Rare Comics for Auction: Investing in Four-Color Dreams

Above: The Adventures of Buck Rogers #1 (1936), the first Buck Rogers comic published in Australasia.

This coming Labour Weekend a rare collection of comics will be going under the hammer at Webbs Auction House.

'The Tom Mackie Collection' represents one man's life-time of comics collecting, with a focus on Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon and the art of it's creator, Alex Raymond. Growing up in New Zealand in the 1940s, Mackie was interested in comics from a young age, and has amassed an impressive variety of comic books from early examples of Australasian editions of Buck Rogers, through to golden age issues of Famous Funnies and Ace Comics.

This is a very timely auction, coming hot on the heels of several high profile comic book auctions earlier this year, which saw the first appearances of iconic comic characters Superman and Batman sell for over a million dollars a piece. With the effects of the global recession still been felt in many investment markets and the rise in GST, investing in rare commodities like fine art and comics certainly isn't a bad idea.

Above: An early Australian reprint of Buck Rogers, which may not be as valuable as it looks.

But before you part with your hard earned cash, let me give you some quick comic investing tips!

First, I would suggest separating the treasures from fool's gold. While the early issues of Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon on display in this collection may look like ancient artifacts, don't let first impressions cloud your judgement. They ARE early examples of Australian comics which might fetch between $50-$100NZ, but they are reprints of their original American counterparts, which is where the real money is.

Condition is also paramount in getting top dollar for rare comic books. Due to poor printing and the general lack of care taken with early comic books, very few MINT condition (perfectly preserved as new, with no printing errors) issues of key golden age comics (from the late 30s and early 40s) still exist, and are therefore highly valuable. So it may LOOK like lost treasure, but unlike a rare jewel, it's very difficult to bring the shine back to a comic book once it's lost it's luster.

The publishing dates are also very important for obviously reasons. Don't let vintage images trick you into thinking you're discovering a rare comic for the first time. Mickey Mouse and other Disney comic books have been reprinted many times, including 1980s editions by Goldstone Publishing which are represented in this collection. So check the small print first!

Above: King Comics #45, whose value is estimated at $410US in NM condition.

Now that we've dealt with the various pitfalls, let's focus on the potential investments.

There are a good selection of golden age comics here, which in good condition could be worth up $1000NZ.

Above: Famous Funnies #41, valued at $102US in NM condition.

Famous Funnies is well represented here; as one of the first ongoing comic books in the early 30s (pre-dating Superman), it's key issues are worth thousands of American dollars in Mint condition. The issues available in this auction: #41-108 & #110-218 could well be worth your time and money. A key issue like #102 featuring 'Chief Wahoo VS Hitler' is valued at $850US N/M according to the Overstreet Price Guide. Each issue in good condition could start at $200NZ a piece and go into the hundreds.

Above: Ace Comics #33, is valued $325US in NM condition.

Other early issues on offer here that could yield good investment results include: Ace Comics, King Comics, All-American Comics, Magic Comics, Comics on Parade, Popular Comics and more.

Above: A rare NZ Comic, Radio Retrol (undated, value unknown).

Now for the curious NZ comics collector, there may be one item of interest from an historical perspective, Lot 282: Radio Petrol (printed in Wellington by NZ Transfer Co, undated). It's the first time I've heard of it, and it may warrant further investigation...

So if you'd like to invest your money in something a little more exciting than boring gold, this is well worth checking out. You can bid at the online site HERE and view the collection at these times over Labour Weekend: 22nd of October from 9am-5.30pm and October 23rd-24th from 11am-3pm. For more details and information visit the Webbs Auction Website HERE.

-AK!

Above: Yankee Comics #4, valued at $130US in NM condition.

McCloud's Landing: Scott McCloud to visits NZ in 2011!

Above: Cartoonist Scott McCloud and his familiar cartoon avatar.

