Bad Karma/Good Interview with Jeremy Haun...

Jeremy Haun

Jeremy Haun has been kicking ass at Top Cow comics and he's done so in style. The guy's highly underrated to me so I caught up with him for a few words...and I don't have much to say except that Jeremy more than covered enough bases here with some very strong words. Have a go!

CBNAH: What got you into comics and drawing them as a career?

JH: Comics were always a part of my life. Some of my earliest memories were looking at and drawing the characters from comics. That just carried through as I grew up. I remember being in third grade and figuring out that these were epic continuing stories. I think that was the thing that hooked me. This would have been right around '84. I pretty much started grabbing every Spider-Man and X-Men book I could find. In high school, I kind of lived in terror that I wouldn't get to work in comics and would have to flip burgers my entire life. Somehow though, I was one of those guys that was just dumb and thick-headed enough to stick with it.

CBNAH: How did you break into the business and were your family supportive of your dreams?

JH: Comics were never discouraged at home. My mom worked in a pharmacy in the tiny town where we lived, growing up. She was always coming home with comics for me. I think like all parents she was worried about me being a destitute artist, but she was always supportive of my wanting to work in comics. My break into comics was more a slow and steady climb. Like most people in the 90's that wanted to draw comics, I drew my own thing and went to shows hoping to get a gig from one of the big guys. I stood in a LOT of lines. As I said, I'm pretty thick-headed. I took the advice I was given and I just kept working at it. 

I ended up really breaking in with a book called Paradigm. It started out as a self published thing by writer Matt Cashel and myself. Image saw the book and was awesome enough to let us do our crazy little black and white book there for twelve issues. It was a hell of a learning experience. From there I did project after project. Paradigm lead to Battle Hymn, which lead to work for IDW. I've steadily worked since then. I think the big break came with The Leading Man at Oni, with my frequent collaborator, writer, B. Clay Moore. The book was well received and got me on Marvel's radar.

Buy Civil War Iron Man/Captain America

CBNAH: What were your favorite memories from the books you did at Marvel and DC and which titles stood out most to you?

JH: Working for both Marvel and DC were wonderful...and slightly terrifying experiences. I was given the opportunity to work on Civil War Iron-Man/Captain America right out the gate at Marvel. It was a hell of a first project there. Working on the book, I had the opportunity to not only draw a story centered around two of the biggest Marvel characters, but also do these great bits featuring a HUGE cross section of the Marvel universe. 

I've always been a Batman fan. Getting to work in the Bat-office at DC was a real dream come true for me. Everything that I got to do over my nearly two years there was great to work on. The thing that easily stands out was the Arkham Reborn story that I did with David Hine. It ended up being this wonderfully horrific arc that ran through a one-shot, a three-issue mini and wrapped up in two issues of Detective Comics. Arkham Reborn also paved the way for David and I getting to work together now on The Darkness. We worked too well together not to move onto something big together after our DC work.

CBNAH: What's it like working for 'smaller' publishers such as Top Cow, IDW, Oni Press, Image, Devil's Due etc as opposed to the big 2?

JH: It's a completely different pond to play in. There are positives...and at times a few negatives to every company. Marvel and DC are producing their brand. Working for them, you understand that. Companies like Oni and Image are all about creator-owned work. While I love working for the big two, there's something really exciting about doing a creator-owned project. There is a lot of wonderful stuff coming out from Image and Oni Press, right now. It's a great time to be a part of that. 

Working for Top Cow has been a pretty fantastic combination of independent and company comics. I'm drawing the Darkness, which is a book that Top Cow has been doing for over 100 issues. It's Marc Silvestri's baby. The interesting thing about working for Marc and Matt Hawkins over at Top Cow is that while we're doing their big book, it's treated a lot like an independent project. They give us the opportunity to take the book and really do our own thing with it. There is a lot of freedom to that. It's kind of the best of both worlds. 

CBNAH: Can you describe your creative process of materializing the visuals from a script?

JH: In the beginning it's always mostly a lot of blind panic and me pacing around muttering "How the hell am I going to draw this thing?". After that initial read-over and bit of worry, I sit down and re-read the script and begin to break everything down into thumbnails. For me, thumbnailing out a book and really nailing the storytelling is key. I spend most of that time trying to make sure that things are clear as well as visually interesting. Once I've nailed down the thumbnails, I gather all of my reference for an issue as quickly as possible and then dive straight into penciling the pages. 

Penciling has really become the part of the process that I enjoy the least. I've already figured everything out in the thumbnails. Penciling is just me trying to get the general information on the page just clearly enough so that it makes sense to me to ink. Over the past few years, I've really grown to love inking. With my simplified pencils, the inking is where I'm really doing most of the work. It took a while for me to learn to really appreciate inks, but now it's the step where everything really comes together. 

