\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":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

\"Crisis<\/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

\"Crisis<\/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

\"Crisis<\/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

\"Crisis<\/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"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":4},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_22"};

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Bill Murphy","post_excerpt":"Fresh monkey fiction","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-bill-murphy","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-07 23:31:22","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-07 22:31:22","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207010","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206979,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-10-05 16:37:42","post_date_gmt":"2021-10-05 15:37:42","post_content":"With the release of his first graphic novel today, we are delighted to be joined by the writer and producer Tyrone Finch. Tyrone has written for the stage and the screen; he is currently a writer\/producer for ABC's Station 19.<\/span>\n\nHi Tyrone, thanks so much for being here with us today. We would like to congratulate you on your first graphic novel. Swine<\/em> is releasing on October 5th from Humanoids.<\/span>\n\n \n\nWho are your favourite comic creators?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nWow! That would be a very long list and the names on it change at least twice a month. I will say that Charles Schulz never drops below number three on that list. I\u2019m a fan of subtlety and he was masterful with it. You probably wanted me to name someone who\u2019s more associated with comic books. Oh! I\u2019ve been reading a lot of old Jack Kirby stuff lately. He also stays near the top of my list.<\/span>\n\n \n\nDo you have a favourite comic series or graphic novel?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI\u2019ve been a Spider-Man fan since I was a kid. Maybe I\u2019m just being sentimental, but I think he will always be my favourite character. As for graphic novels, I know that George Takei\u2019s They Called Us Enemy<\/em> is a memoir, but it\u2019s easily one of the most moving things I\u2019ve read in the format.<\/span>\n\n\"Swine_1\"\n\nCan you tell us about the history of Swine<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nHa! I\u2019m not sure that there\u2019s much history to share. I was having lunch with a couple of friends and somehow during the midst of a relatively normal conversation, I got this idea stuck in my head. Whenever that happens, I have to put the idea down on paper or it takes up valuable space in my brain that I desperately need for other things.<\/span>\n\n \n\nDid you conceive Swine<\/em> as a graphic novel?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI thought of Swine <\/em>as a six-issue comic book or a graphic novel. I wasn\u2019t sure which would work best. After a few conversations with some experienced comic book writers, I decided a graphic novel would be the best way to go.<\/span>\n\n\"Swine_2\"\n\nHow did Alain Mauricet join Swine<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nA few years ago, Mauricet and I worked together on a small project for AHOY Comics. When the folks at Humanoids asked if I had an artist in mind for Swine<\/em>, I immediately suggested Mauricet and they loved that idea.<\/span>\n\n \n\nWhat has it been like working with Alain Mauricet?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nIt\u2019s been great. I love his work. He\u2019s incredibly inventive and playful. Every panel is always much more fun than whatever I was picturing in my head. Receiving an email with new art from him would put me in a good mood that could last for days.<\/span>\n\n\"Swine_3\"\n\nHow would you describe Swine<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI think of Swine <\/em>as a love story. I know that sounds odd, but love or the loss of it is what truly motivates these characters and explains most of their behaviors. At least that\u2019s what I think. I\u2019m close to the story so maybe there\u2019s something going on there that my perspective doesn\u2019t allow me to see.<\/span>\n\n \n\nHow did the collaboration with Humanoids come about?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI\u2019d been sitting on the idea for a while without any clue as to what I should do with it. It\u2019s an odd story and I thought it would just stay on my hard drive forever. A friend of mine suggested submitting it to Humanoids. They have a fairly easy submission process and I figured it was worth a shot.<\/span>\n\n\"Swine_4\"\n\nWho suggested Lee Loughridge and DC Hopkins for Swine<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nHumanoids brought both of them to the party. Am I allowed to call it a party? I knew their work and I was very happy when I heard they were joining the team.<\/span>\n\n \n\nHow would you describe the process of creating a graphic novel?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nYikes! I would describe it as panic-inducing. This was my first graphic novel and I had a lot to learn. The biggest challenge for me was learning to control the space. When you\u2019ve got a limited number of panels to tell a story, you have to be economical with dialogue. I also didn\u2019t want to cover the outstanding art with a ton of exposition and unnecessary digressions. I spent a lot of time printing out pages and spreading them across my desk to make sure I had a decent handle on what I was doing. It was sort of like writing a script and managing real estate at the same time.<\/span>\n\n\"Swine_5\"\n\nAny message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nYes! Thank you for making it to the end of this interview. I hope you have as much fun reading Swine<\/em> as we did making it. And support your local comic book stores whenever you can!<\/span>\n\nWe would like to say a big thank you to Tyrone and wish him and his team the best of luck with thier graphic novel.<\/span>\n\n \n\n \n\n <\/span>","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Tyrone Finch","post_excerpt":"Swine","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-tyrone-finch","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-07 23:35:36","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-07 22:35:36","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206979","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206961,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-10-01 16:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2021-10-01 15:42:48","post_content":"We are so delighted to be joined by the writer, Max Allan Collins. <\/span>Max has written in many different media including novels, comics, movies and graphic novels. Some of the novels that he has worked on include Nathan Heller<\/em>, Quarry<\/em> and Mike Hammer<\/em>. Max is the creator of Road to Perdition<\/em>. With his new novella<\/span>, Fancy Anders Goes to War<\/em> releasing from NeoText on October 5th, we got to sit down and chat with him.<\/span>\n\nHi Max, thanks for joining us today. We are so thrilled to have you here with us. It's so great to chat with you.<\/span><\/strong>\n\nThanks for asking. Glad to share my thoughts about Fancy Anders Goes to War<\/em>.<\/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\nI\u2019ve been writing mystery and crime fiction since high school, and my first books were published while I was still in college. I was always a comics fan and not long after my novels began appearing, I also started working in comics. My most famous work is a graphic novel I wrote, Road to Perdition<\/em>, which became a Tom Hanks film.<\/span>\n\nIn terms of comics who are your favourite creators, and do you have a favourite series?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI grew up on comic strips, including Dick Tracy<\/em>, which I eventually came to script. Batman <\/em>is in the same category \u2013 I wrote the monthly comic book for a year and did several graphic novels. In comics I admire Will Eisner and EC great Johnny Craig \u2013 just introduced a collection of his work for Fantagraphics. I love all the classic noir<\/em> mystery writers \u2013 Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain and Mickey Spillane. But I also love Agatha Christie, who was the greatest mystery writer of all time.<\/span>\n\n\"fancyanders_rosie\"\n\nNeoText will be releasing the novella Fancy Anders Goes to War<\/em>; can you tell us about the origins of Fancy Anders Goes to War?<\/em><\/span><\/strong>\n\nThe idea of the character came first \u2013 a young woman whose father was a successful private detective and whose mother was a socialite, in World War II-era Los Angeles. Women came into the workforce in a major way in those years and that was an attractive aspect to explore. I wasn\u2019t sure whether prose or comics were right for her, but when NeoText gave me the opportunity to do a novella series for them, I thought Fancy would be perfect.<\/span>\n\nHow did Fay Dalton join Fancy Anders Goes to War?<\/em><\/span><\/strong>\n\nFay had done the covers of two comic books of mine \u2013 issues of Quarry\u2019s War<\/em> and Mike Hammer: The Night I Died for Titan<\/em>. I loved what she did and requested her for the cover of the first Fancy Anders novella. We\u2019d already been discussing illustrating the novella in some fashion and once we saw Fay\u2019s work, she was the obvious choice.<\/span>\n\nHow would you describe Fancy Anders Goes to War?<\/em><\/span><\/strong>\n\nIt\u2019s not as noir <\/em>as some of my work, though Fancy is herself tough and tough-minded, and there are elements of violence. But it\u2019s also a fun time machine ride back into an America where we were all pulling together and not so politically fractured.<\/span>\n\n\"fancyanders_lonely\"\n\nWhat made Fay the right artist for Fancy Anders Goes to War?<\/em><\/span><\/strong>\n\nFay has a feel for the great pin-up artists and illustrators of the 1940s and 1950s. A number of those artists were women who were themselves glamorous and used themselves as models. Fay is a wonderful throwback to that era \u2013 strong, confident, and feminine in the best sense.<\/span>\n\nHow long have you been working on Fancy Anders Goes to War?<\/em><\/span><\/strong>\n\nIt came together fairly quickly, from idea to getting a deal for three novellas from NeoText. I spent the Covid lockdown writing them.<\/span>\n\n\"fancyanders_tools\"\n\nHow did the collaboration with NeoText come about?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI knew the publisher\/editor, John Schoenfelder, from traditional publishing. When he came up with a different take on publishing, with NeoText, he was good enough to call me and see if we could come up with a project together. Fancy Anders <\/em>flowed from that, as well as a full-length novel, The Many Lives of Jimmy Leighton<\/em>, co-written by legendary SCTV star, Dave Thomas.<\/span>\n\nWhat has it been like working with Fay and NeoText?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nLovely. Fay and I kicked around ideas about illustrations, and stayed open to each other in that regard. NeoText is one of the most supportive publishers I\u2019ve been lucky enough to work with.<\/span>\n\n\"fancyanders_president\"\n\nWhat are you currently reading?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nDark City<\/em> by Eddie Muller, the definitive book on film noir<\/em>.<\/span>\n\nAny message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nFancy Anders<\/em> is a nice midway point between prose and graphic novels \u2013 Fay Dalton provides a full-page, usually color illustration at the start of each of ten chapters. It\u2019s a nicely retro touch that I think you\u2019ll enjoy.<\/span>\n\nWe would like to say a big thank you to Max for taking the time to chat with us. Fancy Anders Goes to War is on October 5th from NeoText.<\/span>","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Max Allan Collins","post_excerpt":"New novella","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-max-allan-collins","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 21:18:48","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 20:18:48","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206961","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206924,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-09-27 18:01:22","post_date_gmt":"2021-09-27 17:01:22","post_content":"

We are delighted to be joined by the writer Mark Sable this week. Mark is the writer of many comics including Graveyard of Empires, Grounded, War on Terror and Miskatonic just to name a few. Mark is working on a new project called Chaotic Neutral and we are delighted that we can about it with him today.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hi Mark, we are so delighted to have you here with us today. We have been fans of your writing since Graveyard of Empires. We are soexcited to chat with you.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m delighted to be here! And thank you for the kind words about Graveyard of Empires, that\u2019s a book I\u2019m proud of and it means a lot.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

We understand that you are working with Chris Anderson on a new project called Chaotic Neutral; can you tell us all about Chaotic Neutral?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

CHAOTIC NEUTRAL is a 48 page comic and RPG adventure rolled into one. Inspired by old school role playing games like D&D, the goal is to capture the weird, wonderful and dangerous fantasy RPGs from the 80s in comic book form. And then let readers become players and interact with the world of the book.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chaoticneutral2\"<\/p>\n

Can you tell us about the origins of Chaotic Neutral?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve collected role playing game books for almost as long as I\u2019ve collected comics. I say \u201ccollected\u201d because I was extremely shy as a kid, and had a hard time working up the courage to get a group together. So I\u2019d study rulebooks and modules like they were the Talmud, roll up characters and craft these imaginary adventures\u2026but never shared them with anything else.<\/span><\/p>\n

Flash forward to 2014, when the Fifth Edition of D&D came out. I finally had enough self-confidence to first play, and then run games with strangers and friends. That was a life changing experience \u2013 to this day I run a weekly D&D game, and the camaraderie helped get me through the pandemic.<\/span><\/p>\n

But something felt like it was missing from modern day RPGs. The books were more polished, but also\u2026safer. Old school RPGs had painted covers, but inside was this amazing black and white art. Sometimes it was amateurish, but it was often edgy \u2013 with demons and devils \u2013 and always weird. It made you feel like anything was possible.<\/span><\/p>\n

I learned that of fantasy had been watered down as a result of the so-called \u201cSatanic Panic of the 80s\u201d. Religious groups tried to convince parents that games like D&D could corrupt kids souls, and gaming companies folded much like comic companies did with the Comic Code in the 50s.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAOTIC NEUTRAL aims to correct that. Our tag line is \u201cThey said fantasy roleplaying games were dangerous and they were wrong. But now? Maybe they were right to be afraid!\u201d We\u2019re trying to bring back that edge, and imagine what a comic that would truly scare those fear mongers would be like.<\/span><\/p>\n

At the same time, it\u2019s not edge for edge\u2019s sake or shock value. While taking inspiration from the old school, this is a book that\u2019s diverse, inclusive and welcoming to the new batch of players that shows like Stranger Things and Critical Role have brought into this wonderful hobby.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chris Anderson is the perfect artist and co-creator for this book. His work conjures up the weird nature of old school artists like Erol Otus, Dave Trampier and Bill Willingham (yes, the man known best for writing Fables used to do rad drawings for D&D)\u2026but he brings a modern sense of whimsy that helps balance out the darkness and make it accessible for everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chaoticneutral3\"<\/p>\n

Ryan Browne is also working on Chaotic Neutral; how did this collaboration come about?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Part of the propaganda of the Satanic Panic were these so-called \u201cChick Tracts\u201d, pamphlet sized comic-books like \u201cDark Dungeons\u201d by the late Jack Chick that depicted kids who dabbled in D&D meeting grisly ends. While the main story is told seriously, I wanted to satirize Chick\u2019s work to add to the feeling that CHAOTIC NEUTRAL was an artifact of the 80s. I\u2019m lucky enough to be friends with Ryan, who does humor better than anyone in comics, and it seemed like a the only person who could pull that off.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

We understand that Chaotic Neutral will also have trading cards; what can you tell us about these trading cards?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In the early 80s, D&D had these monster trading cards with stats on one side and old school art on the other. We decided to do a modern spin on that by enlisting 9 superstar artists to illustrate some of the classic and original monsters in Issue one of CHAOTIC NEUTRAL. We\u2019ve been lucky enough to enlist Max Dunbar (Dungeons & Dragons), Jeremy Haun (Haunthology), Maan House (Godkillers), Jeff Johnson (Boondocks), Tom Neely (The Humans), Dan Panosian (Slots), Jim Rugg (Mtsryr: Octobriana 1976), Tim Seeley (Money Shot) and Kyle Strahm (Spread) in creating them. They are a true murderers row of talent.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chaoticneutral4\"<\/p>\n

As a creator, does the crowdfunding model and dealing directly with the public make the project more special for you rather than using a traditional publishing model?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I work equally as hard on all my comics, but there is something special about the process of crowdfunding. One of the things I\u2019ve always loved about comics is the proximity of fans to creators. I love film, but I could never go up to a convention and meet Martin Scorsese. Comics was welcoming to me as a fan, and I love the opportunity to establish those connections to readers as a creator.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

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

There are some cool stretch goals that haven\u2019t been revealed yet, but my favorite reward connects back to your question about the special bond with the public Kickstarter can create. For a select few backers, I\u2019ve offered to run the adventure in CHAOTIC NEUTRAL live (over Zoom) as Dungeon Master. I\u2019m hoping that will be special for fans, and I personally can\u2019t wait to challenge run them and their characters through the dangers that await inside.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chaoticneutral5\"<\/p>\n