Renowned cartoonist and comics theorist Scott McCloud will be visiting New Zealand in February as a guest speaker at Webstock - a five day event focused on web design, taking place in Wellington, 14-18th of February 2011.

McCloud is of coarse best know for his landmark publication, Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art (1993). Told in comics form, it explores the language and vocabulary of the comics medium, and has become a standard textbook on narrative storytelling for publishing and web design.

He followed this with Reinventing Comics (2000), a challenging (and forward thinking) manifesto on potential ways to reinvigorate and transform the then ailing comics industry. That financial and creative drought passed, but a decade later his compelling arguments for the potential and growth of digital webcomics, multimedia storytelling and creator/audience diversity are more compelling than ever, and deserved to be revisited.

More recently he returned to the basics, with a guide dedicated to the building blocks of comics creation, Making Comics (2006). Aimed at educating and guiding budding cartoonists through the act of creating their own comics, McCloud took his teachings one step further, taking to the road with his family for an extended book tour/lecture series across all fifty US states. He's also a highly sought after lecturer on digital media, and in 2008 he produced an online comic book guide to Google's web browser, Google Chrome.

He's currently working on a new graphic novel with the working title 'The Sculptor' to be published in the not too distant future by First Second.

While his lecture engagement is in Wellington, he's hinted on his WEBSITE that an unofficial trip to Auckland may also be on the cards to visit fellow Eisner Award Winning cartoonist Dylan Horrocks. McCloud posted in his comments section: "Auckland is *very* likely on the weekend. If there’s any sort of get together, it may be of a more informal nature to avoid competing with Webstock, but we’ll definitely let everyone know in the coming weeks as plans firm up".

So if you're in Wellington and would like to see McCloud speak at Webstock, you can register HERE, and I'll keep an ear to the ground for any further updates on Scott's visit to the earth's end in the new year!

-AK!

EXCLUSIVE: Talking comics with Emily Perkins

Above: Author Emily Perkins. Photo by Jesse Casson, artwork by Dylan Horrocks. Copyright the respective holders.

In this new ongoing interview series I'll be talking to prominent New Zealanders who you may be surprised to learn have an interest and affection for comics.

Today I'm talking with acclaimed fiction writer and local literary star Emily Perkins. She has produced three novels, The New Girl (Picador, 2001), Leave Before You Go (Picador, 1998) and Novel About My Wife (Bloomsbury, 2008) which won both the Fiction category, and the overall Montana Medal for Fiction or Poetry in the Montana New Zealand Book Awards in 2009. She has also written and edited short story collections, lectured on creative writing, as well as finding the time to present The Good Word, a literary discussion show for TVNZ 7.

This week she will be taking part in the Orcon Great Blend 2010, an event organised by Public Address and Orcon, in which various creative types are brought together to share and discuss their craft. The theme of this year's event is collaboration, which features Perkins teaming up with cartoonist Dylan Horrocks to produce a jam comic.

The comic focuses on their personal processes and reasons for writing, and was produced by writing and drawing a page each day and emailing it to the other author to continue the story. The 32 page mini-comic modestly titled: All Hail Elle: Destroyer of Worlds! will be performed live on the night by the authors, and available for sale afterwards (the event is sold out, but I'll keep you posted on where you may be able to purchase a copy at a later date).

AK: To start with, how did this collaboration come about; and is this your first experience creating a comic?

Emily Perkins: Russell Brown put us together for the Great Blend, which is all about collaboration, and Dylan came up with the idea of what to do - a dialogue about writing, in comic form. For quite a while I thought I was going to get away with a) not drawing anything or b) getting my son to do the drawings for me. But once Dylan and I met to discuss the project it was pretty clear I'd have to give it a go. He even provided pens.

This is my very first experience creating a comic since probably intermediate school. I haven't really drawn anything since 4th form art. So it's been an amazing surprise and privilege collaborating with Dylan who is such a talented comic artist and writer.