CBNAH: Some of your artistic influences?

JH: From comics, the guys that I'm constantly going back to aren't necessarily creators that you're going to see much of in my work. Maybe a subtle feel here and there, but I'm more inspired by creators that are pretty stylistically different from me. I'm consistently going back and looking at work by Wally Wood, Jim Steranko, Joe Kubert, Walt Simonson, Moebius, and Dave Mazzucchelli. 

And of course Mike Mignola. I'd say that Mignola is my single biggest creative influence. There are a lot of current artists that are absolutely outstanding. I'm constantly blown away by guys like Chris Samnee, Brandon Graham, Greg Tocchini, Marcos Martin, Paolo Rivera, Frank Quitely, Stuart Immonen, and James Harren. ...like I said, I'm all over the place with influences. 

The Darkness

CBNAH: How has the Darkness ride been treating you?

JH: Working on the Darkness has been an absolute dream. It isn't often that you get invited to work on a project and it ends up being even BETTER than promised. I owe so much of that to the support of Top Cow and my creative partners on the book: David Hine and John Rauch. We've come up with some crazy stuff so far in our first year on the book. We've really hit a groove. We're even taking things farther next year. It's going to make for some exciting, horrifying stories.

Bad Karma on Kickstarter

CBNAH: Can you describe your Kickstarter project to us? We love hearing the new stuff...

JH: I'm working on a new project as part of a writing collective with Alex Grecian (Proof, The Yard) B. Clay Moore (Battle Hymn, The Leading Man, JSA: The Liberty Files-- The Whistling Skull) and Seth Peck (Sorrow, '76, Wolverine, X-Men) called "Bad Karma".

The project we are producing is a 200 page hardcover original graphic novel debuting five original concepts (in self-contained stories). On top of that we're going to have prose pieces, full page illustration pieces, and short comic stories all based on the five main concepts. 

We've brought in some of the industries leading artists on the project including: Phil Hester, Chris Mitten, Tigh Walker, Mike Tisserand, Chris Samnee, Rafael Albuquerque, Jenny Frison, Robbi Rodriguez, Menton Matthews III, Riley Rossmo, Tony Harris, Francesco Francavilla, Scott Morse, Nathan Fox, Ben Templesmith, and many more. We have a brilliant cover designed by Jonathan Hickman. These people are just fantastic and have graciously contributed to the book. 

Of course, doing it through Kickstarter we're doing more than just the book. We're offering rewards of t-shirts, beautiful hand-pulled screen prints, slipcase editions, original artwork, and opportunities to be drawn into the stories. We even have a special edition of the book that comes in a hand-crafted clamshell box. This thing is going to be great. We're hand building and wrapping these boxes and setting them with a zinc printing plate that we used in creating some of the prints. The box will come with a slipcase edition of the book, a special screen printed book showing hints at the secret history behind the nefarious Kraken corporation from the project, a headsketch from me, and a ton of other cool stuff. 

We're really working hard to make this book special for people. And as with a lot of Kickstarter projects, if our backer pledges stretch beyond our original goal we have some pretty crazy stuff planned. There is a lot of talk about what people do with the money given beyond the initial goal. I donate to a lot of Kickstarter projects myself. I'm always curious. We have a definite plan to do some cool upgrades to the book and give back to our supporters. They're the people that are making this book happen. We appreciate that and want to create something exciting for them.

It's going to run from December 10th through to January 10th. It's a hell of project. We're excited about it. 

CBNAH: Why opt for Kickstarter rather than pitching it to Image etc?

JH: Everyone has been talking about Kickstarter, lately. It's something new and exciting. A way for creators to produce something absolutely the way they want to. It's also an opportunity for fans to help support a project AND get a more special edition package than we get with most comics. We wanted to get together, the four of us, and build a project from the ground up. We all started out in independent comics, doing creator-owned work and since then have gone on to do a lot of big, varied things. This was our chance to create something that got back to those independent roots. Kickstarter really allowed us to do that. We've had our hands all over this project from moment one. 

While on one hand it's really nice to have a publisher package something for you, with "Bad Karma" we're able to make every aspect of this special. We wrote the stories, hand-picked everyone involved, chose our printer, and the materials that went into physical production of the book-- everything. 

The product that we're giving people in the "Bad Karma" Kickstarter is unique. Sure, there's a possibility that we might re-print it down the line elsewhere, but it will never be available in this exclusive hardcover with all of the added bells and whistles again. It's an opportunity to give fans something special. They can be involved in it. We like it that way.

CBNAH: How has the digital age impacted comics for you and your work?

