Declan Shalvey talks Thundercats

[00:00:00] Your ears do not deceive you. You have just entered the Cryptid Creator Corner brought to you by your friends at Comic Book Yeti.

[00:00:07] So without further ado, let's get on to the interview.

[00:00:11] Y'all, Jimmy, the Chaos Goblin strikes again!

[00:00:15] I should have known better than to mention I was working on my DC Universe meets Ravenloft hybrid D&D campaign on social media.

[00:00:21] My bad.

[00:00:22] He goes and tags a bunch of comics creators we know and now I have to get it in gear and whip this campaign into shape so we can start playing.

[00:00:29] Another friend chimes in, are you going to make maps?

[00:00:32] It's fair to say it's been a while since I put something together so I guess?

[00:00:37] It was then that I discovered Arc and Forge.

[00:00:40] If you don't know who Arc and Forge is, they have everything you need to make your TTRPG more fun and immersive.

[00:00:46] Allowing you to build, play, and export animated maps including in-person Fog of War capability

[00:00:52] that lets your players interact with maps as the adventure unfolds while you, the DM, get the full picture.

[00:00:59] Now I'm set to easily build high-res animated maps saving myself precious time and significantly adding nuance to our campaign.

[00:01:06] That's a win every day in my book.

[00:01:08] Check them out at arcandforge.com and use the discount code YETI5 to get $5 off.

[00:01:14] I'll drop a link in the show notes for you and big thanks to Arc and Forge for partnering with our show.

[00:01:19] I think I'm going to make Jimmy play a goblin warlock just to get even.

[00:01:24] Hello and welcome to Comic Book Yeti's Cryptid Creator Corner.

[00:01:27] I'm one of your hosts, Jimmy Gasparro, and what a treat I have for you today.

[00:01:32] I have writer and artist, comic creator who I've been a big fan of and I'm so excited.

[00:01:39] The honor and privilege is all mine to chat today with none other than Declan Shalvey.

[00:01:45] Declan, how are you doing today?

[00:01:47] I'm very well, thanks.

[00:01:48] And for anyone listening, we established how fortunate you were before the call, which is why you're reiterating it.

[00:01:54] And you're right.

[00:01:55] It's such a huge, huge honor for you.

[00:01:57] And yeah, I'm very well, thanks.

[00:02:01] No, it truly is.

[00:02:03] And I've tried to set this up before and I think I kind of just got jammed up and busy with my day job.

[00:02:12] It's always a little tricky working at the time difference.

[00:02:16] It might have been my fault too, because I guess I don't want to say this or something like a wanker,

[00:02:21] but I do get a good few interview requests and if I don't reply right there and then, I'll just absolutely forget about it.

[00:02:30] It just kind of goes in.

[00:02:31] You know, another request will shove the previous one out of my brain.

[00:02:35] So, you know, I always try to say to people if they ever contact me,

[00:02:39] like if I don't get back to them, don't take it for any kind of animosity.

[00:02:42] Just give me, just email me again because I'm sure there's a lot of emails in my brain bin.

[00:02:49] You know, they will never get, these won't ever be found again.

[00:02:53] So no, thanks for your due diligence.

[00:02:55] No, I appreciate it.

[00:02:57] I was lucky enough also, I got to meet you at, I was in Dublin, just happenstance.

[00:03:04] I was in Dublin for Dublin Comic Con back in March and was able to meet you.

[00:03:12] And I think my brother was with me, got some stuff signed.

[00:03:17] So that was great.

[00:03:19] You were able to talk to us and I really enjoyed myself for the day that I was at Dublin Comic Con.

[00:03:24] I was shocked by the number of like young people cosplaying,

[00:03:30] which I mean, I go to Baltimore Comic Con every year here and has some of that.

[00:03:34] But the sheer amount of people dressed up at Dublin Comic Con was amazing.

[00:03:40] Not to derail your pattern, but I'm curious, what did you think of Dublin Comic Con as opposed to like,

[00:03:47] I mean, you've done loads of different types of shows this day, haven't you?

[00:03:51] Yeah, I mean, they do have a lot of different ones.

[00:03:54] I mainly go to Baltimore.

[00:03:55] I've been to some Comic Con.

[00:03:56] I've been to some smaller shows.

[00:03:59] I mean, I was impressed with how much stuff like there was there.

[00:04:07] You know, one of the reasons I like Baltimore is I feel like it's much geared towards like the comic creators, which is nice.

[00:04:16] It was great.

[00:04:17] The folks that I did get to meet and talk to at Dublin Comic Con.

[00:04:20] But, you know, the comic creators and kind of like artist alley did seem to be like limited to like one room,

[00:04:29] although there were like many different floors.

[00:04:31] So there was a lot to see and do there.

[00:04:33] And I loved all the people there, you know, especially dressed up and participating.

[00:04:38] It looked like everyone was having a good time.

[00:04:40] But I guess if anything, if I had any criticism of it,

[00:04:43] I was just surprised that there weren't like more actual creators and folks in artist alley.

[00:04:50] No, I agree with you there.

[00:04:51] Are you from Baltimore?

[00:04:53] No, I'm from Philly. Well, right outside of Philly.

[00:04:55] OK, so I'm hearing the more I hear the accent.

[00:04:59] And yeah, no, I would ultimately Dublin Comic Con is a pop culture show.

[00:05:08] So it's very much, you know, it's I think the main attractor attractions are the actors and voice actors and stuff like that.

[00:05:17] But I agree with you.

[00:05:18] There was criticism of the show too, but like I know, but like that's what they get in.

[00:05:23] As in the people who are applying for tables and stuff are mainly craft type.

[00:05:29] And I don't know if it's a generational thing because I see some other shows as well where there's a lot of young people kind of coming in,

[00:05:35] but they're doing like stickers, prints, but I'm making comics.

[00:05:39] But whereas when I started going to conventions in the early 2000s, everybody was making comics.

[00:05:44] I don't know if it's a cultural thing or it's an age thing or whatnot.

[00:05:49] But you know, a show can only have people who are applying to go to the show.

[00:05:54] So yeah, so it's what I personally would like to see more of that.

[00:05:58] But myself, because I think that's the great thing about conventions is it's where you go and it's where you put out your not very well done 12-page zine or something.

[00:06:09] And then you get good feedback on it and you come back the next year and you know every show is a deadline to put out your next project

[00:06:15] and you get better and better and you build a network of peers to do it.

[00:06:22] That's how I started out, you know.

[00:06:24] And it wouldn't be fair for me to say whether that's true or not anymore because I wouldn't know.

[00:06:29] You know, I'm not starting out anymore so I don't know what it's like.

[00:06:33] And we didn't have shows like that when I was starting out.

[00:06:35] I had to go to the UK and I had to go to America to go to comic conventions.

[00:06:39] There wasn't really anything on that scale.

[00:06:43] Now Dublin Comic Con wouldn't be much compared to say New York Comic Con.

[00:06:47] It's Ireland. It's not massive, massive.

[00:06:50] But it is a big show, you know, definitely the biggest one.

[00:06:53] I'd like to see, you know, I would like to see more comics there.

[00:06:56] But yeah, like I said, I don't know if it's an Ireland thing or it's a cultural thing or it's a geek culture thing.

[00:07:05] But I guess we'll see how it goes, I guess.

[00:07:08] Yeah, hopefully they're able to continue to grow the comics area of it because there's certainly enough people there and enough interest.

[00:07:17] I mean, there were just something to do on I think it was like three to five levels of the convention center where it was held.

[00:07:24] So yeah, it was a fun day.

[00:07:29] I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[00:07:34] I think that's something we're very obsessed with anybody who ever comes over to Ireland is like, did you have a good time?

[00:07:41] I'm sure everybody asks like, are you all right? Are you OK? Are you having a good time?

[00:07:45] We're very always always worried about it.

