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[Creator Spotlight] PopCultHQ’s Writer of the Month – June 2018: Fred Van Lente

by Jason Bennett
written by Jason Bennett

PopCultHQ is kicking off 2018 in a new way. Each month, we’ll be selecting Comic Book Creators of the Month and interview them for a spotlight article. For June 2018’s Writer of the Month, we chose Fred Van Lente.

When I began my research of Fred Van Lente’s work as a writer in the comic book industry, I was not prepared for the massive list of credits to his name. I will note that this article does feature a combined 387 comic book covers in slideshows featuring the award-winning writer’s work. And that’s not counting a considerable amount of one-shots, appearances, scattered issues, etc. Let’s run down some of the highlights…

At Marvel Comics, Van Lente has been featured all across the Marvel Universe, writing for Alpha Flight, Amazing Fantasy, Amazing Spider-Man, The Avengers: Black Widow Strikes, Captain America: First Vengeance, Chaos War, Chaos War: Dead Avengers, Dark Reign: Mister Negative, Deadpool, Deadpool vs. the Punisher, Eminem/Punisher (?!), Fantastic Four and Power Pack, Guardians of the Galaxy: Telltale Games, Halo: Blood Lone, Herc, Incredible Hercules, Incredible Hulk, Iron Man Legacy, Marvel Zombies, Power Man and Iron Fist, Power Pack: Day One, Savage She-Hulk, Skrulls vs. Power Pack, Spider-Man: Big Time, Super-Villain Team-Up/MODOK’s 11, Taskmaster, Weapon X, Web of Spider-Man, Wolverine: First Class, and X-Men Noir.

Cover Gallery of Van Lente’s Work at Marvel Comics

Alpha Flight (2011) #1
Alpha Flight (2011) #1
Amazing Fantasy (2004) #7
Amazing Fantasy (2004) #7
The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #602
The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #602
The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #603
The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #603
The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #604
The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #604
The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #605
The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #605
Chaos War: Dead Avengers (2011) #1
Chaos War: Dead Avengers (2011) #1
Chaos War: Dead Avengers (2011) #2
Chaos War: Dead Avengers (2011) #2
Chaos War: Dead Avengers (2011) #3
Chaos War: Dead Avengers (2011) #3
Chaos War (2010) #1
Chaos War (2010) #1
Chaos War (2010) #2
Chaos War (2010) #2
Chaos War (2010) #3
Chaos War (2010) #3
Chaos War (2010) #4
Chaos War (2010) #4
Chaos War (2010) #5
Chaos War (2010) #5
Dark Reign: Mister Negative (2009) - #1
Dark Reign: Mister Negative (2009) - #1
Dark Reign: Mister Negative (2009) - #2
Dark Reign: Mister Negative (2009) - #2
Dark Reign: Mister Negative (2009) - #3
Dark Reign: Mister Negative (2009) - #3
Deadpool (2011) #2
Deadpool (2011) #2
Deadpool (2011) #5
Deadpool (2011) #5
Deadpool (2011) #8
Deadpool (2011) #8
Deadpool (2011) #13
Deadpool (2011) #13
Deadpool Team-Up (2010) #899
Deadpool Team-Up (2010) #899
Deadpool vs. The Punisher (2017) #1
Deadpool vs. The Punisher (2017) #1
Deadpool vs. The Punisher (2017) #2
Deadpool vs. The Punisher (2017) #2
Deadpool vs. The Punisher (2017) #3
Deadpool vs. The Punisher (2017) #3
Deadpool vs. The Punisher (2017) #4
Deadpool vs. The Punisher (2017) #4
Deadpool vs. The Punisher (2017) #5
Deadpool vs. The Punisher (2017) #5
Eminem/Punisher (2009) #1
Eminem/Punisher (2009) #1
Fantastic Four and Power Pack (2007) #1
Fantastic Four and Power Pack (2007) #1
Fantastic Four and Power Pack (2007) #2
Fantastic Four and Power Pack (2007) #2
Fantastic Four and Power Pack (2007) #3
Fantastic Four and Power Pack (2007) #3
Fantastic Four and Power Pack (2007) #4
Fantastic Four and Power Pack (2007) #4
Guardians of the Galaxy: Telltale Games (2017) #1
Guardians of the Galaxy: Telltale Games (2017) #1
Guardians of the Galaxy: Telltale Games (2017) #2
Guardians of the Galaxy: Telltale Games (2017) #2
Guardians of the Galaxy: Telltale Games (2017) #3
Guardians of the Galaxy: Telltale Games (2017) #3
Guardians of the Galaxy: Telltale Games (2017) #4
Guardians of the Galaxy: Telltale Games (2017) #4
Guardians of the Galaxy: Telltale Games (2017) #5
Guardians of the Galaxy: Telltale Games (2017) #5
Halo: Blood Line (2010) #1
Halo: Blood Line (2010) #1
Halo: Blood Line (2010) #2
Halo: Blood Line (2010) #2
Halo: Blood Line (2010) #3
Halo: Blood Line (2010) #3
Halo: Blood Line (2010) #4
Halo: Blood Line (2010) #4
Halo: Blood Line (2010) #5
Halo: Blood Line (2010) #5
Herc (2011) #1
Herc (2011) #1
Herc (2011) #2
Herc (2011) #2
Herc (2011) #3
Herc (2011) #3
Herc (2011) #4
Herc (2011) #4
Herc (2011) #5
Herc (2011) #5
Herc (2011) #6.1
Herc (2011) #6.1
Herc (2011) #6
Herc (2011) #6
Herc (2011) #7
Herc (2011) #7
Herc (2011) #8
Herc (2011) #8
Herc (2011) #9
Herc (2011) #9
Herc (2011) #10
Herc (2011) #10
Immortal Brothers: The Tale of the Green Knight (2017) #1
Immortal Brothers: The Tale of the Green Knight (2017) #1
Incredible Hercules (2008) #114
Incredible Hercules (2008) #114
Incredible Hercules (2008) #115
Incredible Hercules (2008) #115
Incredible Hercules (2008) #116
Incredible Hercules (2008) #116
Incredible Hercules (2008) #117
Incredible Hercules (2008) #117
Incredible Hercules (2008) #118
Incredible Hercules (2008) #118
Incredible Hercules (2008) #119
Incredible Hercules (2008) #119
Incredible Hercules (2008) #120
Incredible Hercules (2008) #120
Incredible Hercules (2008) #121
Incredible Hercules (2008) #121
Incredible Hercules (2008) #122
Incredible Hercules (2008) #122
Incredible Hercules (2008) #123
Incredible Hercules (2008) #123
Incredible Hercules (2008) #124
Incredible Hercules (2008) #124
Incredible Hercules (2008) #125
Incredible Hercules (2008) #125
Incredible Hercules (2008) #126
Incredible Hercules (2008) #126
Incredible Hercules (2008) #127
Incredible Hercules (2008) #127
Incredible Hercules (2008) #128
Incredible Hercules (2008) #128
Incredible Hercules (2008) #129
Incredible Hercules (2008) #129
Incredible Hercules (2008) #130
Incredible Hercules (2008) #130
Incredible Hercules (2008) #131
Incredible Hercules (2008) #131
Incredible Hercules (2008) #132
Incredible Hercules (2008) #132
Incredible Hercules (2008) #133
Incredible Hercules (2008) #133
Incredible Hercules (2008) #134
Incredible Hercules (2008) #134
Incredible Hercules (2008) #135
Incredible Hercules (2008) #135
Incredible Hercules (2008) #136
Incredible Hercules (2008) #136
Incredible Hercules (2008) #137
Incredible Hercules (2008) #137
Incredible Hercules (2008) #138
Incredible Hercules (2008) #138
Incredible Hercules (2008) #139
Incredible Hercules (2008) #139
Incredible Hercules (2008) #140
Incredible Hercules (2008) #140
Incredible Hercules (2008) #141
Incredible Hercules (2008) #141
Iron Man Legacy (2010) #1
Iron Man Legacy (2010) #1
Iron Man Legacy (2010) #2
Iron Man Legacy (2010) #2
Iron Man Legacy (2010) #3
Iron Man Legacy (2010) #3
Iron Man Legacy (2010) #4
Iron Man Legacy (2010) #4
Iron Man Legacy (2010) #5
Iron Man Legacy (2010) #5
Iron Man Legacy (2010) #6
Iron Man Legacy (2010) #6
Iron Man Legacy (2010) #7
Iron Man Legacy (2010) #7
Iron Man Legacy (2010) #8
Iron Man Legacy (2010) #8
Iron Man Legacy (2010) #9
Iron Man Legacy (2010) #9
Iron Man Legacy (2010) #10
Iron Man Legacy (2010) #10
Iron Man Legacy (2010) #11
Iron Man Legacy (2010) #11
Marvel Zombies 3 (2008) #1
Marvel Zombies 3 (2008) #1
Marvel Zombies 3 (2008) #2
Marvel Zombies 3 (2008) #2
Marvel Zombies 3 (2008) #3
Marvel Zombies 3 (2008) #3
Marvel Zombies 3 (2008) #4
Marvel Zombies 3 (2008) #4
Marvel Zombies 4 (2009) #1
Marvel Zombies 4 (2009) #1
Marvel Zombies 4 (2009) #2
Marvel Zombies 4 (2009) #2
Marvel Zombies 4 (2009) #3
Marvel Zombies 4 (2009) #3
Marvel Zombies 4 (2009) #4
Marvel Zombies 4 (2009) #4
Marvel Zombies 5 (2010) #1
Marvel Zombies 5 (2010) #1
Marvel Zombies 5 (2010) #2
Marvel Zombies 5 (2010) #2
Marvel Zombies 5 (2010) #3
Marvel Zombies 5 (2010) #3
Marvel Zombies 5 (2010) #4
Marvel Zombies 5 (2010) #4
Marvel Zombies 5 (2010) #5
Marvel Zombies 5 (2010) #5
Power Man and Iron Fist (2011) #1
Power Man and Iron Fist (2011) #1
Power Man and Iron Fist (2011) #2
Power Man and Iron Fist (2011) #2
Power Man and Iron Fist (2011) #3
Power Man and Iron Fist (2011) #3
Power Man and Iron Fist (2011) #4
Power Man and Iron Fist (2011) #4
Power Man and Iron Fist (2011) #5
Power Man and Iron Fist (2011) #5
Power Pack: Day One (2008) #1
Power Pack: Day One (2008) #1
Power Pack: Day One (2008) #2
Power Pack: Day One (2008) #2
Power Pack: Day One (2008) #3
Power Pack: Day One (2008) #3
Power Pack: Day One (2008) #4
Power Pack: Day One (2008) #4
Savage She-Hulk (2009) #1
Savage She-Hulk (2009) #1
Savage She-Hulk (2009) #2
Savage She-Hulk (2009) #2
Savage She-Hulk (2009) #3
Savage She-Hulk (2009) #3
Savage She-Hulk (2009) #4
Savage She-Hulk (2009) #4
Skrulls vs. Power Pack (2008) #1
Skrulls vs. Power Pack (2008) #1
Skrulls vs. Power Pack (2008) #2
Skrulls vs. Power Pack (2008) #2
Skrulls vs. Power Pack (2008) #3
Skrulls vs. Power Pack (2008) #3
Skrulls vs. Power Pack (2008) #4
Skrulls vs. Power Pack (2008) #4
Slapstick (2016) #1
Slapstick (2016) #1
Slapstick (2016) #2
Slapstick (2016) #2
Slapstick (2016) #3
Slapstick (2016) #3
Slapstick (2016) #4
Slapstick (2016) #4
Slapstick (2016) #5
Slapstick (2016) #5
Slapstick (2016) #6
Slapstick (2016) #6
Spider-Man: Big Time (2010) #3
Spider-Man: Big Time (2010) #3
Spider-Man: Big Time (2010) #4
Spider-Man: Big Time (2010) #4
Super-Villain Team-Up/MODOK's 11 (2007) #1
Super-Villain Team-Up/MODOK's 11 (2007) #1
Super-Villain Team-Up/MODOK's 11 (2007) #2
Super-Villain Team-Up/MODOK's 11 (2007) #2
Super-Villain Team-Up/MODOK's 11 (2007) #3
Super-Villain Team-Up/MODOK's 11 (2007) #3
Super-Villain Team-Up/MODOK's 11 (2007) #4
Super-Villain Team-Up/MODOK's 11 (2007) #4
Super-Villain Team-Up/MODOK's 11 (2007) #5
Super-Villain Team-Up/MODOK's 11 (2007) #5
Taskmaster (2010) #1
Taskmaster (2010) #1
Taskmaster (2010) #2
Taskmaster (2010) #2
Taskmaster (2010) #3
Taskmaster (2010) #3
Taskmaster (2010) #4
Taskmaster (2010) #4
Weapon X (2017) #7
Weapon X (2017) #7
Weapon X (2017) #8
Weapon X (2017) #8
Weapon X (2017) #9
Weapon X (2017) #9
Weapon X (2017) #10
Weapon X (2017) #10
Weapon X (2017) #11
Weapon X (2017) #11
Weapon X (2017) #15
Weapon X (2017) #15
Weapon X (2017) #16
Weapon X (2017) #16
Weapon X (2017) #17
Weapon X (2017) #17
Weapon X (2017) #18
Weapon X (2017) #18
Weapon X (2017) #19
Weapon X (2017) #19
Web of Spider-Man (2009) #2
Web of Spider-Man (2009) #2
Web of Spider-Man (2009) #3
Web of Spider-Man (2009) #3
Web of Spider-Man (2009) #4
Web of Spider-Man (2009) #4
Web of Spider-Man (2009) #5
Web of Spider-Man (2009) #5
Web of Spider-Man (2009) #6
Web of Spider-Man (2009) #6
Web of Spider-Man (2009) #7
Web of Spider-Man (2009) #7
Web of Spider-Man (2009) #8
Web of Spider-Man (2009) #8
Web of Spider-Man (2009) #9
Web of Spider-Man (2009) #9
Web of Spider-Man (2009) #10
Web of Spider-Man (2009) #10
Web of Spider-Man (2009) #11
Web of Spider-Man (2009) #11
Web of Spider-Man (2009) #12
Web of Spider-Man (2009) #12
Wolverine: First Class (2008) #1
Wolverine: First Class (2008) #1
Wolverine: First Class (2008) #2
Wolverine: First Class (2008) #2
Wolverine: First Class (2008) #3
Wolverine: First Class (2008) #3
Wolverine: First Class (2008) #4
Wolverine: First Class (2008) #4
Wolverine: First Class (2008) #5
Wolverine: First Class (2008) #5
Wolverine: First Class (2008) #6
Wolverine: First Class (2008) #6
Wolverine: First Class (2008) #7
Wolverine: First Class (2008) #7
Wolverine: First Class (2008) #8
Wolverine: First Class (2008) #8
Wolverine: First Class (2008) #9
Wolverine: First Class (2008) #9
Wolverine: First Class (2008) #10
Wolverine: First Class (2008) #10
Wolverine: First Class (2008) #11
Wolverine: First Class (2008) #11
Wolverine: First Class (2008) #12
Wolverine: First Class (2008) #12
X-Men Noir (2009) #1
X-Men Noir (2009) #1
X-Men Noir (2009) #2
X-Men Noir (2009) #2
X-Men Noir (2009) #3
X-Men Noir (2009) #3
X-Men Noir (2009) #4
X-Men Noir (2009) #4