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

Just that I know there\u2019s a lot of great comics to choose from, but Chris Anderson and I are offering a unique experience. Whether they are comics readers, role-players or both, we\u2019ve crafted something special for them.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Feel free to check out the campaign: <\/span>Chaotic Neutral on Kickstarter<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\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":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

\"Crisis<\/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

\"Crisis<\/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

\"Crisis<\/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

\"Crisis<\/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"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":4},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_22"};

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Jardine Libaire","post_excerpt":"Novella from NeoText","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-jardine-libaire","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 21:02:01","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 20:02:01","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207069","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":207024,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-10-13 18:13:18","post_date_gmt":"2021-10-13 17:13:18","post_content":"With the release of his new sci-fi novella this week, we are delighted to be joined by author Nicholas Mennuti. Weaponized his first novel, was co-written with David Guggenheim.<\/span>\n\nHi Nicholas, it's so great to have you here with us.<\/span><\/strong>\n\nAs some of our readers may not be familiar with your work, could you please tell us about yourself?<\/span>\n\nAbsolutely! For starters, I live in Washington, D.C. with my wife, two children, and a Goldendoodle who has us all well-trained. I\u2019m primarily a novelist, but I\u2019ve also worked in film and television, while also blogging and writing the occasional op-ed for the Huffington Post. I\u2019m passionate about the arts and politics and my work frequently intermingles those topics.<\/span>\n\nAnd I\u2019d be bereft not to mention that I\u2019m not the only writer in my house. My brilliant wife is also a novelist. However, she writes family dramas and romantic comedies, whereas most of my work tends to end with people pointing guns at each other and objects exploding. Or in the case of \u201cScrap\u201d a little bit of both.  <\/span>\n\nCan you tell us about your novella, Scrap?<\/span><\/strong>\n\n\u201cScrap\u201d is the story of Travis Schrader, a man who has lost the script on his life, who has gone astray, and absent-mindedly ended up in a temporary position as a night watchman-quasi-engineer at an enormous data storage center in Kansas.<\/span>\n\nOne evening, while on the job, he is kidnapped from the present, dragged into the future, and informed that he has been sold to a corporation that intends to utilize him for their own ends. Travis has allowed himself to become so insignificant in the grand scheme of things, that his life can be manipulated without setting off a butterfly effect that could influence or change world events. And his adventure begins.  <\/span>\n\nHow did Scrap find a home at Neotext?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nThe short version is that John Schoenfelder, the in-house Pope and brain trust behind NeoText pitched me the protagonist of \u201cScrap\u201d, and his explanation of Travis\u2019s existential dilemma was incredibly compelling. I could see the story unfolding with every bit of backstory John added in. <\/span>\n\nHonestly, it\u2019s so rare when a character\u2019s flaw and the journey he needs to take to resolve it are so commingled on a literal and metaphoric level. Travis had that rare magic. And I jumped at the chance to be a part of \u201cScrap\u201d.<\/span>\n\nThe slightly longer version is that no other publisher besides NeoText would have been as bold in its collaborative vision with \u201cScrap\u201d. John charted an ambitious course with Travis, and then he trusted Howard and I to measure up to his challenge in our roles on the project. That\u2019s part of what makes NeoText so special. They thoughtfully and deliberately weigh writer and artist collaborations to achieve the best result. Howard and I being paired together on \u201cScrap\u201d wasn\u2019t an accident. <\/span>\n\nHow did Howard Chaykin join Scrap?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nJohn had Howard in mind from the very beginning. In fact, he might have had Howard in mind before me<\/em>. The only caveat being that we needed to deliver a text filled with prose and narrative incident that Howard would spark to, that would inspire him to create in the way only he can. He\u2019s a genuinely singular talent.<\/span>\n\nThankfully, \u201cScrap\u201d was enough to convince Howard to come onboard, and we were lucky enough to have him.<\/span>\n\nWhat has it been like working with Howard Chaykin?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nWell, you don\u2019t really \u201cwork\u201d with Howard per se. Ha!<\/em> He\u2019s an incredibly intelligent, inciteful, and independent artist. On top of which he\u2019s one of the smartest people I\u2019ve ever spoken to. He has vast, encyclopedic knowledge about the history of his profession, plus he\u2019s a stylistic chameleon up for anything, and brings the cumulative weight of his experience to bear on every project.<\/span>\n\nBut to be more precise, our relationship involved Howard asking questions, very targeted questions. He knew exactly<\/em> what he was looking for. And by giving him what he needed to be at his best, it also had the reverberating effect of strengthening \u201cScrap\u201d as a whole.<\/span>\n\nBy Howard asking me why I made particular narrative or tonal decisions, or to clarify why I selected certain images, he forced me to look at \u201cScrap\u201d through another set of eyes, really drill down on a granular level and interrogate my own text, which was invaluable, and what the best collaborators gift you with.<\/span>\n\nAny message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nYes! First of all, thank you SO much for taking the time to speak with me. Being interviewed by ComicBuzz has finally given me cache with my kids and their friends. I\u2019m almost cool, but still so far away.<\/span>\n\nAlso, I urge your readers to check out \u201cScrap\u201d and not only because I wrote it. I genuinely believe it\u2019s a fascinating fusion of a writer and artist taking a big swing and pulling off something interesting in our respective roles. <\/span>\n\nI\u2019m very proud of \u201cScrap\u201d, proud of the numerous layers it\u2019s engaging with readers. It\u2019s certainly a cautionary tale about corporate overreach and one man\u2019s journey to become human again in a technocratic, oligarchic present and future, but beyond those points, \u201cScrap\u201d is also a richly illustrated and rendered satire and action-thriller.<\/span>\n\nWe would like to say a big thank you to Nicholas for chatting with us and we wish him and Howard the best of luck with Scrap.<\/span>","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Nicholas Mennuti","post_excerpt":"Sci-fi novella","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-nicholas-mennuti","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 21:03:13","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 20:03:13","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207024","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":207010,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-10-12 14:54:34","post_date_gmt":"2021-10-12 13:54:34","post_content":"

Today we are so lucky to be joined by the Fresh Monkey Fiction founder Bill Murphy. Bill along with his team at Fresh Monkey Fiction and with\u00a0\u00a0BigBadToyStore has launched an exclusive line of Eagle Force 40th Anniversary Action Figures, available from BigBadToyStore. We chatted with Bill all about the project.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"EagleForce40Logo\"<\/p>\n

Hi Bill, thank you for your time. We are so happy to have you here with us today.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Thank you, excited to chat with you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Could you please tell us a little about yourself and also about Fresh Monkey Fiction?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been a toy collector all my life and always wanted to make action figures, but never thought it would be possible. When Kickstarter came around about 10 years ago I saw an opportunity and ran my<\/span>\u00a01st Kickstarter<\/a>\u00a0soon afterward. This was the start of FMF, which led me to start creating more action figure lines.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"EFClasiscsSgtBrown\"<\/p>\n

Could you tell us your personal history with Eagle Force action figures?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

As an 80\u2019s Kid I grew up on 80\u2019s toys, GI Joe, He-Man, Thundercats and Transformers. I collected the full Eagle Force collection and I loved them. They were 3\u201d military themed figures made of diecast metal with gold paint. Sadly the line was soon overshadowed by GI Joe and didn\u2019t make it past the 1st wave.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

When did you start this Eagle Force 40th anniversary project?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

This is a continuation of our Eagle Force Returns line that we launched on\u00a0<\/span>Kickstarter<\/a>\u00a0in 2016. Eagle Force Returns focused on the new generation of Eagle Force, but many fans also wanted classic interpretations of the characters from the original 80s line. So as the 40th Anniversary of Eagle Force was coming up, we decided it would be a great time to revisit those classic characters.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"EFClasiscsCMLegionnaire\"<\/p>\n

What made the Eagle Force action figures so special?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I think what made Eagle Force so special in the 80\u2019s was its diversity and its format of diecast metal. Today, we successfully brought back that diversity and grew the line so it touches on many diverse genres, including those outside of the military like Monsters, Super Heroes and Sci-Fi.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

What are the major milestones that Fresh Monkey Fiction has achieved to get the project up to this point?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Our big one was deciding what characters we should make for our initial wave. We had lots of characters to choose from, but making action figures is sometimes more a science than an art. Especially with indie toy lines, as manufacturing costs are super expensive, so you need to be able to share parts across many figures. It took us a while to decide what was the right mix of character diversity and parts reuse to give fans the best characters possible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"EFClasiscsStryker\"<\/p>\n

Do you think that you have improved on the Eagle Force action figures in any way?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Well the original line is special in its own way, but diecast metal is not what the current market wants in action figures. So we\u2019d tried to keep the nostalgic elements of the original designs but bring in more modern detail and articulation that the current collector market expects.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Can you tell us about the collaboration with BigBadToyStore?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

BBTS has always been a huge supporter of our lines, even from our initial Kickstarter. They really wanted to help us make this anniversary special so they are sponsoring a month-long event and helping us get these figures to market without Kickstarter. Don\u2019t get me wrong, I love Kickstarter, but having the support of BBTS will really help to scale the line as we grow.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"EFClasiscsNemesis\"<\/p>\n

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

Thanks for checking out Eagle Force, we\u2019ve worked hard to create a diverse world of characters beyond just the toys themselves. Like many comic book stories we\u2019re building a world, but instead of doing it through reading a comic book, we\u2019re doing it via a toy line. I hope you\u2019ll come on this crazy ride with us, it\u2019s been a blast so far.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For more information and to check out the complete range of figures please check out:<\/span> https:\/\/www.bigbadtoystore.com\/brand\/EagleForce<\/a>.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.freshmonkeyfiction.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n

We would like to say thank you to Bill and wish him and his team the best of luck with their campaign.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Bill Murphy","post_excerpt":"Fresh monkey fiction","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-bill-murphy","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-07 23:31:22","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-07 22:31:22","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207010","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206979,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-10-05 16:37:42","post_date_gmt":"2021-10-05 15:37:42","post_content":"With the release of his first graphic novel today, we are delighted to be joined by the writer and producer Tyrone Finch. Tyrone has written for the stage and the screen; he is currently a writer\/producer for ABC's Station 19.<\/span>\n\nHi Tyrone, thanks so much for being here with us today. We would like to congratulate you on your first graphic novel. Swine<\/em> is releasing on October 5th from Humanoids.<\/span>\n\n \n\nWho are your favourite comic creators?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nWow! That would be a very long list and the names on it change at least twice a month. I will say that Charles Schulz never drops below number three on that list. I\u2019m a fan of subtlety and he was masterful with it. You probably wanted me to name someone who\u2019s more associated with comic books. Oh! I\u2019ve been reading a lot of old Jack Kirby stuff lately. He also stays near the top of my list.<\/span>\n\n \n\nDo you have a favourite comic series or graphic novel?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI\u2019ve been a Spider-Man fan since I was a kid. Maybe I\u2019m just being sentimental, but I think he will always be my favourite character. As for graphic novels, I know that George Takei\u2019s They Called Us Enemy<\/em> is a memoir, but it\u2019s easily one of the most moving things I\u2019ve read in the format.<\/span>\n\n\"Swine_1\"\n\nCan you tell us about the history of Swine<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nHa! I\u2019m not sure that there\u2019s much history to share. I was having lunch with a couple of friends and somehow during the midst of a relatively normal conversation, I got this idea stuck in my head. Whenever that happens, I have to put the idea down on paper or it takes up valuable space in my brain that I desperately need for other things.<\/span>\n\n \n\nDid you conceive Swine<\/em> as a graphic novel?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI thought of Swine <\/em>as a six-issue comic book or a graphic novel. I wasn\u2019t sure which would work best. After a few conversations with some experienced comic book writers, I decided a graphic novel would be the best way to go.<\/span>\n\n\"Swine_2\"\n\nHow did Alain Mauricet join Swine<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nA few years ago, Mauricet and I worked together on a small project for AHOY Comics. When the folks at Humanoids asked if I had an artist in mind for Swine<\/em>, I immediately suggested Mauricet and they loved that idea.<\/span>\n\n \n\nWhat has it been like working with Alain Mauricet?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nIt\u2019s been great. I love his work. He\u2019s incredibly inventive and playful. Every panel is always much more fun than whatever I was picturing in my head. Receiving an email with new art from him would put me in a good mood that could last for days.<\/span>\n\n\"Swine_3\"\n\nHow would you describe Swine<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI think of Swine <\/em>as a love story. I know that sounds odd, but love or the loss of it is what truly motivates these characters and explains most of their behaviors. At least that\u2019s what I think. I\u2019m close to the story so maybe there\u2019s something going on there that my perspective doesn\u2019t allow me to see.<\/span>\n\n \n\nHow did the collaboration with Humanoids come about?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI\u2019d been sitting on the idea for a while without any clue as to what I should do with it. It\u2019s an odd story and I thought it would just stay on my hard drive forever. A friend of mine suggested submitting it to Humanoids. They have a fairly easy submission process and I figured it was worth a shot.<\/span>\n\n\"Swine_4\"\n\nWho suggested Lee Loughridge and DC Hopkins for Swine<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nHumanoids brought both of them to the party. Am I allowed to call it a party? I knew their work and I was very happy when I heard they were joining the team.<\/span>\n\n \n\nHow would you describe the process of creating a graphic novel?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nYikes! I would describe it as panic-inducing. This was my first graphic novel and I had a lot to learn. The biggest challenge for me was learning to control the space. When you\u2019ve got a limited number of panels to tell a story, you have to be economical with dialogue. I also didn\u2019t want to cover the outstanding art with a ton of exposition and unnecessary digressions. I spent a lot of time printing out pages and spreading them across my desk to make sure I had a decent handle on what I was doing. It was sort of like writing a script and managing real estate at the same time.<\/span>\n\n\"Swine_5\"\n\nAny message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nYes! Thank you for making it to the end of this interview. I hope you have as much fun reading Swine<\/em> as we did making it. And support your local comic book stores whenever you can!<\/span>\n\nWe would like to say a big thank you to Tyrone and wish him and his team the best of luck with thier graphic novel.<\/span>\n\n \n\n \n\n <\/span>","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Tyrone Finch","post_excerpt":"Swine","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-tyrone-finch","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-07 23:35:36","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-07 22:35:36","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206979","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206961,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-10-01 16:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2021-10-01 15:42:48","post_content":"We are so delighted to be joined by the writer, Max Allan Collins. <\/span>Max has written in many different media including novels, comics, movies and graphic novels. Some of the novels that he has worked on include Nathan Heller<\/em>, Quarry<\/em> and Mike Hammer<\/em>. Max is the creator of Road to Perdition<\/em>. With his new novella<\/span>, Fancy Anders Goes to War<\/em> releasing from NeoText on October 5th, we got to sit down and chat with him.<\/span>\n\nHi Max, thanks for joining us today. We are so thrilled to have you here with us. It's so great to chat with you.<\/span><\/strong>\n\nThanks for asking. Glad to share my thoughts about Fancy Anders Goes to War<\/em>.<\/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\nI\u2019ve been writing mystery and crime fiction since high school, and my first books were published while I was still in college. I was always a comics fan and not long after my novels began appearing, I also started working in comics. My most famous work is a graphic novel I wrote, Road to Perdition<\/em>, which became a Tom Hanks film.<\/span>\n\nIn terms of comics who are your favourite creators, and do you have a favourite series?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI grew up on comic strips, including Dick Tracy<\/em>, which I eventually came to script. Batman <\/em>is in the same category \u2013 I wrote the monthly comic book for a year and did several graphic novels. In comics I admire Will Eisner and EC great Johnny Craig \u2013 just introduced a collection of his work for Fantagraphics. I love all the classic noir<\/em> mystery writers \u2013 Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain and Mickey Spillane. But I also love Agatha Christie, who was the greatest mystery writer of all time.<\/span>\n\n\"fancyanders_rosie\"\n\nNeoText will be releasing the novella Fancy Anders Goes to War<\/em>; can you tell us about the origins of Fancy Anders Goes to War?<\/em><\/span><\/strong>\n\nThe idea of the character came first \u2013 a young woman whose father was a successful private detective and whose mother was a socialite, in World War II-era Los Angeles. Women came into the workforce in a major way in those years and that was an attractive aspect to explore. I wasn\u2019t sure whether prose or comics were right for her, but when NeoText gave me the opportunity to do a novella series for them, I thought Fancy would be perfect.<\/span>\n\nHow did Fay Dalton join Fancy Anders Goes to War?<\/em><\/span><\/strong>\n\nFay had done the covers of two comic books of mine \u2013 issues of Quarry\u2019s War<\/em> and Mike Hammer: The Night I Died for Titan<\/em>. I loved what she did and requested her for the cover of the first Fancy Anders novella. We\u2019d already been discussing illustrating the novella in some fashion and once we saw Fay\u2019s work, she was the obvious choice.<\/span>\n\nHow would you describe Fancy Anders Goes to War?<\/em><\/span><\/strong>\n\nIt\u2019s not as noir <\/em>as some of my work, though Fancy is herself tough and tough-minded, and there are elements of violence. But it\u2019s also a fun time machine ride back into an America where we were all pulling together and not so politically fractured.<\/span>\n\n\"fancyanders_lonely\"\n\nWhat made Fay the right artist for Fancy Anders Goes to War?<\/em><\/span><\/strong>\n\nFay has a feel for the great pin-up artists and illustrators of the 1940s and 1950s. A number of those artists were women who were themselves glamorous and used themselves as models. Fay is a wonderful throwback to that era \u2013 strong, confident, and feminine in the best sense.<\/span>\n\nHow long have you been working on Fancy Anders Goes to War?<\/em><\/span><\/strong>\n\nIt came together fairly quickly, from idea to getting a deal for three novellas from NeoText. I spent the Covid lockdown writing them.<\/span>\n\n\"fancyanders_tools\"\n\nHow did the collaboration with NeoText come about?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI knew the publisher\/editor, John Schoenfelder, from traditional publishing. When he came up with a different take on publishing, with NeoText, he was good enough to call me and see if we could come up with a project together. Fancy Anders <\/em>flowed from that, as well as a full-length novel, The Many Lives of Jimmy Leighton<\/em>, co-written by legendary SCTV star, Dave Thomas.<\/span>\n\nWhat has it been like working with Fay and NeoText?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nLovely. Fay and I kicked around ideas about illustrations, and stayed open to each other in that regard. NeoText is one of the most supportive publishers I\u2019ve been lucky enough to work with.<\/span>\n\n\"fancyanders_president\"\n\nWhat are you currently reading?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nDark City<\/em> by Eddie Muller, the definitive book on film noir<\/em>.<\/span>\n\nAny message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nFancy Anders<\/em> is a nice midway point between prose and graphic novels \u2013 Fay Dalton provides a full-page, usually color illustration at the start of each of ten chapters. It\u2019s a nicely retro touch that I think you\u2019ll enjoy.<\/span>\n\nWe would like to say a big thank you to Max for taking the time to chat with us. Fancy Anders Goes to War is on October 5th from NeoText.<\/span>","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Max Allan Collins","post_excerpt":"New novella","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-max-allan-collins","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 21:18:48","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 20:18:48","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206961","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206924,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-09-27 18:01:22","post_date_gmt":"2021-09-27 17:01:22","post_content":"

