Solomon Kane #1

While most people know of Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Cimmerian character, due to the movies, comics and recent video game, some of Howard’s other creations get left in the dark. Solomon Kane is one such character. Written in the pulp style Howard is known for, Solomon Kane’s stories were about the puritan warrior set to vanquish evil in all its demonic forms during the 1600s. And while Conan has a strong fan base, I find that the franchise has made itself into a cliché, and have always found Solomon Kane to be a more unique character.

Dark Horse comics, best known in Howard terms for its Conan series, will so release a miniseries written by editor Scott Allie. Mr. Allie was kind enough to speak to me again about this new series and his love for the character.

Matt Knicl: What do you like about Solomon Kane?

Scott Allie: The main thing that draws me to what Howard did is the solitary figure, in a real scary wilderness, going up against very old fashioned monsters. I love the drama and the darkness of it.

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Today’s children lit market has seen some of fiction’s most innovative and fantastical ideas in the past few years. While many of these series are pale comparisons of Harry Potter, there are some that have used the surge of new readers to create unique series that focus on the main purpose of children’s lit - escapism.

The Spiderwick Chronicles is one of my favorite kid’s series out today, not just because of the writing, but because of the wonderfully illustrated creatures and the world they suppose. The series was created by Holly Black and Tony Diterlizzi, and I was fortunate enough to talk to Holly Black about these wonderful books.

Matt Knicl: What is it about fairies that fascinates you?

Holly Black: People often think of faeries as little girls with wings that sparkle, but according to folklore, faeries are capricious and dangerous creatures. A smart person wouldn’t even say the word “faery” for fear of getting their attention, but instead call them by placating names like “the good neighbors,” “the little people,” or “the people of peace.” Not because they were good or little or peaceful, but in the hope that faeries wouldn’t steal their children away and replace them with changelings or blight their crops and cause the cow’s milk to go sour. Unlike most other creatures from folklore (vampires and werewolves, for example), faeries were never human and it is their very alienness that fascinates me.

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Hole In One

A few months ago, U of I scholars and employees Damian Duffy and John Jennings released an original graphic novel, The Hole: Consumer Culture, through their CU-based comic publisher Eye Trauma Comix. This local dynamic duo plans on releasing more books in the future, and working with Krannert Art Museum, organizes comic themed exhibits to increase awareness of this medium.

Damian Duffy took time to speak with me about The Hole and his love of comics.

Matt Knicl: What inspired you to get into comics?

Damian Duffy: When I was six, my dad bought me a reprint of the two part Spider-Man story where Gwen Stacy dies. A bit later that year, I got a hold of some old Amazing Spider-Man issues when John Romita Sr. was drawing them. Once I tore through that stash, I started making my own comics. Maybe I was too young to realize you can just buy more comics, I don’t know. In a more mature time, like 14-15, I really started to get a sense of how much untapped potential there was in the medium for personal expression. Understanding Comics helped that epiphany along.

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If you read today’s Buzz, you saw but a small portion of my exclusive interview with Anita Blake scribe Laurell K. Hamilton. This is the interview in its entirety.

Matt Knicl: Who do you feel is your target audience?

Laurell K Hamilton: I don’t really target an audience. I write and if I’m enjoying it and having fun then I hope that the reader will enjoy it and have fun. In all honesty, when the sexual content was lower the demographics were 11 to 60 plus, women as well as men. I think the comic book has brought a lot of men in, but we’re seeing more men in line.

Matt: Some fans feel you put parts of your personal life into your books. Do you feel this is true or not?

Laurell: No. I put very little of my personal life on the page.

Matt: How much of the negative and positive fan feedback do you allow to influence your writing?

Laurell: I’m going to quote Thornton Wilder at you. He said criticism, negative or positive, should never end up on the written page. The people who love you can’t take too seriously because then you think you’re wonderful, and nobody’s that wonderful. And the people that hate you – that’s not true either because they hate you. They don’t know you. They hate you because of words on paper. I actually don’t read any critique or criticism; I don’t read any of it. If it’s negative, you sit there and feel bad and if it’s positive you don’t feel like you can live up to it. So either way it messes with your head. As a working writer, you just can’t afford to get caught up in it.