[00:07:48] Well, I also like the quality of creators there in terms of like just my own personal interest and what I like to read.

[00:07:55] You know, I'm not like a big I mean, I have a lot of, you know, a fair number of comics, but I'm not like a collector.

[00:08:01] But I do like to go and when I go to Baltimore and stuff and get something signed, you know, just to like to have and tell folks like, hey, I really I really like the way that it is.

[00:08:10] I loved your comic, you know, so getting to meet you and Ellie Wright is a colorist that I really love.

[00:08:18] Ellie's work and Rebecca Nolte was there.

[00:08:22] But Chris O'Halloran.

[00:08:25] Yeah, I think she was I think she was along a sidewall tabling with some with someone else because I'm Mr.

[00:08:34] So that's the thing because I know I know pretty much everybody.

[00:08:37] So if I miss somebody like a son of a like that was it was a nice thing for me was was seeing everyone I was sitting next to Danny Earls and unfortunately also sitting next to Stephen Mooney.

[00:08:47] And so you do get to see everyone.

[00:08:49] And we all went I think my favorite part was like some of us went out for dinner afterwards and just getting to actually have some which I've noticed now the difference between starting out and being established is just trying to grab a little bit of time with the people who, you know, just to

[00:09:03] because there's so many at a big event like that.

[00:09:06] And it's hard to get proper proper face time.

[00:09:09] And the good thing about the smaller shows is it's easier to wrangle people together, you know.

[00:09:14] But sorry, I'm I'm I'm yammering.

[00:09:17] No, no, no, it's fine.

[00:09:19] Yeah, I was going to say Stephen Mooney was there and I was just about to mention Chris O'Halloran was there.

[00:09:24] I'm a huge fan of his and Nick Roach's Scare-It-Hood.

[00:09:28] Like that was just one of my favorites when that came out.

[00:09:31] So, you know, it was yeah, it was it was great to see folks and, you know, just to it just happenstance and to say that oh I got to go to a you know, is that a comic convention in another country?

[00:09:42] And it went all the way to the country just to go to a comic convention.

[00:09:45] I'm sure some friends of yours were made fun of.

[00:09:48] Yeah, they did.

[00:09:50] But you know, that's what I enjoy.

[00:09:52] I'm old enough now where that that stuff doesn't bother me.

[00:09:55] I like what I like, you know.

[00:09:56] Yeah.

[00:09:57] Yeah, I'm kind of curious something you said in terms of when you started out.

[00:10:00] So I think I mean, I want to say your first published work was around like 2006.

[00:10:07] Yeah, I think so.

[00:10:09] Yeah, it was an indie book called Hero Killers where I went.

[00:10:14] I went so I was living in Limerick and I had gotten a portfolio review in Belfast by PJ Holden who encouraged me to go to UK conventions because there wasn't really much in that.

[00:10:24] Because there wasn't really much in the way here.

[00:10:26] So I went and I met a writer called Andy Winter who is publishing his own work, self-publishing.

[00:10:31] And I showed I would show my portfolio around basically to anybody who would look.

[00:10:36] And I got some good reaction.

[00:10:37] But you know, I wasn't ready yet but I was getting there.

[00:10:40] And yeah, so that Andy basically said if I write a story and I publish it, would you draw it?

[00:10:46] I can't afford to pay you but I can publish it.

[00:10:49] So that was the first thing.

[00:10:50] That was an indie book called Hero Killers which got a bit of them won the Eagle Awards following year.

[00:10:57] So I got a bit of attention that way.

[00:10:59] But that was it.

[00:11:00] I started out by going to conventions in the big scary England.

[00:11:08] You know, making sure I didn't wear a tricolor because just in case.

[00:11:11] But no, everyone was always lovely and I had a really good response.

[00:11:17] But I also didn't realize, I met Stephen Mooney a couple of years later at that Bristol show was the big show at the time.

[00:11:23] And so I didn't even know other Irish people were doing comics for a long time.

[00:11:27] You know, so we were all independently going over to the UK because that's where the convention scene really was.

[00:11:32] And then we couldn't even meet each other.

[00:11:35] So yes, it's very, very different now.

[00:11:39] I mean, in some ways, conventions are always the same.

[00:11:42] But like I said, to have there's way more Irish creators now.

[00:11:45] So it will be easier for somebody to meet an Irish creator because they're actually in the country.

[00:11:50] Whereas when I was coming up, I think there was maybe three or four creators from the country.

[00:11:56] And like I think Dermot Power and Killian Plunkett would have been like Irish artists who had done work at Dark Horse and stuff.

[00:12:07] But I think they'd left comics at that stage.

[00:12:08] So there really wasn't much visible Irish creators stuff at the time.

[00:12:12] But that's so different now.

[00:12:14] I could give you a list of 30 to 40 people now who are professionally doing comics and who are living in Ireland.

[00:12:20] What do you think has helped the, I guess, the rise of the Irish, you know, comic scene?

[00:12:26] Is it just like social media?

[00:12:29] Is it folks able to connect in easier ways or I know sometimes even like the Irish government has like grants for creators.

[00:12:37] I mean, do things like that help or is there one in particular thing that has kind of paved the way for the growth of the Irish comic scene?

[00:12:45] I'd say the one particular thing.

[00:12:47] You're looking right at it, baby.

[00:12:48] No, I'm apparently joking only because in the years, in the last few years, there's a good few people.

[00:12:56] Like say Danny Earls said to me that so me and Will Slimey and Nick Roach and Stephen Mooney and more.

[00:13:05] When we were coming up, we did a group sketch blog.

[00:13:07] But sketch blogs were a thing called Eclectic Mix.

[00:13:11] So we did a daily sketch blog, which again was just kind of for us to kind of have a reason to show stuff and being guys who actually did comics in the country have a reason to just kind of like keep in contact.

[00:13:24] And that was it.

[00:13:26] And then years later I've got people like Danny saying like, oh yeah, like I looked at that blog every day seeing that there were Irish creators doing comics made me realize I could do it too.

[00:13:34] And I've heard that from a few people where like I did a talk at one place or Mooney did a talk someplace or Will talked in his old college where I think there was a secondary generation below us who had, well we had access to the Internet.

[00:13:51] That was definitely huge, I would say.

[00:13:53] I think maybe then the next generation below us had all that access.

[00:13:56] And the excuse, I think I say a lot of times in Ireland we need an excuse to do things.

[00:14:02] So if you see somebody doing it like oh okay, or permission I think is maybe a better word where you have access to the Internet.

[00:14:10] You might have a mad idea but you need somebody else to go like yeah, yeah, you can do that.

[00:14:15] It's what PJ did for me.

[00:14:16] Like PJ said, no, you'll draw comics.

[00:14:18] I was like, I will.

[00:14:20] But his argument was, yeah, you're in your 20s and you're all you're you haven't stopped now so it's only a matter of time.

[00:14:25] And that kind of gave me the mental permission to go oh okay.

[00:14:28] I just kind of like, I'm going to do this.

[00:14:30] I'm going to do this.

[00:14:31] I'm going to do this.

[00:14:32] I'm going to do this.

[00:14:33] I'm going to do this.

[00:14:34] I'm going to do this.

[00:14:35] I'm going to do this.

[00:14:36] I'm going to do this.

[00:14:37] And it gave me the mental permission to go oh okay.

[00:14:40] I just keep doing it that you know you don't have no frame of reference.

[00:14:44] And it is meant there's so much more resources now online.

[00:14:46] This was sometimes I get I kind of get a bit like frustrated but I'm confused.

[00:14:51] People go, I don't really know what to do.

[00:14:52] I'm like, there's so many resource when I was when I was starting out there was not.

[00:14:57] There was some blogs.

[00:15:01] I know Warren had one and I was on the Middle World forums back in the day.

[00:15:06] I know there were bendis ones too.

[00:15:07] Those were the kind of the first place where you get resources right now.

