Before the interview, though, a smidge of background:

“There are places in this world where the fabric of reality has worn thin, where strange and terrible creatures have crossed over to lurk in the shadows and the night.

There is an organization dedicated to finding these creatures and sending them back whence they came, sealing the rift behind them, and maintaining the integrity of those borders.

The organization is called BEDLAM. Its agents are…The PERHAPANAUTS!”

Tim O’Shea: How soon after seeing you and Craig in these matching shirts did Larsen step down as publisher?

Todd Dezago: It was immediate. As a matter of fact, if you look very carefully at this photo, you can see Erik thinking about it, contemplating each and every possibility. (zoom in 4X or 5X on his semi-transparent noggin.) [O'Shea's personal aside: Actually I think you can really see the evolution of the resignation thought process starting on the photo with the caption "craig, todd, and erik larsen at an image panel" and ending with the photo and caption "todd and erik are amazed when craig actually speaks..."]

O’Shea: Seriously though, now that you have a few issues of the new Image ongoing, what do you find to be some of the greatest advantages of being published by Image?

Dezago: Image has been nothing short of fantastic! They–and by they I mean EVERYONE there–have been nothing but helpful, communicative, and encouraging! Everyone! From Erik Larsen and Eric Stephenson to Traci and Allen Hui–in Traffic and Production, respectively–they have all been key in making the Perhapanauts happen! But it would wrong not to mention that much of our success is the work of Image Comics’ PR and Marketing Coordinator, Joe Keatinge, who practically killed himself getting the word out about the Perhapanauts! Joe really gave our little book a huge push to get it out there and make sure that people had heard something about it! We can’t thank him enough!

O’Shea: While the new series draws upon the past Dark Horse miniseries, you also structured the first issue to be a good jump on point for new readers. Did you have some beta readers check out the first issue for its level of accessibility?

Dezago: No, I’m old school when it comes to that, trying to remember that every issue is somebody’s first issue. These days it seems, many writers take it for granted that the Reader is familiar with characters and their histories. I’m no Mark Waid or Kurt Busiek, but I consider myself fairly well-versed in the mythologies of the Marvel and DC Universes, but there have been a handful of high profile events at both companies where I didn’t know who was who or what the hell was going on. I try to make sure that every story is as accessible as possible and that the Reader has no reason to toss the comic down in frustration.

O’Shea: When you look at the original ashcans versus where the characters are now, in terms of character development (aesthetically and/or visually) which character has changed or evolved the most from then to now?

Dezago: Hmmm. I think Craig and I really had their numbers way back when. We knew who they were and where they were going right from the beginning. That was really what’s made doing this book so much fun for us–knowing what’s coming and the fates of each of these characters. All in all though, I’d say that Arisa has had the most “growth.” In the ashcan/bios we mention that she possesses a limited telekinesis, but we really haven’t investigated that too much. Instead, she has shown a lot more in the way of leadership qualities than what I (we) first imagined. She’s really taking the team on as her own.

Also, Karl (the Mothman) has developed into someone/something more than what he was originally intended, fighting desperately to get on the team and prove himself (…to himself.)

O’Shea: Could you give us some insight as to how you and Craig collaborate on the issues–do you give him a general script to work from solely, or do you thumbnail certain scenes for him?

Dezago: Craig and I are best friends and we talk on the phone at least once a day. In the course of our conversations about life and our families and our favorite movies, tv shows, music (The Office, 30 Rock, Flight of the Conchords, Fountains of Wayne), we usually discuss “the kids” too, chatting about how things should look, the “feel” of each scene and the style, some new characterizations, stuff like that. I give Craig a plot that describes the way I see the story unfolding in my head, page by page, panel by panel, giving him an idea of what the characters will be saying, what they might be thinking/feeling so that he can turn that into the acting and body language. And he takes it and runs with it, choosing the best pacing, the best camera angles, etc. to tell the story. Then I script the dialogue as I letter it, right on the page.

O’Shea: As a creator well versed in the skill of self-promotion, how much audience building have you been able to achieve through your blogging?

Dezago: I don’t really know, as our blog doesn’t have a counter. We have some really great and loyal fans, the “family” of friends who maintain a presence on the blog and on our message boards on the Image Comics Perhapanauts Forum. They are very vocal, very supportive, and very creative (with pin-ups and Perhapanauts stories of their own!) and I do receive a lot of mail from people who tell me that they saw the book on-line and that’s what got them into it. But I don’t really know if the blog is helping us to recruit new Perhapanauts Readers.

O’Shea: Interest in the paranormal comes in waves, and with shows like A&E’s Psychic Kids increasingly more popular, do you think Perhanauts could benefit from the increased interest in paranormal?

Dezago: Yeah, I’ve noticed that too. I’m hoping that people who are drawn tp shows like Ghost Hunters and Paranormal State and Monster Quest might pick up an issue of the Perhapanauts and find it interesting or intriguing or curious. I watch those shows and am fascinated with the subject matter and try to present our cryptozoological creatures in much the same way. Love that stuff!

O’Shea:What’s on the radar for the Perhapanauts ongoing series?

Dezago:Well, I’ve said it before, but we’re just thrilled to have the chance to run with it, to not be confined to a miniseries here and a miniseries there. We have LOTS of stories to tell and LOTS of crazy things in store for our gang and it’s just very nice to be able to build to some of the big events that we’ve had planned from the beginning! I can guarantee you, it won’t be dull and you definitely won’t see it coming!