Closing up shop.

PING! Mother Box PING! (and it's original incarnation, Surfing the Bleed) has been a blast. When I originally started the blog, my goal was to track my own progress breaking into comics, to help other people get access to information from professionals about breaking in, and to eventually integrate myself into the industry I love so much.

I'm now a published comic book author and journalist, and I feel like this blog has done all the good it's probably going to do. In the years since I started, I've noticed a lot of creators making a more concerted effort to offer advice and war stories to people looking to break into the industry. I won't take the credit for that, but I am proud to say that many of the people I interviewed went on to create blogs and panels similar to the experience they had through STB/PMBP.

In the time since I went back to school and started working as a copywriter, the blog has suffered. I believe it's time to give it a proper send-off and move on to an endeavor that encompasses my wide range of interests. So PMBP is closing up shop, but Stay On Target, a blog and podcast about nerd culture and writing, will carry on in its stead. Here's a glimpse of the kind of content you can expect from Stay On Target.

Goldust/Dustin Runnels as Tyrion Lannister - When the firstborn son of the American Dream Dusty Rhodes was born, I can imagine the expectations were pretty high. After all, this was the progeny of the humble son of a plumber who became the World’s Heavyweight Champion. The bar was set. Unlike Tyrion Lannister, Dustin wasn’t born a dwarf, but he did become something of the black sheep of the Rhodes family. Estranged from his ambitious, absentee father (Tywin Lannister, message for you on the courtesy raven), Dustin rebelled in the most public of ways. He became the lecherous, womanizing, overly foppish Golddust. Dustin even has a brother who is perfect in all the ways that he is not. Sounds a whole lot like the imp, right?

Cody Rhodes as Jaime Lannister - He’s not the older of the two, but after that the parallels between Cody and Jaime are uncanny. He’s everything his strange sibling Dustin is not. Where Dustin is craggy, Cody is strikingly handsome. Where Dustin carries some paunch, Cody is chiseled from stone. Where Dustin is considered a cautionary tale, Cody is expected to one day inherit the keys to the kingdom. But it’s not all easy for Cody Rhodes. Where Dustin has been free to live the life he chose, having all but erased his connection to his family for years, Cody has been constantly reminded of the fact that he’s a Rhodes from the first time he stepped into a wrestling ring. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that he should rule one day, much like his father has, and he’s been more than a little arrogant and flippant about that legacy at times. Hell, Cody even had his face (thought to be his best quality) broken and was forced to wear a mask. Kind of like a swordsman losing his hand, right?

Dusty Rhodes as Tywin Lannister - Head full of blonde hair? Check. Working well into old age, despite the fact that he should have left the family’s legacy to his children years ago? Check. A vastly prideful man whose accomplishments are known throughout the world? Check. Capable of such shocking violence, yet so full of love for his family? Check. Lives by a code of mother fucking honor? You damn right that’s a check.

The Rhodes family = The Lannisters

Family Crest - Crescent Wrench

House Words - Hard Elbows, Hard Times

Yep, that's an article comparing Game of Thrones characters to pro wrestlers. That's the kind of weird shit I think about all day, so it's the kind of weird shit I want to crow about.

To everyone who supported this blog, to everyone who contributed time, to everyone who read, who let me interview them, and who offered me work based on this, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Onward and upward.

Stay On Target

That project I told you about is coming along nicely. To be a little less cryptic, I'm trying to put together an online magazine of sorts (similar to Nerdist, Machinima, etc) that covers my myriad interests. Years ago, when I started Surfing the Bleed, which then morphed into PING!, the goal was to educate people about how to break into comics. While the blog was never a massive traffic generator, I did achieve a very positive presence in the comics industry and like to think I helped out a few people along the way.

With this new project, I'm hoping to give the same attention to my other pursuits (advertising, stand-up comedy, film) that I've given comics. That's not to say that this new venture won't also cover comics, but the reason for Surfing/PING! when I started was to create a resource for new creators. When the blog began, there still weren't a lot of guides on how to break into the industry. Since then, many creators (Kurtis Wiebe, Jim Zub, etc.) have taken it upon themselves to impart their wisdom and the wealth of knowledge available to a new creator now is vast. I'll still continue to talk comics and do interviews, but it's time for me to expand.

So what you'll see with this new platform is not only comic book news and theory, but also stuff about advertising, film, stand up and improv comedy, a podcast and, if the good lord's willin' and the creek don't rise, a webcomic. In a word: content. And it won't just be from me. For a long time I've wanted to bring other contributors into PING! to get their perspective on things, but the focus of this blog was rather myopic. With the new project, there will be a lot of room for various viewpoints and I for one couldn't be more excited.

So hold onto your butts, true believers. The future is fast approaching.

Starlord

This week it was revealed that Chris Pratt (Parks & Rec) would be playing the role of Starlord in Marvel's upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy film.  I'd like to start this out by saying that I don't have anything against Chris Pratt.  He's one of the things about Parks & Rec I like the most.  And a recent action turn in Kathryn Bigelow's  Zero Dark Thirty gives him some serious chops.  But Starlord?  I'm just not sure.  What's holding me back from embracing this casting choice?

Nathan Fillion.