[00:15:11] Twitter wasn't even a thing at the time like so.

[00:15:14] So I think it's I think it's a mix of a lot of stuff I think less stigma about getting into creative jobs as there would have been I think are there would have been a bit more parochial and going back 10 15 years.

[00:15:29] And the resources and the excuse to see seeing guys like myself or will or maybe actually having an actual career of us probably.

[00:15:38] Yeah, I mean I know I wouldn't suggest it.

[00:15:41] I just know it to be true because it's been said to me good few times at this stage that that's a factor.

[00:15:45] So that's nice to know you know you don't really think about it.

[00:15:48] You're just like trying to from our point of view we're just trying to keep our head above water.

[00:15:53] But then you're above water for 15 years.

[00:15:56] You realize people have been paying attention which is nice but also kind of scary.

[00:16:01] Yeah.

[00:16:02] So when you went to school in Limerick.

[00:16:06] I think your degree is art and printmaking was there always a thought that like I'm going to I'm going to do comics or was there like a plan B.

[00:16:19] Well printmaking was plan B and as you know printmaking is a massive industry like fine art for making and no no comics is always I always always always want to do comics but I just didn't know how to do it.

[00:16:31] You know I am I looked into like the Joe Cooper School but then you know college colleges was free when I was going to college.

[00:16:41] And then when my mother saw what the Joe Cooper School cost and he wouldn't be able to like it was it was just like that's not possible.

[00:16:47] And so I just didn't know really know what to do.

[00:16:49] So when my art teacher suggests I go to Limerick School of Art and Design.

[00:16:54] And I actually which I did and that was good for me to just kind of see a lot.

[00:16:59] I was so just looking at comics all the time.

[00:17:01] I didn't look at anything else.

[00:17:03] So when I went to that college they were completely dismissive about comics which really annoyed me.

[00:17:07] But it did force me out of my very narrow little bubble and see lots of different stuff and be exposed to different types of work and to experiment.

[00:17:15] And I think actually did me the world of good just at the time I was very you know.

[00:17:19] Oh yeah very very adolescent about it.

[00:17:25] But so no that was good.

[00:17:27] And then after I finished college I was kind of working on my portfolio in Limerick.

[00:17:32] I went on the dole and I was just trying to work on a portfolio which is like put a bit of money together fly to the UK to get to convention.

[00:17:40] Do it again try save more.

[00:17:42] And I remember I went to San Diego Comic Con in maybe 2008.

[00:17:48] That was my first time in America ever with San Diego Comic Con.

[00:17:52] And I didn't get work from it or anything but it was but it was that was a big leap to actually go to an American convention.

[00:17:58] And I've pretty much been going to New York Comic Con every year ever since.

[00:18:02] Like I think the US show is separates the men from the boys.

[00:18:05] The UK ones are of note but it's not.

[00:18:08] It's definitely a big deal to go to the UK from Ireland.

[00:18:12] But to go to the States is I mean when you have to be serious about it if you're going to spend that kind of money you know.

[00:18:18] Yeah yeah I'm sure I am sure sorry I think I just waffled on your question there sorry.

[00:18:23] No no no no you didn't.

[00:18:25] You answered it exactly in terms of it was always comics.

[00:18:32] Yeah but I'm sure in terms of having to come over you know for something like New York and you know carry whatever you're bringing along with you or if you have like a publisher like supplying some stuff for you in order for you to sign.

[00:18:46] And I saw you were just actually in the States recently I think you were at Dynamite's offices signing ThunderCats and I think you're actually in Philly too.

[00:18:54] I think you had a signing at Brave New Worlds.

[00:18:57] That's right yeah and I had a very fun night afterwards.

[00:19:00] Yeah like probably the most fun the nights in Philly it wasn't as big and nice signing wise I'd say third eye the night before but after that was just like a nice dinner and went back to the hotel after the signing in Philly we went out so.

[00:19:16] Oh nice.

[00:19:17] Yeah yeah.

[00:19:19] But at the time when I was starting out like as I mean Will went over to San Diego and then New York but like I remember we were at Comic Con talking to an artist who's like why don't you get a table?

[00:19:32] We're like what?

[00:19:33] We're like yeah why don't you get a table at the show?

[00:19:35] We're like we're nobody so we I think maybe we were we had just done some small press stuff at the time.

[00:19:41] I was like oh yeah but we don't deserve a table.

[00:19:44] We're not like we wouldn't that was our attitude we don't deserve one but it's but like we didn't understand you can just apply and pay for one especially at the time it was probably easier.

[00:19:54] But we are our minds were like oh yeah but we're not real artists like we do we're not legitimate like so we wouldn't you know and it was like no no you can basically I think that's it's the American attitude if you can make yourself legitimate whereas I think in Ireland we're expecting a bit of that like no no no if you go you can do it now.

[00:20:10] And yeah those huge learning curves to all of that stuff going back I mean it is it's mad to think how long it's been like a long time now.

[00:20:17] I still think of myself as like a new you know just starting out right like I've actually been at Marvel over 10 years now so I think that makes you me a veteran technically so no no I'm old I'm an old man now.

[00:20:30] What was that like then you said there's a bit of a learning curve but with that attitude in terms of just starting out and feeling like you know I need I need permission to do this or I need somebody else to tell me like oh I'm an artist and I belong here like at the table when you start doing.

[00:20:46] You know Marvel work and that that the early days of Marvel and going to conventions as someone who's now worked on like Marvel character and those books what was that adjustment period like to actually be out there at a table at a convention at a signing having started to do work for Marvel.

[00:21:06] What was it was more and more gradual than that because I'm like I was doing 20 days later boom studios for a year.

[00:21:12] I'm doing American conventions like as a professional wonder that was professional ever was it was it was the first American visible.

[00:21:23] You know I don't copy the graphic novels for the UK.

[00:21:27] I'm but it wasn't like it was the comics industry that I wanted to be in you know and so getting to 20 days later was a good kind of a soft way in because I met other I got to go to conventions be behind the table science stuff.

[00:21:41] Meet other artists build a network of peers you know so I kind of got to slowly do that.

[00:21:46] Then after a year I got Marvel work and then that was definitely a bump up so I think and I think.

[00:21:52] You know there's something to be said for having like a gradual rise as opposed to what happens sometimes now with younger challenges they get snapped up and then put on something big and then.

[00:22:03] Have a very hard time adjusting to it because all of a sudden all the spotlights on them and they haven't.

[00:22:10] Necessarily put in the current work the that the you know they haven't dug a hundred holes so all of a sudden they're getting asked to dig a hundred holes which is which is fairly basic but it's a lot of hard work.

[00:22:21] I am and it's way harder to do with a massive spotlight shining down on you it's a little easier to do in the dark you know or with a soft light you know and so I think I kind of build up a bit of them.

[00:22:33] I just was in just a period between what work and twenty days later that help me a lot.

[00:22:38] What is also definitely the case where you do any kind of do marvel second you do a marvel thing people treat you differently or look at you differently.

[00:22:45] And what else can come with that for me was a little bit of confidence you know.

[00:22:49] I did it.

[00:22:51] The thing i really really i wanted more than anything was to work at marvel.

[00:22:55] I did it and you know there's definitely a little bit of a what's this.

[00:23:04] I feel like a fraud at start at the start but you know if I just said I'm going to I'm going to try do my best work and be a good professional and you know but to work with everything and then after a while I think you get a bit of a confidence boost.

[00:23:18] It's weird i think.

[00:23:21] There's a feedback loop of like when you get a level of like success or feeling of confidence it actually bleeds into the work and then the work gets more interesting and stuff so it's i think.

[00:23:31] Especially the first few years of your of your career where you're improving and your spotlights growing there's definitely some kind of momentum that happens there so I definitely ran with the momentum as much as i could.

[00:23:45] Alright let's take a quick break.

