and stories of that time had such an influence on me. I have always known I wanted to do \u201cthat\u201d before I even knew what \u201cthat\u201d was. I now know it is to tell stories and create worlds. I have worked to do just that, on everything from children\u2019s puppet shows to horror movies, from performing along with Henson puppeteers to being directed by the late Wes Craven. I have contributed designs, both 2-d and 3-d maquettes for pre-production on film and television, done special effects makeup, as well as specialty props, etc. So for me, the medium with which the story is told can take many forms. With Monsterwood, the graphic novel format allows us to tell the story the way we want to tell it and as large as it needs to be told, without any limitation of medium or budget.<\/span><\/p>\n

I also hold a B.F.A in Fine Arts and a M.F.A. in Dramatic Arts with a concentration in puppetry from UCONN, one of the only accredited programs of it\u2019s kind in the country.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Could you tell us about the origins of\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Sure! The first spark of\u00a0Monsterwood\u00a0<\/em>was tied to the birth of my first born son. I was doing the first-time parent thing and just staring at this little being. I knew \u201chow\u201d he got there, and enough high school science to understand the process, but I couldn\u2019t just chalk it up to mere biology. I kept staring at this little person asking myself where they were from, why they were here, and what they came to do. No doubt, universal questions, but they had never seemed so profound to me. The complete blank slate of a life and so many possible destinies. He was the impetus for one of the main characters, Jovis, the scrappy orphaned street rat raised by his adoptive Mahru ( Monster) grandmother. From there, Jovis\u2019s world grew and so did his role and purpose in it. All of the characters are so intertwined in the collective outcome of their world, just like we are all connected. I worked hard to make Monsterwood an entertaining, wild fantasy adventure with some horror elements while also exploring universal themes about finding our own purpose and path through life, while having to face some harsh realities that we do not have the luxury of turning away from.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

How did Steve Ellis join\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>, and what made him the right artist for the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

It was an unexpected blessing. I actually had started doing some preliminary work with another artist going back and forth on trying to dial in what my world looked like at that point. He was finishing up another gig, so it was about six weeks of talking and dialing things in a bit. As we were about to start working on the first graphic novel, he got a full time gig for a big video game company, so I don\u2019t blame him for taking it. He\u2019s a great guy and very talented and we are still in touch today. However, at the time, I needed an artist and not just one of the many super talented people out there, I needed to find\u00a0the\u00a0<\/em>artist that was right for\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>, my dream project. I turned to an old childhood friend, Mike Mrak who is now Design Director at Scientific American and told him I need the right artist right away! Being familiar with the project, Mike threw some real heavy hitters my way, all with varied styles. Then I saw Steve\u2019s work and in particular,\u00a0High Moon<\/em>. We actually met in an old manager\u2019s office in NYC. We quickly had a creative short hand and I was absolutely sold. At this point, I can\u2019t imagine doing it with anyone else. Steve is a great guy and his work is just amazing. His skill and imagination are limitless.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

There was a bit of a gap between the release of book one and book two; why was that?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

My life kind of imploded. My elderly mother was the victim of a violent home invasion and was assaulted. I found her, barely alive on her kitchen floor, two days later. At the time, I was working two jobs to pay my son\u2019s college tuition, in addition to coordinating life for my mother. Six months later, I found myself facing a divorce after 23-years of marriage. I went into survival mode. (This is not an invitation to my pity party, but I believe in speaking the truth in order to normalize how traumatic and messy life can be.) Throughout all of that, I was mailing out Kickstarter rewards from the first\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>\u00a0book and eagerly planning on getting back to\u00a0Monsterwood\u00a0<\/em>book 2.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Nicholas Efstathiou joined you as co-writer on book two; how did that come about?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

It was a question of timing. Monsterwood is my original IP, based on a screenplay I wrote way back then. It has evolved over the years, but still stayed very true to that original draft. Through the years there were so many variations and directions I could have taken or developed the story. I had another collaborator I was going to work with, but the timing didn\u2019t work out . This time, I found myself in need of a co-writer. Nick and I had some mutual friends locally and he had even backed the first two Kickstarters. Little did he know he would be co-writing Book 2 with me! I was familiar with Nick\u2019s writing through his great and creepy horror series,\u00a0Cross<\/em>, Massachusetts<\/em>. I love collaborating. I think working with another writer who is familiar with the spirit of the piece helps me focus and fully define all of the thousands of ideas that live in my head.\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>\u00a0is a huge world, with its own history; flora and fauna. I can\u2019t put it all out there in three books, and some of it doesnt need to be there at all, but Nick, Steve, and I need to know it. It makes for a more fully realized, cohesive world.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

How would you describe\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

It is a high concept fantasy adventure with some horror elements. It\u2019s my love letter to all of the great fantasy, horror, and scifi that I grew up on.<\/span><\/p>\n

The series follows the difficult, sometimes brutal journey of a scrappy commoner raised in the slums of the city, and a sheltered princess as they move from the innocence of youth to the open battle of adulthood, set in a fresh and unique world filled with outlandish creatures that feels like\u00a0The Jungle Book<\/em>\u00a0meets\u00a0Lord of the Rings<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Monsterwood<\/em>\u00a0takes place fourteen years after the king and queen of Magog met mysterious, violent deaths at the hands of a group of deformed outcasts known as monsters. Now, as a new ruler is about to be crowned, two young people from completely different backgrounds--Jovis, an orphaned independent young boy, and the Princess Jocosta, herself the courageous, willful heir to the throne--will reluctantly join forces on a journey into the dark and forbidding forest known as Monsterwood. There, they will discover the truth about what really happened in those dark days of betrayal and murder...and begin to fulfill their own destinies.<\/span><\/p>\n

At its core, it\u2019s\u00a0a coming of age story that combines a fairy tale aesthetic with appropriately dark edges, significant twists, Monsters, strong characters, and tons of action and adventure in a world that is both haunting, and beautiful. The world of Monsterwood explores many themes; young people transitioning into adulthood, aspects of the classic hero's journey structure set in a new and captivating world, powerful people behaving badly, magic and supernatural elements, madness, pain, love, loss, and even some humor .<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Book two ended on a cliffhanger; what can you tell us about book three?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

No spoilers, but I can tell you it is going to be bug nuts! The first book felt kind of like a landing pad, a good introduction to the world and characters. The second book the threat became more real and defined. The third book, it\u2019s all on the line for everybody. There is no chance for a peaceful resolution and we are not lying when we say that \u201ca battle is coming and not all those who enter will survive.\u201d We also have some surprises coming up which are going to turn a few character\u2019s perceived realities on their heads. There are also some nice set ups for some characters that will allow us to take things even farther and expand the world of\u00a0Monsterwood\u00a0<\/em>even more, in time.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

As a creator, does crowdfunding your project make it easier than dealing with a traditional publisher?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The easy part is you don\u2019t need to ask permission to publish, you don\u2019t need to pitch, have an editor, wait for someone else\u2019s publishing calendar, etc. You have control of all of those things. It is harder because you don\u2019t have all of the support that a traditional publisher brings. Editors can be a writer's best friend, just like an art director can be an artist\u2019s best friend. Win, lose, or draw, all of the creative and business decisions are our\u2019s to own. So we work hard as a team, communicate and delegate, stay focused, and most importantly, love what we do.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Crowdfunding also has an aspect to it that is not the same when working with a traditional publisher, that being the relationship with the backers, who in turn become our readers. It is such a humbling and fulfilling aspect of a crowdfunding project. We know each and every one of our supporters' names. We never lose sight of the faith and the funds invested in us. There are a lot of great projects out there. When people choose us, it really does mean the world to us and the fact of the matter is, without their backing we just simply would not be able to produce these\u00a0Monsterwood\u00a0<\/em>books.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

What has the feedback been like for\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Overwhelmingly positive! We even have some 5 star reviews on Goodreads! I love hearing from people about Monsterwood. It is always so interesting to hear who their favorite character is, what their favorite scene is, or what aspect of the story or who\u2019s story arc they want to see resolved. The most common question I am asked is when is Monsterwood Book 3 coming out! I can't think of a better question and my answer is,\u00a0\u201cHopefully soon, with your support!\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

When you and Nicholas are writing, how does that work; do you write a full script and send it to Steve?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

My original screenplay was the source for the outline of the books. Based on that, Nick and I initially work on outlines of scenes together. They are a little more than outlines actually, containing notes and descriptions of key elements, actions, or dialogue of each scene. This then goes to Steve and the three of us go over everything together, with Steve breaking down how many pages he thinks he will need to effectively capture it all. From there, Steve works on thumbnails that then come back to Nick and I. We then write the script for those pages according to the thumbed panels. This way we all can see if we need to expand the page count, or sometimes shrink a scene before we proceed. Final art means one more round to polish edit any last bits of dialogue.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Do you have a favourite Kickstarter reward?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Of course, the book! That is the reason for the campaign. We really want to finish this story, for ourselves, for our readers, and for people who haven\u2019t read any Monsterwood yet and just like what they have seen so far.<\/span><\/p>\n

Past that I like the 3-D Scrag head magnets and the tapestry of Steve\u2019s amazing cover for Book 3!<\/span><\/p>\n

Steve\u2019s special edition books with pencil drawings, inland wash or even watercolor always turn out amazing and are really something not to be missed! They make the book that much more special and rare. I mean, who doesn\u2019t want an original drawing by Steve Ellis? I certainly do!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Any message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

If you like what you see, consider backing the campaign at any level. Every bit truly does help and the greater number of backers helps us raise visibility too. Beyond becoming a backer, please share word of the Monsterwood campaign with like minded folks. We really do think you and others will enjoy the world we have created for you. We can\u2019t do it without backers! To that end, check out the campaign:<\/span>\u00a0https:\/\/www.kickstarter.com\/projects\/monsterwood3\/monsterwood-book-3-annihilation-graphic-novel\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

A big thank you to Jason for sitting and chatting with us, we would like to wish Jason and all of his team the best of luck with their Kickstarter.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Jason Rosen","post_excerpt":"Monsterwood","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-jason-rosen","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 02:24:02","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 01:24:02","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206675","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206620,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-07-28 14:11:41","post_date_gmt":"2021-07-28 13:11:41","post_content":"

Today we are joined by the multi-talented writer\/artist Jimmy Palmiotti. Jimmy is a multi-award winning comic book creator. Some of the comics Jimmy has worked on include The Big Con Job, The New West, The Monolith, 21 Down, The Resistance, The Pro, Harley Quinn, Jonah Hex, Power Girl, just to name a few. As he launches his new graphic novel Rage with Scott Hampton, we got to sit down and chat with him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hi Jimmy, we are so excited to have you here with us today. There is so much that we could talk to you about, and we would love to. We understand that you are very busy; we are so delighted that you have taken some time out of your schedule to talk to us about your new graphic novel, Rage.<\/span><\/p>\n

Can you tell us about the origin of Rage?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The simple origins of RAGE are that it was simply put together by two guys that wanted to work together again and tell a story they can own for a change. Scott Hampton and I have worked a few times on different projects, one of the last being the G.I. Zombie series over at DC COMICS, and we were talking about future projects when both of our schedules had a significant gap in them and we jumped at the opportunity. I already had the Kickstarter know how, so we then moved on to finding just the right idea where we would both have an interest in the subject, which was a bit of horror mixed with some over the top drama. We were looking for something that we would have a passion for and that\u2019s how RAGE came about. Right property at the right time.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

How would you describe Rage?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I would describe the RAGE graphic novel as a mix of Horror, disaster movie, and a lot of humanity. Rage is less about the event and more about the relationship between father and daughter and their emotional scars they have between them that brings them closer. Rage is a study in a shared trauma and how people push through and deal with it differently. A lot of my past therapy comes into play when telling this story and at the end of the day, outside of that, it\u2019s a big adventure of two people crossing the United States while it is in the grips of an unknown disaster. We wanted to do something fun, weird and visually stimulating. I think RAGE delivers all of this and more.<\/span><\/p>\n

How long have you been working on Rage?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

When you are doing something, you love, it really doesn\u2019t feel like work. That said, we have been creating Rage for the past 8 months during the pandemic and finally getting to the point where it made sense to start the Kickstarter. This gives us the opportunity to deliver the book very quickly after the campaign ends. With 16 Kickstarters under my belt, I know one of the major concerns is the book comes out on time and right now, with a perfect track record, I do not want that to change.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

You are working with Scott Hampton on Rage; what made Scott the right choice for Rage?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Scott and I are different people in so many ways, but at our core, we both understand the importance of emotionally driven decisions. We also have an eye for art and both love this form of storytelling. We are fans of a ton of genres outside superhero\u2019s and we both have very international tastes in storytelling- meaning we have no problem with language, nudity and violence. Rage delivers on all of the above in this adult graphic novel.<\/span><\/p>\n

You are crowdfunding Rage, does dealing directly with readers make the project more special for you as a creator?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Crowdfunding is a simple and direct way to feel out what one\u2019s audience wants from a creator. They support a project with their pledge and as each campaign ends, you can easily see what works and what doesn\u2019t when you see the support or lack of on a campaign. This kind of grass roots feedback helps mold each and every project. I see a lot of the same names campaign after campaign and love it. I would also love to have some more retailers involved and offer pledge levels for them as well. Dealing directly to the consumer is a gift for me and trying to live up to their expectations is a constant challenge I am happy to make. I love the entire process, even packing up the books.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Do you have a favorite Kickstarter reward?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

On Rage we are offering something unique to my other Kickstarters, and this is a lot of Original art by A Scott Hampton from the interiors of the book as well as I am offering a commission on the inside covers of a certain amount of books where a backer can choose for me to draw the character of their choice. We also have some special stretch goals added which we will show when and if we reach our goal on the project.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Any message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

My message to ComicBuzz readers is thank you for getting this far into the interview, thanks for supporting this wonderful site and the people behind it and you can all do me a favor and check out our latest Kickstarter and share the links on social media, and please join our mailer at PAPERFILMS.COM so we can bring you news and exclusive deals each month. Also, please take care, be careful, keep calm and have integrity in everything you do<\/span><\/p>\n

A big thank you to Jimmy for taking the time to chat with us today. We would like to wish Jimmy and everybody at PaperFilms the best of luck with their new graphic novel Rage.<\/span><\/p>\n

The rage graphic novel is now <\/span>live on Kickstater<\/a>.
<\/span><\/p>\n

For more information, visit<\/span> www.paperfilms.com<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Jimmy Palmiotti","post_excerpt":"Rage","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-jimmy-palmiotti","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 02:28:33","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 01:28:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206620","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206539,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-07-07 15:07:36","post_date_gmt":"2021-07-07 14:07:36","post_content":"With the first issue of Black's Myth released today, we got a chance to sit down with the writer of the comic Eric Palicki for a chat. We get the low down on the new comic Black's Myth.<\/span>\n\nWelcome Eric, thank you for taking the time to be with us; we are so delighted that you could join us today.<\/span>\n\nThanks! Delighted to talk to you as well!<\/span>\n\nFor some of our readers who may not be familiar with your work, could you please tell us a bit about yourself?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nSure! I'm Eric Palicki, native Ohioan transplanted out here to the Pacific Northwest. I've been writing comics for several years; my previous work includes books published by Darby Pop, Black Mask, Scout Comics, Marvel, and more. On occasion, I also edit comics professionally, including on the Ringo Award-nominated anthologies\u00a0All We Ever Wanted<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Dead Beats<\/em>,\u00a0both published by A Wave Blue World.<\/span>\n\nYour new comics series Black's Myth is releasing July 7th; can you tell us about the origins of Black's Myth?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nBlack's Myth is the product of many small ideas which didn't quite equal a story on their own, but which, left to percolate in my head over time, finally coagulated into a coherent narrative. The finished product is kind of an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink love letter to everything from\u00a0Buffy the Vampire Slayer\u00a0<\/em>to\u00a0Sam and Dean Winchester to\u00a0The Maltese Falcon<\/em>.<\/span>\n\n\nHow did Wendell Cavalcanti join the project?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nWendell has been a part of the project from the beginning. I wrote it with him in mind to draw it and pitched it with his name attached. We've been collaborating on and off for most of my time in comics, most recently on the mini-series\u00a0Atlantis Wasn't Built for Tourists\u00a0from Scout. I feel like we understand each other's strengths by now.\u00a0<\/span>\n\nHow would you describe Black's Myth?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nBlack's Myth is a supernatural noir thriller about an LA private detective forced to confront her past in order to solve the case that will determine her future: find thirty stolen bullets supposedly made from Judas's silver pieces.<\/span>\n\nThe comic is black-and-white. Was that something that you wanted for Black's Myth right from the beginning?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI actually pitched the series in color \u2014 and maybe the glorious Dee Cunnife pitch pages will find their way into print someday! \u2014 but Ahoy suggested black and white in homage to the book's noir and horror roots. I think the end result works nicely. Wendell has a strong sense of light and shadow, and if black and white is good enough for the Walking Dead, it's good enough for us!<\/span>\n\n\nThe comic is being published by AHOY Comics; how did this collaboration come about?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nAHOY's editor at large Sarah Litt and I have been friends for a few years. Sarah approached me about pitching to them. I sent over three or four ideas, and Sarah LOVED Black's Myth. Being an AHOY book meant tinkering with the story a bit to fit their offbeat sensibilities, and the resulting book is a richer experience than if I'd played it straight.<\/span>\n\nWhat can you tell us about Janie Jones Mercado?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nWhen we first meet Janie \u2014nicknamed Strummer by her The Clash-loving father \u2014 she's pretty much at her lowest point: shot while in the middle of a seemingly unrelated case. More broadly, she's a private detective who lives and works in LA alongside her partner Ben. For years, she's attempted to distance herself from the secret supernatural community she was born into, but she hasn't found anywhere else she belongs. A big part of Strummer's story, and Ben's, will be about finding our place and our people in this world.<\/span>\n\n\nThe series has some very talented artists creating covers for it; how do you select the artists that contribute these covers?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI'm such a dope! Series cover artist Liana Kangas and I have been friends for years \u2014 no one who's ever met or worked with Liana will ever tell you the experience is anything less than delightful \u2014 but again, it was Sarah Litt who suggested Liana for this book. I love those covers, the perfect marriage of classic pulp fiction and Liana's obsession with neon colorways. The variants, by Jamal Igle for issue one and Steve Pugh for issue two, were arranged by AHOY, and I got to be surprised right along with everyone else.<\/span>\n\nDo you have a favourite scene from the first issue?<\/strong><\/span>\n\nThe cat \u2014 er, dog \u2014 is out of the bag already that Strummer is a werewolf. Part of me wishes we could've kept that under wraps and sprung it on the reader, but such is the nature of soliciting orders. Anyway, the first scene in which she reveals that is so beautifully realized by Wendell and just works perfectly in the context of the story we're telling.<\/span>\n\n\nAny message for the ComicBuzz readers?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>\n\nPlease come find me on social media: @ericpalicki on Twitter and Instagram. I hope everyone checks out Black's Myth, monthly, beginning July 7th. Thanks so much for the time!<\/span>\n\nWe would like to say a big thank you to Eric for taking the time to chat with us. We would like to wish Eric and everyone involved in Black's Myth the best of luck with the series.<\/span>","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Eric Palicki","post_excerpt":"Black's Myth","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-eric-palicki","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 02:40:17","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 01:40:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206539","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206405,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-06-11 16:08:24","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-11 15:08:24","post_content":"

