Scott Snyder and Scott Tuft are two old friends and co-writers. You may already know Scott Snyder from the awesome comics he writes, but Scott Tuft is a new kid on the block, I’m not saying he’s a terrible pop star, just he’s a new name to comics and such. They’re currently working on Severed, a period horror published by Image, and I was incredibly eager to find out more (and ask Scott Snyder a bunch of geek-crush questions about American Vampire).

Good Comic Books | Firstly, is it alright referring to you as ‘The Scotts’?

The Scotts | Absolutely. As long as The (actual) Scots don’t think we’re moving in on their territory. We’ve seen Braveheart – and read WANTED and KICK ASS – and know of what they’re capable.

GCB | So, Scotts… Severed is a period horror… What’s so attractive about the genre? Is there something about challenging idealised periods of history that lends itself particularly well to horror? Especially as American Vampire falls into the same category.

The Scotts | Absolutely. America’s past isn’t all Norman Rockwell paintings. America has always been a dark and violent place and the tension between the idealized past that people dote on and the gritty reality that existed makes for a fun place to explore.

Also… history can be pretty darn creepy and it’s fun to play in that sandbox. The spaces, the technology, the people… they’re both familiar and foreign in a way that is truly haunting.

But while Severed uses the antiqueness of the period, it is as much about now as 1916. Today the internet is connecting the world in new ways. All the rules and expectations are being rewritten. And this allows people to alter their identity… to become who they want to be. Some find their real selves, others use this anonymity to trick others. To prey on the weak. These two archetypes are our main characters in Severed but we thought a kid on the road in 1916 would make for a creepier comic than a kid on the computer in 2011.

GCB | How scary is Severed? Is it Buffy the Vampire Slayer scary, “turn it off before they drop the blood, because Carrie’s having such a nice time” scary or “OH, JESUS CHRIST!” scary?

The Scotts | It’s meant to be “can’t get that out of my head” scary. Or, “I wonder if my mailman is a serial killer” scary. We hope that the scares build throughout the 7 issue arc in an effective way so while it starts out creepy, it gets more and more twisted. By the end, we hope to get to that “Oh, Jesus Christ!” scary.

GCB | How did Severed come together between you two and Attila Futaki, and what’s the writing process? Is beer involved?

The Scotts | Us Scotts had the idea a while ago… we wanted to write something that would scare you deep down- in your soul. We thought about fairy tales and serial killers and how they bizarrely complemented one another. We plotted out the whole story together and as far as the actual writing goes- when we started, Snyder was neck deep in Vampire and Detective so Tuft took the first pass…. Then Snyder gave notes, revised, tweaked. We did this for every phase of the process for every issue. There were lots of discussions throughout the process but because we’ve worked together before and known each other for 20 plus years, it was easy to collaborate on this one.

With Attila, we gave him the first script and he seemed to get it right away. The first storyboards he showed us were nearly perfect with his story telling… his storyboards really capture the feeling and tone of the story and throughout the process, it only gets better. He’s really passionate about the story which is important to us and so while he pretty much follows the script to a tee, sometimes he’ll add a panel or background detail. And it’s all for the better. The notes are usually pretty minimal but Tuft and Futaki talk daily on gchat like schoolgirls… twisted and demented schoolgirls but schoolgirls all the same. “Like Oh My God, In panel 2… you should totally see more bone”

GCB | How long have you had the ideas for Severed? Has it been a long gestation period or did the baby spill out unexpectedly?

The Scotts | Feels like both now that it’s suddenly coming out but we’ve been thinking bout this story for a while. The story is pretty intricately plotted and it took a while to line all the ducks up in a row. At one time we toyed with it being a movie but found that we’d be freer to tell the story that we wanted to tell as an indie comic. But finding Attila and setting it up with image… all these things take time, which makes for a good gestation period.

GCB | How long is the story you have planned?

The Scotts | It’s a 7 series arc that is a pretty solid story on its own. But there is definitely room for spinoffs and we have been so happy with the way it’s coming out, that we’re thinking about doing another one.

GCB | What kind of research was undertaken for Severed, and did you find any particularly interesting/horrible real life horror stories? The more horrific the better I reckon.

The Scotts | Beyond researching the time period and American serial killers, we actually took a trip that nearly charted the entire course of the book. We really wanted to get a deep sense of the spaces that we were exploring. We went to some creepy places and spent several nights in motel beds that probably accommodated a serial killer or two.

GCB | Scott (Tuft), I believe this is your first foray into comics, how have you found it? Was it a maelstrom of late nights and deadlines? How does it compare to writing for other mediums? Do you have any other projects in the pipeline now that you’ve got a taste for the medium?

Scott Tuft | It is. I cant express how lucky I feel to have SEVERED be my first comic. To work with Scott and Attila on a story this rich is a dream come true. And to have it be my first… I’m sure I must have made a deal with the devil some drunken night.