As a diehard Browncoat, I'm the first person to admit that we sometimes have trouble seeing the forest for the trees.  When it comes to roles that either embody the spirt or the aesthetic of Captain Malcolm Reynolds, we just can't let Firefly go.  When it was time to cast the Green Lantern, fans everywhere made a strong case for Fillion donning the ring.  Given the success of that film, maybe Warner should have considered him over the former Two Guys cast member who did get the role.  While there hasn't been nearly as vocal a contingent trying to get Fillion cast as Starlord, it's hard to imagine a better person for the role.  But even as I type that, I have to ask myself, can I not imagine a better person for the role because I'm such a fan of Fillion as a swashbuckling astronaut?  Am I not seeing the forest for the trees?

I'm a big fan of Guardians of the Galaxy and the Starlord character is one of my favorite of all time.  I guess part of me just got excited at the prospect of my favorite sci-fi captain coming back to play my favorite comics buckler of swashes.  Que sera, sera.

Too bad he's too old to play the younger version of this handsome devil.

An Update

I apologize for the lack of content over the last, well...nine months.  No, I'm not about to announce a new baby or anything, unless you can count my finishing portfolio school as something of a baby.  Because that's the thing that's been eating up all my time.  Just so you know, PING! still exists and I'm still committed to it.  Here's how.

In the past year I also launched a blog intended to shine a light on my enjoyment of pro wrestling.  The Smark Tank was a joint effort between myself and my friend Ed that we, to say the least, have neglected.  Hell, it never even really got off the ground.  I intend to change that over the next few months.

School requires a lot of my money and a lot of my time.  Beyond that, what little time I have left is typically devoted to writing the Black Wraith and my new project which will hopefully be my second published comic.  If there is any time left after that, it usually goes to social engagements.

I can't promise that the blog will come first, or even second, in my hierarchy until school is done.  But I am going to make a conscious effort to put more content here.  On top of that, I want to eventually combine PING!, the Smark Tank and a podcast that will be coming down the pipeline as well.  I'd like to do all of this under one umbrella site, which I'm working on setting up now.

So thanks for sticking with me true believers.  2012 was great, 2013 looks bright as well.

Hamburger, anyone?

While I do know a little about stand up comedy, I must admit that when my friend asked me to review the comic he's involved in about stand up comedian Neil Hamburger, I was at a bit of a loss.  Admittedly, I don't know much about Neil Hamburger, other than the photo of the man that used to reside on my best friend's refrigerator.  What I do know is comics, which is why aforementioned friend came to me to help promote his comic.  Still, without knowing much about the founder of the feast, I wasn't sure how to go about it.  Luckily, the Grey Lady herself gave me a pretty good description of one Mr. Hamburger.

The New York Times describes Hamburger as, “a brilliantly awful persona of an old-school, C-list funnyman – the kind with an ill-fitting tuxedo and an enormous, greasy comb over – on a very bad night.  Neil Hamburger toys with an audience's expectations (and patience), and indeed his act is a kind of rude commentary on stand-up comedy altogether."

The Neil Hamburger Comics Digest is weird.  I mean, it's some strange, bawdy, funny stuff.  Which is pretty much exactly what you'd expect from anything branded "Neil Hamburger".  This is comix with an X, and that's appropriate, because it's sort of an x-rated comic book.  And that's fine.  That's great, in fact.  Because what this digest captures is just the overall abnormal feeling necessary not just for the comedy of a man like Hamburger, but for the style of Crumb-influenced underground comix you'll find within these pages.

Published by Blank Stare Entertainment and  written by Phill Hillenmeyer and Gregg Turkington (aka Neil Hamburger), Neil Hamburger Comics Digest features art by indie fan favorites and critically acclaimed cartoonists  Darick Robertson, Jeffrey Brown, Batton Lash, Chris Wisnia and more.  And the artists' love of the project is evident in every line, every panel.  The people involved in this book were clearly honored to be a part of it.

Coming into this review, I didn't feel like I knew Neil Hamburger very well.  After going through the book, I'm not sure I know the man himself much better, but I am damn interested in exploring his particular kind of loose tie, matted hair, watered down blended scotch style of comedy further.  And that means this comic does exactly what all great comics should do, and that's appeal to an established audience while grabbing a new one.  I say job well done for Hamburger and crew.

The Black Wraith Cometh.

It's here.  This is the day.  From this moment on, whatever else you can say about me, you can't say that I've never written a comic.  The first issue of my first book from Monkey Pipe Studios, the Black Wraith, is in the can.  Quite literally, as it exists as an ashcan right now.  A black and white version (full color to follow) is available for distribution to certain interested parties.  I couldn't be happier.  I'm proud of this book and what it signifies not just for me, but for a lot of people.  This is hard work personified and I hope it begets much more hard work of its kind in the future.

I freaking love comics.  I could do this all day.  Hopefully this is the first major step toward doing exactly that.

Black Wraith #1

The time is nearly upon us.   Black Wraith #1 is currently being lettered and will hopefully be available in time for Christmas.  So if you're looking for a great Christmas gift for the superhero fan in your life, you could do worse than the Black Wraith.  Also, because I love you guys so much, I'm going to give you all a preview of the first couple of pages.  That's right, FREE COMICS right here for your eyes.  Well, at least a tenth of a free comic.

