\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Samuel Sattin","post_excerpt":"Unico: Awakening","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-samuel-sattin","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-07 20:41:32","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-07 19:41:32","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207818","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":207719,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-04-13 13:58:41","post_date_gmt":"2022-04-13 12:58:41","post_content":"With the release of the Kickstarter for\u00a0Godzilla & Kong: The Cinematic Storyboard Art of Richard Bennett<\/em>,\u00a0we are delighted to be joined today by\u00a0storyboard artist Richard Bennett.<\/span>\n\nHi Richard, it's a pleasure to have you here with us.<\/span>\n\nCould you please introduce yourself to our readers?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nMy name is Richard Bennett, I\u2019m a storyboard artist working in the film industry since 2003. Prior to that I worked in the\u00a0Comic Book industry between 1990 and 2000.\u00a0<\/span>\n\nYou have spent many years in the comic industry; could you tell us some of the titles that you have worked on?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI started working at Neal Adams\u2019 Continuity, with \u2018CyberRad,\u2019 I was doing pencils & inks over Neal\u2019s layouts on that title.\u00a0Then I worked at Marvel on several X-Men books; Uncanny X-Men, X-Men, Wolverine, X-Force and a special project the \u2018X-Men Survival Guide to the Mansion.\u2019 Following that, I got called by Jim Lee at Wildstorm\/Image, and there I co-created the character \u2018Brass\u2019, for which I wrote, and did all the artwork on the mini-series. Besides that I worked there on the \u2019Wildcats,\u2019 \u2018Stormwatch,\u2019 \u2018Divine Right.\u2019 Also did a special, \u2018Gen 13: Wired\u2019 with Mike Heisler, which I\u2019m particularly proud of.\u00a0 During those years I also worked a bit with Marc Silvestri\u2019s Top Cow, on \u2018The Darkness,\u2019 \u2018Tales of the Witchblade.\u2019 I\u2019d say, though, the top project during that decade was the original \u201cBrass\u201d mini series.\u00a0<\/span>\n\nCould you tell us about the origins of\u00a0Godzilla & Kong: The Cinematic Storyboard Art of Richard Bennett<\/em>\u00a0book?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI\u2019ve approached Clover Press with the idea of publishing a book with my storyboard work. At that time I had other\u00a0movies in mind since I already had the authorization to use the material done for those.\u00a0Ted and Robbie at Clover loved the coffee book compilation idea; however, they came back with the suggestion to use the work from the\u00a0three Legendary Monsterverse films exclusively on one volume. I thought the concept was brilliant, so we started working on that. Hank Kanalz from Clover was amazing working\u00a0with Legendary and Toho in order to get the greenlight to publish the boards.\u00a0So, here we are!<\/span>\n\n\"godzillakong1\"\n\nOn average, how long do you spend storyboarding a movie?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nIt depends greatly on the type of project. High budget blockbusters like these three involved many months of drawing during\u00a0pre-production, and even after principal photography, when called back to draw for re-shoots.\u00a0On smaller projects, either lower budget or independent films, then yes, the average is less time. Either a couple of months or even\u00a0a few weeks.<\/span>\n\nDo you have a favourite scene from\u00a0Godzilla vs. Kong?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nFor sure, I\u2019d say the Hollow Earth Arrival, when the vehicles follow Kong\u2019s lead. Very trippy scene.\u00a0<\/span>\n\nAs you are crowdfunding the book and dealing directly with consumers, does that make the book more special for you?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nOf course, it\u2019s far more personal in a way. So I appreciate immensely every one single pledger wanting to get the book.\u00a0It feels similar to the interaction we had with fans at the artist alley\u2019s booths during comic book conventions. I\u2019ve been thoroughly going through the material, adjusting things to make sure the fans get the best possible presentation on the volume.\u00a0<\/span>\n\n\"godzillakong2\"\n\nDo you have a favourite Kickstarter reward?<\/strong><\/span>\n\nProbably the version with the original sketch coming along with the book.\u00a0<\/span>\n\nAny message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/strong><\/span>\n\nI hope they will get the book and enjoy it as much as I did while working on the films. I invested myself in those movies\u2019 work in a big way both emotionally and work wise, and it\u2019s my goal they\u2019ll be able to perceive that through the printed storyboard sequences in this beautiful volume! So, I\u2019d like to send a big Thank You to all of them!<\/span>\n\nWe would like to say thank you to Richard for talking to us about his new book. We would like to wish Richard the best of luck.<\/span>\n\nFeel free to check out the Kickstarter: Godzilla & Kong: The Cinematic Storyboard Art of Richard Bennett<\/em> on Kickstarter<\/a>.\n<\/span>","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Richard Bennett","post_excerpt":"Godzilla & Kong","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-richard-bennett","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-07 21:12:23","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-07 20:12:23","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207719","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":207681,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-03-30 13:44:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-30 12:44:32","post_content":"

With the release of the Kickstarter for Carmen: The Graphic Novel, we are delighted to be joined today; by opera singer, writer and director Alek Shrader.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Could you please introduce yourself to our readers?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Hi! Thanks for reading this. I'm Alek Shrader, opera singer and director, and now a first-time comic creator. I'm a lifelong comics fan and collector, and I still have my childhood collection, worn out and a few covers missing. It's very fulfilling to be a part of the collision of these two worlds of opera and comics. As my legendary collaborator P. CRAIG freaking RUSSELL would attest, opera has excellent stories worth telling in this format. And just wait til you see what ANEKE has done with CARMEN... she knocked my socks all the way off. ARIZONA OPERA has produced this project, and I think it's just swell for an opera company to publish a comic book. Much love to you all!<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What can you tell us about Arizona Opera?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Arizona Opera has been presenting opera since 1971 to the Phoenix and Tucson regions of Arizona, and after over 200 concerts and opera productions, they continue to seek innovative ways to expand the reach of opera as an art form. They are dedicated to their local communities, including educational outreach and Spanish-language groups, which highlights their strong value of service, in combination with musical artistry and stewardship. I like them so very much. They're led by Joseph Specter, President and General Director. Cassie Robel took the lead on our CARMEN project and was later joined by Courtney Clark. Their enthusiasm and support of this graphic novel has been unfailing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"carmenpromo1\"<\/p>\n

Can you tell us about the origins of Carmen: The Graphic Novel<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

This project was created for the Arizona Opera OnPitch Challenge, which was essentially Shark Tank for opera. AZO was searching for an innovative means of potential revenue which was anything but donations from wealthy patrons (which is how most American opera is funded). My sister sent me the link and we brainstormed a few ideas (of which we have many). We agreed a comic book would be great for school and new audiences while also being financially and logistically achievable for an opera company. So, I did a ton of Googling and put together a business plan. Then I submitted my pitch with a now-infamous video featuring my extensive comic collection, and I was chosen as a winner. We had a short list of potential operas to adapt, all of which were coming up in AZO's season. CARMEN was the obvious choice, as it is among the most famous operas ever created and lacked a recent graphic adaptation. Then it was up to me to find artists... which was daunting, as I had zero contacts in the comics industry. But gratefully, nearly everyone I reached out to on socials or via websites responded! The comics industry is good and generous! I mean, I asked P. Craig Russell for advice and he offered to do the layouts! Amazing!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"carmenpromo2\"<\/p>\n

For anyone unfamiliar with Carmen<\/em>, how would you describe it?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

CARMEN is a story about a young woman who faces challenges to her autonomy from society, misogyny, and men who won't take \"no\" for an answer. All she wants is freedom, and yet outside forces seek to control her. She is objectified and vilified. She has strong emotions and sometimes gets into trouble. She wants to live her life her way, and so she'll let Fate decide. It's very timely, to say the least. Bizet's music is gorgeous (and you have heard it before, even if you don't know it's from this opera). The art of P. Craig Russell and Aneke is equally ravishing. CARMEN is an icon.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

How did P. Craig Russell, Aneke and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou join the team?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Honestly, I just reached out on social media! When Craig wrote back, I couldn't believe it. I thought of a ton of questions so I could pick his brain until he decided to hang up on me... but what actually happened was we talked about OPERA and then he offered to do the layouts himself! I did not expect that to happen, and I was absolutely ecstatic. With Aneke (as with our guest artists providing art prints for the Kickstarter), I simply sent a polite DM, and promised to pay her full rate! As a performer with a rate, I know that one must not muck with rates. You can either afford to work with an artist or you can't-- don't lowball, it's insulting. Aneke is the *perfect* artist for this book-- her art, her colors, and her VOICE are vital to how CARMEN'S story is told. And I got lucky with Hass! I am a longtime subscriber to his industry mag PanelxPanel, and I follow him on twitter. One day, he put out an open call for projects, and I responded immediately! The dream team had been assembled!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"carmenericahenderson\"<\/p>\n

What it is about Carmen<\/em>; that made you want to adapt it into a graphic novel?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Among the opera crowd, CARMEN is a household name. And yet, there are some people out there who would love this opera-- they just haven't been invited in the right way. Graphic adaptations now exist for anything in prose, and that already huge readership is continually growing. I have Slaughterhouse Five, the graphic novel. Romeo and Juliet, the graphic novel. Annie, a Marvel Movie Special. Etc etc. Why not opera? If opera doesn't want to continue to be thought of as exclusive or old and dusty, we have to reach out in *other ways* to communicate our stories. Nothing will ever replace a live opera performance, but comics can serve as a gateway-- give these readers the story in the way they prefer to consume it, and maybe they'll be curious enough to come to the opera house to see the show. CARMEN has remained a favorite and most popular opera for over 150 years for good reasons. The music is gorgeous, the story is dramatic and engaging, and I think the character of Carmen still speaks directly to modern audiences. We are all enriched by this story, this OPERA.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Was it a challenge to write Carmen: The Graphic Novel<\/em>?<\/span><\/p>\n

It was! I consider myself a writer, but this was a totally new thing. I bought *literally* every how-to book I could find, which was great for technical education. But I learned the most by working with P. Craig Russell. His notes on my scripts were blunt and direct, and very actionable to make adjustments! (I actually threw out the first draft and started over from scratch!) Initially, I thought there might be a connection between the duration of a musical moment in the opera and space on the page. That formula might exist, but I never really cracked it... Next time, baby! Eventually, we had to dedicate our limited page space to the dramatic story beats and pacing, and Craig is a master there. I would have loved more pages to expand, but working in somewhat restrictive parameters can cause brilliant solutions!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"carmenmargueritesauvage\"<\/p>\n

We understand that there are several Kickstarter-exclusive prints available. What can you tell us about these prints?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

We have SIX exclusive OPERA art prints from seven phenomenal artists, and each one is STUNNING. ERICA HENDERSON, COLLEEN DORAN, and MARGUERITE SAUVAGE have created images of CARMEN. NATACHA BUSTOS has created an image of ARIADNE (from ARIADNE AUF NAXOS). ERICA D'URSO & MARISSA LOUISE have created an image of TOSCA (from TOSCA). ANA MIRALLES has created an image of THE QUEEN OF THE NIGHT (from THE MAGIC FLUTE). Absolutely incredible!<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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

How can I choose amongst my children? I will PROUDLY add to my collection a signed copy of CARMEN, and EACH of the art prints. And then I'll look at that wall every single day and marvel that such art exists. And I'll be happier for it. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"schraderalek\"<\/p>\n

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

Thank you for reading and letting me explore outside my comfort zone! This is a dream-come-true. It's wish fulfillment. I hope that you'll check out our book, and I hope you'll check out the opera, too!<\/span><\/p>\n

We would like to say thank you to Alek for talking to us about his new graphic novel. We would like to wish the whole team of Carmen: The Graphic Novel<\/em> the best of luck.<\/span><\/p>\n