[00:23:47] A comics fam in the comic book publisher band of bars just got a level up and announced it is now a cooperative this heralds a new era for them including a partnership with dollar stories.

[00:23:59] And they added several new members to the ownership group Marcus Jimenez is now chief operating officer Brent Fisher takes on the role of chief diversity officer.

[00:24:08] And Joey Galvez is introduced as head of kickstarter ops and social media manager which is sure to increase their capabilities overall as a publisher.

[00:24:17] And it further promotes their mission statement of advancing representation inclusion and diversity in the media they also established a new board of directors to help chart the new path of their journey.

[00:24:28] With new projects in the works like Alaska by dropping in June i'm broken soon launching on kickstarter and pond coming up with thoughtless stay tuned to this space for more exciting news from the growing bars family let's get back to the show.

[00:24:46] You always speaking of 28 days later you always have been still have your hand in you know working on.

[00:24:55] What other types of properties like that like not create around or you know.

[00:25:00] You mentioned before i think before we started recording i just read a couple issues of your recent alien run with fall and then descendant and you know thundercats is is right now.

[00:25:11] Is it does it ever get kind of i would think getting into a property like that and you know coming up with a pitch or several pitches to see what editorial likes and kind of digging into like especially something like alien like well what's been done already cuz everyone's familiar with the movies but there's still a lot of comics out there as well.

[00:25:31] Not many opinions.

[00:25:36] Yeah does it ever get any easier in terms of working with you know a different license property like those.

[00:25:46] Yeah i probably felt more intimidated about alien just because it's very much of a franchise of my generation and i was mad into i wasn't into alien when i was younger cuz i was too scared.

[00:25:58] I didn't watch those films so i was like an adult and but i like the great i love them now but i'm you know i don't pretend that like i was always into this child and so because i didn't have that childhood.

[00:26:13] Add attachments i think i was able to be a bit more sober about looking at the franchise what it was and i read i read the den or johnson and salvo roca books.

[00:26:28] She was and you know when you when you're asked to do it it's intimidating and it's also exciting you know i was basically asked like do you want to put your own stamp on this huge influential.

[00:26:41] Franchise yeah cool like that's really cool and i like you know it's one thing i have discovered is i is that i like.

[00:26:49] I like.

[00:26:51] I like i like it's why i like crater own so much i think i like projects i like making things and i like building things.

[00:26:58] And the great thing with something like a marvel project like that is like here's all the resources.

[00:27:03] You know it's not a good crater on like where it may be you to get money together are you're to explain said no marvel are going to marvel are going to basically pay you.

[00:27:12] To develop something and all that you really need to worry about is can you make the thing that's in your head or close to what's in your head.

[00:27:21] So i didn't want to do is like do an alien book that like looks like.

[00:27:25] I don't know just this leak you know.

[00:27:28] Nothing against it i just don't justice league should look like justice league not alien i wanted to make a very moody atmospheric book.

[00:27:36] And and could i do that within the system of marvel comics which you can't you can of course sometimes you can't sometimes things are against you but then i was working with a great editor and really help me.

[00:27:48] Put together assemble a team that would make the type of book that i want to make so then.

[00:27:55] Problem after that is can i write it.

[00:27:57] I am and i try to try but i'm just am but no i like i enjoy that it is definitely intimidating but i had to like figure out actually.

[00:28:06] Do you follow my newsletter i two weeks ago posted my i put my pitch for.

[00:28:12] The alien is what i sent to marvel and fox was like this is my my my pitch basically am.

[00:28:21] I have this problems at the start of the new doors there's gonna be an issue i guess but the really wasn't it was fairly seamless so i really looked out for the thing i wanted to make.

[00:28:30] I'm they were okay with me making and i got to make it and nothing.

[00:28:36] You know there was some creative things here and there which is totally mean to be expected and license thing am but it's not even necessarily badge like.

[00:28:44] No to get back as long as the notes make your story better and are forced to think of more creative solutions.

[00:28:51] That's good it's a pain in the ass when you're writing it like i want this to be done what i wanted to be good.

[00:28:57] So is not much point putting all the work in just to get lazy at the end of the day and run so that was more intimidating i would say tundra cats but be honest.

[00:29:06] Not really care what it did not seem like a.

[00:29:10] Big risk to me it was like okay well nobody i have not heard anybody talk about the gas in years.

[00:29:17] I loved it as a kid could i do something it was timing wise were quite nicely to present alien was wrapping up.

[00:29:26] I was like i like to do not like i like to take anything and doing something with it i'd like to do that again and then as it happens the offer for undergates came just exactly the right time.

[00:29:37] I'm but it's a different product not going to do.

[00:29:41] Alien which is a dark horrific book that wasn't going to be my take on the cats you know i wanted to come up with something something else and and i did and i was really happy with it didn't really seem like.

[00:29:53] I didn't see the same pressure because alien spin something that's always in the in the site guys.

[00:29:58] Add to me it been has been out of the site guys for a long time so i didn't really i was necessarily worried about backlash i just figured it was a low risk.

[00:30:09] Add thing so just go in with that just do exactly what you'd like to do.

[00:30:15] I'm you know he was getting a good artist and drew is very very soon so actually felt like we kind of developed it together.

[00:30:25] What's that yes i had more i felt more freedom to kind of do something different with it.

[00:30:33] But then when this orders came in i mean issue one was already finished at that stage there was nothing to be done at that stage so it was interesting i felt less pressure with undercasts even though that has become way much of a bigger deal.

[00:30:46] Yeah i mean the reception to it seems like it's been great.

[00:30:51] I think issue one is like one of the third printing.

[00:30:55] I think so yeah i mean the reaction has been great but the reaction was great before the book came out so it's hard you know it's hard to go like oh yeah like everyone loves the book it's selling great now it's all great before it was out.

[00:31:06] I can't really rely on like the quality of the book army and drew bit like i think me and drew have something to do with the success but.

[00:31:14] What's the only i underestimated how much of a audience was salivating for.

[00:31:21] Take like this you know which is i guess closer to the original i mean again that's it.

[00:31:26] You know what i wanted to do in the first place i didn't want to do something crazy difference i just different enough to be freeing from a story telling point of view close enough to the original to be like what everybody would remember i guess.

[00:31:39] I completely i knew this was a thing is you know turtles and well and that.

[00:31:44] Take a test stage you have a chance to transform was kicking off but i i didn't see it as a trend i just saw this.

[00:31:52] Two different books that did well and i think it's clear there's a trend now and you know after three times the.

[00:32:02] Three types of book coming out and all doing well clearly there's a such thing otherwise say now everyone's chasing to do the sad thing and now it's gonna.

[00:32:10] Battle by the time everybody starts to come to that the audience will be moved on maybe we'll see what i'm from a creative standpoint undergates more freeing.

[00:32:19] I'm not that's you know aliens wasn't anything is just i just thought it was more established through i created established rules.

[00:32:26] Braille is that were tighter with that i have a ton of cats i was finally enough that's been the thing that like.

[00:32:33] If i was if i had some times you know if i had some foresight i'd be like no no you need to be more worried about this.

[00:32:41] What was more if i was more worried i might have gotten scared you know and i wouldn't want that either.

[00:32:45] Yeah i think the nostalgia factor is definitely at play especially.

[00:32:51] You know folks maybe in there mom i'm forty five now but people in their like late thirties into their forties who grew up with undercats you now have kids who were.

[00:33:02] I mean i saw a lot of pictures from free comic book day here in the us on saturday and like a lot of parents with their kids and undercats is like the perfect thing.

[00:33:10] That nostalgia has a bit you know to play with like oh.

[00:33:15] I like undercats is a kid is undercat comic i can read it my kid you know can read it is a huge deal i think the stout will only the stout you might help to get.

[00:33:27] To get them to get issue one but i think nostalgia isn't gonna.

