Back in June of this year, I interviewed my friend and comic writer Jon about his comic Endangered. Well, issue #2 hits newsstands today and I wanted to share some random questions asked in a speed round format with Jon while conducting our interview. If you have not read the interview or you just want to enjoy reading it again, click here. After reading this, make sure you pick up the second issue of Endangered. If you haven't checked it out yet, make sure to pick up the first issue as well.
1. Favorite superhero?
Tie between Spider-Man and Invincible
2. DC or Marvel?
Although I enjoy both, I’ve always been more of a Marvel guy. They’re heroes were the first ones I fell in love with and my oldest son is named Logan.
3. Favorite Film?
I’m a movie buff, so naming one is too hard. Here are a few off the top of my head. Empire Strikes Back, Pulp Fiction, Unforgiven, Aliens, The Thing, and Predator.
4. Favorite Villain?
Of all time? I’d say Darth Vader.
5. Favorite Artist?
Comics? Probably John Romita Sr and Bernie Wrightson. Of course Ron Joseph is a default answer lol.
6. Favorite Writer?
Robert Kirkman for Invincible.
7. Favorite TV Series?
Breaking Bad, First four seasons of Game of Thrones, Mr. Inbetween, Atlanta, and, most recently, Arcane.
8. Favorite Insect?
Now we’re talking! The pill bug, aka Rollie Pollie.
9. Favorite Actor or Actress?
Probably Leonardo DiCaprio or Gary Oldman.
10. Guilty Pleasure?
Fortnite
11. Favorite Snack?
Either chips and queso or boiled peanuts
12. Favorite Comic Issue and Why?
Frank Miller and Chris Claremont’s Wolverine #1. I have very vivid memories of seeing that cover for the first time and being blown away. That book is WHY my oldest son is named, Logan. After reading it as a 10 year old, I remember asking my mom if I could change my name to Logan. When she said no, I swore to her that one day, I would have a son and his name would be Logan and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Fast forward 18 years and Logan McCarthy was born.
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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.
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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.
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!
Derf: First, let me say it is an honor for me to interview you about your artwork. When did you discover your artistic talents?
GG: I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember, and it was always the thing my family pointed to as like “hey, that’s your thing”. It’s just always been what I’ve done.
Derf: What artist or artwork inspired you to draw?
GG: So, the first comic I remember reading, and recognizing that it was drawn by someone was Amazing Spider-Man #388, drawn by Mark Bagley. That’s the comic that I remember being the one to make me want to draw superheroes and comics.
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| ** Excerpt from Amazing Spider-Man #388 ** |
Derf: When did you decide, I am going to draw for a living?
GG: I got that ASM #388 back in 1994 when I was around 6, and from then on, I knew I wanted to draw comics or cartoons in one way or another.
Derf: What was your first comic to work on?
GG: The first thing I ever did that saw eyeballs was a Kickstarter book, Smut and Jeff, with a pro from Lafayette, Kody Chamberlain. We weren’t able to kickstart it, unfortunately, but it was the first time I had a working pro pull me in and tell me I was good enough. Kody’s great, and we’re still hoping to revisit it, someday soon. The first full issue I got paid to draw was a one-shot called Night Driver, with one of my favorite people in the world Ken Lowery.
Derf: When you got the Turtles gig, what was your first thought?
GG: OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD. Haha. I was born in ’88, so the Turtles were a huge part of my childhood. It was an honor to get to draw them professionally, even if just for one cover, so far.
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| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #115 |
Derf: Some artists do commissions in their spare time. I know you are remarkably busy, but do you offer commissions? If so, how can one contact you?
GG: I actually open up a shortlist every month, usually in the first week or two of the month. I only take about 4-5 a month, so it usually fills up in a day or so, but I take them on my Twitter. I’m also open to them from my website, and carrying those over to the next list.
Derf: What projects are you working on now that you can share with my audience?
