Christopher Sebela Interview - Rip Kirby

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[00:00:54] Hello and welcome to Comic Book Yetis Cryptid Creator Corner. I am one of your hosts, Jimmy Gasparo, and I'm very excited for today's returning guest. He has written some of my favorite comics of all time, including Heartthrob, High Crime, Short Order Crooks, Crowded, Shanghai Red, Cold War. And this is just me going through memory. I didn't even look at my list yet.

[00:01:23] Foul Brood, which is one I absolutely loved. And we're talking about two new comics that he has coming out. Please, welcome back to the podcast, Christopher Sebela. Christopher, how are you doing tonight? I'm pretty good. Thanks for having me. No, I really appreciate you coming back on because you have two new projects, both coming out with Mad Cave.

[00:01:49] The first one we're going to talk about, Rip Kirby, is a comic strip that I think started with Alex Raymond, the same creator who kind of did Flash Gordon, which Mad Cave has also brought back. And it ran from like 1946 to 1999. So you and Tango on art are going to be doing your own take on Rip Kirby. Issue one is going to be out November 4th. And then just recently announced also with Mad Cave, you're doing La Mancha,

[00:02:18] which as far as I can tell is kind of a horror take on Cervantes' Don Quixote, which Final Order cutoff is November 23rd, listeners. So that's the date you want to make sure you let your local comic book shop know that you want a copy of it. And then the issue one will be out December 16th. So, yeah, let's jump right in. Let's start with Rip Kirby because this is not a strip that I was familiar with.

[00:02:44] But I got to read a preview of issue one. And I kind of love this, you know, throwback post-World War II private investigator with he has like a butler slash helper. He has his his gal, Honey Dorian, who, you know, is is is helping him as well. And it was a ton of fun. Absolutely loved it.

[00:03:13] But Tango's art was just incredible. It was a really fun first issue. So tell me, like, what was your, I guess, knowledge of this and how did this kind of come about that you're kind of shepherding this new era of Rip Kirby, which was like a really long running, like 50 years, long running comic strip? Yeah, my my knowledge before, like, I never read it in the newspapers.

[00:03:38] There was, I think, I think IDW put out these really nice collected versions of Rip Kirby back in like the early 2010s. Oh, that was the first time I didn't own them, but I was living with some friends and one of them owned a couple of them. So that was my first exposure to the idea of Rip Kirby.

[00:04:04] And then, like, yeah, it wasn't I didn't think about Rip Kirby again until Matt got in touch with me. Um, and yeah, we had been talking about me working on something. And my editor brought up Rip Kirby. And I realized that I'd never really done a detective type book. And I was interested in that.

[00:04:29] It's sort of a very straightforward, like, there's no weird hook or anything. There's nothing like, I don't know. I tend to, you know, in my creator owned work, I tend to traffic in like high concepts and like. Uh, very unlikable, not very unlikable, but like characters that can be quite unlikable. Um, whereas Rip Kirby is like the most decent person you've ever met in comics. Like he's just like straight shooter. He's honest.

[00:04:59] He's devoted to his, his girlfriend. Um, and like, you know, he's part, uh, art scientists, part detective. He was a war hero and a football star. Like, oh yeah, he's, he's all American. Like, yeah. A. Yeah. And that was like, uh, so the detective aspect really appealed to me and also just writing somebody who was just supremely decent felt like a challenge to me.

[00:05:29] Uh, cause yeah, I find it hard to, uh, I don't know anybody who is like, you know, a hundred percent across the board. Decent, like at least not to that degree. You know, everybody's got skeletons in their closet and they've, you know, done, done some bad things in their life. But Rip Kirby has not, has never done a bad thing in his life. Um, so yeah, the combination of the two just made me really intrigued to see if I could do it.

[00:05:56] Um, and then once I found out Tango was doing the art, like, yeah, I, I couldn't have been more excited. Like I've been an admirer of Tango stuff for a while. So, um, so yeah, then it was just mostly, you know, the hardest part was just kind of figuring out, like I said, like trying to write, uh, a very good person. Um, and I'm still, I'm still struggling with that a little, but, uh, keeps me on my toes, I guess.

[00:06:23] Well, what do you think really is that the challenge of writing a character like that? Cause I, I, I mean, I don't know, this is, I have no evidence to, to back this up, but it seems like the challenge would be to, you know, and maybe I, it's just from the perspective I'm looking at it, but it seems like the challenge would be to really write, uh, characters that kind of live in that gray area or, or, you know, or have some questionable morals, which I think you really, you know, excel at.