Feel free to check out the Kickstarter: <\/span>Carmen on Kickstarter<\/a>.
<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Alek Shrader","post_excerpt":"Carmen: The Graphic Novel","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-alek-shrader","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-07 21:21:31","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-07 20:21:31","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207681","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":207638,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-03-17 14:06:06","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-17 14:06:06","post_content":"We are so happy to be joined by Josh O'Neill today. Josh is publisher and co-founder of Beehive Books. As Beehive Books have launched a Kickstarter this week for the GratNin<\/em> graphic novel by Ronald Wimberly, we got a chance to sit down and chat with the editor of the graphic novel.<\/span>\n\nHi Josh, it's a pleasure to have you here with us.<\/span><\/strong>\n\nCould you please introduce yourself to our readers and tell us about Beehive Books? Hello! I'm the publisher and co-founder of Beehive, a small-press graphic arts outfit based out of Philadelphia. We sometimes describe our project as an exercise in the possible -- we want to test the boundaries of what a book can be, and what kind of creative work we can produce. With inventive formats, visionary art and writing, and an utterly obsessive approach to design, we aim to build paper worlds. We have titles from Brecht Evens, Mike Mignola, Yuko Shimizu, Jim Woodring, Paul Pope, Bill Sienkiewicz, Ronald Wimberly, Rebekka Dunlap, Kent Williams and more. GratNin is our fourth project with Ronald.<\/span>\n\nHow did this collaboration between Ronald Wimberly and Beehive Books come about? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nI've worked with Ron several times as a contributor to books for my previous publishing venture, Locust Moon Press. So when Ma\u00eblle Doliveux and I launched Beehive in 2016, I knew Ron personally, and admired his work to no end. When Ma\u00eblle and I began approaching authors, our basic pitch was: what's a project that you think no publisher would take on? Ron, who for my money is one of the true visionary working artists of the 21st century, was literally the first person we approached. The answer then was LAAB Magazine, an experimental broadsheet art newspaper powered by the radical imagination -- we've since released three annual issues of LAAB. Now it's GratNin, this crazy accordion-folded story scroll, the next step of our ongoing work together (and part of the sort of nascent LAAB imprint). Ron has become more than an author, to us -- he's a friend and a partner, and his work is part of the DNA of Beehive.<\/span>\n\n\"gratnin2\"\n\nWhen and how did you discover GratNin<\/em>? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nI just read it as a passionate follower of Ron's work. I'll read anything and everything he puts out. When I finally sat down to read the whole thing through several years ago, I just fell in -- it's full of such humor, excitement, suspense, humanity, love for its source material, love for its characters. And it has this wonderful feeling of being a huge world to roam around in. We follow the characters we follow, but there's this feeling that more intrigue is down every alleyway. It's just an outstanding comic and we're so excited to be publishing it. <\/span>\n\nCan you tell us about the Kickstarter for the GratNin <\/em>graphic novel? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nGratNin presented an exciting and singular problem -- how to present this pageless digital comic in a print format.  As per our usual ideological commitments in Beehive, we came up with the least practical, most exciting solution -- to present these remarkable stories on a series of unbroken accordion-folded scrolls, turning the downward-swiping digital read into a thrillingly physical experience. You track down four hundred feet of narrow page-space, in a format that brings to mind skyscrapers, alleyways, subway tunnels -- all the long verticals iconically representing this fantastical vision of New York. And we filled the box with ephemera from this alternate reality -- metrocards and maps and furoshikis and trading cards, making up a whole enveloping experience, skulking around New York with then Namba clan.<\/span>\n\nWhat have been some of the hurdles that you have had to overcome to get the project up to this point?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nThe biggest one was just figuring out how to present this story in a readable way. It's this pageless comic that goes down and down and down. How do you do it in print? That was the problem that we faced. It's the kind of problem that our team, and especially LAAB and GratNin designer Chloe Scheffe, find most delicious. I think it's been solved beautifully here.<\/span>\n\n\"gratnin3\"\n\nWe understand that the graphic novel will be an accordion style with folded pages; was this feature something that you wanted to do right from the beginning? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nNo -- we started with the problem. We didn't know the best solution. We thought about doing it as a scroll, as a giant folding map, as a long vertical book with a spine at the top.  The accordion seemed the most elegant solution, especially for something so long -- we're talking about 600 pages, printed on three pieces of paper. It's the best at replicating and reinventing that feeling of falling down into this crazy thrilling world that you get from reading GratNin digitally.<\/span>\n\nBeehive Books is releasing the GratNin<\/em> graphic novel as a box set; can you tell us about the box set? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nWe took the next step, when designing GratNin as a fully formed reading experience -- we created a little miniature space to explore. We filled the box with ephemera from this alternate reality -- metrocards and maps and furoshikis and trading cards, making up a whole enveloping experience. A world for you to crawl into a skulk around. We didn\u2019t want to just present a print version of Ron\u2019s wonderful web comic \u2013 we wanted to work with him to reinvent it, and to build out his world.<\/span>\n\n\"gratnin5\"\n\nAs you are crowdfunding the graphic novel and dealing directly with consumers, does that make the project more special for you?<\/strong> <\/span>\n\nWell, we crowdfund most of our projects, so it's not any different from what we usually do. But yes -- crowdfunding does mean a much deeper-than-average engagement with your audience, and we conceive of Beehive as something other than a producer of goods with a base of customers. We see our readership as a vital community, the backbone of this whole operation. They're keeping the garden cared for and the soil tilled, so we can grow the things we grow. Our practice of building books out of an engaged community of readers makes all of our projects feel a bit more special to me.<\/span>\n\n\"gratnin4\"\n\nDo you have a favourite Kickstarter reward? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nBeyond the comic itself, I really love the printed cotton-cloth furoshiki wrap! I know I'll get a lot of use out of that... just a beautiful and useful object, which is all we ever really aim to make.<\/span>\n\nAny message for the ComicBuzz readers? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nBe kind to yourself. And buy GratNin! (These two go together quite nicely.)<\/span>\n\nWe would like to say thank you to Josh for chatting to us about <\/span>GratNin. <\/em><\/span>We would like to wish the whole team of GratNin<\/em> the best of luck.<\/span>\n\nFeel free to check out the<\/span><\/strong> campaign<\/strong>: GranNin at<\/a><\/span><\/span> Kickstater<\/a>.<\/span><\/span>","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Josh O'Neill","post_excerpt":"GratNin\u00a0graphic novel","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-josh-oneill","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-07 21:32:04","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-07 20:32:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207638","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":12},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_22"};

\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Carlo Scolari: Attorney at Law #1 Preview","post_excerpt":"Terrible accidents keep happening","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"carlo-scolari-attorney-at-law-1-preview","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-28 16:05:46","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-28 15:05:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=208685","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":208643,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-10-18 22:27:35","post_date_gmt":"2022-10-18 21:27:35","post_content":"With the release of the Snow Paw<\/em> #1-2 Kickstarter, we are delighted to be joined by the creator\/writer of Snow Paw<\/em>, Robert A. Multari.<\/span>\n\nHi Robert. It's so wonderful to have you here with us.<\/span><\/strong>\n\nCould you please introduce yourself to our readers?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nHi, I\u2019m Robert A. Multari, the creator\/writer of Snow Paw and the hit series Night Wolf as well as the founder of Lone Wolf Comics. I\u2019m a self-published writer working in multiple genres including horror, supernatural, superhero, and antihero themed comic books.<\/span>\n\nI live in Sharpsville, PA with my wife, three children, three dogs, and a cat. I\u2019m also a full time web and graphic designer as well as a part time comic book creator. I would like to rearrange those two paths in the near future.<\/span>\n\nIt's been my dream since I was a kid, struggling with A.D.D. and dyslexia, to be in the comic book business. In July 2017, I released my first issue of my ongoing comic book series, Night Wolf. Currently published and available in print and digital are my Night Wolf Issues 1-6, the volume 1 trade paperback that collects the 1st four issues, and for the 1st issue of Snow Paw, with issue 2 soon to be printed.<\/span>\n\n \n\nCan you tell us all about Lone Wolf Comics?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nSure, Lone Wolf Comics is my independent character-based entertainment company where I self-publish my comic books and more. Besides Snow Paw and Night Wolf, I have three other titles planned for future release - Crimson Dawn, Redemption, and Arcane.<\/span>\n\n\"snowpaw1_1\"\n\nCan you tell us about the origins of Snow Paw<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nSnow Paw\u2019s origin goes way back to when I first started writing X-Men fanfiction when I was 14-years-old and submitted it to Marvel in hopes that Stan Lee would read it. Someone from Marvel was nice enough to write back to me saying that Stan loves to hear from his fans and encouraged me to keep up my writing. As naive as I was at the time, it spread my passion for the business like a wildfire.<\/span>\n\nSnow Paw\u2019s character development came as soon as I had decided to pursue writing an original story, rather than creating another fan fiction. I knew that I wanted a strong female character to be Night Wolf's mentor. This was around the time that I was really into reading the X-Men spinoff titles featuring Wolfsbane. I thought it was so cool how they wrote her Scottish accent in the word bubbles. There is just something enjoyable about reading and listening to Scottish and Irish speech. It's funny how I will catch myself taking on the dialect when I hear too much of it. Long story short, from the beginning of her conception, I wanted Snow Paw to have a Scottish accent.<\/span>\n\nSnow Paw was originally intended to be Night Wolf\u2019s mentor and made cameo appearances in Night Wolf Issues 1 and 2, as part of his nightmare visions, but her first official appearance takes place in Night Wolf Issue 3, where she plays a major role in the second half of the issue and throughout the rest of the 12 issue story arc.<\/span>\n\nSnow Paw is my personal favorite character that I have created and she has been very well received by my audience, who I kindly refer to as my Wolf Pack. They have been howling for more of her. Plus, I wanted to write a story focused on a strong female character for my daughter and other girls getting into comic books to look up to as a strong role model. This was also a great opportunity for me to explore Snow Paw's origin story over 200 hundred years before the events of Night Wolf.<\/span>\n\n \n\nHow would you describe the Snow Paw<\/em> comic?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nIt\u2019s a gorgeously illustrated historical comic book series that features a strong female lead, who also happens to be a werewolf. If you put Disney's Brave, Outlander, Game of Thrones, Penny Dreadful, and Carnival Row into a blender you get this very compelling story with its unique take on the supernatural and fantasy genres, with a hint of steampunk in the mix.<\/span>\n\n \n\nWho is Cirilla MacKinlay?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nCirilla MacKinlay, or Cirray for short, is a strong-willed farm girl, born and raised in the Scottish Highlands during the 19th century, who dreams about a life of adventure. She goes against the social expectations of her time and she is unnaturally strong with keen hunting skills. Cirray has a pure heart, loves her family, and she wants to do right by them. Which is why she begrudgingly agrees to her betrothal to James Chisholm, the son of Scottish nobleman Roderick Chisholm, in order to save her family farm from poverty. However, a trite fairy-tale ending was not to be as her family farm was attacked by a pack of werewolves, which awoke the beast within revealing her unknown werewolf lineage.<\/span>\n\n\"snowpaw1_2\"\n\nHow important is word of mouth for any indie project?<\/strong><\/span>\n\nWord of mouth is very important for any and all indie projects. Unlike the larger companies who can afford a large marketing budget, we have limited funds to begin with for bringing our creations to life. So for us indie creators, we live on word of mouth and organic reach to continue our growth in order to produce more content.<\/span>\n\n \n\nWhat made Mog the right artist for Snow Paw?<\/strong><\/span>\n\nFrom the very beginning of this project I wanted a female driven art team and Mog has this natural drawing aesthetic that caters to historical fantasy. Her attention to detail even while drawing a background is second to none. Mog also has an affinity for wolves, which is something we both have in common, so I felt it was a match made in heaven.<\/span>\n\n \n\nDo you have a favourite Kickstarter reward?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nMy favorite rewards to offer are the Mystery Boxes, and this time I have two of them - one for just the Snow Paw series and the second that contains Night Wolf items as well. In the Snow Paw Mystery Box backers are guaranteed all 14 variant print variant editions of Snow Paw #1 & 2 as well as a mystery signed CGC graded copy of Snow Paw. The Snow Paw Mystery Box is worth $450, but is only going for $299 through the Kickstarter. The Lone Wolf Comics Mystery Boxes has a bit more mystery to it. It\u2019s a lot bigger than the Snow Paw box, containing a minimum of $500 or more value for $499. Inside the box includes a mystery signed CGC graded copy of either Snow Paw or Night Wolf, mystery variant print editions of Snow Paw #1 & 2, mystery variant print editions of Night Wolf #1-6, a mystery Face Mask, a mystery T-Shirt, a mystery Mini-Figure, a mystery Hat, and a mystery Hoodie.<\/span>\n\n\"snowpaw1_3\"\n\nAny message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/strong><\/span>\n\nIf you love 19th century time period stories filled with Scottish brogue about a strong female lead, Supernatural beings and creatures of Fantasy like werewolves, fairies, demons, dwarves, warlocks, elves and more? Then Snow Paw is the series for you! So what are you waiting for? Join the Wolf Pack today!<\/span>\n\nA big thank you to Robert for sitting and chatting with us. We would like to wish Robert and the rest of the team the best of luck with their Snow Paw #1-2 Kickstarter.<\/span>\n\nKickStarter Link: <\/span>Snow Paw #1-2 Kickstarter<\/a>\n\n \n\n ","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Robert A. Multari","post_excerpt":"Snow Paw","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-robert-a-multari","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-27 16:59:48","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-27 15:59:48","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=208643","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":207818,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-06-01 14:41:05","post_date_gmt":"2022-06-01 13:41:05","post_content":"

With the release of the Kickstarter for Unico: Awakening, we are delighted to be joined today; by writer Samuel Sattin.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Thank you for having me! <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I\u2019m Samuel Sattin, a writer who lives in Oakland, California. I talk to my cats a lot, but when I\u2019m not doing that, I\u2019m typically working on some kind of book-related project. I adapted the Cartoon Saloon film, WolfWalkers, to graphic novel format, and I\u2019ll be adapting their other two films, Song of the Sea and The Secret of Kells, as well. I\u2019m also the writer behind UNICO: AWAKENING, a Kickstarter campaign that\u2019s live for just a couple more days. There\u2019s more, but I think that covers most things happening right now. I also like to make dioramas. I\u2019ve taken a hiatus for a few months since I\u2019ve been a bit too busy to work on them, but hopefully I can resume later this year. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"unicoakirahimekawa\"<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

For anyone unfamiliar with Osamu Tezuka\u2019s Unico, how would you describe Unico?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Unico has the natural ability to spread unrivaled love and kindness. The more he is cared for, the greater his powers grow, imbuing him with incredible magical abilities. Because of this, he draws the ire of the gods, in particular the goddess of love and beauty herself, Venus. Out of jealousy, she has him banished from the heavens, and dragged through space and time until he forgets everything he once was. The servitor tasked to do this, the West Wind, takes pity on Unico, thus saving him from being completely destroyed. To keep him safe, she brings him from place to place across time, erasing his memory whenever he grows too powerful, to keep him from being discovered by the gods. It\u2019s a tragic, beautiful story about a character whose kindness is rewarded with a curse. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"unicoprintbyjunkomizuno\"<\/p>\n

When did you first discover Osamu Tezuka\u2019s Unico?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I saw the films when I was a kid, and like most, was traumatized accordingly as a result. I didn\u2019t encounter the manga itself until I was an adult. I visited the Osamu Tezuka Museum in Takarazuka in 2017, and became fascinated with the character, whose presence was far more diffuse in Japan than in the US. I read and re-read the English translation that had been put out, and was hooked. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"unicotarotcard\"<\/p>\n

Unico: Awakening will be available in English and Japanese. Was making Unico: Awakening<\/em> available to a large readership an important factor of this project?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes, and it was one of the main reasons why we approached the project through crowdfunding, but not just because we wanted to grow the size of the readership. We wanted Unico: Awakening to become a celebration of both the character and Osamu Tezuka\u2019s work, and it was also very important to us that we made sure both the book and project overall would be accessible to a Japanese audience, as opposed to just a Western one. Osamu Tezuka himself believed that comics were a kind of international language, and I think the best thing we can do to recognize the brilliance of that idea is to try and follow in his footsteps. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"unicoart\"<\/p>\n

You are collaborating with the Gurihiru artist team; what makes them the right team for Unico: Awakening<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

For me, the question would have to be \u201cwhat doesn\u2019t make them right?\u201d I say this because they are truly the perfect artist team and creative partner for this project. Not only are they fantastically talented, but they are able to blend Japanese and Western comics art styles in an incredibly novel fashion. They\u2019re incredible visual storytellers, and they have a distinct vision for Unico: Awakening that I simply know readers will be delighted by. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"unicoprintbykamomeshirahama\"<\/p>\n