GG: I’m currently penciling the 3rd issue of a 4 issue mini series, The Death Defying, I’ve been working on with Chris Sebela, Marissa Louise, and Micah Myers, off and on over the last couple of years, starring Houdini and Arthur Conan Doyle, and a bunch of mischievous otherworldly shenanigans. Other than that I’ve got a few pitches in the works, that I’ll hopefully be able to talk about, soon, as well as a pretty neat freelance side gig that involves helping out on something with a Big 2 character.
Derf: NICE! I heard you are now tackling the Transformers, what is that like?
GG: That’s right. The folks making the new Beast Wars series let me come play in their playground. It was another childhood property that I adored. As a 90’s kid, Beast Wars was MY Transformers. I’ve even still got my original Cheetor figure from the mid-90’s.
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| Transformers: Beast Wars #7 |
Derf: Is there a comic book title that you would love to do work on but have not done so yet?
GG: Oh, man. My bucket list still has Sonic, Power Rangers, Spider-Man, Batman, and Superman on it. And I think everyone has these B/C List properties they’d love to be given a stab at, and for me, that’s Hawkman.
Derf: Do you have any suggestions for new and upcoming artists?
GG: It’s simple. Be present online, the comic industry is HEAVILY on twitter, be present at conventions, and MAKE COMICS. The biggest and best advice I can give people is to make and finish comics. They can be 2, 4, 8, 20 pages, doesn’t matter. Draw a story from beginning to end. That proof that you can do the job is the best weapon you have. There’s any number of people with a string of sample pages, or a handful of finished pages from their 1,200 page epic graphic novel. Be the artist with something completed under your belt. Not only does it show you can do it, but you learn more and more from every new thing that you finish.
Derf: What are your keys to success?
GG: I guess this is still an extension of the last question. Make things. Once you start getting work, however, the best thing you can do is be transparent, be kind, and make sure you’re prompt. You always want to turn work in on time, but even if you can’t, make sure you let your client, editor, or collaborators know what’s up. Life happens, we all understand, going radio-silent is a lot of folks’ knee-jerk reaction, but it’s definitely the wrong one. The vast majority of folks I’ve met in this industry have been great people, and I think the best thing you can do, is try to pay that forward in whatever ways you can.
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| Terrus by Gavin Guidry & Simon Gough |
Lightning Round
I'm going to ask you some random questions and you will provide the first answer that comes to mind. Here we go.
Favorite Comic?
GG: Oh boy, of all time? I think the single comic series I’ve read the most is Superman: Secret Identity. I reread it annually.
Favorite Villain?
GG: I’m a sucker for the Goblins in Spider-Man. Harry, Norman, and most of the various Hobgoblins. I think, like Spidey, I think Green Goblin is one of those instances of all the right ingredients at the right time.
Like you, I am a fan of the Goblins as well but Hobgoblin is my favorite Hands Down!
Favorite Hero?
GG: Spidey. Hands down. Though, as I get older, and become more of a softie, I love Superman and what he’s meant to stand for more and more. The unwavering kindness and caring is something we could all use a lot more of in media and the world at large.
Favorite Turtle?
GG: Donnie is my boy. I’ve got like half a dozen piece Donnie memorabilia around my desk and my office.
Donnie is my favorite as well.
Favorite Autobot?
GG: I’m gonna go Maximal, and say Cheetor.
Fair Enough, lol
Favorite Decepticon?
GG: Again, I’mma go Predacon, and say its a tie between Terrorsaur and Waspinator. They’re kind of the villainous Rosencrantz and Guildenstern of Beast Wars, but I love them.
Favorite Movie?
GG: That’s tough. I’ll say I watch the films of David Fincher probably the most. I’m also a sucker for Nolan. I can’t help myself.
Favorite type of music?
GG: I’m an indie and alt-rock guy with a big love of folk, alt country, and alt bluegrass. I was never a fan of country growing up, and as the mainstream gets more and more pop driven, there’s been a groundswell movement of younger artists taking some of the old tenants of country and roots Americana and infusing it with indie rock sensibilities. You’d be hard pressed to find more earnest and impressive songwriting.
Favorite TV show?
