Fanboy Buzz in accordance with Bestow Productions brings you—- C2E2

Written by TommyZimmer on Apr 30, 2013
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Courtesy of Fanboy Buzz’s Tommy Zimmer and Bestow Production’s Paul Sanders and Alex Sanders.

 

Windsor Signing- Catching Up with the mind behind the Justice League of America, artist David Finch

Written by TommyZimmer on Apr 16, 2013
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David Finch is an artist currently with DC Comics. He is a Windsor native, and the current artist on Justice League of America. He currently just finished his run on Batman: The Dark Knight and has completed a few covers for the new series Katana. Mr. Finch was nice enough to speak with us again since we last saw at Detroit FanFare.

TZ: What are you doing now? Katana covers, right?

DF: I was doing them but Justice League of America’s really taken over my life.

TZ: How difficult is it doing all the inking now? Last time I spoke, you have taken over all the duties….

DF: It’s actually a lot more gratifying, and it’s nice to see the finished product from start to finish. I have worked with some great inkers but it’s nice to have it just be my own work.

TZ: What can you talk about coming up?

DF: They are all going to fight, and that’s comin’; all mayhem and destruction.

TZ: Is that going to play into “Trinity War”?

DF: I think it’s no real secret JLA is really designed with Justice League in mind. I don’t think revealing too much to say something’s going to come out of the match-ups between the rosters in the first issue. I don’t even know what’s coming up….

TZ: Geoff keeps a tight lid on things…?

DF: Yah. But frankly, I don’t want to know what’s coming up. I want to know where we are now, and be where the characters are. A year out, it takes me out of an event.

TZ: What’s your favorite character to draw? Is it still Green Arrow?

DF: Right now, it’s Martian Manhunter. It may change again.

TZ: You tend to reveal a lot of the physicality with Simon Baz and the Manhunter… was that intentional? I know you do that in a lot of your work….

DF: Yah. I mean, these characters are supposed to be opposing, and they are larger than life but not regular people. I want to get that across every time I introduce a character. The more room I can get to do that big splash page, I am happy.

TZ: What else are you doing right now?

DF: I am honestly doing nothing more right now.

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Tommy Zimmer is an upcoming writer of short stories, comic books, journalism/media reviews, screenplays, and anything related to writing. On zimmert101.wordpress.com, you can view his latest work, and see what exciting things he is currently doing!!

Windsor signing- Interview with Green Arrow, Animal Man and Justice League Dark writer Jeff Lemire

Written by TommyZimmer on Apr 16, 2013
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Jeff Lemire is the current writer behind Green Arrow, Animal Man and Justice League Dark. He recently finished a crossover with Scott Snyder’s Swamp Thing entitled “Rot World” and finished a major storyline in Justice League Dark. He is about to begin co-writing with Geoff Johns a few issues of Justice League of America. Mr. Lemire was nice enough to speak with us.

TZ: How did you get into comics?

JL: I started self-publishing my own stuff I wrote. I went to Kinko’s, and stapled it together to shop it around. Then, I got a publishing grant in 2005 from the Zurich Foundation for my first graphic novel. From there, I submitted some stuff to Top Shelf.

TZ: What work at Top Shelf do you think really got you noticed?

JL: I did The Essex County Trilogy of graphic novels. There were some editors at DC and Vertigo that really liked that book.

TZ: Who did you pitch to at DC?

JL: I pitched to Bob Schreck, and then I ended up getting Sweet Tooth. That all kind of led me to doing more DC Universe stuff. Those were all sorts of gradual steps over almost ten years.

TZ: What do you prefer doing more: writing or drawing?

JL: I love drawing my own stuff. I love the complete control that comes with it. But, I love working with artists because I love the collaborative aspect of writing with other artists.

TZ: How did you get into Animal Man?

JL: DC came to me with a few options. I loved the Grant Morrison stuff, and I had a lot of affinity for the character. They liked my vision for the character.

TZ: How did you decide what to change in the mythos?

JL: You always try to keep what you love from the old stuff but also try to make it accessible to new reader. So, it is a balancing act.

TZ: What was it like working with Travel Forman?

JL: I think he’s a genius. He brought a lot to it, and he really helped establish the tone of that book.

TZ: What made you leave Frankenstein?

JL: It was Justice League Dark being offered to me, and there were so many of my favorite characters that I couldn’t say no. I also knew I could also eventually work Frankenstein in so I could kind of get the best of both worlds.