AK: So I take it you read comic-books growing up? Did you have any favourites or recall any particular titles or images that made an impression?

EP: As a girl I read Mad magazine avidly. It made a huge impression on me - often I'd never have seen the stuff they'd be satirizing but the whole tone was so powerfully fun and irreverent. 'Humor in a jugular vein' - !! As well as the satires and fold-ins I loved Spy vs. Spy and The Lighter Side... I have many memories of lying around at a friend's place reading the boys' giant pile of Mads and other comics.

Above: A classic Mad Magazine cover by Basil Wolverton. Copyright Mad Magazine 2010.

Also I loved Asterix, mostly for the character-based jokes and puns, but reading them now with my kids I'm amazed at how tightly structured they are. The illustrations are so lively. And I kind of liked Tintin though more for the exciting settings and Captain Haddock than Tintin himself, who left me cold. And I loved Peanuts, especially Lucy and Schroeder and Pig Pen.

Later I was into Love & Rockets; the characters and stories spoke to me, and I love Jaime Hernandez's style.

Above: 'I Hate You Deeply', featuring Lloyd Llewellyn from Twentieth Century Eightball by Daniel Clowes. Copyright Daniel Clowes 2010.

Also around then, a friend got me into Eightball, and I especially remember 'I Hate You Deeply' - Lloyd Llewellyn, enemy of urban attention-seekers everywhere. One of the most shocking comic images I've seen was where someone (Lloyd?) visualised Lucy from Peanuts as a teenager, topless, with breasts. Wrong and brilliant! And I love R. Crumb and a lot of the Furry Freak Brothers.

AK: As a storytelling medium, comics rely on the unique interaction of words and pictures to create a story for the reader. Did you find the writing process for this particularly challenging coming from a prose background? Did you make any adjustments in your approach to storytelling?

It was liberating at first - like writing in 3D - I loved having a visual way to express an idea - though am not sure how long I'd want to go on relying on symbolism, simile, and metaphor in the fairly obvious way I have in this comic.

'Ellie' is more about our thoughts on writing rather than telling a story. There's a narrative to the dialogue but because of the way we did it - Dylan would send me a panel, I'd send one in response and so on - there was no revising. In my prose writing I rely totally on the redrafting process to figure out what's going on. I did do drafts of each panel, but once it was sent to Dylan that was it, it was going in!

A spread from All Hail Elle: Destroyer of Worlds! by Emily Perkins & Dylan Horrocks. Copyright Emily Perkins & Dylan Horrocks 2010.

AK: Digging a little deeper into the art chores: did you find the act of drawing a freeing experience in terms of communicating, or did it feel more like an additional discipline that needed to be served to produce the story?

EP: The drawing itself was incredibly freeing. It was so much fun! A very different kind of concentration from writing prose. Just the enormous pleasure in making something in shapes and lines rather than in words... I might be hooked. Of course the more I did, the more I realised how hard it is - my limitations began to be very obvious - I'm in awe of those who can get so much expression into the manipulation of the pen. If things worked in my pictures it was often by accident.

AK: Based on this experience, would you consider writing/drawing an original graphic novel? There seems to be a growing list of literary authors giving it a go: Stephen King, Brad Meltzer, Ian Rankin, James Patterson, Audrey Niffenegger among others.

EP: Well, I think it would be totally fun and daunting, learning a whole new discipline. If the right idea presented itself.... it's tempting but I might be happy just being a Sunday sketcher. I'd have to get a whole lot better before embarking on something solo like that - the collaboration was the perfect way into drawing as there was a clear premise and no solo responsibility, and Dylan knows what he's doing.

AK: In the last ten years graphic novels have firmly established themselves as a fixture of the modern bookstore, despite been viewed as something of a novelty in more conservative literary circles.. Going forward, do you believe there's a place for them in the current literary world?

