Talking with Tim

Elizabeth Genco caught my attention a month or so back, with a post she did for Blog@Newsarama on “How to Get Your Indie Book into Comic Shops”. If more indie creators sought the counsel of retailers like she did , I think we’d see a great deal more successfully marketed projects. I contacted her to discuss her upcoming work, Blue–partially because I respected her marketing savvy.

Here’s the official word on the project:

“BLUE
by Elizabeth Genco w/art by Sami Makkonen, coming July 2008 from Desperado Publishing. Available for pre-order in MAY 08 PREVIEWS (MAY083778). Preview pages HERE.

A fresh, fantastic take on the bloodiest of classic fairy tales. When Blue’s ex-boyfriend appears on her doorstep, he says he wants to make things right. His true intentions are far more sinister. Blue’s shape-shifting powers can help her outrun him, but to survive, she must face him as herself.”

And, rather than trying to summarize her diverse bio, I merely direct you to go here. Finally, I am fairly certain this is the first time I have interviewed a busker–I could be wrong.

Tim O’Shea: How did you end up collaborating with Finnish artist Sami Makkonen?

Elizabeth Genco: Oh, gosh, I’m not even sure anymore! I think I first found his work on The Engine, maybe? I can’t remember exactly, but I do remember thinking, “This guy is the bomb… he’s probably got starving writers crawling all over him… he’ll never have time for l’il old me!” But I tend to be pretty ballsy when it comes to approaching artists, so I just gave it a shot.

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Mike Allred is an artist with a narrative approach quite unlike most comic book storytellers. Last week saw the release of Madman Atomic Comics 8, which we discuss in this email interview (and is being touted as a “fantastic jumping-on point for new readers”), as well as discussing other Madman matters. Just to give you a heads up (and not to sugarcoat things), I misidentify a Paul Pope cover as being an Allred piece in this interview. Just to show what a nice fellow that Allred is, I left my mistake and his kind correction in the interview. My thanks to Allred for the interview and Image’s Joe Keatinge for facilitating it.

Tim O’Shea: Other than not having to handle a great deal of the business minutiae of self-publishing, what have been some of the best benefits of shifting from self-publishing to Image Comics?

Mike Allred: Simple. A well oiled machine. Top notch crew. Ace printing and marketing costs. Smooth.

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I think DC Comics should employ writer Tom Peyer a great deal more. So to see him take on Flash writing chores in the wake of Mark Waid’s departure was a step in the right direction for my money. This Wednesday, April 16, marks the release of Flash 239, the second issue in Peyer’s first arc. We got to discuss his take on this phase in Wally West’s life and also discuss some of Peyer’s other non-DC projects. And, with the return of the baseball season, plus Peyer’s and mine shared love of the game (and in his case, a fondness for the Yankees) we had to talk baseball, however how briefly. I regret I was not quick enough to ask the Yankee fan about the time then-Yankee second baseman Chuck Knoblauch accidentally hit Keith Olbermann’s mom with an errant throw to first that flew into the stands.

Tim O’Shea: When you found out Waid was stepping down from the Flash, what was it mainly that attracted you to the assignment?

Tom Peyer: I’ve loved The Flash since I was a kid, so that’s all I needed right there. I also really enjoy writing characters people outside of comics have heard of. I hope you never have to explain R.E.B.E.L.S. ‘94 to your dental hygienist, because it’s a pain. So thanks, Flash, for being pretty well-known.

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The overall buzz on Fred Chao’s Johnny Hiro (Half Asian, All Hero) [AdHouse] frequently boils down to words like “genuine” or “fun” or both. What else can you expect from a series that involves giant monsters, stolen lobsters and David Byrne? Well that’s just some of the things encountered in the first three issues. So naturally I was eager to interview him about his work, as well as an upcoming exhibition of paintings he has this Saturday, April 5 at Charmingwall Gallery.

Tim O’Shea: In terms of the backstory, I’m curious with Mayumi, why did you opt to create a character (in Johnny Hiro) who clearly is still learning the nuances of the English language but she makes a living as a copywriter (or is she a copywriter in her native language)?

Fred Chao: Perhaps it’s a weakness in my writing–I’m not sure yet–but the indulgence I let myself fall into most is humor. So a lot can be put aside for a good joke, as long as it doesn’t go against the characters. That said, I just thought it would be funny for Mayumi to be working on the editorial side at a major publishing house despite English being very obviously her second language.

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No Jeff Parker’s not in jail or imprisoned in any metaphorical or actual manner.

And he’s gonna be annoyed that I don’t post with any graphics. But hey, he’s the guy who just posted an eight-part prose piece at his blog.

That’s where the free part comes into play here. While this first ran elsewhere in anticipation of his Marvel Comics 2006 miniseries, Agents of Atlas, Parker recently re-ran the eight-part Menace from Space story. Here are links to part one, part two, part three, part four, part five, part six, part seven and part eight. Jeff’s a great writer and the gives folks great dialogue lines like:

“I’m not finding the pulse.”

“Well I couldn’t find a suspect, so we’re even,” said Marvel Boy.

Thanks for the free entertainment, Jeff.