[00:06:53] Like I, I think, um, I think Charlie from Crowded is probably one of the more like complicated characters. Like there's times I loved Charlie reading it and there's times I absolutely, you know, hated her. And when you, when you look at something like, like, like heartthrob or, um, or even, you know, high crimes where I, you, you do that. You do that very well in terms of creating these kinds of complex characters that are,

[00:07:24] some are struggling with the choices they make. Some have no problem making what I think your quote unquote average decent person would find questionable. Um, so what is the struggle really to, to write somebody who is, who is decent? And they, they're not nagged by anything. Like, um, they're not racked with self doubt or, you know, indecision or greed or, you know,

[00:07:52] um, all the, the, the many, uh, you know, uh, seven deadly sins that the rest of us deal with. Um, I feel the same way about Rip Kirby as I do about Superman, which is like, I was going to ask because it's, it seems like there's some similarities there in terms of writing the character. Yeah, exactly. It's just like, I don't know, you know, that's like, I guess I just don't understand that, uh, sort of purity of the soul.

[00:08:19] Um, so, so yeah, it makes it hard to write somebody who's like just such a, such a pure person. Um, yeah, it's just like, cause they have nothing like sort of nagging at them or dragging them down. They just, they know what they want to do, what they need to do. They know how to do it. They know what they won't, what is off the table completely for them.

[00:08:43] So yeah, I think it's just like, yeah, it feels they're just not as conflicted, I guess, as, uh, most of the characters I normally write. And I'm, I can relate to feeling conflicted about stuff. It's a, it's a little harder for me to get into the head of somebody who's just like, nope, I know exactly what I want, how I'm going to get it. Like, uh, bing, bang, boom, I'm going to make it happen.

[00:09:07] Um, whereas I, you know, I'm constantly second guessing and doubting and like, yeah, I think that's the main reason. Yeah. What about in terms of writing, you know, this, this comic set in, uh, post-World War II, I think it opens up in like 47 or 48, uh, but that period of time, because I think, you know, to mention Crowded again, you know, Crowded was very like app driven.

[00:09:37] Uh, there were big, huge action, action sequences. You know, you worked with Ted Brandt, Rose Stein. There were times where like, it was almost like a cartoon in the best way. The action was like so over the top and, you know, here there's certainly a lot of fun action scenes, but you're, you know, you're somewhat, um, you're grounded in this certain period of time. Was that a challenge at all for you? Yeah. Yeah.

[00:10:07] Um, yeah. Like, you know, just, um, you know, the late forties was not. I mean, there was a lot of research involved to make sure that I wasn't, you know, uh, coming up with stuff that didn't exist yet. You know, my, my sense of history is, is a very broad one. So I don't, yeah, there was a lot of, uh, checking and double checking to make sure that stuff I wanted to do actually was around then.

[00:10:33] And, uh, yeah, I mean, it's like, and also just like Rick Kirby, isn't the kind of like, I don't know. He's not like a run out and blast people kind of dude. He's, you know, he very much is a, is a thinker. I'm at a planner. So yeah, it was a struggle to like, I don't know, balance everything to make sure that I was covering him and his world, but also like having some exciting moments mixed into

[00:11:02] that, that, I don't know, sort of made chronological sense and wasn't, wasn't too huge. Um, so yeah, it was definitely sort of scaling down for me. Cause like my first instinct is, is usually to just go as giants as possible. And then an editor will tell me like, Oh no, that's too big. Or, or I'll eventually figure out like, no, this is crazy.

[00:11:28] I have to, but with rip, like, you know, knowing that it's post-war New York, um, I don't know. I, I sort of had all my boundaries sort of built in already. So it was just kind of learning how to work within, within the size of that room, I guess. Yeah. One of the things I really liked in terms of the, the, the first issue, um, I, the, the opening starts with some burglars kind of, uh, escaping or trying to escape from a museum

[00:11:58] heist. Um, and once we get into the story and find out, you know, rip gets hired by, uh, the museum to trying to try and investigate like what is going on and, uh, see where there are holes in the, the armor or the security of the museum. Like, why did this happen in the first place? So that's kind of your, your setup.

[00:12:20] Um, but, uh, fairly early on there's, uh, like two thugs that, that kind of try to corner rip. I thought that whole sequence was like really funny. I, I felt, you know, it, it, it, it felt very much like of its time from watching, you know, old kind of gangster movies or detective movies from the 1940s. I, and I just thought it was, it was a really fun sequence.

[00:12:49] Um, did I, so I'm just kind of curious, like going through and plotting it out and having things, you know, like that in there, because although as you said, rip is like a, he's, he's a decent person. He's a scientist. He's a private detective. He was a Marine, but you also imbued him with, I thought a really kind of playful, fun sense of humor. And he's also like pretty tough as well.