It’s also been incredibly challenging. Deadlines and late nights for sure. Writing and rewriting and rewriting and rewriting and then some more rewriting. I’ve written a lot of screenplays in the past and directed films but comics are a whole new ballgame. Every day I learn something new, not only about the comic book form, but about story telling in general.

I’m constantly inspired by the subtle differences that crop up between films and comics. I feel like there’s a slew of obvious ones, like one has sound and the other has lettered words. One moves on a screen and the other is static on the page. But there are subtle differences that I never thought about… and I think addressing these differences is making me a much better writer. Writing comics is a fantastic process and now that I’ve caught the bug, I definitely want to do more. I’m currently working on a bigger ongoing Sci-Fi idea and Scott and I had an idea a while ago that would make for a really awesome comic – a Sci-Fi Thriller.

GCB | Scott (Snyder), you must be really busy, are you really busy? What with AV, AV:SOTF, Detective, the DC reboot, cooking, cleaning, going to the shops (I’m just assuming the last three).

Scott Snyder | You assumed right! We have a newborn, too. Emmett Aaron! Our second son. So yes, I’m very busy but the work is staggered and more than this, it’s work I love. I feel like the luckiest guy in the world to have this job. I promise never to complain or take it for granted.

GCB | Scott, (Snyder), how much a fan of Sergio Leone movies are you? Will wants to know (a writer on the site) he says American Vampire suggests you are…

SS | Very big fan. I have a poster of Fistful of Dollars in my office

GCB | Scott (Snyder), just one more AV question, do you have plans for any historical period you’re particularly excited about? I’d love to see an issue of AV set at Woodstock…

SS | Right now, I’m working on issues 22-25 for Rafa, which take place in 1955. It’s all death-races and diners and greasers and suburbs… It’s a decade Rafa and I have been dying to get to for a long time. And, we introduce our version Van Helsing: a badass rockabilly (psychobilly) teenager who drives a ’55 hot-rod and has a secret past involving a previous arc. He’s like a teenage Elvis vampire killer. Rafa was sending sketches today – I can’t wait for you all to meet him. He’s a real favorite.

GCB | What inspired you both to get into comics?

SS | I’ve always been a comic fan. My dad used to read them to me when I was a little kid. He’d take me on Wednesdays to Forbidden Planet in Manhattan. He’d send me comics when I was away at camp. All through high school and college. It’s his fault.

ST | Honestly… I am super new to the medium. When Scott started writing them, I started reading them. The past couple years has been all comics. I can’t remember the last time I bought a literary book. The first comic that totally hooked me was THE FILTH. While I had read other comics before that one… this is the one that I will always consider my first. Where I saw that the medium was something to take completely serious as a genuine art and a solid form of entertainment. And since then, not a day goes by without me reading at least a couple comics. But I’ll tell you what’s inspiring me to STAY in comics – it’s a way to tell visual stories and it’s totally uninhibited by anything other than your creativity, the talent of the people you are working with and the tastes of readers.

GCB | Do you have any recommendations for comics we should be reading?

ST | Ongoing – American Vampire, Detective Comics are must reads. (really – they’re great) I also like Sweet Tooth and Chew. I also pick up minis a lot – I like close ended stories.

SS | Sweet Tooth by Jeff Lemire. Morning Glories by Nick Spencer. Echoes, a gn by Josh Fialkov was something I really liked a ton. There are honestly a lot of book coming in September in DC’S new 52 that I’m really excited about too. Brian Azzarello’s Wonder Woman. Grant Morrison’s Action #1. JT Krul’s Captain Atom. Geoff John and Jim Lee’s Justice League of course. It’s a good time to be a comic reader.

Severed is released on 03/08/2011… which is nice.

When? Whenever!

The Red Wing is the newest creator owned project by fan favourite Johnathan Hickman, and involves a load of high concept time travelling! Cadets from the 23rd century prepare to follow in their father’s footsteps as fighter pilots in a war across time in The Red Wing squadron.

Flying TAC (Temporal attack craft) pilots sneak up on enemies by flying through space in a different time period, before jumping back through time to attack or retreat, it’s all rather clever really! This produces some excellent chase/dogfight scenes as the scenery changes constantly when the pilots attempt to outmanoeuvre each other through both space and time. We fly with dinosaurs in the Tithonian Age and even dogfight over roman amphitheatres.

The dialogue is as slick as the flying, and the narrative contains backstory that feels necessary to the plot rather than forced expositional flashbacks. The characters too are very convincing.

The artwork is spaceship-tastic and makes everything feel like the best bits of every science fiction film all squeezed together into something that becomes it’s own animal entirely. It’s like George Lucas, H.G Wells, Stan Winston and James Cameron sat down together and decided to write a comic called The Red Wing.