We are delighted to be joined by the writer Mark Sable this week. Mark is the writer of many comics including Graveyard of Empires, Grounded, War on Terror and Miskatonic just to name a few. Mark is working on a new project called Chaotic Neutral and we are delighted that we can about it with him today.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hi Mark, we are so delighted to have you here with us today. We have been fans of your writing since Graveyard of Empires. We are soexcited to chat with you.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m delighted to be here! And thank you for the kind words about Graveyard of Empires, that\u2019s a book I\u2019m proud of and it means a lot.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

We understand that you are working with Chris Anderson on a new project called Chaotic Neutral; can you tell us all about Chaotic Neutral?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

CHAOTIC NEUTRAL is a 48 page comic and RPG adventure rolled into one. Inspired by old school role playing games like D&D, the goal is to capture the weird, wonderful and dangerous fantasy RPGs from the 80s in comic book form. And then let readers become players and interact with the world of the book.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chaoticneutral2\"<\/p>\n

Can you tell us about the origins of Chaotic Neutral?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve collected role playing game books for almost as long as I\u2019ve collected comics. I say \u201ccollected\u201d because I was extremely shy as a kid, and had a hard time working up the courage to get a group together. So I\u2019d study rulebooks and modules like they were the Talmud, roll up characters and craft these imaginary adventures\u2026but never shared them with anything else.<\/span><\/p>\n

Flash forward to 2014, when the Fifth Edition of D&D came out. I finally had enough self-confidence to first play, and then run games with strangers and friends. That was a life changing experience \u2013 to this day I run a weekly D&D game, and the camaraderie helped get me through the pandemic.<\/span><\/p>\n

But something felt like it was missing from modern day RPGs. The books were more polished, but also\u2026safer. Old school RPGs had painted covers, but inside was this amazing black and white art. Sometimes it was amateurish, but it was often edgy \u2013 with demons and devils \u2013 and always weird. It made you feel like anything was possible.<\/span><\/p>\n

I learned that of fantasy had been watered down as a result of the so-called \u201cSatanic Panic of the 80s\u201d. Religious groups tried to convince parents that games like D&D could corrupt kids souls, and gaming companies folded much like comic companies did with the Comic Code in the 50s.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAOTIC NEUTRAL aims to correct that. Our tag line is \u201cThey said fantasy roleplaying games were dangerous and they were wrong. But now? Maybe they were right to be afraid!\u201d We\u2019re trying to bring back that edge, and imagine what a comic that would truly scare those fear mongers would be like.<\/span><\/p>\n

At the same time, it\u2019s not edge for edge\u2019s sake or shock value. While taking inspiration from the old school, this is a book that\u2019s diverse, inclusive and welcoming to the new batch of players that shows like Stranger Things and Critical Role have brought into this wonderful hobby.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chris Anderson is the perfect artist and co-creator for this book. His work conjures up the weird nature of old school artists like Erol Otus, Dave Trampier and Bill Willingham (yes, the man known best for writing Fables used to do rad drawings for D&D)\u2026but he brings a modern sense of whimsy that helps balance out the darkness and make it accessible for everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chaoticneutral3\"<\/p>\n

Ryan Browne is also working on Chaotic Neutral; how did this collaboration come about?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Part of the propaganda of the Satanic Panic were these so-called \u201cChick Tracts\u201d, pamphlet sized comic-books like \u201cDark Dungeons\u201d by the late Jack Chick that depicted kids who dabbled in D&D meeting grisly ends. While the main story is told seriously, I wanted to satirize Chick\u2019s work to add to the feeling that CHAOTIC NEUTRAL was an artifact of the 80s. I\u2019m lucky enough to be friends with Ryan, who does humor better than anyone in comics, and it seemed like a the only person who could pull that off.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

We understand that Chaotic Neutral will also have trading cards; what can you tell us about these trading cards?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In the early 80s, D&D had these monster trading cards with stats on one side and old school art on the other. We decided to do a modern spin on that by enlisting 9 superstar artists to illustrate some of the classic and original monsters in Issue one of CHAOTIC NEUTRAL. We\u2019ve been lucky enough to enlist Max Dunbar (Dungeons & Dragons), Jeremy Haun (Haunthology), Maan House (Godkillers), Jeff Johnson (Boondocks), Tom Neely (The Humans), Dan Panosian (Slots), Jim Rugg (Mtsryr: Octobriana 1976), Tim Seeley (Money Shot) and Kyle Strahm (Spread) in creating them. They are a true murderers row of talent.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chaoticneutral4\"<\/p>\n

As a creator, does the crowdfunding model and dealing directly with the public make the project more special for you rather than using a traditional publishing model?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I work equally as hard on all my comics, but there is something special about the process of crowdfunding. One of the things I\u2019ve always loved about comics is the proximity of fans to creators. I love film, but I could never go up to a convention and meet Martin Scorsese. Comics was welcoming to me as a fan, and I love the opportunity to establish those connections to readers as a creator.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

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

There are some cool stretch goals that haven\u2019t been revealed yet, but my favorite reward connects back to your question about the special bond with the public Kickstarter can create. For a select few backers, I\u2019ve offered to run the adventure in CHAOTIC NEUTRAL live (over Zoom) as Dungeon Master. I\u2019m hoping that will be special for fans, and I personally can\u2019t wait to challenge run them and their characters through the dangers that await inside.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chaoticneutral5\"<\/p>\n

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

Just that I know there\u2019s a lot of great comics to choose from, but Chris Anderson and I are offering a unique experience. Whether they are comics readers, role-players or both, we\u2019ve crafted something special for them.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Feel free to check out the campaign: <\/span>Chaotic Neutral on Kickstarter<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\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":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

\"Crisis<\/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

\"Crisis<\/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

\"Crisis<\/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

\"Crisis<\/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"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":4},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_22"};

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\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Jason Loo","post_excerpt":"The All-Nighter","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-jason-loo","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-07 23:08:34","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-07 22:08:34","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207108","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":207085,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-10-19 19:35:03","post_date_gmt":"2021-10-19 18:35:03","post_content":"We got a chance to sit and chat with the photographer and director, Neil Krug. The GoldTwinz<\/em> releases today a novella from NeoText, in which Neil is working with the writer Jardine Libaire.<\/span>\n\nHi Neil, we are so happy to have you here with us.<\/span>\n\nYou are working with Jardine on her new novella, The Gold Twinz<\/em>; can you tell us about the artwork you have created for it?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI look at this collection of artworks for The Gold Twinz as a kind of film-in-stills meets photo-surrealist nightmare. Throughout the series there are moments in the imagery that read like a frame grab from a film, and other images that suggest a more illustrative rendering of the scenes depicted in the text. I chose this approach as I hoped it would be more enjoyable for the reader and to satisfy my own aesthetic desires in making the work. <\/span>\n\n\"goldtwinz_5\"\n\nWhat were your thoughts when you read The GoldTwinz<\/em>? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nMy initial thought was, at last, a chance to let my freak flag fly. I enjoy genre bent crime stories and immediately responded to the world Jardine had in mind for this story. <\/span>\n\n\"goldtwinz_2\"\n\nWhat has it been like collaborating with Jardine on The GoldTwinz<\/em>? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nThe collaboration has been enjoyable as the two of us [Jardine and I] share a similar vision of how the work should look and feel. I find any great collaboration amongst creatives needs a shared vision so the work can go in the direction it needs to. I was able to chase the spirit of the project knowing that the atmosphere of the imagery would align to the text. <\/span>\n\nCan you tell us about what your creative process is like when you are creating your artwork? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nThe first thing I arranged for The Gold Twinz was picking my cast and making sure the performances would have the space to be as raw as the text suggested. The rest was choosing locations and deciding how best to photograph the world via my arsenal of cameras and film stock. I treated the various shoots similarly to how a producer would arrange shoot days on film, which helped focus the setups and keep the energy for the cast concentrated on whatever we needed to accomplish on the day. <\/span>\n\n\"goldtwinz_4\"\n\nDo you have a favourite piece of artwork that you created for The GoldTwinz<\/em>? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nI\u2019m particularly fond of the sequences of Yvette played by Kaiman Kazazian in which you can see the character moving about the room, and the entire performance is caught in a single frame of film. The surreality of those specific frames translated perfectly to what I imagined when daydreaming about the project. <\/span>\n\n\"goldtwinz\"\n\nAny message for the ComicBuzz readers? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nTodd McFarlane and Katsuhiro Otomo are two artists that I will forever be inspired by. I grew up during the heyday of Spawn and Akira and am aware that those specific works have had a great influence in how I approach color and building atmospheres. Those artists [Mcfarlane and Otomo] are a gift to the world.<\/span>\n\nWe would like to say thank you to Neil for taking the time to chat with us and wish him and Jardine the best of luck with The GoldTwinz<\/em>.<\/span>","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Neil Krug","post_excerpt":"Novella from NeoText","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-neil-krug","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 21:01:33","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 20:01:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207085","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":207069,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-10-19 14:11:31","post_date_gmt":"2021-10-19 13:11:31","post_content":"

With the release of her new novella from NeoText today, we are so delighted to be joined by the novelist and writer, Jardine Libaire. She has written many novels including Here Kitty Kitty<\/em>, White Fur<\/em> and the yet to be released You're An Animal<\/em>; she also writes for TV.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hi Jardine, it's so wonderful to have you here with us.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Thanks so much for having us to your awesome site!<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Could you tell us about your novella, The GoldTwinz<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Sure. The premise is that 20-year-old twins Marc and Yvette, anarchistic souls who live in the Everglades, finally admit that she\u2019s meant to be an outlaw mega-star and he\u2019s the only one who can get her there. First they have to destroy his childhood abuser and get her out of a sex-cam \u201clullaby\u201d contract she made to support herself while Marc was in prison. If I had to describe the story\u2019s origins, I\u2019d say it\u2019s inspired by Spring Breakers<\/em>, Wild at Heart<\/em>, Moonlight<\/em>, serialized pulp, a little Harry Crews, a little Delacorta, cheap supermarket tabloids, Flowers in the Attic<\/em>, a little dirt and grit, a big heart, a smidge of Bonnie & Clyde, old Rihanna videos, sunshine noir. An almost campy, psychedelic story about Yvette\u2019s rise to fame as an artist\/singer, with a backbone of \u201cmystery\u201d like old-school Patricia Highsmith. It\u2019s a mash-up for sure. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"goldtwinz_1\"<\/p>\n

What has it been like working with Neil Krug on The GoldTwinz<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

It was a joy, just a real pleasure. To see as we worked what he was producing while I was writing, each in our own corner. Especially because this was during the pandemic, the project became a bit of a lifeline to me. His work is also just straight-up inspiring, so saturated and moody, and it\u2019s full of mystery and possibility and dream and threat, but it\u2019s never vague. If that makes sense. That accomplishment, in his images, of a razor\u2019s edge and also a riddle, is thrilling to me. He also impacted the narrative and even generated a new character. <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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