[00:13:15] Um, was there any moment like that in that first issue that kind of helped you get into who this character is while you were writing him? Um, I'm trying to think if there's an actual moment in that issue that really sold it. Um, I mean, my, yeah, my approach, uh, was very much that like, you know, and I, I read

[00:13:40] so much of the comic strip, like I read about, I certainly didn't read all 50 years of it, but I read, you know, I'd say about 20 years of the strip, uh, just so I could get a feel for who rip and honey and Desmond are. Um, and you know, the kind of stories that Alex Raymond and then everyone else who took

[00:14:04] over from him down the line, um, sort of get a feel for their pacing. Um, and like the one thing that really stuck out to me initially is that like rip, you know, is, uh, he's a pretty well-regarded scientist and that's sort of how he makes, makes his money. Um, and the private detective thing is like, that's what he does for fun.

[00:14:33] Um, so I think approaching it from that basis of like, you know, he's a very smart person, but also he's just like, he gets bored, um, or he gets restless with like what his actual career is and going out and like trapping down criminals is, uh, it's just like, yeah, what he does to blow off steam, um, and sort of like, um, make it worth like all the time

[00:15:02] he spends in the lab or writing up, um, you know, the, the many like science books that he's writing. So yeah, I mean, I think just right away, like that, that first scene with him and Desmond and honey in his house and they're reading the newspaper about like everybody just sort of fell into place right there. And I felt like, okay, I understand all these characters.

[00:15:29] Um, but also, like I said, I, I did a ton of reading beforehand. So I felt like very well indoctrinated into the world of Rip Kirby and what felt like a Rip Kirby story and what didn't feel like a Rip Kirby story. So just trying to balance, you know, I, I wanted to, to honor, uh, Rip Kirby and his legacy, but also, you know, try to bring some of my own. I don't know.

[00:15:59] Just like stories I've had kicking around in my head that I couldn't figure out where there was a place for them. Um, Rip Kirby, it was a good place to try some of these, I don't know, smaller things out. I, I, yeah, uh, small sounds pejorative, but like, yeah, he's not going out and saving the world. You know, Rip is just like somebody has an issue that come and hire him and he takes care of it. Like it's, it's very, very, almost kind of work a day.

[00:16:29] So yeah, I don't know. You know, I, I still struggle with it of trying to figure, figure out how to, and how to balance, you know, um, the comedy with, uh, a little bit of seriousness, but like that strip was never, ever super serious. So it sort of gave me permission to, to drop that a little bit and just kind of, yeah, just do some madcap detective adventures. Nice.

[00:16:58] Um, yeah, I, like I said, I hadn't, I was not familiar with Rip Kirby, so I hadn't read it, but you know, from what I know about other, you know, similar comic strips of that era, they, they, they are, they don't always give the, the, the female, you know, sidekick or female partner their, you know, their due. Um, did you find that was the case with this Rip Kirby? And, and if so, like, what did you try to do to make sure that like the character of, of

[00:17:26] honey, you know, if you did was, I guess, more, um, like appealing to like the modern reader. Um, you know, actually honey, like plays a pretty significant role in the strip. Although a lot of times in it, um, uh, she does sort of fall into the, like, I don't know that thing of like being very insecure that like somebody is going to take her man and like, okay.

[00:17:54] Like, and of, of like, you know, constantly wanting affirmation from Rip that he does in fact love her. So I sort of dialed a little that back and, uh, I don't know. I just thought like Rip on his own, either any character sort of on their own is a little bit boring. Um, so I think having a character with other characters around to bounce this stuff off of

[00:18:23] is just, it's more dynamic and, uh, it certainly makes things easier for me. Um, and I don't want to like revert to just like having books. That's nothing but like thought bubbles and stuff. So, yeah. So, I mean, yeah, right away, like I saw an in Desmond, like Desmond comes more to his, his manservant, uh, comes, you know, is, is definitely deeply involved from the first issue,

[00:18:51] but I tried to bring the, both of them like forward a little bit more. Um, cause I don't know my, my sort of central thesis, uh, or one of, one of them was, uh, this idea of like Rip sort of figuring out, right. Even I'm not even sure if it's figuring it out, but like that, you know, Rip can't do all this stuff by himself. Um, even if it's just like emotional or moral support, like he needs these people around him

[00:19:20] to, to achieve the things that he wants to achieve in life. So, um, and yeah, honey was always very funny in the comic strips. Like, um, so I wanted to definitely wanted to bring her in a bit more. Um, and Desmond is like, you know, he, uh, is a retired criminal. So, um, who now works as, as Rip's, you know, manservant.

[00:19:45] So we get into that a little further into the run, um, and sort of dig a lot of this. I don't know. There just seemed like a lot of cool potential for stories in the run of the comic that I wanted to sort of accentuate. And cause I certainly, you know, I'm not going to be writing this for 50 years. So I wanted to like it all the best, many of the bases as I could, um, in this run. Yeah. I really liked, I really liked honey in it.

