Thursday, 19 August 2010 13:11
CREATORS YOU SHOULD KNOW
Our CREATORS YOU SHOULD KNOW series continues with an exclusive interview with Pro Wrestler Shad Gaspard.
Before writing Assassin & Son what was your experience with the graphic novel medium/industry?
I have always been a big comic book fan since I was a kid, I used to go to “Bulletproof Comics” in Brooklyn and spend whatever money I had on comics, graphic novels, martial arts films and anime cartoons from Japan that were still in Japanese: I had to read the subtitles.
Why did you eventually decide to turn your story into a graphic novel form, or rather what about
your story necessitates a graphic novel format?’
When I first came up with the idea for Assassin and Son, it was very raw. And Marc actually made
fun of e because it was so unrefined and basic, but after we spent many months writing it together,
we started to realize that our style was like many other writers who we looked up to; like
Frank Miller, Stan Lee, Alan Moore, and Todd McFarlane.
After letting several
What are your feelings on black heroes, or minorities in general in the current comic book market?
As a kid I used to love reading comics like Luke Cage, Icon, Blood Syndicate, and other black comics. But as of late, I never really see any mainstream comic book characters of African descent in the comic book world. I always thought that comics should have great diversity in them, that’s why I was always a fan of the X-Men universe. For me, it was really unique. That’s what we’re trying to do with Assassin and Son. It’s not a one-dimensional book about characters of African descent; we have Russians, Italians, Asians, and Latinos throughout our book. So, everyone reading can see how diverse the Assassin and Son universe really is.
What’s your motivation for auditioning for the new Conan movie?
As a kid I was a big fan of Conan, it was probably one of the most inspirational movies of my life, next to all the “Rocky” series. I was disappointed that I didn’t get it, but I’m glad I had the opportunity to at least try to be part of my childhood dreams. Now if only they would make a re-make of Action Jackson, I think I would be perfect for that role.
What did you bring from your wrestling career into your new graphic novel?
Marc and I both brought the art of story telling. Being in the WWE, you learn a lot about story telling, especially when you are in the ring. We both brought those lessons learned in the ring to help us better tell our story on paper.
Do you see yourself writing any more stories as graphic novels in the near future?
Most definitely, Path of Vengeance is just the first of many series in the Assassin and Son franchise.
What are your thoughts on digital comics vs. print comics?
I think digital comics are a cool idea. It’s pretty much the way of the future. Instead of pulling out a comic and reading it in front of other people, or worrying about it getting ruined, all you have to do is read it on your laptop. For guys who are collectors though, they might want to buy the digital copy to read, and the print copy o collect.
What brought you to Blackline Comics?
Jason Elliott. He read our script and suggested we go to Blackline with this project. We did have several other comic book lines that were interested, but none of them really suited Marc or Me.
Who’s your favorite super hero or comic book character?
My favorite movie superheroes would have to be Shaft and Conan, but in the comic book world, I was always a big fan of Batman, the Hulk, Spawn, Iron man, Luke Cage, the X-Men, and Icon.
What about your upcoming comic are you most proud of?
That we completed it! This is my first attempt at writing, and I’ve already gotten a lot of compliments from seasoned writers who have been in the film and graphic novel industry for years. Right now, I just can’t wait for everyone else to read it to see how good it is.
What was your inspiration for Assassin & Son?
It’s hard to say that we just had one thing inspire us. I took a lot of things from people I met over the years through body guarding and bouncing to create the characters. And as a kid, I was a big martial arts and anime fan, which gave me a lot of inspiration for some of the directions we went with this story. “Lone Wolf and Cub” would probably be my biggest inspiration for Donovan Braddock and his son, Matthew. And the film, “Five fingers of Death”, “The 5 Deadly Venoms”, “Game of Death”, and “Enter the Dragon” were probably my biggest inspirations for the Horsemen. All in all, we were inspired by a lot of different things to create an original story that has never been seen before.
Which comic book creators do you consider your inspiration or role models?
Frank Miller, Alan Moore, and Stan “The Man” Lee.
Thank you for taking the time to speak with us Shad it is a pleasure as always.
Shad Gaspard is the co creator of the upcoming ASSASSIN AND SON graphic novel trilogy. Stay tuned for more information on this exciting new project. On the way is an interview with the second half of the ASSASSIN AND SON creative team, former pro wrestler Marc Copani!
Sunday, 08 August 2010 13:32
Blackline Interviews MISERY CITY writer K.I. Zachopoulos
Give us a little bit of background about yourself. Previous accomplishments in comics and elsewhere, aspirations, short annecdotes.