Phew! If that wasn’t enough to make you search through your longboxes to pull up some classic and popular issues from the publishing giant, Fred has also covered some major characters and titles with other publishers. The first work of Van Lente’s that really grabbed me was his long run on 2012’s Archer & Armstrong at Valiant Entertainment. But he killed it on even more titles at Valiant, like Armstrong and the Vault of Spirits one-shot, Book of Death: Legends of the Geomancer, The Delinquents, Generation Zero, Immortal Brothers: The Tale of the Green Knight, Ivar, Timewalker, and War Mother.

Cover Gallery of Van Lente’s Work at Valiant Entertainment

4001 A.D. War Mother #1
4001 A.D. War Mother #1
Archer & Armstrong: Archer (2014) #0
Archer & Armstrong: Archer (2014) #0
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #0
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #0
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #2
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #2
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #2
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #2
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #3
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #3
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #4
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #4
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #5
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #5
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #6
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #6
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #7
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #7
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #8
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #8
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #9
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #9
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #10
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #10
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #11
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #11
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #12
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #12
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #13
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #13
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #14
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #14
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #15
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #15
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #16
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #16
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #17
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #17
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #18
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #18
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #19
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #19
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #20
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #20
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #21
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #21
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #22
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #22
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #23
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #23
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #25
Archer and Armstrong (2012) #25
Book of Death - Legends of the Geomancer (2015) #1
Book of Death - Legends of the Geomancer (2015) #1
Book of Death - Legends of the Geomancer (2015) #2
Book of Death - Legends of the Geomancer (2015) #2
Book of Death - Legends of the Geomancer (2015) #3
Book of Death - Legends of the Geomancer (2015) #3
Book of Death - Legends of the Geomancer (2015) #4
Book of Death - Legends of the Geomancer (2015) #4
The Delinquents (2014) #2
The Delinquents (2014) #2
The Delinquents (2014) #2
The Delinquents (2014) #2
The Delinquents (2014) #3
The Delinquents (2014) #3
The Delinquents (2014) #4
The Delinquents (2014) #4
Generation Zero (2016) #1
Generation Zero (2016) #1
Generation Zero (2016) #2
Generation Zero (2016) #2
Generation Zero (2016) #3
Generation Zero (2016) #3
Generation Zero (2016) #4
Generation Zero (2016) #4
Generation Zero (2016) #5
Generation Zero (2016) #5
Generation Zero (2016) #6
Generation Zero (2016) #6
Generation Zero (2016) #7
Generation Zero (2016) #7
Generation Zero (2016) #8
Generation Zero (2016) #8
Generation Zero (2016) #9
Generation Zero (2016) #9
Ivar, Timewalker (2015) #1
Ivar, Timewalker (2015) #1
Ivar, Timewalker (2015) #2
Ivar, Timewalker (2015) #2
Ivar, Timewalker (2015) #3
Ivar, Timewalker (2015) #3
Ivar, Timewalker (2015) #4
Ivar, Timewalker (2015) #4
Ivar, Timewalker (2015) #5
Ivar, Timewalker (2015) #5
Ivar, Timewalker (2015) #6
Ivar, Timewalker (2015) #6
Ivar, Timewalker (2015) #7
Ivar, Timewalker (2015) #7
Ivar, Timewalker (2015) #8
Ivar, Timewalker (2015) #8
Ivar, Timewalker (2015) #9
Ivar, Timewalker (2015) #9
Ivar, Timewalker (2015) #10
Ivar, Timewalker (2015) #10
Ivar, Timewalker (2015) #11
Ivar, Timewalker (2015) #11
Ivar, Timewalker (2015) #12
Ivar, Timewalker (2015) #12
War Mother (2017) #1
War Mother (2017) #1
War Mother (2017) #2
War Mother (2017) #2
War Mother (2017) #3
War Mother (2017) #3
War Mother (2017) #4
War Mother (2017) #4

Another interesting thing to note was that just before I reached out to Fred for this interview, I caught his appearance on a CNBC program documenting some of this history of comic books in America. I’ve included the video at the end of this article, as it’s a must-watch for any comic book fan or historian-to-be. Speaking of the history of comics, Fred has also penned a couple of volumes of The Comic Book History of Comics, tackled some fun projects like Action Philosophers! and HowToons [Re]Ignition, and worked on classic properties like Conan, Magnus, Robot Fighter, G.I. Joe, and The Green Hornet ’66 Meets The Spirit. And in addition to the earlier named Marvel and Valiant, the list of publishers is as extensive as it is impressive: Dark Horse Comics, Image Comics, Top Cow Productions, IDW Publishing, BOOM! Studios, Dynamite Entertainment, Titan Comics, Moonstone, Platinum Studios, Evil Twin Comics, and more!

His latest project looks intriguing and hilarious! The Con Artist is a 288-page novel coming out Tuesday, July 10th from Quirk Books. It’s Fred’s geek noir about murder in the comics industry, featuring illustrations by Tom Fowler. This stuff explains it better…

THE CON ARTIST

Product Details:

Paperback ISBN: 9781683690344
e-Book ISBN: 9781683690351
Page Count: 288
Release Date: July 10, 2018

Comic book artist Mike Mason arrives at San Diego Comic-Con, seeking sanctuary with other fans and creators—and maybe to reunite with his ex—but when his rival is found murdered, he becomes the prime suspect. To clear his name, Mike will have to navigate every corner of the con, from zombie obstacle courses and cosplay flash mobs to intrusive fans and obsessive collectors, in the process unraveling a dark secret behind one of the industry’s most legendary creators.