[00:20:13] Uh, I, I liked her interactions with Rip. I liked her role in the story. I liked when at one scene in the museum, when honey and Desmond are kind of paired together and I loved all the little nods that we got to Desmond's, to Desmond's background. Like, you know, we, we, it's tough to do, you know, to show sleight of hand in a comic, but I really like how, how you and Tango like worked it out in this. Thanks. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:20:42] Well, you know, especially for our first issue, like there's so much ground you have to cover or I always feel like there's so many beats you have to establish from that first issue. So you don't have to get into them later. So trying to, yeah, sprinkle all that into a 22 page issue and still have this plot of the, uh, the art heist and the museum curator and stuff like, um, but I don't know.

[00:21:08] That's the fun of comics to me is like, uh, I know a lot of, uh, my fellow creators, a lot of them don't like doing first issues or really struggle with first issue. I, I think I always struggle with like second issues. Like, cause it's like, okay, well I did all the fun things of like setting up this world and now I just have to like roll the story out.

[00:21:33] And it's, uh, I don't know, it's a little, it's a little trickier trying to keep the momentum going. Um, the first issues always have some sort of inborn momentum anyway, cause they're the first one. And, uh, so yeah, no, I just, uh, you know, uh, it's a lot of like just throwing stuff at a wall, see what sticks, what doesn't. And, uh, eventually something comes out that works hopefully.

[00:22:03] Yeah. Well, I mean, I, I really think this issue worked and I, I really enjoy the stuff that Mad Cave has been doing, like bringing these types of, of comics and comic strips back. Like I think the, whether or not it's the flash Gordon or I, I really think the Dick Tracy run has been incredible. And I, I really like the Rip Kirby. I like how it's a different than Dick Tracy. I, I really feel like there's, you know, definitely space for both of these stories.

[00:22:32] And I, I, I like that, that Mad Cave is doing this and yeah, I think you and Tango and the rest of the creative team really did a fantastic job. It's a great first issue. Thanks. Yeah. I mean, honestly, like Tango does such great work that I feel like, I don't know, uh, I, I feel like almost a lesser contributor just because like, yeah, the, the book just looks amazing.

[00:23:00] So, you know, and I, I have a habit of, you know, telling people that, you know, regardless of my involvement, like it's sure going to look like a good book. Um, and that's definitely the case for Rip Kirby. Like, yeah, from the first, even from just the sketches, the initial sketches we got, I knew this was the right call. Um, so yeah, it's just a matter of like, and it gives them enough cool stuff to draw.

[00:23:29] So there's been a lot of like, adding back and forth and me digging up old from the forties of New York and trying to give them, I don't know, a lot more cool stuff for them to draw. I always feel like, you know, that's like, I have to make up to any artists that I'm collaborating with. Cause I'm, I tend to write like very chatty issues as a rule.

[00:23:56] So, uh, it's always a, you know, nobody wants to just draw two people standing around talking at each other. So, um, so I tried a little shattering rewards with a, yeah, you opened up with a car chase. There's a couple of fight scenes. So yeah. And just like, keep things moving and like, see as much of this world as we can. Um, yeah, especially because like the, the arc that's coming after this initial one is

[00:24:25] very claustrophobic. Um, so I wanted to like, at least give them this opening gift, but yeah, I'm super lucky that like bad cave was able to grab everybody. They did, um, and yeah, that like even the rip Kirby, cause rip Kirby is such a weird property. You know, it's like back when Alex Raymond started it, the, the whole reason he started

[00:24:51] it was because, uh, you know, he had created flash Gordon and a couple other characters. Um, and then he, uh, he went, went to war. Um, and when he, yeah, I think probably, I think he was actually, I think he was actually in the, in the Marines. Like, cause I think there's a pretty, yeah.

[00:25:15] Like he enlisted Marines praying like poster that I think Alex Raymond did, if I'm not mistaken. Well, when he came back, basically, uh, the syndicate had, you know, assigned his, the stuff that he came up with to other creative teams. Um, and, but they basically told him like, listen, we'll give you carte blanche. You can create whatever you want and you'll own it completely. Like, and this will be your baby.

[00:25:44] Like, um, and Rick Kirby is what he came up with. And I don't know. So just that, uh, backstory to it, like gave it a little bit more oomph. Uh, then, then I feel like it might just, if you just like run across it randomly. So I, I just want to make, you know, I want to make something that, you know, if Alex Raymond somehow read, um, that he wouldn't, you know, like come and kick my ass about it.

[00:26:11] So, well, uh, well, hopefully, uh, uh, you succeeded. I mean, I thought it was a great issue. So, you know, I can't, I can't speak for, for Alex Raymond, but, um, I guess no one can. He's been, he's been dead since 1956, I think. But, uh, yeah. So that was a great first issue. Uh, well, let's turn to the other series. It was just recently announced, which I'm very curious about.