Darling #1<\/em>, by playwrights and NintendDads<\/a> Michael Fleizach (The Onion<\/em>) and co-creator Todd Hunt (The Secret Adventures of Houdini<\/em>) \u2014 delving into the underbelly of the 1980s New York City\u2019s drug epidemic \u2014 with epic and punk '80s street graffiti art by David Mack Mims (Scrimshaw), out June 30th from Source Point Press<\/a>. This variant cover for Darling #1 has been created by the very talented Jim Mahfood and you can see it here, in all its glory.
<\/span><\/p>\n

Inspired by journals left behind by Michael's brother,\u00a0Darling,\u00a0is a comic\u00a0meant to capture the\u00a0passions they once shared.<\/span><\/p>\n

With all of New York City enveloped in the zeitgeist of a missing 8-year-old girl, lovable anti-hero Francis Darling accidentally stumbles onto the machinations behind her kidnapping and the drug war that ensues.\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2026but has he really?<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

A bit like chasing the Mad Hatter through a toxic chemical cloud, Francis\u2019 inconceivable journey brings us uncomfortably close to NYC\u2019s most crooked\u2026most deviant\u2026most irredeemable characters; the kind that can only be extricated from the drug-addled, guilty conscience of a failing brain.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Darling #1<\/em> is slated for release June 30, 2021. Letters by Zack Turner (Unlife). Cover B by Alex Riegel (Scumbag).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Darling #1 Jim Mahfood Variant Cover","post_excerpt":"Delve into the underbelly of the 1980s New York City","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"darling-1-jim-mahfood-variant-cover","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 14:44:43","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 13:44:43","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206405","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":256},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_22"};

\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Simon Hanselmann Chats with ComicBuzz","post_excerpt":"Crisis Zone","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"simon-hanselmann-chats-with-comicbuzz","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 21:25:40","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 20:25:40","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206758","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206741,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-08-12 14:03:09","post_date_gmt":"2021-08-12 13:03:09","post_content":"

Today we are thrilled to be joined by the artist Steve Ellis. Steve co-created The Only Living Girl<\/em> and High Moon<\/em> as well as working on a number of comics for a number of different publishers. We got to talk all about Monsterwood<\/em> with Steve.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hi Steve, we have been fans of your work for a very long time. We are so happy that we can chat with you today. Thank you for your time.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thanks! It's great to talk with you!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

When you first heard about\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>, what were your thoughts?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Jason and I met a while ago and he had all of these amazing sculptures and this really fantastic world he\u2019d put together, it was like\u00a0The Dark Crystal\u00a0<\/em>and Brian Froud with a darker sense. I thought working with Jason would be a way to mix the two things that I love to create, comics and fantasy art in a single project.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

What made you want to be a part of this project?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I thought it would be a chance to try out a different look and feel for my work, less of the clean line superhero comics feel and more of a rich earthy fantasy world. Plus I have a lot of room to create and put together a lot of my own character and set designs. I\u2019m also taking a lot of time to experiment with different storytelling styles with page designs and panels and I\u2019m putting a lot of the same colors and textures I love from projects like High moon. It is exciting to work on.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

How would you describe\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Monsterwood is a dark moody fantasy story about characters finding out how to become heroes in their own way. Each of the main protagonists, Jovis, jocasta and Scrag are living in an authoritarian regime controlled by an evil wizard named Tiberius. Each one starts in different levels of the society and each one is confronted by the problems of the world around them in their own individual way. They are all called to fix the world around them in unique ways and they each have to figure out how they are going to make their world better.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Is there a character from Monsterwood that you enjoy drawing the most?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I think Scrag and Tiberius are the two most fun. Scarf because he\u2019s a big pile of muscle but he has a lot of stuff going on in his brain. Lots of decisions he\u2019s trying to make, so rather than just being a big brute he\u2019s often watching and considering the other characters around him, trying to decide how he\u2019s going to move.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tiberius is fun because he\u2019s such a villain. He\u2019s vicious, evil, manipulative, willing to sacrifice everyone around him for his own advancement. He\u2019s diabolical which means he\u2019s a lot of fun to act through in each scene he\u2019s in.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

How long did it take you to illustrate book one and book two?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Each one took about 6 - 8 months to draw and color. I was working on The Only Living Boy through most of that time and juggling the two projects was really difficult especially since they had some similar visuals but a different mood.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

How much of a challenge artistically was it to bring this world to life?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The real challenge has been building the visuals of the world and trying to put context into the backgrounds and other visuals. They are surrounded by the ruins of a world the main characters don\u2019t understand but that has a direct effect on their lives. Each statue and mural and ancient ruin has a meaning to it and a story behind it. Some of the stories are intricately tied into the main plot, sometimes even clues to the future of the story, whereas others are stories that Jason wants to explore in other projects that exist in the world. The world is really rich and making the visuals reflect that is a real challenge.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What has it been like working with Jason and Nicholas?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Jason makes the process really fun. He\u2019s full of energy and excitement about the world and he really pours a lot of thought and care into it. This has been a dream project of his for many years and it shows in the dedication and richness of the world. Nick really brings sharp writing and clarity. Whereas Jason is a font of ideas, Nick brings it all together into a really strong clear story. I really enjoy working with both of them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

You are responsible for creating all of the art for the series. Was there a particular part of that process that you enjoyed the most, pencils, inking or colouring?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I think it's inking that I really enjoy most. I don\u2019t really do tight pencils so I storyboard the art in loose pencil form and hop right in with the brush. The color for me is there to show off the inks and add some texture. I really love the depth and intensity of inking. It\u2019s risky to lay down lines in ink with little to no framework so it makes the work exciting. A lot of my heroes are old quill, brush and ink guys like Bernie Wrightson and Frank Frazetta whose inks were so lush and powerful and I try to bring that kind of care to my inks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

What can you say about book three?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

This is really the book that the story has been building to. All of the threads have led here and the characters are all coming into their own. They are grouping together to build a rebellion from the outcasts hiding in the jungle just as Tiberius sends his Zumari warriors out to burn the jungle of Monsterwood down.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Any message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

My message to Comic Buzz readers would be to thank you for reading and being interested in indie projects like Monsterwood and for being interested enough in the work that we do to read this far. When you work to create projects like this, where no one but the readers can help determine the fate of the project, you are putting a lot on the line. At the same time you are asking for people to trust that what you are doing is worth their time and money and that in the end they will walk away just as excited and inspired as we were when we made it. So i guess, If you can, back the kickstarter, and if you can\u2019t (which I totally understand, it's tough out there.) tell your friends and maybe join our mailing list www.skinwalkerstudios.com<\/a>). Every friend of the project makes us stronger.<\/span><\/p>\n

Be well, be good to each other,and be inspired!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Check out the campaign:<\/strong><\/span> https:\/\/www.kickstarter.com\/projects\/monsterwood3\/monsterwood-book-3-annihilation-graphic-novel<\/a><\/p>\n

We would like to say thank you to Steve, we would like to wish Steve and all of his team the best of luck with their Kickstarter.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Steve Ellis","post_excerpt":"Monsterwood","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-steve-ellis","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 02:15:49","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 01:15:49","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206741","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206719,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-08-11 19:57:45","post_date_gmt":"2021-08-11 18:57:45","post_content":"

With the release of Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done? Graphic novel today, we are so delighted to be joined by the very talented co-writer and artist Eric Powell.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Hi Eric, thank you for sitting and chatting with us today. We are so happy that we can do this; we have been fans of your work for a very long time. We are so excited to chat with you about your new graphic novel with Harold Schechter.<\/span><\/p>\n

How would you describe Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

At its core I guess I\u2019d have to say it\u2019s a period piece about a family steeped in madness. But there are a lot of angles to this book. We examine the distorted inner workings of Gein\u2019s fantasy world, and how the sterilized 1950s America dealt with these almost inconceivable crimes, among other things.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

How did the collaboration with Harold Schechter come about?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been a long time fan of his. And was very aware of his book\u00a0Deviant<\/em>. The best and most accurate account of the Gein case. When I got the idea to do a graphic novel on Gein I began to have second thoughts because I didn\u2019t believe I could do anything better than what Harold had already done. But I thought perhaps Harold might want to collaborate on it. Thinking he had probably come up with more material and insights since working on\u00a0Deviant<\/em>. I reached out through his agent and had little hope he would respond. In which case I would just move on to another project. But luckily it turns out that Harold is a huge comic fan and was really excited about the idea.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0What was it like to write with Harold?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Great. He\u2019s a super generous and unselfish collaborator. He also came up with perspectives that I would have never dreamed of. It was a very positive experience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

On average, how long did it take you to create a page of art for the graphic novel?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

It depended on the page. And the way I worked on the book, I can\u2019t even really say how long an individual page took. I did pretty extensive story layouts to make sure it was flowing well, and those were done in chunks. I do know I was inking a minimum of 2-3 pages a day when that part of the process came about.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Before you started work on this graphic novel, how much did you know about Eddie Gein?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I wouldn't say I was an expert, but I was pretty knowledgeable. That didn\u2019t really prepare me for the experience of completely immersing myself in this part of history, though. I found out pretty quickly the difference between working in fiction and non-fiction. Fact checking and research really add a lot of complexity to the process.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Was there a time when you were creating the art for the graphic novel that you found it difficult to create the art?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

There are projects I\u2019ve done where I found it difficult to portray the subject matter.\u00a0Big Man Plans\u00a0for example was a hard book to draw. I got pretty depressed at times. But the kind of analytical approach Harold and I took with this book made it not too difficult to tackle. We didn\u2019t set out to make a grotesque book. Although it\u2019s impossible not to be grotesque at moments when telling this story. But we wanted it to be more of a psychological horror.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

During the process of creating this graphic novel, have your thoughts about Eddie Gein changed?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, a little. While his crimes are unforgivable, I always had a bit of sympathy for what he went through in life that turned him into the ghoul of Plainfield. However, I found myself having slightly less sympathy for him as I did more research. He never acknowledged or showed remorse for his crimes. He always claimed ignorance or tried to pass blame. It\u2019s hard to find anything redeeming in that. I see him as an unredeemable pathetic and pitiable figure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Any message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0If you enjoy true crime, dark history and horror, I hope you check out \u201cDid You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?\u201d!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We would like to say a big thank you to Eric for taking the time to chat with us.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Eric Powell","post_excerpt":"Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-eric-powell","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 02:16:41","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 01:16:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206719","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206727,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-08-11 15:09:39","post_date_gmt":"2021-08-11 14:09:39","post_content":"As the graphic novel Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done? is released today we are joined by the co-writer and true-crime writer Harold Schechter.<\/span>\n\nHi Harold, we are delighted and so happy to have you here with us today. We are so excited that we can chat with you about your new graphic novel with Eric Powell.<\/span>\n\nThanks for inviting me.<\/span>\n\nAs some of our readers may not be familiar with your work, could you please tell us a bit about yourself?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nUntil my recent retirement I was a professor of 19th-century American literature at Queens College City University of New York, for 42 years. I also taught classes in myth and folklore. To supplement my meager academic salary, I started writing commercial books back in the late 70s, basically on whatever subject interested me at the moment. I was working on a book about movie special effects when I encountered the fact--unknown to me at the time--that both PSYCHO and TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE were inspired by the same real-life criminal, the \"Wisconsin Ghoul,\" Ed Gein. I began looking into the case and that became my first true crime book, DEVIANT. Since then, I've written a bunch of historical true crime books, along with encyclopedic works like THE SERIAL KILLER FILES.<\/span>\n\n\n\nWhen did you first hear about Eddie Gein?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nAs mentioned above, it was while researching the horror chapter in my book, FILM TRICKS: SPECIAL EFFECTS IN THE MOVIES.<\/span>\n\nCould you tell us about the origin of Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nOne day, my agent called to say that he had heard from a comic book artist, Eric Powell, about the possibility of collaborating on a graphic novel about Gein. As it happens, I've been a lifelong comic book fan and, at one point, a serious collector. I was familiar with THE GOON and have always regarded Eric as arguably the finest draftsmen working in comics today. So I leapt at the opportunity.<\/span>\n\n\n\nHow did you go about researching Eddie Gein?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI wrote my book DEVIANT before the internet age so I had to do a lot of digging in archives. I went to Wisconsin, interviewed Gein's neighbors in Plainfield, psychiatrists who treated him, the judge who presided at his hearing. I corresponded with Robert Bloch, the author of the novel PSYCHO. All in all, I assembled hundreds of pages of legal, psychiatric and other documents, along with xeroxes of the local papers that covered the case before embarking on the actual writing of the book.<\/span>\n\nWhy did you want to tell this story?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nBecause of the undying fascination with Gein, who--thanks to his influence on twentieth-century American horror--stands as a significant cultural figure.<\/span>\n\n\n\nHow would you describe Eddie Gein?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nPeople think of him as a serial killer but he doesn't really fit that profile. He wasn't a sadistic sex-killer like Bundy, Gacy, Kemperer, etc. Essentially he was a necrophile, driven to exhume the corpses of elderly women who reminded him of his mother, take them back to his farmhouse, dissect them, and make grotesque artifacts out of their body parts. To be sure, he murdered two women but (without minimizing those crimes) he was not interested in torture-murder but in acquiring the raw material for his bizarre rituals.<\/span>\n\nHas it been difficult working on this graphic novel?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nNot for me. It's been a terrific experience, one I hope to repeat.<\/span>\n\n\n\nAny message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nIf you're interested in the Ed Gein story, our book will shed new light on the inner workings of his deranged psychology. And if you're a lover of amazing comic book art, this is the book for you.<\/span>\n\nWe would like to say a big thank you to Harold for talking to us.<\/span>","post_title":"Harold Schechter Chats With ComicBuzz","post_excerpt":"Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"harold-schechter-chats-with-comicbuzz","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 02:17:19","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 01:17:19","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206727","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206675,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-08-05 15:19:39","post_date_gmt":"2021-08-05 14:19:39","post_content":"

Today we are thrilled to be joined by the multi-talented Jason Rosen, not only is Jason a special effects artist but also the founder of Skinwalker Studios. Jason joined us for a chat to talk all about Monsterwood.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hi Jason, thanks for joining us today. We are so happy that you have taken time out of your busy schedule for us; we are delighted to chat with you and find out more about\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s great to be with you, Shabbir! Thank you for speaking with us!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

For some of our readers who may not be familiar with your work, could you please tell us a bit about yourself?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Creatively, I have an eclectic background. I grew up in the 70\u2019s and 80\u2019s, devouring comics and film. Looking back, it still feels like a golden age of both comics and film. All of the great work, artists, and stories of that time had such an influence on me. I have always known I wanted to do \u201cthat\u201d before I even knew what \u201cthat\u201d was. I now know it is to tell stories and create worlds. I have worked to do just that, on everything from children\u2019s puppet shows to horror movies, from performing along with Henson puppeteers to being directed by the late Wes Craven. I have contributed designs, both 2-d and 3-d maquettes for pre-production on film and television, done special effects makeup, as well as specialty props, etc. So for me, the medium with which the story is told can take many forms. With Monsterwood, the graphic novel format allows us to tell the story the way we want to tell it and as large as it needs to be told, without any limitation of medium or budget.<\/span><\/p>\n