I\u2019d been talking to John Schoenfelder about various TV projects, all genre mashup daydream projects, and we started chatting about this concept: Les Enfants Terribles<\/em> set in the Everglades, with a crime\/road\/gothic edge. It migrated into a novella collaboration with Krug. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"goldtwinz_poster\"<\/p>\n

Could you tell us about the origin of The GoldTwinz<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Part of it has been thinking a lot about the meaning of anarchy, not in the sense of disorder and chaos, but in the sense of people self-organizing and not relying on institutions. I recently moved from the city out into the Mojave Desert, and daily life is so different. Everything that's happened in our country in the past five years or so has brought it to the surface that many Americans have different ideas about who's in charge. I thought it would be exciting to test my city self and try to see life from the point of view of kids born and raised in a place where the wilderness is the ruler, to try to write characters who rely on each other and their family and their very close community, and who take things into their own hands whenever they need to, and even when they don't. I also love the idea of sunshine noir, combining the tropical and Technicolor with a dark underworld.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

How did Neil Krug get involved with the novella?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Neil and John had also been talking about projects, and then John put us in touch with each other. Neil and I got to talk about what kind of work we dream about making, what boundaries we want to break in the work, how we see film and photography and text combining and intersecting, and how the experiment of collaboration can yield fantastically out-there results sometimes. Then we both set out to create our own components and we shared pieces of the outcome along the way, weaving the two together.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"goldtwinz_3\"<\/p>\n

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

I've always been jumpstarted by going out of my lane, by reading something in a category I've never even heard of, or by trying to understand a new genre mashup and its roots and purpose, by asking people what they\u2019re currently obsessed with and then checking it out. Most recent expedition: reading Westerns, starting with Shane<\/em> by Jack Schaefer. It's so easy to get in a rut! I love being disoriented.<\/span><\/p>\n

A big thank you to Jardine for chatting with us, we wish her and Neil Krug the best of luck with The GoldTwinz<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Jardine Libaire","post_excerpt":"Novella from NeoText","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-jardine-libaire","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 21:02:01","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 20:02:01","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207069","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":207024,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-10-13 18:13:18","post_date_gmt":"2021-10-13 17:13:18","post_content":"With the release of his new sci-fi novella this week, we are delighted to be joined by author Nicholas Mennuti. Weaponized his first novel, was co-written with David Guggenheim.<\/span>\n\nHi Nicholas, it's so great to have you here with us.<\/span><\/strong>\n\nAs some of our readers may not be familiar with your work, could you please tell us about yourself?<\/span>\n\nAbsolutely! For starters, I live in Washington, D.C. with my wife, two children, and a Goldendoodle who has us all well-trained. I\u2019m primarily a novelist, but I\u2019ve also worked in film and television, while also blogging and writing the occasional op-ed for the Huffington Post. I\u2019m passionate about the arts and politics and my work frequently intermingles those topics.<\/span>\n\nAnd I\u2019d be bereft not to mention that I\u2019m not the only writer in my house. My brilliant wife is also a novelist. However, she writes family dramas and romantic comedies, whereas most of my work tends to end with people pointing guns at each other and objects exploding. Or in the case of \u201cScrap\u201d a little bit of both.  <\/span>\n\nCan you tell us about your novella, Scrap?<\/span><\/strong>\n\n\u201cScrap\u201d is the story of Travis Schrader, a man who has lost the script on his life, who has gone astray, and absent-mindedly ended up in a temporary position as a night watchman-quasi-engineer at an enormous data storage center in Kansas.<\/span>\n\nOne evening, while on the job, he is kidnapped from the present, dragged into the future, and informed that he has been sold to a corporation that intends to utilize him for their own ends. Travis has allowed himself to become so insignificant in the grand scheme of things, that his life can be manipulated without setting off a butterfly effect that could influence or change world events. And his adventure begins.  <\/span>\n\nHow did Scrap find a home at Neotext?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nThe short version is that John Schoenfelder, the in-house Pope and brain trust behind NeoText pitched me the protagonist of \u201cScrap\u201d, and his explanation of Travis\u2019s existential dilemma was incredibly compelling. I could see the story unfolding with every bit of backstory John added in. <\/span>\n\nHonestly, it\u2019s so rare when a character\u2019s flaw and the journey he needs to take to resolve it are so commingled on a literal and metaphoric level. Travis had that rare magic. And I jumped at the chance to be a part of \u201cScrap\u201d.<\/span>\n\nThe slightly longer version is that no other publisher besides NeoText would have been as bold in its collaborative vision with \u201cScrap\u201d. John charted an ambitious course with Travis, and then he trusted Howard and I to measure up to his challenge in our roles on the project. That\u2019s part of what makes NeoText so special. They thoughtfully and deliberately weigh writer and artist collaborations to achieve the best result. Howard and I being paired together on \u201cScrap\u201d wasn\u2019t an accident. <\/span>\n\nHow did Howard Chaykin join Scrap?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nJohn had Howard in mind from the very beginning. In fact, he might have had Howard in mind before me<\/em>. The only caveat being that we needed to deliver a text filled with prose and narrative incident that Howard would spark to, that would inspire him to create in the way only he can. He\u2019s a genuinely singular talent.<\/span>\n\nThankfully, \u201cScrap\u201d was enough to convince Howard to come onboard, and we were lucky enough to have him.<\/span>\n\nWhat has it been like working with Howard Chaykin?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nWell, you don\u2019t really \u201cwork\u201d with Howard per se. Ha!<\/em> He\u2019s an incredibly intelligent, inciteful, and independent artist. On top of which he\u2019s one of the smartest people I\u2019ve ever spoken to. He has vast, encyclopedic knowledge about the history of his profession, plus he\u2019s a stylistic chameleon up for anything, and brings the cumulative weight of his experience to bear on every project.<\/span>\n\nBut to be more precise, our relationship involved Howard asking questions, very targeted questions. He knew exactly<\/em> what he was looking for. And by giving him what he needed to be at his best, it also had the reverberating effect of strengthening \u201cScrap\u201d as a whole.<\/span>\n\nBy Howard asking me why I made particular narrative or tonal decisions, or to clarify why I selected certain images, he forced me to look at \u201cScrap\u201d through another set of eyes, really drill down on a granular level and interrogate my own text, which was invaluable, and what the best collaborators gift you with.<\/span>\n\nAny message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nYes! First of all, thank you SO much for taking the time to speak with me. Being interviewed by ComicBuzz has finally given me cache with my kids and their friends. I\u2019m almost cool, but still so far away.<\/span>\n\nAlso, I urge your readers to check out \u201cScrap\u201d and not only because I wrote it. I genuinely believe it\u2019s a fascinating fusion of a writer and artist taking a big swing and pulling off something interesting in our respective roles. <\/span>\n\nI\u2019m very proud of \u201cScrap\u201d, proud of the numerous layers it\u2019s engaging with readers. It\u2019s certainly a cautionary tale about corporate overreach and one man\u2019s journey to become human again in a technocratic, oligarchic present and future, but beyond those points, \u201cScrap\u201d is also a richly illustrated and rendered satire and action-thriller.<\/span>\n\nWe would like to say a big thank you to Nicholas for chatting with us and we wish him and Howard the best of luck with Scrap.<\/span>","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Nicholas Mennuti","post_excerpt":"Sci-fi novella","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-nicholas-mennuti","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 21:03:13","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 20:03:13","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207024","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":207010,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-10-12 14:54:34","post_date_gmt":"2021-10-12 13:54:34","post_content":"

Today we are so lucky to be joined by the Fresh Monkey Fiction founder Bill Murphy. Bill along with his team at Fresh Monkey Fiction and with\u00a0\u00a0BigBadToyStore has launched an exclusive line of Eagle Force 40th Anniversary Action Figures, available from BigBadToyStore. We chatted with Bill all about the project.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"EagleForce40Logo\"<\/p>\n

Hi Bill, thank you for your time. We are so happy to have you here with us today.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Thank you, excited to chat with you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Could you please tell us a little about yourself and also about Fresh Monkey Fiction?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been a toy collector all my life and always wanted to make action figures, but never thought it would be possible. When Kickstarter came around about 10 years ago I saw an opportunity and ran my<\/span>\u00a01st Kickstarter<\/a>\u00a0soon afterward. This was the start of FMF, which led me to start creating more action figure lines.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"EFClasiscsSgtBrown\"<\/p>\n

Could you tell us your personal history with Eagle Force action figures?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

As an 80\u2019s Kid I grew up on 80\u2019s toys, GI Joe, He-Man, Thundercats and Transformers. I collected the full Eagle Force collection and I loved them. They were 3\u201d military themed figures made of diecast metal with gold paint. Sadly the line was soon overshadowed by GI Joe and didn\u2019t make it past the 1st wave.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

When did you start this Eagle Force 40th anniversary project?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

This is a continuation of our Eagle Force Returns line that we launched on\u00a0<\/span>Kickstarter<\/a>\u00a0in 2016. Eagle Force Returns focused on the new generation of Eagle Force, but many fans also wanted classic interpretations of the characters from the original 80s line. So as the 40th Anniversary of Eagle Force was coming up, we decided it would be a great time to revisit those classic characters.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"EFClasiscsCMLegionnaire\"<\/p>\n

What made the Eagle Force action figures so special?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I think what made Eagle Force so special in the 80\u2019s was its diversity and its format of diecast metal. Today, we successfully brought back that diversity and grew the line so it touches on many diverse genres, including those outside of the military like Monsters, Super Heroes and Sci-Fi.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

What are the major milestones that Fresh Monkey Fiction has achieved to get the project up to this point?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Our big one was deciding what characters we should make for our initial wave. We had lots of characters to choose from, but making action figures is sometimes more a science than an art. Especially with indie toy lines, as manufacturing costs are super expensive, so you need to be able to share parts across many figures. It took us a while to decide what was the right mix of character diversity and parts reuse to give fans the best characters possible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"EFClasiscsStryker\"<\/p>\n

Do you think that you have improved on the Eagle Force action figures in any way?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Well the original line is special in its own way, but diecast metal is not what the current market wants in action figures. So we\u2019d tried to keep the nostalgic elements of the original designs but bring in more modern detail and articulation that the current collector market expects.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Can you tell us about the collaboration with BigBadToyStore?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

BBTS has always been a huge supporter of our lines, even from our initial Kickstarter. They really wanted to help us make this anniversary special so they are sponsoring a month-long event and helping us get these figures to market without Kickstarter. Don\u2019t get me wrong, I love Kickstarter, but having the support of BBTS will really help to scale the line as we grow.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"EFClasiscsNemesis\"<\/p>\n

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

Thanks for checking out Eagle Force, we\u2019ve worked hard to create a diverse world of characters beyond just the toys themselves. Like many comic book stories we\u2019re building a world, but instead of doing it through reading a comic book, we\u2019re doing it via a toy line. I hope you\u2019ll come on this crazy ride with us, it\u2019s been a blast so far.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For more information and to check out the complete range of figures please check out:<\/span> https:\/\/www.bigbadtoystore.com\/brand\/EagleForce<\/a>.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.freshmonkeyfiction.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n