Writer/artist Terry Moore is on a very short list of successful, long-term self-publishers. Last year, Moore wrapped up Strangers in Paradise, after a 14-year run. This month, he launched a brand new series, Echo, a bimonthly ongoing series about (at its core) “Julie Martin, a photographer taking pictures in the desert [who]… finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time.” As if that is not enough, he is also writing two series for Marvel, Runaways and Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane. The bulk of this email interview focuses on Echo, understandably.

Tim O’Shea: More than a decade and a half ago was that last time you started self-publishing a comic book. On this go-round (in albeit a vastly different market) what are you doing different to make the book a better product (both for retailers and readers)? What logistical challenges are you dodging on this round?

Terry Moore: I’ve found I can’t work faster or slower anymore. Whether it’s a con sketch or a cover for the comic, I only have one speed because every drawing now has to be good. I’ve lived with deadlines so long they no longer scare me, I’m more interested in the final product, so the book will always be the best I can make it. I think that showed in the last couple of years of SiP and it shows in Echo. That’s the best thing I can do for my retailer partners, is make the best book I can and then go out and promote the hell out of it.

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As much as I hope to broaden the scope of interview topics in the weeks and months to come, there’s no escaping my interest and connections in the comic book industry. It’s where the bulk of my reputation as an interviewer is known.

So for folks who were wishing to see me do more comic book/graphic novel interviews, the next few weeks will be good for you. Tomorrow we will be running an interview with Terry Moore (known for his long run on Strangers in Paradise), who recently embarked on a new self-published title, Echo. The week after that I have an interview to run with Fred Chao, the creative force behind Johnny Hiro (AdHouse).

So, I hope you enjoy the upcoming comic book interviews, but I am open to suggestions on all pop culture fronts. Please drop me a line if you would like to suggest a topic to cover or a person to interview. My content can only improve with your insightful perspectives.

A month or so ago, when I first contacted Joey Weiser, mainly it was to discuss his 2007 AdHouse book, The Ride Home. As with most good interviews, the email exchange took us in different interesting directions. Also as luck would have it, Weiser recently announced the release of his new collection, Tales of Unusual Circumstance, which is published by Author House and can be purchased here. Tales of Unusual Circumstance is a collection of work he’s done in mini-comics, anthologies or elsewhere over the past four years, as well as 48 pages of previously unreleased material. Here’s the core official line on the creator before we launch into the interview: “Joey Weiser was born on April 5, 1983, and has lived most of his life in Bloomington, Indiana. He is a graduate of the Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD). Weiser’s comics have appeared in several anthologies, and his first graphic novel, The Ride Home, was published in 2007 by AdHouse Books.”

Tim O’Shea: For your first major project after earning your degree from SCAD, I’m wondering what made you opt for an all ages project like The Ride Home?

Joey Weiser: There wasn’t really a decision to make an all ages story. The Ride Home is just the kind of story that I write naturally. My older work was a bit more all over the place, but once I recognized that the kind of story that I enjoy creating is typically categorized as “all ages” it’s pretty easy to omit an occasional “Oh crap!” or whatever that might come through in a first draft that might keep it from being okay for everyone. But, honestly, I didn’t give it much thought.

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Well to be honest, Saturday was my birthday, so I was swamped offline for a good part of the day.

That being said, I’ve decided to join my friends over at Blog@Newsarama, as a regular contributor with its Quote, Unquote column. Here is my first installment.

Then tonight, I decided to lurk in the comments section of PopSmart (Creative Loafing Atlanta’s A&E blog) while they liveblogged the Oscars. It was the most fun I ever had watching the Oscars, honestly. An I got to learn more about a local indie movie theater and a filmmaker while talking with fellow commenters.

I’m unsure how well I will keep doing the third post of the week on the blog. Of course, as the readers, I understand if you say to yourself: “I’m unsure how well I’ll come by to read your blog, pal.” But rest assured, I will always have an interview up by late Monday evening and a post on Wednesday. The Saturday post is slowly morphing into a “sometime during the weekend” timed post. But hopefully my thoughts while late, will still interest.

Visitors to the site may remember my late January used bookstore discovery of Bill Mauldin’s 1944 World War II book, Up Front. That discovery ultimately led me to contact Todd DePastino, regarding both his latest work, a biography of Bill Mauldin: A Life Up Front (which is to be released by W. W. Norton on February 25) and Mauldin’s Willie & Joe: The WWII Years (edited by DePastino and set to be released on March 24 by Fantagraphics). I can honestly say I enjoy every interview I do for this blog, but when DePastino’s replies hit my email in-box, I just sat and savored it for at least 15 minutes. After reading it once, I stood up from my computer and paced for a moment or two, that’s how engaging I found his responses. While it may be apparent that I had not gotten my hands on a copy of the biography before this interview, I have since been able to peruse an advance copy. As interesting as you (hopefully) will find this interview, it’s only a small aspect of the wealth of information that DePastino packs into the 320-page book. Before starting the interview, here’s DePastino’s official bio blurb: “Todd DePastino is the author of Citizen Hobo: How a Century of Homelessness Shaped America and the general editor of the cartoon collection Willie & Joe: The WWII Years. He teaches at Waynesburg College and lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.” It seems only fitting that we also got a chance to discuss the upcoming Fantagraphics book, given that I first learned of Mauldin thanks to Dirk Deppey writing about him back in late 2002.

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