JH: It's certainly allowed for more readers to have easy access to the books we're putting out. I was recently in Dubai for the Middle East Film and Comic Con. I talked to fans from all over the Middle-East that said that thanks to digital comics they were finally able to read them before they hit trades in book stores. Personally I still prefer to read traditional comics, but it's nice to be able to easily buy and read stuff digitally. There have been plenty of times lately where I needed some visual reference from a book in the middle of the night and was able to buy it digitally for a couple of bucks. It's definitely convenient in that sense.

I'm REALLY digging the way Marvel is doing their digital download codes in books. I've found myself picking up physical copies of books at my local shop and then downloading them to my iPad to read on the road. It's nice to have both options. I think we're certainly going to see a lot more of that in the near future.

CBNAH: What would you like to see happen to the industry over the next two years?

JH: Growth. Continued excitement. I want to see both creators and readers continue to get excited about comics.  There is so much wonderful, exciting stuff coming out right now. We need to keep this trend going. As much as I love mainstream comics, I'd like to see more creators continue doing their own thing. 

Kraken Original Watercolor Painting by Jeremy Haun

CBNAH: As you are soon to see with your project, how do you think Kickstarter is going to change the way that indie comics, music etc are put out? Do you see this as the biggest revolution for creators in some time?

JH: Oh, absolutely. I think it's going to change a lot of things. Beyond just the creation of something, there is a LOT of financial risk in producing an independent project. Kickstarter is going to allow a lot of people to take some chances on projects: comics, movies, music, all. I think Kickstarter and the development of digital media on top of some major support from publishers like Image have done amazing things for creators over the past couple of years. I think the revolution is just beginning. 

CBNAH: Which writer has impacted the most on you during your working career?

JH: This is where I sound like a jerk for singling someone out. Great. I've said it a few times, but I've been remarkably lucky in my career to have worked with so many fantastic writers. Each of them has helped me grow creatively. I think both B. Clay Moore and David Hine have had the most impact creatively. They're guys that I've worked with several times on different projects. Even though they have pretty different styles, they are guys that I definitely clicked with. Liking someone's work is important, but being able to really connect with a co-creator is key for a long term collaboration.

CBNAH: Dream book you'd like to work on and with whom?

JH: Hell...I don't know. I've been lucky in my career. Batman was always my dream character. I did that. Of course, I wouldn't mind revisiting Gotham City someday. I'd certainly like to do some more work with Marvel at some point. Daredevil is a favorite of mine. Marvel has a stable of great characters and creators over there. Jonathan Hickman is someone I'd like to work with at some point. I'd love to work with him. Honestly though, I'm having a lot of fun at Top Cow on the Darkness with David Hine. It's kind of perfect. I don't see that ending any time soon. Other than doing my own stuff, I'm probably going to be drawing the Darkness for a good long while.

Bad Karma Coaster Set

CBNAH: Advice for upcoming writers and artists?

JH: It's the one you're going to hear time and time again. Just create. Do the work. If you want to get better, draw or write one hundred pages. You'll be twice as good as when you started. And honestly, a harsh truth-- if you don't want to work hard, for long hours, on tight deadlines, do something else. You'll probably be happier for it. 

CBNAH: LASTLY, finish this - comic book nerds are hot because _______?

JH: We get it, right? I mean we've always known that this stuff is great. It's just taken a while for everyone else to catch up and realize that we were pretty damned hip. 

Top Notch Interview With Top Cow's Matt Hawkins...

Matt Hawkins, Top Cow President / Chief Operating Officer

Matt Hawkins is one of the most outspoken comics personnel in the business today. I've rarely dabbled in Top Cow...but one thing changed my mind - Think Tank.  If you've read my reviews here on that book, it's pretty innovative...and came with the intelligence and craftiness that Jon Hickman usually wows with. Hawkins has scribed one of the best and most underrated titles out at present...and I implore you all to check more of the book out. And if you want splendid art to top that off, Rahsan Ekedal's panels weave magic upon magic with each flip of the page and each scene perused.

These two have brought allure, charisma, enthusiasm and genuine grasp to concepts that no doubt keep readers' minds provoked...I urge you guys to dive into the tale of David Loren's life of creating weapons of mass destruction for the military. What happens when curiosity evoked, a baffling conscience and riveting impatience sets in...well, David's a kid in an ant farm...and you'll soon see how intelligence mixed with an insatiable appetite to rebel is never a good combo...

“I've had the initial ideas for this for a few years. I know some of the people who work in Think Tanks and for the military doing design work and I've seen a lot of the declassified stuff they do. The most interesting thing I've realized is the technology we use daily and that even the military uses is dated. Much of the cutting edge stuff they develop won't be used for 5-10 years,” Hawkins divulged. 