ENJOY!

If you're looking for more great self published comics, don't forget to check out all the titles available from Monkey Pipe Studios.  And look for a seven page preview of Black Wraith #1 in the upcoming Department O by Jamie Gambell and Andrew MacLean.

PING! Mark Andrew Smith PING!

Mark Andrew Smith is the co-creator of the Popgun Anthology which has helped to further the careers of some of the top talent in the comic book industry.  He is also the brains behind the excellent Gladstone's School for World Conquerors and half the muscle behind one of the most successful comics projects in Kickstarter history, Sullivan's Sluggers with Orc Stain's James Stokoe.  PING! Mother Box PING! sat down with MAS to talk about Kickstarting, Sullivan's Sluggers, being an editor, loving comics and grabbing your dreams by the horns.

One thing I like to ask everyone I interview is, what got you into comics?  Do you remember the first comic you read that really stood out to you?

When I was a kid they stocked comic books at 7-11, so I’d always go in there, camp out and read everything.  No one minded or said anything because I was six.  The first comics that really stood out to me were Amazing Spider-Man and then the Mirage run of TMNT.  I was a child of the 80s and 90s.  

Was comics creation always something you pursued or, like many creators, did you exist on the periphery of the industry for a time until something sparked the realization in you that it was a viable career option?

No.  I entered as a comic book writer in full.  I always liked comics and wanted to create comics for my job ever since I was ten years old.  It’s pretty cool that I do that now, and 10 year old me, well his head would explode I think knowing what I do now.  I fell out of comics after the 90s bust, and rediscovered them in college while in film school, also reading everything I could about comic theory.  I caught up on all the books I’d missed and saw the range and potential for comics, and that and being in film school, it was the perfect storm. 

Your first book was discovered by Eric Stephenson.  How proud does it make you now to be able to work alongside Stephenson in this current publishing landscape where Image is really dominating the market in quality?

Image has flourished under Eric Stephenson’s direction, and he has excellent sensibilities as a publisher. 

Being an editor yourself, what tool set would you say a really great comics creator should possess?

You need a lot of tools.  You need a Batman utility belt of tools.  So bring everything you can.  

You co-created the Popgun anthology which has done a lot to highlight newer talent.  How important do you feel anthology publications are to the medium and are they still sort of the best way for a new creator to break in?

Anthologies are a great way to break in, because an artist can draw a few pages and get their feet wet.  Then when they go up to a publisher at a con, they can say ‘I’ve done such and such a book’ and that’s an in.  

You’ve had a fairly dichotomous career path, with titles under your belt like New Brighton Archaeological Society which are geared toward an all ages audience and your new book Sullivan’s Sluggers with Orc Stain James Stokoe, which surely is not.  Have you found maintaining that balance to be difficult?

No. I’ve always written a wide range of material and tried to diversify genres.  It just so happens that the all ages material is the work that found its way out first.  

You and Stokoe decided to fund your project through Kickstarter, which was a rousing success. I’m sure you’d seen Kickstarters go well beyond their original funding goal before, but did you have any idea there’d be this much support for yours?

I was going to be happy if it was 30K, I told myself.  Now for the next one, I need to keep those same expectations, and just stay realistic.  It was huge to see that much support for our book and this is a new model.

You’ve decided to offer the book exclusively to those who contribute to Kickstarter, choosing to cut out the middle man and handle distribution yourselves.  What was the impetus behind this decision?

I’ve been publishing for nine years, and never made anything on books, or I’d lose money.  In this system it’s backwards and everyone gets paid before the creator does, and sometimes everyone makes money and the creators are stuck with debt from creating the books.  I knew that to win the game, you had to reprogram everything, and rewrite the rules.  That’s why I did it.  I wrote about it in my ‘A to B Manifesto’ that you can find online.  

Sullivan’s Sluggers is about a team of baseball players set against a town full of monstrous denizens.  Did this book grow out of a love for baseball from either you or Stokoe, or did you both just think it offered a chance for some interesting storytelling?

It started because I liked the imagery of baseball players as a team beating monsters bloody to a pulp with baseball bats.  The book grew and grew into something rich and complex, and still fun, and meaningful.  The story telling and action really are minute by minute and second by second, which you don’t see very often.  

Sullivan’s Sluggers was kind of a long time in the works.  Did you try to pitch it to traditional publishers to no avail, or was it always something you worked on as a pet project when you had time off from other projects?

It was picked up and going to go out into shops, but the original book was going to be a lot shorter, and as I was writing it, it grew and grew.  

Now that you’ve spearheaded a very successful Kickstarter campaign, what advice would you give to those creators considering using crowd sourcing as a way to fund their books?

I have too many tips, and I think I’m going to write my tens rules of Kickstarter soon in the future.  J  I think a good one, is don’t guilt your friends into buying your book, just ask for their support by having them hit ‘Share’ and ‘Tweet’ about it, and those go a really long distance.  I didn’t ask any of my friends to buy ‘Sullivan’s’ but did the later and it paid off.  To pull off a good Kickstarter, you’ve got to plan it out months in advance, and just think about it for a month or two. 

Lastly, what advice would you give to creators just starting out in the industry about how to break in, and, more importantly, how to stay confident in the face of rejection?