[00:26:38] It's a, I think a six issue horror series, La Mancha, where you were putting a horror spin on, uh, Don Quixote. You're teamed back up with Ibrahim Mustafa, right? Brad Simpson, I think is coloring it. Josephine, a lettering. And so, so tell me what, what, what this is about. Um, it's, uh, it's the story of Don Quixote, you know, the, uh, the insanely long novel by,

[00:27:06] uh, Cervantes about the, you know, where the term tilting at windmills comes from. Um, and, uh, yeah, it, the mad cave approached me with the idea and, you know, sort of gave me this little writeup and said, like, do you want to take a stab at this? And I've, I've been a fan of, uh, EOD. Like I, I, I managed to read the whole thing when I was in college.

[00:27:35] Um, and, uh, although nerdishly my strongest connection to Don Quixote was there is an episode of quantum leap where, uh, Sam leaps into the understudy of, uh, the guy who was playing Quixote in the Don Quixote musical. Um, yeah. In, in, in man of La Mancha. Yeah. Yeah. Um, so like that was my first exposure to, uh, Quixote.

[00:28:00] Um, and yeah, it was, uh, they approached me with this and I was like, well, that's interesting. Like, you know, it's their idea of like that, uh, Don Quixote is just like murder, um, serial killer or whatever, whatever. Um, I think, yeah, I, I don't, I don't, I don't know. Sometimes when you get approached to pitch on a book, um, you get nervous, you feel like,

[00:28:26] well, I don't know if I can do this, especially when you know that like other people are probably pitching on this book. Um, but this one, I felt like right away, I was like, oh yeah, I could have a lot of fun with that. And like, I, I, I know what I would want to do with it. So, so yeah, it was, it was just, you know, for all the struggle that I had with, uh, Rip

[00:28:50] Kirby, um, of getting into that mindset, like writing a serial killer story where he's being hunted by, uh, you know, a very sort of a righteous, but also conflicted sort of, uh, um, figure of justice. I was like, oh, this is 100% of my wheelhouse. I can do this. Um, so yeah, I just kind of like, I sat down and wrote it, wrote up. What I would do with it in this like long stream of consciousness document and sent it to them.

[00:29:19] And, uh, I guess they dug it cause then they, yeah, they, they greenlit the book and then, uh, yeah, yeah, we were off to the races. So, um, yeah, I felt very confident about it going into it. Oh, that's awesome. Awesome. And what has it been like collaborating with, uh, Ibrahim Mustafa again? Oh, great. Like we've been, you know, we've been talking the last couple of years about working on something new together.

[00:29:46] And, uh, Bill, like we have a creator owned idea that we've been sort of kicking back and forth, but also it's, it's been over. It's been 13 years since we started working on high crimes. So, um, and also I'd never seen Ibrahim really tackle, uh, something in this era.

[00:30:10] Like he's, you know, he did a book count with humanoids, which was basically a take of count to Monte Cristo. I have the graphic novel upstairs. It is fantastic, but it's set in the future, you know? So like, and I, I, I don't know. I just never seen Ibrahim work on something sort of old tiny, at least far back in the past. And I thought also, I know he's just, he's a big fan of like sword play.

[00:30:37] So, um, when my editor was asking me, like, who do you want to approach? I was like, I mean, initially I reached out to E-ring to see if he'd be interested. Um, and he was, so I was like, well, if we can get Ibrahim, we should, we should get him like, um, just cause I, I think, you know, as, as the artist to help me break into comics, basically, um, really sort of establish my voice.

[00:31:05] Um, he's had a hundred percent confidence that whatever I gave him, he was going to do and knock it out. So, um, took a lot of the worry out of things for me. Yeah. Like I've been very blessed with having two great artists on two different books. Oh, I wanted to, you know, I was already working with Tango. So I just wanted to like, keep that streak going.

[00:31:32] And yeah, I just, I have nothing but, but confidence and faith in Ibrahim. Um, and he's proven it with every page he's turned in. I was like, yep, this was exactly the right call. I don't, I, it just, it's, it's nice to not have to worry about it. Like I can just sit down and focus on writing, you know, the best issues that I can. And like, I know he's going to like fix my scripts, uh, and translate and, you know,

[00:32:02] uh, take out all the bad stuff and, uh, make it even better. So, um, so yeah, it was nice to have at least one tiny aspect of my life where like, oh, I don't have to worry about that at all. So I can worry about the 10,000 other things I need to worry about. I'm trying to think like, I'm, I'm going back and thinking about your, um, uh, I guess, bibliography. Um, is this like, is this going to be the most like in the realm of pure horror that you've done?

[00:32:32] I mean, cause there's elements in a lot of the stuff you've done, like, like welcome back or heartthrob. Um, but I'm just trying to think like, where does this fall in the, in the continuum? Hmm. I don't know if it's even like, you know, I did a book at Oni, uh, with Hayden Sherman called blink.