TZ: How is it working with Mikal Janin?

JL: He’s such a great guy, and I think he’s a really wonderful artist.

TZ: Have you guys ever met one another?

JL: We met for the first time back in Atlanta because he’s in Spain.

TZ: What stuff do you have coming up for Justice League Dark?

JL: We have a big storyline coming up I am working on with Geoff Johns.

TZ: Are you taking over co-writing Justice League?

JL: We are doing a story together.

TZ: So, it’s a crossover?

JL: It will be… yah.

TZ: Is that involved in Trinity War?

JL: Definitely. They will probably announce it soon.

TZ: What do you have coming up in Animal Man?

JL: We finished the big “Rot” storyline. So, what I am really trying to do is move the book away from Swamp Thing, and do stories really specific to Animal Man again. I am really focusing on Buddy Baker’s celebrity now.

TZ: What made you want to take on Constantine?

JL: He’s been one of my favorite characters that kept me reading comics since I was a kid, and when I was offered it, I couldn’t say no.

TZ: Did editorial approach you for it because I know Robert Vendetti was originally on it…?

JL: Rob’s a good friend of mine but they announced he was doing Green Lantern. So, he had to make a decision, and I had already been doing the character on Justice League Dark. So, it seemed like a natural thing but I am only like co-plotting the first five issues of Constantine. I am not heavily involved in it. It’s more Ray’s book.

TZ: What do you have coming up?

JL: Green Arrow obviously, and I have a new Vertigo book called Thrillium I am writing and drawing. It’s a sci-fi love story.

TZ: What’s coming up for Ollie?

JL: The Komodo storyline is our first arc, and then we get to reinvent a classic Green Arrow villain which I am really excited about.

TZ: Could it be Count Vertigo?

JL: Perhaps.

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Tommy Zimmer is an upcoming writer of short stories, comic books, journalism/media reviews, screenplays, and anything related to writing. On zimmert101.wordpress.com, you can view his latest work, and see what exciting things he is currently doing!!

Windsor Comic Signing: Interview with Detective Comics artist Jason Fabok

Written by TommyZimmer on Apr 11, 2013
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Jason Fabok is the current artist on Detective Comics. A Windsor native and graduate of St. Clair College, Fabok has also worked with David Finch on Batman: The Dark Knight and for Aspen Comics. Mr. Fabok was nice enough to speak with us.

TZ: How did you get your start in comics, Jason?

JB: I went to St. Clair College for animation program, and I knew I wanted to make a leap into comics when I was there but I didn’t think they had the proper training. I knew David Finch lived here in Windsor. So, I contacted him to see if he would teach me a few things, and that turned into about 6-8 months of lessons. From there, we created a portfolio, and he felt my work is strong enough. We sent it into DC, and I guess the rest is history.

TZ: What project at DC have you been most happy with?

JF: Right now, I am doing Detective, and I am really proud of that because it’s something I can really spread my wings on as the books progress and we do more stuff. John Layman’s been giving me more freedom with designs and my art. So, it’s fun to really express myself that way. One of the proudest things was working on Dave’s Dark Knight. To get to work on your mentor’s book really makes you feel like you’ve really made it.

TZ: You probably already had a fair amount of confidence going into it, I imagine.

JF: Yah but I had tight deadlines, and from that, I was offered a contract with DC, and it all came together from there

TZ: How did editorial approach you about doing annuals such as Justice League International and Batman?

JF: What happened was I signed a contract, and they didn’t have anything for me to work on right away. But, Mike Marts in the Batman office had faith in me that I would do a good job on those books, and I almost saw those books as a tryout. They had specific deadlines for me to get stuff done, and kind of tested me. I felt I proved I could do a monthly, and they gave me Detective right after that.

TZ: How was it like working with Scott Snyder?

JF: There’s a reason he’s one of the top writers at DC. He was very humbling, and wanted to work together as a team. He gave me a lot of freedom as well. I think when a writer has trust in you and allows you to express yourself artistically, that’s the best to work with. You seem to get a better product in the end.

TZ: How did they approach you afterwards to work on Detective?

JF: It was right after I had done the Batman annual, they had approached me if I wanted to do a big project. They said Detective but it was coming down the road. They gave me the JLI annual, and I wanted to get it done because I knew what was coming down the road. I felt honored that they had enough faith in me to give me one of their flagship books, and every month I think I am getting better and better. Right now, my confidence is up, and that’s all things you are looking for.