EP: Yes! There's such an enormous range of writing accompanied by images (or vice versa) - from something like the Re/Search edition of JG Ballard's The Atrocity Exhibition, to the illustrations Taika Waititi did for Jo Randerson's The Keys to Hell or Jo's collaboration with Seraphine Pick, to more traditionally presented graphic novels or comics. It's a genre with a huge life.

Above: The cover of All Hail Elle: Destroyer of Worlds! by Emily Perkins & Dylan Horrocks. Copyright Emily Perkins & Dylan Horrocks 2010.

A big thank you to Emily Perkins for taking the time out of her busy schedule to talk about this project (don't forget to follow her on Twitter!), and keep an eye on the Public Address website for more updates on the Orcon Great Blend 2010 event.

-AK!

Preview: Ben Stenbeck on 'Baltimore: The Plague Ships'

If you're sick of the limp-wrested lovelorn vampires of Twilight and The Vampire Diaries, then this new Hellboy spin-off series written by Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden and illustrated by local artist Ben Stenbeck is for you!

Here's the solicitation lowdown for Baltimore: The Plague Ships:

Months after a devastating plague ends World War I, Europe is suddenly flooded with deadly vampires. Lord Henry Baltimore, a soldier determined to wipe out the monsters, is on the hunt for the creature responsible for this chaos and his own personal tragedy. What he uncovers is a terror as horrific and frightening as any he's seen on the battlefield.

Above: A page from Baltimore: The Plague Ships, art by Ben Stenbeck. Copyright Mike Mignola/Dark Horse Comics 2010.

It's a five issue miniseries, the first issue of which is in stores now! You can check out a preview of Ben's interior art for the series HERE. If you like what you see, Ben's previous collaboration with Mignola: Witchfinder: In the Service of Angels is also currently available in trade paperback.

To find out more about Ben's amazing artwork, you can revisit my exclusive studio tour I conducted with Ben last year, and don't forget to drop by his website HERE.

-AK!

EVENT: Auckland Zinefest 2010

Zinefest makes a mighty returns to Auckland this year, moving venues to St Kevins Arcade on K Road, taking place this Saturday, August 14th from11am-4pm in both the Alleluya Cafe space and Wine Cellar. There will be zines and comics galore for you to purchase and enjoy, plus guest speakers and interactive workshops throughout the day (see the Zinefest website HERE for a timetable).

Above: The cover of 'Pig #1: Bucklame' by Jerome Bihan. Copyright Jerome Bihan 2010.

The NZ comics community will be well represented, with stalls featuring local comics creators: The Sheehan Bros ('The Inhabitants'), Marc Streeter (webcomic 'ActionMan Adam'), Jerome Bihan (with 'Radio As Paper #5 and 'Pig' #1), and the NZ Comics Creators Stall (with sells NZ comics on behalf of creators across the country). The Cross Street Zine Library will also be on display in it's own reading area.

There will also be a 'Zine of the Fest' competition running on the day, so bring along your own zine and submit it for judging. Winner will be announced at the after-party, and a glass trophy made by ex-Cross Street artist Tes Clark will be presented by sound-artist Nich Rogan.

Speaking of the after-party, it's free of charge and takes place at the Wine Cellar and Whammy Bar from 7pm, featuring local poetry troupe The Literatti, an OHPJ performance by Aaron Cole, and local musicians Ghost Wave, Mothers Of Darkness, Wilberforces, Canadia, and Hold Dear!

So brave the wind and rain this weekend for some locally produced DIY goodness!

For more information check out the Zinefest website HERE.

-AK!

Library Week 2010: Graphic Novel Competition

Above: The first page of the new story, created by last year's winner, Jason Winter.

Library Week is back again for 2010, along with last year's very successful Graphic Novel Competition. It's already in full-swing, finishing up next Friday August 20th. To participate, all you have to do is illustrate the next four frames of the story and upload them to the Library Week website (click HERE for more details and specifications).