We would like to say thank you to Bill and wish him and his team the best of luck with their campaign.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Bill Murphy","post_excerpt":"Fresh monkey fiction","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-bill-murphy","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-07 23:31:22","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-07 22:31:22","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207010","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206979,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-10-05 16:37:42","post_date_gmt":"2021-10-05 15:37:42","post_content":"With the release of his first graphic novel today, we are delighted to be joined by the writer and producer Tyrone Finch. Tyrone has written for the stage and the screen; he is currently a writer\/producer for ABC's Station 19.<\/span>\n\nHi Tyrone, thanks so much for being here with us today. We would like to congratulate you on your first graphic novel. Swine<\/em> is releasing on October 5th from Humanoids.<\/span>\n\n \n\nWho are your favourite comic creators?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nWow! That would be a very long list and the names on it change at least twice a month. I will say that Charles Schulz never drops below number three on that list. I\u2019m a fan of subtlety and he was masterful with it. You probably wanted me to name someone who\u2019s more associated with comic books. Oh! I\u2019ve been reading a lot of old Jack Kirby stuff lately. He also stays near the top of my list.<\/span>\n\n \n\nDo you have a favourite comic series or graphic novel?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI\u2019ve been a Spider-Man fan since I was a kid. Maybe I\u2019m just being sentimental, but I think he will always be my favourite character. As for graphic novels, I know that George Takei\u2019s They Called Us Enemy<\/em> is a memoir, but it\u2019s easily one of the most moving things I\u2019ve read in the format.<\/span>\n\n\"Swine_1\"\n\nCan you tell us about the history of Swine<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nHa! I\u2019m not sure that there\u2019s much history to share. I was having lunch with a couple of friends and somehow during the midst of a relatively normal conversation, I got this idea stuck in my head. Whenever that happens, I have to put the idea down on paper or it takes up valuable space in my brain that I desperately need for other things.<\/span>\n\n \n\nDid you conceive Swine<\/em> as a graphic novel?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI thought of Swine <\/em>as a six-issue comic book or a graphic novel. I wasn\u2019t sure which would work best. After a few conversations with some experienced comic book writers, I decided a graphic novel would be the best way to go.<\/span>\n\n\"Swine_2\"\n\nHow did Alain Mauricet join Swine<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nA few years ago, Mauricet and I worked together on a small project for AHOY Comics. When the folks at Humanoids asked if I had an artist in mind for Swine<\/em>, I immediately suggested Mauricet and they loved that idea.<\/span>\n\n \n\nWhat has it been like working with Alain Mauricet?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nIt\u2019s been great. I love his work. He\u2019s incredibly inventive and playful. Every panel is always much more fun than whatever I was picturing in my head. Receiving an email with new art from him would put me in a good mood that could last for days.<\/span>\n\n\"Swine_3\"\n\nHow would you describe Swine<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI think of Swine <\/em>as a love story. I know that sounds odd, but love or the loss of it is what truly motivates these characters and explains most of their behaviors. At least that\u2019s what I think. I\u2019m close to the story so maybe there\u2019s something going on there that my perspective doesn\u2019t allow me to see.<\/span>\n\n \n\nHow did the collaboration with Humanoids come about?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI\u2019d been sitting on the idea for a while without any clue as to what I should do with it. It\u2019s an odd story and I thought it would just stay on my hard drive forever. A friend of mine suggested submitting it to Humanoids. They have a fairly easy submission process and I figured it was worth a shot.<\/span>\n\n\"Swine_4\"\n\nWho suggested Lee Loughridge and DC Hopkins for Swine<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nHumanoids brought both of them to the party. Am I allowed to call it a party? I knew their work and I was very happy when I heard they were joining the team.<\/span>\n\n \n\nHow would you describe the process of creating a graphic novel?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nYikes! I would describe it as panic-inducing. This was my first graphic novel and I had a lot to learn. The biggest challenge for me was learning to control the space. When you\u2019ve got a limited number of panels to tell a story, you have to be economical with dialogue. I also didn\u2019t want to cover the outstanding art with a ton of exposition and unnecessary digressions. I spent a lot of time printing out pages and spreading them across my desk to make sure I had a decent handle on what I was doing. It was sort of like writing a script and managing real estate at the same time.<\/span>\n\n\"Swine_5\"\n\nAny message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nYes! Thank you for making it to the end of this interview. I hope you have as much fun reading Swine<\/em> as we did making it. And support your local comic book stores whenever you can!<\/span>\n\nWe would like to say a big thank you to Tyrone and wish him and his team the best of luck with thier graphic novel.<\/span>\n\n \n\n \n\n <\/span>","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Tyrone Finch","post_excerpt":"Swine","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-tyrone-finch","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-07 23:35:36","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-07 22:35:36","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206979","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206961,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-10-01 16:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2021-10-01 15:42:48","post_content":"We are so delighted to be joined by the writer, Max Allan Collins. <\/span>Max has written in many different media including novels, comics, movies and graphic novels. Some of the novels that he has worked on include Nathan Heller<\/em>, Quarry<\/em> and Mike Hammer<\/em>. Max is the creator of Road to Perdition<\/em>. With his new novella<\/span>, Fancy Anders Goes to War<\/em> releasing from NeoText on October 5th, we got to sit down and chat with him.<\/span>\n\nHi Max, thanks for joining us today. We are so thrilled to have you here with us. It's so great to chat with you.<\/span><\/strong>\n\nThanks for asking. Glad to share my thoughts about Fancy Anders Goes to War<\/em>.<\/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\nI\u2019ve been writing mystery and crime fiction since high school, and my first books were published while I was still in college. I was always a comics fan and not long after my novels began appearing, I also started working in comics. My most famous work is a graphic novel I wrote, Road to Perdition<\/em>, which became a Tom Hanks film.<\/span>\n\nIn terms of comics who are your favourite creators, and do you have a favourite series?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI grew up on comic strips, including Dick Tracy<\/em>, which I eventually came to script. Batman <\/em>is in the same category \u2013 I wrote the monthly comic book for a year and did several graphic novels. In comics I admire Will Eisner and EC great Johnny Craig \u2013 just introduced a collection of his work for Fantagraphics. I love all the classic noir<\/em> mystery writers \u2013 Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain and Mickey Spillane. But I also love Agatha Christie, who was the greatest mystery writer of all time.<\/span>\n\n\"fancyanders_rosie\"\n\nNeoText will be releasing the novella Fancy Anders Goes to War<\/em>; can you tell us about the origins of Fancy Anders Goes to War?<\/em><\/span><\/strong>\n\nThe idea of the character came first \u2013 a young woman whose father was a successful private detective and whose mother was a socialite, in World War II-era Los Angeles. Women came into the workforce in a major way in those years and that was an attractive aspect to explore. I wasn\u2019t sure whether prose or comics were right for her, but when NeoText gave me the opportunity to do a novella series for them, I thought Fancy would be perfect.<\/span>\n\nHow did Fay Dalton join Fancy Anders Goes to War?<\/em><\/span><\/strong>\n\nFay had done the covers of two comic books of mine \u2013 issues of Quarry\u2019s War<\/em> and Mike Hammer: The Night I Died for Titan<\/em>. I loved what she did and requested her for the cover of the first Fancy Anders novella. We\u2019d already been discussing illustrating the novella in some fashion and once we saw Fay\u2019s work, she was the obvious choice.<\/span>\n\nHow would you describe Fancy Anders Goes to War?<\/em><\/span><\/strong>\n\nIt\u2019s not as noir <\/em>as some of my work, though Fancy is herself tough and tough-minded, and there are elements of violence. But it\u2019s also a fun time machine ride back into an America where we were all pulling together and not so politically fractured.<\/span>\n\n\"fancyanders_lonely\"\n\nWhat made Fay the right artist for Fancy Anders Goes to War?<\/em><\/span><\/strong>\n\nFay has a feel for the great pin-up artists and illustrators of the 1940s and 1950s. A number of those artists were women who were themselves glamorous and used themselves as models. Fay is a wonderful throwback to that era \u2013 strong, confident, and feminine in the best sense.<\/span>\n\nHow long have you been working on Fancy Anders Goes to War?<\/em><\/span><\/strong>\n\nIt came together fairly quickly, from idea to getting a deal for three novellas from NeoText. I spent the Covid lockdown writing them.<\/span>\n\n\"fancyanders_tools\"\n\nHow did the collaboration with NeoText come about?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI knew the publisher\/editor, John Schoenfelder, from traditional publishing. When he came up with a different take on publishing, with NeoText, he was good enough to call me and see if we could come up with a project together. Fancy Anders <\/em>flowed from that, as well as a full-length novel, The Many Lives of Jimmy Leighton<\/em>, co-written by legendary SCTV star, Dave Thomas.<\/span>\n\nWhat has it been like working with Fay and NeoText?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nLovely. Fay and I kicked around ideas about illustrations, and stayed open to each other in that regard. NeoText is one of the most supportive publishers I\u2019ve been lucky enough to work with.<\/span>\n\n\"fancyanders_president\"\n\nWhat are you currently reading?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nDark City<\/em> by Eddie Muller, the definitive book on film noir<\/em>.<\/span>\n\nAny message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nFancy Anders<\/em> is a nice midway point between prose and graphic novels \u2013 Fay Dalton provides a full-page, usually color illustration at the start of each of ten chapters. It\u2019s a nicely retro touch that I think you\u2019ll enjoy.<\/span>\n\nWe would like to say a big thank you to Max for taking the time to chat with us. Fancy Anders Goes to War is on October 5th from NeoText.<\/span>","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Max Allan Collins","post_excerpt":"New novella","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-max-allan-collins","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 21:18:48","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 20:18:48","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206961","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206924,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-09-27 18:01:22","post_date_gmt":"2021-09-27 17:01:22","post_content":"

We are delighted to be joined by the writer Mark Sable this week. Mark is the writer of many comics including Graveyard of Empires, Grounded, War on Terror and Miskatonic just to name a few. Mark is working on a new project called Chaotic Neutral and we are delighted that we can about it with him today.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hi Mark, we are so delighted to have you here with us today. We have been fans of your writing since Graveyard of Empires. We are soexcited to chat with you.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m delighted to be here! And thank you for the kind words about Graveyard of Empires, that\u2019s a book I\u2019m proud of and it means a lot.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

We understand that you are working with Chris Anderson on a new project called Chaotic Neutral; can you tell us all about Chaotic Neutral?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

CHAOTIC NEUTRAL is a 48 page comic and RPG adventure rolled into one. Inspired by old school role playing games like D&D, the goal is to capture the weird, wonderful and dangerous fantasy RPGs from the 80s in comic book form. And then let readers become players and interact with the world of the book.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chaoticneutral2\"<\/p>\n

Can you tell us about the origins of Chaotic Neutral?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve collected role playing game books for almost as long as I\u2019ve collected comics. I say \u201ccollected\u201d because I was extremely shy as a kid, and had a hard time working up the courage to get a group together. So I\u2019d study rulebooks and modules like they were the Talmud, roll up characters and craft these imaginary adventures\u2026but never shared them with anything else.<\/span><\/p>\n

Flash forward to 2014, when the Fifth Edition of D&D came out. I finally had enough self-confidence to first play, and then run games with strangers and friends. That was a life changing experience \u2013 to this day I run a weekly D&D game, and the camaraderie helped get me through the pandemic.<\/span><\/p>\n

But something felt like it was missing from modern day RPGs. The books were more polished, but also\u2026safer. Old school RPGs had painted covers, but inside was this amazing black and white art. Sometimes it was amateurish, but it was often edgy \u2013 with demons and devils \u2013 and always weird. It made you feel like anything was possible.<\/span><\/p>\n

I learned that of fantasy had been watered down as a result of the so-called \u201cSatanic Panic of the 80s\u201d. Religious groups tried to convince parents that games like D&D could corrupt kids souls, and gaming companies folded much like comic companies did with the Comic Code in the 50s.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAOTIC NEUTRAL aims to correct that. Our tag line is \u201cThey said fantasy roleplaying games were dangerous and they were wrong. But now? Maybe they were right to be afraid!\u201d We\u2019re trying to bring back that edge, and imagine what a comic that would truly scare those fear mongers would be like.<\/span><\/p>\n

At the same time, it\u2019s not edge for edge\u2019s sake or shock value. While taking inspiration from the old school, this is a book that\u2019s diverse, inclusive and welcoming to the new batch of players that shows like Stranger Things and Critical Role have brought into this wonderful hobby.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chris Anderson is the perfect artist and co-creator for this book. His work conjures up the weird nature of old school artists like Erol Otus, Dave Trampier and Bill Willingham (yes, the man known best for writing Fables used to do rad drawings for D&D)\u2026but he brings a modern sense of whimsy that helps balance out the darkness and make it accessible for everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chaoticneutral3\"<\/p>\n

Ryan Browne is also working on Chaotic Neutral; how did this collaboration come about?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Part of the propaganda of the Satanic Panic were these so-called \u201cChick Tracts\u201d, pamphlet sized comic-books like \u201cDark Dungeons\u201d by the late Jack Chick that depicted kids who dabbled in D&D meeting grisly ends. While the main story is told seriously, I wanted to satirize Chick\u2019s work to add to the feeling that CHAOTIC NEUTRAL was an artifact of the 80s. I\u2019m lucky enough to be friends with Ryan, who does humor better than anyone in comics, and it seemed like a the only person who could pull that off.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

We understand that Chaotic Neutral will also have trading cards; what can you tell us about these trading cards?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In the early 80s, D&D had these monster trading cards with stats on one side and old school art on the other. We decided to do a modern spin on that by enlisting 9 superstar artists to illustrate some of the classic and original monsters in Issue one of CHAOTIC NEUTRAL. We\u2019ve been lucky enough to enlist Max Dunbar (Dungeons & Dragons), Jeremy Haun (Haunthology), Maan House (Godkillers), Jeff Johnson (Boondocks), Tom Neely (The Humans), Dan Panosian (Slots), Jim Rugg (Mtsryr: Octobriana 1976), Tim Seeley (Money Shot) and Kyle Strahm (Spread) in creating them. They are a true murderers row of talent.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chaoticneutral4\"<\/p>\n

As a creator, does the crowdfunding model and dealing directly with the public make the project more special for you rather than using a traditional publishing model?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I work equally as hard on all my comics, but there is something special about the process of crowdfunding. One of the things I\u2019ve always loved about comics is the proximity of fans to creators. I love film, but I could never go up to a convention and meet Martin Scorsese. Comics was welcoming to me as a fan, and I love the opportunity to establish those connections to readers as a creator.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

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

There are some cool stretch goals that haven\u2019t been revealed yet, but my favorite reward connects back to your question about the special bond with the public Kickstarter can create. For a select few backers, I\u2019ve offered to run the adventure in CHAOTIC NEUTRAL live (over Zoom) as Dungeon Master. I\u2019m hoping that will be special for fans, and I personally can\u2019t wait to challenge run them and their characters through the dangers that await inside.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chaoticneutral5\"<\/p>\n

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

Just that I know there\u2019s a lot of great comics to choose from, but Chris Anderson and I are offering a unique experience. Whether they are comics readers, role-players or both, we\u2019ve crafted something special for them.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Feel free to check out the campaign: <\/span>Chaotic Neutral on Kickstarter<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\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":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

\"Crisis<\/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

\"Crisis<\/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

\"Crisis<\/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

\"Crisis<\/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"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":4},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_22"};