I also hold a B.F.A in Fine Arts and a M.F.A. in Dramatic Arts with a concentration in puppetry from UCONN, one of the only accredited programs of it\u2019s kind in the country.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Could you tell us about the origins of\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Sure! The first spark of\u00a0Monsterwood\u00a0<\/em>was tied to the birth of my first born son. I was doing the first-time parent thing and just staring at this little being. I knew \u201chow\u201d he got there, and enough high school science to understand the process, but I couldn\u2019t just chalk it up to mere biology. I kept staring at this little person asking myself where they were from, why they were here, and what they came to do. No doubt, universal questions, but they had never seemed so profound to me. The complete blank slate of a life and so many possible destinies. He was the impetus for one of the main characters, Jovis, the scrappy orphaned street rat raised by his adoptive Mahru ( Monster) grandmother. From there, Jovis\u2019s world grew and so did his role and purpose in it. All of the characters are so intertwined in the collective outcome of their world, just like we are all connected. I worked hard to make Monsterwood an entertaining, wild fantasy adventure with some horror elements while also exploring universal themes about finding our own purpose and path through life, while having to face some harsh realities that we do not have the luxury of turning away from.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

How did Steve Ellis join\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>, and what made him the right artist for the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

It was an unexpected blessing. I actually had started doing some preliminary work with another artist going back and forth on trying to dial in what my world looked like at that point. He was finishing up another gig, so it was about six weeks of talking and dialing things in a bit. As we were about to start working on the first graphic novel, he got a full time gig for a big video game company, so I don\u2019t blame him for taking it. He\u2019s a great guy and very talented and we are still in touch today. However, at the time, I needed an artist and not just one of the many super talented people out there, I needed to find\u00a0the\u00a0<\/em>artist that was right for\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>, my dream project. I turned to an old childhood friend, Mike Mrak who is now Design Director at Scientific American and told him I need the right artist right away! Being familiar with the project, Mike threw some real heavy hitters my way, all with varied styles. Then I saw Steve\u2019s work and in particular,\u00a0High Moon<\/em>. We actually met in an old manager\u2019s office in NYC. We quickly had a creative short hand and I was absolutely sold. At this point, I can\u2019t imagine doing it with anyone else. Steve is a great guy and his work is just amazing. His skill and imagination are limitless.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

There was a bit of a gap between the release of book one and book two; why was that?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

My life kind of imploded. My elderly mother was the victim of a violent home invasion and was assaulted. I found her, barely alive on her kitchen floor, two days later. At the time, I was working two jobs to pay my son\u2019s college tuition, in addition to coordinating life for my mother. Six months later, I found myself facing a divorce after 23-years of marriage. I went into survival mode. (This is not an invitation to my pity party, but I believe in speaking the truth in order to normalize how traumatic and messy life can be.) Throughout all of that, I was mailing out Kickstarter rewards from the first\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>\u00a0book and eagerly planning on getting back to\u00a0Monsterwood\u00a0<\/em>book 2.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Nicholas Efstathiou joined you as co-writer on book two; how did that come about?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

It was a question of timing. Monsterwood is my original IP, based on a screenplay I wrote way back then. It has evolved over the years, but still stayed very true to that original draft. Through the years there were so many variations and directions I could have taken or developed the story. I had another collaborator I was going to work with, but the timing didn\u2019t work out . This time, I found myself in need of a co-writer. Nick and I had some mutual friends locally and he had even backed the first two Kickstarters. Little did he know he would be co-writing Book 2 with me! I was familiar with Nick\u2019s writing through his great and creepy horror series,\u00a0Cross<\/em>, Massachusetts<\/em>. I love collaborating. I think working with another writer who is familiar with the spirit of the piece helps me focus and fully define all of the thousands of ideas that live in my head.\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>\u00a0is a huge world, with its own history; flora and fauna. I can\u2019t put it all out there in three books, and some of it doesnt need to be there at all, but Nick, Steve, and I need to know it. It makes for a more fully realized, cohesive world.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

How would you describe\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

It is a high concept fantasy adventure with some horror elements. It\u2019s my love letter to all of the great fantasy, horror, and scifi that I grew up on.<\/span><\/p>\n

The series follows the difficult, sometimes brutal journey of a scrappy commoner raised in the slums of the city, and a sheltered princess as they move from the innocence of youth to the open battle of adulthood, set in a fresh and unique world filled with outlandish creatures that feels like\u00a0The Jungle Book<\/em>\u00a0meets\u00a0Lord of the Rings<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Monsterwood<\/em>\u00a0takes place fourteen years after the king and queen of Magog met mysterious, violent deaths at the hands of a group of deformed outcasts known as monsters. Now, as a new ruler is about to be crowned, two young people from completely different backgrounds--Jovis, an orphaned independent young boy, and the Princess Jocosta, herself the courageous, willful heir to the throne--will reluctantly join forces on a journey into the dark and forbidding forest known as Monsterwood. There, they will discover the truth about what really happened in those dark days of betrayal and murder...and begin to fulfill their own destinies.<\/span><\/p>\n

At its core, it\u2019s\u00a0a coming of age story that combines a fairy tale aesthetic with appropriately dark edges, significant twists, Monsters, strong characters, and tons of action and adventure in a world that is both haunting, and beautiful. The world of Monsterwood explores many themes; young people transitioning into adulthood, aspects of the classic hero's journey structure set in a new and captivating world, powerful people behaving badly, magic and supernatural elements, madness, pain, love, loss, and even some humor .<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Book two ended on a cliffhanger; what can you tell us about book three?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

No spoilers, but I can tell you it is going to be bug nuts! The first book felt kind of like a landing pad, a good introduction to the world and characters. The second book the threat became more real and defined. The third book, it\u2019s all on the line for everybody. There is no chance for a peaceful resolution and we are not lying when we say that \u201ca battle is coming and not all those who enter will survive.\u201d We also have some surprises coming up which are going to turn a few character\u2019s perceived realities on their heads. There are also some nice set ups for some characters that will allow us to take things even farther and expand the world of\u00a0Monsterwood\u00a0<\/em>even more, in time.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

As a creator, does crowdfunding your project make it easier than dealing with a traditional publisher?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The easy part is you don\u2019t need to ask permission to publish, you don\u2019t need to pitch, have an editor, wait for someone else\u2019s publishing calendar, etc. You have control of all of those things. It is harder because you don\u2019t have all of the support that a traditional publisher brings. Editors can be a writer's best friend, just like an art director can be an artist\u2019s best friend. Win, lose, or draw, all of the creative and business decisions are our\u2019s to own. So we work hard as a team, communicate and delegate, stay focused, and most importantly, love what we do.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Crowdfunding also has an aspect to it that is not the same when working with a traditional publisher, that being the relationship with the backers, who in turn become our readers. It is such a humbling and fulfilling aspect of a crowdfunding project. We know each and every one of our supporters' names. We never lose sight of the faith and the funds invested in us. There are a lot of great projects out there. When people choose us, it really does mean the world to us and the fact of the matter is, without their backing we just simply would not be able to produce these\u00a0Monsterwood\u00a0<\/em>books.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

What has the feedback been like for\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Overwhelmingly positive! We even have some 5 star reviews on Goodreads! I love hearing from people about Monsterwood. It is always so interesting to hear who their favorite character is, what their favorite scene is, or what aspect of the story or who\u2019s story arc they want to see resolved. The most common question I am asked is when is Monsterwood Book 3 coming out! I can't think of a better question and my answer is,\u00a0\u201cHopefully soon, with your support!\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

When you and Nicholas are writing, how does that work; do you write a full script and send it to Steve?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

My original screenplay was the source for the outline of the books. Based on that, Nick and I initially work on outlines of scenes together. They are a little more than outlines actually, containing notes and descriptions of key elements, actions, or dialogue of each scene. This then goes to Steve and the three of us go over everything together, with Steve breaking down how many pages he thinks he will need to effectively capture it all. From there, Steve works on thumbnails that then come back to Nick and I. We then write the script for those pages according to the thumbed panels. This way we all can see if we need to expand the page count, or sometimes shrink a scene before we proceed. Final art means one more round to polish edit any last bits of dialogue.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Do you have a favourite Kickstarter reward?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Of course, the book! That is the reason for the campaign. We really want to finish this story, for ourselves, for our readers, and for people who haven\u2019t read any Monsterwood yet and just like what they have seen so far.<\/span><\/p>\n

Past that I like the 3-D Scrag head magnets and the tapestry of Steve\u2019s amazing cover for Book 3!<\/span><\/p>\n

Steve\u2019s special edition books with pencil drawings, inland wash or even watercolor always turn out amazing and are really something not to be missed! They make the book that much more special and rare. I mean, who doesn\u2019t want an original drawing by Steve Ellis? I certainly do!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Any message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

If you like what you see, consider backing the campaign at any level. Every bit truly does help and the greater number of backers helps us raise visibility too. Beyond becoming a backer, please share word of the Monsterwood campaign with like minded folks. We really do think you and others will enjoy the world we have created for you. We can\u2019t do it without backers! To that end, check out the campaign:<\/span>\u00a0https:\/\/www.kickstarter.com\/projects\/monsterwood3\/monsterwood-book-3-annihilation-graphic-novel\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

A big thank you to Jason for sitting and chatting with us, we would like to wish Jason and all of his team the best of luck with their Kickstarter.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Jason Rosen","post_excerpt":"Monsterwood","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-jason-rosen","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 02:24:02","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 01:24:02","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206675","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206620,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-07-28 14:11:41","post_date_gmt":"2021-07-28 13:11:41","post_content":"

Today we are joined by the multi-talented writer\/artist Jimmy Palmiotti. Jimmy is a multi-award winning comic book creator. Some of the comics Jimmy has worked on include The Big Con Job, The New West, The Monolith, 21 Down, The Resistance, The Pro, Harley Quinn, Jonah Hex, Power Girl, just to name a few. As he launches his new graphic novel Rage with Scott Hampton, we got to sit down and chat with him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hi Jimmy, we are so excited to have you here with us today. There is so much that we could talk to you about, and we would love to. We understand that you are very busy; we are so delighted that you have taken some time out of your schedule to talk to us about your new graphic novel, Rage.<\/span><\/p>\n

Can you tell us about the origin of Rage?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The simple origins of RAGE are that it was simply put together by two guys that wanted to work together again and tell a story they can own for a change. Scott Hampton and I have worked a few times on different projects, one of the last being the G.I. Zombie series over at DC COMICS, and we were talking about future projects when both of our schedules had a significant gap in them and we jumped at the opportunity. I already had the Kickstarter know how, so we then moved on to finding just the right idea where we would both have an interest in the subject, which was a bit of horror mixed with some over the top drama. We were looking for something that we would have a passion for and that\u2019s how RAGE came about. Right property at the right time.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

How would you describe Rage?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I would describe the RAGE graphic novel as a mix of Horror, disaster movie, and a lot of humanity. Rage is less about the event and more about the relationship between father and daughter and their emotional scars they have between them that brings them closer. Rage is a study in a shared trauma and how people push through and deal with it differently. A lot of my past therapy comes into play when telling this story and at the end of the day, outside of that, it\u2019s a big adventure of two people crossing the United States while it is in the grips of an unknown disaster. We wanted to do something fun, weird and visually stimulating. I think RAGE delivers all of this and more.<\/span><\/p>\n

How long have you been working on Rage?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

When you are doing something, you love, it really doesn\u2019t feel like work. That said, we have been creating Rage for the past 8 months during the pandemic and finally getting to the point where it made sense to start the Kickstarter. This gives us the opportunity to deliver the book very quickly after the campaign ends. With 16 Kickstarters under my belt, I know one of the major concerns is the book comes out on time and right now, with a perfect track record, I do not want that to change.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

You are working with Scott Hampton on Rage; what made Scott the right choice for Rage?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Scott and I are different people in so many ways, but at our core, we both understand the importance of emotionally driven decisions. We also have an eye for art and both love this form of storytelling. We are fans of a ton of genres outside superhero\u2019s and we both have very international tastes in storytelling- meaning we have no problem with language, nudity and violence. Rage delivers on all of the above in this adult graphic novel.<\/span><\/p>\n

You are crowdfunding Rage, does dealing directly with readers make the project more special for you as a creator?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Crowdfunding is a simple and direct way to feel out what one\u2019s audience wants from a creator. They support a project with their pledge and as each campaign ends, you can easily see what works and what doesn\u2019t when you see the support or lack of on a campaign. This kind of grass roots feedback helps mold each and every project. I see a lot of the same names campaign after campaign and love it. I would also love to have some more retailers involved and offer pledge levels for them as well. Dealing directly to the consumer is a gift for me and trying to live up to their expectations is a constant challenge I am happy to make. I love the entire process, even packing up the books.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Do you have a favorite Kickstarter reward?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

On Rage we are offering something unique to my other Kickstarters, and this is a lot of Original art by A Scott Hampton from the interiors of the book as well as I am offering a commission on the inside covers of a certain amount of books where a backer can choose for me to draw the character of their choice. We also have some special stretch goals added which we will show when and if we reach our goal on the project.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Any message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

My message to ComicBuzz readers is thank you for getting this far into the interview, thanks for supporting this wonderful site and the people behind it and you can all do me a favor and check out our latest Kickstarter and share the links on social media, and please join our mailer at PAPERFILMS.COM so we can bring you news and exclusive deals each month. Also, please take care, be careful, keep calm and have integrity in everything you do<\/span><\/p>\n

A big thank you to Jimmy for taking the time to chat with us today. We would like to wish Jimmy and everybody at PaperFilms the best of luck with their new graphic novel Rage.<\/span><\/p>\n

The rage graphic novel is now <\/span>live on Kickstater<\/a>.
<\/span><\/p>\n

For more information, visit<\/span> www.paperfilms.com<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Jimmy Palmiotti","post_excerpt":"Rage","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-jimmy-palmiotti","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 02:28:33","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 01:28:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206620","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206539,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-07-07 15:07:36","post_date_gmt":"2021-07-07 14:07:36","post_content":"With the first issue of Black's Myth released today, we got a chance to sit down with the writer of the comic Eric Palicki for a chat. We get the low down on the new comic Black's Myth.<\/span>\n\nWelcome Eric, thank you for taking the time to be with us; we are so delighted that you could join us today.<\/span>\n\nThanks! Delighted to talk to you as well!<\/span>\n\nFor some of our readers who may not be familiar with your work, could you please tell us a bit about yourself?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nSure! I'm Eric Palicki, native Ohioan transplanted out here to the Pacific Northwest. I've been writing comics for several years; my previous work includes books published by Darby Pop, Black Mask, Scout Comics, Marvel, and more. On occasion, I also edit comics professionally, including on the Ringo Award-nominated anthologies\u00a0All We Ever Wanted<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Dead Beats<\/em>,\u00a0both published by A Wave Blue World.<\/span>\n\nYour new comics series Black's Myth is releasing July 7th; can you tell us about the origins of Black's Myth?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nBlack's Myth is the product of many small ideas which didn't quite equal a story on their own, but which, left to percolate in my head over time, finally coagulated into a coherent narrative. The finished product is kind of an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink love letter to everything from\u00a0Buffy the Vampire Slayer\u00a0<\/em>to\u00a0Sam and Dean Winchester to\u00a0The Maltese Falcon<\/em>.<\/span>\n\n\nHow did Wendell Cavalcanti join the project?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nWendell has been a part of the project from the beginning. I wrote it with him in mind to draw it and pitched it with his name attached. We've been collaborating on and off for most of my time in comics, most recently on the mini-series\u00a0Atlantis Wasn't Built for Tourists\u00a0from Scout. I feel like we understand each other's strengths by now.\u00a0<\/span>\n\nHow would you describe Black's Myth?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nBlack's Myth is a supernatural noir thriller about an LA private detective forced to confront her past in order to solve the case that will determine her future: find thirty stolen bullets supposedly made from Judas's silver pieces.<\/span>\n\nThe comic is black-and-white. Was that something that you wanted for Black's Myth right from the beginning?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI actually pitched the series in color \u2014 and maybe the glorious Dee Cunnife pitch pages will find their way into print someday! \u2014 but Ahoy suggested black and white in homage to the book's noir and horror roots. I think the end result works nicely. Wendell has a strong sense of light and shadow, and if black and white is good enough for the Walking Dead, it's good enough for us!<\/span>\n\n\nThe comic is being published by AHOY Comics; how did this collaboration come about?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nAHOY's editor at large Sarah Litt and I have been friends for a few years. Sarah approached me about pitching to them. I sent over three or four ideas, and Sarah LOVED Black's Myth. Being an AHOY book meant tinkering with the story a bit to fit their offbeat sensibilities, and the resulting book is a richer experience than if I'd played it straight.<\/span>\n\nWhat can you tell us about Janie Jones Mercado?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nWhen we first meet Janie \u2014nicknamed Strummer by her The Clash-loving father \u2014 she's pretty much at her lowest point: shot while in the middle of a seemingly unrelated case. More broadly, she's a private detective who lives and works in LA alongside her partner Ben. For years, she's attempted to distance herself from the secret supernatural community she was born into, but she hasn't found anywhere else she belongs. A big part of Strummer's story, and Ben's, will be about finding our place and our people in this world.<\/span>\n\n\nThe series has some very talented artists creating covers for it; how do you select the artists that contribute these covers?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI'm such a dope! Series cover artist Liana Kangas and I have been friends for years \u2014 no one who's ever met or worked with Liana will ever tell you the experience is anything less than delightful \u2014 but again, it was Sarah Litt who suggested Liana for this book. I love those covers, the perfect marriage of classic pulp fiction and Liana's obsession with neon colorways. The variants, by Jamal Igle for issue one and Steve Pugh for issue two, were arranged by AHOY, and I got to be surprised right along with everyone else.<\/span>\n\nDo you have a favourite scene from the first issue?<\/strong><\/span>\n\nThe cat \u2014 er, dog \u2014 is out of the bag already that Strummer is a werewolf. Part of me wishes we could've kept that under wraps and sprung it on the reader, but such is the nature of soliciting orders. Anyway, the first scene in which she reveals that is so beautifully realized by Wendell and just works perfectly in the context of the story we're telling.<\/span>\n\n\nAny message for the ComicBuzz readers?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>\n\nPlease come find me on social media: @ericpalicki on Twitter and Instagram. I hope everyone checks out Black's Myth, monthly, beginning July 7th. Thanks so much for the time!<\/span>\n\nWe would like to say a big thank you to Eric for taking the time to chat with us. We would like to wish Eric and everyone involved in Black's Myth the best of luck with the series.<\/span>","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Eric Palicki","post_excerpt":"Black's Myth","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-eric-palicki","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 02:40:17","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 01:40:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206539","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206405,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-06-11 16:08:24","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-11 15:08:24","post_content":"

