I am sorry for the delay last week. Erik got me the interview, but due to work on Journeymen I was unable to get it posted. It would have been mid-week to get it up. Instead I have decided to try and stick to a schedule-ish. So here is the interview I have been sitting on for awhile now. I must apologize to Erik for the delay.
- First question is always the same I am afraid. How did you learn about Kickstarter?
I think I must have seen a project link through Facebook, and it was a very intriguing . I had an earlier, simpler comics project that I submitted for approved in January 2010, so I’ve been thinking about this for a while.
- What methods if any have you used to promote your project?
Primarily Facebook, Twitter and word of mouth, which has been a big part of promoting illustration in the past few years anyway. Kickstarter seems like an organic growth from those networking platforms
- I read through your project info and I found the inspiration was great. How long did you sit on the idea before starting to work on it?
I had a silent narrative in my mind for a few years that will actually be the end sequence of this book. It was just a scene though, without a larger framework. The bigger picture fell together after I’d collaborated with my friend Mark Fearing on a graphic novel pitch which we took to SDCC in ‘09. That was my first convention and I came home excited to work on a book of my own. By the next year I had most of what is presented here.
- I have found that the comics I really enjoy, at least the ones I really want to back, all have something personal about the creators in them. Was this story done as a response to understand your son or a means to deal with it?
Good question… and I’d have to say both. Parenting is difficult enough without unusual circumstances, but if you experience a language delay or similar, you need to act on it very early age testing and enroll in fairly aggressive (and effective) ECSE programs. It’s a very independent journey for a small child. The parents take a separate, internal journey that’s probably harder.
I’m sure it was therapeutic to turn several points of confusion into the satrting place for a story, but I guess that’s fiction.
- So if the boy in your story is your son, does that make you the giant?
I do occasionally lumber around the woods, but I’ve never said the character IS my son (who was very young when I started this) but I did want to create a resourceful, heroic, character that he might identify with at some point. Hopefully the boy is universal, while the giant is elemental.
- How long do you see this story going? Does the 32 page book cover it all?
I have a loose seven-chapter story arch where the story scales up and becomes a little more sci-fi/adventure (I’m a huge Jack Kirby fan). This book is more lyrical and allegorical. I see it as a stand-alone story but it would set up the rest of them.
- Looking at the artwork it is great, but I can tell there is definitely an illustration feel to it. Is this the style that you generally use or something you created for the comic?
For better or worse, that’s how I draw. I actually thought I was giving this my most ultra-commercial finish, and then realized it’s just how I draw.
- Have you had any troubles doing sequential art, with an illustration background? Or I could be completely off base with that. It wouldn’t be the first time.
No, I love drawing sequential comics, it’s literally like taking your illustration for a run. I intended to be a comic book artist as a teenager, so it’s how I learned to draw. I’ve contributed multi-page stories to (Nicholas Blechman’s) Nozone and single page comics to several magazines and newspapers, so this is nothing new, it will just be my first professional solo book.
- It has been mentioned a time or two, but my actual profession is a printer. You have some very specific goals/plans for your production. Can you let us know why?
It’s always good to a printer! — I got specific because I’ve been very fortunate through my career at CSA Design to work with clients including French Paper Company, which is one of the oldest, coolest paper mills in the country. They make amazing environmental sheets including a high end newsprint which I’ve always wanted to run a comic book on. Their paper also fits the look of this book.
In regards to the printing, there is an amazing cartoonist in town who operates his own printing press. I’m hoping he’ll have the time to help me print it (I used to print my own comics in art school and love being close to the process).
- I have to ask as project creator as well. How is it you are able to offer you book and shipping at $5, aren’t you a bit worried about losing money?
A lot of friends have wondered about that-! I’ll just say that I wanted people to buy this book on impulse without worrying about the cost. I’m old enough that I used to buy comics for $.35 and take home with a stack of them. $5 still seems like a lot to me, but it will generally cover the cost of 1 book and shipping. Kickstarter means you take the speculation out of self-publishing and it spreads your costs aover many backer levels. The $5 might attracting a broader audience, so it’s good for the whole project.
- Now in the video it looks like have the book completed, but the description says the art is halfway done. How close to complete are you?
I’ve done the introductory chapter (1/2 of the book), which establishes the hard stuff pretty quickly: the world, the characters and the conflicts. I took the “start” in Kickstarter seriously, and wanted to launch before progressing any further on my own without a sense of audience.
- Can you tell our readers about your process for creating Outliers from script to finished page? I like to try to show the process for those trying to learn it.
I wrote the script (a first), and created several color concept drawings to flesh out the world. From there, I took the script and a Moleskine pocket notebook on vacation one winter to scribble the layouts while blocking in the action. This really helped. I did tighter breakdowns, and (since I’m not much of a penciler) I invested in a large Epson printer so I could run my own blue-line art on Bristol board – a tip I got from the legendary local cartoonist Peter Gross.
I ink the art and then scan them back into the computer for compositing with borders and word balloons. When there’s full color it’s done digitally (although the 2-color pages will be done with an ink overlay).
- What has working on this project taught you? General or more specific. Please feel free to tell what you want.
A lot, my head is still spinning–! This would be a good follow-up question in about 6 months!
- Well, I think I have given you enough to work with. To close this is there anything you would like to say to your backers and potential backers?
I feel very lucky, I have great friends, friends of friends, family, some from around the world or out of the blue backing this- and that’s been a great surprise. It’s been fantastic to see new backers choosing those $5 or $20 books because they like what they see– it gives me the same thrill that discovering new artists and new ideas in the comic book shops gave me as a youth.
Thank you Erik for taking the time to get these questions done with the holidays. This has been a very busy week for me here and I apologize to those few of you who read this blog. I thank you all for the support this year and the support you have shown many of the featured projects. Well I made to the end of 2011 and backed a total of 30 Kickstarter Projects. Not all of the succeeded but many did. This is only the start of many great things to come for Kicking it Geek Style. I hope to see you all around the rest of the year.
Here is wishing you all a very Happy New Year.
Projects to Watch
Screws Loose
I am sorry all, but I am beat this week. Please look at the projects I am posting and make up your own minds about these projects.
Oceanverse
Nearly There…
The Bean Vol 2
Travis has just 4 more days. He has already made his funding so if you want your Vol 2 or you need both books stop by and back his project.
Nearly completed their funding and could be looking for a little help.
Well this is our first rushed Kicking it Geek Style of 2012. Next week I will be talking with folks over at Studio 789 about their project Rain:A collection of Comics and Illustratioins see you next week.