You are reinventing Unico, a character created by Osamu Tezuka; does that add more pressure on you as a writer?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Absolutely! Though as I have mentioned to others who have asked, I think the pressure is more self-enforced, rather than something that\u2019s been put upon me by others. Tezuka Productions has been wonderful to work with, and have been incredibly encouraging and supportive of the ideas I\u2019ve brought forward. I was able to meet with members of the team in Tokyo recently, and was really thrilled to hear that, for them, doing a project like this was about taking the core ideas of the God of Manga, and building them out in new ways, for new generations to enjoy. Hearing this honestly made me emotional. I will do my very best to realize such a vision. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"unicoprintpeach1\"<\/p>\n

As you are crowdfunding Unico: Awakening and dealing directly with consumers, does that make Unico: Awakening<\/em> more special for you?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Doing this project through crowdfunding has been wonderful because you do indeed get to interact directly with a wider community. It\u2019s also wonderful because we get the opportunity to fold in an array of incredible rewards, like 16 x 24 inch prints from renowned international artists, and print items called Artifacts from talented American cartoonists. This turns the process of creating Unico: Awakening into a kind of celebration, which is exactly what we hoped it would become. I personally love seeing how everyone has reacted to this in real time. It feels like we\u2019ve found and\/or are building a community around this project, which is a special thing to behold. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"unicoprintbytommmoore\"<\/p>\n

What has it been like working with Tezuka Productions?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I touched on this a bit earlier, but it\u2019s been a really wonderful experience. They\u2019ve provided us a lot of room to express our own ideas, and have been great partners in bringing the campaign to life. Also, we\u2019ve had the luck of working with Aki Yanagi, a comics professional who represents a good few Japanese artists working in American comics. He helped facilitate a great deal of this as well, and I\u2019m grateful to him. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"unicoprintbytokitotokoro\"<\/p>\n

How would you describe Unico: Awakening<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Unico: Awakening draws from a story in the original manga called The Cat and the Broomstick. Without getting into too many details, The Cat and the Broomstick is about a young, abandoned cat that wants to become a human being. Unico grants her the (limited) ability to do so, and this leads to her catching the eye of a sadistic hunter with supernatural powers. It\u2019s a story about identity, and the consequences of disrespecting nature. Unico: Awakening takes this story and builds upon it, creating larger roles for characters than they had originally, and providing a larger backdrop plot that expands upon the Unico universe. This is why we call it a reimagining, as opposed to an adaptation. Our hope is to bring the story of Unico to a new generation of readers. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"unicoprintbykatielongua\"<\/p>\n

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

Oh my, I can\u2019t say that I do! But only because I truly have love for all of the rewards across the spectrum. Thankfully, we do offer a tier where you can receive everything, which includes 10 incredible prints, 5 Artifacts, the book, and t-shirt from Junko Mizuno. That\u2019s the one I would choose. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"unicovertical\"<\/p>\n

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

Firstly, thank you so much for reading. It means a lot to me. And secondly, please support Unico: Awakening! There are so many wonderful rewards to nab that are exclusive to the Kickstarter, and near-every additional dollar goes to paying the artists, translators, and others who made this project remotely possible. Thank you again for your time.<\/span><\/p>\n

We would like to say thank you to Samuel for talking to us about his manga. We would like to wish the whole team of Unico: Awakening<\/em> the best of luck.<\/span><\/p>\n

Feel free to check out the Kickstarter: Unico: Awakening<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Samuel Sattin","post_excerpt":"Unico: Awakening","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-samuel-sattin","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-07 20:41:32","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-07 19:41:32","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207818","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":207719,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-04-13 13:58:41","post_date_gmt":"2022-04-13 12:58:41","post_content":"With the release of the Kickstarter for\u00a0Godzilla & Kong: The Cinematic Storyboard Art of Richard Bennett<\/em>,\u00a0we are delighted to be joined today by\u00a0storyboard artist Richard Bennett.<\/span>\n\nHi Richard, it's a pleasure to have you here with us.<\/span>\n\nCould you please introduce yourself to our readers?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nMy name is Richard Bennett, I\u2019m a storyboard artist working in the film industry since 2003. Prior to that I worked in the\u00a0Comic Book industry between 1990 and 2000.\u00a0<\/span>\n\nYou have spent many years in the comic industry; could you tell us some of the titles that you have worked on?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI started working at Neal Adams\u2019 Continuity, with \u2018CyberRad,\u2019 I was doing pencils & inks over Neal\u2019s layouts on that title.\u00a0Then I worked at Marvel on several X-Men books; Uncanny X-Men, X-Men, Wolverine, X-Force and a special project the \u2018X-Men Survival Guide to the Mansion.\u2019 Following that, I got called by Jim Lee at Wildstorm\/Image, and there I co-created the character \u2018Brass\u2019, for which I wrote, and did all the artwork on the mini-series. Besides that I worked there on the \u2019Wildcats,\u2019 \u2018Stormwatch,\u2019 \u2018Divine Right.\u2019 Also did a special, \u2018Gen 13: Wired\u2019 with Mike Heisler, which I\u2019m particularly proud of.\u00a0 During those years I also worked a bit with Marc Silvestri\u2019s Top Cow, on \u2018The Darkness,\u2019 \u2018Tales of the Witchblade.\u2019 I\u2019d say, though, the top project during that decade was the original \u201cBrass\u201d mini series.\u00a0<\/span>\n\nCould you tell us about the origins of\u00a0Godzilla & Kong: The Cinematic Storyboard Art of Richard Bennett<\/em>\u00a0book?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI\u2019ve approached Clover Press with the idea of publishing a book with my storyboard work. At that time I had other\u00a0movies in mind since I already had the authorization to use the material done for those.\u00a0Ted and Robbie at Clover loved the coffee book compilation idea; however, they came back with the suggestion to use the work from the\u00a0three Legendary Monsterverse films exclusively on one volume. I thought the concept was brilliant, so we started working on that. Hank Kanalz from Clover was amazing working\u00a0with Legendary and Toho in order to get the greenlight to publish the boards.\u00a0So, here we are!<\/span>\n\n\"godzillakong1\"\n\nOn average, how long do you spend storyboarding a movie?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nIt depends greatly on the type of project. High budget blockbusters like these three involved many months of drawing during\u00a0pre-production, and even after principal photography, when called back to draw for re-shoots.\u00a0On smaller projects, either lower budget or independent films, then yes, the average is less time. Either a couple of months or even\u00a0a few weeks.<\/span>\n\nDo you have a favourite scene from\u00a0Godzilla vs. Kong?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nFor sure, I\u2019d say the Hollow Earth Arrival, when the vehicles follow Kong\u2019s lead. Very trippy scene.\u00a0<\/span>\n\nAs you are crowdfunding the book and dealing directly with consumers, does that make the book more special for you?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nOf course, it\u2019s far more personal in a way. So I appreciate immensely every one single pledger wanting to get the book.\u00a0It feels similar to the interaction we had with fans at the artist alley\u2019s booths during comic book conventions. I\u2019ve been thoroughly going through the material, adjusting things to make sure the fans get the best possible presentation on the volume.\u00a0<\/span>\n\n\"godzillakong2\"\n\nDo you have a favourite Kickstarter reward?<\/strong><\/span>\n\nProbably the version with the original sketch coming along with the book.\u00a0<\/span>\n\nAny message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/strong><\/span>\n\nI hope they will get the book and enjoy it as much as I did while working on the films. I invested myself in those movies\u2019 work in a big way both emotionally and work wise, and it\u2019s my goal they\u2019ll be able to perceive that through the printed storyboard sequences in this beautiful volume! So, I\u2019d like to send a big Thank You to all of them!<\/span>\n\nWe would like to say thank you to Richard for talking to us about his new book. We would like to wish Richard the best of luck.<\/span>\n\nFeel free to check out the Kickstarter: Godzilla & Kong: The Cinematic Storyboard Art of Richard Bennett<\/em> on Kickstarter<\/a>.\n<\/span>","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Richard Bennett","post_excerpt":"Godzilla & Kong","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-richard-bennett","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-07 21:12:23","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-07 20:12:23","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207719","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":207681,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-03-30 13:44:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-30 12:44:32","post_content":"

With the release of the Kickstarter for Carmen: The Graphic Novel, we are delighted to be joined today; by opera singer, writer and director Alek Shrader.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Could you please introduce yourself to our readers?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Hi! Thanks for reading this. I'm Alek Shrader, opera singer and director, and now a first-time comic creator. I'm a lifelong comics fan and collector, and I still have my childhood collection, worn out and a few covers missing. It's very fulfilling to be a part of the collision of these two worlds of opera and comics. As my legendary collaborator P. CRAIG freaking RUSSELL would attest, opera has excellent stories worth telling in this format. And just wait til you see what ANEKE has done with CARMEN... she knocked my socks all the way off. ARIZONA OPERA has produced this project, and I think it's just swell for an opera company to publish a comic book. Much love to you all!<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What can you tell us about Arizona Opera?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Arizona Opera has been presenting opera since 1971 to the Phoenix and Tucson regions of Arizona, and after over 200 concerts and opera productions, they continue to seek innovative ways to expand the reach of opera as an art form. They are dedicated to their local communities, including educational outreach and Spanish-language groups, which highlights their strong value of service, in combination with musical artistry and stewardship. I like them so very much. They're led by Joseph Specter, President and General Director. Cassie Robel took the lead on our CARMEN project and was later joined by Courtney Clark. Their enthusiasm and support of this graphic novel has been unfailing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"carmenpromo1\"<\/p>\n

Can you tell us about the origins of Carmen: The Graphic Novel<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

This project was created for the Arizona Opera OnPitch Challenge, which was essentially Shark Tank for opera. AZO was searching for an innovative means of potential revenue which was anything but donations from wealthy patrons (which is how most American opera is funded). My sister sent me the link and we brainstormed a few ideas (of which we have many). We agreed a comic book would be great for school and new audiences while also being financially and logistically achievable for an opera company. So, I did a ton of Googling and put together a business plan. Then I submitted my pitch with a now-infamous video featuring my extensive comic collection, and I was chosen as a winner. We had a short list of potential operas to adapt, all of which were coming up in AZO's season. CARMEN was the obvious choice, as it is among the most famous operas ever created and lacked a recent graphic adaptation. Then it was up to me to find artists... which was daunting, as I had zero contacts in the comics industry. But gratefully, nearly everyone I reached out to on socials or via websites responded! The comics industry is good and generous! I mean, I asked P. Craig Russell for advice and he offered to do the layouts! Amazing!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"carmenpromo2\"<\/p>\n

For anyone unfamiliar with Carmen<\/em>, how would you describe it?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

CARMEN is a story about a young woman who faces challenges to her autonomy from society, misogyny, and men who won't take \"no\" for an answer. All she wants is freedom, and yet outside forces seek to control her. She is objectified and vilified. She has strong emotions and sometimes gets into trouble. She wants to live her life her way, and so she'll let Fate decide. It's very timely, to say the least. Bizet's music is gorgeous (and you have heard it before, even if you don't know it's from this opera). The art of P. Craig Russell and Aneke is equally ravishing. CARMEN is an icon.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

How did P. Craig Russell, Aneke and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou join the team?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Honestly, I just reached out on social media! When Craig wrote back, I couldn't believe it. I thought of a ton of questions so I could pick his brain until he decided to hang up on me... but what actually happened was we talked about OPERA and then he offered to do the layouts himself! I did not expect that to happen, and I was absolutely ecstatic. With Aneke (as with our guest artists providing art prints for the Kickstarter), I simply sent a polite DM, and promised to pay her full rate! As a performer with a rate, I know that one must not muck with rates. You can either afford to work with an artist or you can't-- don't lowball, it's insulting. Aneke is the *perfect* artist for this book-- her art, her colors, and her VOICE are vital to how CARMEN'S story is told. And I got lucky with Hass! I am a longtime subscriber to his industry mag PanelxPanel, and I follow him on twitter. One day, he put out an open call for projects, and I responded immediately! The dream team had been assembled!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"carmenericahenderson\"<\/p>\n

What it is about Carmen<\/em>; that made you want to adapt it into a graphic novel?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Among the opera crowd, CARMEN is a household name. And yet, there are some people out there who would love this opera-- they just haven't been invited in the right way. Graphic adaptations now exist for anything in prose, and that already huge readership is continually growing. I have Slaughterhouse Five, the graphic novel. Romeo and Juliet, the graphic novel. Annie, a Marvel Movie Special. Etc etc. Why not opera? If opera doesn't want to continue to be thought of as exclusive or old and dusty, we have to reach out in *other ways* to communicate our stories. Nothing will ever replace a live opera performance, but comics can serve as a gateway-- give these readers the story in the way they prefer to consume it, and maybe they'll be curious enough to come to the opera house to see the show. CARMEN has remained a favorite and most popular opera for over 150 years for good reasons. The music is gorgeous, the story is dramatic and engaging, and I think the character of Carmen still speaks directly to modern audiences. We are all enriched by this story, this OPERA.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Was it a challenge to write Carmen: The Graphic Novel<\/em>?<\/span><\/p>\n

It was! I consider myself a writer, but this was a totally new thing. I bought *literally* every how-to book I could find, which was great for technical education. But I learned the most by working with P. Craig Russell. His notes on my scripts were blunt and direct, and very actionable to make adjustments! (I actually threw out the first draft and started over from scratch!) Initially, I thought there might be a connection between the duration of a musical moment in the opera and space on the page. That formula might exist, but I never really cracked it... Next time, baby! Eventually, we had to dedicate our limited page space to the dramatic story beats and pacing, and Craig is a master there. I would have loved more pages to expand, but working in somewhat restrictive parameters can cause brilliant solutions!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"carmenmargueritesauvage\"<\/p>\n

We understand that there are several Kickstarter-exclusive prints available. What can you tell us about these prints?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

We have SIX exclusive OPERA art prints from seven phenomenal artists, and each one is STUNNING. ERICA HENDERSON, COLLEEN DORAN, and MARGUERITE SAUVAGE have created images of CARMEN. NATACHA BUSTOS has created an image of ARIADNE (from ARIADNE AUF NAXOS). ERICA D'URSO & MARISSA LOUISE have created an image of TOSCA (from TOSCA). ANA MIRALLES has created an image of THE QUEEN OF THE NIGHT (from THE MAGIC FLUTE). Absolutely incredible!<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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