[00:32:53] Um, it came out like, I don't know, in like 2021 or around then, um, which that was my first like sort of straight horror book. Like this is like, it's a little, it's a mixture of stuff. Like there's definitely a horror element to it, but there's also sort of a cat and mouse like thriller vibe to it because not only is, you know, um, Don Quixote running around La

[00:33:22] Montra killing people because of this delusion he has, like, he's being hunted by, um, Dulcinea who, you know, in the original work, she was like his lady fair, the one that he was obsessed with. And every, he did everything for Dulcinea. Um, and in this book, like basically he's, he's do he's proclaiming all these horrible things he's doing are for Dulcinea.

[00:33:48] Uh, and meanwhile, she's just like a farm hand and word starts getting back to her. They're like, yeah, there's this psycho out there who is like killing people, burning stuff down. And he's saying he's doing it all because of you. Um, and people aren't happy with her about that. Oh, she has to step out of her life in order to go figure out like, why is this psycho doing this? Why is he destroying my life?

[00:34:17] Like, I don't even know who this is. So it's, yeah, it's a, it's a couple different genres, all sort of, uh, smashed together, but definitely horror. Um, I think is, is at the forefront of it. Okay. Yeah. And it's, um, it's going to be six issues and it's going to be on December.

[00:34:39] Um, are, are, were there, were there, you said that your first exposure, I guess, to anything Don Quixote related was that, that episode of, of quantum leap where, uh, Sam is understudying, um, in man of La Mancha. What was there any temptation to put like little Easter eggs or nods to like? Other things having to do with Don Quixote, like, you know, like man of La Mancha or, I

[00:35:09] mean, it's, it's something that is kind of like pervasive because it's, it was essentially the first, if any listeners for some reason don't know, I mean, it's considered like really the first novel. It's, it's, you know, it's been adapted to many different forms. Um, yeah. I mean, there's like, uh, I've, there's definitely like parts from the novel that I've tried to retain.

[00:35:35] Um, and also just sort of a general shape of things. I, I didn't want to like, this is more of like, uh, I don't know, uh, like a, uh, not that this is true, but it's almost like a, uh, an alt, like a multiverse. Like this is an alternate dimension of like, what if instead of Quixote, like going out and like trying to, um, you know, like be a, a, a noble knight.

[00:36:02] Um, who's, you know, just trying to fix things in the world. What if he's going out and trying to fix the world through violence and bloodshed? Right. Like people who have read the novel or are familiar with the story of Don Quixote, like they will find stuff in there. Um, like, uh, and definitely the musical, um, I've, I've listened to, um, more than I could

[00:36:32] count at this point, just to sort of like, it's a good way to get me back into the headspace when I'm transitioning from one script to writing another, uh, La Mantra script. But I mean, other than that, like, it's just from so long, you know, it takes place in the 1600s. Oh, there's a, it sort of limits what I can, uh, yeah. Sort of Easter egg in there. Hmm. Hmm.

[00:36:59] But like, yeah, I mean, I, I honestly, like if, if I didn't have the background of like, cause I, I, when I was a kid and I saw that quantum leap episode, like, I don't think, I don't think I knew it was like a novel. I just thought it was a musical. And as a kid, I certainly wasn't into musicals. So yeah, I don't know. It's just sort of, uh, um, yeah, I don't know. It's very, uh, it's very confused in my head.

[00:37:25] Cause I, I have all these different, uh, um, ways that I've encountered, uh, Don Quixote throughout my life. So I guess this is some sort of distillation of all of that, but also I get to do like, you know, a little bit of a, uh, movie in the center of all that, which is certainly the way to my heart is like, if you can take something that like, it's like grand and respected

[00:37:54] and then you can just like put this, like, please right in the middle of it a little bit. That's yeah. That's the way to my heart. So I, yeah, like I said, like it, it felt very easy to me to like approach this story. Cause I felt like I've been preparing all my life for it. As you've started your, your comic writing career and like the more things you've done, you know, to get to this point, do you feel like you're whether you're, whether or not

[00:38:23] you're writing, you know, a thriller or a crime story, a mystery or something like this, that's maybe a little bit more horror. Do you feel like your, your influences have changed over the years? Are there still some things that captured your imagination earlier on that are, are still with you that you think about when you write? Yeah. Like, you know, I never really let go of, I don't know.

[00:38:49] I feel like throughout your life, like everybody's influenced by a million different things, especially in these days with like so much, there's just so much, so many stories in so many different avenues that you can get your hands on. Um, yeah. So yeah, like stuff will just like, um, I don't know. That's a good question. Um, I mean, I did definitely, yeah.