GG: That’s another one that’s hard to pin down. I love prestige dramas like Sopranos, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and I love stuff like Justified and Bosch, but I’m also a sucker for sitcoms like Scrubs, Psych, and Community. I watch A LOT of TV while I work.
Favorite Food?
GG: I’ll never give up my Cajun and Italian staples.
Favorite Drink?
GG: Abita Root Beer is probably the thing I’d consider as my rare treat to myself that I think is like gold. But on a more regular basis, I’m thankfully drinking a lot more water, but I can also go to town on some Arizona Green Tea.
Favorite Actor/Actress?
GG: Probably the usual suspects for a lot of folks. I love Tom Hanks in basically anything. I think Walton Goggins is great. Mahershala Ali is always captivating. I think I could watch Mary Elizabeth Winstead in anything.
Favorite Author?
GG: This one is easy. I love Michael Chabon. I think he’s brilliant, and his book The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay is my absolute favorite.
Favorite Artist?
GG: In comics, I’d say the two that I look up to the most as inspirations are Chris Samnee and Stuart Immonen. They both do different things, but they’re just working on a whole other level.
Favorite piece of Art?
GG: I’m pretty proud to own a page from Immonen’s recent run on Amazing Spider-Man with Dan Slott. It’s the only bit of original art I’ve purchased, so far.
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| Free Comic Book Day 2021 Poster by Gavin Guidry |
Well, I hope you enjoyed my interview with the great Gavin Guidry. He is truly an amazing artist! He will be hanging out at Umbrella Comics and Collectibles for Free Comic Book Day this Saturday. He will have prints as well as other items for you to purchase and get signed for your comic loving pleasure.
Until next time, get your READ on!
Boy, do I have a treat for you today! I was lucky enough to interview one of the hottest comic book artists in the past 2 years. Her artwork is amazing and selling of the shelfs as soon as they hit. Of course I am talking about the very talented Peach Momoko. It was both an honor and a privilege to interview this talented artist. With that said, let us begin.
Derf: At what age did you discover your artistic talents?
Peach Momoko: I am still learning so I have not finished discovering.
Derf: As an artist myself, I can relate. What artist(s) inspired you?
Peach Momoko: Sorry, I have too many so I do not list anyone in particular.
Derf: That's understandable. How long did it take you to figure out your style?
Peach Momoko: I do not know what my style is. I do not like to “define” a specific style.
Derf: What was your first piece of artwork published worldwide?
Peach Momoko: I was published in a horror magazine called Girls and Corpses magazine. Then my work appeared in Heavy Metal Magazine and then, Marvel Comics.
Derf: When you got into making comic book variant covers, which one was the first to be published?
Peach Momoko: My first published major variant cover is Marvel Rising.
Derf: I have several favorite covers that you have done. Do you have a favorite?
Peach Momoko: They are all very important so I cannot choose a favorite.
Derf: You also have a trading card set out there, who came up with that idea?
Peach Momoko: Upper Deck presented the idea.
Derf: Do you find doing a variant cover easier to do than a trading card? Do you have a preference?
Peach Momoko: I don’t see anything easier. I try to treat every project equal or a challenge more than the last project.
Derf: That is very admirable. I really enjoyed your Demon Days comics. How did that concept come to be?
Peach Momoko: Around 2018, I was already working with Marvel and had a dinner meeting with them, so I gave a pilot comic to CB Cebulski. After 2 years of working mainly on covers with many publishers, on October 2020, I got a e-mail about starting Demon Days. It was a very sudden and amazing day!
Derf: Some artists do commissions in their spare time. I know you are remarkably busy, but do you offer commissions? If so, how can one contact you?
Peach Momoko: Sorry, I do not do commissions at the moment. I only plan to do commissions once I can go to a comic convention (pick up only)
Derf: Well, the way things are looking worldwide, we may see you at a Comic Con sooner than later. One last question, do you have any suggestions for new and upcoming artists?
Peach Momoko: Just keep drawing everyday. You never know when opportunities rises.
I want to thank Peach Momoko again, for taking the time from her busy schedule to answer these questions.
Until next time, get your READ on!