That’s a must for anyone who loves comics or has been to a convention. I can imagine the references only congoers may truly appreciate! But I digress, let’s get to the interview with the man himself – The #1 New York Times bestselling, award-winning writer, historian, long-time wiseass, Brooklyn’s Fred Van Lente!

PopCultHQ Spotlight Interview

[img src: fredvanlente.com]

Writer of the Month – June 2018:
Fred Van Lente

PopCultHQ: How did comic books influence your childhood? What was the defining moment in your life that you knew, from then on, that you wanted to write comic books for a living? 

Fred Van Lente: When I was growing up, my dad had this book called The Great Comic Book Heroes by Jules Feiffer. It had all of the golden age superheroes in it, their early stories from the 1940s and 30s, all of their origins and so on. I made my mother read this book to me until she just threw her hands up in protest said no more. So I stared at the pages comparing pictures to the words it’s like you read my cell. So I was able to read right when I entered school so my mother liked comics a lot more after that! That pretty much started a lifelong of session with comics in general and superheroes in particular. 

So many years later I went to school for film. But I found myself hanging out with guys were studying to be a comic book artists in the Illustration department. I really loved the immediacy with which they my scripts to life. Soon I found myself dropping out of film school, becoming in English major concentrating on the writing side of things. After school, I moved to New York City with them and we all tried to break into comics together. It took a little longer for some of us (ie me), but ultimately it worked!

PopCultHQ: The title you worked on that first grabbed my attention to your name was the 2012 run of Valiant’s Archer & Armstrong. It was a fun, but intelligent humor that actually helped shape the mold I envision of these characters to this day. You’ve also taken a comical look at history with your Action Presidents and Action Philosophers series. Many may ask about your telling the stories of the famous, if not legendary, characters and brands in comic book history (Captain America, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Conan, G.I. Joe, Deadpool, et al.). But when I was re-reading The Delinquents last night, it was your sense of humor that grabbed me again. I’m curious…how is writing similar or different for you when taking on a title allowing your comedic talents to come out versus say, your approach to a superhero series? Do you have more fun and crazy stories to tell?

Fred Van Lente: I mean, I’ve been a wiseass my whole life, so I guess it’s impossible not to see things in comedic terms. I suppose some people that means you don’t take things seriously, but it’s just the opposite for me! I laugh to keep from crying. The world is a difficult place, with so much self-serving lying from people in public service and in their private relationships, that’s what the best humor does — it holds falsehoods and phony piety up to ridicule. It’s the only way I can make sense of the world, particularly in the trying times we live in now. So I don’t ever see it not being a part of my work, you know?

Cover Gallery of Van Lente’s Work at Dark Horse Comics

Brain Boy: The Men from G.E.S.T.A.L.T. (2014) #1
Brain Boy: The Men from G.E.S.T.A.L.T. (2014) #1
Brain Boy: The Men from G.E.S.T.A.L.T. (2014) #2
Brain Boy: The Men from G.E.S.T.A.L.T. (2014) #2
Brain Boy: The Men from G.E.S.T.A.L.T. (2014) #3
Brain Boy: The Men from G.E.S.T.A.L.T. (2014) #3
Brain Boy: The Men from G.E.S.T.A.L.T. (2014) #4
Brain Boy: The Men from G.E.S.T.A.L.T. (2014) #4
Brain Boy (2013) #0
Brain Boy (2013) #0
Brain Boy (2013) #1
Brain Boy (2013) #1
Brain Boy (2013) #2
Brain Boy (2013) #2
Brain Boy (2013) #3
Brain Boy (2013) #3
Conan and the People of the Black Circle (2013) #1
Conan and the People of the Black Circle (2013) #1
Conan and the People of the Black Circle (2013) #2
Conan and the People of the Black Circle (2013) #2
Conan and the People of the Black Circle (2013) #3
Conan and the People of the Black Circle (2013) #3
Conan and the People of the Black Circle (2013) #4
Conan and the People of the Black Circle (2013) #4
Conan the Avenger (2014) #1
Conan the Avenger (2014) #1
Conan the Avenger (2014) #2
Conan the Avenger (2014) #2
Conan the Avenger (2014) #3
Conan the Avenger (2014) #3
Conan the Avenger (2014) #4
Conan the Avenger (2014) #4
Conan the Avenger (2014) #5
Conan the Avenger (2014) #5
Conan the Avenger (2014) #6
Conan the Avenger (2014) #6
Conan the Avenger (2014) #7
Conan the Avenger (2014) #7
Conan the Avenger (2014) #8
Conan the Avenger (2014) #8
Conan the Avenger (2014) #9
Conan the Avenger (2014) #9
Conan the Avenger (2014) #10
Conan the Avenger (2014) #10
Resurrectionists (2014) #1
Resurrectionists (2014) #1
Resurrectionists (2014) #2
Resurrectionists (2014) #2
Resurrectionists (2014) #3
Resurrectionists (2014) #3
Resurrectionists (2014) #4
Resurrectionists (2014) #4
Resurrectionists (2014) #5
Resurrectionists (2014) #5
Resurrectionists (2014) #6
Resurrectionists (2014) #6
Secret Files of Project Black Sky (2014) #1
Secret Files of Project Black Sky (2014) #1
Secret Files of Project Black Sky (2014) #2
Secret Files of Project Black Sky (2014) #2
Secret Files of Project Black Sky (2014) #3
Secret Files of Project Black Sky (2014) #3
Secret Files of Project Black Sky (2014) #4
Secret Files of Project Black Sky (2014) #4
Secret Files of Project Black Sky (2014) #5
Secret Files of Project Black Sky (2014) #5
Weird Detective (2016) #1
Weird Detective (2016) #1
Weird Detective (2016) #2
Weird Detective (2016) #2
Weird Detective (2016) #3
Weird Detective (2016) #3
Weird Detective (2016) #4
Weird Detective (2016) #4
Weird Detective (2016) #5
Weird Detective (2016) #5

PopCultHQ: I caught your appearance recently on CNBC, which I see you announced on your website. I was impressed to learn you’re a comic book historian; being featured to discuss Gaines/Wertham in CNBC’s The Moral Panic That Almost Destroyed the Comic Book Business, as well as producing two volumes of The Comic Book History of Comics. Given what you know, on the grand scale of things, where do you consider the current state of the comic book community/industry to where it has been in years past? Has the introduction and advancements of technology (internet, social media, digital copies, digital payments, etc.) made this the best time the industry has seen? Or are there past moments in which we might look back to in order to help its current state?

Fred Van Lente: The digital age is an interesting paradox. While it’s fostered a lot more diversity, and provides more opportunity for more people and are more importantly a lot more kinds of people, all that new product means it’s harder for individual voices to be heard. Bigger franchises thrive more than ever because they have the muscle to be heard. Chaos tends to benefit those who were already strong. So mainstream comics, which very much still depends on a brick and mortar retail environment, has struggled to adapt — though they are hardly alone in that.

The future is still very much uncertain, I’d say. History is great at helping us understand the present, but it’s not all that great a predictor of the future. Historical truisms are true until they stop being so — as the last few years have proved!

Cover Gallery of Various Work by Fred Van Lente

Action Philosophers! (2005) #1
Action Philosophers! (2005) #1
Action Philosophers! (2005) #2
Action Philosophers! (2005) #2
Action Philosophers! (2005) #3
Action Philosophers! (2005) #3
Action Philosophers! (2005) #4
Action Philosophers! (2005) #4
Action Philosophers! (2005) #5
Action Philosophers! (2005) #5
Action Philosophers! (2005) #6
Action Philosophers! (2005) #6
Action Philosophers! (2005) #7
Action Philosophers! (2005) #7
Action Philosophers! (2005) #8
Action Philosophers! (2005) #8
Action Philosophers! (2005) #9
Action Philosophers! (2005) #9
Big Trouble In Little China (2014) #13
Big Trouble In Little China (2014) #13
Big Trouble In Little China (2014) #14
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Big Trouble In Little China (2014) #16
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Big Trouble In Little China (2014) #25
Comic Book Comics (2008) #1
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Comic Book Comics (2008) #6
Comic Book History of Comics Volume 2 (2017) #1
Comic Book History of Comics Volume 2 (2017) #1
Comic Book History of Comics Volume 2 (2017) #2
Comic Book History of Comics Volume 2 (2017) #2
Comic Book History of Comics Volume 2 (2017) #3
Comic Book History of Comics Volume 2 (2017) #3
Comic Book History of Comics Volume 2 (2017) #4
Comic Book History of Comics Volume 2 (2017) #4
The Comic Book History of Comics (2016) #1
The Comic Book History of Comics (2016) #1
The Comic Book History of Comics (2016) #2
The Comic Book History of Comics (2016) #2
The Comic Book History of Comics (2016) #3
The Comic Book History of Comics (2016) #3
The Comic Book History of Comics (2016) #4
The Comic Book History of Comics (2016) #4
The Comic Book History of Comics (2016) #5
The Comic Book History of Comics (2016) #5
The Comic Book History of Comics (2016) #6
The Comic Book History of Comics (2016) #6
G.I. Joe (2013) #1
G.I. Joe (2013) #1
G.I. Joe (2013) #2
G.I. Joe (2013) #2
G.I. Joe (2013) #3
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G.I. Joe (2013) #11
Ghosting (2007) #1
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Ghosting (2007) #5
The Green Hornet '66 Meets the Spirit (2017) #1
The Green Hornet '66 Meets the Spirit (2017) #1
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The Green Hornet '66 Meets the Spirit (2017) #5
Howtoons [Re]Ignition (2014) #1
Howtoons [Re]Ignition (2014) #1
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Magnus: Robot Fighter (2014) #0
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Silencers (2003) #1
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Silencers (2003) #3
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The Mocking Dead (2013) #1
The Mocking Dead (2013) #1
The Mocking Dead (2013) #2
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The Mocking Dead (2013) #3
The Mocking Dead (2013) #3
The Mocking Dead (2013) #4
The Mocking Dead (2013) #4
The Mocking Dead (2013) #5
The Mocking Dead (2013) #5
Templars (2016) #1
Templars (2016) #1
Templars (2016) #2
Templars (2016) #2
Templars (2016) #3
Templars (2016) #3
Templars (2016) #4
Templars (2016) #4
Templars (2016) #5
Templars (2016) #5
The Weapon (2007) #1
The Weapon (2007) #1
The Weapon (2007) #2
The Weapon (2007) #2
The Weapon (2007) #3
The Weapon (2007) #3
The Weapon (2007) #4
The Weapon (2007) #4

PopCultHQ: What has been the most important and/or valuable piece of advice you’ve received as a writer in the comic book industry?