TZ: What was it like working with Dan and Geoff?

JF: It was different because they write very much in a Marvel style where it’s very little description of anything, and allows you to play around with the story. I find I like a little bit more of guidance in the way. But, it was cool because I got to try it, and see how I liked that style. It pushed me outside of my comfort zone so I had to think more visually about my storytelling.

TZ: What do you like about working with John Layman?

JF: We have a good rapport and good communication between each other. He asks me what I want to draw, and then he writes to my strengths. I think that’s why the book is working and selling. He knows I like big shots, big splashes and large artwork. You couldn’t ask for anything else, really.

TZ: What’s been your favorite villain to draw in the Bat universe?

JF: I’d have to say the Penguin which is a strange choice because he’s a goofy character. I’ve loved him since the old ‘60s television show, and he’s always been one of my favorites. It’s a fun character to draw, and I am trying to bring a bit more humanity to him. He’s definitely my favorite right now.

TZ: The main conflict in Detective right now has been between him and Oglivy. Is that going to reappear back in the books as a main conflict?

JF: He comes back big in issue 18, and Oglivy’s a lot of fun. I enjoy drawing that character, and fans seem to be connecting with him. When someone tries something different, people don’t like it at first but John slowly introduced that character throughout the different issues, and so he will becoming bigger and bigger.

TZ: What do you think Oswald’s feelings will be?

JF: That’s kind of the main plotline of issue 18. It’s kind of Penguin vs. Penguin. It’s a lot of fun, and one of my favorite issues to draw. Leading into 19 (900), and will be leading into the next issues.

TZ: Will Zsasz be appearing? I notice there are scratches and scars….

JF: He may be appearing.

TZ: What’s with the Man-Bats?

JF: At first, there wasn’t really any plan to do anything. They wanted the 900 to be a part of the story. I just finished drawing that issue, and it’s my favorite thing I have ever drawn. It is kind of that “go nuts on the art” book, and I am excited for people to read it.

TZ: It looks as if you are moving more towards scifi rather than the usual crime drama….

JF: It is but John’s done it so the story will have consequences in the next arc. He didn’t want it to feel like a total break in the story to throw you off.

TZ: What else do you have coming up?

JF: Finishing up Detective. Fan response has been pretty good so we are going to be moving into a next arc, and I am pretty excited to draw that.

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Tommy Zimmer is an upcoming writer of short stories, comic books, journalism/media reviews, screenplays, and anything related to writing. On zimmert101.wordpress.com, you can view his latest work, and see what exciting things he is currently doing!!

 

Windsor Comics Signing: Interview with writer Tony Gray

Written by TommyZimmer on Apr 11, 2013
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Tony Gray is the writer/artist behind Legacy Comic’s The Incredible Conduit. He is also the writer/artist behind white plastic and is a co-owner of the Windsor-based Legacy Comics. Mr. Gray was nice enough to speak with me back at the signing about his career and what’s coming up for him.

TZ: How did you get started in comics?

TG: I actually got started in comics watching the old Speed Racer cartoon as a kid. I started drawing, and drew a Donald Duck head. It looked like him, and everyone said it looked like him. My calling was found early. So, I started moving onto the superhero strips like Spiderman and the Spirit. I got involved, and my dad was a collector as a kid. It was part of our family thing where after hockey, my dad, my brother and I would head out to go to all the different convenience stores to find Spiderman at the lucky spot in town. When I look at every comic, I remember when we ended up at Kresge’s, and ate mashed potatoes and gravy.

TZ: What made you want to start Legacy?

TG: I was doing Saturday Afternoon, which was a daily and a Sunday strip. I also did a strip called Mick and Me. So, I pitched it to Marty Beneteau who was the editor of the Windsor Star, and I thought it would be cool to do a Windsor-based superhero like an old superhero strip. The company Legacy picked up the rights to publish the strips, and if they thought there was money to be made, I wanted a share. So, I bought part of Legacy Comics, and I am now part owner. I am doing The Conduit, White Plastic, The Feral Ones and Gray Matter.

TZ: How did you come up with the Conduit?

TG: I designed the character with the old Spiderman book. The costume was based around that look. His powers became based around the costume which I thought was really cool. It has like the Conduit symbol like an hourglass symbol which is a recycling of energy and power. The design of the costume sort of generated the power of the Conduit which is to absorb and generate energy whether it’s solar, hydro, electric, any kind….