[00:33:33] Isn't going to maintain a readership you know although you're asked to be it has to be good i mean i i read issues one and two and i really liked it so i'm going to get.

[00:33:43] You know the next couple of ones i think steve steven mooney who's come up a few times now did issue wrote issue five.

[00:33:50] I believe he wrote andrew wrote andrew issue five so yeah i'm excited to look at that one but i think this down to only get you so far but it is it is true i wonder what.

[00:34:01] What the x-men cartoon cuz i mean you know i watched that out of nostalgia.

[00:34:05] Add what is grace and i wonder will that bring a new audience to x-men that hasn't you know it like the original cartoons what got me into the x-men x-men.

[00:34:16] I wonder we were not gonna know this for a year or so or maybe more but i wonder are people who coming say my age coming to that cartoon as nostalgia.

[00:34:26] Add what the comic but the cartoon is so good i wouldn't be surprised if it gets a whole new audience like x-men evolution did years ago like weird thing cartoons seem to kind of.

[00:34:37] Shift the generational interest in comics can really really really write those coattails if it's done right and like i wouldn't be surprised if stuff happened i'm not saying it will anything but then.

[00:34:50] I was laughing at suggestions of this if you want to go but now i think it's different i could easily see there being a new.

[00:34:56] Tundra cast cartoon or film or toy like cuz enthusiasm breeds further into the enthusiasm you know sure like to meet the risk of doing the cast is basically do good comic or not.

[00:35:06] The end you know what if i was in charge of the cats and i saw this like enthusiasm.

[00:35:11] That's something you could pay off like i totally could see why well that's why we have a book coming out you know people are digging it so why not give people more of the thing that they really like.

[00:35:20] Yeah but it's not really something you think about when you're like an artist working on a book.

[00:35:26] You know those are now considerations i have like from a writing point of view or project manager but like you know a creative i can't think of a term that doesn't make me sound like a twat.

[00:35:40] What's there look it is what it is like i just just roll with it but you know somebody who's like would have an interest in like how these things get put together and made.

[00:35:48] As opposed to the person who is who is paid to generate them which is kind of more what the artist is you know they're not really at the front they're not at the front of the creative project there a secondary.

[00:35:59] I'm not saying that as they should be i'm just saying that's how it worked like it's how it worked when i was just an artist.

[00:36:03] What's our now and like more protocol more of a of a writer i do both so i know what both ends are like and i know that really knows really ask the artist what do they think of the creative decisions it's like here's a script best look at this.

[00:36:19] Yeah well you do and you do both so i'm curious when did the writing aspect kind of.

[00:36:26] You know come to the forefront when you're you're going out there you start out your showing your portfolio you start getting work as an artist like when.

[00:36:35] You know cuz i've read a bunch of stuff that you've written so far including you know the next thing i want to talk about in terms of old dog which is phenomenal i think it's my favorite thing of yours.

[00:36:47] I'm.

[00:36:50] I think even though i felt like you understood the world of savage town and limerick that you were writing about.

[00:37:00] Old dog feels like it's coming from you know somebody and it's even though it's.

[00:37:05] Totally different than you know reality it's not like a slice of life comic it feels very personal which is kind of why i there just there's something about it that i feel like all this this this is about some stuff i don't know if i'm right or not maybe it's just an interest.

[00:37:20] No you're you're actually no you're dead right actually and well to test the first part of your question there and writing wise.

[00:37:29] Writing wise i like writing in school but i just never really thought of it as a thing was always art art was the things i wanted to do and.

[00:37:39] I'm you know what i started right drawing at marvel i want you to be a really really good artist i just want to be the best i could be.

[00:37:46] Add the best artist and then you see how good other people are like yes never gonna happen and you know james harrens out there you know and.

[00:37:55] What am i i was good mates john murphy for a long time and he was really really good for advice and i remember seeing him make.

[00:38:06] Turn to writing more and i like such a good artist what you need to know why do you need to write.

[00:38:12] I want to speak out of a turn but overall what he kind of said to me was like.

[00:38:19] If you're writing your own work you have more control over your career and i looked around i saw him do it over time so a lot of other people do it over time.

[00:38:26] I noticed a lot of times when i was on good projects i would hear afterwards like oh x person wasn't interested or.

[00:38:32] You know they didn't want you for this they didn't want you for that is like well okay the kind of sucks that you're not part of the conversation.

[00:38:38] Just think of myself if i could if i could teach myself how to write and i was also very lucky i was talking to like.

[00:38:46] You know rick raminder and scott snider and stuff about working on projects and it was great i was i know i was going to work with more analysis.

[00:38:54] You know i was in a very nice place of kind of being and i don't know what the term would be now but like maybe artist to shore of the time like.

[00:39:01] I was getting a lot of attention from all the people who i wanted attention from it was great but i also thought.

[00:39:07] This may not last and you know somebody else like come along and you know our people just might lose interest so that.

[00:39:14] I wouldn't want that to happen so if i could teach myself how to write and no matter what i could i could just do something of my own.

[00:39:20] Worst case scenario i could just do my own thing and i wouldn't need to be dependent on on a successful writer together something made.

[00:39:28] I'm and we are working on we're working on injection and warren was doing all these like you know animated series and.

[00:39:36] Jordi was working on batman and stuff like so on both sides of the creative.

[00:39:41] Side of the book i was working on they were going to work on all these other things and i realized i'd like to do something else too i can't draw anything clearly cuz i'm trying to get you.

[00:39:49] What's up you know i'd like to i'd like to make a project of my own and that's where that's where savage town came from was i wanted to make.

[00:39:56] I want to make a comic that was like the nineties irish films i grew up watching just was a big growth in irish cinema nineties.

[00:40:03] I have directors like jim sheridan and.

[00:40:07] What's his name the crying game.

[00:40:12] That's like but there's a good it was happened there was so many good irish films coming out that i wanted to make something.

[00:40:19] There was nothing in comics like that so that's where i got the idea for savage town and i so i i hired sebastian garner to help me.

[00:40:27] That's it is like for me to like writer draft and he would give me notes back and so i talk you know taught myself how to and i've been i've been listening to writing podcast for years that's a good thing about drawing.

[00:40:38] Is you can listen to lots of stuff so i was listening to directors commentaries and writers commentaries so i'd kind of been slowly soaking up all this kind of you know i was also reading scripts.

[00:40:48] Amazing writers like jeff parker and brian wood and warren ellison's.

[00:40:54] What's your job like all this.

[00:40:56] You know i've been i basically been studying for years and i think that stage i felt like i had a voice as a story teller.

[00:41:06] So i yeah i said i'm just gonna put this together and see if you publish it and they said they would so and then i made it once i made that one thing i.

[00:41:13] I felt the competition to make another thing and so then fast forward whatever it is tenor so years later.

[00:41:21] I'm you know where i was as an artist i was enjoying it where i was as a writer i was enjoying but i i knew i seen all these younger guys coming up.

[00:41:30] Add you know like johnson and boss.

[00:41:34] What's like just let's go to start it when it started but i feel like it was after me but i'm going to like had less resources.

[00:41:43] When i did what were putting the money where the mouth was as a writer artist and i was kinda was after covid i had a bit of it.

[00:41:50] Start the mirror i was like why haven't i done this yet.

[00:41:53] No there's no there is no reason why i haven't done it except fear so i'm gonna do it.

[00:42:02] I think i pitched a couple of stories to marvel different projects and they kind of both stalled so i saw around the same time so i'm just gonna come up something.

[00:42:11] Which i had been slowly just a while but i was like no i'm gonna actually do it now i'm gonna spend time on this not work for higher pitches.

[00:42:19] I'm gonna pitch the image and it's likely that eric will be into it so i did and he was so and now and you know i'm i felt it was much more proactive decision.

[00:42:30] And you know i was gonna somebody else colors but then by the time i was working on like i feel like i be.