People are always saying ‘follow your dreams’. But, to simply follow them is not enough. It’s passive and wishful thinking. The reality is that you have to chase your dreams down, grapple with them, body-slam them, get them into a submission move, and to hold them down for the 1-2-3 count. That’s how dreams are made reality because nothing in this world is easy.

Mark Andrew Smith's "A - B Manifesto" can be found here.  He is also on Twitter (@MarkAndrewSmith) as is his Sullivan's Sluggers co-creator James Stokoe (@HeGotGronch).  Sullivan's Sluggers #1 is currently available through Comixology.

Updates.

Hey guys.  I'm SO SORRY I've been absent for a while now.  After I got back from ECCC I jumped right into school and I've been just a bit overwhelmed with it.  The blog has suffered for that and I'm sorry for that.  I'll get back on regular updates this week.  I've also got a couple of exciting interviews coming up, so there's that to look forward to as well.

This is where I'm studying copywriting http://www.chicagoportfolio.com/ .

I'm also planning the next steps for the Black Wraith, the book I'm doing with Lee Harris for Jamie Gambell's Monkey Pipe Studios.  We've got the first ten pages in the can right now and we're gearing up for finishing the book.  Here's a sneak peek.

It would appear that Shot In the Face, the Transmetropolitan book from Sequart to which I contributed is finally coming out as well, so check back often for updates about the publication schedule.

That's what's up in my world.  What's up in yours?

Emerald City Comic-Con: A Guide to the Emerald City

I go to a lot of comic book conventions.  Despite digital publishing and social networking making the medium more accessible to new creators, conventions are still a necessary part of paving your way to steady work in the industry.  For many creators, especially those on the independent circle, convention travel can be very expensive.  The cost of conventions are the cost of doing business, and for most, that cost is time they would otherwise spend traveling, either on their own or with their families.  For those creators who have yet to make comics their full time job, that sacrifice can be a difficult one.  Given that, it’s always been kind of surprising to me that so many creators stay so close to the convention center and, in doing so, don’t really get much of a feel for the cities which they’re visiting. After my first con visit, I made a promise to myself that regardless of what business I had to conduct at the convention, I would leave myself one day to explore the city surrounding it.  Because of this, I’ve discovered things I might never have otherwise and met friends I likely never would have.  After Emerald City Comic Con last year, it occurred to me that I should share some of the cool stuff in each of these cities with you guys.  So this year, leading up to each major convention, I’m going to be publishing a City Guide for con-goers. I won’t be doing this alone though.  For each city, I’ve called upon the talents of a local expert to help craft the guide.  Consider it a sort of No Reservations for the nerd contingent.  And for our first installment, Seattle, for Emerald City Comic-Con, we have Seattle writer and photographer, Geoff Carter, ECCC organizer Jim Demonakos and, least of all, yours truly.

CHRISTIAN LIPSKI (w/assists from GEOFF CARTER)
The Pink Door at Pike Place Market (http://thepinkdoor.net/) serves Italian food in a beautifully unique setting. Do not be frightened by the trapeze hanging above the dining room - it does get used. Saturday nights there's Burlesque at 11pm (but show up as early as 8:30 to ensure a seat!). "A bit spendy, but the cocktails, entrees and appetizers are great, and occasionally there's a chansons band that plays the cantina music from 'Star Wars: A New Hope.'"

Not many con-goers tend to venture east of the freeway, up Capitol Hill, but this area is where you'll find some of the best options for food and drink.

The Six Arms (http://www.mcmenamins.com/sixarms) is a McMenamins Family pub two blocks uphill from the Convention Center. Sturdy meals, featuring burgers and their own beer. "Good beer, good tater tots."

The Knee High Stocking Co. (http://www.kneehighstocking.com/) is a straight-up speakeasy. Hard to find, and not made for casually whiling away an evening, you have to text them (206-979-7049) to reserve a table. On the other hand, the drinks are strong and the food is made with care. Not good for large groups.

Still Liquor (http://www.stillliquor.com/) is also inspired by 1920's prohibition, though in a more relaxed way. Built in an old garage, Still is a bar only - (though since food service is legally required, there are a few overpriced options), but if that's what you're after, it's right around the corner from the Convention Center.

Sun Liquor Distillery (http://sunliquor.com/), as the name implies, makes their own booze: gin and vodka. If you are a fan of vintage 50s style and classic cocktails, this is your dream come true. Fancy, but not snobby. "One of the best Negronis I've ever had."

Further up -- maybe a short cab ride -- is the Elysian, Skillet, Linda's Tavern, HoneyHole Sandwiches, Old School Frozen Custard...at a certain point, it's hard not to find good food and drinks on Capitol Hill.

Belltown, over on the west side, is another pocket of goodness for the discerning conventioneer. A 15 minute walk or 5 minute drive to 2nd and Blanchard will put you in range of these gems:

Shorty's Coney Island (http://www.shortydog.com/), as the name would imply, is the place for hot dogs and arcade games. A full-service bar and veggie dogs put the cherry on top. Must be seen to be believed. "A John Wayne Gacy'd dive with more pinball machines than God."

