For those who missed the first mini-series, can you give a quick synopsis of Kaydon Klay’s story leading up to this point?
Jim: Kaydon Klay is a teenager living in Los Angeles who babysat for Farrah Durante, the most infamous killer America has ever seen. Forty of Hollywood’s biggest stars were slain during a charity fundraiser and now Kaydon is the media’s touchstone for trying to understand this horrific tragedy. What she and the media don’t know is that the otherworldly forces that drove Farrah to death and destruction haven’t gone away. They’re lurking close by and Kaydon is the new focus of their desires…
The first four issues seemed to wrap up the story of Farrah Durante whilst still leaving room to explore the consequences of the final few pages. Was it always your intention to split Glitterbomb into “seasons” or was this an idea that evolved over time?
Jim: A series of minis was the plan right from the get-go, assuming the first one did well, which thankfully it did. As soon as I started planning Glitterbomb I wanted to do three connected mini-series, each one exploring different aspects of fame and failure.
This series is unlike your other work in that it is much more serious. What made now the right time to tell these stories?
Jim: A big part of it was finding the right collaborator. Djibril Morisette-phan’s artwork jumped out at me and, once he was on board, the whole thing really kicked into overdrive. The world’s 24-7 obsession with fame and media spectacle are a fertile ground for exploration.
Like Wayward the lead in Glitterbomb and Glitterbomb: The Fame Game is a female with a lot of baggage. Is marketing this kind of book more difficult than say, a fantasy comedy like Skullkickers?
Jim: It’s harder to sell it with a smile, sure, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I don’t want to get pigeon-holed for telling one kind of story over and over again. Pushing myself into different spaces and trying different things helps keep me motivated and hopefully grabs new readers who haven’t previously thought of checking out my work.
The important part is branding each series with its own look and feel to make sure retailers and readers know if either series is up their alley.
Djibril, you came to Glitterbomb as a “newcomer” but everything from character design to layouts has the air of a seasoned pro. How do you feel you’ve developed as an artist since the first issue?
Djibril: Although my general approach to this project has not really change since the first issue, I feel like I’ve grown a lot technically as an artist since the first arc. Even if the tone of the book and my style of storytelling has pretty much stayed the same from Glitterbomb to Glitterbomb: The Fame Game, I think readers will be able to see that I’m much more confident in my drawings now than I was at the beginning of the project and hopefully, that will translate in a more enjoyable reading experience.
Are there any artists you look to for inspiration? Are you trying anything different stylistically with this mini compared to the last one?
Djibril: John Paul Leon has probably been the artist with the most influence on me during the production of this story arc. As I said, I wanted to keep the tone of the book consistent throughout the whole series so my main focus was to take what I did on the first mini, and make it more solid.
I know how important covers are to you both in maintaining a similar aesthetic that stands out every month. In saying that, are we ever likely to see a variant cover based on 1960’s horror movies?
Jim: It’s not something I expect you’ll see on Glitterbomb. I’m trying to avoid leaning in too directly to iconic horror/slasher imagery. It’s not a pastiche or an homage. This is a character-driven story where the horror is used to push the emotions deeper and darker than they already are.
I’d be interested to know the process of how this book comes together. Jim, do you write whole scripts and then send them to Djibril or is there communication between the two of you before that stage?
Jim: I write full script, detailing each page and panel along with dialogue, but Djibril tweaks those when he lays out his roughs, looking to strike a balance between that text and his own vision for how the scenes are playing out. I’ll send him visual ref, especially since this story takes place in the real world with real locations, but all of it gets dipped in extra grit and texture.
Glitterbomb: The Fame Game #1 will be available on September 20th 2017.
Part two of the intervew coming soon.
What about…Husband, Father and High School Teacher. Dreams of being a time travelling spy averting the robot apocalypse. When not geeking out enjoys creating music and watching cars go round and round a track. Waiting patiently for Timon and Pumbaa to enter the MCU. Overthinker.