[00:42:35] Handing over something that's should mean more to me than anything else i've done this for somebody else to color so i end up coloring myself as well.

[00:42:43] Designed it i did everything on the except for lettering cuz i just don't want to do that and yeah.

[00:42:50] Yeah i think i think cause is my is my go to and just because we've worked together for so long like so i like i'll always ask him first and.

[00:42:59] And yeah i did is it is actually a very personal story it's a big it's a big mix of stuff i just like you know like action hero stuff you know.

[00:43:12] You know grim.

[00:43:14] Bitter protagonists.

[00:43:18] Add you know add but also you know weird sci fi edges to cause i love i love my i love my i love my espionage i like my straight.

[00:43:26] Down the middle espionage stories but i also like my kind of weird sci fi stuff so it's just everything i like put into a book.

[00:43:32] I'm putting everything into and but also but also as a result is actually got a personal and undercurrents to the whole thing.

[00:43:40] So what is it is the thing i'm most proud of now i really really am and i'm planning more at the moment but.

[00:43:50] Add i just decided this year after.

[00:43:53] Putting everything into old dog and also working on time before time at the same in same year and i was just a bit wiped out and create our own so i felt i needed to.

[00:44:01] Switch to work for hire for a year and then switch back to create around the following year so i mean i don't put i also didn't intend on thundercast happening.

[00:44:09] So this year is ended up way more work for our i'm doing a marvel thing at the moment that i can talk about but.

[00:44:15] What that's not a gas came up and something else has come up so actually do way more work for hire that i intended to.

[00:44:23] What.

[00:44:25] You know but that's why i'll swing back once the time is right again you know right.

[00:44:30] Yeah i would i really like to talk a little bit more about old dog case is listeners who haven't checked it out yet.

[00:44:36] I was biased like it's like a i know it's hard i was trying to sell it hard while i was working on it.

[00:44:42] It's really hard to sell your crater of stuff why you're really by your drawing what you're doing everything and but for selling point it's only 10 bucks the first one is only 10 bucks.

[00:44:52] I'm not going to do the second printing a 10 bucks so i would i would recommend getting in on it now when you have a nice cheap option to get into like 130 something pages.

[00:45:02] And i do think it's the best thing i've ever done and personally if you think that that's your opinion.

[00:45:07] Yeah i know i and i do and i've loved a lot of what you've done and a couple here's a couple of things so just to my my sense of it jack lynch.

[00:45:16] I like a CIA agent who is basically on a mission that kind of goes south.

[00:45:23] And after that things go a bit off the rails with jack lynch is life and career he's kind of like brought back in.

[00:45:32] To to go to on a mission and.

[00:45:36] The whole thing kind of plays out in terms of who jack lynch is working for you know it kind of talks about what we saw in the very beginning so it's a bit of a like a spy espionage kind of story there's definitely some.

[00:45:49] I'm so i buy elements to it in terms of jack isn't really clear on his past and there's some definite reasons for that but the artwork is absolutely fantastic and what one of the things is that i.

[00:46:05] I get the best way to put it is that there were there it's not exposition heavy there's a lot of moments that i was not clear about what was going on but the book is not confusing.

[00:46:17] I know that might be difficult for like listeners to hear but there are definitely there.

[00:46:25] I don't like things being spoon fed to me i don't need same same as a writer or an artist you know what when they're putting something together to tell me everything that is happening.

[00:46:36] Like as it happens i also don't like in books where movies movies where.

[00:46:42] Something will happen and then it flashes back and like does a close up on the thing that we were supposed to have paid attention to like three seconds ago or.

[00:46:51] 30 minutes ago like i don't let it play out let it play out let me figure it out let me watch it again if i have to or if i wasn't like paying attention.

[00:46:59] There are definitely times during old dog where there are things that that happen.

[00:47:04] And i was not quite clear on why i was being shown something.

[00:47:10] But you have to think about it and it by the end of it, I feel like it all kind of ties up a lot of those questions that I had.

[00:47:19] With that with with leaving enough mystery for me desperately wanting I think the volume to I think you retweeted my took a picture of it, I said I want at least five more volumes.

[00:47:29] By the end of it a lot of the questions that I had were answered and when I went back and looked at stuff I was able to kind of like.

[00:47:35] Like suss out what was what was taking place there were there were things that were not clear and I think intentionally so but by the end of the whole story which you know.

[00:47:46] Was that I went through a pretty quickly.

[00:47:48] It was that it was nothing was confusing there wasn't anything where i'm like oh that's like there wasn't anything like oh that's a flat hole or whatever it all made sense.

[00:47:59] I feel like it doesn't speed feed anything to you, there are moments of it where you're kind of going through.

[00:48:06] And seeing and experiencing it as like jack lynchwood and I felt like all of that was like very deliberate so not only in terms of the artwork, but in terms of the storytelling itself I I felt like it was one of the most.

[00:48:19] You know compelling things i've read and and especially following up time before time which.

[00:48:25] I think I have every issue of absolutely loves because time travel stories are like my number one thing that I mean good bad.

[00:48:35] Nonsensical time travel stories movies TV shows comics like that's I don't know what it was early like back to the future, I think is in your perfect movie and so all of.

[00:48:47] That's the time before time I was just like yeah let's do it let's get into it and just some and some really compelling characters in story work but to.

[00:48:55] You know as I read them maybe not as you work on them but to to follow up time before time for me because I finished that first to read old dog.

[00:49:04] I just felt like it was it took a lot of the stuff in old dog and just kind of like built upon it and it felt really personal in terms of.

[00:49:13] You know your protagonist is not particularly likable but he's not he's not like a villain or an antihero he's not unlikeable either it it just I thought just very very masterful storytelling and and I love.

[00:49:27] Thanks but I look I really really really appreciate that and I appreciate everything you're saying in regards of like how your how you're digesting the story and what your I would say you're.

[00:49:39] Pretty much accurate across the board and it's a slightly frustrating thing as issues come out I think you know because of like the the.

[00:49:47] You know the comics culture as it is you know a lot of you know a lot of things like oh this doesn't make sense and that that annoys me or no sorry I don't know what this is so i'm annoyed like.

[00:49:57] I wonder if the same kind of like review culture or in or you know an online and review culture was like reading.

[00:50:07] You know i'm not comparing it don't get me wrong but like you know something like transmetropod or or or or or planetary you know if people were were really analyzing the hell of a single issues every month as they come out.

[00:50:22] You don't think about that if you just read if you just read a volume in one go so it's tough to like.

[00:50:27] Try and develop something that you want to go long without.

[00:50:32] Spoon spoon feeding an audience who are going to like you know you don't want people to check out because they know all the answers the whole.

[00:50:39] No story telling is is i think i said elsewhere like you're basically like gaslighting your audience because it needs to.

[00:50:47] You need them to ask questions that they want answers to when they need to come back so you know we can't spend everything else and also like.

[00:50:54] You know once you get to wish to the end of issue six.

[00:51:00] You know if you have an answer to end of issue one then.

[00:51:03] It would be compelling you know that the thing about doing a long form story is that you're trying to like get an audience to slowly invest more over time where you're actually you're able to kind of like.

[00:51:15] Cash in on that investment as opposed to doing something that's just in and out.

[00:51:19] And the problem the problem with all dog is i'm doing both doing in and out action adventures but i'm also trying to build something.

[00:51:26] That you're going to be more invested in or over time and and you know i'm not i'm not a fan of things that are overly ambiguous you know i like things to like connect.

[00:51:36] I'm reasonably but i also do need to have.

[00:51:39] I need to ask i need to answer questions as the book goes on but i also need to ask more questions otherwise because you need more.

[00:51:46] Add to go along with i would say that the other ways the books kind of inspired by like other bad robots stuff that i love like lost and person of interest and.

[00:51:57] I'm friends you know that kind of like action sci fi stuff like that that's the wheelhouse for me it's like.