Darling #1<\/em>, by playwrights and NintendDads<\/a> Michael Fleizach (The Onion<\/em>) and co-creator Todd Hunt (The Secret Adventures of Houdini<\/em>) \u2014 delving into the underbelly of the 1980s New York City\u2019s drug epidemic \u2014 with epic and punk '80s street graffiti art by David Mack Mims (Scrimshaw), out June 30th from Source Point Press<\/a>. This variant cover for Darling #1 has been created by the very talented Jim Mahfood and you can see it here, in all its glory.
<\/span><\/p>\n

Inspired by journals left behind by Michael's brother,\u00a0Darling,\u00a0is a comic\u00a0meant to capture the\u00a0passions they once shared.<\/span><\/p>\n

With all of New York City enveloped in the zeitgeist of a missing 8-year-old girl, lovable anti-hero Francis Darling accidentally stumbles onto the machinations behind her kidnapping and the drug war that ensues.\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2026but has he really?<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

A bit like chasing the Mad Hatter through a toxic chemical cloud, Francis\u2019 inconceivable journey brings us uncomfortably close to NYC\u2019s most crooked\u2026most deviant\u2026most irredeemable characters; the kind that can only be extricated from the drug-addled, guilty conscience of a failing brain.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Darling #1<\/em> is slated for release June 30, 2021. Letters by Zack Turner (Unlife). Cover B by Alex Riegel (Scumbag).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Darling #1 Jim Mahfood Variant Cover","post_excerpt":"Delve into the underbelly of the 1980s New York City","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"darling-1-jim-mahfood-variant-cover","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 14:44:43","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 13:44:43","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206405","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":256},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_22"};

Page 256 of 474 Previous 1 … 255 256 257 … 474 Next

\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Isklander Trilogy: The Mermaid\u2019s Tongue & The Kindling Hour Review","post_excerpt":"Online alternate reality game","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-isklander-trilogy-the-mermaids-tongue-the-kindling-hour-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 02:04:52","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 01:04:52","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206817","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206758,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-08-17 22:10:33","post_date_gmt":"2021-08-17 21:10:33","post_content":"

Today marks the release of the Crisis Zone graphic novel from Fantagraphics. The graphic novel is a collection of the Eisner Award-winning webcomic from Simon Hanselmann. Simon is best know for his Megg, Mogg, & Owl series. We are so delighted to be joined by the artist and writer Simon Hanselmann.<\/span><\/p>\n

For any of our readers who may not be familiar with the Megg, Mogg, & <\/span><\/strong>Owl series, what can you tell us about the series?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"My elevator pitch is that it's like the Simpsons, back when the Simpsons was actually relevant and well written but with more drug abuse and rimming.<\/span><\/p>\n

It's a comedy sitcom, on paper, that can also get horribly, brutally depressing at times.<\/span><\/p>\n

My aim is to make entertaining comics that read well and keep the reader satisfied and coming back for more.<\/span><\/p>\n

It's not for everybody though. It's not for p***ies.\"<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Can you talk us through the origins of Crisis Zone?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"When the pandemic hit I was about to start a book called Megg's Coven, the follow up to my 2019 book Bad Gateway, but everything was falling to shit and I figured now was a good time to actually do a \"webcomic\". Free entertainment for the confined masses! I just wanted to entertain people, and myself. We all set out on a journey together, not knowing what the end would look like.<\/span><\/p>\n

I threw out all of my established canon and just put these characters into the current situation and went with it.\"<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Was the primary reason for creating Crisis Zone to create a webcomic, <\/span>and did creating a webcomic present any additional challenges for you?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Yeah, I'd never done a \"proper\" webcomic before. I'm a zine guy, I like physical sh**. I'm generally not a fan of webcomics on the whole.<\/span><\/p>\n

Covid presented the perfect opportunity to finally plunge into that world.<\/span><\/p>\n

It's not really a standard webcomic though. It was drawn on stolen printer paper, with colored pencils and photographed with my phone and put onto instagram.<\/span><\/p>\n

It's hilarious\u00a0to me that it won the Eisner for best webcomic.\"<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

As a creative person, do you think that the pandemic challenged your creativity?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Nah, not really. I'm an insane workaholic, I'd been putting in 12hour days for years, the pandemic was kind of a blessing to me because it meant that I could leave the house and my studio even less than I did before. No visitors! No weddings or events I felt obligated to attend. Yes, please!<\/span><\/p>\n

I could just work all day without any bullsh**. I f***<\/span>ing LOVED it. I THRIVED.\"<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Do you think the pandemic changed you as a person, and if so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Everything kind of felt the same for me, just staring at a sheet of paper everyday, losing myself in fantasy, \"suburban Dungeons & Dragons\".<\/span><\/p>\n

My wife and I had our first kid during all this crazy sh**, that's the only thing that's really different for me, I'm a dad now.<\/span><\/p>\n

It's weird to not be insanely focused on comics but I'm really enjoying being insanely focused on my kid. I'm a very hands-on father, unlike my own dad.<\/span><\/p>\n

I'm trying to be as good at being a dad as I am at making comics (make of that what you will, critical detractors!)\"<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Did your real-world experience of the pandemic; change aspects of Crisis Zone?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Not especially, I was pretty well set-up to weather the pandemic, I'd been working my ass off for years and had some savings and a good stock of toilet paper. I spent the summer grilling and playing Animal Crossing in and around the Covid panic. I guess stuff did seep in, the selfishness of being concerned about video games being delayed, the whole TV show within the comic was somewhat a commentary on the public popularity of the Crisis Zone comic and a TV show I was working on in real life... I think most writers can't help putting parts of themselves into what they produce...\"<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

What was the feedback like when you were posting it as a webcomic?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"It was all over the place, mostly people were appreciative for the daily distraction and loved it and certain factions f***ing hated it... There were often a lot of ideological battles in the comments which I absolutely loved, it was fun seeing people do battle! Engagement is good,\u00a0even if it's bad!<\/span><\/p>\n

At one point I was being harassed by both right wing and left wing extremists which was very funny to me. The left wing kids were the scariest ones, they go beyond just telling you you're a horrible loser, they seem to actually actively want to destroy your career and your livelihood.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I ignored ALL of these ding dongs.<\/span><\/p>\n

I just make the art I want to make, no apologies.\"<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Do you have a favourite scene from Crisis Zone?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Too many to count. I laugh at my own work way too much, although often I'll also go into a place of deep critical hatred for my shit (which I think is very healthy).<\/span><\/p>\n

If I had to pick some favourite moments it'd most likely be the whole \"Carrot Bottom\" thing or the way in which Werewolf Jones gets his Netflix series cancelled (and I can't believe I got away with that...)\"<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Do the events of Crisis Zone change Megg, Mogg, & Owl moving forward?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"It exists in a different continuity, it's kind of its\u00a0own thing. The Megg and Mogg series now exists as a confusing multiverse.<\/span><\/p>\n

It will be kind of difficult in a way, going back to the old canon, I kind of pushed things a bit far in Crisis Zone by revealing a certain character that was intended to debut in the \"normal\" books and also the relationship between Owl and Werewolf Jones's kids progressed a lot... I kinda blew my load on some of that stuff.<\/span><\/p>\n

I figured I'd just go for it though, I had a captive audience and a kid on the way and I'm unsure if I'll ever have this kind of attention again in the future.\"<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Crisis Zone graphic novel from Fantagraphics features additional p<\/span><\/strong>anels and a director's commentary; is it important to you that <\/span><\/strong>readers can access this extra content?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Nah, it's just some bonus sh** to make the book a bit more special, trick people into giving me money.<\/span><\/p>\n

I gave it all out for free, no patreon bullsh** or donate buttons, just free if you had a phone and internet access.<\/span><\/p>\n

I'm counting on people who enjoyed it to pony up 30 bucks for a cumbersome book 8 months after the thing ended and people have probably moved on with their lives.<\/span><\/p>\n

I hope the 500 extra panels in between\u00a0all the episodes and the little epilogue will bring in some financial supporters. The commentary isn't even really designed to be read, it's kind of just supposed\u00a0to exist as an insane block of unreadable handwritten text. I guess if anybody actually has a big chunk of time on their hands they could try and read it. Good luck!\"<\/span><\/p>\n

We would like to say a big thank you to Simon for taking the the time to chat with us.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Simon Hanselmann Chats with ComicBuzz","post_excerpt":"Crisis Zone","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"simon-hanselmann-chats-with-comicbuzz","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 21:25:40","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 20:25:40","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206758","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206741,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-08-12 14:03:09","post_date_gmt":"2021-08-12 13:03:09","post_content":"

Today we are thrilled to be joined by the artist Steve Ellis. Steve co-created The Only Living Girl<\/em> and High Moon<\/em> as well as working on a number of comics for a number of different publishers. We got to talk all about Monsterwood<\/em> with Steve.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hi Steve, we have been fans of your work for a very long time. We are so happy that we can chat with you today. Thank you for your time.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thanks! It's great to talk with you!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

When you first heard about\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>, what were your thoughts?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Jason and I met a while ago and he had all of these amazing sculptures and this really fantastic world he\u2019d put together, it was like\u00a0The Dark Crystal\u00a0<\/em>and Brian Froud with a darker sense. I thought working with Jason would be a way to mix the two things that I love to create, comics and fantasy art in a single project.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

What made you want to be a part of this project?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I thought it would be a chance to try out a different look and feel for my work, less of the clean line superhero comics feel and more of a rich earthy fantasy world. Plus I have a lot of room to create and put together a lot of my own character and set designs. I\u2019m also taking a lot of time to experiment with different storytelling styles with page designs and panels and I\u2019m putting a lot of the same colors and textures I love from projects like High moon. It is exciting to work on.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

How would you describe\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Monsterwood is a dark moody fantasy story about characters finding out how to become heroes in their own way. Each of the main protagonists, Jovis, jocasta and Scrag are living in an authoritarian regime controlled by an evil wizard named Tiberius. Each one starts in different levels of the society and each one is confronted by the problems of the world around them in their own individual way. They are all called to fix the world around them in unique ways and they each have to figure out how they are going to make their world better.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Is there a character from Monsterwood that you enjoy drawing the most?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I think Scrag and Tiberius are the two most fun. Scarf because he\u2019s a big pile of muscle but he has a lot of stuff going on in his brain. Lots of decisions he\u2019s trying to make, so rather than just being a big brute he\u2019s often watching and considering the other characters around him, trying to decide how he\u2019s going to move.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tiberius is fun because he\u2019s such a villain. He\u2019s vicious, evil, manipulative, willing to sacrifice everyone around him for his own advancement. He\u2019s diabolical which means he\u2019s a lot of fun to act through in each scene he\u2019s in.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

How long did it take you to illustrate book one and book two?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Each one took about 6 - 8 months to draw and color. I was working on The Only Living Boy through most of that time and juggling the two projects was really difficult especially since they had some similar visuals but a different mood.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

How much of a challenge artistically was it to bring this world to life?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The real challenge has been building the visuals of the world and trying to put context into the backgrounds and other visuals. They are surrounded by the ruins of a world the main characters don\u2019t understand but that has a direct effect on their lives. Each statue and mural and ancient ruin has a meaning to it and a story behind it. Some of the stories are intricately tied into the main plot, sometimes even clues to the future of the story, whereas others are stories that Jason wants to explore in other projects that exist in the world. The world is really rich and making the visuals reflect that is a real challenge.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What has it been like working with Jason and Nicholas?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Jason makes the process really fun. He\u2019s full of energy and excitement about the world and he really pours a lot of thought and care into it. This has been a dream project of his for many years and it shows in the dedication and richness of the world. Nick really brings sharp writing and clarity. Whereas Jason is a font of ideas, Nick brings it all together into a really strong clear story. I really enjoy working with both of them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

You are responsible for creating all of the art for the series. Was there a particular part of that process that you enjoyed the most, pencils, inking or colouring?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I think it's inking that I really enjoy most. I don\u2019t really do tight pencils so I storyboard the art in loose pencil form and hop right in with the brush. The color for me is there to show off the inks and add some texture. I really love the depth and intensity of inking. It\u2019s risky to lay down lines in ink with little to no framework so it makes the work exciting. A lot of my heroes are old quill, brush and ink guys like Bernie Wrightson and Frank Frazetta whose inks were so lush and powerful and I try to bring that kind of care to my inks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

What can you say about book three?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

This is really the book that the story has been building to. All of the threads have led here and the characters are all coming into their own. They are grouping together to build a rebellion from the outcasts hiding in the jungle just as Tiberius sends his Zumari warriors out to burn the jungle of Monsterwood down.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Any message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

My message to Comic Buzz readers would be to thank you for reading and being interested in indie projects like Monsterwood and for being interested enough in the work that we do to read this far. When you work to create projects like this, where no one but the readers can help determine the fate of the project, you are putting a lot on the line. At the same time you are asking for people to trust that what you are doing is worth their time and money and that in the end they will walk away just as excited and inspired as we were when we made it. So i guess, If you can, back the kickstarter, and if you can\u2019t (which I totally understand, it's tough out there.) tell your friends and maybe join our mailing list www.skinwalkerstudios.com<\/a>). Every friend of the project makes us stronger.<\/span><\/p>\n

Be well, be good to each other,and be inspired!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Check out the campaign:<\/strong><\/span> https:\/\/www.kickstarter.com\/projects\/monsterwood3\/monsterwood-book-3-annihilation-graphic-novel<\/a><\/p>\n

We would like to say thank you to Steve, we would like to wish Steve and all of his team the best of luck with their Kickstarter.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Steve Ellis","post_excerpt":"Monsterwood","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-steve-ellis","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 02:15:49","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 01:15:49","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206741","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206719,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-08-11 19:57:45","post_date_gmt":"2021-08-11 18:57:45","post_content":"

With the release of Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done? Graphic novel today, we are so delighted to be joined by the very talented co-writer and artist Eric Powell.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Hi Eric, thank you for sitting and chatting with us today. We are so happy that we can do this; we have been fans of your work for a very long time. We are so excited to chat with you about your new graphic novel with Harold Schechter.<\/span><\/p>\n

How would you describe Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

At its core I guess I\u2019d have to say it\u2019s a period piece about a family steeped in madness. But there are a lot of angles to this book. We examine the distorted inner workings of Gein\u2019s fantasy world, and how the sterilized 1950s America dealt with these almost inconceivable crimes, among other things.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

How did the collaboration with Harold Schechter come about?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been a long time fan of his. And was very aware of his book\u00a0Deviant<\/em>. The best and most accurate account of the Gein case. When I got the idea to do a graphic novel on Gein I began to have second thoughts because I didn\u2019t believe I could do anything better than what Harold had already done. But I thought perhaps Harold might want to collaborate on it. Thinking he had probably come up with more material and insights since working on\u00a0Deviant<\/em>. I reached out through his agent and had little hope he would respond. In which case I would just move on to another project. But luckily it turns out that Harold is a huge comic fan and was really excited about the idea.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0What was it like to write with Harold?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Great. He\u2019s a super generous and unselfish collaborator. He also came up with perspectives that I would have never dreamed of. It was a very positive experience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

On average, how long did it take you to create a page of art for the graphic novel?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

It depended on the page. And the way I worked on the book, I can\u2019t even really say how long an individual page took. I did pretty extensive story layouts to make sure it was flowing well, and those were done in chunks. I do know I was inking a minimum of 2-3 pages a day when that part of the process came about.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Before you started work on this graphic novel, how much did you know about Eddie Gein?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I wouldn't say I was an expert, but I was pretty knowledgeable. That didn\u2019t really prepare me for the experience of completely immersing myself in this part of history, though. I found out pretty quickly the difference between working in fiction and non-fiction. Fact checking and research really add a lot of complexity to the process.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Was there a time when you were creating the art for the graphic novel that you found it difficult to create the art?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

There are projects I\u2019ve done where I found it difficult to portray the subject matter.\u00a0Big Man Plans\u00a0for example was a hard book to draw. I got pretty depressed at times. But the kind of analytical approach Harold and I took with this book made it not too difficult to tackle. We didn\u2019t set out to make a grotesque book. Although it\u2019s impossible not to be grotesque at moments when telling this story. But we wanted it to be more of a psychological horror.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

