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this issue Indie Comic Creator Interviews: Jay Payne Steven Myers William Dean Blankenship, Jr Ted Intorcio Lucas Herr Troy-Jeffrey Allen Jeff Gibbons Brian Hagen Nils Balls Eric Grissom Eric Ratcliffe Steve Peters |
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May 2013
City: Sandusky, Ohio
Comics: F.E.D.s, Mutant Elf
Websites: fedscomic.blogspot.com, www.webcomicsnation.com/fedscomic/melf/series.php
QRD – How old were you when you first got into comics & did you always stick with them or did you come back to them?
Steven – I always remember reading comics. I seriously started buying them monthly when Marvel released their Star Wars series & I’ve never looked back.
QRD – What was the first comic book you ever bought?
Steven – A pack of three including Fantastic Four, Avengers, & Marvel Team-Up.
QRD – How old were you when you put out your first comic?
Steven – I started writing & drawing comics in 4th grade I believe. I was first published in OH, Comics #10. I finally decided to make some small-press style comics when I was in grad school after buying many at conventions such as Mid-Ohio Con.
QRD – What decade do you think produced the best comics?
Steven – The 1960s totally changed what comics were & we are still reaping the benefits of the Marvel Revolution!
QRD – Why comics instead of just writing or drawing?
Steven – I love art & reading! Comics are the perfect synthesis of the two!
QRD – Do you see mini-comics & indie comics as paths to mainstream comics or as their own unique media?
Steven – Both.
QRD – How many copies of your comic do you print in your first run?
Steven – 10.
QRD – How much do you think comics should cost?
Steven – I don’t have a perfect amount, but I do think they should be affordable for kids!
QRD – How many books do you produce a year & how many would you like to?
Steven – I used to do 3 issues a year of the F.E.D.s, but I’ve only done one this last year in addition to releasing a new page of Mutant Elf every week.
QRD – Do you think stories should be serialized or delivered as complete works?
Steven – Either.
QRD – How are comic strips different than comic books & which medium do you prefer?
I prefer comic books because of the longer stories. But there are about a half dozen comic strips I read daily.
QRD – How long is it from when you start a comic until it’s printed?
Steven – It just depends on how much time I get to draw.
QRD – What do you do better with your comics now than when you first started?
Steven – Just about everything!
QRD – Do you do thumbnails?
Steven – Not anymore. Takes too much time.
QRD – At what size do you draw?
Steven – I draw on 9x12 Bristol paper. I switched to this size many years ago because it easily fits my scanner.
QRD – What kind of pens do you use?
Steven – PITT markers, Pigma #1 mostly for lettering, & lots of Sharpies for color work!
QRD – What does your workstation look like?
Steven – A drawing table covered with stuff.
QRD – At what point in the artistic process do you work digitally?
Steven – I do everything by hand still & scan the completed pages.
QRD – What do you think of digital comics & webcomics?
Steven – I think it’s a great way to get stuff out to readers.
QRD – Do you prefer working in color or black & white?
Steven – I used to like black & white better, but I’ve gotten into color recently & love it!
QRD – How many different people should work on a comic & what should their jobs be?
Steven – Whatever works best.
QRD – How do you find collaborators?
Steven – I’ve collaborated with people I’ve met in person or via the internet. You just need to show interest & ask! I’ve also collaborated with my brother. I didn’t have to find him.
QRD – How tight do you think a script should be as far as telling the artist what to draw?
Steven – It can work well for it to be very tight, but I think artists should have a lot of freedom. They know how the visual process works better than writers.
QRD – What comic book person would you be most flattered to be compared to?
Steven – Lee & Kirby. I’d be flattered to be called a tenth as good as they were!
QRD – What do your friends & family think of your comics?
Steven – They think I’m a bit crazy. But I think they like that I’m doing something I really love.
QRD – What do you think of superheroes?
Steven – When I decided to do a mini-comic, I tried to think of a good story idea. I kept thinking about doing the superhero story I always had in the back of my mind. I decided that there is still a lot to do with the genre, despite how it has been overdone & practically destroyed by the “big two” over the years. That’s why I ended up doing the F.E.D.s. It’s my idea of what super-heroes used to be like & should be like again.
QRD – Marvel or DC?
Steven – Marvel defines what comics are today. They would all be much different without the Lee/Kirby influence!
QRD – What comic characters other than your own would you like to work with?
Steven – Any.
QRD – What conventions do you try to attend & why?
Steven – SPACE in Columbus, Motor City Con & Detroit Fanfare in Michigan. They are fun & close to home. Maybe I’ll add more later.
QRD – What do you do to promote your books?
Steven – My website & personal appearances.
QRD – Do you think your comics are well suited to comic shops or would sell better elsewhere?
Steven – Both. The availability at the drug store or whatever gets people interested. The comic shops allow the reader to take the next step & the enthusiast to go crazy!
QRD – What other medium would you like to see some of your comics made into (television, film, games, action figures, etc.)?
Steven – Hmmm. Mutant Elf: The Movie sounds cool!
QRD – Do you consider yourself a comic collector or a comic reader or both?
Steven – Reader. I collect mostly so I can read them all again sometime!
QRD – What do you see as the most viable mediums for comics distribution 10 years from now?
Steven – Perhaps having the images directly projected into your brain!
QRD – What would you like to see more people doing with comics?
Steven – I think people should just do whatever they want! Go wild with your ideas!
QRD – Anything else?
Steven – Thanks for all these questions!