Mama's Mexican Kitchen (http://www.mamas.com) has been in business for 31 years, and serves up a wide range of options, including tofu fajitas. Call ahead to reserve the Elvis Room for a special experience.  "Great stick-to-the-ribs Mexican."

The Rendezvous (http://www.jewelboxtheater.com) is part of a collection of venues that include the Jewel Box Theater and the Grotto. The menu is unpretentious, from chicken tenders to burgers, and the bar has a hot mint julep. "Mac and cheese is tangy and fucking great."

Juju (http://www.jujulive.com/), formerly "The Bad Juju", is a favorite bar for many Seattleites. Happy hour until 9 every day, party-sized booths (reserve a booth for 8 or more and you get $50 to spend on drinks), Old school hip-hop and house on Saturday nights... This may be the place to wind up your nights. "Just like drinking inside of Keith Richards."

JIM DEMONAKOS

The White Horse Trading Company (http://www.whitehorseseattle.com/) is a great little bar/bookstore hidden in Post Alley, which is located right by Pike Place Market.

Il Bistro (http://www.ilbistro.net/) is also near Pike Place Market.  This simple Italian restaurant has an excellent evening happy hour with fantastic food specials.

Dragonfish Asian Cafe (http://dragonfishcafe.com/sea/) is another place that has an awesome happy hour with really excellent food and great drinks, the best thing about Dragonfish is that it’s located on the first floor of the Paramount Hotel.  The Paramount is within walking distance of the convention and where, I imagine, many of you will be staying.

Tap House Grill (http://taphousegrill.com/) has over 150 beers on tap.  Really, what more needs be said?

Beechers Handmade Cheese (http://beechershandmadecheese.com/) has two locations and Seattle is lucky enough to get one of them (the other is in NY).  It’s right across the street from Pike Place Market and boasts the best macaroni and cheese in the city.

BRETT WILLIAMS

Local 360 (http://www.local360.org/) is located a mere half a mile from Pike Place Market and offers one of the most interesting and challenging menus in the city.  One of the places I discovered on my walkabout last year, I was lured in by the restaurant’s mission statement; 


“We believe in real food, grown and harvested by the good folks in our community who take care of their land for future generations. We believe in whole, natural flavors. We believe in sustainability, not as an abstract concept, but as a conscious daily choice. We believe in hands; the hands of our local farmers, products made by hand, and the goodwill fostered by such hand-in-hand relationships.” 


Everything in the restaurant (other than coffee and sugar) comes from no farther than 360 miles from the front door of the establishment and that commitment to locally sourced meat, produce, grains, alcohol, etc. makes for a uniquely PNW experience.  Great service from a staff that clearly believes in the mission and a unique menu full of options for the foodie in you, Local 360 is a must visit.

 Nitelite Lounge (http://www.thenitelite.com/) is located near the Paramount Hotel and is a pitch perfect dive bar.  Populated by friendly bartenders and a local crowd that have their backsides permanently imprinted on the barstools, the Nitelite is a great place to start your night or to close it out.  This is unpretentious done right, with cheap cans of American beer and a solid happy hour.  If you’re going to dive in the downtown area, this is where to do it.

Zanadu Comics (http://www.zanaducomics.com/) is on 3rd Ave., again a short walk from the market, and is Seattle’s premier destination for comic shopping.  While going to a comic convention can sometimes create a bit of comic fatigue, I still like to get away from the show and check out one or two local shops.  Not so much for the shopping, but for an interest in seeing how the comics market operates outside the confines of my own town.  Zanadu is worth a stop.

Old Town Ale House (http://www.oldtownalehouse.com/), located in the Ballard neighborhood, is a great place to check out when you’re ready to get away from the downtown area.  A craft beer nerd’s dream come true, Old Town is a small and intimate pub atmosphere with good food and a great beer selection.  The prices are better than you’d expect (imperial pints for $4.75) and the taps rotate every week, so there’s always a fresh selection of beers to try.  But far and away the best thing about Old Town is the cask they keep behind the bar which has a rotating cask aged ale selection.  Whatever else you do while here, make sure you sample whatever is in that cask.


King’s Hardware (http://www.kingsballard.com/) is a short walk from Old Town Ale House and it’s a great place to sit down and tie one on.  A laid back place with a hipster crowd, King’s is a converted hardware store that’s equal parts barcade and Twin Peaks.  Tattoos and drink specials abound in this fun and inviting space.  If you’ve decided to bypass dinner at Old Town or you just spent a little more time drinking than you expected and need to coat your stomach with some food, King’s has some great bar food to go along with the fabulous beer selection and aesthetic.  This is a must see place for nerds visiting the Emerald City.

Of course everything above is just a suggestion.  What I want more than anything is for everybody experiencing the fun of a convention to take the time to get out and experience all the great things offered by the city itself.  Whatever your path to adventure, I hope that you have a blast!  Tune in over the next few months for guides to Portland (Stumptown Comic-Con), Boston (Boston Comic-Con), Chicago (C2E2) and others!