During the process of creating this graphic novel, have your thoughts about Eddie Gein changed?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, a little. While his crimes are unforgivable, I always had a bit of sympathy for what he went through in life that turned him into the ghoul of Plainfield. However, I found myself having slightly less sympathy for him as I did more research. He never acknowledged or showed remorse for his crimes. He always claimed ignorance or tried to pass blame. It\u2019s hard to find anything redeeming in that. I see him as an unredeemable pathetic and pitiable figure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Any message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0If you enjoy true crime, dark history and horror, I hope you check out \u201cDid You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?\u201d!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We would like to say a big thank you to Eric for taking the time to chat with us.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Eric Powell","post_excerpt":"Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-eric-powell","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 02:16:41","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 01:16:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206719","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206727,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-08-11 15:09:39","post_date_gmt":"2021-08-11 14:09:39","post_content":"As the graphic novel Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done? is released today we are joined by the co-writer and true-crime writer Harold Schechter.<\/span>\n\nHi Harold, we are delighted and so happy to have you here with us today. We are so excited that we can chat with you about your new graphic novel with Eric Powell.<\/span>\n\nThanks for inviting me.<\/span>\n\nAs some of our readers may not be familiar with your work, could you please tell us a bit about yourself?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nUntil my recent retirement I was a professor of 19th-century American literature at Queens College City University of New York, for 42 years. I also taught classes in myth and folklore. To supplement my meager academic salary, I started writing commercial books back in the late 70s, basically on whatever subject interested me at the moment. I was working on a book about movie special effects when I encountered the fact--unknown to me at the time--that both PSYCHO and TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE were inspired by the same real-life criminal, the \"Wisconsin Ghoul,\" Ed Gein. I began looking into the case and that became my first true crime book, DEVIANT. Since then, I've written a bunch of historical true crime books, along with encyclopedic works like THE SERIAL KILLER FILES.<\/span>\n\n\n\nWhen did you first hear about Eddie Gein?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nAs mentioned above, it was while researching the horror chapter in my book, FILM TRICKS: SPECIAL EFFECTS IN THE MOVIES.<\/span>\n\nCould you tell us about the origin of Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nOne day, my agent called to say that he had heard from a comic book artist, Eric Powell, about the possibility of collaborating on a graphic novel about Gein. As it happens, I've been a lifelong comic book fan and, at one point, a serious collector. I was familiar with THE GOON and have always regarded Eric as arguably the finest draftsmen working in comics today. So I leapt at the opportunity.<\/span>\n\n\n\nHow did you go about researching Eddie Gein?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI wrote my book DEVIANT before the internet age so I had to do a lot of digging in archives. I went to Wisconsin, interviewed Gein's neighbors in Plainfield, psychiatrists who treated him, the judge who presided at his hearing. I corresponded with Robert Bloch, the author of the novel PSYCHO. All in all, I assembled hundreds of pages of legal, psychiatric and other documents, along with xeroxes of the local papers that covered the case before embarking on the actual writing of the book.<\/span>\n\nWhy did you want to tell this story?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nBecause of the undying fascination with Gein, who--thanks to his influence on twentieth-century American horror--stands as a significant cultural figure.<\/span>\n\n\n\nHow would you describe Eddie Gein?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nPeople think of him as a serial killer but he doesn't really fit that profile. He wasn't a sadistic sex-killer like Bundy, Gacy, Kemperer, etc. Essentially he was a necrophile, driven to exhume the corpses of elderly women who reminded him of his mother, take them back to his farmhouse, dissect them, and make grotesque artifacts out of their body parts. To be sure, he murdered two women but (without minimizing those crimes) he was not interested in torture-murder but in acquiring the raw material for his bizarre rituals.<\/span>\n\nHas it been difficult working on this graphic novel?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nNot for me. It's been a terrific experience, one I hope to repeat.<\/span>\n\n\n\nAny message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nIf you're interested in the Ed Gein story, our book will shed new light on the inner workings of his deranged psychology. And if you're a lover of amazing comic book art, this is the book for you.<\/span>\n\nWe would like to say a big thank you to Harold for talking to us.<\/span>","post_title":"Harold Schechter Chats With ComicBuzz","post_excerpt":"Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"harold-schechter-chats-with-comicbuzz","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 02:17:19","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 01:17:19","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206727","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206675,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-08-05 15:19:39","post_date_gmt":"2021-08-05 14:19:39","post_content":"

Today we are thrilled to be joined by the multi-talented Jason Rosen, not only is Jason a special effects artist but also the founder of Skinwalker Studios. Jason joined us for a chat to talk all about Monsterwood.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hi Jason, thanks for joining us today. We are so happy that you have taken time out of your busy schedule for us; we are delighted to chat with you and find out more about\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s great to be with you, Shabbir! Thank you for speaking with us!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

For some of our readers who may not be familiar with your work, could you please tell us a bit about yourself?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Creatively, I have an eclectic background. I grew up in the 70\u2019s and 80\u2019s, devouring comics and film. Looking back, it still feels like a golden age of both comics and film. All of the great work, artists, and stories of that time had such an influence on me. I have always known I wanted to do \u201cthat\u201d before I even knew what \u201cthat\u201d was. I now know it is to tell stories and create worlds. I have worked to do just that, on everything from children\u2019s puppet shows to horror movies, from performing along with Henson puppeteers to being directed by the late Wes Craven. I have contributed designs, both 2-d and 3-d maquettes for pre-production on film and television, done special effects makeup, as well as specialty props, etc. So for me, the medium with which the story is told can take many forms. With Monsterwood, the graphic novel format allows us to tell the story the way we want to tell it and as large as it needs to be told, without any limitation of medium or budget.<\/span><\/p>\n

I also hold a B.F.A in Fine Arts and a M.F.A. in Dramatic Arts with a concentration in puppetry from UCONN, one of the only accredited programs of it\u2019s kind in the country.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Could you tell us about the origins of\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Sure! The first spark of\u00a0Monsterwood\u00a0<\/em>was tied to the birth of my first born son. I was doing the first-time parent thing and just staring at this little being. I knew \u201chow\u201d he got there, and enough high school science to understand the process, but I couldn\u2019t just chalk it up to mere biology. I kept staring at this little person asking myself where they were from, why they were here, and what they came to do. No doubt, universal questions, but they had never seemed so profound to me. The complete blank slate of a life and so many possible destinies. He was the impetus for one of the main characters, Jovis, the scrappy orphaned street rat raised by his adoptive Mahru ( Monster) grandmother. From there, Jovis\u2019s world grew and so did his role and purpose in it. All of the characters are so intertwined in the collective outcome of their world, just like we are all connected. I worked hard to make Monsterwood an entertaining, wild fantasy adventure with some horror elements while also exploring universal themes about finding our own purpose and path through life, while having to face some harsh realities that we do not have the luxury of turning away from.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

How did Steve Ellis join\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>, and what made him the right artist for the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

It was an unexpected blessing. I actually had started doing some preliminary work with another artist going back and forth on trying to dial in what my world looked like at that point. He was finishing up another gig, so it was about six weeks of talking and dialing things in a bit. As we were about to start working on the first graphic novel, he got a full time gig for a big video game company, so I don\u2019t blame him for taking it. He\u2019s a great guy and very talented and we are still in touch today. However, at the time, I needed an artist and not just one of the many super talented people out there, I needed to find\u00a0the\u00a0<\/em>artist that was right for\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>, my dream project. I turned to an old childhood friend, Mike Mrak who is now Design Director at Scientific American and told him I need the right artist right away! Being familiar with the project, Mike threw some real heavy hitters my way, all with varied styles. Then I saw Steve\u2019s work and in particular,\u00a0High Moon<\/em>. We actually met in an old manager\u2019s office in NYC. We quickly had a creative short hand and I was absolutely sold. At this point, I can\u2019t imagine doing it with anyone else. Steve is a great guy and his work is just amazing. His skill and imagination are limitless.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

There was a bit of a gap between the release of book one and book two; why was that?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

My life kind of imploded. My elderly mother was the victim of a violent home invasion and was assaulted. I found her, barely alive on her kitchen floor, two days later. At the time, I was working two jobs to pay my son\u2019s college tuition, in addition to coordinating life for my mother. Six months later, I found myself facing a divorce after 23-years of marriage. I went into survival mode. (This is not an invitation to my pity party, but I believe in speaking the truth in order to normalize how traumatic and messy life can be.) Throughout all of that, I was mailing out Kickstarter rewards from the first\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>\u00a0book and eagerly planning on getting back to\u00a0Monsterwood\u00a0<\/em>book 2.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Nicholas Efstathiou joined you as co-writer on book two; how did that come about?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

It was a question of timing. Monsterwood is my original IP, based on a screenplay I wrote way back then. It has evolved over the years, but still stayed very true to that original draft. Through the years there were so many variations and directions I could have taken or developed the story. I had another collaborator I was going to work with, but the timing didn\u2019t work out . This time, I found myself in need of a co-writer. Nick and I had some mutual friends locally and he had even backed the first two Kickstarters. Little did he know he would be co-writing Book 2 with me! I was familiar with Nick\u2019s writing through his great and creepy horror series,\u00a0Cross<\/em>, Massachusetts<\/em>. I love collaborating. I think working with another writer who is familiar with the spirit of the piece helps me focus and fully define all of the thousands of ideas that live in my head.\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>\u00a0is a huge world, with its own history; flora and fauna. I can\u2019t put it all out there in three books, and some of it doesnt need to be there at all, but Nick, Steve, and I need to know it. It makes for a more fully realized, cohesive world.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

How would you describe\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

It is a high concept fantasy adventure with some horror elements. It\u2019s my love letter to all of the great fantasy, horror, and scifi that I grew up on.<\/span><\/p>\n

The series follows the difficult, sometimes brutal journey of a scrappy commoner raised in the slums of the city, and a sheltered princess as they move from the innocence of youth to the open battle of adulthood, set in a fresh and unique world filled with outlandish creatures that feels like\u00a0The Jungle Book<\/em>\u00a0meets\u00a0Lord of the Rings<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Monsterwood<\/em>\u00a0takes place fourteen years after the king and queen of Magog met mysterious, violent deaths at the hands of a group of deformed outcasts known as monsters. Now, as a new ruler is about to be crowned, two young people from completely different backgrounds--Jovis, an orphaned independent young boy, and the Princess Jocosta, herself the courageous, willful heir to the throne--will reluctantly join forces on a journey into the dark and forbidding forest known as Monsterwood. There, they will discover the truth about what really happened in those dark days of betrayal and murder...and begin to fulfill their own destinies.<\/span><\/p>\n

At its core, it\u2019s\u00a0a coming of age story that combines a fairy tale aesthetic with appropriately dark edges, significant twists, Monsters, strong characters, and tons of action and adventure in a world that is both haunting, and beautiful. The world of Monsterwood explores many themes; young people transitioning into adulthood, aspects of the classic hero's journey structure set in a new and captivating world, powerful people behaving badly, magic and supernatural elements, madness, pain, love, loss, and even some humor .<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Book two ended on a cliffhanger; what can you tell us about book three?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

No spoilers, but I can tell you it is going to be bug nuts! The first book felt kind of like a landing pad, a good introduction to the world and characters. The second book the threat became more real and defined. The third book, it\u2019s all on the line for everybody. There is no chance for a peaceful resolution and we are not lying when we say that \u201ca battle is coming and not all those who enter will survive.\u201d We also have some surprises coming up which are going to turn a few character\u2019s perceived realities on their heads. There are also some nice set ups for some characters that will allow us to take things even farther and expand the world of\u00a0Monsterwood\u00a0<\/em>even more, in time.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

As a creator, does crowdfunding your project make it easier than dealing with a traditional publisher?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The easy part is you don\u2019t need to ask permission to publish, you don\u2019t need to pitch, have an editor, wait for someone else\u2019s publishing calendar, etc. You have control of all of those things. It is harder because you don\u2019t have all of the support that a traditional publisher brings. Editors can be a writer's best friend, just like an art director can be an artist\u2019s best friend. Win, lose, or draw, all of the creative and business decisions are our\u2019s to own. So we work hard as a team, communicate and delegate, stay focused, and most importantly, love what we do.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Crowdfunding also has an aspect to it that is not the same when working with a traditional publisher, that being the relationship with the backers, who in turn become our readers. It is such a humbling and fulfilling aspect of a crowdfunding project. We know each and every one of our supporters' names. We never lose sight of the faith and the funds invested in us. There are a lot of great projects out there. When people choose us, it really does mean the world to us and the fact of the matter is, without their backing we just simply would not be able to produce these\u00a0Monsterwood\u00a0<\/em>books.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

What has the feedback been like for\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Overwhelmingly positive! We even have some 5 star reviews on Goodreads! I love hearing from people about Monsterwood. It is always so interesting to hear who their favorite character is, what their favorite scene is, or what aspect of the story or who\u2019s story arc they want to see resolved. The most common question I am asked is when is Monsterwood Book 3 coming out! I can't think of a better question and my answer is,\u00a0\u201cHopefully soon, with your support!\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

When you and Nicholas are writing, how does that work; do you write a full script and send it to Steve?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

My original screenplay was the source for the outline of the books. Based on that, Nick and I initially work on outlines of scenes together. They are a little more than outlines actually, containing notes and descriptions of key elements, actions, or dialogue of each scene. This then goes to Steve and the three of us go over everything together, with Steve breaking down how many pages he thinks he will need to effectively capture it all. From there, Steve works on thumbnails that then come back to Nick and I. We then write the script for those pages according to the thumbed panels. This way we all can see if we need to expand the page count, or sometimes shrink a scene before we proceed. Final art means one more round to polish edit any last bits of dialogue.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Do you have a favourite Kickstarter reward?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Of course, the book! That is the reason for the campaign. We really want to finish this story, for ourselves, for our readers, and for people who haven\u2019t read any Monsterwood yet and just like what they have seen so far.<\/span><\/p>\n

Past that I like the 3-D Scrag head magnets and the tapestry of Steve\u2019s amazing cover for Book 3!<\/span><\/p>\n

Steve\u2019s special edition books with pencil drawings, inland wash or even watercolor always turn out amazing and are really something not to be missed! They make the book that much more special and rare. I mean, who doesn\u2019t want an original drawing by Steve Ellis? I certainly do!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Any message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

If you like what you see, consider backing the campaign at any level. Every bit truly does help and the greater number of backers helps us raise visibility too. Beyond becoming a backer, please share word of the Monsterwood campaign with like minded folks. We really do think you and others will enjoy the world we have created for you. We can\u2019t do it without backers! To that end, check out the campaign:<\/span>\u00a0https:\/\/www.kickstarter.com\/projects\/monsterwood3\/monsterwood-book-3-annihilation-graphic-novel\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

A big thank you to Jason for sitting and chatting with us, we would like to wish Jason and all of his team the best of luck with their Kickstarter.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Jason Rosen","post_excerpt":"Monsterwood","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-jason-rosen","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 02:24:02","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 01:24:02","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206675","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206620,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-07-28 14:11:41","post_date_gmt":"2021-07-28 13:11:41","post_content":"

Today we are joined by the multi-talented writer\/artist Jimmy Palmiotti. Jimmy is a multi-award winning comic book creator. Some of the comics Jimmy has worked on include The Big Con Job, The New West, The Monolith, 21 Down, The Resistance, The Pro, Harley Quinn, Jonah Hex, Power Girl, just to name a few. As he launches his new graphic novel Rage with Scott Hampton, we got to sit down and chat with him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hi Jimmy, we are so excited to have you here with us today. There is so much that we could talk to you about, and we would love to. We understand that you are very busy; we are so delighted that you have taken some time out of your schedule to talk to us about your new graphic novel, Rage.<\/span><\/p>\n

Can you tell us about the origin of Rage?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The simple origins of RAGE are that it was simply put together by two guys that wanted to work together again and tell a story they can own for a change. Scott Hampton and I have worked a few times on different projects, one of the last being the G.I. Zombie series over at DC COMICS, and we were talking about future projects when both of our schedules had a significant gap in them and we jumped at the opportunity. I already had the Kickstarter know how, so we then moved on to finding just the right idea where we would both have an interest in the subject, which was a bit of horror mixed with some over the top drama. We were looking for something that we would have a passion for and that\u2019s how RAGE came about. Right property at the right time.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

How would you describe Rage?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I would describe the RAGE graphic novel as a mix of Horror, disaster movie, and a lot of humanity. Rage is less about the event and more about the relationship between father and daughter and their emotional scars they have between them that brings them closer. Rage is a study in a shared trauma and how people push through and deal with it differently. A lot of my past therapy comes into play when telling this story and at the end of the day, outside of that, it\u2019s a big adventure of two people crossing the United States while it is in the grips of an unknown disaster. We wanted to do something fun, weird and visually stimulating. I think RAGE delivers all of this and more.<\/span><\/p>\n

How long have you been working on Rage?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

When you are doing something, you love, it really doesn\u2019t feel like work. That said, we have been creating Rage for the past 8 months during the pandemic and finally getting to the point where it made sense to start the Kickstarter. This gives us the opportunity to deliver the book very quickly after the campaign ends. With 16 Kickstarters under my belt, I know one of the major concerns is the book comes out on time and right now, with a perfect track record, I do not want that to change.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

You are working with Scott Hampton on Rage; what made Scott the right choice for Rage?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Scott and I are different people in so many ways, but at our core, we both understand the importance of emotionally driven decisions. We also have an eye for art and both love this form of storytelling. We are fans of a ton of genres outside superhero\u2019s and we both have very international tastes in storytelling- meaning we have no problem with language, nudity and violence. Rage delivers on all of the above in this adult graphic novel.<\/span><\/p>\n