Each Monday morning a weekly winner will be selected, and their entry will become a permanent continuation of the story. There are two age categories for the competition: 13-18yrs and 19+yrs. Last year's winner Jason Winter will be acting as guest judge. Prizes are being donated by Wellington's premiere comic shop 'Graphic'!

There are already some great winning pages on display from Matthew Kelly, James Davidson, David Tulloch, Theo Macdonald and Sofía Chambi-Trowell. So get drawing over this mainly wet winter weekend and win yourself a swag of great graphic novel prizes!

For more information about Library Week visit: www.libraryweek.org.nz

-AK!

EVENT: 'Travesty' Book Launch

Above: 'Travesty' poster by Darren Sheehan. Copyright Mike Johnson & Darren Sheehan.

This week sees the release to 'Travesty': an 'illustrated graphic novel' by Mike Johnson featuring illustrations by Darren Sheehan, the artist half of the Sheehan Bros, responsible for the mind-bending 'Inhabitants' comic series.

This promises to be a science fiction mind-bender, brought to live through Darren Sheehan's atmospheric illustrations. Here's the official synopsis from publisher Titus Books:

'In a neglected corner of Travesty, in an apartment building called the rathouse, five marginals take on the universe. Drunk Len takes a gamble on salvation, but can he find the ticket? Nisa Michelangelo reconstructs his David with a vital difference, but can art defeat time? Dr Reingold, the keeper of the files, finds himself doing the bidding of his hidden masters, but will he betray his patient? Dilly Lilly goes exploring through her tunnels of soft toys in search of her mother's funeral, but what will she do with the mutant baby rat? And Glow Harvey steps into the world of probabilities on an odyssey of discovery, helped by his mysterious girlfriend Hermes, but will he remember enough to avert the destruction of Travesty by The Lion King and his terrorist allies?

It all comes together on the Day of Delight. Welcome to Travesty, where the stringent laws of purgatory rule and every nerve is put to the test. Mike Johnson's first graphic novel and his strangest creation to date'.

An official launch will take place this Thursday, August 5th from 6pm at the AUT Centre for Creative Writing, 4th Floor Duthie Whyte Building on the corner of Wakefield St and Mayoral Drive. The launch will be introduced by Hicksville's Dylan Horrocks, with both authors on hand for the event. So come out and support this ambitious addition to NZ literature!

For more information on 'Travesty', you can visit Titus Books HERE.

-AK!

Above: The cover of 'Travesty' by Darren Sheehan. Copyright Mike Johnson & Darren Sheehan.

First Look: Temuera Morrison as Abin Sur in 'Green Lantern'

Above: The body of alien 'Abin Sur', played by Temuera Morrison. Copyright Warner Bros 2010.

Continuing my coverage of New Zealand related links to this weekend's massive San Diego Comic Con: images have surfaced over at Comic Book Movie of the Warner Bros booth, featuring a display of the body of alien Abin Sur (played by Temuera Morrison) to promote the upcoming movie 'Green lantern' (more images can be seen HERE and via Bleeding Cool HERE).

And yes, if you put two and two together: this basically means Warner Bros are displaying the DEAD body of Temuera Morrison all weekend at San Diego for the entertainment and amusement of thousands!

No word yet on whether the Morrison family will attempt to reclaim the alien body for a proper Tungi.

Above: The body of alien 'Abin Sur', played by Temuera Morrison. Copyright Warner Bros 2010.

-AK!

Karl Urban to be Judge Dredd?

Above: NZ actor Karl Urban and 'Judge Dredd' (painted by Simon Bisley).

According to a report over at Bleeding Cool, New Zealand actor Karl Urban ('Star Trek', 'Doom', 'Lord of the Rings') has been offered the lead role in the forthcoming movie reboot of the famed British comic character 'Judge Dredd' created by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra.