How can I choose amongst my children? I will PROUDLY add to my collection a signed copy of CARMEN, and EACH of the art prints. And then I'll look at that wall every single day and marvel that such art exists. And I'll be happier for it. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"schraderalek\"<\/p>\n

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

Thank you for reading and letting me explore outside my comfort zone! This is a dream-come-true. It's wish fulfillment. I hope that you'll check out our book, and I hope you'll check out the opera, too!<\/span><\/p>\n

We would like to say thank you to Alek for talking to us about his new graphic novel. We would like to wish the whole team of Carmen: The Graphic Novel<\/em> the best of luck.<\/span><\/p>\n

Feel free to check out the Kickstarter: <\/span>Carmen on Kickstarter<\/a>.
<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Alek Shrader","post_excerpt":"Carmen: The Graphic Novel","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-alek-shrader","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-07 21:21:31","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-07 20:21:31","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207681","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":207638,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-03-17 14:06:06","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-17 14:06:06","post_content":"We are so happy to be joined by Josh O'Neill today. Josh is publisher and co-founder of Beehive Books. As Beehive Books have launched a Kickstarter this week for the GratNin<\/em> graphic novel by Ronald Wimberly, we got a chance to sit down and chat with the editor of the graphic novel.<\/span>\n\nHi Josh, it's a pleasure to have you here with us.<\/span><\/strong>\n\nCould you please introduce yourself to our readers and tell us about Beehive Books? Hello! I'm the publisher and co-founder of Beehive, a small-press graphic arts outfit based out of Philadelphia. We sometimes describe our project as an exercise in the possible -- we want to test the boundaries of what a book can be, and what kind of creative work we can produce. With inventive formats, visionary art and writing, and an utterly obsessive approach to design, we aim to build paper worlds. We have titles from Brecht Evens, Mike Mignola, Yuko Shimizu, Jim Woodring, Paul Pope, Bill Sienkiewicz, Ronald Wimberly, Rebekka Dunlap, Kent Williams and more. GratNin is our fourth project with Ronald.<\/span>\n\nHow did this collaboration between Ronald Wimberly and Beehive Books come about? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nI've worked with Ron several times as a contributor to books for my previous publishing venture, Locust Moon Press. So when Ma\u00eblle Doliveux and I launched Beehive in 2016, I knew Ron personally, and admired his work to no end. When Ma\u00eblle and I began approaching authors, our basic pitch was: what's a project that you think no publisher would take on? Ron, who for my money is one of the true visionary working artists of the 21st century, was literally the first person we approached. The answer then was LAAB Magazine, an experimental broadsheet art newspaper powered by the radical imagination -- we've since released three annual issues of LAAB. Now it's GratNin, this crazy accordion-folded story scroll, the next step of our ongoing work together (and part of the sort of nascent LAAB imprint). Ron has become more than an author, to us -- he's a friend and a partner, and his work is part of the DNA of Beehive.<\/span>\n\n\"gratnin2\"\n\nWhen and how did you discover GratNin<\/em>? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nI just read it as a passionate follower of Ron's work. I'll read anything and everything he puts out. When I finally sat down to read the whole thing through several years ago, I just fell in -- it's full of such humor, excitement, suspense, humanity, love for its source material, love for its characters. And it has this wonderful feeling of being a huge world to roam around in. We follow the characters we follow, but there's this feeling that more intrigue is down every alleyway. It's just an outstanding comic and we're so excited to be publishing it. <\/span>\n\nCan you tell us about the Kickstarter for the GratNin <\/em>graphic novel? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nGratNin presented an exciting and singular problem -- how to present this pageless digital comic in a print format.  As per our usual ideological commitments in Beehive, we came up with the least practical, most exciting solution -- to present these remarkable stories on a series of unbroken accordion-folded scrolls, turning the downward-swiping digital read into a thrillingly physical experience. You track down four hundred feet of narrow page-space, in a format that brings to mind skyscrapers, alleyways, subway tunnels -- all the long verticals iconically representing this fantastical vision of New York. And we filled the box with ephemera from this alternate reality -- metrocards and maps and furoshikis and trading cards, making up a whole enveloping experience, skulking around New York with then Namba clan.<\/span>\n\nWhat have been some of the hurdles that you have had to overcome to get the project up to this point?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nThe biggest one was just figuring out how to present this story in a readable way. It's this pageless comic that goes down and down and down. How do you do it in print? That was the problem that we faced. It's the kind of problem that our team, and especially LAAB and GratNin designer Chloe Scheffe, find most delicious. I think it's been solved beautifully here.<\/span>\n\n\"gratnin3\"\n\nWe understand that the graphic novel will be an accordion style with folded pages; was this feature something that you wanted to do right from the beginning? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nNo -- we started with the problem. We didn't know the best solution. We thought about doing it as a scroll, as a giant folding map, as a long vertical book with a spine at the top.  The accordion seemed the most elegant solution, especially for something so long -- we're talking about 600 pages, printed on three pieces of paper. It's the best at replicating and reinventing that feeling of falling down into this crazy thrilling world that you get from reading GratNin digitally.<\/span>\n\nBeehive Books is releasing the GratNin<\/em> graphic novel as a box set; can you tell us about the box set? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nWe took the next step, when designing GratNin as a fully formed reading experience -- we created a little miniature space to explore. We filled the box with ephemera from this alternate reality -- metrocards and maps and furoshikis and trading cards, making up a whole enveloping experience. A world for you to crawl into a skulk around. We didn\u2019t want to just present a print version of Ron\u2019s wonderful web comic \u2013 we wanted to work with him to reinvent it, and to build out his world.<\/span>\n\n\"gratnin5\"\n\nAs you are crowdfunding the graphic novel and dealing directly with consumers, does that make the project more special for you?<\/strong> <\/span>\n\nWell, we crowdfund most of our projects, so it's not any different from what we usually do. But yes -- crowdfunding does mean a much deeper-than-average engagement with your audience, and we conceive of Beehive as something other than a producer of goods with a base of customers. We see our readership as a vital community, the backbone of this whole operation. They're keeping the garden cared for and the soil tilled, so we can grow the things we grow. Our practice of building books out of an engaged community of readers makes all of our projects feel a bit more special to me.<\/span>\n\n\"gratnin4\"\n\nDo you have a favourite Kickstarter reward? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nBeyond the comic itself, I really love the printed cotton-cloth furoshiki wrap! I know I'll get a lot of use out of that... just a beautiful and useful object, which is all we ever really aim to make.<\/span>\n\nAny message for the ComicBuzz readers? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nBe kind to yourself. And buy GratNin! (These two go together quite nicely.)<\/span>\n\nWe would like to say thank you to Josh for chatting to us about <\/span>GratNin. <\/em><\/span>We would like to wish the whole team of GratNin<\/em> the best of luck.<\/span>\n\nFeel free to check out the<\/span><\/strong> campaign<\/strong>: GranNin at<\/a><\/span><\/span> Kickstater<\/a>.<\/span><\/span>","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Josh O'Neill","post_excerpt":"GratNin\u00a0graphic novel","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-josh-oneill","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-07 21:32:04","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-07 20:32:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207638","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":12},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_22"};

\n

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

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Carlo Scolari: Attorney at Law #1 Preview","post_excerpt":"Terrible accidents keep happening","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"carlo-scolari-attorney-at-law-1-preview","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-28 16:05:46","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-28 15:05:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=208685","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":208643,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-10-18 22:27:35","post_date_gmt":"2022-10-18 21:27:35","post_content":"With the release of the Snow Paw<\/em> #1-2 Kickstarter, we are delighted to be joined by the creator\/writer of Snow Paw<\/em>, Robert A. Multari.<\/span>\n\nHi Robert. It's so wonderful to have you here with us.<\/span><\/strong>\n\nCould you please introduce yourself to our readers?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nHi, I\u2019m Robert A. Multari, the creator\/writer of Snow Paw and the hit series Night Wolf as well as the founder of Lone Wolf Comics. I\u2019m a self-published writer working in multiple genres including horror, supernatural, superhero, and antihero themed comic books.<\/span>\n\nI live in Sharpsville, PA with my wife, three children, three dogs, and a cat. I\u2019m also a full time web and graphic designer as well as a part time comic book creator. I would like to rearrange those two paths in the near future.<\/span>\n\nIt's been my dream since I was a kid, struggling with A.D.D. and dyslexia, to be in the comic book business. In July 2017, I released my first issue of my ongoing comic book series, Night Wolf. Currently published and available in print and digital are my Night Wolf Issues 1-6, the volume 1 trade paperback that collects the 1st four issues, and for the 1st issue of Snow Paw, with issue 2 soon to be printed.<\/span>\n\n \n\nCan you tell us all about Lone Wolf Comics?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nSure, Lone Wolf Comics is my independent character-based entertainment company where I self-publish my comic books and more. Besides Snow Paw and Night Wolf, I have three other titles planned for future release - Crimson Dawn, Redemption, and Arcane.<\/span>\n\n\"snowpaw1_1\"\n\nCan you tell us about the origins of Snow Paw<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nSnow Paw\u2019s origin goes way back to when I first started writing X-Men fanfiction when I was 14-years-old and submitted it to Marvel in hopes that Stan Lee would read it. Someone from Marvel was nice enough to write back to me saying that Stan loves to hear from his fans and encouraged me to keep up my writing. As naive as I was at the time, it spread my passion for the business like a wildfire.<\/span>\n\nSnow Paw\u2019s character development came as soon as I had decided to pursue writing an original story, rather than creating another fan fiction. I knew that I wanted a strong female character to be Night Wolf's mentor. This was around the time that I was really into reading the X-Men spinoff titles featuring Wolfsbane. I thought it was so cool how they wrote her Scottish accent in the word bubbles. There is just something enjoyable about reading and listening to Scottish and Irish speech. It's funny how I will catch myself taking on the dialect when I hear too much of it. Long story short, from the beginning of her conception, I wanted Snow Paw to have a Scottish accent.<\/span>\n\nSnow Paw was originally intended to be Night Wolf\u2019s mentor and made cameo appearances in Night Wolf Issues 1 and 2, as part of his nightmare visions, but her first official appearance takes place in Night Wolf Issue 3, where she plays a major role in the second half of the issue and throughout the rest of the 12 issue story arc.<\/span>\n\nSnow Paw is my personal favorite character that I have created and she has been very well received by my audience, who I kindly refer to as my Wolf Pack. They have been howling for more of her. Plus, I wanted to write a story focused on a strong female character for my daughter and other girls getting into comic books to look up to as a strong role model. This was also a great opportunity for me to explore Snow Paw's origin story over 200 hundred years before the events of Night Wolf.<\/span>\n\n \n\nHow would you describe the Snow Paw<\/em> comic?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nIt\u2019s a gorgeously illustrated historical comic book series that features a strong female lead, who also happens to be a werewolf. If you put Disney's Brave, Outlander, Game of Thrones, Penny Dreadful, and Carnival Row into a blender you get this very compelling story with its unique take on the supernatural and fantasy genres, with a hint of steampunk in the mix.<\/span>\n\n \n\nWho is Cirilla MacKinlay?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nCirilla MacKinlay, or Cirray for short, is a strong-willed farm girl, born and raised in the Scottish Highlands during the 19th century, who dreams about a life of adventure. She goes against the social expectations of her time and she is unnaturally strong with keen hunting skills. Cirray has a pure heart, loves her family, and she wants to do right by them. Which is why she begrudgingly agrees to her betrothal to James Chisholm, the son of Scottish nobleman Roderick Chisholm, in order to save her family farm from poverty. However, a trite fairy-tale ending was not to be as her family farm was attacked by a pack of werewolves, which awoke the beast within revealing her unknown werewolf lineage.<\/span>\n\n\"snowpaw1_2\"\n\nHow important is word of mouth for any indie project?<\/strong><\/span>\n\nWord of mouth is very important for any and all indie projects. Unlike the larger companies who can afford a large marketing budget, we have limited funds to begin with for bringing our creations to life. So for us indie creators, we live on word of mouth and organic reach to continue our growth in order to produce more content.<\/span>\n\n \n\nWhat made Mog the right artist for Snow Paw?<\/strong><\/span>\n\nFrom the very beginning of this project I wanted a female driven art team and Mog has this natural drawing aesthetic that caters to historical fantasy. Her attention to detail even while drawing a background is second to none. Mog also has an affinity for wolves, which is something we both have in common, so I felt it was a match made in heaven.<\/span>\n\n \n\nDo you have a favourite Kickstarter reward?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nMy favorite rewards to offer are the Mystery Boxes, and this time I have two of them - one for just the Snow Paw series and the second that contains Night Wolf items as well. In the Snow Paw Mystery Box backers are guaranteed all 14 variant print variant editions of Snow Paw #1 & 2 as well as a mystery signed CGC graded copy of Snow Paw. The Snow Paw Mystery Box is worth $450, but is only going for $299 through the Kickstarter. The Lone Wolf Comics Mystery Boxes has a bit more mystery to it. It\u2019s a lot bigger than the Snow Paw box, containing a minimum of $500 or more value for $499. Inside the box includes a mystery signed CGC graded copy of either Snow Paw or Night Wolf, mystery variant print editions of Snow Paw #1 & 2, mystery variant print editions of Night Wolf #1-6, a mystery Face Mask, a mystery T-Shirt, a mystery Mini-Figure, a mystery Hat, and a mystery Hoodie.<\/span>\n\n\"snowpaw1_3\"\n\nAny message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/strong><\/span>\n\nIf you love 19th century time period stories filled with Scottish brogue about a strong female lead, Supernatural beings and creatures of Fantasy like werewolves, fairies, demons, dwarves, warlocks, elves and more? Then Snow Paw is the series for you! So what are you waiting for? Join the Wolf Pack today!<\/span>\n\nA big thank you to Robert for sitting and chatting with us. We would like to wish Robert and the rest of the team the best of luck with their Snow Paw #1-2 Kickstarter.<\/span>\n\nKickStarter Link: <\/span>Snow Paw #1-2 Kickstarter<\/a>\n\n \n\n ","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Robert A. Multari","post_excerpt":"Snow Paw","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-robert-a-multari","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-27 16:59:48","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-27 15:59:48","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=208643","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":207818,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-06-01 14:41:05","post_date_gmt":"2022-06-01 13:41:05","post_content":"

