Jamie S. Rich is a writer/editor who I have respected and interviewed over the years. Now, it appears he’s trying to put me out of a job as he has started a new interview project, From The Gutters. I joke about him trying to put me out of work, the more folks out there interviewing creators-the best off we all are as an industry.
Considering how well he does in this first interview, with writer/artist Matt Wagner, we are all better off for Rich having started these interviews.
Back in 2009 I interviewed writer Caryn A. Tate about her webcomic, Red Plains. More recently she has decided to go the digital route with the Red Plains property. She was kind enough to recently do an email interview on the recent creative and logistical decisions she’s made regarding the series. My thanks for her time. Here is how the site is described: “Red Plains is more than a simple ‘shoot-em-up’. Influenced by film noir, the classic pulps, true crime, and, most importantly, the authentic Western lifestyle and history as lived and researched by its author, Red Plains is the real deal.”
Tim O’Shea: What was the final benefit to you that spurred your decision to explore digital distribution as an avenue for Red Plains?
Caryn A. Tate: The main reason I decided to go digital with Red Plains is simple. I love the book and I love its readers, and releasing Red Plains in a wide-spread, easy to access format like this was the best way to get these stories into people’s hands where they can read and enjoy it. The print publishing environment is filled with obstacles to independent work and the market just isn’t a healthy one right now for new titles or creators. I wanted to be sure that fans of the book can continue to read it no matter what device they prefer, and that we can attract new readers to it by offering it at an attractive price. Like, say, free for the first issue of each storyline!
As often as possible here at the blog, I like to cover the creators and projects at ACT-I-VATE. This week, I focus upon Panels for Primates, which is “a charity anthology for the Primate Rescue Center, featuring an eclectic mix of primate stories by both well-known and up-and-coming creators”. While the stories are free (like all of ACT-I-VATE webcomics), readers are encouraged to donate what they can to the Primate Rescue Center, making sure to credit the donations to Panels for Primates. To learn more about the ongoing project, I email interviewed the project’s editor, Troy Wilson. Be sure to visit ACT-I-VATE today, as Panels for Primates is updated every Wednesday. My thanks to Wilson for his time.
Tim O’Shea: You launched the project with a story by writer Stuart Moore and artist Rick Geary. How did you score those two unique creators for the first story?
Troy Wilson: Pretty simple. I just asked. Initially, I had Rick paired with a different creator entirely, but that person had to bow out, due to a) other commitments, and b) the fact that he just didn’t feel he was coming up with anything worthy of Rick. So then I asked Stuart if he wanted to work with Rick, and I asked Rick if he wanted to work with Stuart - and they both jumped at the chance. It’s a bit of an odd pairing, really, but the results are fantastic. They bounce off each other quite nicely.
O’Shea: When former editor John Schlim Jr began this project, it was a very different beast. Has he had chance to see what you’ve developed it into? And if so, what does he think of it?
Wilson: Well, it’s very important to note that without John, this project simply wouldn’t exist. Period. He initiated the whole thing. Way back in 2007, he recruited a number of lesser-known creators, myself included, to contribute to a 20-page pamphlet of monkey comics for kids.