Overall it feels like a film of epic proportions, the first few pages would make the best five minute introduction to a film ever. This is a triumphant introduction to a hopefully incredible four part story, Jonathan Hickman makes Dr. Emmet Brown proud.

John Paul de Quay.

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invisible words

It is 1914,  Sherlock Holmes has been lying in his grave for 20 years. Professor James Moriarty, Holmes’s killer and mastermind rival looks gravely upon Holmes’s grave. You see, he appears to have lost his mojo somewhat since Holmes’s untimely demise. He has changed his name to Trumbold and is a shadow of his former criminal mastermind self. With the thrill of keeping one step ahead of Holmes removed, he no longer feels alive.

This first issue is somewhat slow out of the thing horses start racing in. This is perhaps expected of a detective story in which there is as yet no clear crime or motive, but there is mystery…lots of mystery in fact…and peril!

Mycroft Holmes is missing (Sherlock’s brother), so is a professor who might have been up to no good, and with the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand by the Black Hand group, it looks as though the world might just end. Are these events connected? Probably, but we’ll just have to wait to find out.

Moriarty appears to take on the role of the late Sherlock Holmes, investigating the disappearance of Sherlock’s brother on the payroll of MI5. however his methods differ from Holmes’s as he uses his substantial, yet somewhat dusty underworld connections to solve the mystery at hand.

Whereas sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes would unexpectedly catch his baddie and then spend half the story explaining how he solved the crime, Corey’s Moriarty explains every little clue as he finds them in sometimes tedious detail through first person narrative. Although in places this can be tiresome, it is a necessary storytelling element in absence of a sidekick for Moriarty to aimlessly blabber too! It also makes sure you don’t miss the clues (see… it’s clever!).

I think the first in the series of a detective drama can be excused a slow start in order to get the plot grounded. It does this well and adds suspense and easily enough intrigue and mystery to reel you in for a second helping. With Ninjas, assassins and a mysterious mechanical device being constructed by a secret society at the brink of World War I, we can be sure all hell will kick off in #2… or #3?

Colour me intrigued. Sherlock Holmes or general detective fans should be also.

John Paul de Quay.

Although it doesn’t make me feel very special, the news was exciting. Scott Snyder, the writer currently kicking ass on Detective Comics and American Vampire has a new project to be released through Image. It’s called Severed and it’s a “character-driven horror”.

Snyder is teaming up with co-writer Scott Tuft and artist Attila Futaki, and I swooned at the image that was attached. Scott Snyder is the writer to follow at the moment so keep Severed, like Britney Spears wisely said, “on your radar”.

Image told me to tell you jerks:

BERKELEY, CA — 4 May 2011 — Eisner nominated writer Scott Snyder (American Vampire, Detective Comics), writer Scott Tuft and New York Times Best-Selling artist Attila Futaki (Percy Jackson) have announced a new project with Image Comics, set to debut this August. Image has built a deserved reputation as the industry leader for providing readers with quality science fiction and horror material such as the massively popular titles THE WALKING DEAD, CHEW and HACK/SLASH, and like those titles, SEVERED is unlike any other monthly series and sure to be a hit with comic book and horror fans alike.

“SEVERED is a unique story that is extremely close to my heart, and in order to maintain complete creative control with the comic, Scott Tuft and I knew that it needed to be creator owned,” Synder commented. “We are extremely happy Image is giving us the platform to release SEVERED.”

The accomplished writing team of Snyder and Tuft are collaborating on the character-driven horror script that uses the landscape of the past to tell a story that is fresh, new and entirely relevant today. Add the exquisitely subtle style of Futaki’s painted illustrations, and you have a comic that will sneak up on you, sink it’s teeth in and never let go.
“I’m having such a great time bringing SEVERED to life,” artist Attila Futaki said of his work on the series. “Snyder and Tuft have created dynamic characters and an engrossing world that is a thrill to realize. The old-fashioned and precious world is a pleasure to draw and I am very excited about getting blood all over it!”

“When Scott and I first saw Attila’s art, we knew he was the one to bring our story to life,” added Tuft. “His art goes above and beyond the call and it keeps getting better. Not only is it scary, but his ability to capture the emotions of the characters and the tension of a scene is truly unique. We are so lucky to have signed him up.”
Snyder continued: “This story digs deep into the American psyche, exploring a time when a vast network of rail supported a society of vagabonds and when the automobile made even the darkest corners of the country accessible to everyone. Tattooed traveling salesmen, black-faced minstrel men, cross-dressing tramps: SEVERED is filled with unexpected characters and tells a story that is not only uniquely American but certainly one of the scariest things I have ever written.”

SEVERED is mostly set in 1916 and follows Jack Garron, an idealistic 12-year-old who has taken to the road in search of his father, a wayward minstrel. Along the way, he meets up with a mysterious, charismatic salesman whose pearly whites cover the razor sharp teeth that he uses to feed on the innocent. Jack soon finds out that out on the roads and rails of early 20th century America, nothing goes wasted.