It's been 15 years since Sylvester Stallone's disastrous attempt to bring the lawman of Mega-City One to the silver screen, derided by fans and critics alike for abandoning the comic's satirical edge and dark humour in favour of a more straight forward action movie approach. The decision to remove Dredd's iconic helmet in the movie was also a huge slap in the face for fans, as Dredd's true face has largely remained a mystery throughout the decades of the character's publishing history.

It's expected that if Urban accepts the role, the helmet will stay securely fastened at all times!

The new version of the film from Rebellion and DNA Films is expected to start shooting later this year for a 3D release, from a script by Alex Garland ('The Beach', 'Sunshine', '28 Days Later').

In the Meantime, Urban will be keeping his geek credentials up by appearing alongside Bruce Willis in the movie 'Red', based on the comic series created by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner, which opens in October.

-AK!

NZ EXCLUSIVE: 'Blastosaurus' launches at Comic Con!

'Blastosaurus' as drawn by cover artist Darick Robertson. Copyright Richard Fairgray 2010.

The US edition of local cartoonist Richard Fairgrey's 'Blastosaurus' comic series has been in the works for some time, but today we finally got an announcement from 'American Original' head-honcho Jeff Katz, via his website GeekWeek:

"GeekWeek's own Richard Fairgray (I FIGHT CRIME, CHEWING ZOMBIES) makes his American convention debut at San Diego Comic Con with BLASTOSAURUS from American Original and Top Cow.

Fairgray will be debuting the BLASTOSAURUS Comic Con Specials, collecting the first arc of his hit New Zealand series. Inspired by the cartoons of the early 1990's, the series follows the adventures of Blastosaurus, a mutated dinosaur plucked from the past now working as a policeman to keep his adopted home of Freak Out City safe."

Richard Fairgray, the writer and artist of the comic, who amazingly manages to produce the comic on a monthly basis despite being legally blind with only five percent vision in one eye, originally started self-published the comic series in New Zealand in 2008. Prior to launching 'Blastosaurus' he had pitched the concept to ex-Fox movie executive Jeff Katz, who he met through a mutual friend on the set of 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine'. Katz was so impressed with Richard's range of comics work that he picked up the property for US release through his new multi-media company 'American Original'.

While most cartoonist faced with this golden opportunity would be happy to rest on their laurels till the royalties rolled in, Fairgray pressed forward, launching the comic series in the difficult New Zealand market first, before it's US debut. It sold well enough to run monthly for two years with several specials, and has a loyal following among young comic fans.

It's this hardworking DIY attitude that has promoted Fairgray to the forefront of Katz's American Original comics imprint. Blastosaurus will now be the first title to launch from the much hyped imprint (co-published by Top Cow), after other comics by Hollywood screenwriters and comedians have failed to materialize. Meanwhile, Fairgray has 20 issues completed and it looking forward to the US finally getting a look at his creation.

Above: Richard Fairgray promoting 'Blastosaurus' at the Wellington Armageddon Expo over Easter weekend.

Before jetting off to San Diego, I caught up with Richard for an exclusive interview on Blastosaurus and it's american debut.

Q1: This has been in the works for some time now, are you looking forward to finally introducing Blastosaurus to the US market?

RICHARD FAIRGRAY: Obviously, yes. Though it hasn't really been all that long considering how long it can take to break into comics like this.

Q2: Do you think there's an audience out there for this type of material in the crowded US comic market?

RF: Without being completely clinical about it I think there is always room for a story about a dinosaur with a gun. Besides which, I think there's infinite room in any market for new narrative. I think also there is a real lack of comics that aren't aimed at a specifically adult or child market.

Q3: This is also the first release for Jeff Katz's American Original imprint, so no pressure there?

RF: Obviously being the first makes this one the biggest risk for both Jeff and I, but it's also a fantastic vehicle for Terry and I to come in on as a new creative team.

Q4: In your NZ comic run of Blastosaurus you played around quite a bit with style and genre within the ongoing series, an approach that is fairly rare in current monthly comics. Will you be taking a similar direction with the new series?