TZ: How did you meet Mike Michalski?

TG: He was working at CTV, and he came up and covered a couple of the events I was at. I met him through that, and he’s a really talented writer full of great ideas. I was doing a storyline for Conduit #2 that took place at Chrysler, and one of his buddies was someone I sanctioned to draw by Chrysler. I actually used real people at Chrysler, and one of his friends said Mike Michalski’s a reader of your stuff. He and Al with the headphones were in it. They wanted to know the story ahead of time, and so they would take me out for free lunches.

TZ: What’s coming up next with The Conduit?

TG: At the end of issue #3, it becomes Tales of the Incredible Conduit. When I say an adult book, I don’t mean an adult book. It’s a more grown up book, and the art is more along the line of gray washes. He gets a new costume which amps up his powers, and he’s working with the government. It’s a lot bigger story than catching muggers.

TZ: It’s becoming more serious….

TG: It’s a bit more serious, and he’s a much more powerful character.

TZ: Was that because of the demographic switch?

TG: I was really surprised because I really just started The Conduit as a local lark, and it ended up where I was getting more and more mail. I thought I would listen to what the readers want, and they were asking to beef it up a little bit. Now, he’s like a hulking 6 foot 4 with powers ten times he had.

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Tommy Zimmer is an upcoming writer of short stories, comic books, journalism/media reviews, screenplays, and anything related to writing. On zimmert101.wordpress.com, you can view his latest work, and see what exciting things he is currently doing!!

Comicmaniac Spotlight: Jason Coffee’s Warhawks

Written by TaliAdina on Mar 28, 2013
Filed in: Comicmaniacs  |  2 Comments »

Jason Coffee was a sci-fi writer who was trying to make it Hollywood. He was well on his way to achieving his dream as he had the awesome opportunity to analyze scripts for James Cameron, and work as an assistant on shows like Babylon 5 and Roswell. Several years ago, he passed away suddenly at the young age of 33. His last wish was for his voice to be heard.  Now, his friends have gotten together to make his wish come true. Theyre publishing a comic book based on one of his screenplays entitled Warhawks and are raising the funds through Kickstarter. One of his friends Doug Cohen reached out to me and I had the wonderful opportunity to interview him about Jason Coffee’s Warhawks.

When did you first meet Jason?

I met Jason during our first week in college in 1993. We were both film majors at Northwestern University in Chicago. I met him in a stairwell on the way up to an orientation meeting. I can still remember he was wearing a Jurassic Park T-shirt that said “Rap Attack” on it. I also remember he was anxiously waiting for his TV to be shipped to him so that he could catch the premiere of Seaquest DSV.

 

What made you decide to bring Jason’s project to life in the form of comics?

Jason loved two things: sci-fi and comics. He had a huge comic book collection and always had comics posters on his walls. When you read his short stories or screenplays, most of them have a comic book feel.  His screenplay Warhawks is about a team of cyborg superheroes. If we wanted to make it as a movie, it would have cost 200 million dollars. We still hope that someday Jason Coffee’s Warhawks will end up on the silver screen, but making a comic seemed like a great first step that we, as his friends, could achieve.

 

What was the process of putting together a team, and trying to obtain the funds necessary for this project?  

The team is made up of a group of Jason’s friends who all live in Los Angeles. We started meeting after Jason passed away to see how we could fulfill his last request, which was for his voice to be heard. In the beginning, we were funding it ourselves, but as we learned everything that is involved in creating and publishing a comic, we realized we would need to raise additional funds. We’re glad that Kickstarter came along, because it’s the perfect way to fulfill our mission. While we raise money for the project, we are simultaneously spreading Jason’s creative voice around the world.

 

Billy Tan is doing the cover, and Joel Gomez (former Wildstorm staff artist and assistant to Jim Lee) is doing the interior artwork for issue one. How did they become involved?

None of us on the team had any experience making comics, but Jason’s friend Tom Cohen (no relation to me) knew some people in the industry.  He was able to connect us with a former Marvel Comics editor who suggested possible artists for the cover. One them was Billy Tan.  I contacted Billy and he immediately responded to our story. We were so excited that an artist of Billy’s caliber was willing to draw the cover. The fact that in between working on X-Men and Green Lantern, Billy took the time to do this awesome cover for Warhawks would have made Jason very happy.