Fred Van Lente: When you’re first starting out, start small — don’t launch into a mega 24 issue, 5000 Page epic. Comics creation is a labor intensive process, pace yourself! Do short stories first, it’s a great teacher. My first pro paid comic work was for Malibu Comics’ Ultraverse doing a short serial of 8 Page installments. The company went under before it got published, but it taught me how to maximize minimal story space, which was invaluable.

PopCultHQ: On top of The Con Artist (which I am excited to see!), what’s on tap in 2018 for Fred Van Lente? Any conventions and signing appearances lined up?

Fred Van Lente: Well I am spending a chunk of the year promoting The Con Artist, a seamy geek noir about a murder at a huge comic con at San Diego. We’ll be doing a launch party at Astoria Bookshop in Queens the night of July 10 when the book drops, Then I’ll be appearing at San Diego Comic Con, New York Comic Con, and various places in-between to promote it. The best place to follow my schedule is to follow my Twitter feed or my Facebook fan page. (links below)

PopCultHQ: What do you enjoy most about attending and appearing at conventions? How do fans of your work respond when meeting you in person?

Fred Van Lente: Definitely interacting with readers is the best part. Whenever someone expresses love for your work, or that it got them through a difficult time in their life, or that they learned something or saw something in a different light, those are the moments that really lift you up as a writer. 

PopCultHQ: If you had the power or ability to make one change in the comic book community or industry, what would it be?

Fred Van Lente: The rise of toxic male entitlement fandom is gross and something I wish I could wave away with a wand. As a comics historian, it’s particularly galling how they’re trying to use the difficult economic period the industry is going through as some sort of proof it should be less inclusive. In times of crisis, it’s time to expand the tent, not turn people away. That’s true of all times, come to think of it, but pining away for the long gone good old days never helped anyone, especially the ones doing the pining. 

PopCultHQ: Which other writers are you reading right now? If given the opportunity, is there a writer currently producing comic books that you’d like to work with (in any capacity)?

Fred Van Lente: I was in London recently and picked up the terrific 2000 AD edition of the amazing British WWI comic of the early 80s, Charley’s War, by Pat Mills and Joe Colquhoun. The books are huge and beautiful and I barely got them in my suitcase but I love them. I definitely want to see more historical fiction comics — that’s my favorite genre, and though I’m known for straight non-fiction, I do with my pal Ryan Dunlavey like Comic Book History of Comics and Action Presidents. I’d love to do more fiction in that sphere.

~~~~~

Special thanks to Fred for making time to speak with PopCultHQ!

To find out more about our June Writer of the Month,
be sure to follow Fred Van Lente online (links below)!

And check out Fred Van Lente as he speaks on how comic books became
public enemy #1 in America’s war on juvenile delinquency!

 

Writer – Fred Van Lente

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Michael Turner's Soulfire (Vol. 5)
independent ComicInterview

[Creator Spotlight] PopCultHQ’s Writer of the Month – May 2018: Mark Roslan

by Jason Bennett
written by Jason Bennett

PopCultHQ is kicking off 2018 in a new way. Each month, we’ll be selecting Comic Book Creators of the Month and interview them for a spotlight article. For May 2018’s Writer of the Month, we chose Mark Roslan.

Mark “Roz” Roslan has his hands all over the comic book industry. As the VP for Aspen Comics, he’s an integral part of the company’s production, publicity, and promotion. On the creative side, Roslan is an accomplished writer for the publisher, but also has a love for illustrating and graphic design. His digital inks have been featured across numerous Aspen (and other publishers) titles, and can be seen in the upcoming new series NU WAY, as well as Michael Turner’s SOULFIRE. And his talent doesn’t stop there. Mark has also worked as a colorist, letterer, editor, and cover artist. With all the credits to his name, we could certainly feature him in a number of spotlight features. But it was his work on BUBBLEGUN that got my attention and I wanted to explore further into the creator’s writing and celebrate it as our Writer of the Month.

In August of 2011, “Roz” debuted his story BROKEN PIECES at Aspen Comics, a new original series to the publisher about a deadly biological epidemic and the scientists involved seeking a cure for mankind, while attempting to fix their own personal world crumbled about them.

Here’s a look at Roslan’s BROKEN PIECES:

Broken Pieces

What is lost in life is found in…death! Aspen Comic’s newest original series, BROKEN PIECES, starts now! In a not too distant future torn apart by a deadly biological catastrophe, doctors Richard and Gabriella Adams stood on the verge of a scientific breakthrough-a cure to the epidemic spreading across North America, splitting the population between those that are plagued-and those in power that are not. However, their union of research and marriage is tragically ripped in two, and Richard soon discovers that he has to sacrifice everything in order to piece together a hope for humanity and put the shattered remains of his life back together again. Written and created by Aspen’s own Mark Roslan and featuring stunning artwork by newcomer and series artist Micah Kaneshiro, plus creators Cory Smith, Beth Sotleo, and Josh Reed, BROKEN PIECES will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish!

BUBBLEGUN hit the scene in the summer of 2013 and brouht with it a fun, fast-paced, cyber-punk sci-fi series that was a blast to read! Volume two, debuting just under 4 years laters in 2017, bring Molli, her sister Deyn, and their crew back with another exciting adventure.

Here’s a look at Roslan’s BUBBLEGUN Vols. 1 & 2:

BubbleGun (Vol.1)
They like the tech, but live for the high stakes! Sisters Molli and Devyn, along with teammates Roman and Kyo-and a stockpile of cutting edge, cyber-punk technology, form a confident team of mercenary thieves able to take on the most formidable jobs around. Yet, when one cyber heist turns out to be more than they bargained for, as a mysterious package and its contents threaten to unravel the group to its core, the menacing worlds of corrupt industry and deadly espionage is unleashed upon them! Join creator and writer Mark Roslan (Broken Pieces), penciler Mike Bowden (World of Warcraft, Ame-Comi Girls), and colorist David Curiel (Idolized, Avenging Spider-Man) on what’s sure to become Aspen’s next hit sci-fi, action adventure series! Strap yourselves in because BUBBLEGUN is gonna take you on a wild ride!
BubbleGun Vol. 2
The BubbleGun crew return for more high stakes jobs! Since the team rescued the group’s newest member, the cyber boy Asher, from the corporate megalomaniac, Drazic, their world has been in constant turmoil! Devyn and Molli find their bandit crew forced to do the bidding of an underworld gangster, Sir Penny, after borrowing and destroying his favorite ship, The Dark Lightning. Yet, even if they survive Sir Penny’s harrowing missions–how will they escape the clutches of a ruthless gangster plotting to kidnap Asher?! Creator and writer Mark Roslan (Broken Pieces) is joined by penciler Angel Tovar and colorist Erick Arciniega on what’s sure to become one of comics’ biggest sci-fi, action adventure series of the summer! Strap yourselves in because BUBBLEGUN is gonna take you on a wild ride!

Roslan’s latest series, PORTAL BOUND, debuted in February this year and brought a more fantasy-based saga that is such a fun read! The series released issue two earlier this month, so now is the perfect time to get caught up before issue three drops June 6th!

Here’s a look at Roslan’s new series PORTAL BOUND!:

PortalBound Vol. 1

Their Future Depends on Each Other as Aspen’s 15-Year Anniversary kicks off with the debut of their newest series! A parallel otherworld exists as a mirror to our own, where science is melded with nature and a warrior spirit defines their true value. A teenage soldier princess, Sybil, is sent off with her Uncle Horuk in an effort to stop her megalomaniac father, Emperor Atilus from destroying two Earths. With a deadly array of monstrous creatures in hot pursuit, Sybil and her uncle race to activate a portal to Earth to find a savior who is also figuring out how to survive…being a teenager!

RELATED: PopCultHQ’s Spoiler-Free Review of PORTAL BOUND #0

I had the privilege in discussing with the writer about his love for sci-fi, how he manages to juggle duties as a writer, artist, and the VP at Aspen, and hear Mark reveal how the Death of Superman and the establishing of Image Comics were integral moments which ultimately led him to where he is today in the comic book industry.

PopCultHQ Spotlight Interview

Writer of the Month – May 2018:
Mark Roslan

PopCultHQ: How did comic books influence your childhood? What was the defining moment in your life that you knew, from then on, that you wanted to write comic books for a living?

Mark Roslan and letterer Zen

Mark Roslan and letterer Zen

Mark Roslan: I was into art and drawing as far back as I remember. I used to lay on the ground and draw on the underside of our coffee table as if it was the Sistine Chapel. The first comic book I recall reading was IRON MAN #128 where Tony was basically a drunkard the whole issue. You can imagine it didn’t turn nine-year-old me into a fan. But flash forward a couple years later and Superman dying did! That story got my brother and I interested in comic books. One fateful night, my older brother Joe told me all about the formation of IMAGE COMICS. We tried all the new series. I was hooked. The art, the stories, the cliffhangers—it was all so exciting. It’s difficult to say which one specifically made me want to write, they were all so good and precious to me, but it was eight creators banding together to make some cool new exciting stories that triggered that itch to be a comic creator and writer.

PopCultHQ: You’ve been writing for 7+ years now, from 2011’s Broken Pieces, two volumes of BubbleGun, to this year’s new title in Portal Bound. How has your writing style changed since you released Broken Pieces? What changes have you, personally, seen transpire over the years with the industry?

Mark Roslan: BROKEN PIECES was a passion project that I thought I’d never get to write. It’s a very emotional story with complex characters that I spent a long time on. Much longer than any writer working today probably has spent on a six issue story. I’m very proud of how it came together but I’d say I’m a better writer now. Every writer or artist hopefully gets better with every project. BUBBLEGUN felt very natural to me and was a pure joy to write. Unlike with BROKEN PIECES, I wrote the first issue of BUBBLEGUN in two days, which is pretty absurd but I saw the story and action so perfectly in my head. I think the hard work and long hours on BROKEN PIECES really allowed me to grow and develop my style as a writer. PORTAL BOUND was a challenge to figure out, so bringing on board my co-writer Gabe Carrasco was a very smart move. There were too many questions and different paths to take the story, so it really helped to have someone to talk it through with. “Two minds are better than one” still holds true! For all three series, I do the same thing: I write out the whole story from start to finish and revise until it becomes pretty clear how it’s paced out and how the characters change. I don’t know how some writers can tell a story without knowing the ending. I personally need to plan everything out as best I can before starting dialogue.

Mark Roslan with Molli cosplayer

Mark Roslan with Molli cosplayer

PopCultHQ: Your titles feature strong and brilliant sci-fi/fantasy writing. It leads me to believe these genres were a big part of your youth and early beginnings as a writer. How did science fiction and fantasy play a role not only in your life, but in shaping your writing style?

Mark Roslan: Sci-Fi/Fantasy is my favorite genre for sure! Always has been. The idea of a grander or more fantastical world than the one we live in has always interested me. My mom loves to tell stories during the holidays to guests of when I was little boy and my active imagination. I would create the weirdest scenarios that she had no idea how they got in my head. When I was in my teens, I watched as many sci-fi films as I could. I just think that a story is more interesting when you bring something new or unexpected to it, and to make some fantasy appear and feel real is true magic created by the writer.

PopCultHQ: What do you enjoy most about attending and appearing at conventions? How do fans of your work respond when meeting you in person?

Mark Roslan: Conventions are terrific! To meet fans is a pure joy. As a writer, there is no better feeling than to hear someone loves the story you shared with them. Every story holds a piece of the creator in it. For them to share it can sometimes be scary because your putting yourself out there. When it’s well-received, it’s an amazing feeling. In person only magnifies it because you can actually have a conversation about it. Plus, it’s fun for me to also talk to creators that I enjoy and share what I love about their work and have them sign my personal copies.

PopCultHQ: Atop of writing for Aspen Comics, you’re also their VP and an artist across a number of their titles. Do you set any kind of perhaps annual goals for yourself as a writer to accomplish aside from any other role you play?

Mark Roslan: I love comic books, and to contribute in any form is what I live for. I really think comic books are the best form of creative media. When I work on putting a book together or adding to the artwork, I can’t help but think of my own stories in my head. I have a ton of ideas that just need to be fleshed out. I do have a personal goal of one story a year. I’m busy juggling a lot with VP and graphic design duties at Aspen and with my family, so one a year is a realistic goal. I don’t want to overextend myself. I enjoy the process of creating something from scratch and not having to rush it out. I feel like I could write more, but I personally prefer to focus on one story at a time and give it my everything. If I ever find myself with extra time, I scribble notes and expand on outlines, but just keep them to myself or archive them for another time. You could say my goal is just to continue to be creative, regardless of whether it gets published or not.

PopCultHQ: What has been the most important and/or valuable piece of advice you’ve received as a writer in the comic book industry?

Mark Roslan: “Move forward.” While I love to think, revise, rework, rewrite, and overthink it all again, the best advice I received was to move on and keep going. Even though I’m wired to overthink decisions, I remind myself to continue forward. You have to trust your instincts and believe that the next thing you write will be better than the last. It’s not good to try to create perfection. It’s better to live and learn.

Mark Roslan with Michael Valentine

Mark Roslan with Michael Valentine

PopCultHQ: On top of Portal Bound, what’s on tap in 2018 for Mark Roslan? Any conventions and signing appearances lined up?

Mark Roslan: Later this year I’ll be digital-inking Soulfire and an all-new series from Aspen that I’m proud of called Nu Way. For conventions, I’ll be at Phoenix Comic Fest and Long Beach Comic Con, but I’m really looking forward to Comic-Con International: San Diego this year. Aspen Comics is celebrating 15 years of independently making comic books! We plan to have a party to celebrate. My books will be available at the Aspen Comics booth and I’ll be there all week long signing and hanging out with my fellow peers.

PopCultHQ: If you had the power or ability to make one change in the comic book community or industry, what would it be?

Mark Roslan: Great question! I’ll give you two quick ones.

First: I’d like to see more love than hate. Seems the comic community as of late has been the haters with the courage to post on social media more than the enthusiasts. I’d like to see more of what you enjoyed than what disappointed you.

Second: I wish film and television based on comic books would embrace where they originated and say something at the beginning, or during the end credits like, “Find this story or more like it from this series and at your local comic book store.”

PopCultHQ: Which other writers are you reading right now? If given the opportunity, is there a writer currently producing comic books that you’d like to work with (in any capacity)?

Mark Roslan: I really enjoy Brian K Vaughn’s work. Warren Ellis thinks like no other. Rick Remender’s catalog of creations is amazing. And from the big two, Dan Slott and Peter Tomasi have put out very entertaining work month after month. These guys never disappoint and I enjoy reading their books on Wednesday evenings. I do enjoy collaborations. It’s difficult to say who amongst them I would love to work with, but if you held me over a cliff and made me choose one, I would say Mark Millar. To bounce ideas back and forth, pick his brain, and know more about his experiences would put a big smile on my face.