RF: The new versions of the original stories are far more certain in their style and direction than the originals. This is partly because I had the time I needed to make them what I wanted them to be and partly because (simply by doing this full time for 2 years) I am a much better storyteller than I was. Obviously Terry's (Terry Jones, co-writer) influence cannot be overlooked in all this either. He is an amazing writer and a very accomplished storyteller, just having a second viewpoint makes the whole comic so much richer.

Q5: With that in mind, what can we expect from the first story arc and year overview?

RF: The first arc is a retelling of the old origin story. While the basic story hasn't changed, the characters (particularly the villains) are a lot more multi-faceted. Also the narrative structure is far more integrated so it doesn't feel so much like a brief summary of a plot.

Q6: Given the limitations of your eyesight and the dedication it takes to produce your artwork, do you plan to continue drawing the series full-time or are there plans to bring in another artist?

RF: I'm not handing over the art at this stage. Despite the hours it takes and the limitations I have due to the funny little eyes, i still enjoy creating the book myself. I do love seeing other artists' idea of how Blasto can look.

Q7: If it ships monthly, can you foresee needing any fill-in artists in the future?

RF: The schedule for release is not set yet. With the changing market for pamphlet comics I'm not sure how I want to proceed with the story and whether I even want to see it as individual issues (I never actually read single issues anymore because I don't find them satisfying). I tend to enjoy long hours though so I don't imagine I'll want to bring in any fill in artists (at least not for the main storyline).

Q8: 'The Boys' artist Darick Robertson will be producing covers for the series, how did they become involved?

RF: Darick and I met and got along really well when he was down here (at New Zealand's Armageddon Expo) last year and I mentioned him to Jeff as someone I'd like to have involved. I've been a huge fan of Darick's for years and have a few pieces of his art from 'Transmetropolitan'. He and Jeff met soon after at a convention (not sure which) and he became involved.

Q9: Will establishing the Blastosaurus comic be your main focus for the next year, or will we be seeing some of your other comics projects in the near future?

RF: Because I have 20 issues ready to go with Blasto (six of which are coming out at Comic Con) I have some time up my sleeve to work on other projects. There's no definite plan for release dates for any of these (with the exception of another Blasto Halloween Special, three new books of 'I Fight Crime', a collection of 'Yellow Girl' - a strip I wrote with my wife about 5 years ago that I never finished releasing - and a 'clip show' styled collection of short unpublished works of mine for the Armageddon Expo this year).

Q10: How has it been working with Katz and American Original on this project and bringing it to a wider audience?

RF: It's been a huge adjustment for me having to rely on anyone else. For 9 years I've been working almost entirely alone and learning to let others pick up the slack is a definite transition.

Q11: Blastosaurus has been a very DIY production from the beginning: now that it's at 'American Original' will you still be overseeing the entire comics production and franchise?

RF: I will definitely be involved on some level in every part of Blastosaurus. I've had these characters in my head for years now and I don't think I could let go of them. Besides which, I was brought in by Jeff as a writer because he liked what I had done (before Blastosaurus even existed) so I guess he likes what I am doing and what i want to do in the future.

Q12: American Original from what I understand, is set-up to expand across a number of entertainment platforms (video games, animation etc). Will we be seeing this approach with Blastosaurus, or is establishing the comic the main focus at this stage?

RF: I'm open to anything. I would love to be able to see Blastosaurus as a TV show or a game or a...hot water bottle, whatever. But for now I just want to see how the comic goes and take it one step at a time.

The US comic series of Blastosaurus will be launching at the San Diego Comic Con this weekend with six issues, featuring a new cover by 'The Boys' artist Darick Robertson. Fairgray will also be featuring on Saturday's Top Cow panel, where you can expect to hear more in-depth information on the series. Stay tuned for more details on the Blastosaurus Comic Con launch as they come to hand.

-AK!