Once we had our cover, we started looking for an interior artist. Billy recommended we contact Joel Gomez, who had done some assistant penciling for him in the past.  Again, we were fortunate to have such a great artist agree to work with us. Joel’s visual storytelling is amazing, but beyond that, he has become our mentor in the comics industry.  In the weeks leading up to our first convention, WonderCon, Joel has been telling us everything we need to do to prepare. We couldn’t have done it without him.

WARHAWKS is originally a screenplay, is it the desire of you and your friends to get Jason’s story eventually on the big screen?

Our goal is for the comic to become an ongoing series by bringing in other writers and artists to tell their own stories with the characters and universe Jason created. That would be awesome. But our even bigger goal is to fulfill his ultimate dream, which was for Warhawks to become a blockbuster movie, the kind of movie Jason would have lined up for on opening weekend.

When will issue one be available and where can people get it?

The plan is for Issue One to be completed early this summer. Distribution will initially be online and at comic book conventions.  Sometime after that, we hope to have it on the shelf at your local comic book store.

You all will be at WonderCon this weekend, can you let readers know where they can find you at the con and will you also be attending any other cons this year?

We will be at table 76 in the small press area. We hope people will come by to say hello and get to know the Warhawks universe by picking up a free copy of our preview comic for Issue One.

We are on the waitlist for ComiCon, and are hoping to find a way to exhibit there. We are also looking at Long Beach, Phoenix, and Las Vegas. Jason’s hometown was Atlanta, so we also hope to hit Dragon*Con either this year or next.

 

What is one thing that you would like readers to know about Jason?

You expect your friends to be the people you grow old with. Losing Jason at such a young age was a shock to us all. I would like people to know that Jason was an intensely passionate fan and writer of sci-fi and comics. In college, when everybody else was writing comedies or sensitive dramas, he was writing his science fiction blockbusters. I watched him have to defend sci-fi as a valid art form, and he never wavered. Never one to self-promote, Jason worked slowly and meticulously toward his dream of writing science fiction that would be seen and read by people around the world.  If he had lived, I have no doubt that today you would be watching a movie or television show that he wrote. Talent and passion eventually win out, and Jason Coffee had large amounts of both.

 

Comicmanaic Spotlight: MegaCon 2013

Written by TaliAdina on Mar 22, 2013
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This spotlight falls not on a person but on a event and that event is a cool  large multi-genre convention that caters to the comic book, sci-fi, anime, fantasy, and gaming communities, occurring between late February and early March at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida:

MegaCon 2013

Last year was the first time I had attended the con in years. Whenever I went before I would always go on Sunday afternoons for a few hours walking around in the vendor area and buying a few things. Man have things gotten bigger since then. Last year I went Saturday and Sunday and I had a lot of  fun. This year I attended Friday and Saturday and there was more fun to be had.

Friday:

I attended a couple of panels that were all dedicated to writing. I felt as though I had attended a fun writing workshop.  The first panel was entitled Crafting the Character Arc: HOw to Successfully Navigate Your Character Through Your Narrative which was coducted by Jennie Jarvis.  For a morning panel on a Friday it was nearly full. The panel was interactive, fun, and extremely helpful.

After that panel I went to artist alley to say hello to some of my fellow Womanthology ladies Rachel Pandich of Aspire Comic and the upcoming Skin Crawling Horror Anthology, Kate Carleton & Josh Dykstra of Naughty Bicycle, and Danielle  Gransaull.  Next, I attended a panel called Crime Noir Panel II. Hosted by The Rack Pack Comics Podcast, this panel featured Darwyn Cooke, Jimmy Palmiotti, Frank Tieri, Justin Gray, and Dave Johnson. They talked about the crime noir genre as well as shared some funny stories. It was a great panel. I wanted to say hello to Jimmy and Justin but I was too shy to (more on that later).  At the end of the panel, all the panelists did a small cheap shot of whiskey.

The last panel I attended for the day was World Building. The panel was hosted by local writers Glenda Finkelstein, T.S. Robinson, Phillip McCall, and Bill Htfield. This was another informative panel as the panelist gave advice and shared their experiences about creating dynamic environments, cultures, and challenges that will help writers drive their plot and develop their characters.

Only three panels attended? You say, well it was a long but fun day.  And then there was traffic, lots of traffic.