With the release of the Kickstarter for Unico: Awakening, we are delighted to be joined today; by writer Samuel Sattin.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Thank you for having me! <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I\u2019m Samuel Sattin, a writer who lives in Oakland, California. I talk to my cats a lot, but when I\u2019m not doing that, I\u2019m typically working on some kind of book-related project. I adapted the Cartoon Saloon film, WolfWalkers, to graphic novel format, and I\u2019ll be adapting their other two films, Song of the Sea and The Secret of Kells, as well. I\u2019m also the writer behind UNICO: AWAKENING, a Kickstarter campaign that\u2019s live for just a couple more days. There\u2019s more, but I think that covers most things happening right now. I also like to make dioramas. I\u2019ve taken a hiatus for a few months since I\u2019ve been a bit too busy to work on them, but hopefully I can resume later this year. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"unicoakirahimekawa\"<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

For anyone unfamiliar with Osamu Tezuka\u2019s Unico, how would you describe Unico?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Unico has the natural ability to spread unrivaled love and kindness. The more he is cared for, the greater his powers grow, imbuing him with incredible magical abilities. Because of this, he draws the ire of the gods, in particular the goddess of love and beauty herself, Venus. Out of jealousy, she has him banished from the heavens, and dragged through space and time until he forgets everything he once was. The servitor tasked to do this, the West Wind, takes pity on Unico, thus saving him from being completely destroyed. To keep him safe, she brings him from place to place across time, erasing his memory whenever he grows too powerful, to keep him from being discovered by the gods. It\u2019s a tragic, beautiful story about a character whose kindness is rewarded with a curse. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"unicoprintbyjunkomizuno\"<\/p>\n

When did you first discover Osamu Tezuka\u2019s Unico?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I saw the films when I was a kid, and like most, was traumatized accordingly as a result. I didn\u2019t encounter the manga itself until I was an adult. I visited the Osamu Tezuka Museum in Takarazuka in 2017, and became fascinated with the character, whose presence was far more diffuse in Japan than in the US. I read and re-read the English translation that had been put out, and was hooked. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"unicotarotcard\"<\/p>\n

Unico: Awakening will be available in English and Japanese. Was making Unico: Awakening<\/em> available to a large readership an important factor of this project?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes, and it was one of the main reasons why we approached the project through crowdfunding, but not just because we wanted to grow the size of the readership. We wanted Unico: Awakening to become a celebration of both the character and Osamu Tezuka\u2019s work, and it was also very important to us that we made sure both the book and project overall would be accessible to a Japanese audience, as opposed to just a Western one. Osamu Tezuka himself believed that comics were a kind of international language, and I think the best thing we can do to recognize the brilliance of that idea is to try and follow in his footsteps. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"unicoart\"<\/p>\n

You are collaborating with the Gurihiru artist team; what makes them the right team for Unico: Awakening<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

For me, the question would have to be \u201cwhat doesn\u2019t make them right?\u201d I say this because they are truly the perfect artist team and creative partner for this project. Not only are they fantastically talented, but they are able to blend Japanese and Western comics art styles in an incredibly novel fashion. They\u2019re incredible visual storytellers, and they have a distinct vision for Unico: Awakening that I simply know readers will be delighted by. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"unicoprintbykamomeshirahama\"<\/p>\n

You are reinventing Unico, a character created by Osamu Tezuka; does that add more pressure on you as a writer?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Absolutely! Though as I have mentioned to others who have asked, I think the pressure is more self-enforced, rather than something that\u2019s been put upon me by others. Tezuka Productions has been wonderful to work with, and have been incredibly encouraging and supportive of the ideas I\u2019ve brought forward. I was able to meet with members of the team in Tokyo recently, and was really thrilled to hear that, for them, doing a project like this was about taking the core ideas of the God of Manga, and building them out in new ways, for new generations to enjoy. Hearing this honestly made me emotional. I will do my very best to realize such a vision. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"unicoprintpeach1\"<\/p>\n

As you are crowdfunding Unico: Awakening and dealing directly with consumers, does that make Unico: Awakening<\/em> more special for you?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Doing this project through crowdfunding has been wonderful because you do indeed get to interact directly with a wider community. It\u2019s also wonderful because we get the opportunity to fold in an array of incredible rewards, like 16 x 24 inch prints from renowned international artists, and print items called Artifacts from talented American cartoonists. This turns the process of creating Unico: Awakening into a kind of celebration, which is exactly what we hoped it would become. I personally love seeing how everyone has reacted to this in real time. It feels like we\u2019ve found and\/or are building a community around this project, which is a special thing to behold. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"unicoprintbytommmoore\"<\/p>\n

What has it been like working with Tezuka Productions?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I touched on this a bit earlier, but it\u2019s been a really wonderful experience. They\u2019ve provided us a lot of room to express our own ideas, and have been great partners in bringing the campaign to life. Also, we\u2019ve had the luck of working with Aki Yanagi, a comics professional who represents a good few Japanese artists working in American comics. He helped facilitate a great deal of this as well, and I\u2019m grateful to him. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"unicoprintbytokitotokoro\"<\/p>\n

How would you describe Unico: Awakening<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Unico: Awakening draws from a story in the original manga called The Cat and the Broomstick. Without getting into too many details, The Cat and the Broomstick is about a young, abandoned cat that wants to become a human being. Unico grants her the (limited) ability to do so, and this leads to her catching the eye of a sadistic hunter with supernatural powers. It\u2019s a story about identity, and the consequences of disrespecting nature. Unico: Awakening takes this story and builds upon it, creating larger roles for characters than they had originally, and providing a larger backdrop plot that expands upon the Unico universe. This is why we call it a reimagining, as opposed to an adaptation. Our hope is to bring the story of Unico to a new generation of readers. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"unicoprintbykatielongua\"<\/p>\n

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

Oh my, I can\u2019t say that I do! But only because I truly have love for all of the rewards across the spectrum. Thankfully, we do offer a tier where you can receive everything, which includes 10 incredible prints, 5 Artifacts, the book, and t-shirt from Junko Mizuno. That\u2019s the one I would choose. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"unicovertical\"<\/p>\n

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

Firstly, thank you so much for reading. It means a lot to me. And secondly, please support Unico: Awakening! There are so many wonderful rewards to nab that are exclusive to the Kickstarter, and near-every additional dollar goes to paying the artists, translators, and others who made this project remotely possible. Thank you again for your time.<\/span><\/p>\n

We would like to say thank you to Samuel for talking to us about his manga. We would like to wish the whole team of Unico: Awakening<\/em> the best of luck.<\/span><\/p>\n

Feel free to check out the Kickstarter: Unico: Awakening<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Samuel Sattin","post_excerpt":"Unico: Awakening","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-samuel-sattin","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-07 20:41:32","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-07 19:41:32","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207818","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":207719,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-04-13 13:58:41","post_date_gmt":"2022-04-13 12:58:41","post_content":"With the release of the Kickstarter for\u00a0Godzilla & Kong: The Cinematic Storyboard Art of Richard Bennett<\/em>,\u00a0we are delighted to be joined today by\u00a0storyboard artist Richard Bennett.<\/span>\n\nHi Richard, it's a pleasure to have you here with us.<\/span>\n\nCould you please introduce yourself to our readers?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nMy name is Richard Bennett, I\u2019m a storyboard artist working in the film industry since 2003. Prior to that I worked in the\u00a0Comic Book industry between 1990 and 2000.\u00a0<\/span>\n\nYou have spent many years in the comic industry; could you tell us some of the titles that you have worked on?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI started working at Neal Adams\u2019 Continuity, with \u2018CyberRad,\u2019 I was doing pencils & inks over Neal\u2019s layouts on that title.\u00a0Then I worked at Marvel on several X-Men books; Uncanny X-Men, X-Men, Wolverine, X-Force and a special project the \u2018X-Men Survival Guide to the Mansion.\u2019 Following that, I got called by Jim Lee at Wildstorm\/Image, and there I co-created the character \u2018Brass\u2019, for which I wrote, and did all the artwork on the mini-series. Besides that I worked there on the \u2019Wildcats,\u2019 \u2018Stormwatch,\u2019 \u2018Divine Right.\u2019 Also did a special, \u2018Gen 13: Wired\u2019 with Mike Heisler, which I\u2019m particularly proud of.\u00a0 During those years I also worked a bit with Marc Silvestri\u2019s Top Cow, on \u2018The Darkness,\u2019 \u2018Tales of the Witchblade.\u2019 I\u2019d say, though, the top project during that decade was the original \u201cBrass\u201d mini series.\u00a0<\/span>\n\nCould you tell us about the origins of\u00a0Godzilla & Kong: The Cinematic Storyboard Art of Richard Bennett<\/em>\u00a0book?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI\u2019ve approached Clover Press with the idea of publishing a book with my storyboard work. At that time I had other\u00a0movies in mind since I already had the authorization to use the material done for those.\u00a0Ted and Robbie at Clover loved the coffee book compilation idea; however, they came back with the suggestion to use the work from the\u00a0three Legendary Monsterverse films exclusively on one volume. I thought the concept was brilliant, so we started working on that. Hank Kanalz from Clover was amazing working\u00a0with Legendary and Toho in order to get the greenlight to publish the boards.\u00a0So, here we are!<\/span>\n\n\"godzillakong1\"\n\nOn average, how long do you spend storyboarding a movie?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nIt depends greatly on the type of project. High budget blockbusters like these three involved many months of drawing during\u00a0pre-production, and even after principal photography, when called back to draw for re-shoots.\u00a0On smaller projects, either lower budget or independent films, then yes, the average is less time. Either a couple of months or even\u00a0a few weeks.<\/span>\n\nDo you have a favourite scene from\u00a0Godzilla vs. Kong?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nFor sure, I\u2019d say the Hollow Earth Arrival, when the vehicles follow Kong\u2019s lead. Very trippy scene.\u00a0<\/span>\n\nAs you are crowdfunding the book and dealing directly with consumers, does that make the book more special for you?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nOf course, it\u2019s far more personal in a way. So I appreciate immensely every one single pledger wanting to get the book.\u00a0It feels similar to the interaction we had with fans at the artist alley\u2019s booths during comic book conventions. I\u2019ve been thoroughly going through the material, adjusting things to make sure the fans get the best possible presentation on the volume.\u00a0<\/span>\n\n\"godzillakong2\"\n\nDo you have a favourite Kickstarter reward?<\/strong><\/span>\n\nProbably the version with the original sketch coming along with the book.\u00a0<\/span>\n\nAny message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/strong><\/span>\n\nI hope they will get the book and enjoy it as much as I did while working on the films. I invested myself in those movies\u2019 work in a big way both emotionally and work wise, and it\u2019s my goal they\u2019ll be able to perceive that through the printed storyboard sequences in this beautiful volume! So, I\u2019d like to send a big Thank You to all of them!<\/span>\n\nWe would like to say thank you to Richard for talking to us about his new book. We would like to wish Richard the best of luck.<\/span>\n\nFeel free to check out the Kickstarter: Godzilla & Kong: The Cinematic Storyboard Art of Richard Bennett<\/em> on Kickstarter<\/a>.\n<\/span>","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Richard Bennett","post_excerpt":"Godzilla & Kong","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-richard-bennett","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-07 21:12:23","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-07 20:12:23","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207719","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":207681,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-03-30 13:44:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-30 12:44:32","post_content":"

With the release of the Kickstarter for Carmen: The Graphic Novel, we are delighted to be joined today; by opera singer, writer and director Alek Shrader.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Could you please introduce yourself to our readers?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Hi! Thanks for reading this. I'm Alek Shrader, opera singer and director, and now a first-time comic creator. I'm a lifelong comics fan and collector, and I still have my childhood collection, worn out and a few covers missing. It's very fulfilling to be a part of the collision of these two worlds of opera and comics. As my legendary collaborator P. CRAIG freaking RUSSELL would attest, opera has excellent stories worth telling in this format. And just wait til you see what ANEKE has done with CARMEN... she knocked my socks all the way off. ARIZONA OPERA has produced this project, and I think it's just swell for an opera company to publish a comic book. Much love to you all!<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What can you tell us about Arizona Opera?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Arizona Opera has been presenting opera since 1971 to the Phoenix and Tucson regions of Arizona, and after over 200 concerts and opera productions, they continue to seek innovative ways to expand the reach of opera as an art form. They are dedicated to their local communities, including educational outreach and Spanish-language groups, which highlights their strong value of service, in combination with musical artistry and stewardship. I like them so very much. They're led by Joseph Specter, President and General Director. Cassie Robel took the lead on our CARMEN project and was later joined by Courtney Clark. Their enthusiasm and support of this graphic novel has been unfailing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"carmenpromo1\"<\/p>\n

Can you tell us about the origins of Carmen: The Graphic Novel<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

This project was created for the Arizona Opera OnPitch Challenge, which was essentially Shark Tank for opera. AZO was searching for an innovative means of potential revenue which was anything but donations from wealthy patrons (which is how most American opera is funded). My sister sent me the link and we brainstormed a few ideas (of which we have many). We agreed a comic book would be great for school and new audiences while also being financially and logistically achievable for an opera company. So, I did a ton of Googling and put together a business plan. Then I submitted my pitch with a now-infamous video featuring my extensive comic collection, and I was chosen as a winner. We had a short list of potential operas to adapt, all of which were coming up in AZO's season. CARMEN was the obvious choice, as it is among the most famous operas ever created and lacked a recent graphic adaptation. Then it was up to me to find artists... which was daunting, as I had zero contacts in the comics industry. But gratefully, nearly everyone I reached out to on socials or via websites responded! The comics industry is good and generous! I mean, I asked P. Craig Russell for advice and he offered to do the layouts! Amazing!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"carmenpromo2\"<\/p>\n

For anyone unfamiliar with Carmen<\/em>, how would you describe it?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