Buy Think Tank #1

Charged with helping the mechanics and the literal engine of Top Cow to keep running, I was surprised that someone steeped into so much of the organizational/business aspect of things found the time to script something that attractive. I assumed he’d be too busy to be taking on titles, akin to Joe Quesada’s absence on paper as he helps turn the cogs at Marvel. But then I remembered the workmanship and effortless desire of Jim Lee, Geoff Johns and Dan Didio to stick to the ground level at DC and put their names on titles, rather than remain the business-suited bigwig and stalwart in the upper-deck of the spectrum. Hawkins may not have as much help as these guys but to write such a great title and still steward so much responsibility is very admirable. Top Cow surely deserves more plaudits than they get. Matt further ushered us in a bit on how he balanced the acts.

“I have some contacts that help me but most of it is just pure Internet research and reading books, etc. My background in science is helpful in that I know what to look for and how to read certain things. A lot of the more interesting things I've uncovered are - after reading a 100-page manual that is God-awful boring, then you find a page or a paragraph that blows your mind,” he expounded. Matt was referring to researching military facilities, weapons and research programs and how sources or footnotes came abound.

He continued, “I get inspired by seeing a lot of this technology in the news. It's scary sometimes when we open ‘Think Tank 5’ in Palestine and deal with a situation that I wrote about 4 weeks before this current flare-up happened. I also scour the science journals to see what the latest, greatest is. Inspiration comes from all sources so it can be something my girlfriend says or something I read on Twitter, who knows?”

He touched a bit on his musical respites also. “I've really gotten into Skrillex and some of this new dubstep movement. It's easy to listen to while writing and gets my heart rate up and helps me focus,” the writer added before regaining his momentum on the book’s discussion.

With USA being viewed as a global superpower, Matt addressed the notions of political messages or those perceived, in the grand scheme of things – “I've tried hard to not come across as either liberal or conservative with this, which fits in with my own personal, moderate stance on things. People can read into it whatever they want but my only "commentary" is – that America is not what Americans think it is,” he relayed. Sometimes he’s eloquent, sometimes he’s not…but he conveys his ideas with precision and that concise delivery is what makes such a cohesive and flowing feel to Think Tank. There’s an intellectual chaos and a streamlined view by David that he’s the man to upset the order and taper the military’s vision with turbulence. 

It relates and appeals to several readers on different levels, who were they layered into such a gritty spot – may actually empathize with David. This leads coherently into – who the hell can put up with such an arrogant prick?  David's best friend has been crucial to his tenure in the book and on this fragile relationship, Matt endeavoured, “ It's a typical dominant/submissive relationship where one tends to abuse the other a bit and the other enables too much. Ultimately, they need each other and have a core friendship and trust that will overshadow everything else. Manish is the closest thing David has to a brother. I've avoided talking about David's family so far, but Manish is the closest thing he has to "family" thus far in the story.”

Now, these ‘smaller’ labels have artists that, while not as polished as the ‘Big 2’, have an unrefined essence and sparkling aura in their coarse and crude pencils…and one illustrator that encompasses all this to deliver the payload is Rahsan, who has wowed me by the issue.

Matt gleamed, “He’s simply amazing! Any artist can make a fight look interesting, but Rahsan can make David and Manish watching TV look interesting...and that's hard to do. His storytelling skills are top notch and I see him improving with each issue which boggles the mind a bit.” 

Matt even offered some advice to the apprentices out there – “Artists - just keep drawing, take some classes and get good feedback from others. Create an online portfolio and don't be annoying. Writers - you need to be reading and writing every day. And if you want to write comic books, read stuff other than comic books. There’s too much derivative stuff out there already.”

He concluded – “I think comics are on an upward swing. There’s been lots of negativity for years but digital, the new ‘52’ and a host of other factors make this an exciting time for comics. Image Comics is on a definite creative upswing with a bunch of awesome new titles.”

Comic Book Nerds Are Hot because---?

Matt Hawkins – “I’m one of them!”

It was great chatting with Matt so now, go buy his book and keep your eyes on Top Cow, IDW and Image etc…for the months to come. Join the revolt!

Review: Witchblade #152

My co favorite along with Angel And Faith for pick of the week.  Witchblade is in my top five list of books that you could add to your pull list outside of the big two. The new direction that this book took after the 150th issue is a perfect jumping on point for new readers.  It feels fresh and fun.  Thats the overall atmosphere that I got as I was reading this book.  And those are two important ingredients that I look for in every new comic that I read.  I have already enjoyed the little that I read from Tim Seeley. And this story is interesting as Sarah deals with a threat that is somewhat a distorted version of her own Witchblade.

Witchblade's New Start - 5 Page Preview

From Image - The New Year brings a slew of fresh starts and Witchblade bearer, Sara Pezzini, is no exception. Pezzini will start 2012 in Chicago with a new job and brand new life, thanks to the fresh ongoing creative team of Tim Seeley (HACK/SLASH) and Diego Bernard (The Man With No Name).

Sara Pezzini has always been a born and bred New York City detective, in addition to wielding the ancient Artifacts, the Witchblade.