Saturday: 

Over 60,000 people were expected on this day and man there were a lot of folks at the con. And of course there was traffic lots and lots of it so by the time my sister and I got there we didn’t get to attend the panels that we wanted. We walked around and people watched. I have to say there were many attendees that did some amazing cosplay such as this The Fifth Element Ruby Rhod and entourage cosplay! I just wanted to go Bzzz Bzzz Bzzz!

My sis and I cosplayed as Supergirl and Young Justice’s Superboy. One big higlight of the day was that I finally worked up my nerve and said hello to Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray who were both very nice and gave me a copy of one of Creator Owned Heroes  and signed it. I was so excited about meeting them that I totally forgot to take a picture, oh well next time! Finally the last cool thing of the day was that my sister and I found a great pizza place around the corner from the con called Flippers. Their pizza is delicious!

So yes that was my MegaCon 2013 experience, not much to write about but I still had a good time despite the traffic and…well it was still good. Until next year!

These pictures were taken by my sister Dorothy! Thanks!

Comicmaniac Spotlight: Marlene aka ilikecomicstoo

Written by TaliAdina on Feb 20, 2013
Filed in: Comicmaniacs  |  2 Comments »

I found this lady on her  YouTube channel talking about comics, movies, conventions, interviewing artists and even Stan Lee (twice!). She’s a fellow Nightcrawler lover so she’s definitely alright in my book. The spotlight falls on Marlene aka

ilikecomicstoo

How did you get into comics and other geeky things?
I get asked this question a lot! I don’t remember exactly what prompted me to start liking comics, but I do know the general timeline for how it happened.
I’ve loved cartoons and videogames since I was pretty young. I grew up watching shows like X-Men Evolution, Smallville and Toonami-- the good stuff!
When I was finally old enough to stay up for Adult Swim on Cartoon Network (in high school), I took a serious liking to Japanese anime and manga. In college, this somehow transitioned to a passion for American comic books, I think when I started rediscovering those TV shows I used to love. And that’s where I am now!

Why did you start doing videos?
I kept meeting people in college that were surprised I enjoyed collecting comic books and attending conventions. It seemed difficult for them to grasp the idea that a girl-- a girl!-- could be into the hobby. I thought that was very silly. I originally created the “ilikecomicstoo” account just for kicks to say, “hey, I’m of the female persuasion and ‘I Like Comics Too.’” I wanted to put more of a female voice into the mix which, at the time, Youtube was somehow lacking.
I don’t know why but a lot of people seemed to enjoy my videos, so I kept doing them. :)

What can fans look forward from your site and your YouTube channel?
I’ve taken a lot of hiatuses on my blog, for several reasons. School, work, the dreaded Youtube comments section, feeling overwhelmed, etc. contributed to all the pauses in production. I’d like to get back on track and regularly produce videos sometime in the near future, especially to showcase all the independent comic book creators that are struggling to get the word out about their work. There are some seriously fantastic artists and writers out there, and it’s a shame they don’t get the recognition they deserve because of lack of exposure. So I’d like to highlight them more along with the mainstream titles, and maybe cover more conventions. SDCC is on my list for the first time this year!

You had the opportunity to interview Stan Lee twice!  What was were both experiences like?
Stan Lee is awesome! He’s the sweetest man, incredibly sharp and very funny. The first time I met him was at a gallery here in New York, where I had the chance to interview him while we were filming for MTV. He was a pleasure to interview, so much so that-- and here’s something I haven’t shared publicly before-- one of the managers had to frantically signal for me to wrap it up behind the camera. We hit it off so well that we were taking too long!
I also met him again at New York Comic Con one year and had the opportunity to take a photo with him. He was just as great as the time before.

You were also on the MTV series My Life As Liz. How did you get to be a part of that show and how was your experience?
I was part of My Life as Liz mostly just by chance and luck. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever expect to show up on television, let alone on a channel like MTV. It was a really interesting experience and also very, very new to me. Being on a TV show is definitely nothing like being in front of a webcam for Youtube, let me tell you! I’m really glad I did it, though. I met some lovely people and connected with comic fans from all around the world as a result. To this day, though, I get comments on my blog and Youtube channel reading, “No way! You’re real?!” I guess folks assumed that the “Marlene with the comic book blog” on the show didn’t really exist. But that’s really me!

Do you have any upcoming projects?
Right now I’m trying to re-organize things on my blog so that I can get back to reviewing consistently. That’s my biggest goal. Hopefully great things will happen from there.