Living With Comics

The Panel Bound blog has this brief but helpful guide on how to pitch your comics.  I particularly like the bit at the end about being willing to compromise.  Just because Dark Horse can't publish your original idea, that doesn't mean they won't be impressed enough by your pitch that they throw you some Star Wars work, or ask you to contribute to DHP.  Doing something really close to what you set out trying to do is better than not doing it at all.  http://panelbound.com/2012/02/18/tips-for-pitching-your-comic/

I recently found the Comic Tools website and it really just speaks for itself.  Visit it often. http://www.comictool.blogspot.com/

The fabulous Ink Studs site had this discussion with Fank Santoro and Brandon Graham.  Anytime you get a chance to hear those two speak on comics, you take it.  Follow Ink Studs for great insight into comics.  http://www.inkstuds.org/?p=3910

Friend of the blog Kurtis Wiebe hosts an excellent podcast on creating comics called The Process.  You can find it here. http://imageaddiction.net/?cat=710

I'm going to break from talking about process and comics creation for a moment to shamelessly plug my new local comic shop.  Challengers Comics (http://challengerscomics.com/) is one of the best comics shops I've ever seen, maybe the best.  With an eye to aesthetic, quality branding and design, and smart shopping flow that separates it from the standard comic shop mold, Challengers is an instantly intimate place.  It's the sort of place you want to support, the kind of shop you want to stand in for an hour and just talk.  And that's exactly what they want you to do.  Challengers is not the place to go if you want to pour over long box after long box looking for foil variant covers from the 90s.  As co-owner Patrick Bower puts it, "We don't mark anything up, only down."  At Challengers they want you to read your comics.  Need proof?  Just ask them about their lending program, where you can rent any graphic novel from their vast rental stock for just $10 a month.  When I wasn't constantly scripting my own stuff, I used to read about six graphic novels a month.  Having a place to check out and read what you want without buying each issue is a nice way to stay abreast of good comics when you're living on a budget.  But that's hardly the only thing that Challengers does to promote reading and celebrating comics.  They run a book club (currently reading Books of Magic by Neil Gaiman), hold various special events involving people from a vast cross section of the comics world, promote the hell out of local creators and run a comics-specific art gallery called Rogues Gallery (currently showing the cover progression show by Jenny Frison).  Challengers is firmly rooted in the comic shop tradition that allowed the direct market to hold sway over the industry, but they're doing something that a lot of traditional comic shops seem unwilling to do (which alludes to problems in the industry itself); Challengers is evolving.  This is not a shop that feels terrorized by the digital shift (observe the Comixology partnership on their homepage) or a shop that allows the trends of national book store chains to dictate what they market.  Challengers promotes who they want, what they want and how they want, and that's what makes them so refreshing.  They're running a business certainly, but their business isn't collecting comics.  At Challengers, they're in the business of loving comics.  And for that, they get my love too.

PING! Kurtis J. Wiebe PING!

Kurtis J. Wiebe is a Canadian writer who broke onto the comics scene two years ago with his book Beautiful Creatures for Red 5 Comics.  In the short span of time since, he's become one of the hottest new creators in comics.  Kurtis sat down with PING! Mother Box PING! one day before the release of his newest series, Peter Panzerfaust.

Do you remember your first comic book and what it was about it that really hooked you?

KW: It was Fell by Warren Ellis and Ben Templesmith. I never read comics growing up, I lived in a small town and there wasn’t a good place to hear, let alone buy them. A friend of mine bought me a few comics for my birthday, I can’t remember what some of them were, but one was definitely Walking Dead. It was a light bulb in the brain moment because I never considered that comics could tell stories outside superheroes. A few days later I went to my LCS and asked for some recommendations. Non-Superhero, please. Fell was on the list and it was my very first series that I put on a file.

PMP: You were a copy writer for Fantasy Flight Games before breaking into the comics industry.  Were you a big RPG fan growing up and was that an industry in which you actively sought work?

KW: I definitely loved RPG’s. I still do and, let it be known to the masses, I play a fairly regular game even now. There’s something exciting and entertaining in telling stories with friends that you can’t replicate in any other medium. I can’t say it was an industry I deliberately fell into. I’d always enjoyed writing and I sort of stumbled onto writing for FFG through a community I was part of that communicated on a forum dedicated to one of their RPG settings. 


That community was a strong resource for FFG and ended up recruiting newcomer writers from that group to write the content for expanded universe material. I somehow ended up as part of that crew and did some minor writing for Fireborn and Midnight.

Fireborn RPG Campaign Setting

PMP: Did your experience at FFG help you make connections in the comics industry?

KW: Not at all. They were two entirely separate beasts and I wasn’t even reading comics at the time I had been writing for FFG. In fact, I’d only started reading them a year or so later and I found the medium to be an exciting one to write for. I enjoyed script writing and the thought of another creative type bringing my story to life was what made the focus change. I still find short stories and longer form prose rewarding, but comics is my main love affair.

PMP: You broke onto the scene with Beautiful Creatures for Red 5 Comics.  Tell us a bit about that story and how you managed to break into the industry and get it made.

KW: I was lucky, very much “friend of a friend” type of situation. Paul Ens, the co-owner of Red 5 Comics, and I shared a friend and I was able to have contact with him through the mutual acquaintance. I’d put a few pitches together with two different artists, but it was ultimately Beautiful Creatures (Then titled The Reborn) that they decided to go with.

Beautiful Creatures

I’d met the creative team (Ash Jackson and Frank Zigarelli) through Comicspace and the project came together rather quickly, especially with a publication date 4 months on the horizon. Keep in mind, while it was only a 2 issue series, each comic was 48 pages.