You are crowdfunding Rage, does dealing directly with readers make the project more special for you as a creator?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Crowdfunding is a simple and direct way to feel out what one\u2019s audience wants from a creator. They support a project with their pledge and as each campaign ends, you can easily see what works and what doesn\u2019t when you see the support or lack of on a campaign. This kind of grass roots feedback helps mold each and every project. I see a lot of the same names campaign after campaign and love it. I would also love to have some more retailers involved and offer pledge levels for them as well. Dealing directly to the consumer is a gift for me and trying to live up to their expectations is a constant challenge I am happy to make. I love the entire process, even packing up the books.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Do you have a favorite Kickstarter reward?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

On Rage we are offering something unique to my other Kickstarters, and this is a lot of Original art by A Scott Hampton from the interiors of the book as well as I am offering a commission on the inside covers of a certain amount of books where a backer can choose for me to draw the character of their choice. We also have some special stretch goals added which we will show when and if we reach our goal on the project.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Any message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

My message to ComicBuzz readers is thank you for getting this far into the interview, thanks for supporting this wonderful site and the people behind it and you can all do me a favor and check out our latest Kickstarter and share the links on social media, and please join our mailer at PAPERFILMS.COM so we can bring you news and exclusive deals each month. Also, please take care, be careful, keep calm and have integrity in everything you do<\/span><\/p>\n

A big thank you to Jimmy for taking the time to chat with us today. We would like to wish Jimmy and everybody at PaperFilms the best of luck with their new graphic novel Rage.<\/span><\/p>\n

The rage graphic novel is now <\/span>live on Kickstater<\/a>.
<\/span><\/p>\n

For more information, visit<\/span> www.paperfilms.com<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Jimmy Palmiotti","post_excerpt":"Rage","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-jimmy-palmiotti","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 02:28:33","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 01:28:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206620","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206539,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-07-07 15:07:36","post_date_gmt":"2021-07-07 14:07:36","post_content":"With the first issue of Black's Myth released today, we got a chance to sit down with the writer of the comic Eric Palicki for a chat. We get the low down on the new comic Black's Myth.<\/span>\n\nWelcome Eric, thank you for taking the time to be with us; we are so delighted that you could join us today.<\/span>\n\nThanks! Delighted to talk to you as well!<\/span>\n\nFor some of our readers who may not be familiar with your work, could you please tell us a bit about yourself?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nSure! I'm Eric Palicki, native Ohioan transplanted out here to the Pacific Northwest. I've been writing comics for several years; my previous work includes books published by Darby Pop, Black Mask, Scout Comics, Marvel, and more. On occasion, I also edit comics professionally, including on the Ringo Award-nominated anthologies\u00a0All We Ever Wanted<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Dead Beats<\/em>,\u00a0both published by A Wave Blue World.<\/span>\n\nYour new comics series Black's Myth is releasing July 7th; can you tell us about the origins of Black's Myth?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nBlack's Myth is the product of many small ideas which didn't quite equal a story on their own, but which, left to percolate in my head over time, finally coagulated into a coherent narrative. The finished product is kind of an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink love letter to everything from\u00a0Buffy the Vampire Slayer\u00a0<\/em>to\u00a0Sam and Dean Winchester to\u00a0The Maltese Falcon<\/em>.<\/span>\n\n\nHow did Wendell Cavalcanti join the project?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nWendell has been a part of the project from the beginning. I wrote it with him in mind to draw it and pitched it with his name attached. We've been collaborating on and off for most of my time in comics, most recently on the mini-series\u00a0Atlantis Wasn't Built for Tourists\u00a0from Scout. I feel like we understand each other's strengths by now.\u00a0<\/span>\n\nHow would you describe Black's Myth?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nBlack's Myth is a supernatural noir thriller about an LA private detective forced to confront her past in order to solve the case that will determine her future: find thirty stolen bullets supposedly made from Judas's silver pieces.<\/span>\n\nThe comic is black-and-white. Was that something that you wanted for Black's Myth right from the beginning?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI actually pitched the series in color \u2014 and maybe the glorious Dee Cunnife pitch pages will find their way into print someday! \u2014 but Ahoy suggested black and white in homage to the book's noir and horror roots. I think the end result works nicely. Wendell has a strong sense of light and shadow, and if black and white is good enough for the Walking Dead, it's good enough for us!<\/span>\n\n\nThe comic is being published by AHOY Comics; how did this collaboration come about?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nAHOY's editor at large Sarah Litt and I have been friends for a few years. Sarah approached me about pitching to them. I sent over three or four ideas, and Sarah LOVED Black's Myth. Being an AHOY book meant tinkering with the story a bit to fit their offbeat sensibilities, and the resulting book is a richer experience than if I'd played it straight.<\/span>\n\nWhat can you tell us about Janie Jones Mercado?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nWhen we first meet Janie \u2014nicknamed Strummer by her The Clash-loving father \u2014 she's pretty much at her lowest point: shot while in the middle of a seemingly unrelated case. More broadly, she's a private detective who lives and works in LA alongside her partner Ben. For years, she's attempted to distance herself from the secret supernatural community she was born into, but she hasn't found anywhere else she belongs. A big part of Strummer's story, and Ben's, will be about finding our place and our people in this world.<\/span>\n\n\nThe series has some very talented artists creating covers for it; how do you select the artists that contribute these covers?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI'm such a dope! Series cover artist Liana Kangas and I have been friends for years \u2014 no one who's ever met or worked with Liana will ever tell you the experience is anything less than delightful \u2014 but again, it was Sarah Litt who suggested Liana for this book. I love those covers, the perfect marriage of classic pulp fiction and Liana's obsession with neon colorways. The variants, by Jamal Igle for issue one and Steve Pugh for issue two, were arranged by AHOY, and I got to be surprised right along with everyone else.<\/span>\n\nDo you have a favourite scene from the first issue?<\/strong><\/span>\n\nThe cat \u2014 er, dog \u2014 is out of the bag already that Strummer is a werewolf. Part of me wishes we could've kept that under wraps and sprung it on the reader, but such is the nature of soliciting orders. Anyway, the first scene in which she reveals that is so beautifully realized by Wendell and just works perfectly in the context of the story we're telling.<\/span>\n\n\nAny message for the ComicBuzz readers?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>\n\nPlease come find me on social media: @ericpalicki on Twitter and Instagram. I hope everyone checks out Black's Myth, monthly, beginning July 7th. Thanks so much for the time!<\/span>\n\nWe would like to say a big thank you to Eric for taking the time to chat with us. We would like to wish Eric and everyone involved in Black's Myth the best of luck with the series.<\/span>","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Eric Palicki","post_excerpt":"Black's Myth","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-eric-palicki","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 02:40:17","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 01:40:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206539","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206405,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-06-11 16:08:24","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-11 15:08:24","post_content":"

Darling #1<\/em>, by playwrights and NintendDads<\/a> Michael Fleizach (The Onion<\/em>) and co-creator Todd Hunt (The Secret Adventures of Houdini<\/em>) \u2014 delving into the underbelly of the 1980s New York City\u2019s drug epidemic \u2014 with epic and punk '80s street graffiti art by David Mack Mims (Scrimshaw), out June 30th from Source Point Press<\/a>. This variant cover for Darling #1 has been created by the very talented Jim Mahfood and you can see it here, in all its glory.
<\/span><\/p>\n

Inspired by journals left behind by Michael's brother,\u00a0Darling,\u00a0is a comic\u00a0meant to capture the\u00a0passions they once shared.<\/span><\/p>\n

With all of New York City enveloped in the zeitgeist of a missing 8-year-old girl, lovable anti-hero Francis Darling accidentally stumbles onto the machinations behind her kidnapping and the drug war that ensues.\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2026but has he really?<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

A bit like chasing the Mad Hatter through a toxic chemical cloud, Francis\u2019 inconceivable journey brings us uncomfortably close to NYC\u2019s most crooked\u2026most deviant\u2026most irredeemable characters; the kind that can only be extricated from the drug-addled, guilty conscience of a failing brain.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Darling #1<\/em> is slated for release June 30, 2021. Letters by Zack Turner (Unlife). Cover B by Alex Riegel (Scumbag).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Darling #1 Jim Mahfood Variant Cover","post_excerpt":"Delve into the underbelly of the 1980s New York City","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"darling-1-jim-mahfood-variant-cover","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 14:44:43","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 13:44:43","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206405","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":256},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_22"};

Page 256 of 474 Previous 1 … 255 256 257 … 474 Next

\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Mark Sable","post_excerpt":"Chaotic Neutral","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-mark-sable","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-07 23:42:12","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-07 22:42:12","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206924","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206817,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-08-25 17:29:42","post_date_gmt":"2021-08-25 16:29:42","post_content":"

The ComicBuzz gaming team and I finally got our chance to get our hands on the final two parts of The Isklander trilogy from Swamp Motel. We did already; review the first part of the Islander trilogy, just in case you want to check out that review.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Isklander trilogy is a team-based online alternate reality game part puzzle, interactive movie, escape room and scavenger hunt. You and your team have a limited time to solve several multimedia riddles in a limited time.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The second part of The Isklander trilogy is called The Mermaid\u2019s Tongue, and the third part is called The Kindling Hour. I do not want to give away any spoilers, so I do not really want to talk about the story. All I want to say is that the subsequent parts of the trilogy; continue the story set-up in the first part-Plymouth Point. Plymouth Point is a mystery that involving a person named Ivy Isklander. I think: the less you know about the plot of any mystery game going into it, the better the experience is. I believe this is true for The Isklander trilogy.<\/span><\/p>\n

I have already mentioned that this is a team-game, for up to six people. You and your team must use your skills to solve the puzzles that arise. The set-up involves you; meeting several characters in the form of a live-action scene and, the rest is up to you and your team. The rest of the game involves you and your team; getting into a spider web of multimedia unknowns as you race against time to solve the puzzles before the time is up.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

To play the game, all you need is a web browser: PC or laptop, cam, mic. I do recommend a pen, paper and some form of headphones and some quiet time. I have to say I really enjoyed the game as a whole; I found the story more intriguing as it went along, the puzzles also got more complex. For me, the live-action scenes pulled me into the plot. It felt very engaging. I enjoyed the acting. For me, it really added to the overall atmosphere of the game. I have to say that I thought the second and third parts seemed a bit short to me. The reason parts two and three felt short; could be that I was having too much fun or maybe due to my team just being so good at puzzle solving.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Isklander trilogy was the first time that I experienced this type of team-based online alternate reality game. I had a blast. I can see why some companies would use this type of game for a team-building exercise. It is a very different experience from your PC\/console gaming.<\/span><\/p>\n

I would recommend this game for anyone who likes puzzles games and has several friends to get together with and enjoy themselves. The game is unique, something I think gamers should experience. I look forward to seeing what Swamp Motel can do in the future with this medium. I would say that the ComicBuzz gaming team would love to experience it.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Isklander Trilogy: The Mermaid\u2019s Tongue & The Kindling Hour Review","post_excerpt":"Online alternate reality game","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-isklander-trilogy-the-mermaids-tongue-the-kindling-hour-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 02:04:52","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 01:04:52","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206817","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206758,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-08-17 22:10:33","post_date_gmt":"2021-08-17 21:10:33","post_content":"

Today marks the release of the Crisis Zone graphic novel from Fantagraphics. The graphic novel is a collection of the Eisner Award-winning webcomic from Simon Hanselmann. Simon is best know for his Megg, Mogg, & Owl series. We are so delighted to be joined by the artist and writer Simon Hanselmann.<\/span><\/p>\n

For any of our readers who may not be familiar with the Megg, Mogg, & <\/span><\/strong>Owl series, what can you tell us about the series?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"My elevator pitch is that it's like the Simpsons, back when the Simpsons was actually relevant and well written but with more drug abuse and rimming.<\/span><\/p>\n

It's a comedy sitcom, on paper, that can also get horribly, brutally depressing at times.<\/span><\/p>\n

My aim is to make entertaining comics that read well and keep the reader satisfied and coming back for more.<\/span><\/p>\n

It's not for everybody though. It's not for p***ies.\"<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Can you talk us through the origins of Crisis Zone?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"When the pandemic hit I was about to start a book called Megg's Coven, the follow up to my 2019 book Bad Gateway, but everything was falling to shit and I figured now was a good time to actually do a \"webcomic\". Free entertainment for the confined masses! I just wanted to entertain people, and myself. We all set out on a journey together, not knowing what the end would look like.<\/span><\/p>\n

I threw out all of my established canon and just put these characters into the current situation and went with it.\"<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Was the primary reason for creating Crisis Zone to create a webcomic, <\/span>and did creating a webcomic present any additional challenges for you?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Yeah, I'd never done a \"proper\" webcomic before. I'm a zine guy, I like physical sh**. I'm generally not a fan of webcomics on the whole.<\/span><\/p>\n

Covid presented the perfect opportunity to finally plunge into that world.<\/span><\/p>\n

It's not really a standard webcomic though. It was drawn on stolen printer paper, with colored pencils and photographed with my phone and put onto instagram.<\/span><\/p>\n

It's hilarious\u00a0to me that it won the Eisner for best webcomic.\"<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

As a creative person, do you think that the pandemic challenged your creativity?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Nah, not really. I'm an insane workaholic, I'd been putting in 12hour days for years, the pandemic was kind of a blessing to me because it meant that I could leave the house and my studio even less than I did before. No visitors! No weddings or events I felt obligated to attend. Yes, please!<\/span><\/p>\n

I could just work all day without any bullsh**. I f***<\/span>ing LOVED it. I THRIVED.\"<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Do you think the pandemic changed you as a person, and if so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Everything kind of felt the same for me, just staring at a sheet of paper everyday, losing myself in fantasy, \"suburban Dungeons & Dragons\".<\/span><\/p>\n

My wife and I had our first kid during all this crazy sh**, that's the only thing that's really different for me, I'm a dad now.<\/span><\/p>\n

It's weird to not be insanely focused on comics but I'm really enjoying being insanely focused on my kid. I'm a very hands-on father, unlike my own dad.<\/span><\/p>\n

I'm trying to be as good at being a dad as I am at making comics (make of that what you will, critical detractors!)\"<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Did your real-world experience of the pandemic; change aspects of Crisis Zone?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Not especially, I was pretty well set-up to weather the pandemic, I'd been working my ass off for years and had some savings and a good stock of toilet paper. I spent the summer grilling and playing Animal Crossing in and around the Covid panic. I guess stuff did seep in, the selfishness of being concerned about video games being delayed, the whole TV show within the comic was somewhat a commentary on the public popularity of the Crisis Zone comic and a TV show I was working on in real life... I think most writers can't help putting parts of themselves into what they produce...\"<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

What was the feedback like when you were posting it as a webcomic?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"It was all over the place, mostly people were appreciative for the daily distraction and loved it and certain factions f***ing hated it... There were often a lot of ideological battles in the comments which I absolutely loved, it was fun seeing people do battle! Engagement is good,\u00a0even if it's bad!<\/span><\/p>\n

At one point I was being harassed by both right wing and left wing extremists which was very funny to me. The left wing kids were the scariest ones, they go beyond just telling you you're a horrible loser, they seem to actually actively want to destroy your career and your livelihood.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I ignored ALL of these ding dongs.<\/span><\/p>\n

I just make the art I want to make, no apologies.\"<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Do you have a favourite scene from Crisis Zone?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Too many to count. I laugh at my own work way too much, although often I'll also go into a place of deep critical hatred for my shit (which I think is very healthy).<\/span><\/p>\n

If I had to pick some favourite moments it'd most likely be the whole \"Carrot Bottom\" thing or the way in which Werewolf Jones gets his Netflix series cancelled (and I can't believe I got away with that...)\"<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Do the events of Crisis Zone change Megg, Mogg, & Owl moving forward?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"It exists in a different continuity, it's kind of its\u00a0own thing. The Megg and Mogg series now exists as a confusing multiverse.<\/span><\/p>\n

It will be kind of difficult in a way, going back to the old canon, I kind of pushed things a bit far in Crisis Zone by revealing a certain character that was intended to debut in the \"normal\" books and also the relationship between Owl and Werewolf Jones's kids progressed a lot... I kinda blew my load on some of that stuff.<\/span><\/p>\n

I figured I'd just go for it though, I had a captive audience and a kid on the way and I'm unsure if I'll ever have this kind of attention again in the future.\"<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Crisis Zone graphic novel from Fantagraphics features additional p<\/span><\/strong>anels and a director's commentary; is it important to you that <\/span><\/strong>readers can access this extra content?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Nah, it's just some bonus sh** to make the book a bit more special, trick people into giving me money.<\/span><\/p>\n

I gave it all out for free, no patreon bullsh** or donate buttons, just free if you had a phone and internet access.<\/span><\/p>\n

I'm counting on people who enjoyed it to pony up 30 bucks for a cumbersome book 8 months after the thing ended and people have probably moved on with their lives.<\/span><\/p>\n

I hope the 500 extra panels in between\u00a0all the episodes and the little epilogue will bring in some financial supporters. The commentary isn't even really designed to be read, it's kind of just supposed\u00a0to exist as an insane block of unreadable handwritten text. I guess if anybody actually has a big chunk of time on their hands they could try and read it. Good luck!\"<\/span><\/p>\n

We would like to say a big thank you to Simon for taking the the time to chat with us.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Simon Hanselmann Chats with ComicBuzz","post_excerpt":"Crisis Zone","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"simon-hanselmann-chats-with-comicbuzz","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 21:25:40","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 20:25:40","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206758","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206741,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-08-12 14:03:09","post_date_gmt":"2021-08-12 13:03:09","post_content":"