I was born in Greece but I tried to make myself familiar with the culture and tradition of other countries. My studies are on the field of social 
anthropology, which science really gave me the opportunity to broaden my horizons and give a second chance on every aspect of everyday life. Beeing a good observant, also means that you possibly can be a good story gatherer and probably an adequate story teller. I started as a writer of short stories and I managed to publish my first novel "Mon Alix", by a really open-minded greeg publisher. During the long way of writing and correcting, I also started to write some scenarios for short comic stories. This moment, except for Misery City, I work on my second book. I would be very happy if in the future, my books, could be also published abroad.
I wrote scenarios for horror, action, erotic, social stories and so on. Some of them were published, in magazines and one(Mr. Universe) as a one-shot comic book. A lot of them, ofcourse, never saw the light and they still lurk in the shadowy drawers of my library room.
How did you and Vassilis Gogtzilas get together to make Misery City?
Many years ago, I saw one story that he published in Greece and I was amazed by the quality of his lines and his non-mainstream style. At once, I tried to find him and I gave him some stories of mine. Gradually we started working on many projects. Misery City was one of them. It is a piece of work that has a long history for the two of us. The first material and raw ideas had to grow ripe and give a fruit(Hehe!) of good aesthetic, that during the long procedure of making, Ιt would be for us a whole new world to explore.
What was your creative relationship like with Vassilis working on Misery City?
At first, I gotta say that we were very enthusiastic about working on a project that could be very close to our personal taste. We had to discuss about the atmosfear, the sentiments that we would like to create to the readers, the artistic line, that we had to hold. Vassilis is the creator and I had to completely dive into his mind, in order to be able to share a common dream about our hero and the microcosm, where literally lives(At least for Vassilis, Max and me!). In the end, Misery City is a product that reflects ourselves and our creative psychosis and obsessions.
What do you love most about writing, comics or otherwise?
Writing allows you-if you are lucky enough and you have the chance-to create your preferable worlds that probably they still do not exist. It is like beeing a small child, that builds a brick castle that never existed before, only by using its imagination. It is a procedure that gives you a sweet tiredness. You can sleap easier in the night and the monsters that you created are not anymore fearsome but they work as teddybears for good dreaming. For me, creating is daydreaming written on paper.
Who or what are your writing influences?
Are you working on anything else at the moment?
I try to be on schedule with Misery City, while I am working on my second book. With Vassilis, we are also working on the project of a short movie, under the title "Conundrum"
What did you get out of writing Misery City that you didn't have before?
The procedure of writing Misery City, gives me so much delight, that I feel eager to work on daily base. Sometimes Misery City makes me forget even my book. I am also proud of my work and I try each scenario to be of better quality and aesthetic than the previous. Max is a character that gives the opportunity to stretch my limits of creativity, ach time a bit more.
What's your writing process like?
Firstly, we sit with Vassilis, and we prepare our decafs. He analyzes to me, the basic idea for the plot. He sends me the sketches and I work on the scenario. During this process a lot of things can change as new ideas can arise. I always try to choose very carefully the comic books and books that I read during the period of writing Misery City, as the spirit of them can slip very easilly into Max's adventures. Ofcourse that's not always bad and sometimes I willingly "allow" other writers to enter Misery City.
Did Vassilis's unique art style affect your writing, or was it independent of the art?
Yes. Vassilis was for me at the very beggining something like a teacher for writing scenarios for a comic. During the long period of working together, we started to understand each other and I surely am able now to understand his way and to share the same aesthetics.
Which characters or plot points did you create?
The main characters were created by Vassilis. I participated in less than 10% in their creation. Some ideas about a couple of secondary characters are being discessed but for sure I cannot expose them now. Vassilis is the mind of Max. I am his mouth.
What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
Do not write when you are very emotional. Always think and then write. It is very good to have a plan about your work. Readers can understand if something was created by chance or If it was planned to happen. I think they enjoy the second. It takes longer to do it but it makes you happier.
Why do you think your writing fits the Misery City story?
I'm trying to form the characters as persons and not puppets. People think, talk and act in different ways. Max is a very complex hero. It is like the spirit of a mad poet entered the body of Bogart. He is sexually depressed and yet always has high hopes for a new love. I like balloons to be as full it is possible. I understand these kind of persons and find them very charming, so I think that my flamboyant and sometimes gabby way of writing fits very well to Misery City.
Finally is there anything coming up in further Misery City stories, or other projects you want people to know about?
I really think that you have to discover it book by book! Misery City is huge, merciless. On every corner there's a new terror for Max to fight. Also for us Max's adventures is like a trip to the unknown part of our minds.
regards
kostas
You can check out MISERY CITY issue #1 soon in the iTunes app store. MISERY CITY issue #1 is currently going through the Apple approval process. To date there are currently 4 issues of the 15 issue series completed. Preview the First 5 pages of MISERY CITY issue #1 here.
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