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Before the New York Comic Con, I was oblivious to many parts of geek culture. At NYCC, there were a lot of booths not devoted to comics, but to small collectible toys made predominantly of plastic. Many of them were of Japanese influence and I was largely ignorant of this hobby, though I didn’t feel I needed to understand it.

Then I saw Kissaki. Designed by Erick Scarecrow, founder of ESC-Toy Ltd., Kissaki was the first designer toy I have purchased. For me, it was a work of art - a delicate fantasy creation who is simultaneously peaceful and angry at the same time. For me, Kissaki is all about how you choose to perceive her. Her arms are at her side, or clenched, raised, in fists.

I wanted to know more about this scene, and spoke to Erick Scarecrow about Kissaki and his work in the field. Read the rest of this entry »

Another person I met at NYCC was illustrator Tony Moore. One of the fun things about comic conventions is the chance to meet the creators behind your favorite titles - not just the writer, but the illustrators, too. Casual comic fans take illustrators for granted, not realizing the strength of every series is the way art conveys the story. The choices the illustrator makes can have a more profound impact on the story than the author intended.

Tony Moore has worked on several of my favorite titles in the past, like The Walking Dead and Brit, and currently is working on Vertigo’s Exterminators and Dark Horse’s Fear Agent series. Mr. Moore took the time to speak to me about his projects and work. Read the rest of this entry »

One of the comic writers/artists I spoke to at NYCC was Jerry Ordway. For the past 20 years, Mr. Ordway has worked in the comic industry as a writer and artist, working mainly for DC on titles like Power of Shazam and Superman, though he has also worked for Marvel on occasion. Currently, Mr. Ordway is working on illustrations for Brave and the Bold.

Mr. Ordway took time to talk to me about his past work and his reaction to alterations made to the characters he’s written for. Read the rest of this entry »

BOOM! Studios continues it’s expansion by hiring big names in the entertainment industry. Following the appointment of Mark Waid as Editor-in-Chief last year, and Chip Mosher as Marketing and Sales Director, last month BOOM! appointed Wendy Wallace as General Manager.

According to the press release:

“Ms. Wallace started out at Universal Studios in the cable television department, ultimately becoming involved with the development, production, and distribution of many television series, movies-of-the-week, miniseries, and DVD releases. Some of her efforts include USA Network’s MONK and PRANCER RETURNS, as well as The Sci-Fi Channel’s INVISIBLE MAN series and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA mini-series. Since leaving NBC/Universal, Ms. Wallace has worked on such diverse projects as UPN’s AMISH IN THE CITY, USA Network’s DC SNIPER: 23 DAYS OF FEAR and the cable comedy hit, PSYCH. Most recently, she served as Co-Producer on The Sci-Fi Channel’s number one series to date, EUREKA. She has also functioned as a producer and consultant for feature films, music videos and various Internet-exclusive and print projects.”

The folks at BOOM! were kind enough to allow me to ask Ms. Wallace a few questions about her work and future with comics. Read the rest of this entry »

One of the titles I talked about months ago when covering Archaia Studios Press for the Buzz was Mouse Guard. This is a fun title about mice who live in a medieval time period. I was able to speak with the series’ creator, writer and illustrator David Petersen and ask him a few questions.

Matt Knicl: How did you come to Archaia?

David Petersen: Back in 2002 I went to the Wizard World Comic con in Chicago. I was wandering artist alley and met Mark Smylie. He was self-publishing then and I showed him samples of my work for his opinion. Mark gave me a great portfolio review, very honest, very helpful. So in 2005 when I was at the San Diego comic con with my self-published Mouse Guard and a writer I know said that Mark Smylie’s looking for fantasy titles for his publishing company Archaia Studios Press, I didn’t mind showing him Mouse Guard. He was excited about it and offered to publish the series in color.

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Courtesy NBC

The second interview I did for my Scrubs/Writer’s Strike article was on-set costumer Celeste LaChance.

Matt Knicl: What is your position on the show and what does that role entail?

Celeste LaChance: I work on the show as the on-set costumer. I am responsible for continuity, making sure that if we shoot part of scene 1 and then pick that same scene up a few days later, I make sure that they are in the proper change and the buttons or zipper or such matches. I work closely with the actors and the other crew members

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