Today we are thrilled to be joined by the artist Steve Ellis. Steve co-created The Only Living Girl<\/em> and High Moon<\/em> as well as working on a number of comics for a number of different publishers. We got to talk all about Monsterwood<\/em> with Steve.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hi Steve, we have been fans of your work for a very long time. We are so happy that we can chat with you today. Thank you for your time.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thanks! It's great to talk with you!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

When you first heard about\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>, what were your thoughts?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Jason and I met a while ago and he had all of these amazing sculptures and this really fantastic world he\u2019d put together, it was like\u00a0The Dark Crystal\u00a0<\/em>and Brian Froud with a darker sense. I thought working with Jason would be a way to mix the two things that I love to create, comics and fantasy art in a single project.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

What made you want to be a part of this project?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I thought it would be a chance to try out a different look and feel for my work, less of the clean line superhero comics feel and more of a rich earthy fantasy world. Plus I have a lot of room to create and put together a lot of my own character and set designs. I\u2019m also taking a lot of time to experiment with different storytelling styles with page designs and panels and I\u2019m putting a lot of the same colors and textures I love from projects like High moon. It is exciting to work on.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

How would you describe\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Monsterwood is a dark moody fantasy story about characters finding out how to become heroes in their own way. Each of the main protagonists, Jovis, jocasta and Scrag are living in an authoritarian regime controlled by an evil wizard named Tiberius. Each one starts in different levels of the society and each one is confronted by the problems of the world around them in their own individual way. They are all called to fix the world around them in unique ways and they each have to figure out how they are going to make their world better.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Is there a character from Monsterwood that you enjoy drawing the most?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I think Scrag and Tiberius are the two most fun. Scarf because he\u2019s a big pile of muscle but he has a lot of stuff going on in his brain. Lots of decisions he\u2019s trying to make, so rather than just being a big brute he\u2019s often watching and considering the other characters around him, trying to decide how he\u2019s going to move.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tiberius is fun because he\u2019s such a villain. He\u2019s vicious, evil, manipulative, willing to sacrifice everyone around him for his own advancement. He\u2019s diabolical which means he\u2019s a lot of fun to act through in each scene he\u2019s in.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

How long did it take you to illustrate book one and book two?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Each one took about 6 - 8 months to draw and color. I was working on The Only Living Boy through most of that time and juggling the two projects was really difficult especially since they had some similar visuals but a different mood.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

How much of a challenge artistically was it to bring this world to life?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The real challenge has been building the visuals of the world and trying to put context into the backgrounds and other visuals. They are surrounded by the ruins of a world the main characters don\u2019t understand but that has a direct effect on their lives. Each statue and mural and ancient ruin has a meaning to it and a story behind it. Some of the stories are intricately tied into the main plot, sometimes even clues to the future of the story, whereas others are stories that Jason wants to explore in other projects that exist in the world. The world is really rich and making the visuals reflect that is a real challenge.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What has it been like working with Jason and Nicholas?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Jason makes the process really fun. He\u2019s full of energy and excitement about the world and he really pours a lot of thought and care into it. This has been a dream project of his for many years and it shows in the dedication and richness of the world. Nick really brings sharp writing and clarity. Whereas Jason is a font of ideas, Nick brings it all together into a really strong clear story. I really enjoy working with both of them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

You are responsible for creating all of the art for the series. Was there a particular part of that process that you enjoyed the most, pencils, inking or colouring?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I think it's inking that I really enjoy most. I don\u2019t really do tight pencils so I storyboard the art in loose pencil form and hop right in with the brush. The color for me is there to show off the inks and add some texture. I really love the depth and intensity of inking. It\u2019s risky to lay down lines in ink with little to no framework so it makes the work exciting. A lot of my heroes are old quill, brush and ink guys like Bernie Wrightson and Frank Frazetta whose inks were so lush and powerful and I try to bring that kind of care to my inks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

What can you say about book three?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

This is really the book that the story has been building to. All of the threads have led here and the characters are all coming into their own. They are grouping together to build a rebellion from the outcasts hiding in the jungle just as Tiberius sends his Zumari warriors out to burn the jungle of Monsterwood down.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Any message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

My message to Comic Buzz readers would be to thank you for reading and being interested in indie projects like Monsterwood and for being interested enough in the work that we do to read this far. When you work to create projects like this, where no one but the readers can help determine the fate of the project, you are putting a lot on the line. At the same time you are asking for people to trust that what you are doing is worth their time and money and that in the end they will walk away just as excited and inspired as we were when we made it. So i guess, If you can, back the kickstarter, and if you can\u2019t (which I totally understand, it's tough out there.) tell your friends and maybe join our mailing list www.skinwalkerstudios.com<\/a>). Every friend of the project makes us stronger.<\/span><\/p>\n

Be well, be good to each other,and be inspired!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Check out the campaign:<\/strong><\/span> https:\/\/www.kickstarter.com\/projects\/monsterwood3\/monsterwood-book-3-annihilation-graphic-novel<\/a><\/p>\n

We would like to say thank you to Steve, we would like to wish Steve and all of his team the best of luck with their Kickstarter.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Steve Ellis","post_excerpt":"Monsterwood","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-steve-ellis","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 02:15:49","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 01:15:49","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206741","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206719,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-08-11 19:57:45","post_date_gmt":"2021-08-11 18:57:45","post_content":"

With the release of Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done? Graphic novel today, we are so delighted to be joined by the very talented co-writer and artist Eric Powell.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Hi Eric, thank you for sitting and chatting with us today. We are so happy that we can do this; we have been fans of your work for a very long time. We are so excited to chat with you about your new graphic novel with Harold Schechter.<\/span><\/p>\n

How would you describe Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

At its core I guess I\u2019d have to say it\u2019s a period piece about a family steeped in madness. But there are a lot of angles to this book. We examine the distorted inner workings of Gein\u2019s fantasy world, and how the sterilized 1950s America dealt with these almost inconceivable crimes, among other things.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

How did the collaboration with Harold Schechter come about?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been a long time fan of his. And was very aware of his book\u00a0Deviant<\/em>. The best and most accurate account of the Gein case. When I got the idea to do a graphic novel on Gein I began to have second thoughts because I didn\u2019t believe I could do anything better than what Harold had already done. But I thought perhaps Harold might want to collaborate on it. Thinking he had probably come up with more material and insights since working on\u00a0Deviant<\/em>. I reached out through his agent and had little hope he would respond. In which case I would just move on to another project. But luckily it turns out that Harold is a huge comic fan and was really excited about the idea.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0What was it like to write with Harold?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Great. He\u2019s a super generous and unselfish collaborator. He also came up with perspectives that I would have never dreamed of. It was a very positive experience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

On average, how long did it take you to create a page of art for the graphic novel?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

It depended on the page. And the way I worked on the book, I can\u2019t even really say how long an individual page took. I did pretty extensive story layouts to make sure it was flowing well, and those were done in chunks. I do know I was inking a minimum of 2-3 pages a day when that part of the process came about.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Before you started work on this graphic novel, how much did you know about Eddie Gein?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I wouldn't say I was an expert, but I was pretty knowledgeable. That didn\u2019t really prepare me for the experience of completely immersing myself in this part of history, though. I found out pretty quickly the difference between working in fiction and non-fiction. Fact checking and research really add a lot of complexity to the process.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Was there a time when you were creating the art for the graphic novel that you found it difficult to create the art?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

There are projects I\u2019ve done where I found it difficult to portray the subject matter.\u00a0Big Man Plans\u00a0for example was a hard book to draw. I got pretty depressed at times. But the kind of analytical approach Harold and I took with this book made it not too difficult to tackle. We didn\u2019t set out to make a grotesque book. Although it\u2019s impossible not to be grotesque at moments when telling this story. But we wanted it to be more of a psychological horror.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

During the process of creating this graphic novel, have your thoughts about Eddie Gein changed?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, a little. While his crimes are unforgivable, I always had a bit of sympathy for what he went through in life that turned him into the ghoul of Plainfield. However, I found myself having slightly less sympathy for him as I did more research. He never acknowledged or showed remorse for his crimes. He always claimed ignorance or tried to pass blame. It\u2019s hard to find anything redeeming in that. I see him as an unredeemable pathetic and pitiable figure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Any message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0If you enjoy true crime, dark history and horror, I hope you check out \u201cDid You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?\u201d!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We would like to say a big thank you to Eric for taking the time to chat with us.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Eric Powell","post_excerpt":"Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-eric-powell","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 02:16:41","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 01:16:41","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206719","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206727,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-08-11 15:09:39","post_date_gmt":"2021-08-11 14:09:39","post_content":"As the graphic novel Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done? is released today we are joined by the co-writer and true-crime writer Harold Schechter.<\/span>\n\nHi Harold, we are delighted and so happy to have you here with us today. We are so excited that we can chat with you about your new graphic novel with Eric Powell.<\/span>\n\nThanks for inviting me.<\/span>\n\nAs some of our readers may not be familiar with your work, could you please tell us a bit about yourself?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nUntil my recent retirement I was a professor of 19th-century American literature at Queens College City University of New York, for 42 years. I also taught classes in myth and folklore. To supplement my meager academic salary, I started writing commercial books back in the late 70s, basically on whatever subject interested me at the moment. I was working on a book about movie special effects when I encountered the fact--unknown to me at the time--that both PSYCHO and TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE were inspired by the same real-life criminal, the \"Wisconsin Ghoul,\" Ed Gein. I began looking into the case and that became my first true crime book, DEVIANT. Since then, I've written a bunch of historical true crime books, along with encyclopedic works like THE SERIAL KILLER FILES.<\/span>\n\n\n\nWhen did you first hear about Eddie Gein?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nAs mentioned above, it was while researching the horror chapter in my book, FILM TRICKS: SPECIAL EFFECTS IN THE MOVIES.<\/span>\n\nCould you tell us about the origin of Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nOne day, my agent called to say that he had heard from a comic book artist, Eric Powell, about the possibility of collaborating on a graphic novel about Gein. As it happens, I've been a lifelong comic book fan and, at one point, a serious collector. I was familiar with THE GOON and have always regarded Eric as arguably the finest draftsmen working in comics today. So I leapt at the opportunity.<\/span>\n\n\n\nHow did you go about researching Eddie Gein?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI wrote my book DEVIANT before the internet age so I had to do a lot of digging in archives. I went to Wisconsin, interviewed Gein's neighbors in Plainfield, psychiatrists who treated him, the judge who presided at his hearing. I corresponded with Robert Bloch, the author of the novel PSYCHO. All in all, I assembled hundreds of pages of legal, psychiatric and other documents, along with xeroxes of the local papers that covered the case before embarking on the actual writing of the book.<\/span>\n\nWhy did you want to tell this story?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nBecause of the undying fascination with Gein, who--thanks to his influence on twentieth-century American horror--stands as a significant cultural figure.<\/span>\n\n\n\nHow would you describe Eddie Gein?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nPeople think of him as a serial killer but he doesn't really fit that profile. He wasn't a sadistic sex-killer like Bundy, Gacy, Kemperer, etc. Essentially he was a necrophile, driven to exhume the corpses of elderly women who reminded him of his mother, take them back to his farmhouse, dissect them, and make grotesque artifacts out of their body parts. To be sure, he murdered two women but (without minimizing those crimes) he was not interested in torture-murder but in acquiring the raw material for his bizarre rituals.<\/span>\n\nHas it been difficult working on this graphic novel?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nNot for me. It's been a terrific experience, one I hope to repeat.<\/span>\n\n\n\nAny message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nIf you're interested in the Ed Gein story, our book will shed new light on the inner workings of his deranged psychology. And if you're a lover of amazing comic book art, this is the book for you.<\/span>\n\nWe would like to say a big thank you to Harold for talking to us.<\/span>","post_title":"Harold Schechter Chats With ComicBuzz","post_excerpt":"Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"harold-schechter-chats-with-comicbuzz","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 02:17:19","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 01:17:19","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206727","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206675,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-08-05 15:19:39","post_date_gmt":"2021-08-05 14:19:39","post_content":"

Today we are thrilled to be joined by the multi-talented Jason Rosen, not only is Jason a special effects artist but also the founder of Skinwalker Studios. Jason joined us for a chat to talk all about Monsterwood.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hi Jason, thanks for joining us today. We are so happy that you have taken time out of your busy schedule for us; we are delighted to chat with you and find out more about\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s great to be with you, Shabbir! Thank you for speaking with us!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

For some of our readers who may not be familiar with your work, could you please tell us a bit about yourself?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Creatively, I have an eclectic background. I grew up in the 70\u2019s and 80\u2019s, devouring comics and film. Looking back, it still feels like a golden age of both comics and film. All of the great work, artists, and stories of that time had such an influence on me. I have always known I wanted to do \u201cthat\u201d before I even knew what \u201cthat\u201d was. I now know it is to tell stories and create worlds. I have worked to do just that, on everything from children\u2019s puppet shows to horror movies, from performing along with Henson puppeteers to being directed by the late Wes Craven. I have contributed designs, both 2-d and 3-d maquettes for pre-production on film and television, done special effects makeup, as well as specialty props, etc. So for me, the medium with which the story is told can take many forms. With Monsterwood, the graphic novel format allows us to tell the story the way we want to tell it and as large as it needs to be told, without any limitation of medium or budget.<\/span><\/p>\n

I also hold a B.F.A in Fine Arts and a M.F.A. in Dramatic Arts with a concentration in puppetry from UCONN, one of the only accredited programs of it\u2019s kind in the country.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Could you tell us about the origins of\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Sure! The first spark of\u00a0Monsterwood\u00a0<\/em>was tied to the birth of my first born son. I was doing the first-time parent thing and just staring at this little being. I knew \u201chow\u201d he got there, and enough high school science to understand the process, but I couldn\u2019t just chalk it up to mere biology. I kept staring at this little person asking myself where they were from, why they were here, and what they came to do. No doubt, universal questions, but they had never seemed so profound to me. The complete blank slate of a life and so many possible destinies. He was the impetus for one of the main characters, Jovis, the scrappy orphaned street rat raised by his adoptive Mahru ( Monster) grandmother. From there, Jovis\u2019s world grew and so did his role and purpose in it. All of the characters are so intertwined in the collective outcome of their world, just like we are all connected. I worked hard to make Monsterwood an entertaining, wild fantasy adventure with some horror elements while also exploring universal themes about finding our own purpose and path through life, while having to face some harsh realities that we do not have the luxury of turning away from.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

How did Steve Ellis join\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>, and what made him the right artist for the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

It was an unexpected blessing. I actually had started doing some preliminary work with another artist going back and forth on trying to dial in what my world looked like at that point. He was finishing up another gig, so it was about six weeks of talking and dialing things in a bit. As we were about to start working on the first graphic novel, he got a full time gig for a big video game company, so I don\u2019t blame him for taking it. He\u2019s a great guy and very talented and we are still in touch today. However, at the time, I needed an artist and not just one of the many super talented people out there, I needed to find\u00a0the\u00a0<\/em>artist that was right for\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>, my dream project. I turned to an old childhood friend, Mike Mrak who is now Design Director at Scientific American and told him I need the right artist right away! Being familiar with the project, Mike threw some real heavy hitters my way, all with varied styles. Then I saw Steve\u2019s work and in particular,\u00a0High Moon<\/em>. We actually met in an old manager\u2019s office in NYC. We quickly had a creative short hand and I was absolutely sold. At this point, I can\u2019t imagine doing it with anyone else. Steve is a great guy and his work is just amazing. His skill and imagination are limitless.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

There was a bit of a gap between the release of book one and book two; why was that?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

My life kind of imploded. My elderly mother was the victim of a violent home invasion and was assaulted. I found her, barely alive on her kitchen floor, two days later. At the time, I was working two jobs to pay my son\u2019s college tuition, in addition to coordinating life for my mother. Six months later, I found myself facing a divorce after 23-years of marriage. I went into survival mode. (This is not an invitation to my pity party, but I believe in speaking the truth in order to normalize how traumatic and messy life can be.) Throughout all of that, I was mailing out Kickstarter rewards from the first\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>\u00a0book and eagerly planning on getting back to\u00a0Monsterwood\u00a0<\/em>book 2.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Nicholas Efstathiou joined you as co-writer on book two; how did that come about?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

It was a question of timing. Monsterwood is my original IP, based on a screenplay I wrote way back then. It has evolved over the years, but still stayed very true to that original draft. Through the years there were so many variations and directions I could have taken or developed the story. I had another collaborator I was going to work with, but the timing didn\u2019t work out . This time, I found myself in need of a co-writer. Nick and I had some mutual friends locally and he had even backed the first two Kickstarters. Little did he know he would be co-writing Book 2 with me! I was familiar with Nick\u2019s writing through his great and creepy horror series,\u00a0Cross<\/em>, Massachusetts<\/em>. I love collaborating. I think working with another writer who is familiar with the spirit of the piece helps me focus and fully define all of the thousands of ideas that live in my head.\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>\u00a0is a huge world, with its own history; flora and fauna. I can\u2019t put it all out there in three books, and some of it doesnt need to be there at all, but Nick, Steve, and I need to know it. It makes for a more fully realized, cohesive world.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

How would you describe\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

It is a high concept fantasy adventure with some horror elements. It\u2019s my love letter to all of the great fantasy, horror, and scifi that I grew up on.<\/span><\/p>\n