PMP: A lot of people in comics seem to come from a design or advertising background.  While design certainly teaches tools such as layout and perspective, what bearing, if any, did working as a copy writer have on your ability to write comics?

KW: Probably a succinctness to get the story across. You have to be able to accurately tell exactly what it is you are trying to either sell or promote in as short a space as possible. That was a lesson that applied to dialogue as it’s a totally different style to novels and short stories. With that medium you can really let loose with dialogue, but comics is different. It needs to be more subtle, more played down so that the art can sell a lot of the mood and atmosphere.

PMP: Do you have any background as an artist yourself?

KW: None. I sketched for a while one summer and I actually improved a lot. I could replicated some drawings in fantasy books with decent detail but I got frustrated and haven’t picked up an illustrating pencil since. I leave that to the real talented people out there.

PMP: Talk a bit about your process.  Are you a more fast and loose script writer, leaving a lot up to the artist’s interpretation, or do you create very detailed and defined panel descriptions?

KW: Both. I mix it up a lot in the scripting process and depending on the scene take more or less control of camera and detail. It also greatly depends on the artist I’m working with. In general, if I’m working with an artist for the first time, or, I’m writing a script without an artist in mind, I am a lot more descriptive in the panel direction. If it’s an artist I’ve worked with before or I’m familiar with their ability, I entrust more to their skill and allow the illustrator a lot of freedom to make the script come to life.


That said, I rarely direct layout. Unless there’s a specific story point that relies on how the panels are pieced together, I keep it simple and leave that up the artist.

PMP: In just a couple of years in the industry you’ve had the opportunity to work with some very talented illustrators.  How did you develop the relationships you’ve had with your collaborators?

KW: A lot of the talented people I work with are friends or I’ve met through those friendships. At least, that’s where it all started. Now that I’m putting new pitches together, I’ve discovered a lot of the artists through conventions or via Twitter or other social networking sites. Every comic convention I go to I set aside one day to stroll through artist alley and take business cards and chat with creators who really catch my eye. I find that time spent to be some of the most enjoyable.


PMP: Most of the work you’ve done has been through Image Comics. Most people in the industry are familiar with the Image model and how it benefits creators.  Still, a lot of the promotion and legwork involved in publishing an Image book is left up to the creators.  To what extent did social media play a role in getting the word out about your various projects?

KW: Image is great because they are a really hot commodity right now, so quite often there are media sites that are chasing after them for promotional and marketing material. Image always has previews and promos available (which we put together and supply for them) but, in general, we’re left to follow up all those leads and get the interviews and other promotional material to the public. 


Twitter has been great for that and I’ve managed to book signings, reviews and interviews with people I never would’ve met otherwise. It’s probably the most important networking tool I can think of and I strongly urge any creator, published or otherwise, to be involved.


PMP: On that same note, to what extent did the classic “pound the pavement” convention season approach play a role in getting the word out?

KW: I made 4 appearances last year and I definitely learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t for the level I’m at with my career. The shows that benefited my career most were definitely the smaller ones. Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle and Calgary Entertainment Expo were my best shows as I sold a lot of merchandise and made some great connections with creators and fans. 


NYCC was an amazing experience because of the trip itself and spending time with friends but the show was so massive I was just a face in the crowd. I only had two small signings and wasn’t able to do a panel appearance, so my ability to talk about new or current projects simply was limited.

PMP: You recently spread the news that your horror title Green Wake, which you do with the wildly talented Riley Rossmo, was being cancelled.  In my opinion, Green Wake was the best horror comic being published and rivaled books like Hellboy and B.P.R.D. for compelling readability.  How do you deal with a book like that being canceled and how do you stay positive and keep working after the fact?

KW: Wow, thanks. That’s a very high compliment and means a lot to me. Green Wake was everything it needed to be for me personally and professionally. I know that, despite its early ending, I managed to connect with some very supportive fans and at the same time, work through some personal struggles through the themes and characters of the story.  


It was frustrating to be forced into a position where we simply couldn’t afford to do the series anymore, even with all the great reviews and lists we made. That said, I’m extremely proud of what Riley and I were able to do with the series in its short life and it’s paved the way for new projects and opportunities that simply didn’t exist anymore. That’s how I stay positive, see all the great moments that have come about for me because of how well it was received.

Green Wake by KJW and R. Rossmo

PMP: You say Green Wake was a very personal story.  What events in your life led to its creation?

KW: The themes of Green Wake are centered on guilt and loss, about how we often take those feelings and turn them inward and let them fester. After awhile, those emotions can change us and the longer we leave it, the more they shape who we are.


When I started writing Green Wake, I was going through a very difficult time in a marriage that simply wasn’t working. I’d known it for some time but was so wrapped up in the thought of hurting that person and disappointing people around me that I just kept on with life as it was. Eventually there came a breaking point and it all came apart. 


That’s where Green Wake came from and it was through the series I was able to understand my decisions.

PMP: You always hear, “write what you know.”  For years I agonized over this, thinking that everything was supposed to have some shred of autobiography to it.  Recently, I’ve determined that “write what you know” probably means what you do will always be informed by what you’ve done and who you are.  Would you agree with that?  How much does your past inform what you do?