[00:39:15] My, my influences have changed throughout my life, but I think, you know, probably from a, from a very young age, I was, I was super into, um, just like weird, you know, like I used to read what I would go to the library, like every weekend and constantly take out books that were, uh, the true stories of like aliens and Bigfoot and like, and like, you

[00:39:41] know, that's sort of like my, my journey into, uh, weird, uh, ideas. And yeah, I think that that really imprinted on me. Not even know if as a kid, like I honestly believed it. I think it's more that I wanted to believe in a world where all that stuff was possible. Um, sure.

[00:40:04] So, so yeah, I think like that has really like been the through line for me is that, you know, I, I, uh, when I come up with like some weird idea, um, or some strange hook, like that's all sort of calling back to like me being a little kid in the library, like reading about, uh, little green men and chupacabra and just like, it would be really cool if this

[00:40:34] existed. But yeah, like, yeah, those books never had actual photos in them. They always had like, you know, terrible sketches of like, well, here is what we think the Bigfoot look. Yeah. Other than that, you know, that one Bigfoot film. Um, so yeah, I, yeah, I'm constantly like picking new stuff up, but you know, I'm just sort of, it all sort of washes over me now. So I don't even think it's in retrospect.

[00:41:02] A lot of times I'll figure out like, oh, that's where I got that from. Um, I try to be for better or worse, a very, uh. I'm unconscious about it. Like a lot of what I, what I write, like, I don't know. There's times while I'm writing it that I'm very in the zone and I'm very aware of like what I'm doing here. There's also a lot of times where it'll be, you know, three months later or like, it'll be when the trade comes out.

[00:41:29] And I, if I will finally figure something out about like why I did this thing or what I was trying to say. Um, and I've never, I don't know. That's just how it works for me is like, yeah. Writing has always been like a, uh, a sort of journey of discovery. Um, and sometimes I won't even like figure it out. Uh, like I just wanted to do this thing.

[00:41:54] Um, and in the moment it made sense and maybe it never will make sense. Like why I did these things, but, uh, um, yeah, I kind of just have to go with what my, my brain is telling me, um, I should do at the moment and, and hope that, I don't know, hope that I'll figure it out somewhere down the line. Yeah. I, I, I mean, whatever works, but I certainly understand that the difference between, you

[00:42:21] know, knowing what it is, you're, you're actively kind of being influenced by at the time. And then I think it's interesting though, the, the figuring out later when the trade comes out and you realize, oh, that's, that's what I was, that's what I was saying here. Um, yeah, no, it's, it's happened more than once. And like, you know, a lot of, uh, a lot of writers talk about like, you know, what's your theme? Like in, um, that one, especially like more often than not, it's like, well, I don't know what the theme is.

[00:42:48] Once it's done, then I'll figure out what the theme was. Um, like, you know, that's maybe, maybe that marks me as like a really, uh, crappy writer or something. But like, I, the, the reason I find writing fun is like, I figure stuff out about myself all the time while I'm like writing. Um, it's like a weird peak inside my own brain and Lord knows I've tried to like just sit here and like dig in and figure out what's in here.

[00:43:18] But like it always resists. But like, if I'm writing fiction, then that stuff will like sneak out. And sometimes it's not, it's, it's not the most flattering stuff that's in my head, but you know, um, it's, uh, yeah, it's a little weird form of like subtle, uh, therapy. Maybe. I don't know. That doesn't sound super appealing, but it is truth. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No, I, I, I understand.

[00:43:45] Um, well, uh, Christopher, I really appreciate you coming back on the podcast to talk about Rip Kirby. Yeah, of course. To talk about La Mancha listeners, Rip Kirby. If you're listening to this, when it comes out, it's going to be right out, uh, in November, like before Rip Kirby is in stores, but you will have plenty of time to let your shop know before final order cutoff for La Mancha, which, uh, final order cutoff November 23rd and issue one is going to be out December 16th.

[00:44:15] And I'll have links in the show notes for everything. So you can find all this stuff. You can go to Christopher's website and you can pick up some of, uh, Christopher's other books. Um, I, I have bought, I think I've, I've probably bought crowded, like at least volume one for like, like for people more than any other comic book. When folks say that, you know, especially like I'm an attorney and, you know, um, when people find out that I'm into comics and they're always like, you know, I, they,

[00:44:43] most of them haven't read a comic and I'm like, all right, well, what type of stuff do you like? But more often than not, I will try and sneak crowded into the, uh, into the package of comics. I give people who have not read comics in, in years, um, just because it was one I really loved. It's so much fun. Uh, Ted and Rose art. It's incredible. Um, but so, but I wanted to ask you, and I don't know if this is really a fair question, with all the work you've done.