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Ian Cinco","post_excerpt":"\u00a0Neon Spring\u00a0","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-ian-cinco","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-07 22:40:38","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-07 21:40:38","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207235","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":207156,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-11-02 15:11:09","post_date_gmt":"2021-11-02 15:11:09","post_content":"With the release of the latest issue of Hellboy,\u00a0Hellboy: The Bones of Giants<\/em>,\u00a0out tomorrow. We are delighted to be joined by Matt Smith; Matt is the creator of Barbarian Lord. Matt has worked on numerous comics including,\u00a0Folklords<\/em>,\u00a0Lake Of Fire<\/em>, Metal Quest<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Jim Henson\u2019s Storyteller<\/em>.<\/span>\n\nHi Matt, it's such a thrill to have you here with us. <\/span>\n\nHow did the opportunity come about for you to be involved in the Hellboy universe again?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nAs I remember it, I was out raking leaves and listening to music on my headphones when I saw a notification that I got a message\u2013\u2013which turned out to be Mike Mignola asking if I was interested in drawing a\u00a0Hellboy\u00a0<\/em>story he was working on about an ancient werewolf hunter. After taking a beat to get my head around how this could have happened, I replied that I was very interested in all of those words. That story turned out to be the one-shot \"Long Night at Goloski Station.\"<\/span>\n\nDid you read the novel\u00a0Hellboy: The Bones of Giants<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nMany times! I was already a longtime fan of Norse mythology, and so was on it when it came out. I love mythology and folklore in general, but the Norse myths and sagas have been the focus of my interest for ages. I haven\u2019t read the novel recently, as my sister borrowed it and lost it. That\u2019s right, I\u2019m letting everyone know what happened to my treasured copy of the book.<\/span>\n\nWhat can you tell us about\u00a0Hellboy: The Bones of Giants\u00a0#1<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nWhen [co-writer] Christopher Golden sent me the script, I was immediately impressed with how he adapted the length and format. Issue #1 gets moving right away, and we\u2019re up in the mountains and in streets of Stockholm, being reunited with some familiar characters and meeting some new ones. It\u2019s pretty lean and fast-moving, but without losing the great atmosphere of the book. [Colorist] Chris O\u2019Halloran, who worked with me on\u00a0Folklords\u00a0<\/em>but is new to the\u00a0Hellboy<\/em>\u00a0world, did a hell of a job on colors. I\u2019m really interested to hear what fellow\u00a0Hellboy<\/em>\u00a0fans make of this first issue.<\/span>\n\nWhat is it like working with Mike and Christopher?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI had the good fortune to meet them both at a Boston comic con where they offered me the project, and they couldn\u2019t have been more welcoming. Since then, it\u2019s stayed on that same line. This had the potential to be pretty daunting, with me being a huge fan of the character, Mike\u2019s art in general, and this particular Norse-steeped story\u2013\u2013but Mike, Chris, and the strong editorial team at Dark Horse took the edge off for sure.<\/span>\n\nDid you get a full script for each issue?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI did. I can\u2019t remember now if I got them all at once\u2013\u2013I don\u2019t think I did. I think they came along as I was working, which was fun to look forward to. I knew the story well, but to see how Chris adapted it for comics was really cool.<\/span>\n\nHow good is your knowledge of Norse mythology?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nIt\u2019s certainly not at an academic level, but I know my myths pretty well. I love the source material and also collect films, comics, and records that are influenced by them. That Norse-inspired material really comes first, chronologically. I got the first real bite with Walt Simonson\u2019s work when I was a little kid, and then later as a teen, I was further infected by the Swedish band Bathory. Then there is Tolkien, who masterfully took from them to help build out his world. Somewhere in there I would have started reading the myths proper, and more recently developed a more focused interest in the medieval Icelandic sagas.<\/span>\n\nDo you have a favourite scene from\u00a0Hellboy: The Bones of Giants\u00a0#1<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI think it\u2019s the Ragnarok scenes. It was a real treat to be drawing Thor and Jormungandr within the Hellboy world, though I\u2019d also be happy drawing pages and pages of Hellboy wandering through mountains. Maybe there can be a slow comics movement, like that seven-hour train ride video from Bergen to Olso. Hundreds of pages of Hellboy wandering, arctic hares, and snow storms. I\u2019m sure that\u2019d go over well. Ha. I\u2019d be into it, though. I watched that seven-hour train video with my father-in-law. It was great. We spent a day at it, took coffee breaks. It was lovely.<\/span>\n\nArtistically has\u00a0Hellboy: The Bones of Giants\u00a0been a challenge to illustrate?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>\n\nYes.\u00a0<\/span>\n\nIf this were a live interview, I\u2019d just leave that hanging for comedic effect, take a long sip of coffee. Seriously though, it was, and it was a good challenge. Hard and worth the fight. It\u2019s a big story with a lot going on. I\u2019d done that one\u00a0Hellboy\u00a0<\/em>issue,\u00a0Long Night at Goloski Station, which was a single night in a single location really\u2013\u2013maybe a more atmospheric story, if that makes sense. I\u2019ve also done a couple of graphic novels outside the Hellboy world, but this was my first time handling Hellboy in a larger story. It was longer than the one-shot, of course, but the pace of the story and the scale of action are also pretty different. Support from everyone at Dark Horse was very helpful, as was looking at all the great\u00a0Hellboy<\/em>\u00a0work that\u2019s been done. Mike\u2019s, of course, but also rereading through Duncan Fegredo\u2019s\u00a0Hellboy<\/em>\u00a0books and Mignolaverse titles by Peter Bergting and Ben Stenbeck. That put fuel in the tank for sure, revisiting what has been done\u2013\u2013and has been done so damn well.<\/span>\n\nWhat are you currently reading?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI just started Tolkien's\u00a0Sir Gawain and the Green Knight<\/em>\u00a0translation, but I'm only a dozen pages in at the moment. I had just finished the new book by Paul Tremblay before that,\u00a0Survivor\u2019s Song<\/em>. There\u2019s a Hellboy connection there\u2013\u2013I was surprised when reading a Tremblay short story collection not long ago to come across a short\u00a0Hellboy<\/em>\u00a0story in it. It was really cool, too! For comics, I just picked up the first two issues of\u00a0Mazebook<\/em>\u00a0by Jeff Lemire, and you know everything he makes is wicked cool. I\u2019ve also recently reread Simonson\u2019s\u00a0Ragnarok<\/em>\u00a0series, as that has consistently been one of my very favorite titles in recent times. They just take me back to what got me into comics in the first place. They are exciting, fun, and amazing to stare at. That he is doing his best work now is also heavy-duty inspiring.<\/span>\n\nWe would like to thank Matt for sitting and chatting with us and we wish him and the rest of his team the best of luck with\u00a0Hellboy: The Bones of Giants<\/em>.<\/span>","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Matt Smith","post_excerpt":"Based on the illustrated novel ","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-matt-smith","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-07 23:03:45","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-07 22:03:45","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207156","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":207140,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-11-01 16:06:57","post_date_gmt":"2021-11-01 16:06:57","post_content":"With the release of\u00a0A Thing Called Truth #1<\/em>\u00a0this week from Image Comics, we are so delighted that Iolanda Zanfardino and Elisa Romboli dropped by for a chat. Not only are they are the creative team behind\u00a0A Thing Called Truth #1<\/em>\u00a0but also the\u00a0Alice in Leatherland <\/em>series.<\/span>\n\nHi Iolanda and Elisa, it's so wonderful to have you both here with us.<\/span>\n\nSome of our readers may not be familiar with your works, could you please tell us a bit about yourselves?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>\n\nIolanda and Elisa:<\/span><\/strong>\n\nHi ComicBuzz! We're SO honored to be on your website!<\/span>\n\nElisa: <\/span><\/strong>We're the creators (Iolanda as writer and me as artist) of \"Alice in Leatherland\", a five-issues miniseries published by Black Mask Studios. \"Alice in Leatherland\" is a queer, body and sex positive romantic comedy! <\/span>Previously I worked for several independent comics publishers, for Titan Comics and Square Enix as an illustrator.<\/span>\n\nIolanda:<\/strong> <\/span>I previously worked as a cover artist for Doctor Who, Life is Strange and Sea of Thieves comics (by Titan Comics) and for Marvel! I also published an OGN that I wrote and drew myself: \"Midnight Radio\" (by Lion Forge\/Oni press).<\/span>\n\n\"athingcalledtruth1_1\"<\/span>\n\nCan you tell us about the origin of A thing called Truth<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nIolanda: <\/span><\/strong>I wanted to explore in a story my never-ending attempt to find a middle ground between devoting yourself body and soul to a goal and enjoying every moment with no regrets. This adds to my and Elisa's love for road-trips together and for discovering new realities and landscapes in unknown countries.<\/span>\n\nPlus, I love great movie-like gestures. But this one could be a spoiler!<\/span>\n\nHow would you describe A thing called Truth<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nIolanda:<\/strong>\u00a0I would describe it as a \"chaotic road-trip adventure\"! That's a story about the dream of leaving your mark on the world, about the reasons for yearning to go far away and those that will take you back home.<\/span>\n\n\"athingcalledtruthb\"\n\nHow did A thing called Truth<\/em> find a home at Image Comics?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nIolanda: <\/span><\/strong>We actually just sent the project proposal to their submission email address and kept our fingers crossed! <\/span>Since I started reading comics, working for Image Comics has been my <\/span>dream. So when Mr Jim Valentino answered our email and told us our proposal sounded interesting I was over the moon!\n<\/span>\n\nWhat can you tell us about Doctor Magdalene Tr\u00e4umer?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nIolanda: <\/span><\/strong>Mag has devoted every waking minute of her adult life to her career and her noble goal of saving the world. Fun times are not her thing: no hanging out with friends for a beer, no friends at all for that matter, she'd rather sleep on her lab couch than going home. She hasn't even been able to find the time to sign the divorce papers her ex(asperated)-husband keeps sending her.<\/span>\n\nWhen the story starts, she's finally very close to making her dream come true...<\/span>\n\n\"athingcalledtruth1_2\"\n\nIolanda, when you are writing an issue of the comic, how does that work; do you write a full script?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nIolanda: <\/span><\/strong>I'm a hopeless perfectionist and so, yes, I write a super-full script with long descriptions and I often also do small thumbnails of the page's structure I have in mind! (I don't know how Elisa can bear me all the time)<\/span>\n\nElisa, you are creating all of the art for the comic. What part of that process do you enjoy the most, pencils, inking or colouring?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nElisa:<\/strong> <\/span>I really like inking, especially now that I use ink to shadow things: not long ago I used to create shadows during the coloring phase, but then I had several comic book gigs that required inks & grey tones so I had to change my artstyle a bit! I must say I feel more confident now.<\/span>\n\n\"athingcalledtruth1_4\"\n\nHow important is pre-ordering for an independent comic?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nElisa: <\/span><\/strong>I would say a lot! Especially now with all the printing and distribution issues due to the paper shortage! Several publishers decided to not do second printings anymore, so please pre-order your comics to be sure to get your copy!<\/span>\n\nHow did you pick the artists for the alternative covers for the series?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nElisa:<\/strong> <\/span>Actually, the artist for all the alternative covers is Iolanda (Since she's a cover artist too!) For issue #1 we asked for an additional cover to our super-talented colleague Mirka Andolfo!<\/span>\n\n\"athingcalledtruthc\"\n\nDo you have a favourite scene from the first issue?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nIolanda: <\/span><\/strong>The scene I love the most in the first issue is the same one I used to keep talking about with my closest friends when I was creating the story. That in the last pages of issue #1, so I have to force myself to not talk about it to avoid spoilers!<\/span>\n\nWhat are you currently reading?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nElisa: <\/span><\/strong>I'm reading some Bande Dessin\u00e9e at the moment! I love Blacksad books and Julie Rocheleau's art style! While speaking of comics, we're both very excited for Saga's return!<\/span>\n\nIolanda: <\/span><\/strong>I'm writing scripts for a new story at the moment, and If I only open a comic while I'm doing this I end up seeing it only as a work documentation so I can't actually relax! (Haha-) So I'm re-reading old books instead, such as Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe.<\/span>\n\n\"athingcalledtruthd\"\n\nAny message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nIolanda and Elisa: <\/span><\/strong>Thank you so much for buying and supporting independent comics and for trusting new creators!<\/span>\n\nWe would like to say a big thank you to Iolanda and Elisa for taking the time to chat with us and we wish them the best of luck with the launch of A Thing Called Truth #1<\/em>\u00a0this week.\u00a0<\/span>","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Iolanda Zanfardino and Elisa Romboli","post_excerpt":"\u00a0A Thing Called Truth","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-iolanda-zanfardino-and-elisa-romboli","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-07 23:04:28","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-07 22:04:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":207108,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-10-26 22:02:56","post_date_gmt":"2021-10-26 21:02:56","post_content":"

With the release of The All-Nighter #1 and The All-Nighter #2 digitally today and also available as part of the comiXology Originals program, we are delighted to be joined by artist Jason Loo. Jason is the creator of The Pitiful Human-Lizard<\/em> comic but has worked on numerous comics including, Razorblades<\/em>, Kill Shakespeare<\/em>, X-Corp<\/em> and multi-award-winning Afterlift<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

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

I created Toronto's pretty decent superhero the PITIFUL HUMAN-LIZARD which I both wrote and drew for five years with 22 issues. Then Chip Zdarsky asked if I wanted to be the artist and co-creator for our creator-owned series AFTERLIFT (ComiXology Originals) which won us an Eisner! So I went from being pitiful\u00a0to an Eisner winner!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

When you read the script for The All-Nighter<\/em>, what did you think?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Before there was a script, Chip asked me ideas on what I'd want to work on, I suggested a family of vampires from different backgrounds who operate an all-night diner, just trying to survive the daily grind without killing people for blood. I also said to\u00a0him, 'no superheroes!\" Because I felt content about not having to draw superheroes after wrapping up an offbeat superhero series like Pitiful Human-Lizard and winning an award on AFTERLIFT\u00a0that had nothing to do with them. So when I got the script and read that these vampires will be dressing up as superheroes, I felt so reluctant to get into it. But the more I got into working on it, I was having lots of fun with it. Chip made me love superheroes again!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

How would you describe The All-Nighter<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The All-Nighter is set in a world where the idea of superheroes are fictional, but monsters are real and hiding among us. There's a rule that monsters cannot interfere with the human society or else they'll be eternally banished from this realm. The All-Nighter diner staff Alex and Joy are bored vampires that figure out they can get away with doing vampire things by dressing up as superheroes and fighting bad guys. But their actions gain some attention and other monsters are getting similar ideas that would put a lot of people in danger, especially the ones Alex and Joy are trying to protect.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

You are working with the same creative team that worked on the Afterlift graphic novel; what has it been like working with them on The All-Nighter<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Working with Chip, Paris Alleyne, Aditya Bidikar, and especially our editor Allison O'Toole has been a blessing. Especially since I've known Chip, Paris, and Allison for years in the Toronto comics community. Aside from being one of my best friends, Allison was my editor for The Pitiful Human-Lizard and a bunch of other comic projects. She's our Ted Lasso of our team who brings so much positivity and encouragement. Paris is another best friend who I hang out regularly at our drink and draws who is a phenomenal artist. He can work with any style when it comes to coloring and bring the right atmosphere and mood to the scene. I've yet to meet Aditya in person but his lettering work is delightful. He's an expert when it comes to placing the right voice tone with his choice of typefaces. And we already know how much of a darling Chip is to the world!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The All-Nighter<\/em> has horror elements; as an artist, was that something you enjoyed illustrating?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Definitely! Especially the fact that we are reimagining some of our favorite monsters in a world that's close to our own. I wanted to make these characters look grounded and real.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"TheAllnighter2\"<\/p>\n

The cover of the first issue of The All-Nighter<\/em> has the character called Nightshock on it; can you talk us through the design elements of his costume?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Alex is super geeky into superhero comics and films, so when I was designing his costume, I wanted the\u00a0costume itself to look as cool as Batman's, but he'll look dorky when he's actually wearing it. So there are wider eye slots in his mask and his tights reveal his very lean body. He's even wearing two layers of capes!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

How did the comic find a home at comiXology Originals?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

After the success of our last project AFTERLIFT\u00a0winning an Eisner, I guess comiXology and our team want to see if we can make lightning strike twice. I'm really happy with our working relationship with the comiXology team, especially Chip Mosher, and I'm sure they feel it's mutual.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Do you have a favourite scene from the first issue?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The action in the warehouse scene.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Does Chip send you a full script for each issue?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

He does. And then I send all the pencilled pages all at once. Then the inks. Then repeat.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

You are creating all of the art for the comic; how long does it take you to complete an issue?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

It takes me roughly 2 weeks to pencil 20 pages and cover and then another two weeks for the inks.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

What are you currently reading?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I've been enjoying Tom Taylor's Nightwing series. I also love Bruno Redondo's art. It's a great, fun DC series to jump into without having to know years of continuity.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

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

If you want to see what else I've been working on, you can follow me on Twitter and IG at\u00a0@Rebel_Loo.<\/span><\/p>\n

We would like to say a big thank you to Jason for sitting and chatting with us. We wish him and the rest of his team the best of luck with the release of\u00a0The All-Nighter<\/em> comic. <\/span>Feel free to check out both issues of The All-Nighter <\/em>comic, digitally <\/span>here<\/a>. It is also available as part of the comiXology Originals program.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