~~~~~

Special thanks to Mark for making time to speak with PopCultHQ.

To find out more about our May Writer of the Month,
be sure to follow Mark Roslan online!

Writer/Artist – Mark Roslan

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Publisher: Aspen Comics

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[Creator Spotlight] PopCultHQ’s Writer of the Month – April 2018: Jason Martin

by Jason Bennett
written by Jason Bennett

PopCultHQ's Creators of the Month - April 2018

PopCultHQ is kicking off 2018 in a new way. Each month, we’ll be selecting Comic Book Creators of the Month and interview them for a spotlight article. For April 2018’s Writer of the Month, we chose Jason Martin.

Writer. Artist. Publisher. Action Lab: Danger Zone‘s Jason Martin has worn many hats throughout his career in the comic book industry. We at PopCultHQ selected Jason as our Writer of the Month for his exciting work in his VAMPBLADE series, which just kicked off its third season, and the Zombie Tramp Universe mash-up DANGER DOLL SQUAD, which has also just released a new volume with GALACTIC GLADIATORS. Both titles (issue #1 of each were released in April 2018) feature incredibly well-written storylines, while continuing to flesh out the characters and grow the shared universe at Action Lab. Both titles are a must-have and a must-read!

RELATED: [Comic Book Review] DANGER DOLL SQUAD Vol. 2: GALACTIC GLADIATORS #1

Take a look at Jason Martin’s bio, courtesy of his website:

Based in Beaverton, Oregon, comic book creator Jason Martin has worked in and around the comic book industry for over 10 years. Working both behind the scenes as a publisher, and as a creative in every aspect of comics.

Specializing in offbeat pop culture inspired fare, Jason first created and published his own comic book series, Super Real, and then published works for other creators under his own Super Real Graphics imprint. Jason currently works with Action Lab Entertainment and manages their mature readers comic book line, Action Lab: Danger Zone. Recent works of his own include the ongoing monthly series Vampblade, as well as PRINCE-S STARthief, and Night of the 80s Undead, and he also currently co-writes the popular Zombie Tramp ongoing series and Danger Doll Squad mini-series.

Jason has also worked as a freelance artist and has done work for clients such as Adult Swim, Upper Deck, and Topps.

When at home with his wife and chihuahua, they spend countless hours watching TV and movies, and Jason loves drawing those latest pop culture inspirations, often creating fan art for many of them to share online.

We had the privilege in chatting with the amazingly talented creator about his career in the comic book industry, his famous creation Vampblade and her longevity, his general advice to creators, and how things have changed in the industry over the last 15 years.

RELATED: [Comic Book Review] VAMPBLADE – Season Three #1

PopCultHQ Spotlight Interview

(l.-r.): Bill McKay, Dan Mendoza, Jason Martin, and Brian Hess

Writer of the Month – April 2018:
Jason Martin

PopCultHQ: How did comic books influence your childhood? What was the defining moment in your life that you knew, from then on, that you wanted to write comic books for a living?

Zombie Tramp vs. Vampblade #1

Zombie Tramp vs. Vampblade #1

Jason Martin: Comics were huge for me! It all starts with Star Wars, I was about 6 years old when that came out and rocked my world. Me and all my friends were obsessed… collecting the trading cards, buying the school supplies, playing with the figures night and day, and then one fateful afternoon there was a poly-bagged set of issues 1-3 of the Marvel Comics adaptation at the local Gresham Fred Meyers department store (in the toy section). I took those home and poured over them night and day, wearing them thin by tracing and drawing the Storm Troopers and Darth Vader. It was nirvana!

From there I started finding and reading other Marvel licensed/sci-fi comics like Micronauts, Rom Spaceknight, and Battlestar Galactica. Which eventually led to their superhero stuff, with Fantastic Four (l loved Herbie the robot from the cartoons), Layton and Michelinie’s Iron Man, The Hulk (also a TV show), and then later the Uncanny X-Men (my first issue was just after the Death of Phoenix)… which rocked my world.

And around then was the birth of the direct market and comic shops and I would live for that and the indie boom of the early 80’s. A solid 6 plus year run of living for comics which led to me doing my first comic series starting in 1983 (at age 12)!

Super Real #1

Super Real #1

PopCultHQ: You’ve been writing for over a decade, from 2005’s SUPER REAL to this month’s release of DANGER DOLL SQUAD: GALACTIC GLADIATORS and VAMPBLADE’s third season. How has your writing style changed since you released SUPER REAL?

Jason Martin: Well, as I mentioned I started writing my own comics as a pre-teen, but then when I turned 16 and got a car and a social life, I pretty much stopped reading comics and then eventually stopped drawing after high school. Fast forward a decade or so and I’d regretted not pursuing my artistic side, and fell back into comics starting back in 1994 – I was at the beach with my girlfriend and knew the local little store used to have comics, so I grabbed a Joe Madureira Astonishing X-Men and it lit the fuse again big time! So I started drawing and sketching again (and reading comics like a fiend again too), and then cooking up new ideas for a comic concept, which eventually became Super Real.

So yeah, this year’s San Diego Comic Con will actually be my 15-year anniversary of starting out in comics. It was the first show I ever did, and debuted an ash-can preview of Super Real in 2003. I then eventually self-published that (doing everything on the book creatively), which led to me publishing books for some other creators, and then that led me to Action Lab.