[00:52:05] It's it's it's wild storm and bad robots.

[00:52:10] That's the kind of sensibility i'm going for as it was you know from the rest of the story too.

[00:52:15] What's up you know i also want to like you know i wanted to do the night again.

[00:52:22] What like what my nice you know do something where i was getting to like.

[00:52:26] Just go in and an idea for an issue and then move on like and that's what that book offered me the opportunity to do action storytelling in a way that hadn't really got to do since.

[00:52:35] Since the night so am i but also it's tough when you're doing create around as well because it's all riding on on on my back and like.

[00:52:43] I was gonna say the sales are so good that this book could go on forever.

[00:52:47] They're not and but it's also the case that like some books don't find their audience still three volumes around so it's.

[00:52:54] It's i don't want to answer all the questions up front you know i want so that's i'm in a weird way creatively where.

[00:53:02] I had a first big hurdle to get to and that's done now it's volume one finished.

[00:53:07] I ended in a way where i have to come back and i have to do more.

[00:53:11] I was my that was my commitment to myself like this isn't just gonna be one volume it's definitely going to be too.

[00:53:17] I'd like to be more set it up in that i have to come back.

[00:53:21] And tell the right i know what the ending is and it's not it's not the end of volume one so.

[00:53:26] What i'm trying to figure out what i'll try to figure out over the next year is how much like we had time for time.

[00:53:32] We had the same problem and we got to a stage where i realized okay we can get to maybe volume four before we.

[00:53:38] Financial problems and then i think by volume three we realized okay we could probably stretch it out financially to a fifth volume.

[00:53:47] Can we wrap it up where we want to and we were so that was we had enough we had enough.

[00:53:53] I'm for size or so we will see that the road far enough to go okay okay we will have to end it here and we can.

[00:54:00] You know financially maybe that the wheels of the can come off the plane but we can skip the plane long enough.

[00:54:06] Yes and i just don't know where i am with old dog on that because that's a hundred percent.

[00:54:12] Like on me yes different you know me and me and Roy were paying people on time for time so but this an image give me an advance old dog thankfully so it's not like i'm i'm you know in a bad way or anything but.

[00:54:23] I am also trying to think.

[00:54:26] How much not how much can i squeeze out of it.

[00:54:28] How many ideas can i get in there before i have to finish it and i don't know i don't know where it is yet i'd like to do.

[00:54:37] Read honestly what i'd like to do is just do it every every couple of years do a new volume like hellboy you know and but hellboy is the luxury of being such a smash hit success they can just put out.

[00:54:48] All that doesn't have that audience and i don't know if it'll have that audience so it might be the case rile.

[00:54:54] I think i'll definitely do three volumes like just for myself and but ideally i just like to keep doing this like i'd like to do a different creator on things i could write and draw.

[00:55:04] Next i didn't hear you next year and the following year come back and do it like if i could do.

[00:55:10] I could do a project a year and old dog here so let's say it's work for hire this year old dog next year a different creator on the following year.

[00:55:19] Then old dog like that would be for me the ideal career or i can just have ideas.

[00:55:25] Make them and make a living and also have no problem going to do a marvel dc thing cuz that stuff is so i still get a kick out of all i still want to do about man but i still want to do a daredevil book you know so i still have those.

[00:55:38] Add that that's kind of an enthusiasm yes absolutely you know but but if i can also but it means i can also do my own stuff then that just means when i do work for hire is something i want to do as opposed to something i have to do.

[00:55:53] Which is a very very privileged position to be in you know a lot of guys are taking books because i have to and i'm not i'm.

[00:56:00] I'm very lucky that even like tundra cats which to me was kind of a side thing alien was a side thing you know.

[00:56:05] Yeah yeah that was the guy i was doing to create a box and a marvel writing a marvel book on the side.

[00:56:12] That was so that was like how is this where my life is you know it's amazing so i'm very very very content.

[00:56:20] I guess i would i guess i would just like to have no there's more security with all the other i could just.

[00:56:25] I'm in and out when i when i like and i'm sure you also don't be messing the audience around but i'm trying to think in ten years having four or five books would be a huge accomplishment that never know what's going to go.

[00:56:38] When did this come out but also i have to look at where the market and where it is right now and it's an exchange so much of the time.

[00:56:48] It certainly seems like it is like i mean i don't know.

[00:56:52] It seems encouraging at least from certain aspects like i know some retailers that are saying that.

[00:56:59] Free comic book day like just yesterday was you know you're seeing was it was a really big success and things seem to have been.

[00:57:06] I don't know leveling out is the right word from the i guess the chaos of the pandemic and you know the past few years so.

[00:57:16] It is interesting to see where where it's gonna go why i hope old dog finds its audience so.

[00:57:22] Thanks i mean if i'm being totally honest i say what i what i wish i could figure out is the book market.

[00:57:28] I would say old dog did quite well actually in comic shops and because you know you get a cruise and stuff but like there seems to be a number i'm hitting.

[00:57:37] I'm on the light between between time for time and old dog there's a number and it hasn't gone above that number i'm like how do i.

[00:57:46] Don't have to fix i fixed with fixed but i will come in but the company i went to comics pro and i.

[00:57:52] You know because of all the mainstream books i think i have done i've done signings so many comic shops over the years good relationships you know i think.

[00:58:00] I'm not the biggest creator in the world but i think i do it.

[00:58:03] I sell a certain amount and that works and book market is there i would i would like to i would i wish it was so my good figure out how to crack the book market a bit more.

[00:58:11] I'm not the cost of comic shops but just that's you know what there's i think there's an audience who reads.

[00:58:17] They read graphic not they'll never read a comic book but they read a graphic novel yeah probably right yeah.

[00:58:23] I don't know i don't know how to reach them you know i've no idea and.

[00:58:29] I would like to cause we'd offer offers more security on your creator on books and.

[00:58:34] You know i i've got a creator thing i'm working on the moment but i'm so busy for for hire to make the time for.

[00:58:39] I don't want to stop doing create on stuff i wanna always make sure i have something not just old dog but something you know new i would.

[00:58:47] Artists cuz i love working with artists and anything with the work for hire stuff is that public should pay the artist so it's a lot easier sure.

[00:58:56] Well if i can point anybody in the direction of old dog i absolutely loved it.

[00:59:01] Help terrible that i had got a chance to read it yet but i picked it up at my local comic shop i think i grabbed their last copy and.

[00:59:10] That was on the shelf and yeah i finally had a chance to sit down and go through it and it was it's fantastic it has a little bit everything the action scenes in it are wonderful.

[00:59:21] And it's really worth get diving into it and parsing out for yourself what you think is is is going on but it's definitely worth it i mean i have a look at the case.

[00:59:34] It's like case in point it took you this long to pick up the book.

[00:59:38] I started criticism it's just like you put the book out here like how's it doing some books just take a while so you can't.

[00:59:45] You know the first the first month where your numbers coming like is clearly what decides whether or not you can do more of us you know i can which is great.

[00:59:54] What's your answer like not everybody picks up the book the week it comes out some people takes months sometimes a couple years so it's it's tough to like.

[01:00:01] You know what time for time we could just call it right there and then after first start but you have to try and like.

[01:00:06] Give give projects enough leeway for an audience to buy the guy watching it when i just started watching always are.

[01:00:13] What shows the five seasons where was i for the last five years you know.

[01:00:17] Like five years to watch the body thing and it's right at my alley like you can go like this is like somebody wants to go to a deck with love this and the right.

[01:00:24] What is the five years so it's it's tough the on the on the creator level stuff.

[01:00:30] The money of it is so.

[01:00:34] Like dependent on whether you can keep doing it but also.

[01:00:38] You know if you don't make the thing readers can't find us so it's a it's a it's a tough it's a tough balancing act there you know and i'm looking in a way that like you know i could do marvel work and keep myself going not everything's writing on the creator on stuff all the time so it's.