The series follows the difficult, sometimes brutal journey of a scrappy commoner raised in the slums of the city, and a sheltered princess as they move from the innocence of youth to the open battle of adulthood, set in a fresh and unique world filled with outlandish creatures that feels like\u00a0The Jungle Book<\/em>\u00a0meets\u00a0Lord of the Rings<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Monsterwood<\/em>\u00a0takes place fourteen years after the king and queen of Magog met mysterious, violent deaths at the hands of a group of deformed outcasts known as monsters. Now, as a new ruler is about to be crowned, two young people from completely different backgrounds--Jovis, an orphaned independent young boy, and the Princess Jocosta, herself the courageous, willful heir to the throne--will reluctantly join forces on a journey into the dark and forbidding forest known as Monsterwood. There, they will discover the truth about what really happened in those dark days of betrayal and murder...and begin to fulfill their own destinies.<\/span><\/p>\n

At its core, it\u2019s\u00a0a coming of age story that combines a fairy tale aesthetic with appropriately dark edges, significant twists, Monsters, strong characters, and tons of action and adventure in a world that is both haunting, and beautiful. The world of Monsterwood explores many themes; young people transitioning into adulthood, aspects of the classic hero's journey structure set in a new and captivating world, powerful people behaving badly, magic and supernatural elements, madness, pain, love, loss, and even some humor .<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Book two ended on a cliffhanger; what can you tell us about book three?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

No spoilers, but I can tell you it is going to be bug nuts! The first book felt kind of like a landing pad, a good introduction to the world and characters. The second book the threat became more real and defined. The third book, it\u2019s all on the line for everybody. There is no chance for a peaceful resolution and we are not lying when we say that \u201ca battle is coming and not all those who enter will survive.\u201d We also have some surprises coming up which are going to turn a few character\u2019s perceived realities on their heads. There are also some nice set ups for some characters that will allow us to take things even farther and expand the world of\u00a0Monsterwood\u00a0<\/em>even more, in time.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

As a creator, does crowdfunding your project make it easier than dealing with a traditional publisher?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The easy part is you don\u2019t need to ask permission to publish, you don\u2019t need to pitch, have an editor, wait for someone else\u2019s publishing calendar, etc. You have control of all of those things. It is harder because you don\u2019t have all of the support that a traditional publisher brings. Editors can be a writer's best friend, just like an art director can be an artist\u2019s best friend. Win, lose, or draw, all of the creative and business decisions are our\u2019s to own. So we work hard as a team, communicate and delegate, stay focused, and most importantly, love what we do.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Crowdfunding also has an aspect to it that is not the same when working with a traditional publisher, that being the relationship with the backers, who in turn become our readers. It is such a humbling and fulfilling aspect of a crowdfunding project. We know each and every one of our supporters' names. We never lose sight of the faith and the funds invested in us. There are a lot of great projects out there. When people choose us, it really does mean the world to us and the fact of the matter is, without their backing we just simply would not be able to produce these\u00a0Monsterwood\u00a0<\/em>books.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

What has the feedback been like for\u00a0Monsterwood<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Overwhelmingly positive! We even have some 5 star reviews on Goodreads! I love hearing from people about Monsterwood. It is always so interesting to hear who their favorite character is, what their favorite scene is, or what aspect of the story or who\u2019s story arc they want to see resolved. The most common question I am asked is when is Monsterwood Book 3 coming out! I can't think of a better question and my answer is,\u00a0\u201cHopefully soon, with your support!\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

When you and Nicholas are writing, how does that work; do you write a full script and send it to Steve?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

My original screenplay was the source for the outline of the books. Based on that, Nick and I initially work on outlines of scenes together. They are a little more than outlines actually, containing notes and descriptions of key elements, actions, or dialogue of each scene. This then goes to Steve and the three of us go over everything together, with Steve breaking down how many pages he thinks he will need to effectively capture it all. From there, Steve works on thumbnails that then come back to Nick and I. We then write the script for those pages according to the thumbed panels. This way we all can see if we need to expand the page count, or sometimes shrink a scene before we proceed. Final art means one more round to polish edit any last bits of dialogue.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Do you have a favourite Kickstarter reward?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Of course, the book! That is the reason for the campaign. We really want to finish this story, for ourselves, for our readers, and for people who haven\u2019t read any Monsterwood yet and just like what they have seen so far.<\/span><\/p>\n

Past that I like the 3-D Scrag head magnets and the tapestry of Steve\u2019s amazing cover for Book 3!<\/span><\/p>\n

Steve\u2019s special edition books with pencil drawings, inland wash or even watercolor always turn out amazing and are really something not to be missed! They make the book that much more special and rare. I mean, who doesn\u2019t want an original drawing by Steve Ellis? I certainly do!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Any message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

If you like what you see, consider backing the campaign at any level. Every bit truly does help and the greater number of backers helps us raise visibility too. Beyond becoming a backer, please share word of the Monsterwood campaign with like minded folks. We really do think you and others will enjoy the world we have created for you. We can\u2019t do it without backers! To that end, check out the campaign:<\/span>\u00a0https:\/\/www.kickstarter.com\/projects\/monsterwood3\/monsterwood-book-3-annihilation-graphic-novel\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

A big thank you to Jason for sitting and chatting with us, we would like to wish Jason and all of his team the best of luck with their Kickstarter.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Jason Rosen","post_excerpt":"Monsterwood","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-jason-rosen","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 02:24:02","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 01:24:02","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206675","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206620,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-07-28 14:11:41","post_date_gmt":"2021-07-28 13:11:41","post_content":"

Today we are joined by the multi-talented writer\/artist Jimmy Palmiotti. Jimmy is a multi-award winning comic book creator. Some of the comics Jimmy has worked on include The Big Con Job, The New West, The Monolith, 21 Down, The Resistance, The Pro, Harley Quinn, Jonah Hex, Power Girl, just to name a few. As he launches his new graphic novel Rage with Scott Hampton, we got to sit down and chat with him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hi Jimmy, we are so excited to have you here with us today. There is so much that we could talk to you about, and we would love to. We understand that you are very busy; we are so delighted that you have taken some time out of your schedule to talk to us about your new graphic novel, Rage.<\/span><\/p>\n

Can you tell us about the origin of Rage?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The simple origins of RAGE are that it was simply put together by two guys that wanted to work together again and tell a story they can own for a change. Scott Hampton and I have worked a few times on different projects, one of the last being the G.I. Zombie series over at DC COMICS, and we were talking about future projects when both of our schedules had a significant gap in them and we jumped at the opportunity. I already had the Kickstarter know how, so we then moved on to finding just the right idea where we would both have an interest in the subject, which was a bit of horror mixed with some over the top drama. We were looking for something that we would have a passion for and that\u2019s how RAGE came about. Right property at the right time.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

How would you describe Rage?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I would describe the RAGE graphic novel as a mix of Horror, disaster movie, and a lot of humanity. Rage is less about the event and more about the relationship between father and daughter and their emotional scars they have between them that brings them closer. Rage is a study in a shared trauma and how people push through and deal with it differently. A lot of my past therapy comes into play when telling this story and at the end of the day, outside of that, it\u2019s a big adventure of two people crossing the United States while it is in the grips of an unknown disaster. We wanted to do something fun, weird and visually stimulating. I think RAGE delivers all of this and more.<\/span><\/p>\n

How long have you been working on Rage?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

When you are doing something, you love, it really doesn\u2019t feel like work. That said, we have been creating Rage for the past 8 months during the pandemic and finally getting to the point where it made sense to start the Kickstarter. This gives us the opportunity to deliver the book very quickly after the campaign ends. With 16 Kickstarters under my belt, I know one of the major concerns is the book comes out on time and right now, with a perfect track record, I do not want that to change.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

You are working with Scott Hampton on Rage; what made Scott the right choice for Rage?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Scott and I are different people in so many ways, but at our core, we both understand the importance of emotionally driven decisions. We also have an eye for art and both love this form of storytelling. We are fans of a ton of genres outside superhero\u2019s and we both have very international tastes in storytelling- meaning we have no problem with language, nudity and violence. Rage delivers on all of the above in this adult graphic novel.<\/span><\/p>\n

You are crowdfunding Rage, does dealing directly with readers make the project more special for you as a creator?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Crowdfunding is a simple and direct way to feel out what one\u2019s audience wants from a creator. They support a project with their pledge and as each campaign ends, you can easily see what works and what doesn\u2019t when you see the support or lack of on a campaign. This kind of grass roots feedback helps mold each and every project. I see a lot of the same names campaign after campaign and love it. I would also love to have some more retailers involved and offer pledge levels for them as well. Dealing directly to the consumer is a gift for me and trying to live up to their expectations is a constant challenge I am happy to make. I love the entire process, even packing up the books.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Do you have a favorite Kickstarter reward?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

On Rage we are offering something unique to my other Kickstarters, and this is a lot of Original art by A Scott Hampton from the interiors of the book as well as I am offering a commission on the inside covers of a certain amount of books where a backer can choose for me to draw the character of their choice. We also have some special stretch goals added which we will show when and if we reach our goal on the project.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Any message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

My message to ComicBuzz readers is thank you for getting this far into the interview, thanks for supporting this wonderful site and the people behind it and you can all do me a favor and check out our latest Kickstarter and share the links on social media, and please join our mailer at PAPERFILMS.COM so we can bring you news and exclusive deals each month. Also, please take care, be careful, keep calm and have integrity in everything you do<\/span><\/p>\n

A big thank you to Jimmy for taking the time to chat with us today. We would like to wish Jimmy and everybody at PaperFilms the best of luck with their new graphic novel Rage.<\/span><\/p>\n

The rage graphic novel is now <\/span>live on Kickstater<\/a>.
<\/span><\/p>\n

For more information, visit<\/span> www.paperfilms.com<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Jimmy Palmiotti","post_excerpt":"Rage","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-jimmy-palmiotti","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 02:28:33","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 01:28:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206620","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206539,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-07-07 15:07:36","post_date_gmt":"2021-07-07 14:07:36","post_content":"With the first issue of Black's Myth released today, we got a chance to sit down with the writer of the comic Eric Palicki for a chat. We get the low down on the new comic Black's Myth.<\/span>\n\nWelcome Eric, thank you for taking the time to be with us; we are so delighted that you could join us today.<\/span>\n\nThanks! Delighted to talk to you as well!<\/span>\n\nFor some of our readers who may not be familiar with your work, could you please tell us a bit about yourself?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nSure! I'm Eric Palicki, native Ohioan transplanted out here to the Pacific Northwest. I've been writing comics for several years; my previous work includes books published by Darby Pop, Black Mask, Scout Comics, Marvel, and more. On occasion, I also edit comics professionally, including on the Ringo Award-nominated anthologies\u00a0All We Ever Wanted<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Dead Beats<\/em>,\u00a0both published by A Wave Blue World.<\/span>\n\nYour new comics series Black's Myth is releasing July 7th; can you tell us about the origins of Black's Myth?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nBlack's Myth is the product of many small ideas which didn't quite equal a story on their own, but which, left to percolate in my head over time, finally coagulated into a coherent narrative. The finished product is kind of an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink love letter to everything from\u00a0Buffy the Vampire Slayer\u00a0<\/em>to\u00a0Sam and Dean Winchester to\u00a0The Maltese Falcon<\/em>.<\/span>\n\n\nHow did Wendell Cavalcanti join the project?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nWendell has been a part of the project from the beginning. I wrote it with him in mind to draw it and pitched it with his name attached. We've been collaborating on and off for most of my time in comics, most recently on the mini-series\u00a0Atlantis Wasn't Built for Tourists\u00a0from Scout. I feel like we understand each other's strengths by now.\u00a0<\/span>\n\nHow would you describe Black's Myth?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nBlack's Myth is a supernatural noir thriller about an LA private detective forced to confront her past in order to solve the case that will determine her future: find thirty stolen bullets supposedly made from Judas's silver pieces.<\/span>\n\nThe comic is black-and-white. Was that something that you wanted for Black's Myth right from the beginning?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI actually pitched the series in color \u2014 and maybe the glorious Dee Cunnife pitch pages will find their way into print someday! \u2014 but Ahoy suggested black and white in homage to the book's noir and horror roots. I think the end result works nicely. Wendell has a strong sense of light and shadow, and if black and white is good enough for the Walking Dead, it's good enough for us!<\/span>\n\n\nThe comic is being published by AHOY Comics; how did this collaboration come about?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nAHOY's editor at large Sarah Litt and I have been friends for a few years. Sarah approached me about pitching to them. I sent over three or four ideas, and Sarah LOVED Black's Myth. Being an AHOY book meant tinkering with the story a bit to fit their offbeat sensibilities, and the resulting book is a richer experience than if I'd played it straight.<\/span>\n\nWhat can you tell us about Janie Jones Mercado?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nWhen we first meet Janie \u2014nicknamed Strummer by her The Clash-loving father \u2014 she's pretty much at her lowest point: shot while in the middle of a seemingly unrelated case. More broadly, she's a private detective who lives and works in LA alongside her partner Ben. For years, she's attempted to distance herself from the secret supernatural community she was born into, but she hasn't found anywhere else she belongs. A big part of Strummer's story, and Ben's, will be about finding our place and our people in this world.<\/span>\n\n\nThe series has some very talented artists creating covers for it; how do you select the artists that contribute these covers?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI'm such a dope! Series cover artist Liana Kangas and I have been friends for years \u2014 no one who's ever met or worked with Liana will ever tell you the experience is anything less than delightful \u2014 but again, it was Sarah Litt who suggested Liana for this book. I love those covers, the perfect marriage of classic pulp fiction and Liana's obsession with neon colorways. The variants, by Jamal Igle for issue one and Steve Pugh for issue two, were arranged by AHOY, and I got to be surprised right along with everyone else.<\/span>\n\nDo you have a favourite scene from the first issue?<\/strong><\/span>\n\nThe cat \u2014 er, dog \u2014 is out of the bag already that Strummer is a werewolf. Part of me wishes we could've kept that under wraps and sprung it on the reader, but such is the nature of soliciting orders. Anyway, the first scene in which she reveals that is so beautifully realized by Wendell and just works perfectly in the context of the story we're telling.<\/span>\n\n\nAny message for the ComicBuzz readers?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>\n\nPlease come find me on social media: @ericpalicki on Twitter and Instagram. I hope everyone checks out Black's Myth, monthly, beginning July 7th. Thanks so much for the time!<\/span>\n\nWe would like to say a big thank you to Eric for taking the time to chat with us. We would like to wish Eric and everyone involved in Black's Myth the best of luck with the series.<\/span>","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Eric Palicki","post_excerpt":"Black's Myth","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-eric-palicki","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 02:40:17","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 01:40:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206539","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206405,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-06-11 16:08:24","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-11 15:08:24","post_content":"

Darling #1<\/em>, by playwrights and NintendDads<\/a> Michael Fleizach (The Onion<\/em>) and co-creator Todd Hunt (The Secret Adventures of Houdini<\/em>) \u2014 delving into the underbelly of the 1980s New York City\u2019s drug epidemic \u2014 with epic and punk '80s street graffiti art by David Mack Mims (Scrimshaw), out June 30th from Source Point Press<\/a>. This variant cover for Darling #1 has been created by the very talented Jim Mahfood and you can see it here, in all its glory.
<\/span><\/p>\n

Inspired by journals left behind by Michael's brother,\u00a0Darling,\u00a0is a comic\u00a0meant to capture the\u00a0passions they once shared.<\/span><\/p>\n

With all of New York City enveloped in the zeitgeist of a missing 8-year-old girl, lovable anti-hero Francis Darling accidentally stumbles onto the machinations behind her kidnapping and the drug war that ensues.\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2026but has he really?<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

A bit like chasing the Mad Hatter through a toxic chemical cloud, Francis\u2019 inconceivable journey brings us uncomfortably close to NYC\u2019s most crooked\u2026most deviant\u2026most irredeemable characters; the kind that can only be extricated from the drug-addled, guilty conscience of a failing brain.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Darling #1<\/em> is slated for release June 30, 2021. Letters by Zack Turner (Unlife). Cover B by Alex Riegel (Scumbag).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Darling #1 Jim Mahfood Variant Cover","post_excerpt":"Delve into the underbelly of the 1980s New York City","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"darling-1-jim-mahfood-variant-cover","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 14:44:43","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 13:44:43","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206405","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":256},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_22"};

Page 256 of 474 Previous 1 … 255 256 257 … 474 Next

Shabbir

Featured

ComicBuzz Chats With Tyrone Finch

October 7, 2022

Featured

ComicBuzz Chats With Max Allan Collins

October 8, 2022

Featured

ComicBuzz Chats With Mark Sable

October 7, 2022

Games

The Isklander Trilogy: The Mermaid’s Tongue & The Kindling Hour Review

October 8, 2022

Featured

Simon Hanselmann Chats with ComicBuzz

October 8, 2022

Featured

ComicBuzz Chats With Steve Ellis

October 8, 2022

Comics

ComicBuzz Chats With Eric Powell

October 8, 2022

Featured

Harold Schechter Chats With ComicBuzz

October 8, 2022

Featured

ComicBuzz Chats With Jason Rosen

October 8, 2022

Featured

ComicBuzz Chats With Jimmy Palmiotti

October 8, 2022

Featured

ComicBuzz Chats With Eric Palicki

October 8, 2022

Comics

Darling #1 Jim Mahfood Variant Cover

October 8, 2022

Page 256 of 474 Previous 1 … 255 256 257 … 474 Next

Scroll to Top