You’re a fellow Nightcrawler lover like myself, what did you think of his death, his AOA self, and do you think he should come back?

Why must you bring up sad things. :(
I think his death was poignant but, ultimately, unnecessary. It can be argued that no fictional character’s death is “necessary,” of course, but I think there might have been better ways to build tension and drama and amp up the gravity of Hope’s situation without killing off our Elf. Then again, I’m biased. I am glad that Marvel stuck to it and hasn’t brought him back, though. As much as I love 616 Kurt, his death means a lot more if it’s not cheapened with a resurrection. He was the voice of reason and the one against violence, after all. His loss is meant to be symbolic.
I think AoA Nightcrawler is nifty as a character, because of his past and how different he is from Kurt Wagner in virtually everything except for shape. He’s no Fuzzy, though.

In your opinion, have things changed for the better in the geek universe for lady geeks? And what things in your mind need fixing?
Oh yeah! When I started Youtubing, I don’t remember seeing nearly enough ladies putting their thoughts and opinions about geekdom on the Internet-- or if they were, they weren’t getting nearly enough pageviews. That’s changed significantly in the last few years. Sites like The Mary Sue are dedicated almost entirely to the female perspective, and more and more geek girls are taking to Twitter, too. It makes me extraordinarily happy!
We have a long way to go, though. For some reason, it’s still “weird” or “new” for women to be into what have traditionally been defined as “boys’ club” hobbies. They can dress up in sexy cosplay but, otherwise, they’re “doing it wrong.” That’s nonsense.

What is your take on the fake geek girl controversy?
I have a lot of feelings on this thing.
First of all, it upsets me that there even is a fake geek girl controversy. Why can there only be female fake geeks? What’s the male equivalent? Why is it that a woman’s genuine interest in a hobby automatically comes into a question, but not a man’s? And why is that people think that women in these hobbies don’t exist?! 70% of the players in my World of Warcraft guild, for example, are chicks!
For me, there are no fake geek girls. There are people who like geeky things, some a little, some a lot, and there are people who don’t like them at all. That’s fine. Honest! Growing up, I was one out of two girls in my elementary school who liked “geeky” things. We were isolated because of that. It wasn’t awful, but it wasn’t nice either. Now, we live in a time where people with these kinds of interests can find each other, easily make new friends, obsess together, discover new shows and books and comics, and ultimately feel accepted. Why anyone would want to undermine these opportunities by creating categories for “real” and “fake” fans is beyond me.
Just because someone doesn’t like something with the same intensity as you do, whether that be comics or sports or what have you, doesn’t mean they are not a “real” fan. You should take this potential new friend as a chance to teach and grow and find common ground, rather than exclude.
I wrote a little about this on my blog, even before this “fake geek girl” thing blew up. You can read it here.

How can those of us who love comics encourage young girls and older ladies who want to to draw, write, or just be involved in comics?
One: READ. Find comics/graphic novels that you like, read them. Then find more and read those, too. Then recommend them to your friends. Then buy the ones that blew you away as birthday/holiday gifts for your family. Then find age-appropriate material and give it to your young’uns and start them early.

Two: DISCUSS. Go to signings and thank/chat up your favorite creators. Go to conventions and meet people with similar interests. Find book clubs. Find comic social gatherings. Get on forums. Get on Twitter. Follow some blogs and comment (politely) on them. Go to your local comic book shop and hang out and talk to people and ask them what they’re reading. Repeat step one.

Three: CREATE. You have more imagination in you than you think. If you like comics, if you really want to get involved in them, create something. Write, draw, sketch, ink, letter, color, panel, edit... There are a hundred different roles you can fill. Plan something out and do it. Publish it as a webcomic. Start a Kickstarter and get funded if you need the help. If you’re an artist, start a deviantArt page and upload your work there so people can see it. Take your portfolio with you and go to conventions and make appointments to have people look at it. Get an internship at a comic book company-- Marvel’s a great place to work at, and I can say that honestly. Get the word out about your stuff. Try harder and get the word out more. Nope, you can still spread the word even more!

For women, specifically, I’m not sure what I can say except that, as a woman, you may have to work a little harder to get the same respect you deserve. This “fake geek girl” nonsense has shown just how ignorant people can be. That’s not okay, but I have faith in you. I really do. You keep loving comics and making comics, and don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t or shouldn’t. Anyone give you trouble and you send them to me, you hear? I’ll take care of ‘em.