Night of the 80's Undead #1

Night of the 80’s Undead #1

Since then we published my creator-owned series Night of the 80’s Undead with artist Bill McKay, and it was around this time that I started primarily writing (in addition to working on the business side of things). So when we launched Zombie Tramp from Dan Mendoza as an ongoing monthly in 2014, I started out co-writing that because Dan was still working a full time day job. The book was quite popular and a big seller for us, so when we started talking about potentially launching a concept to compliment it, we discussed the many concepts I had and picked Vampblade as it was a good fit for that (with some retooling to make it more in the horror genre somewhat).

PopCultHQ: What changes have you, personally, seen transpire over the years with the industry?

Jason Martin: Well, like I mentioned, I’ve been around, so quite a bit. I will say, obviously, we’re currently seeing a boom in creator-owned content, and then of course an explosion in variety too. Which is all great. Though, when I started out in the early 2000’s with so much less of that, it was perhaps easier to get noticed. Now it’s just tougher to get seen with such an embarrassment of riches in terms of content. Plus, when I started, it was really at the dawn of comics going mainstream, and they were still kind of forgotten and misunderstood by the general public. So that has radically changed in that time too. It’s a totally different landscape today overall.

Super Real vs the Comic Book Industry

Super Real vs the Comic Book Industry

PopCultHQ: Vampblade, a character first debuting in Super Real Special Volume 1: Super Real vs The Comic Book Industry back in 2007, is now heading to her third volume at Action Lab’s Danger Zone imprint. To what do you attribute the success and longevity of the character?

Jason Martin: Well, it’s a lot of things really. First, it’s set within the same shared universe as Zombie Tramp, and you can’t discount the exposure that brings. And then of course I’ve also had the good fortune to work with some truly amazing and talented creators. I mean, artists that I would go nuts for as a fan. I’m a huge fan of stylized artwork, and that’s part of the house style we have, and part of what’s different about our in-house universe of books. So much of what’s out there embraces an older, safer aesthetic stylewise, that it really helps our books stand out. And then, to be able to have artists like Winston Young, Marco Maccagni, Celor, and now Marcelo Costa on our roster and bring these books to life? That’s huge!

It doesn’t matter how good the script, concepts, characters, ideas are, this is comics, a visual medium, so you have to have talented artists to bring it to life. And I’m very fortunate in that regard!

Vampblade (2016) #1
Vampblade (2016) #1
Vampblade '98 #1
Vampblade '98 #1
Vampblade - Season 2 #1
Vampblade - Season 2 #1
Vampblade - Season 3 #1
Vampblade - Season 3 #1

PopCultHQ: What do you enjoy most about attending and appearing at conventions? How do fans of your work respond when meeting you in person?

Jason Martin: Conventions are great. As creators we spend so much time on our own… at home, alone, building these worlds and stories. So going out to the shows not only allows us to connect with other like-minded creators, but we also get to connect directly with the fans, and there’s nothing better than that!

Zombie Tramp (2014) #1

Zombie Tramp (2014) #1

And then fans, in terms of connecting to a writer, as someone who’s an artist too and does art and has had fan interaction from that, it’s a bit different. More low key. People connect to art more viscerally, on more of a gut level, so they get more excited over that. It’s just that you find the really openly excited fans are fewer and further between for the writing.

PopCultHQ: What is the most challenging aspect for you when it comes to writing a miniseries? What is the most challenging aspect for you when it comes to writing an ongoing series?

Jason Martin: For a mini-series it’s fitting everything you want to do within the story arc. Otherwise they’re the same, as everything is written in similarly lengthed arcs, but in an ongoing series you have the luxury of working in any ideas you can’t fit in the first arc down the road.

For an ongoing series, once you get going, it’s really keeping the scripts ready on time month in and month out. As an artist/creative type you tend to want to follow your muse, but when you have X amount of books due a month, you have to resist that and stay focused.

PopCultHQ: What has been the most important and/or valuable piece of advice you’ve received as a writer in the comic book industry?

Super Real vs the Movie Industry

Super Real vs the Movie Industry

Jason Martin: Well, I don’t know that I’ve really received any advice like that, but there are a couple things come to mind here as general good advice…

1) This is the comic book industry, and we as creators can get really attached to concepts that we create, but the reality of the market is, chances are the majority of things will simply not find a sustainable audience. So you have to be willing and able to work on many different ideas and not tied too much to any one thing. And,

2) As a comic creator you meet so many aspiring creators, and I always like to tell them, the beauty of comic books is that literally anyone who has the desire and passion can do them. And that’s especially true even more so today with digital, comic con proliferation, and crowdfunding. Get out there, start out on the path, see where it takes you!

PopCultHQ: On top of VAMPBLADE and DANGER DOLL SQUAD V.2, what’s on tap in 2018 for Jason Martin? Any conventions and signing appearances lined up?

Danger Doll Squad-Volume 2 #1

Danger Doll Squad-Volume 2 #1

Jason Martin: Yeah, 2018 started really big for me with season 3 of Vampblade and the Danger Doll Squad: Galactic Gladiators mini, but I do have some new personal projects in the works for Kickstarter. I did a book there a little while back, PRINCE-S STARthief, and I have a couple more lined up this year (soon!).

And then yes, I like to get out to about 10 shows a year give or take. Mostly in my West Coast/Pacific NW region, but then also a couple outside that too each year. I’m at San Diego Comic Con every year – this July will be my 15th anniversary exhibiting there! And I have Rose City Comic Con this September. But I plan to line up some more shows…

PopCultHQ: If you had the power or ability to make one change in the comic book community or industry, what would it be? 

Jason Martin: Find a way to get them in front of more people. With the movies becoming bigger and bigger, and things like The Walking Dead and other comics on TV, we still need to bring more eyeballs to the medium. For as huge as comics have become in other media, they haven’t followed suit in terms of distribution/sales.

PopCultHQ: Which other writers are you reading right now? If given the opportunity, is there a writer currently producing comic books that you’d like to work with (in any capacity)?

Jason Martin: Well, to be honest, I’m more of an art guy. To me, comics are first and foremost a visual medium. So I’m drawn to works that excite me artistically. That said, there are writers that I do love. I’m a big fan of Mark Millar and Grant Morrison, I’ll read most anything they do. I really like what Jason Aaron has done with his Marvel titles, and always enjoy Brian K Vaughan and Rick Remender too.