[00:45:08] Is there any one of your, your series that you felt like you had wished more people had gotten into out of like all the stuff that you've done? Cause I, I think about that sometimes it's like, Oh, you know, like high crimes was very well received Shanghai red. There's a bunch of stuff. And I'm just wondering if there's like something in your repertoire that you're like, ah, I wish there were more eyes on this to give listeners a chance. And we'll, we'll make sure folks can find it.

[00:45:35] Um, yeah, actually there's, uh, um, another book I put out at ONI was, uh, called dirtbag rapture. Yeah. Um, dirtbag rapture. Yeah. Like, uh, I always felt like, I don't know. Yeah. I, I feel like that's, uh, I just had a blast working on that book from start to finish. Um, it is a really fun book. Uh, I, yeah, I thought it was great. Yeah. And it's the first time, like, I don't know.

[00:46:05] Um, I, I set out to like make sort of a stoner comedy. Um, yeah. And, uh, yeah, it's just like, there's ghost stuff. There's like heaven and hell stuff. Um, yeah, I just tried to go as wild with it as possible. And I, I, yeah, I'm super happy with it. And, uh, like a fun, goofy comedy. That also has weirdly, incredibly high stakes to it. Also.

[00:46:36] Yeah. Oh, that's one of, no, that's one of the great things about it. Cause like you kind of get into it and, uh, what is that? Is the main character is a cat. Yeah. Um, I haven't read it in a while, but like, yeah. Okay. Cat's another character that it's like kind of a disaster, kind of, kind of a big, big mess. And yeah. Yeah. It turns out the, the stakes are incredibly huge. Yeah.

[00:47:03] And they're all resting on the shoulders of somebody who just wants to get high, um, and get through life as easily as possible. Um, yeah. And yeah. Tremendous creative team. It's Kendall good. Gab Contreras, uh, is coloring it. Um, yeah. Yeah. Um, and also just like coming up with titles is so hard, but like that one was like very

[00:47:29] easy and it's, I, it's very rare that I've come up with a title and been like, that's perfect. Like I, I don't know. Sometimes I'll like, welcome back. Like, like was the title for so long that it became, I always kept telling myself that's a good placeholder. I'll figure out something better eventually. But then I, I just used it so long that it just became the title, uh, by default. Okay. Um, it's nothing else. Dirtbag Rapture was a rare time.

[00:47:58] I just like, I feel like I knocked it out of the park title wise. So I like to give myself props occasionally. Oh, that's awesome. All right. Well, I'll make sure I have a link in the show notes to dirt, dirtbag Rapture. Um, but yeah, Christopher, thank you so much, uh, for coming on the podcast. I really appreciate it. Uh, listeners check out all of Christopher's stuff. Make sure you order rip Kirby and definitely order La Mancha. It sounds like it is going to be fantastic.

[00:48:26] And if you have not checked out high crimes, please go get high crimes. Um, that was also Christopher and, uh, Ibrahim Mustafa, just a, uh, phenomenal, phenomenal comic. Um, and, uh, yeah, shout out to my brother, Bobby, the cryptid creator corners, number one, most dedicated fan. Bobby listens to all my, my episodes. And as we're recording this, Bobby and I are going to be at Baltimore comic con tomorrow. So we'll, we'll do an episode after we get back about all the things we saw and folks we talked to at Baltimore.

[00:48:55] Uh, but listeners, thank you so much for listening. Rate and review us. Do all the things they tell you to do about comic, uh, about, about podcasts. It really does help. And, uh, yeah, rip Kirby issue one, November 4th and, um, La Mancha final order cutoffs, November 23rd. Issue one is out December 16th. Thank you so much for listening. Uh, have a good night and I'll see you next time. Jimmy is too humble to do this. So as his stalwart ride or die, I wanted to tell you about his new graphic novel.

[00:49:25] Penny and the Yeti with artist Amber Aiken. What started as a comic short with his daughter that I've known about for ages now. And it's evolved and has become one of those annoying can't talk about it in comics things for too damn long.

[00:50:08] Yes, I'm predisposed to be supportive. And we adults give them credit for. So I really appreciated Jimmy's narrative approach, tapping into his own experiences as a dad and a spouse. I can hear his wife saying, get off your phone, Jimmy through the pages. She's going to kill me for saying that it's hitting shelves on April 21st. And I dropped a link in the show notes where you can pre-order a copy today. Yeti or not. Here we come with Penny, Perry, Fenton, Maxine, and the magical, mythical, magnificent Yeti.

[00:50:36] On behalf of us both, we appreciate your support. This is Byron O’Neal, one of your hosts of the Cryptid Creator Corner, brought to you by Comic Book Yeti. We hope you've enjoyed this episode of our podcast. Please rate, review, subscribe, all that good stuff. It lets us know how we're doing and more importantly, how we can improve. Thanks for listening.

[00:51:02] If you enjoyed this episode of the Cryptid Creator Corner, maybe you would enjoy our sister podcast Into the Comics Cave. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.