Comic Conversations: An Interview with Jon McCarthy

It is with great honor that I am able to present to you my latest interview. The interview is with comic writer Jon McCarthy.  Jon is a good friend of mine that I met through Umbrella Comics and we have been friends ever since.  Well, on the week of June 15, his most recent project hits the shelves. What is that project you ask?  It is the comic from Blood Moon Comics titled Endangered.  I really hope you enjoy this interview but more importantly, I hope you checkout the first amazing issue of Endangered.

Derf: When did you know you wanted to write comics?

Jon: I’ve always been a comic book fan, but never considered creating them myself was an option until probably the mid 2000’s. It was around that time that I began to truly learn how to tell stories. I learned screenwriting and quickly saw the correlation between writing films and comics. Both are stories told in visual mediums, so the style of writing is similar.

What was the first book you worked on?

I don’t recall the first script I wrote specifically to be a comic, but my first “published” comic work was a book titled, Hungry for Stink. It was a comedic take on zombies in New Orleans that I wrote and co-created with my best friend back in like 2009ish. We self-published that one and it sold tens of tens of copies worldwide.

How did you come up with the idea for your new book, Endangered?

I was sitting outside my house one day, zoning out, and started paying attention to some insects crawling around. The thought popped into my head, what if these things were the size of large mammals? What would THAT world be like to live in? Right after that, I started writing notes and story ideas that became this book.

I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy to read and I must say BRAVO!  I think you have a hit on your hands and from what I am seeing on social media, others believe so as well.  How does this make you feel?

First off, I want to say thank you for agreeing to check it out. It means a lot to me when people enjoy stuff I write, but it really means a lot when my peers enjoy it. In this case, I’m talking about fellow lovers of comics. I know you know your stuff with comic book history, and you’ve read a ton of books for many years, so to get a Derf endorsement really means the world to me. I’m hoping everyone else out there enjoys it and feels they got their $4 worth. Stick with us for the series, because it gets really wild in the upcoming issues, and I think you guys are really going to dig where we’re headed.

Just curious, how long does it take to write one issue?

That depends on if I’m really trying to self-edit the work, or just throw down a first draft to get it on “paper”. I usually let the story flow as it’s being written, especially this one, so I will often go back and change a scene to make it work with a new plot point I want to introduce. So to answer your question, I feel I can get a decent twenty-two page script knocked out in a few days, barring too many distractions. 

Going back to Endangered, what can we expect form each issue?  I know by reading the first issue its going to be a survival of the strongest type of scenario.  Would that be the way you would explain it?

Issue 1 really sets everything up and establishes this world that we’re telling the story in. It’s a very high stakes world where danger is everywhere back on Earth. Issue 2 is when they come back down here and are immersed into this treacherous new environment. So with each issue, the flames under our protagonist’s feet get a little hotter. My goal is to maintain, and steadily increase, the action and intensity of their experiences from issue 2 until the end of our contracted 8 issues.

I personally can see Endangered as the catalyst that starts a video game or streaming series franchise.  Have you given those areas any thought?

I really appreciate that. My goal was to set out and tell this story as a comic book. If it is loved enough that others feel it needs to also live outside the pages of the comic, that would be great. That would tell me that we’ve done something good here and that people care enough to see it live on in another form.

What is next for the great Jon McCarthy?

Well, we are in the middle of working on these future issues, so that is my main focus. My goal is tell many more of my stories in the form of comic books and I have a hard drive full of scripts and concepts that I really want to see made. Hopefully, Endangered will afford me the opportunity to do that.

What advice would you give to those out there with the dream of getting their comics published?

I would say to take you project as serious as you would want a publisher to take it. Invest the money into assembling a solid team of professionals to work on it. You have to be willing to accept criticism from trusted sources, not people who are going to tell you your work is good out of kindness. Find out what’s not good, make it as good as you possibly can, and then send it into the world. You have to understand that the comic business is a business and that publishers are there to make money. Deliver a product to them that will allow them to envision its success and you’ll be good to go. Also, you must have thick skin. There’s a lot of rejection that you’ll have to be able to swallow before your break comes. Stay focused on your goal, work hard at it, and you can do it.

Is there a site that your readers can get some Endangered merchandise?

I decided to focus most of the social media presence for Endangered on Instagram. Our page there is @endangeredcomic and we have a link tree in the bio of the page that readers can get some awesome shirts and stuff. We also do giveaways form time to time so come join us over there. To get the comic, I’d ask your readers to hit up their favorite local, or online, comic retailer and add Endangered to your pull folder. If you don’t have a pull folder, just tell the comic shop you want to subscribe to all 8 issues, that way you’re guaranteed to get a copy when the new issue comes out.

Thank you Jon for taking the time to this interview.  I know the book will do well.  Thanks again!

Make sure to pick up your copy of the First issue of Endangered next week,

Until next time, get your READ on!