And I really enjoy working with other writers, and collaborating with artists and creators, so I’m always up for more of that!

~~~~~

Special thanks to Jason for making time to speak with PopCultHQ.

To find out more about our April Writer of the Month,
be sure to follow Jason Martin online!

Writer/Colorist – Jason Martin

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Rich Tommaso feature
independent ComicInterview

[Creator Spotlight] PopCultHQ’s Writer of the Month – March 2018: Rich Tommaso

by Jason Bennett
written by Jason Bennett

PopCultHQ is kicking off 2018 in a new way. Each month, we’ll be selecting Comic Book Creators of the Month and interview them for a spotlight article. For March 2018’s Writer of the Month, we chose writer Rich Tommaso.

The writer/artist finds, and has found, inspiration by the crime and horror films of the 1970s – 1980s, which has translated into successfully published titles at Image Comics, with hits like Dark Corridor, She Wolf, the recent Spy Seal and Dry County, as well as the upcoming release Clover Honey Special Edition TP.

I, personally, have always been fascinated with comic book creators who can tackle more than one role in producing a book. Being successful as both a writer and an artist speaks volumes to the talent of the individual. When I think of such a creator, three names immediately come to mind: Matt Kindt, Ray Fawkes, and Rich Tommaso. Sure, there are others, but these are names I continually see come across my desk in the form of previews, review copies, and announcements of new projects by these individuals. In Tommaso’s case, he has certainly found his groove and currently producing some of the most suspenseful and appealing crime and mystery stories found in the medium. For that reason, selecting Rich as our Writer of the Month was an easy decision.

So get comfy and hear from the talented creator as he explains his love for the crime genre, the hardest part of creating an enire issue on one’s own, and what excites the writer when it comes to storytelling.

PopCultHQ Spotlight Interview

Writer of the Month – March 2018:
Rich Tommaso

PopCultHQ: How did comic books influence your childhood? What was the defining moment in your life that you knew, from then on, that you wanted to write comic books for a living? At what point did you become enamored with the crime genre and wanted to tell stories of your own?

Tommaso: I was mostly into comic strips as a kid, so the inspiration came to me probably around age 5. From then on, I knew I wanted to make comics when I grew up. I’ve always loved comics unconditionally. In high school I used to ignore my art teacher’s advice for me to try out other mediums, mainly oil painting. I eventually attempted painting in my senior year, but using acrylics, since they were easier to get consistent flat colors out of. But even then, I merely painted in large cartoons that just happened to be drawn on canvas. It was the only way to finally get my teacher’s approval and attention.
CLOVER HONEY SPECIAL EDITIONI have to say, I knew very little about the crime genre in literature (in film I was exposed to a lot) when I came up with the idea for CLOVER HONEY in 1994. I believe that book was inspired by two films: PULP FICTION and NORTH BY NORTHWEST. Tarantino’s blockbuster is what led me into thinking of writing and drawing a crime book, but my first pitch to do one for Gary Groth was a wall-to-wall bloodbath gangster story idea called MOBSTERS. Gary hated the idea and somehow knew that I must have just seen PULP FICTION. He did as well and advised me against using that film for inspiration. I was upset about the rejection, until I watched NORTH BY NORTHWEST later that month. Once I saw that I thought, THIS is a good film to draw from. It only has two characters of real importance to the story. I knew that if I focused on just a few characters, it would sharpen my skills at writing more fully-realized 3-dimensional characters. That novel got a lot of attention when it came out–Gary loved it, film magazines interviewed me about it, and it also got a full-page spread in SPIN magazine’s EXPOSURE feature…and I had yet to read a crime novel. For some reason, I just seemed to have a knack for telling stories within the crime world. Gary and my interviewer at SPIN both likened CLOVER HONEY to Jim Thompson’s work and suggested I read his stuff. Once I did, I completely fell in love with them. At this point, I’ve read tons of crime and mystery novel, but Thompson’s work is unparalleled in my opinion. There’s an real authenticity to every degenerate character and every landscape in his novels, that just can’t be matched by someone else’s imagination.
PopCultHQ: Your writing and art has been showing up everywhere lately at Image Comics. From the adventures of SPY SEAL, the recently released DRY COUNTY, and the upcoming CLOVER HONEY Special Edition TPB, you’ve carved out a niche as the spy/crime/suspense creator with the publisher. How has it been having your work supported so well and featured by Image Comics? Can we expect many more crime stories and adventures from you with the label?
Tommaso: I have enjoyed as much freedom with my material at Image than I have at any indie comics publishing house. I also get to do this for a living because of their larger audience, so it doesn’t get much better than that for me. If things go as they’ve been at Image, I’ll be able to get to so many crime/spy projects than I ever would have if I had to juggle doing this with another day job. Hopefully, things continue to go smoothly in the future.
PopCultHQ: Putting SPY SEAL aside for the moment, you broke away from the anthropomorphic series to share the tales of Lou Rossi in DRY COUNTY. What are you most excited about with this new series? How do DRY COUNTY and SPY SEAL differ in how you approach each issue?
Tommaso: DRY COUNTY is vastly different from SPY SEAL. For one, DC is not a traditional crime story. It’s more of an autobiographical story with a crime twist to it. Its characters, their actions, the story’s situations and outcomes have to be realistically rendered because that story is closely following events that have actually happened to me. It makes the series much harder to write–I have to be a little more serious in my decision making. SPY SEAL is such a traditional, classic spy/adventure comic. The only challenge when writing those books is using my imagination to its fullest ability. But I’m not toiling over the story points in that series so much.
PopCultHQ: Being gifted in both writing and illustrating, you’re part of an exclusive group of creators capable of producing an entire comic or trade on one’s own. What is the most challenging aspect of creating an entire issue by yourself?
Tommaso: The hardest thing is getting the pages drawn. I can write my stories pretty quickly once they come to me, the coloring is work I do in batches. meaning, once an issue is drawn, I go ahead and color the whole thing–sometimes in less than five days time. Penciling has always come pretty easy as well. I pencil pretty fast. It’s the inking that takes SO LONG to do. I go very slow when I’m inking–I’m trying to keep my line work clean, but I’m also trying to get those lines to fall in the right place. I hate when someone’s foot is on the wrong plane or foreshortened incorrectly–or if someone’s head is a bit too small for their body. These are things that should be figured out in the pencil stage, but sometimes I don’t catch them all until I’m in that final inking stage. This is why I often do a second pass of pencils in non-reproducible blue pencil on the Bristol board, using a light box. So, yeah, inking is my biggest challenge and always has been.
PopCultHQ: What has been the most important and/or valuable piece of advice you’ve received as a writer in the comic book industry?
Tommaso: The old “write what you know” advice has always been pretty helpful. I hate to say this because I’m going to sound like I’m pompous or something, but it’s either come from dead writers or myself. It took me over fifteen years to return to crime writing, because I was constantly telling myself that I had to be this “literary” writer like Dan Clowes or Chris Ware. But the problem is, after spending that many years banging my head against a brick wall trying to come up with “The Great American Graphic Novel” I finally told myself one day, “You know, maybe you’re just NO GOOD at writing real-life fiction,” straight fiction I call it. Once I let go of that pressure to write something “noteworthy,” I fell in love with my comics once again. Everything I’ve done through RECOIL (my self publishing venture of 2012-2014) and IMAGE COMICS has been a joy to work on–not always, comics is a hard game to keep playing strong, but I do get excited about writing my ideas within horror, fantasy, adventure and crime genres. The more I pen myself in, limit myself, the better I write in the end.
PopCultHQ: On top of DRY COUNTY and CLOVER HONEY, what’s on tap in 2018 for Rich Tommaso? Any conventions and signing appearances lined up?
Tommaso: The only convention I’ve got lined up for this year is HeroesCon. I’ve tried to get up to NYCC, but I’ve never been able to get a table there. Their contacts make it very hard to get a place at that show as well. I’ve emailed them months in advance in the past and I never hear back from them. I would LOVE to go to ECCC next year though. Been trying to get to that for years now–it’s hard for me to get away much, because I don’t make much money and I’m the sole artist/writer/colorist/letterer/designer of my books.
PopCultHQ: If you had the power or ability to make one change in the comic book community or industry, what would it be?
Tommaso: It would be amazing if there was a union or comics writers guild of some kind. Not only to protect people’s rights to their work–there’s not too much of that going on out there these days, unless you’re working at MARVEL or DC–but to make it easier for people to make a decent living doing this work. There’s nothing like that in place in this industry. No health plan in place no matter where someone works. Doesn’t matter if you’re at a small publishing house or working for some giant NYC book publishing house–it’s all freelance. No benefits, no health plan, nothing. You make you’re money, which you have to pay taxes on after the fact, and the rest is up to the individual to take care these vital things that everyone needs in order to live. THAT would make a big change in practically everyone’s life working in this industry today.

~~~~~

Special thanks to Rich for making time to speak with PopCultHQ.

To find out more about our March Writer of the Month,
be sure to follow Rich Tommaso online!

Writer – Rich Tommaso

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Bryan Edward Hill
independent ComicInterview

[Creator Spotlight] Writer of the Month – February 2018: Bryan Edward Hill

by Jason Bennett
written by Jason Bennett

 

PopCultHQ is kicking off 2018 in a new way. Each month, we’ll be selecting Comic Book Creators of the Month and interview them for a spotlight article. For February 2018’s Writer of the Month, we selected Bryan Edward Hill.

One of the things that amazes me so much about writer/editor Bryan Edward Hill is besides scripting (and editing) numerous comic book projects, he’s also a screenwriter, graphic designer, musician, and an entertainment industry consultant (just to name a few jobs). This guy is a workhorse! Whether being involved in “Writer’s Room” meetings with DC Comics/Warner Bros. Entertainment for the upcoming TITANS show, working in animation (9 SATRA: The Legend of Muay Thai), writing for Starz‘ ASH vs. EVIL DEAD, or hammering out comic book gems, Bryan’s gifts are being showcased on many platforms. He even makes time to work with at-risk youth as a peer counselor. Hill is a true hero in the entertainment industry, the comic book community and beyond.

The New York University film school grad has a slew of noteworthy comics from Top Cow Productions for which he has written: POSTAL, EDEN’S FALL, NETHERWORLD, ROMULUS, BROKEN TRINITY: AFTERMATH, and CYBERFORCE. Currently, you can find Hill’s work in Top Cow’s recently debuted series BONEHEAD, the new volume of CYBERFORCE, the upcoming launch of APHRODITE V, as well as DC Comics’ THE WILD STORM: MICHAEL CRAY.

We at PopCultHQ are beyond honored to feature writer Bryan Edward Hill as our Writer of the Month. So sit back, relax, and hear our interview with the man himself as he discusses how Batman framed his personal tragedy, how working to extremes is how he works best, and how being a writer is comparable to being the quarterback of a creative team.

PopCultHQ Spotlight Interview

Writer of the Month – February 2018:
Bryan Edward Hill

PopCultHQ: How did comic books influence your childhood? What was the defining moment in your life that you knew, from then on, that you wanted to write comic books for a living?

Bryan Edward Hill: If I’m being honest, the story is a little sad with some sunshine at the end of it. When I was ten years old, my father died of cancer. It left the kind of hole in me that love and words can’t fill. Suddenly, you have people telling you that you’re the “man of the house” now, and you have to take care of things and being a kid, I couldn’t process anything that was happening. I had a father, and then I didn’t. It wasn’t a long fight and he just faded like a candle.

Soon after that, I walked into a comic book store and I bought an issue of BATMAN. This was around the YEAR ONE period where Batman was everywhere. I had seen the show and cartoons, but I didn’t read the comics and when I did I identified so much with Bruce Wayne. I understood his emotions and I wanted his discipline and motivation. In many ways, BATMAN framed my tragedy in the way only fiction can.

I didn’t want to write comics. I wanted to be Batman. I studied martial arts and philosophy in my teens and I thought maybe I would go into law enforcement, but my mother (bless her heart) didn’t want me to have a dangerous job. Writing was something I seemed to have a knack for, or at least I was comfortable with it and could express myself, so I thought I would try to tell stories like the ones that helped me.
From that point on, I knew that I would write comics and screenplays and perhaps direct a film. Tragedy becomes passion and here I am.

PopCultHQ: Your writing has been featured across a number of titles at Top Cow. I’m a big fan of Postal, was a backer for the Golgotha HC, and I’m just getting into Bonehead. With also writing for DC Comics, editing,  your non-comic book writing work in the entertainment industry, and being active on social media, how do you manage it all? It would seem like your plate is pretty full. 

Bryan: Well, I don’t really socialize very much. I try to reserve my energy for the creation of art and most of my socialization comes through my work. There was a period, right after college, where I was pretty intense with the party life. So for about two years out of college I lived like a music video for TheWeeknd, living in New York City and making gloriously bad choices.

Now, I’ve mellowed and I just try to structure my life around creation.

PopCultHQ: You’re a part of DC’s relaunched Wildstorm Universe with scripting the new Michael Cray series. What stands out to me in this title is the amount of heart that has gone into the narrative, and especially the titular character and his search for his identity. From where did you draw the inspiration for such a dynamic inward look at Cray and his inner struggles?

Bryan: When Warren Ellis and Marie Javins (the editor of the book) came to me, they didn’t have too many rules. I told them that I was interested in a man finding purpose in destructive power. I have self-destructive urges. We all do. There was a period in my life when those urges might have been in charge. That’s the part of Cray that I understand. He’s a man being used for his power, and simultaneously being transformed by it into something either more or LESS than a man. That was fascinating to me and worth the exploration.

When you’re talented and hungry and looking for something to be a part of, you often times get used by people who see their own benefit in your ability. I’ve gone through that. Cray is going through that. Most of my work reflects something REAL in my own life, either something I’m going through currently, or something I’ve gone through in the past.

I tend to work in extremity. Extreme emotion. Extreme pathos. Extreme action. Extreme consequence. D.C. is allowing me to do all of those things with Cray and Warren has been fantastic.

Bryan Edward Hill, Matt Hawkins and Zack Kaplan

PopCultHQ: You’ve worked alongside an incredible list of talented writers and artists in your published work. What do you find is the most important tool for a writer to have in order to work cohesively with any given creative team?