CARMEN is a story about a young woman who faces challenges to her autonomy from society, misogyny, and men who won't take \"no\" for an answer. All she wants is freedom, and yet outside forces seek to control her. She is objectified and vilified. She has strong emotions and sometimes gets into trouble. She wants to live her life her way, and so she'll let Fate decide. It's very timely, to say the least. Bizet's music is gorgeous (and you have heard it before, even if you don't know it's from this opera). The art of P. Craig Russell and Aneke is equally ravishing. CARMEN is an icon.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

How did P. Craig Russell, Aneke and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou join the team?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Honestly, I just reached out on social media! When Craig wrote back, I couldn't believe it. I thought of a ton of questions so I could pick his brain until he decided to hang up on me... but what actually happened was we talked about OPERA and then he offered to do the layouts himself! I did not expect that to happen, and I was absolutely ecstatic. With Aneke (as with our guest artists providing art prints for the Kickstarter), I simply sent a polite DM, and promised to pay her full rate! As a performer with a rate, I know that one must not muck with rates. You can either afford to work with an artist or you can't-- don't lowball, it's insulting. Aneke is the *perfect* artist for this book-- her art, her colors, and her VOICE are vital to how CARMEN'S story is told. And I got lucky with Hass! I am a longtime subscriber to his industry mag PanelxPanel, and I follow him on twitter. One day, he put out an open call for projects, and I responded immediately! The dream team had been assembled!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"carmenericahenderson\"<\/p>\n

What it is about Carmen<\/em>; that made you want to adapt it into a graphic novel?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Among the opera crowd, CARMEN is a household name. And yet, there are some people out there who would love this opera-- they just haven't been invited in the right way. Graphic adaptations now exist for anything in prose, and that already huge readership is continually growing. I have Slaughterhouse Five, the graphic novel. Romeo and Juliet, the graphic novel. Annie, a Marvel Movie Special. Etc etc. Why not opera? If opera doesn't want to continue to be thought of as exclusive or old and dusty, we have to reach out in *other ways* to communicate our stories. Nothing will ever replace a live opera performance, but comics can serve as a gateway-- give these readers the story in the way they prefer to consume it, and maybe they'll be curious enough to come to the opera house to see the show. CARMEN has remained a favorite and most popular opera for over 150 years for good reasons. The music is gorgeous, the story is dramatic and engaging, and I think the character of Carmen still speaks directly to modern audiences. We are all enriched by this story, this OPERA.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Was it a challenge to write Carmen: The Graphic Novel<\/em>?<\/span><\/p>\n

It was! I consider myself a writer, but this was a totally new thing. I bought *literally* every how-to book I could find, which was great for technical education. But I learned the most by working with P. Craig Russell. His notes on my scripts were blunt and direct, and very actionable to make adjustments! (I actually threw out the first draft and started over from scratch!) Initially, I thought there might be a connection between the duration of a musical moment in the opera and space on the page. That formula might exist, but I never really cracked it... Next time, baby! Eventually, we had to dedicate our limited page space to the dramatic story beats and pacing, and Craig is a master there. I would have loved more pages to expand, but working in somewhat restrictive parameters can cause brilliant solutions!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"carmenmargueritesauvage\"<\/p>\n

We understand that there are several Kickstarter-exclusive prints available. What can you tell us about these prints?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

We have SIX exclusive OPERA art prints from seven phenomenal artists, and each one is STUNNING. ERICA HENDERSON, COLLEEN DORAN, and MARGUERITE SAUVAGE have created images of CARMEN. NATACHA BUSTOS has created an image of ARIADNE (from ARIADNE AUF NAXOS). ERICA D'URSO & MARISSA LOUISE have created an image of TOSCA (from TOSCA). ANA MIRALLES has created an image of THE QUEEN OF THE NIGHT (from THE MAGIC FLUTE). Absolutely incredible!<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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

How can I choose amongst my children? I will PROUDLY add to my collection a signed copy of CARMEN, and EACH of the art prints. And then I'll look at that wall every single day and marvel that such art exists. And I'll be happier for it. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"schraderalek\"<\/p>\n

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

Thank you for reading and letting me explore outside my comfort zone! This is a dream-come-true. It's wish fulfillment. I hope that you'll check out our book, and I hope you'll check out the opera, too!<\/span><\/p>\n

We would like to say thank you to Alek for talking to us about his new graphic novel. We would like to wish the whole team of Carmen: The Graphic Novel<\/em> the best of luck.<\/span><\/p>\n

Feel free to check out the Kickstarter: <\/span>Carmen on Kickstarter<\/a>.
<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Alek Shrader","post_excerpt":"Carmen: The Graphic Novel","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-alek-shrader","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-07 21:21:31","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-07 20:21:31","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207681","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":207638,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-03-17 14:06:06","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-17 14:06:06","post_content":"We are so happy to be joined by Josh O'Neill today. Josh is publisher and co-founder of Beehive Books. As Beehive Books have launched a Kickstarter this week for the GratNin<\/em> graphic novel by Ronald Wimberly, we got a chance to sit down and chat with the editor of the graphic novel.<\/span>\n\nHi Josh, it's a pleasure to have you here with us.<\/span><\/strong>\n\nCould you please introduce yourself to our readers and tell us about Beehive Books? Hello! I'm the publisher and co-founder of Beehive, a small-press graphic arts outfit based out of Philadelphia. We sometimes describe our project as an exercise in the possible -- we want to test the boundaries of what a book can be, and what kind of creative work we can produce. With inventive formats, visionary art and writing, and an utterly obsessive approach to design, we aim to build paper worlds. We have titles from Brecht Evens, Mike Mignola, Yuko Shimizu, Jim Woodring, Paul Pope, Bill Sienkiewicz, Ronald Wimberly, Rebekka Dunlap, Kent Williams and more. GratNin is our fourth project with Ronald.<\/span>\n\nHow did this collaboration between Ronald Wimberly and Beehive Books come about? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nI've worked with Ron several times as a contributor to books for my previous publishing venture, Locust Moon Press. So when Ma\u00eblle Doliveux and I launched Beehive in 2016, I knew Ron personally, and admired his work to no end. When Ma\u00eblle and I began approaching authors, our basic pitch was: what's a project that you think no publisher would take on? Ron, who for my money is one of the true visionary working artists of the 21st century, was literally the first person we approached. The answer then was LAAB Magazine, an experimental broadsheet art newspaper powered by the radical imagination -- we've since released three annual issues of LAAB. Now it's GratNin, this crazy accordion-folded story scroll, the next step of our ongoing work together (and part of the sort of nascent LAAB imprint). Ron has become more than an author, to us -- he's a friend and a partner, and his work is part of the DNA of Beehive.<\/span>\n\n\"gratnin2\"\n\nWhen and how did you discover GratNin<\/em>? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nI just read it as a passionate follower of Ron's work. I'll read anything and everything he puts out. When I finally sat down to read the whole thing through several years ago, I just fell in -- it's full of such humor, excitement, suspense, humanity, love for its source material, love for its characters. And it has this wonderful feeling of being a huge world to roam around in. We follow the characters we follow, but there's this feeling that more intrigue is down every alleyway. It's just an outstanding comic and we're so excited to be publishing it. <\/span>\n\nCan you tell us about the Kickstarter for the GratNin <\/em>graphic novel? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nGratNin presented an exciting and singular problem -- how to present this pageless digital comic in a print format.  As per our usual ideological commitments in Beehive, we came up with the least practical, most exciting solution -- to present these remarkable stories on a series of unbroken accordion-folded scrolls, turning the downward-swiping digital read into a thrillingly physical experience. You track down four hundred feet of narrow page-space, in a format that brings to mind skyscrapers, alleyways, subway tunnels -- all the long verticals iconically representing this fantastical vision of New York. And we filled the box with ephemera from this alternate reality -- metrocards and maps and furoshikis and trading cards, making up a whole enveloping experience, skulking around New York with then Namba clan.<\/span>\n\nWhat have been some of the hurdles that you have had to overcome to get the project up to this point?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nThe biggest one was just figuring out how to present this story in a readable way. It's this pageless comic that goes down and down and down. How do you do it in print? That was the problem that we faced. It's the kind of problem that our team, and especially LAAB and GratNin designer Chloe Scheffe, find most delicious. I think it's been solved beautifully here.<\/span>\n\n\"gratnin3\"\n\nWe understand that the graphic novel will be an accordion style with folded pages; was this feature something that you wanted to do right from the beginning? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nNo -- we started with the problem. We didn't know the best solution. We thought about doing it as a scroll, as a giant folding map, as a long vertical book with a spine at the top.  The accordion seemed the most elegant solution, especially for something so long -- we're talking about 600 pages, printed on three pieces of paper. It's the best at replicating and reinventing that feeling of falling down into this crazy thrilling world that you get from reading GratNin digitally.<\/span>\n\nBeehive Books is releasing the GratNin<\/em> graphic novel as a box set; can you tell us about the box set? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nWe took the next step, when designing GratNin as a fully formed reading experience -- we created a little miniature space to explore. We filled the box with ephemera from this alternate reality -- metrocards and maps and furoshikis and trading cards, making up a whole enveloping experience. A world for you to crawl into a skulk around. We didn\u2019t want to just present a print version of Ron\u2019s wonderful web comic \u2013 we wanted to work with him to reinvent it, and to build out his world.<\/span>\n\n\"gratnin5\"\n\nAs you are crowdfunding the graphic novel and dealing directly with consumers, does that make the project more special for you?<\/strong> <\/span>\n\nWell, we crowdfund most of our projects, so it's not any different from what we usually do. But yes -- crowdfunding does mean a much deeper-than-average engagement with your audience, and we conceive of Beehive as something other than a producer of goods with a base of customers. We see our readership as a vital community, the backbone of this whole operation. They're keeping the garden cared for and the soil tilled, so we can grow the things we grow. Our practice of building books out of an engaged community of readers makes all of our projects feel a bit more special to me.<\/span>\n\n\"gratnin4\"\n\nDo you have a favourite Kickstarter reward? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nBeyond the comic itself, I really love the printed cotton-cloth furoshiki wrap! I know I'll get a lot of use out of that... just a beautiful and useful object, which is all we ever really aim to make.<\/span>\n\nAny message for the ComicBuzz readers? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nBe kind to yourself. And buy GratNin! (These two go together quite nicely.)<\/span>\n\nWe would like to say thank you to Josh for chatting to us about <\/span>GratNin. <\/em><\/span>We would like to wish the whole team of GratNin<\/em> the best of luck.<\/span>\n\nFeel free to check out the<\/span><\/strong> campaign<\/strong>: GranNin at<\/a><\/span><\/span> Kickstater<\/a>.<\/span><\/span>","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Josh O'Neill","post_excerpt":"GratNin\u00a0graphic novel","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-josh-oneill","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-07 21:32:04","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-07 20:32:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207638","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":12},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_22"};