Comicmanaic Spotlight: Grace Randolph

Written by TaliAdina on Feb 19, 2013
Filed in: Comicmaniacs  |  1 Comment »

Grace Randolph is the host of two Youtube Channels: Think About The Ink and Beyond the Trailer. She’s also the creator and writer of the awesome comic book SUPURBIA which is published by BOOM! Studios. I had the opportunity to interview her and I asked her about the comic and what fans have to look forward to, as well as her web shows, and much more.

What inspired SUPURBIA?

Real Housewives!  I’d never watched any before the Beverly Hills edition, and that’s the still the only one I watch, but I thought it was interesting how each version changed based on the city it was located.  So jokingly, I wondered what it would be like if there was a focus on superhero spouses.  Then I was like “Hey, that’s no joke! That’s a good idea for a comic!”

What can fans look forward to with the series?

Really strong character development.  That’s important to me as a comic book reader so it’s also important to me as a writer.  Plus I’m very lucky to be working with Russell Dauterman, who’s such a talented artist that we can have these great character beats that don’t need dialogue.  Yes, even though I’m the writer, I believe that sometimes it’s best to let the visuals do the talking!

As for what fans can look forward to storywise, there’s Tia Jenkins’ return to being a superhero – Aso – which will have huge repercussions!  I can also tell you we’ll be visiting deep space, a tropical island, and London – all in the next arc!

What inspires you to write?

Honestly, my love of reading comics.  And I know I’m not alone.  When you really love something, it’s natural to want to contribute to the medium.  In fact, I get my strongest desire to write after reading my weekly stack on Wednesdays!  That, and seeing Russell’s pages come in!

What advice can you give writers who want to break into comics?

Be patient.  It took me a long time to break in myself, and I had to do a lot of legwork.  Plus don’t take rejection personally.  I had a ton of ideas that couldn’t get off the ground!  It really is a matter of just finding the RIGHT idea, and then you’ll see things start to click.  I also highly recommend doing to comic book conventions and networking.  That’s HUGE.

What comics are you reading?

I read a lot of comics!  So I guess I’ll list my favorites: Batman & Robin, All New X-Men, Hawkeye, Saga and The Sixth Gun.

Like a lot of fans, I was introduced to you by watching the YouTube series you hosted-The Watcher on Marvel’s YouTube channel. When you were fired many fans thought you were fired unfairly. Do you have anything you would like to say about that?

Ah, I appreciate you asking.  The thing is, Marvel decided to stay quiet about their reasoning and, as a professional, I need to respect that.  But I have to say it was a tough period of time and the tremendous support from viewers is what got me through it.  Them and Rich Johnston from BleedingCool.com, who not only covered what happened but helped me to launch my new web show on YouTube, Think About The Ink.

You’re now on your own YouTube channel ThinkAboutTheInk doing two shows: STACKTASTIC! and BETWEEN THE PAGES. How did this come about and what can fans look forward to?

Think About The Ink exists literally because of the viewers.  When Marvel fired me, many viewers encouraged me to start my own show and when Rich then offered to host it I decided to give it a go.  It was very nerve-wracking and I was nervous about how it would be received, but now I’m so happy I did it.  Also I get a lot of great messages from viewers on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube who say I’m getting them into comics and that’s very rewarding.

 

In your opinion, have things changed for the better in the geek universe for lady geeks and what things in your mind need fixing? What is your take on the fake geek girl controversy?

TheMarySue.com posted a great article about this:
http://www.themarysue.com/psychology-of-the-fake-geek-girl/

It would be hard to sum it up better than that!  But I will add that I think some men need to stop thinking women are only interested in comics to meet guys or help their careers.  How about women just enjoy good superhero, sci-fi and fantasy stories too?  Do I think things are getting better?  Yes and no.  Geek Girls are becoming a bigger part of the community, but that’s also creating a harsh backlash…

How can those of us who love comics encourage young girls and older ladies who want to to draw, write, or just be involved in comics?

Don’t let anyone discourage you.  Comics exist on the page, so who knows if a man or woman is creating them?  Good work stands on its own, and if you’re creating good work eventually you’ll win out.

What other projects are you working on?

Besides Supurbia and Think About The Ink, I also have a movie news web show on YouTube called Beyond The Trailer.  I hope everyone will at least stop by once and check it out! :)