Bryan: Malleability. Writing in a collaborative process is like being a quarterback. You get coaching. You have to start the play and make sure the rest of the team has what they need to succeed because the ball WILL leave your hands and you need to get to the end-zone. You have to be flexible, but you also have to KNOW what you want to accomplish so when you make your adjustments you can still reach your goal.

Put the ego away and focus on the reader, the end user experience. That’s the thing I keep in mind. People will spend money and time on these books and people deserve the best experience possible. If the team is on that page, that team usually wins.

PopCultHQ: What has been the most important and/or valuable piece of advice you’ve received as a writer in the comic book industry?

Bryan: In the TITANS writer’s room (I’m a writer on the upcoming show) Geoff Johns spoke with me about the importance of human connection and making sure those moments land with sincerity. What I love about Geoff is his complete lack of fear when it comes to sincerity. He’s not worried about being “clever,” but he focuses on being honest. He pushes us to make things more real, less written. I’ve applied what I’ve learned from him across the board.

PopCultHQ: On top of Postal, Bonehead, and Michael Cray, what’s on tap in 2018 for Bryan Edward Hill? Any conventions and signing appearances lined up?

Bryan: I’ve got CYBERFORCE and APHRODITE V coming this year from Top Cow. Some big two stuff I can’t talk about at the moment.

As for conventions, I’m not really sure. My schedule is TIGHT, but I’ll be at SDCC and NYCC this year, for sure.

PopCultHQ: If you had the power or ability to make one change in the comic book community or industry, what would it be?

Bryan: I’d like us to stop making villains of one another over the ideas we carry. Fiction is a battlefield of ideas, but instead of responding with work, now we respond by vilifying each other on social media and that creates a pretty awful frequency in the culture. We create these heightened, narrow personas and then we go to war with others doing the same thing. We’re all wearing masks, fighting each other, convinced that the masks we’re fighting are people’s real faces. It’s something I’ve avoided in my work and my social media presence.

I’m pretty left of center, I suppose, but I don’t aim war at people who think differently because that never changes a mind. I try to create work that expresses my point of view, but also doesn’t browbeat people into believing what I believe.

I wish comics culture was more sensitive to the feelings of others, and less sensitive about itself. I wish everyone would just take a moment to remember that we’re here because we love these characters and this format.

I wish people worked a little harder to manifest the qualities of the heroes we read and write in our own lives. Don’t be an asshole in a Superman T-shirt. You’re missing the point of the “S.”

On his planet, it stands for hope.

~~~~~

Special thanks to Bryan for making time to speak with PopCultHQ.

Be sure to follow Bryan online for
all the latest from the talented creator!

 

Writer – Bryan Edward Hill

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Eliot Raha
independent ComicInterview

[Creator Spotlight] Writer of the Month – January 2018: Eliot Rahal

by Jason Bennett
written by Jason Bennett

PopCultHQ is kicking off 2018 in a new way. Each month, we’ll be selecting Comic Book Creators of the Month and interview them for a spotlight article. For January 2018’s Writer of the Month, we chose Eliot Rahal.

Rahal’s career in the comic book industry would begin with an internship at Marvel Comics. Within a few years, Eliot had a few writing projects on his résumé from Valiant Entertainment and Dark Horse Comics, but it was with 2015’s THE PAYBACKS #1 from Dark Horse that really put him on the map. The series had Eliot team with writer Donny Cates (REDNECK, BABYTEETH), whom he initially met during his time at Marvel, and artist Geoff Shaw (GOD COUNTRY).

2016 saw the writer team with another on-the-rise talent in Daniel Kibblesmith (QUANTUM & WOODY!) with the miniseries THE DOORMAN from Heavy Metal Publishing. It also saw the launch of a second volume of THE PAYBACKS. The following year, Rahal picked up some sweet one-shot stories at Valiant with SHADOWMAN/RAE SREMMURD #1, BLOODSHOT’S DAY OFF #1, and DIVINITY III: ESCAPE FROM GULAG 396 #1.

Now only two weeks into 2018 and the writer is hotter than ever, helming the recently-released, highly-anticipated, exciting new miniseries NINJAK VS. THE VALIANT UNIVERSE, as well as getting ready to launch CULT CLASSIC: RETURN TO WHISPER at Vault Comics. With the projects rolling in and with the creative teams of which he has been a part, we expect nothing but more great things from the incredibly talented writer.

So sit back, relax, and hear from the man himself as he discusses how he got into the industry, the importance of validation, and why it’s best to “just write” and “be yourself” to make it as a writer in comic books.

PopCultHQ Spotlight Interview

Writer of the Month – January 2018:
Eliot Rahal

PopCultHQ: How did comic books influence your childhood? What was the defining moment in your life that you knew, from then on, that you wanted to write comic books for a living?

NYCC15: Donny Cates and Eliot Rahal

Eliot Rahal: Growing up I loved fantasy books (Lord of The Rings, Black Cauldron series, the Redwall books, Once and Future King). Not to mention a nonstop visual intake of Saturday morning cartoons and Sega Genesis. I started reading comics heavily in high school. Soon I was hooked. It became my favorite way to read and consume stories. I loved how a single panel — a single beat in a comic book — could move you to tears. I still love that. I wouldn’t say that I knew I wanted to write comics until I actually started writing them. I was really lost in my early 20’s. I knew I wanted to be a writer, but write what? I took a fall/winter editorial internship at Marvel Comics in 2010. It was my last college credit. That’s where I met Donny Cates. Donny and I spent (what seems like) countless nights talking comics, drinking, and talking about how we wanted to be writers. That’s how we came to be collaborators. We would stay up late working on an indy book that we would pitch together at NYCC one year later. It was in those moments of creation that I felt some magic in my life that I hadn’t really felt before. Seeing the art come in and the concepts brought to life… I felt like my creative energy had a purpose. Writing comics felt right. It still does. I’m happy to say I still feel that same magic that I did before.

PopCultHQ: Your work has been published by Dark Horse Comics, Heavy Metal Publishing, Vault Comics, and across a number of titles at Valiant Entertainment. You’ve had the opportunity to work with writer Daniel Kibblesmith and Donny Cates, and a lengthy list of fantastic artists. What do you enjoy most about collaborating with other creators? Which creator would you love the opportunity to work with on a project?

Daniel Kibblesmith and Eliot Rahal

Rahal: What’s great about working with collaborators is an immediate sense of validation. All creators love validation. Or… maybe it’s just me. PLEASE SAY IT’S NOT JUST ME. Seriously though… It’s nice to be in a room with someone (or on the phone) and know that they think this shared idea of yours is good. Not only that. That it’s worth pursuing. That it’s worth putting money into. Working with Donny and Daniel gave me the confidence to trust myself because they trusted me. Then you realize, in comics, that a writer is always collaborating whether it’s with the artist on the book, the colorist, the letterer, designer, or the editor. A comic book is not one person. That’s why they are so cool. It’s a bunch of cool people coming together to make something special. Also. It’s just good fun to bounce ideas off of another person. Especially if they are as invested in it as you. In terms of others I want to work with… Woof… big question. What’s great about the line of Cult Classic books at Vault is that it’s giving me the engine/excuse to team up with a lot of talanted people. One day I’d love to get Natasha Alterici, Brent Schoonover, James Asmus, and Vita Ayala all in the same room together. That would be really neat.

PopCultHQ: 2017 was an especially busy year for you with Valiant, writing the one-shots ‘Bloodshot’s Day Off,’ ‘Shadowman/Rae Sremmurd,’ and ‘Divinity III: Escape From Gulag 396.’ With ‘Ninjak vs. the Valiant Universe,’ you find yourself writing for and about all of the major players in the Valiant Universe. Did your prior work on Valiant titles (including Unity and Archer & Armstrong) make it easier, or better prepare you, for writing a series featuring so many top-name characters with the publisher?

Bloodshot's Day Off #1
Bloodshot's Day Off #1
Shadowman/Rae Sremmurd #1
Shadowman/Rae Sremmurd #1
Divinity III: Escape from Gulag 396 #1
Divinity III: Escape from Gulag 396 #1

Rahal: Not really! Ha! Those Unity and Archer & Armstrong stories were just short backups for celebration issues. Don’t get me wrong, they were SUPER fun. I loved doing them, but the longer form work I’ve done with Valiant has been a more intense process. A welcome one at that. Before them I had done three published series, but technically these were going to be my first “solo” writing credits. I really wanted to show what I could do. Valiant has been great to work with. Especially Warren [Simons]. They have really pushed me into making myself a better writer.

Ninjak vs. the Valiant Universe #1

PopCultHQ: With #NinjakVs, you’re also a part of a larger initiative with the publisher, one that coincides with the Valiant Digital/Bat in the Sun digital series of the same name. Has your approach to writing this 4-issue miniseries been different because of the unique dynamic?

Rahal: Valiant told me to make this my own as much as possible. I mean it is certainly a more unique project because I’m trying to stay true the tone of series. Other than that, I’m just writing a totally cool action story about a Ninja fighting his superhero friends. What could be better?

PopCultHQ: What has been the most important and/or valuable piece of advice you’ve received as a writer in the comic book industry?

Rahal: Just write. There is a lot of anxiety in creating comics — especially as you start getting more attention. I’m constantly worried about how my work will be perceived. Am I cool enough? All that horrible dumb meaningless bullshit. The best you can do is write and be yourself. That’s how great stories are made. At the end of the day that’s all people want.

Cult Classic: Return to Whisper

PopCultHQ: On top of #NinjakVs and ‘Cult Classic: Return to Whisper,’ what’s on tap in 2018 for Eliot Rahal? Any conventions and signing appearances lined up?

Rahal: As far as work goes… there is some new and exciting stuff coming around the corner that I wish I could tell you about, but sadly I can’t. Fortunately you will be able to read it all this year! Convention-wise? It’s a growing list. So far I’m going to ECCC, Fargo CoreCon, SDCC, SiouxperCon, NYCC, MSP Comic Con, and maybe one more? I don’t know. It all depends.

PopCultHQ: If you had the power or ability to make one change in the comic book community or industry, what would it be?

Rahal: I think it would be making this a completely safe space free of sexual, or any kind, of unwanted harassment. There are other problems comics face, for sure. However, this is the most important one. This type of behavior rots our community. I think all publishers (and industry related companies) should adopt and enforce a zero tolerance policy.

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Special thanks to Eliot for making time to speak with PopCultHQ. Be sure to follow Eliot Rahal online for all the latest from the talented creator!

Writer – Eliot Rahal

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