\n

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

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

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Carlo Scolari: Attorney at Law #1 Preview","post_excerpt":"Terrible accidents keep happening","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"carlo-scolari-attorney-at-law-1-preview","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-28 16:05:46","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-28 15:05:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=208685","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":208643,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-10-18 22:27:35","post_date_gmt":"2022-10-18 21:27:35","post_content":"With the release of the Snow Paw<\/em> #1-2 Kickstarter, we are delighted to be joined by the creator\/writer of Snow Paw<\/em>, Robert A. Multari.<\/span>\n\nHi Robert. It's so wonderful to have you here with us.<\/span><\/strong>\n\nCould you please introduce yourself to our readers?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nHi, I\u2019m Robert A. Multari, the creator\/writer of Snow Paw and the hit series Night Wolf as well as the founder of Lone Wolf Comics. I\u2019m a self-published writer working in multiple genres including horror, supernatural, superhero, and antihero themed comic books.<\/span>\n\nI live in Sharpsville, PA with my wife, three children, three dogs, and a cat. I\u2019m also a full time web and graphic designer as well as a part time comic book creator. I would like to rearrange those two paths in the near future.<\/span>\n\nIt's been my dream since I was a kid, struggling with A.D.D. and dyslexia, to be in the comic book business. In July 2017, I released my first issue of my ongoing comic book series, Night Wolf. Currently published and available in print and digital are my Night Wolf Issues 1-6, the volume 1 trade paperback that collects the 1st four issues, and for the 1st issue of Snow Paw, with issue 2 soon to be printed.<\/span>\n\n \n\nCan you tell us all about Lone Wolf Comics?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nSure, Lone Wolf Comics is my independent character-based entertainment company where I self-publish my comic books and more. Besides Snow Paw and Night Wolf, I have three other titles planned for future release - Crimson Dawn, Redemption, and Arcane.<\/span>\n\n\"snowpaw1_1\"\n\nCan you tell us about the origins of Snow Paw<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nSnow Paw\u2019s origin goes way back to when I first started writing X-Men fanfiction when I was 14-years-old and submitted it to Marvel in hopes that Stan Lee would read it. Someone from Marvel was nice enough to write back to me saying that Stan loves to hear from his fans and encouraged me to keep up my writing. As naive as I was at the time, it spread my passion for the business like a wildfire.<\/span>\n\nSnow Paw\u2019s character development came as soon as I had decided to pursue writing an original story, rather than creating another fan fiction. I knew that I wanted a strong female character to be Night Wolf's mentor. This was around the time that I was really into reading the X-Men spinoff titles featuring Wolfsbane. I thought it was so cool how they wrote her Scottish accent in the word bubbles. There is just something enjoyable about reading and listening to Scottish and Irish speech. It's funny how I will catch myself taking on the dialect when I hear too much of it. Long story short, from the beginning of her conception, I wanted Snow Paw to have a Scottish accent.<\/span>\n\nSnow Paw was originally intended to be Night Wolf\u2019s mentor and made cameo appearances in Night Wolf Issues 1 and 2, as part of his nightmare visions, but her first official appearance takes place in Night Wolf Issue 3, where she plays a major role in the second half of the issue and throughout the rest of the 12 issue story arc.<\/span>\n\nSnow Paw is my personal favorite character that I have created and she has been very well received by my audience, who I kindly refer to as my Wolf Pack. They have been howling for more of her. Plus, I wanted to write a story focused on a strong female character for my daughter and other girls getting into comic books to look up to as a strong role model. This was also a great opportunity for me to explore Snow Paw's origin story over 200 hundred years before the events of Night Wolf.<\/span>\n\n \n\nHow would you describe the Snow Paw<\/em> comic?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nIt\u2019s a gorgeously illustrated historical comic book series that features a strong female lead, who also happens to be a werewolf. If you put Disney's Brave, Outlander, Game of Thrones, Penny Dreadful, and Carnival Row into a blender you get this very compelling story with its unique take on the supernatural and fantasy genres, with a hint of steampunk in the mix.<\/span>\n\n \n\nWho is Cirilla MacKinlay?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nCirilla MacKinlay, or Cirray for short, is a strong-willed farm girl, born and raised in the Scottish Highlands during the 19th century, who dreams about a life of adventure. She goes against the social expectations of her time and she is unnaturally strong with keen hunting skills. Cirray has a pure heart, loves her family, and she wants to do right by them. Which is why she begrudgingly agrees to her betrothal to James Chisholm, the son of Scottish nobleman Roderick Chisholm, in order to save her family farm from poverty. However, a trite fairy-tale ending was not to be as her family farm was attacked by a pack of werewolves, which awoke the beast within revealing her unknown werewolf lineage.<\/span>\n\n\"snowpaw1_2\"\n\nHow important is word of mouth for any indie project?<\/strong><\/span>\n\nWord of mouth is very important for any and all indie projects. Unlike the larger companies who can afford a large marketing budget, we have limited funds to begin with for bringing our creations to life. So for us indie creators, we live on word of mouth and organic reach to continue our growth in order to produce more content.<\/span>\n\n \n\nWhat made Mog the right artist for Snow Paw?<\/strong><\/span>\n\nFrom the very beginning of this project I wanted a female driven art team and Mog has this natural drawing aesthetic that caters to historical fantasy. Her attention to detail even while drawing a background is second to none. Mog also has an affinity for wolves, which is something we both have in common, so I felt it was a match made in heaven.<\/span>\n\n \n\nDo you have a favourite Kickstarter reward?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nMy favorite rewards to offer are the Mystery Boxes, and this time I have two of them - one for just the Snow Paw series and the second that contains Night Wolf items as well. In the Snow Paw Mystery Box backers are guaranteed all 14 variant print variant editions of Snow Paw #1 & 2 as well as a mystery signed CGC graded copy of Snow Paw. The Snow Paw Mystery Box is worth $450, but is only going for $299 through the Kickstarter. The Lone Wolf Comics Mystery Boxes has a bit more mystery to it. It\u2019s a lot bigger than the Snow Paw box, containing a minimum of $500 or more value for $499. Inside the box includes a mystery signed CGC graded copy of either Snow Paw or Night Wolf, mystery variant print editions of Snow Paw #1 & 2, mystery variant print editions of Night Wolf #1-6, a mystery Face Mask, a mystery T-Shirt, a mystery Mini-Figure, a mystery Hat, and a mystery Hoodie.<\/span>\n\n\"snowpaw1_3\"\n\nAny message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/strong><\/span>\n\nIf you love 19th century time period stories filled with Scottish brogue about a strong female lead, Supernatural beings and creatures of Fantasy like werewolves, fairies, demons, dwarves, warlocks, elves and more? Then Snow Paw is the series for you! So what are you waiting for? Join the Wolf Pack today!<\/span>\n\nA big thank you to Robert for sitting and chatting with us. We would like to wish Robert and the rest of the team the best of luck with their Snow Paw #1-2 Kickstarter.<\/span>\n\nKickStarter Link: <\/span>Snow Paw #1-2 Kickstarter<\/a>\n\n \n\n ","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Robert A. Multari","post_excerpt":"Snow Paw","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-robert-a-multari","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-27 16:59:48","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-27 15:59:48","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=208643","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":207818,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-06-01 14:41:05","post_date_gmt":"2022-06-01 13:41:05","post_content":"

With the release of the Kickstarter for Unico: Awakening, we are delighted to be joined today; by writer Samuel Sattin.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Thank you for having me! <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I\u2019m Samuel Sattin, a writer who lives in Oakland, California. I talk to my cats a lot, but when I\u2019m not doing that, I\u2019m typically working on some kind of book-related project. I adapted the Cartoon Saloon film, WolfWalkers, to graphic novel format, and I\u2019ll be adapting their other two films, Song of the Sea and The Secret of Kells, as well. I\u2019m also the writer behind UNICO: AWAKENING, a Kickstarter campaign that\u2019s live for just a couple more days. There\u2019s more, but I think that covers most things happening right now. I also like to make dioramas. I\u2019ve taken a hiatus for a few months since I\u2019ve been a bit too busy to work on them, but hopefully I can resume later this year. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"unicoakirahimekawa\"<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

For anyone unfamiliar with Osamu Tezuka\u2019s Unico, how would you describe Unico?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Unico has the natural ability to spread unrivaled love and kindness. The more he is cared for, the greater his powers grow, imbuing him with incredible magical abilities. Because of this, he draws the ire of the gods, in particular the goddess of love and beauty herself, Venus. Out of jealousy, she has him banished from the heavens, and dragged through space and time until he forgets everything he once was. The servitor tasked to do this, the West Wind, takes pity on Unico, thus saving him from being completely destroyed. To keep him safe, she brings him from place to place across time, erasing his memory whenever he grows too powerful, to keep him from being discovered by the gods. It\u2019s a tragic, beautiful story about a character whose kindness is rewarded with a curse. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"unicoprintbyjunkomizuno\"<\/p>\n

When did you first discover Osamu Tezuka\u2019s Unico?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I saw the films when I was a kid, and like most, was traumatized accordingly as a result. I didn\u2019t encounter the manga itself until I was an adult. I visited the Osamu Tezuka Museum in Takarazuka in 2017, and became fascinated with the character, whose presence was far more diffuse in Japan than in the US. I read and re-read the English translation that had been put out, and was hooked. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"unicotarotcard\"<\/p>\n

Unico: Awakening will be available in English and Japanese. Was making Unico: Awakening<\/em> available to a large readership an important factor of this project?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes, and it was one of the main reasons why we approached the project through crowdfunding, but not just because we wanted to grow the size of the readership. We wanted Unico: Awakening to become a celebration of both the character and Osamu Tezuka\u2019s work, and it was also very important to us that we made sure both the book and project overall would be accessible to a Japanese audience, as opposed to just a Western one. Osamu Tezuka himself believed that comics were a kind of international language, and I think the best thing we can do to recognize the brilliance of that idea is to try and follow in his footsteps. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"unicoart\"<\/p>\n

You are collaborating with the Gurihiru artist team; what makes them the right team for Unico: Awakening<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

For me, the question would have to be \u201cwhat doesn\u2019t make them right?\u201d I say this because they are truly the perfect artist team and creative partner for this project. Not only are they fantastically talented, but they are able to blend Japanese and Western comics art styles in an incredibly novel fashion. They\u2019re incredible visual storytellers, and they have a distinct vision for Unico: Awakening that I simply know readers will be delighted by. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"unicoprintbykamomeshirahama\"<\/p>\n

You are reinventing Unico, a character created by Osamu Tezuka; does that add more pressure on you as a writer?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Absolutely! Though as I have mentioned to others who have asked, I think the pressure is more self-enforced, rather than something that\u2019s been put upon me by others. Tezuka Productions has been wonderful to work with, and have been incredibly encouraging and supportive of the ideas I\u2019ve brought forward. I was able to meet with members of the team in Tokyo recently, and was really thrilled to hear that, for them, doing a project like this was about taking the core ideas of the God of Manga, and building them out in new ways, for new generations to enjoy. Hearing this honestly made me emotional. I will do my very best to realize such a vision. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"unicoprintpeach1\"<\/p>\n

As you are crowdfunding Unico: Awakening and dealing directly with consumers, does that make Unico: Awakening<\/em> more special for you?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Doing this project through crowdfunding has been wonderful because you do indeed get to interact directly with a wider community. It\u2019s also wonderful because we get the opportunity to fold in an array of incredible rewards, like 16 x 24 inch prints from renowned international artists, and print items called Artifacts from talented American cartoonists. This turns the process of creating Unico: Awakening into a kind of celebration, which is exactly what we hoped it would become. I personally love seeing how everyone has reacted to this in real time. It feels like we\u2019ve found and\/or are building a community around this project, which is a special thing to behold. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"unicoprintbytommmoore\"<\/p>\n

What has it been like working with Tezuka Productions?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I touched on this a bit earlier, but it\u2019s been a really wonderful experience. They\u2019ve provided us a lot of room to express our own ideas, and have been great partners in bringing the campaign to life. Also, we\u2019ve had the luck of working with Aki Yanagi, a comics professional who represents a good few Japanese artists working in American comics. He helped facilitate a great deal of this as well, and I\u2019m grateful to him. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"unicoprintbytokitotokoro\"<\/p>\n

How would you describe Unico: Awakening<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Unico: Awakening draws from a story in the original manga called The Cat and the Broomstick. Without getting into too many details, The Cat and the Broomstick is about a young, abandoned cat that wants to become a human being. Unico grants her the (limited) ability to do so, and this leads to her catching the eye of a sadistic hunter with supernatural powers. It\u2019s a story about identity, and the consequences of disrespecting nature. Unico: Awakening takes this story and builds upon it, creating larger roles for characters than they had originally, and providing a larger backdrop plot that expands upon the Unico universe. This is why we call it a reimagining, as opposed to an adaptation. Our hope is to bring the story of Unico to a new generation of readers. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"unicoprintbykatielongua\"<\/p>\n

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

Oh my, I can\u2019t say that I do! But only because I truly have love for all of the rewards across the spectrum. Thankfully, we do offer a tier where you can receive everything, which includes 10 incredible prints, 5 Artifacts, the book, and t-shirt from Junko Mizuno. That\u2019s the one I would choose. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"unicovertical\"<\/p>\n

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

Firstly, thank you so much for reading. It means a lot to me. And secondly, please support Unico: Awakening! There are so many wonderful rewards to nab that are exclusive to the Kickstarter, and near-every additional dollar goes to paying the artists, translators, and others who made this project remotely possible. Thank you again for your time.<\/span><\/p>\n

We would like to say thank you to Samuel for talking to us about his manga. We would like to wish the whole team of Unico: Awakening<\/em> the best of luck.<\/span><\/p>\n

Feel free to check out the Kickstarter: Unico: Awakening<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Samuel Sattin","post_excerpt":"Unico: Awakening","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-samuel-sattin","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-07 20:41:32","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-07 19:41:32","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207818","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":207719,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-04-13 13:58:41","post_date_gmt":"2022-04-13 12:58:41","post_content":"With the release of the Kickstarter for\u00a0Godzilla & Kong: The Cinematic Storyboard Art of Richard Bennett<\/em>,\u00a0we are delighted to be joined today by\u00a0storyboard artist Richard Bennett.<\/span>\n\nHi Richard, it's a pleasure to have you here with us.<\/span>\n\nCould you please introduce yourself to our readers?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nMy name is Richard Bennett, I\u2019m a storyboard artist working in the film industry since 2003. Prior to that I worked in the\u00a0Comic Book industry between 1990 and 2000.\u00a0<\/span>\n\nYou have spent many years in the comic industry; could you tell us some of the titles that you have worked on?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI started working at Neal Adams\u2019 Continuity, with \u2018CyberRad,\u2019 I was doing pencils & inks over Neal\u2019s layouts on that title.\u00a0Then I worked at Marvel on several X-Men books; Uncanny X-Men, X-Men, Wolverine, X-Force and a special project the \u2018X-Men Survival Guide to the Mansion.\u2019 Following that, I got called by Jim Lee at Wildstorm\/Image, and there I co-created the character \u2018Brass\u2019, for which I wrote, and did all the artwork on the mini-series. Besides that I worked there on the \u2019Wildcats,\u2019 \u2018Stormwatch,\u2019 \u2018Divine Right.\u2019 Also did a special, \u2018Gen 13: Wired\u2019 with Mike Heisler, which I\u2019m particularly proud of.\u00a0 During those years I also worked a bit with Marc Silvestri\u2019s Top Cow, on \u2018The Darkness,\u2019 \u2018Tales of the Witchblade.\u2019 I\u2019d say, though, the top project during that decade was the original \u201cBrass\u201d mini series.\u00a0<\/span>\n\nCould you tell us about the origins of\u00a0Godzilla & Kong: The Cinematic Storyboard Art of Richard Bennett<\/em>\u00a0book?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nI\u2019ve approached Clover Press with the idea of publishing a book with my storyboard work. At that time I had other\u00a0movies in mind since I already had the authorization to use the material done for those.\u00a0Ted and Robbie at Clover loved the coffee book compilation idea; however, they came back with the suggestion to use the work from the\u00a0three Legendary Monsterverse films exclusively on one volume. I thought the concept was brilliant, so we started working on that. Hank Kanalz from Clover was amazing working\u00a0with Legendary and Toho in order to get the greenlight to publish the boards.\u00a0So, here we are!<\/span>\n\n\"godzillakong1\"\n\nOn average, how long do you spend storyboarding a movie?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nIt depends greatly on the type of project. High budget blockbusters like these three involved many months of drawing during\u00a0pre-production, and even after principal photography, when called back to draw for re-shoots.\u00a0On smaller projects, either lower budget or independent films, then yes, the average is less time. Either a couple of months or even\u00a0a few weeks.<\/span>\n\nDo you have a favourite scene from\u00a0Godzilla vs. Kong?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nFor sure, I\u2019d say the Hollow Earth Arrival, when the vehicles follow Kong\u2019s lead. Very trippy scene.\u00a0<\/span>\n\nAs you are crowdfunding the book and dealing directly with consumers, does that make the book more special for you?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nOf course, it\u2019s far more personal in a way. So I appreciate immensely every one single pledger wanting to get the book.\u00a0It feels similar to the interaction we had with fans at the artist alley\u2019s booths during comic book conventions. I\u2019ve been thoroughly going through the material, adjusting things to make sure the fans get the best possible presentation on the volume.\u00a0<\/span>\n\n\"godzillakong2\"\n\nDo you have a favourite Kickstarter reward?<\/strong><\/span>\n\nProbably the version with the original sketch coming along with the book.\u00a0<\/span>\n\nAny message for the ComicBuzz readers?<\/strong><\/span>\n\nI hope they will get the book and enjoy it as much as I did while working on the films. I invested myself in those movies\u2019 work in a big way both emotionally and work wise, and it\u2019s my goal they\u2019ll be able to perceive that through the printed storyboard sequences in this beautiful volume! So, I\u2019d like to send a big Thank You to all of them!<\/span>\n\nWe would like to say thank you to Richard for talking to us about his new book. We would like to wish Richard the best of luck.<\/span>\n\nFeel free to check out the Kickstarter: Godzilla & Kong: The Cinematic Storyboard Art of Richard Bennett<\/em> on Kickstarter<\/a>.\n<\/span>","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Richard Bennett","post_excerpt":"Godzilla & Kong","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-richard-bennett","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-07 21:12:23","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-07 20:12:23","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207719","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":207681,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-03-30 13:44:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-30 12:44:32","post_content":"