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

<\/p>\n","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Jason Loo","post_excerpt":"The All-Nighter","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-jason-loo","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-07 23:08:34","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-07 22:08:34","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207108","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":207085,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-10-19 19:35:03","post_date_gmt":"2021-10-19 18:35:03","post_content":"We got a chance to sit and chat with the photographer and director, Neil Krug. The GoldTwinz<\/em> releases today a novella from NeoText, in which Neil is working with the writer Jardine Libaire.<\/span>\n\nHi Neil, we are so happy to have you here with us.<\/span>\n\nYou are working with Jardine on her new novella, The Gold Twinz<\/em>; can you tell us about the artwork you have created for it?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI look at this collection of artworks for The Gold Twinz as a kind of film-in-stills meets photo-surrealist nightmare. Throughout the series there are moments in the imagery that read like a frame grab from a film, and other images that suggest a more illustrative rendering of the scenes depicted in the text. I chose this approach as I hoped it would be more enjoyable for the reader and to satisfy my own aesthetic desires in making the work. <\/span>\n\n\"goldtwinz_5\"\n\nWhat were your thoughts when you read The GoldTwinz<\/em>? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nMy initial thought was, at last, a chance to let my freak flag fly. I enjoy genre bent crime stories and immediately responded to the world Jardine had in mind for this story. <\/span>\n\n\"goldtwinz_2\"\n\nWhat has it been like collaborating with Jardine on The GoldTwinz<\/em>? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nThe collaboration has been enjoyable as the two of us [Jardine and I] share a similar vision of how the work should look and feel. I find any great collaboration amongst creatives needs a shared vision so the work can go in the direction it needs to. I was able to chase the spirit of the project knowing that the atmosphere of the imagery would align to the text. <\/span>\n\nCan you tell us about what your creative process is like when you are creating your artwork? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nThe first thing I arranged for The Gold Twinz was picking my cast and making sure the performances would have the space to be as raw as the text suggested. The rest was choosing locations and deciding how best to photograph the world via my arsenal of cameras and film stock. I treated the various shoots similarly to how a producer would arrange shoot days on film, which helped focus the setups and keep the energy for the cast concentrated on whatever we needed to accomplish on the day. <\/span>\n\n\"goldtwinz_4\"\n\nDo you have a favourite piece of artwork that you created for The GoldTwinz<\/em>? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nI\u2019m particularly fond of the sequences of Yvette played by Kaiman Kazazian in which you can see the character moving about the room, and the entire performance is caught in a single frame of film. The surreality of those specific frames translated perfectly to what I imagined when daydreaming about the project. <\/span>\n\n\"goldtwinz\"\n\nAny message for the ComicBuzz readers? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nTodd McFarlane and Katsuhiro Otomo are two artists that I will forever be inspired by. I grew up during the heyday of Spawn and Akira and am aware that those specific works have had a great influence in how I approach color and building atmospheres. Those artists [Mcfarlane and Otomo] are a gift to the world.<\/span>\n\nWe would like to say thank you to Neil for taking the time to chat with us and wish him and Jardine the best of luck with The GoldTwinz<\/em>.<\/span>","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Neil Krug","post_excerpt":"Novella from NeoText","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-neil-krug","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 21:01:33","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 20:01:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207085","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":207069,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-10-19 14:11:31","post_date_gmt":"2021-10-19 13:11:31","post_content":"

With the release of her new novella from NeoText today, we are so delighted to be joined by the novelist and writer, Jardine Libaire. She has written many novels including Here Kitty Kitty<\/em>, White Fur<\/em> and the yet to be released You're An Animal<\/em>; she also writes for TV.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hi Jardine, it's so wonderful to have you here with us.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Thanks so much for having us to your awesome site!<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Could you tell us about your novella, The GoldTwinz<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Sure. The premise is that 20-year-old twins Marc and Yvette, anarchistic souls who live in the Everglades, finally admit that she\u2019s meant to be an outlaw mega-star and he\u2019s the only one who can get her there. First they have to destroy his childhood abuser and get her out of a sex-cam \u201clullaby\u201d contract she made to support herself while Marc was in prison. If I had to describe the story\u2019s origins, I\u2019d say it\u2019s inspired by Spring Breakers<\/em>, Wild at Heart<\/em>, Moonlight<\/em>, serialized pulp, a little Harry Crews, a little Delacorta, cheap supermarket tabloids, Flowers in the Attic<\/em>, a little dirt and grit, a big heart, a smidge of Bonnie & Clyde, old Rihanna videos, sunshine noir. An almost campy, psychedelic story about Yvette\u2019s rise to fame as an artist\/singer, with a backbone of \u201cmystery\u201d like old-school Patricia Highsmith. It\u2019s a mash-up for sure. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"goldtwinz_1\"<\/p>\n

What has it been like working with Neil Krug on The GoldTwinz<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

It was a joy, just a real pleasure. To see as we worked what he was producing while I was writing, each in our own corner. Especially because this was during the pandemic, the project became a bit of a lifeline to me. His work is also just straight-up inspiring, so saturated and moody, and it\u2019s full of mystery and possibility and dream and threat, but it\u2019s never vague. If that makes sense. That accomplishment, in his images, of a razor\u2019s edge and also a riddle, is thrilling to me. He also impacted the narrative and even generated a new character. <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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

I\u2019d been talking to John Schoenfelder about various TV projects, all genre mashup daydream projects, and we started chatting about this concept: Les Enfants Terribles<\/em> set in the Everglades, with a crime\/road\/gothic edge. It migrated into a novella collaboration with Krug. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"goldtwinz_poster\"<\/p>\n

Could you tell us about the origin of The GoldTwinz<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Part of it has been thinking a lot about the meaning of anarchy, not in the sense of disorder and chaos, but in the sense of people self-organizing and not relying on institutions. I recently moved from the city out into the Mojave Desert, and daily life is so different. Everything that's happened in our country in the past five years or so has brought it to the surface that many Americans have different ideas about who's in charge. I thought it would be exciting to test my city self and try to see life from the point of view of kids born and raised in a place where the wilderness is the ruler, to try to write characters who rely on each other and their family and their very close community, and who take things into their own hands whenever they need to, and even when they don't. I also love the idea of sunshine noir, combining the tropical and Technicolor with a dark underworld.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

How did Neil Krug get involved with the novella?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Neil and John had also been talking about projects, and then John put us in touch with each other. Neil and I got to talk about what kind of work we dream about making, what boundaries we want to break in the work, how we see film and photography and text combining and intersecting, and how the experiment of collaboration can yield fantastically out-there results sometimes. Then we both set out to create our own components and we shared pieces of the outcome along the way, weaving the two together.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"goldtwinz_3\"<\/p>\n

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

I've always been jumpstarted by going out of my lane, by reading something in a category I've never even heard of, or by trying to understand a new genre mashup and its roots and purpose, by asking people what they\u2019re currently obsessed with and then checking it out. Most recent expedition: reading Westerns, starting with Shane<\/em> by Jack Schaefer. It's so easy to get in a rut! I love being disoriented.<\/span><\/p>\n

A big thank you to Jardine for chatting with us, we wish her and Neil Krug the best of luck with The GoldTwinz<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Jardine Libaire","post_excerpt":"Novella from NeoText","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-jardine-libaire","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 21:02:01","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 20:02:01","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207069","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":207024,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-10-13 18:13:18","post_date_gmt":"2021-10-13 17:13:18","post_content":"With the release of his new sci-fi novella this week, we are delighted to be joined by author Nicholas Mennuti. Weaponized his first novel, was co-written with David Guggenheim.<\/span>\n\nHi Nicholas, it's so great to have you here with us.<\/span><\/strong>\n\nAs some of our readers may not be familiar with your work, could you please tell us about yourself?<\/span>\n\nAbsolutely! For starters, I live in Washington, D.C. with my wife, two children, and a Goldendoodle who has us all well-trained. I\u2019m primarily a novelist, but I\u2019ve also worked in film and television, while also blogging and writing the occasional op-ed for the Huffington Post. I\u2019m passionate about the arts and politics and my work frequently intermingles those topics.<\/span>\n\nAnd I\u2019d be bereft not to mention that I\u2019m not the only writer in my house. My brilliant wife is also a novelist. However, she writes family dramas and romantic comedies, whereas most of my work tends to end with people pointing guns at each other and objects exploding. Or in the case of \u201cScrap\u201d a little bit of both.  <\/span>\n\nCan you tell us about your novella, Scrap?<\/span><\/strong>\n\n\u201cScrap\u201d is the story of Travis Schrader, a man who has lost the script on his life, who has gone astray, and absent-mindedly ended up in a temporary position as a night watchman-quasi-engineer at an enormous data storage center in Kansas.<\/span>\n\nOne evening, while on the job, he is kidnapped from the present, dragged into the future, and informed that he has been sold to a corporation that intends to utilize him for their own ends. Travis has allowed himself to become so insignificant in the grand scheme of things, that his life can be manipulated without setting off a butterfly effect that could influence or change world events. And his adventure begins.  <\/span>\n\nHow did Scrap find a home at Neotext?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nThe short version is that John Schoenfelder, the in-house Pope and brain trust behind NeoText pitched me the protagonist of \u201cScrap\u201d, and his explanation of Travis\u2019s existential dilemma was incredibly compelling. I could see the story unfolding with every bit of backstory John added in. <\/span>\n\nHonestly, it\u2019s so rare when a character\u2019s flaw and the journey he needs to take to resolve it are so commingled on a literal and metaphoric level. Travis had that rare magic. And I jumped at the chance to be a part of \u201cScrap\u201d.<\/span>\n\nThe slightly longer version is that no other publisher besides NeoText would have been as bold in its collaborative vision with \u201cScrap\u201d. John charted an ambitious course with Travis, and then he trusted Howard and I to measure up to his challenge in our roles on the project. That\u2019s part of what makes NeoText so special. They thoughtfully and deliberately weigh writer and artist collaborations to achieve the best result. Howard and I being paired together on \u201cScrap\u201d wasn\u2019t an accident. <\/span>\n\nHow did Howard Chaykin join Scrap?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nJohn had Howard in mind from the very beginning. In fact, he might have had Howard in mind before me<\/em>. The only caveat being that we needed to deliver a text filled with prose and narrative incident that Howard would spark to, that would inspire him to create in the way only he can. He\u2019s a genuinely singular talent.<\/span>\n\nThankfully, \u201cScrap\u201d was enough to convince Howard to come onboard, and we were lucky enough to have him.<\/span>\n\nWhat has it been like working with Howard Chaykin?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nWell, you don\u2019t really \u201cwork\u201d with Howard per se. Ha!<\/em> He\u2019s an incredibly intelligent, inciteful, and independent artist. On top of which he\u2019s one of the smartest people I\u2019ve ever spoken to. He has vast, encyclopedic knowledge about the history of his profession, plus he\u2019s a stylistic chameleon up for anything, and brings the cumulative weight of his experience to bear on every project.<\/span>\n\nBut to be more precise, our relationship involved Howard asking questions, very targeted questions. He knew exactly<\/em> what he was looking for. And by giving him what he needed to be at his best, it also had the reverberating effect of strengthening \u201cScrap\u201d as a whole.<\/span>\n\nBy Howard asking me why I made particular narrative or tonal decisions, or to clarify why I selected certain images, he forced me to look at \u201cScrap\u201d through another set of eyes, really drill down on a granular level and interrogate my own text, which was invaluable, and what the best collaborators gift you with.<\/span>\n\nAny message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nYes! First of all, thank you SO much for taking the time to speak with me. Being interviewed by ComicBuzz has finally given me cache with my kids and their friends. I\u2019m almost cool, but still so far away.<\/span>\n\nAlso, I urge your readers to check out \u201cScrap\u201d and not only because I wrote it. I genuinely believe it\u2019s a fascinating fusion of a writer and artist taking a big swing and pulling off something interesting in our respective roles. <\/span>\n\nI\u2019m very proud of \u201cScrap\u201d, proud of the numerous layers it\u2019s engaging with readers. It\u2019s certainly a cautionary tale about corporate overreach and one man\u2019s journey to become human again in a technocratic, oligarchic present and future, but beyond those points, \u201cScrap\u201d is also a richly illustrated and rendered satire and action-thriller.<\/span>\n\nWe would like to say a big thank you to Nicholas for chatting with us and we wish him and Howard the best of luck with Scrap.<\/span>","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Nicholas Mennuti","post_excerpt":"Sci-fi novella","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-nicholas-mennuti","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 21:03:13","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 20:03:13","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207024","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":207010,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-10-12 14:54:34","post_date_gmt":"2021-10-12 13:54:34","post_content":"

Today we are so lucky to be joined by the Fresh Monkey Fiction founder Bill Murphy. Bill along with his team at Fresh Monkey Fiction and with\u00a0\u00a0BigBadToyStore has launched an exclusive line of Eagle Force 40th Anniversary Action Figures, available from BigBadToyStore. We chatted with Bill all about the project.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"EagleForce40Logo\"<\/p>\n

Hi Bill, thank you for your time. We are so happy to have you here with us today.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Thank you, excited to chat with you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Could you please tell us a little about yourself and also about Fresh Monkey Fiction?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been a toy collector all my life and always wanted to make action figures, but never thought it would be possible. When Kickstarter came around about 10 years ago I saw an opportunity and ran my<\/span>\u00a01st Kickstarter<\/a>\u00a0soon afterward. This was the start of FMF, which led me to start creating more action figure lines.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"EFClasiscsSgtBrown\"<\/p>\n

Could you tell us your personal history with Eagle Force action figures?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

As an 80\u2019s Kid I grew up on 80\u2019s toys, GI Joe, He-Man, Thundercats and Transformers. I collected the full Eagle Force collection and I loved them. They were 3\u201d military themed figures made of diecast metal with gold paint. Sadly the line was soon overshadowed by GI Joe and didn\u2019t make it past the 1st wave.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

When did you start this Eagle Force 40th anniversary project?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

This is a continuation of our Eagle Force Returns line that we launched on\u00a0<\/span>Kickstarter<\/a>\u00a0in 2016. Eagle Force Returns focused on the new generation of Eagle Force, but many fans also wanted classic interpretations of the characters from the original 80s line. So as the 40th Anniversary of Eagle Force was coming up, we decided it would be a great time to revisit those classic characters.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"EFClasiscsCMLegionnaire\"<\/p>\n

What made the Eagle Force action figures so special?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I think what made Eagle Force so special in the 80\u2019s was its diversity and its format of diecast metal. Today, we successfully brought back that diversity and grew the line so it touches on many diverse genres, including those outside of the military like Monsters, Super Heroes and Sci-Fi.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

What are the major milestones that Fresh Monkey Fiction has achieved to get the project up to this point?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Our big one was deciding what characters we should make for our initial wave. We had lots of characters to choose from, but making action figures is sometimes more a science than an art. Especially with indie toy lines, as manufacturing costs are super expensive, so you need to be able to share parts across many figures. It took us a while to decide what was the right mix of character diversity and parts reuse to give fans the best characters possible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"EFClasiscsStryker\"<\/p>\n

Do you think that you have improved on the Eagle Force action figures in any way?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Well the original line is special in its own way, but diecast metal is not what the current market wants in action figures. So we\u2019d tried to keep the nostalgic elements of the original designs but bring in more modern detail and articulation that the current collector market expects.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Can you tell us about the collaboration with BigBadToyStore?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

BBTS has always been a huge supporter of our lines, even from our initial Kickstarter. They really wanted to help us make this anniversary special so they are sponsoring a month-long event and helping us get these figures to market without Kickstarter. Don\u2019t get me wrong, I love Kickstarter, but having the support of BBTS will really help to scale the line as we grow.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"EFClasiscsNemesis\"<\/p>\n

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

Thanks for checking out Eagle Force, we\u2019ve worked hard to create a diverse world of characters beyond just the toys themselves. Like many comic book stories we\u2019re building a world, but instead of doing it through reading a comic book, we\u2019re doing it via a toy line. I hope you\u2019ll come on this crazy ride with us, it\u2019s been a blast so far.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For more information and to check out the complete range of figures please check out:<\/span> https:\/\/www.bigbadtoystore.com\/brand\/EagleForce<\/a>.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.freshmonkeyfiction.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n