[01:00:53] Yes yes it's tough it's tough sorry my life isn't life is so hard man yeah that's the dream job you don't know how hard it is it is.

[01:01:04] No but like the and the comparisons to wild storm and i haven't seen person a person of interest i just.

[01:01:10] Sounds like it would be something right up my alley but i miss person of interest because i was a huge i mean my favorite tv show i think of all time is probably lost and you know.

[01:01:20] Slightly behind it on that list is fringe i mean i just love both of those i i love i mean you know.

[01:01:28] I still there's still things i like one of the last lines in i think the last episode of fringe that.

[01:01:38] You know the main the main character there was also a lord of the rings that name john noble.

[01:01:43] yeah john noble yeah.

[01:01:44] What.

[01:01:45] Your Walter bishop like one of his like lock lines from the one of the last few episodes like I still like think about a lot and i don't know anybody else.

[01:01:56] What the quote is but you know lost was the same way like I think about the episode like whatever happened happened all the time I just love that.

[01:02:04] There's some amazing stuff like I will say that I would highly recommend you take a person of interest it's it's done in one episodes like like say fringe was the beginning.

[01:02:13] But then the mythology starts to build in like the same way and it's just and then new characters come in to make it even better like it's yeah no i i you're you're you've got a treat you you gotta get on that.

[01:02:23] All right, I will I will I will I will do that on your on your recommendation um oh I looked it up what you had mentioned one of the directors of Irish movies Neil Jordan I think he.

[01:02:35] Jordan that's it yeah crying game also did Michael Collins I think he directed interview with the vampire that from ninety four.

[01:02:42] Yeah, I think yeah I think you're right but I mean there's a few doesn't just him those am well I'm trying to who didn't name the father.

[01:02:51] Some some to be fair some British directors did are some Irish films around that time probably because they were they were more known and right get stuff off the ground so I'm.

[01:03:00] Helping father but like but look I mean actually that was Jim Sheridan I think so am so yeah like so but case in point like I'd also like to do more of those like so savage I did Savage Town I also did bodies years later.

[01:03:12] I have another idea for another two ideas for Irish crime stories.

[01:03:18] Nice.

[01:03:20] It's just the time I just want to talk about you know i'd like to do that type of stuff as well i think the reason i kinda went in on time for time and old dog was i love sci fi stuff and i did i think i was worried i was kind of.

[01:03:35] Just doing the local Irish crime stuff and that would all i could be seen to do.

[01:03:40] Now in the meantime alien happened and thunder cats happen so i don't think there's any there's any danger of being typecast now so i think all the more reason i'd love to go back and do another one of those type of books because to be.

[01:03:53] So different even the other cases like to the cast like i'm writing dialogue in a way that I don't feel quite it's all i don't say Shakespearean but like i'm writing is in the kind of.

[01:04:03] I did the voice of the cartoon you know like you know don't go through that what like you know that.

[01:04:09] It's not how alien is written for example you know but it's also good to write something in another John or also something nice the kids can read again was that that Dublin Comic Con some girl no it was that i was at.

[01:04:22] Richmond and is that little girl came up with a little girl in a wonder woman outfit and she's looking through.

[01:04:28] I was about to say like just take us because you know i don't i don't think i have anything that like a little girl can read.

[01:04:34] Yeah so how does it like to have to catch for like it wasn't designed to be a kids book or anything but it was after after we did the first issue i read i realized.

[01:04:43] It could read this no problem so wasn't by design but i do actually quite like of accidentally done a book that like i could hands to like a friends kid you know.

[01:04:50] Yeah yeah that's good absolutely.

[01:04:55] I did the fun story you know it has all of those.

[01:05:01] I'm trying to write nineties x-men that's my goal with that you know like i don't want to rise.

[01:05:08] X-Men nineties x-men necessarily but i was i'm trying to channel that kind of youthful enthusiasm and a comic book i remember whether how accurate it is or not i'm not sure but i guess we had this one.

[01:05:21] Alien was alien was more how i like to write like dark and moody and you know the way it was paced i still have the same pacing and thunder cats the way i like to write but it's just.

[01:05:34] It's a it's it's it's trying to do something a bit more and the goal with undercast was a little darker than the cartoon boss true to the spirit of it.

[01:05:47] So it's not super bright and happy like animated nineties or eighties animation it's got a more of a edge to it i'd like to think what nothing there that you would be you know is too.

[01:06:01] I cutesy or are are trying to pander kids or anything like that yeah no i get it.

[01:06:07] Yeah i'm excited for folks to who haven't yet to get in there and check them out i mean there's just like such a breath of different work i mean even injection that i picked up and read a few years ago your work on that and it's also interesting.

[01:06:24] And you know one of the things i talk about.

[01:06:28] Friends when i try and get them into reading comics is like if you find some somebody you like whether or not it's a writer or an artist you know try and look at different thing they've done maybe that's something that

[01:06:38] interest me but i think if you're in the comics to see how folks is you know how your style or how the things that you've done have you changed over the years and even from looking at like injection old dog.

[01:06:51] I'm just see you know whether or not.

[01:06:55] Everything feels the same or if there's a you can see the writer pushing them so i think i'm curious because i'm always curious about other people's interpretation of.

[01:07:05] My stuff is cuz i don't mind i'm completely biased yeah my opinion and to me like i feel like there's a lot of injection in old dog i mean.

[01:07:16] What is like the stuff that i love doing over the years and injection was a hundred percent one of those so it's not the same story or anything but i don't think there's a lot of it in there but that's my point of view i don't know what you think.

[01:07:28] I'm i mean i see you know what you're saying i mean with with the same artist on both there's certain similarities i thought with old dog though there was a more of like a confidence in terms of.

[01:07:42] You know we don't need to jazz up a talking head and if we're going to be more experimental with paneling like we're going to do it in a particular scene and like save it for a right the you know the right moment.

[01:07:55] Which i think is you know kind of helps you're also you know doing the writing and any artwork and both but i think that's a kind of like confidence like we don't have to we don't have to go nuts for everything.

[01:08:07] I'm gonna put links in the show notes for folks to check out your your newsletter declarations and i also know you are doing either a podcast or an interview series with some folks on on i saw it on youtube but your deck tape i know you just talked to nick rose.

[01:08:22] Yeah i don't say if anyone's curious about old dog and on my website technicalchavvy.com you can read like a preview story issue zero for free if you're curious.

[01:08:32] Yes please do that please pick up old dog and if you haven't had a chance yet check out alien check out undercats i'll also plug bog bodies in savage town i will say the bog bodies i think is probably the darkest in terms of tone thing that you've worked.

[01:08:50] The deck when it was so great to meet you at dublin comic con and then i would paul carroll from limit break comics was nice and gary meloni was nice enough to invite me out the pub after so i got to hang out i felt like a real.

[01:09:06] Real fun happens i feel like a real comics person i was sitting at a table near you and across from chris o'halleran and so yeah i felt it was very everyone was very nice we had a couple of pints and had a had a wonderful time and this was very nice.

[01:09:20] You're officially you're officially in irish comics now yes oh good that's good i'm very excited um but yeah i'll have links to everything in the show notes uh it's a challenge to my brother bobby the cryptic creator corners number one most dedicated fan he was with me there at a.

[01:09:35] Dublin comic con and in ireland and he goes to baltimore with me listens to all my episodes and i'm going to have him you know read old dog next i think he'll really enjoy it.

[01:09:45] But listeners thank you very much check out decklens newsletter and make sure you get yourself a copy of old dog and i will thanks for listening and i'll see you next time good night.

[01:09:57] This is baron o'neill one of your host the cryptic 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.

[01:10:15] If you enjoyed this episode of the cryptic creator corner maybe you would enjoy our sister podcast into the comics cave listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.