KW: I  believe my strongest writing comes from an honesty with where I’m at in life and being brave enough to put it out there for the world to see. We are all products of our experiences and every event, from minor to major, shapes our point of view and how we interact with the world around us.


Some of us are lucky enough to be able to express those experiences through stories and characters. It’s why writing is the best therapy, we infuse our viewpoints into fictional people so that they are believable creations, fictions that a comic reader can identify with and understand.

The Intrepids by KJW and Scott Kowalchuk

PMP: What’s going on these days with the Intrepids?

KW: Not a heck of a lot. Scott is booked solid with a few projects at Oni and he’s half of what makes Intrepids the series it is. We’d talked about visiting the characters again in the future, but there hasn’t been anything solid on that in awhile.


PMP: Tell us about your new project, Peter Panzerfaust.  From what I’ve read, the series will re-imagine the classic JM Barrie Peter Pan tale in a very pulp-style Nazi germany.  Sounds awesome!


KW: That’s exactly what it is, but it’s actually a lot more than a retelling of the mythology. It’s inspired by and recreated through a filter that is entirely me and Tyler. While the cast of characters from Peter Pan make appearances (and a lot of the key scenes), we’re taking those and throwing a complete new spin on them that is appropriate for the occupied France of World War II. 

The story follows a mysterious American boy named Peter who saves a ragtag group of French orphans during the Nazi siege of Calais. The series will follow their adventures as they escape Calais, attempt to get to Paris and, eventually, get caught up in the French Resistance. 

Peter Panzerfaust #1

PMP: While titles such as Green Wake certainly appeal to an adult audience, I’d say you could be comfortable putting The Intrepids or Peter Panzerfaust into the hands of a younger reader. As someone who works in an industry that seems to do very little to garner new, younger readership, is writing a book like Peter Panzerfaust a direct move on your part to try and create something that ALL readers of ALL ages can enjoy?

KW: I definitely think it could appeal to a younger audience. I grew up loving the light hearted adventure movies of my childhood. Indiana Jones, Princess Bride, The Rocketeer; all great examples of high action adventure stories with a fun lead character and amazing action set pieces. That’s the fun we’re going for with the series, but at the same time, we’re striving to make the characters more real, more relatable. I always want to have a compelling arc for the people who live in the world I’ve created so that the stakes are higher and people care about what happens to them.

That does mean sometimes our series will go a bit darker, but not the extent of alienating a younger readership. We’ll never have gruesome violence or inappropriate language, but there will be some mature themes.  

PMP: What advice would you give writers trying to break into this industry right now?

KW: Honestly, I’d point them to the writing podcast I’ve been doing for awhile now. We’ve had some amazing special guests on the show who talk about their process and I talk with my co-hosts about the industry and how I broke in, tips and advice, everything you could want to know about my personal journey and the career path of other established professionals. It’s called The Process and you can find it on www.imageaddiction.net  or by going right to our Facebook fanpage here: 
http://www.facebook.com/TheProcessPodcast

PMP: You seem to be content doing your own creator-owned work on the indie scene.  Is there a desire to write mainstream books and mainstream characters, or does your path into comics lead you far away from the confines of Gotham and Metropolis?

KW: I had my first Marvel work published in the 2011 Holiday Annual and it was a really fun experience. I’d love to do more work for them, but at the moment I’m snowed under with my personal projects that are a hell of a lot of fun. There’s nothing like total control over your stories and characters. 

PMP: Which creators in the industry do you look up to and which books are you enjoying right now?

KW: A lot of them are Image colleagues, truthfully. Many of the people I know and keep in frequent contact with are putting out material that inspires me, or, more often, they are people whose passion and energy keep me motivated and encouraged.

Jim Zubkavich of Skullkickers, Justin Jordon of Strange Talent of Luther Strode, Sina Grace of L’il Depressed Boy and a stack of others. 

As far as reading, I find that I’m actually going back and reading comics that were around before my discovery of the medium. I recently read Black Hole by Charles Burns and loved it, and Riley Rossmo (my Green Wake co-creator) got me hooked on the Swamp Thing run by Alan Moore. 

PMP: Lastly, what’s your convention schedule look like this year?

KW: Busy for the first half. Busier than I’ve ever been, actually. How about a bullet list?

Alpha Comics Signing, Calgary, Alberta. February 15th
Image Comic Expo, Oakland, California. February 24th-26th
Third Eye Comics Signing, Annapolis, Maryland. March 17th
Emerald City Comic Con, Seattle, Washington. March 30-Apr 1
Calgary Entertainment Expo, Calgary, Alberta. April 27th-29th
Readers Comics Signing, Regina, Saskatchewan. May 5th, Free Comic Book Day
Strange Adventures Signing, Halifax, Nova Scotia, June 2nd
Saskatoon Blitz Comic Convention, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, June 9th
Vancouver Comic Con, Vancouver, B.C., September 5th



Thanks again to Kurtis for taking the time to do this interview.  I’ll be back tomorrow with my thoughts on Peter Panzerfaust #1! Also, be sure you visit Kurtis' blog at http://kurtiswiebe.wordpress.com for more advice on writing and the comics industry!