With the release of the Kickstarter for Carmen: The Graphic Novel, we are delighted to be joined today; by opera singer, writer and director Alek Shrader.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Could you please introduce yourself to our readers?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Hi! Thanks for reading this. I'm Alek Shrader, opera singer and director, and now a first-time comic creator. I'm a lifelong comics fan and collector, and I still have my childhood collection, worn out and a few covers missing. It's very fulfilling to be a part of the collision of these two worlds of opera and comics. As my legendary collaborator P. CRAIG freaking RUSSELL would attest, opera has excellent stories worth telling in this format. And just wait til you see what ANEKE has done with CARMEN... she knocked my socks all the way off. ARIZONA OPERA has produced this project, and I think it's just swell for an opera company to publish a comic book. Much love to you all!<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What can you tell us about Arizona Opera?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Arizona Opera has been presenting opera since 1971 to the Phoenix and Tucson regions of Arizona, and after over 200 concerts and opera productions, they continue to seek innovative ways to expand the reach of opera as an art form. They are dedicated to their local communities, including educational outreach and Spanish-language groups, which highlights their strong value of service, in combination with musical artistry and stewardship. I like them so very much. They're led by Joseph Specter, President and General Director. Cassie Robel took the lead on our CARMEN project and was later joined by Courtney Clark. Their enthusiasm and support of this graphic novel has been unfailing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"carmenpromo1\"<\/p>\n

Can you tell us about the origins of Carmen: The Graphic Novel<\/em>?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

This project was created for the Arizona Opera OnPitch Challenge, which was essentially Shark Tank for opera. AZO was searching for an innovative means of potential revenue which was anything but donations from wealthy patrons (which is how most American opera is funded). My sister sent me the link and we brainstormed a few ideas (of which we have many). We agreed a comic book would be great for school and new audiences while also being financially and logistically achievable for an opera company. So, I did a ton of Googling and put together a business plan. Then I submitted my pitch with a now-infamous video featuring my extensive comic collection, and I was chosen as a winner. We had a short list of potential operas to adapt, all of which were coming up in AZO's season. CARMEN was the obvious choice, as it is among the most famous operas ever created and lacked a recent graphic adaptation. Then it was up to me to find artists... which was daunting, as I had zero contacts in the comics industry. But gratefully, nearly everyone I reached out to on socials or via websites responded! The comics industry is good and generous! I mean, I asked P. Craig Russell for advice and he offered to do the layouts! Amazing!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"carmenpromo2\"<\/p>\n

For anyone unfamiliar with Carmen<\/em>, how would you describe it?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

CARMEN is a story about a young woman who faces challenges to her autonomy from society, misogyny, and men who won't take \"no\" for an answer. All she wants is freedom, and yet outside forces seek to control her. She is objectified and vilified. She has strong emotions and sometimes gets into trouble. She wants to live her life her way, and so she'll let Fate decide. It's very timely, to say the least. Bizet's music is gorgeous (and you have heard it before, even if you don't know it's from this opera). The art of P. Craig Russell and Aneke is equally ravishing. CARMEN is an icon.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

How did P. Craig Russell, Aneke and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou join the team?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Honestly, I just reached out on social media! When Craig wrote back, I couldn't believe it. I thought of a ton of questions so I could pick his brain until he decided to hang up on me... but what actually happened was we talked about OPERA and then he offered to do the layouts himself! I did not expect that to happen, and I was absolutely ecstatic. With Aneke (as with our guest artists providing art prints for the Kickstarter), I simply sent a polite DM, and promised to pay her full rate! As a performer with a rate, I know that one must not muck with rates. You can either afford to work with an artist or you can't-- don't lowball, it's insulting. Aneke is the *perfect* artist for this book-- her art, her colors, and her VOICE are vital to how CARMEN'S story is told. And I got lucky with Hass! I am a longtime subscriber to his industry mag PanelxPanel, and I follow him on twitter. One day, he put out an open call for projects, and I responded immediately! The dream team had been assembled!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"carmenericahenderson\"<\/p>\n

What it is about Carmen<\/em>; that made you want to adapt it into a graphic novel?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Among the opera crowd, CARMEN is a household name. And yet, there are some people out there who would love this opera-- they just haven't been invited in the right way. Graphic adaptations now exist for anything in prose, and that already huge readership is continually growing. I have Slaughterhouse Five, the graphic novel. Romeo and Juliet, the graphic novel. Annie, a Marvel Movie Special. Etc etc. Why not opera? If opera doesn't want to continue to be thought of as exclusive or old and dusty, we have to reach out in *other ways* to communicate our stories. Nothing will ever replace a live opera performance, but comics can serve as a gateway-- give these readers the story in the way they prefer to consume it, and maybe they'll be curious enough to come to the opera house to see the show. CARMEN has remained a favorite and most popular opera for over 150 years for good reasons. The music is gorgeous, the story is dramatic and engaging, and I think the character of Carmen still speaks directly to modern audiences. We are all enriched by this story, this OPERA.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Was it a challenge to write Carmen: The Graphic Novel<\/em>?<\/span><\/p>\n

It was! I consider myself a writer, but this was a totally new thing. I bought *literally* every how-to book I could find, which was great for technical education. But I learned the most by working with P. Craig Russell. His notes on my scripts were blunt and direct, and very actionable to make adjustments! (I actually threw out the first draft and started over from scratch!) Initially, I thought there might be a connection between the duration of a musical moment in the opera and space on the page. That formula might exist, but I never really cracked it... Next time, baby! Eventually, we had to dedicate our limited page space to the dramatic story beats and pacing, and Craig is a master there. I would have loved more pages to expand, but working in somewhat restrictive parameters can cause brilliant solutions!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"carmenmargueritesauvage\"<\/p>\n

We understand that there are several Kickstarter-exclusive prints available. What can you tell us about these prints?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

We have SIX exclusive OPERA art prints from seven phenomenal artists, and each one is STUNNING. ERICA HENDERSON, COLLEEN DORAN, and MARGUERITE SAUVAGE have created images of CARMEN. NATACHA BUSTOS has created an image of ARIADNE (from ARIADNE AUF NAXOS). ERICA D'URSO & MARISSA LOUISE have created an image of TOSCA (from TOSCA). ANA MIRALLES has created an image of THE QUEEN OF THE NIGHT (from THE MAGIC FLUTE). Absolutely incredible!<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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

How can I choose amongst my children? I will PROUDLY add to my collection a signed copy of CARMEN, and EACH of the art prints. And then I'll look at that wall every single day and marvel that such art exists. And I'll be happier for it. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"schraderalek\"<\/p>\n

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

Thank you for reading and letting me explore outside my comfort zone! This is a dream-come-true. It's wish fulfillment. I hope that you'll check out our book, and I hope you'll check out the opera, too!<\/span><\/p>\n

We would like to say thank you to Alek for talking to us about his new graphic novel. We would like to wish the whole team of Carmen: The Graphic Novel<\/em> the best of luck.<\/span><\/p>\n

Feel free to check out the Kickstarter: <\/span>Carmen on Kickstarter<\/a>.
<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Alek Shrader","post_excerpt":"Carmen: The Graphic Novel","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-alek-shrader","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-07 21:21:31","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-07 20:21:31","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207681","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":207638,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-03-17 14:06:06","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-17 14:06:06","post_content":"We are so happy to be joined by Josh O'Neill today. Josh is publisher and co-founder of Beehive Books. As Beehive Books have launched a Kickstarter this week for the GratNin<\/em> graphic novel by Ronald Wimberly, we got a chance to sit down and chat with the editor of the graphic novel.<\/span>\n\nHi Josh, it's a pleasure to have you here with us.<\/span><\/strong>\n\nCould you please introduce yourself to our readers and tell us about Beehive Books? Hello! I'm the publisher and co-founder of Beehive, a small-press graphic arts outfit based out of Philadelphia. We sometimes describe our project as an exercise in the possible -- we want to test the boundaries of what a book can be, and what kind of creative work we can produce. With inventive formats, visionary art and writing, and an utterly obsessive approach to design, we aim to build paper worlds. We have titles from Brecht Evens, Mike Mignola, Yuko Shimizu, Jim Woodring, Paul Pope, Bill Sienkiewicz, Ronald Wimberly, Rebekka Dunlap, Kent Williams and more. GratNin is our fourth project with Ronald.<\/span>\n\nHow did this collaboration between Ronald Wimberly and Beehive Books come about? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nI've worked with Ron several times as a contributor to books for my previous publishing venture, Locust Moon Press. So when Ma\u00eblle Doliveux and I launched Beehive in 2016, I knew Ron personally, and admired his work to no end. When Ma\u00eblle and I began approaching authors, our basic pitch was: what's a project that you think no publisher would take on? Ron, who for my money is one of the true visionary working artists of the 21st century, was literally the first person we approached. The answer then was LAAB Magazine, an experimental broadsheet art newspaper powered by the radical imagination -- we've since released three annual issues of LAAB. Now it's GratNin, this crazy accordion-folded story scroll, the next step of our ongoing work together (and part of the sort of nascent LAAB imprint). Ron has become more than an author, to us -- he's a friend and a partner, and his work is part of the DNA of Beehive.<\/span>\n\n\"gratnin2\"\n\nWhen and how did you discover GratNin<\/em>? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nI just read it as a passionate follower of Ron's work. I'll read anything and everything he puts out. When I finally sat down to read the whole thing through several years ago, I just fell in -- it's full of such humor, excitement, suspense, humanity, love for its source material, love for its characters. And it has this wonderful feeling of being a huge world to roam around in. We follow the characters we follow, but there's this feeling that more intrigue is down every alleyway. It's just an outstanding comic and we're so excited to be publishing it. <\/span>\n\nCan you tell us about the Kickstarter for the GratNin <\/em>graphic novel? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nGratNin presented an exciting and singular problem -- how to present this pageless digital comic in a print format.  As per our usual ideological commitments in Beehive, we came up with the least practical, most exciting solution -- to present these remarkable stories on a series of unbroken accordion-folded scrolls, turning the downward-swiping digital read into a thrillingly physical experience. You track down four hundred feet of narrow page-space, in a format that brings to mind skyscrapers, alleyways, subway tunnels -- all the long verticals iconically representing this fantastical vision of New York. And we filled the box with ephemera from this alternate reality -- metrocards and maps and furoshikis and trading cards, making up a whole enveloping experience, skulking around New York with then Namba clan.<\/span>\n\nWhat have been some of the hurdles that you have had to overcome to get the project up to this point?<\/span><\/strong>\n\nThe biggest one was just figuring out how to present this story in a readable way. It's this pageless comic that goes down and down and down. How do you do it in print? That was the problem that we faced. It's the kind of problem that our team, and especially LAAB and GratNin designer Chloe Scheffe, find most delicious. I think it's been solved beautifully here.<\/span>\n\n\"gratnin3\"\n\nWe understand that the graphic novel will be an accordion style with folded pages; was this feature something that you wanted to do right from the beginning? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nNo -- we started with the problem. We didn't know the best solution. We thought about doing it as a scroll, as a giant folding map, as a long vertical book with a spine at the top.  The accordion seemed the most elegant solution, especially for something so long -- we're talking about 600 pages, printed on three pieces of paper. It's the best at replicating and reinventing that feeling of falling down into this crazy thrilling world that you get from reading GratNin digitally.<\/span>\n\nBeehive Books is releasing the GratNin<\/em> graphic novel as a box set; can you tell us about the box set? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nWe took the next step, when designing GratNin as a fully formed reading experience -- we created a little miniature space to explore. We filled the box with ephemera from this alternate reality -- metrocards and maps and furoshikis and trading cards, making up a whole enveloping experience. A world for you to crawl into a skulk around. We didn\u2019t want to just present a print version of Ron\u2019s wonderful web comic \u2013 we wanted to work with him to reinvent it, and to build out his world.<\/span>\n\n\"gratnin5\"\n\nAs you are crowdfunding the graphic novel and dealing directly with consumers, does that make the project more special for you?<\/strong> <\/span>\n\nWell, we crowdfund most of our projects, so it's not any different from what we usually do. But yes -- crowdfunding does mean a much deeper-than-average engagement with your audience, and we conceive of Beehive as something other than a producer of goods with a base of customers. We see our readership as a vital community, the backbone of this whole operation. They're keeping the garden cared for and the soil tilled, so we can grow the things we grow. Our practice of building books out of an engaged community of readers makes all of our projects feel a bit more special to me.<\/span>\n\n\"gratnin4\"\n\nDo you have a favourite Kickstarter reward? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nBeyond the comic itself, I really love the printed cotton-cloth furoshiki wrap! I know I'll get a lot of use out of that... just a beautiful and useful object, which is all we ever really aim to make.<\/span>\n\nAny message for the ComicBuzz readers? <\/span><\/strong>\n\nBe kind to yourself. And buy GratNin! (These two go together quite nicely.)<\/span>\n\nWe would like to say thank you to Josh for chatting to us about <\/span>GratNin. <\/em><\/span>We would like to wish the whole team of GratNin<\/em> the best of luck.<\/span>\n\nFeel free to check out the<\/span><\/strong> campaign<\/strong>: GranNin at<\/a><\/span><\/span> Kickstater<\/a>.<\/span><\/span>","post_title":"ComicBuzz Chats With Josh O'Neill","post_excerpt":"GratNin\u00a0graphic novel","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"comicbuzz-chats-with-josh-oneill","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-07 21:32:04","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-07 20:32:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207638","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":12},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_22"};

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