SEVERED #1, a 32-page full color horror comic book priced at $2.99, will be available for order in the June issue of Diamond Previews and goes on sale August 3, 2011.

Go tell people… Any people.


Infinite Vacation… Congratulations, you’ve found the hidden message.

Released on 6th April 2011.

Congratulations, you’ve discovered the hidden message.

The dictionary describes swooning as; to enter a state of hysterical rapture or ecstasy. I guess that’s a bit much, but Nonplayer is incredible. It’s set in a future where the world is exactly the same as it is now, except with better technology. Where a young girl with a crap job retreats into a very cool MMO called Jarvath, which allows players to experience more of life than they ever would in the real world. It’s a familiar concept, but don’t think you’ve seen it all before, you’ve never seen anything quite as beautiful as Nonplayer.

Creator Nate Simpson is the writer and artist on the book, and both disciplines are handled extremely well, though the art is particularly breathtaking. The style is so delicate and precise, every person and every creature appears alive. The scenery sometimes goes on for miles into the distance, Simpson has a background in video games and it comes across. Sometimes you feel that there is much more beyond what is shown on the page. I think there’s something incredibly cool about a video games developer developing a computer game in a comic book world, but he could do whatever he wanted really, as long as he kept on drawing stuff this pretty.

For a newcomer, I was also impressed in how effective Simpson is at setting up Nonplayer, Johnathan Ross took ages setting up Turf. Some #1′s feel way too short, others can be really wordy and full of exposition. This introduces the characters, the premise, and gives you everything you need to know very succinctly, which could be down to incredibly good writing, but the world is so familiar to our own I guess there doesn’t need to be too much explanation. There’s a dialogue between a mother and daughter that reads as if it were recorded in real life and then transcribed for the comic, I don’t think there’s ever been a fantasy before this true to real life. I like it A LOT.

Nonplayer is released on 6th April 2011. Buy it.

Check out our preview HERE

Joe Innes.

This comic is the story of rag doll boy in a world of real people, he’s not actually a rag doll boy, it’s how he sees himself (I am sooooo perceptive aren’t I?). He’s a bit of an awkward one but incredibly nice, and finds himself completely out of his depth when it comes to the opposite sex. Sound familiar?

The brilliant thing about this comic is the perspective. This is the world through the eyes of a character we’ve all been at some point in our lives. He’s probably not as unattractive as he thinks he is, he probably isn’t as awkward as he thinks he is and he probably isn’t as uncool as he thinks he is. But he thinks he is, and therefore in the comic book about his life… he is. I know that may sound a bit lame, but it’s a point that’s incredibly important in explaining why the book resonated so much with me, and I don’t think anyone can say they’ve never been this guy.

Panel from #1

I’m not sure whether ‘depressed’ gives this comic a fair description. It’s actually quite uplifting and really funny, though I’m genuinely worried about what might happen to the relationship. The ‘boy meets girl’ stuff is incredibly touching, but if it falls apart it will actually start getting depressive, that’s a triumph for character development isn’t it? I worry for Li’l Depressed Boy being able to handle life’s ups and downs, I think it’s because I can see myself somewhere on the pages.

The art handles the tone of the comic beautifully. It doesn’t focus on anything except what the character might focus on, which keeps the feeling that this is a world through a single perspective. At the beginning of #1 things were a bit bleak, as soon as the romantic interest was introduced the world got a little brighter and I reckon it’ll keep getting brighter as the romance continues. It’s a wonderful idea that’s been nicely executed, reflecting life and how our perspective fluctuates depending on circumstance.

So, here are some key points to describe The Li’l Depressed Boy #2; touching, good and a comic. THE END.

Li’l Depressed Boy #2 is released on Wednesday 9th March. It’s by S.Steven Struble & Sina Grace.

From #1

Joe Innes.

]]> http://www.goodcomicbooks.com/reviews/2178/advanced-review-the-lil-depressed-boy-2/feed 0 http://www.goodcomicbooks.com/indiecomics/2053/preview-daomu-2 http://www.goodcomicbooks.com/indiecomics/2053/preview-daomu-2#comments Tue, 01 Mar 2011 20:38:46 +0000 Joe Innes http://www.goodcomicbooks.com/?p=2053 Has a comic ever given you vertigo? If the answer is no, then pick up Daomu #2 and try it out. We really enjoyed the first issue, but the second really plunges you head first into its world. Where the landscapes are breathtaking, the bugs are huge and the mystery is just unravelling.

The preview below doesn’t show so much of the good stuff, but trust me when I say it’s there. These guys get to some far out places in 25 pages.

Daomu #2 is released on 02/03/2011.

Joe Innes.