We would like to say thank you to Bill and wish him and his team the best of luck with their campaign.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Bill Murphy","post_excerpt":"Fresh monkey fiction","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-bill-murphy","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-07 23:31:22","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-07 22:31:22","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207010","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206979,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-10-05 16:37:42","post_date_gmt":"2021-10-05 15:37:42","post_content":"With the release of his first graphic novel today, we are delighted to be joined by the writer and producer Tyrone Finch. Tyrone has written for the stage and the screen; he is currently a writer\/producer for ABC's Station 19.<\/span>\n\nHi Tyrone, thanks so much for being here with us today. We would like to congratulate you on your first graphic novel. Swine<\/em> is releasing on October 5th from Humanoids.<\/span>\n\n \n\nWho are your favourite comic creators?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nWow! That would be a very long list and the names on it change at least twice a month. I will say that Charles Schulz never drops below number three on that list. I\u2019m a fan of subtlety and he was masterful with it. You probably wanted me to name someone who\u2019s more associated with comic books. Oh! I\u2019ve been reading a lot of old Jack Kirby stuff lately. He also stays near the top of my list.<\/span>\n\n \n\nDo you have a favourite comic series or graphic novel?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI\u2019ve been a Spider-Man fan since I was a kid. Maybe I\u2019m just being sentimental, but I think he will always be my favourite character. As for graphic novels, I know that George Takei\u2019s They Called Us Enemy<\/em> is a memoir, but it\u2019s easily one of the most moving things I\u2019ve read in the format.<\/span>\n\n\"Swine_1\"\n\nCan you tell us about the history of Swine<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nHa! I\u2019m not sure that there\u2019s much history to share. I was having lunch with a couple of friends and somehow during the midst of a relatively normal conversation, I got this idea stuck in my head. Whenever that happens, I have to put the idea down on paper or it takes up valuable space in my brain that I desperately need for other things.<\/span>\n\n \n\nDid you conceive Swine<\/em> as a graphic novel?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI thought of Swine <\/em>as a six-issue comic book or a graphic novel. I wasn\u2019t sure which would work best. After a few conversations with some experienced comic book writers, I decided a graphic novel would be the best way to go.<\/span>\n\n\"Swine_2\"\n\nHow did Alain Mauricet join Swine<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nA few years ago, Mauricet and I worked together on a small project for AHOY Comics. When the folks at Humanoids asked if I had an artist in mind for Swine<\/em>, I immediately suggested Mauricet and they loved that idea.<\/span>\n\n \n\nWhat has it been like working with Alain Mauricet?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nIt\u2019s been great. I love his work. He\u2019s incredibly inventive and playful. Every panel is always much more fun than whatever I was picturing in my head. Receiving an email with new art from him would put me in a good mood that could last for days.<\/span>\n\n\"Swine_3\"\n\nHow would you describe Swine<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI think of Swine <\/em>as a love story. I know that sounds odd, but love or the loss of it is what truly motivates these characters and explains most of their behaviors. At least that\u2019s what I think. I\u2019m close to the story so maybe there\u2019s something going on there that my perspective doesn\u2019t allow me to see.<\/span>\n\n \n\nHow did the collaboration with Humanoids come about?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI\u2019d been sitting on the idea for a while without any clue as to what I should do with it. It\u2019s an odd story and I thought it would just stay on my hard drive forever. A friend of mine suggested submitting it to Humanoids. They have a fairly easy submission process and I figured it was worth a shot.<\/span>\n\n\"Swine_4\"\n\nWho suggested Lee Loughridge and DC Hopkins for Swine<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nHumanoids brought both of them to the party. Am I allowed to call it a party? I knew their work and I was very happy when I heard they were joining the team.<\/span>\n\n \n\nHow would you describe the process of creating a graphic novel?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nYikes! I would describe it as panic-inducing. This was my first graphic novel and I had a lot to learn. The biggest challenge for me was learning to control the space. When you\u2019ve got a limited number of panels to tell a story, you have to be economical with dialogue. I also didn\u2019t want to cover the outstanding art with a ton of exposition and unnecessary digressions. I spent a lot of time printing out pages and spreading them across my desk to make sure I had a decent handle on what I was doing. It was sort of like writing a script and managing real estate at the same time.<\/span>\n\n\"Swine_5\"\n\nAny message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nYes! Thank you for making it to the end of this interview. I hope you have as much fun reading Swine<\/em> as we did making it. And support your local comic book stores whenever you can!<\/span>\n\nWe would like to say a big thank you to Tyrone and wish him and his team the best of luck with thier graphic novel.<\/span>\n\n \n\n \n\n <\/span>","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Tyrone Finch","post_excerpt":"Swine","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-tyrone-finch","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-07 23:35:36","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-07 22:35:36","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206979","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206961,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-10-01 16:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2021-10-01 15:42:48","post_content":"We are so delighted to be joined by the writer, Max Allan Collins. <\/span>Max has written in many different media including novels, comics, movies and graphic novels. Some of the novels that he has worked on include Nathan Heller<\/em>, Quarry<\/em> and Mike Hammer<\/em>. Max is the creator of Road to Perdition<\/em>. With his new novella<\/span>, Fancy Anders Goes to War<\/em> releasing from NeoText on October 5th, we got to sit down and chat with him.<\/span>\n\nHi Max, thanks for joining us today. We are so thrilled to have you here with us. It's so great to chat with you.<\/span><\/strong>\n\nThanks for asking. Glad to share my thoughts about Fancy Anders Goes to War<\/em>.<\/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\nI\u2019ve been writing mystery and crime fiction since high school, and my first books were published while I was still in college. I was always a comics fan and not long after my novels began appearing, I also started working in comics. My most famous work is a graphic novel I wrote, Road to Perdition<\/em>, which became a Tom Hanks film.<\/span>\n\nIn terms of comics who are your favourite creators, and do you have a favourite series?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI grew up on comic strips, including Dick Tracy<\/em>, which I eventually came to script. Batman <\/em>is in the same category \u2013 I wrote the monthly comic book for a year and did several graphic novels. In comics I admire Will Eisner and EC great Johnny Craig \u2013 just introduced a collection of his work for Fantagraphics. I love all the classic noir<\/em> mystery writers \u2013 Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain and Mickey Spillane. But I also love Agatha Christie, who was the greatest mystery writer of all time.<\/span>\n\n\"fancyanders_rosie\"\n\nNeoText will be releasing the novella Fancy Anders Goes to War<\/em>; can you tell us about the origins of Fancy Anders Goes to War?<\/em><\/span><\/strong>\n\nThe idea of the character came first \u2013 a young woman whose father was a successful private detective and whose mother was a socialite, in World War II-era Los Angeles. Women came into the workforce in a major way in those years and that was an attractive aspect to explore. I wasn\u2019t sure whether prose or comics were right for her, but when NeoText gave me the opportunity to do a novella series for them, I thought Fancy would be perfect.<\/span>\n\nHow did Fay Dalton join Fancy Anders Goes to War?<\/em><\/span><\/strong>\n\nFay had done the covers of two comic books of mine \u2013 issues of Quarry\u2019s War<\/em> and Mike Hammer: The Night I Died for Titan<\/em>. I loved what she did and requested her for the cover of the first Fancy Anders novella. We\u2019d already been discussing illustrating the novella in some fashion and once we saw Fay\u2019s work, she was the obvious choice.<\/span>\n\nHow would you describe Fancy Anders Goes to War?<\/em><\/span><\/strong>\n\nIt\u2019s not as noir <\/em>as some of my work, though Fancy is herself tough and tough-minded, and there are elements of violence. But it\u2019s also a fun time machine ride back into an America where we were all pulling together and not so politically fractured.<\/span>\n\n\"fancyanders_lonely\"\n\nWhat made Fay the right artist for Fancy Anders Goes to War?<\/em><\/span><\/strong>\n\nFay has a feel for the great pin-up artists and illustrators of the 1940s and 1950s. A number of those artists were women who were themselves glamorous and used themselves as models. Fay is a wonderful throwback to that era \u2013 strong, confident, and feminine in the best sense.<\/span>\n\nHow long have you been working on Fancy Anders Goes to War?<\/em><\/span><\/strong>\n\nIt came together fairly quickly, from idea to getting a deal for three novellas from NeoText. I spent the Covid lockdown writing them.<\/span>\n\n\"fancyanders_tools\"\n\nHow did the collaboration with NeoText come about?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI knew the publisher\/editor, John Schoenfelder, from traditional publishing. When he came up with a different take on publishing, with NeoText, he was good enough to call me and see if we could come up with a project together. Fancy Anders <\/em>flowed from that, as well as a full-length novel, The Many Lives of Jimmy Leighton<\/em>, co-written by legendary SCTV star, Dave Thomas.<\/span>\n\nWhat has it been like working with Fay and NeoText?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nLovely. Fay and I kicked around ideas about illustrations, and stayed open to each other in that regard. NeoText is one of the most supportive publishers I\u2019ve been lucky enough to work with.<\/span>\n\n\"fancyanders_president\"\n\nWhat are you currently reading?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nDark City<\/em> by Eddie Muller, the definitive book on film noir<\/em>.<\/span>\n\nAny message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nFancy Anders<\/em> is a nice midway point between prose and graphic novels \u2013 Fay Dalton provides a full-page, usually color illustration at the start of each of ten chapters. It\u2019s a nicely retro touch that I think you\u2019ll enjoy.<\/span>\n\nWe would like to say a big thank you to Max for taking the time to chat with us. Fancy Anders Goes to War is on October 5th from NeoText.<\/span>","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Max Allan Collins","post_excerpt":"New novella","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-max-allan-collins","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 21:18:48","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 20:18:48","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206961","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206924,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2021-09-27 18:01:22","post_date_gmt":"2021-09-27 17:01:22","post_content":"

We are delighted to be joined by the writer Mark Sable this week. Mark is the writer of many comics including Graveyard of Empires, Grounded, War on Terror and Miskatonic just to name a few. Mark is working on a new project called Chaotic Neutral and we are delighted that we can about it with him today.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hi Mark, we are so delighted to have you here with us today. We have been fans of your writing since Graveyard of Empires. We are soexcited to chat with you.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m delighted to be here! And thank you for the kind words about Graveyard of Empires, that\u2019s a book I\u2019m proud of and it means a lot.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

We understand that you are working with Chris Anderson on a new project called Chaotic Neutral; can you tell us all about Chaotic Neutral?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

CHAOTIC NEUTRAL is a 48 page comic and RPG adventure rolled into one. Inspired by old school role playing games like D&D, the goal is to capture the weird, wonderful and dangerous fantasy RPGs from the 80s in comic book form. And then let readers become players and interact with the world of the book.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chaoticneutral2\"<\/p>\n

Can you tell us about the origins of Chaotic Neutral?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve collected role playing game books for almost as long as I\u2019ve collected comics. I say \u201ccollected\u201d because I was extremely shy as a kid, and had a hard time working up the courage to get a group together. So I\u2019d study rulebooks and modules like they were the Talmud, roll up characters and craft these imaginary adventures\u2026but never shared them with anything else.<\/span><\/p>\n

Flash forward to 2014, when the Fifth Edition of D&D came out. I finally had enough self-confidence to first play, and then run games with strangers and friends. That was a life changing experience \u2013 to this day I run a weekly D&D game, and the camaraderie helped get me through the pandemic.<\/span><\/p>\n

But something felt like it was missing from modern day RPGs. The books were more polished, but also\u2026safer. Old school RPGs had painted covers, but inside was this amazing black and white art. Sometimes it was amateurish, but it was often edgy \u2013 with demons and devils \u2013 and always weird. It made you feel like anything was possible.<\/span><\/p>\n

I learned that of fantasy had been watered down as a result of the so-called \u201cSatanic Panic of the 80s\u201d. Religious groups tried to convince parents that games like D&D could corrupt kids souls, and gaming companies folded much like comic companies did with the Comic Code in the 50s.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAOTIC NEUTRAL aims to correct that. Our tag line is \u201cThey said fantasy roleplaying games were dangerous and they were wrong. But now? Maybe they were right to be afraid!\u201d We\u2019re trying to bring back that edge, and imagine what a comic that would truly scare those fear mongers would be like.<\/span><\/p>\n

At the same time, it\u2019s not edge for edge\u2019s sake or shock value. While taking inspiration from the old school, this is a book that\u2019s diverse, inclusive and welcoming to the new batch of players that shows like Stranger Things and Critical Role have brought into this wonderful hobby.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chris Anderson is the perfect artist and co-creator for this book. His work conjures up the weird nature of old school artists like Erol Otus, Dave Trampier and Bill Willingham (yes, the man known best for writing Fables used to do rad drawings for D&D)\u2026but he brings a modern sense of whimsy that helps balance out the darkness and make it accessible for everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chaoticneutral3\"<\/p>\n

Ryan Browne is also working on Chaotic Neutral; how did this collaboration come about?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Part of the propaganda of the Satanic Panic were these so-called \u201cChick Tracts\u201d, pamphlet sized comic-books like \u201cDark Dungeons\u201d by the late Jack Chick that depicted kids who dabbled in D&D meeting grisly ends. While the main story is told seriously, I wanted to satirize Chick\u2019s work to add to the feeling that CHAOTIC NEUTRAL was an artifact of the 80s. I\u2019m lucky enough to be friends with Ryan, who does humor better than anyone in comics, and it seemed like a the only person who could pull that off.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

We understand that Chaotic Neutral will also have trading cards; what can you tell us about these trading cards?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In the early 80s, D&D had these monster trading cards with stats on one side and old school art on the other. We decided to do a modern spin on that by enlisting 9 superstar artists to illustrate some of the classic and original monsters in Issue one of CHAOTIC NEUTRAL. We\u2019ve been lucky enough to enlist Max Dunbar (Dungeons & Dragons), Jeremy Haun (Haunthology), Maan House (Godkillers), Jeff Johnson (Boondocks), Tom Neely (The Humans), Dan Panosian (Slots), Jim Rugg (Mtsryr: Octobriana 1976), Tim Seeley (Money Shot) and Kyle Strahm (Spread) in creating them. They are a true murderers row of talent.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chaoticneutral4\"<\/p>\n

As a creator, does the crowdfunding model and dealing directly with the public make the project more special for you rather than using a traditional publishing model?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I work equally as hard on all my comics, but there is something special about the process of crowdfunding. One of the things I\u2019ve always loved about comics is the proximity of fans to creators. I love film, but I could never go up to a convention and meet Martin Scorsese. Comics was welcoming to me as a fan, and I love the opportunity to establish those connections to readers as a creator.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

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

There are some cool stretch goals that haven\u2019t been revealed yet, but my favorite reward connects back to your question about the special bond with the public Kickstarter can create. For a select few backers, I\u2019ve offered to run the adventure in CHAOTIC NEUTRAL live (over Zoom) as Dungeon Master. I\u2019m hoping that will be special for fans, and I personally can\u2019t wait to challenge run them and their characters through the dangers that await inside.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chaoticneutral5\"<\/p>\n

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

Just that I know there\u2019s a lot of great comics to choose from, but Chris Anderson and I are offering a unique experience. Whether they are comics readers, role-players or both, we\u2019ve crafted something special for them.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Feel free to check out the campaign: <\/span>Chaotic Neutral on Kickstarter<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\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":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

\"Crisis<\/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

\"Crisis<\/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

\"Crisis<\/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

\"Crisis<\/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"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":4},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_22"};

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Interview

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