PlanetEternia | Allgemein | Interview mit Val Staples

Dieses Interview wurde von der Internetseite von Collected Edition geführt. Das Interview ist in englischer Sprache. PlanetEternia hat die interessantes Fragen herausgesucht.

MVCreations is one of the hottest new comic studios to rise up in the wake of the 80s nostalgia boom. Led by Val Staples, a comic colorist with a rich love for Masters of the Universe, they have succeeded in riding the wave of 80s nostalgia while still producing some top quality comics at the same time. COLLECTED EDITION?s Chris J. Thompson caught up with Val to discuss his life in comics, what it means to be a fan of He-Man, and just what is next for MVCreations. Thanks for taking the time to speak with us today, Val. First up, can you tell everyone a little bit about who you are and what exactly it is that you do?

Val Staples: MVCreations is a design and creative house that has been doing work professionally since 1998. Of course, things didn t really take off until July of 2002 when we finalized the Masters of the Universe comic licensing deal with Mattel. We work for toy, game, and other creative companies doing varieties of projects. Right now, our focus is on creating comics published through CrossGen s CGE program.

So, you?ve been a comic colorist for a while then, I assume? What companies have you worked for and what books have you worked on in the past?

Val Staples: Oh wow ?. I can t remember all of those details. I worked as a freelance artist for a while for Marvel and Chaos! I eventually went on to work for Hi-Fi as part of their coloring house where we worked for a wide assortment of companies. The books I m most proud of are anything I did over Ethan Van Sciver or Frank Quitely in New X-Men. I ve also worked on Uncanny X-Men, Avengers, Lady Death, G.I. Joe ?. the list goes on and on.

Now, the age-old colorists? question: PC or Mac?

Val Staples: I m cross-platform. But I prefer a PC. No particular reason.

I understand that your interest in He-Man and the Masters of the Universe has been fairly long-standing. When did it start and what have you done as a fan over the years?

Val Staples: It started when I was about 6 years old. It hasn t stopped. Since then, I ve contributed a lot to He-Man.org, the #1 fan community for Masters of the Universe online. I ve also worked a lot with Mattel since the new look for MOTU was debuted in the Spring of 2001.

Now, where does MVCreations fit into the picture? Was it originally started as a vehicle for MOTU comics, or were/are there bigger plans?

Val Staples: MV was started off as a place where we could just do freelance work ?. simple enough. It wasn t intended, and still isn t intended, to be a huge driving force in any industry. Our only goal is to be a quality studio with repeat clientele. As long as we are enjoying what we are doing, and not going broke in the process, then we re achieving our goal.

How do you feel you?ve done with the MOTU comics so far? What has the response been like and what?s your response to them?

Val Staples: I think the overall package has been fantastic. We feel that no other comic based loosely on 80s nostalgia has nailed the vision of their property like we have. Simply because we are truly hard-core fans when it comes to MOTU. We ve set out from the beginning to make the comic a fun comic accessible to all ages. Some people fuss or complain that it isn t dark enough, or that new readers can t jump on board with each issue. But, to me, that s only talk. I don t see Spidey or Supes written each time so new readers can jump on board. Nor is there anything in place that says comics need to be written to appeal to strictly a 30-something audience. It also bugs me how some people feel MOTU characters are silly or unbelievable. Names like Fisto or Ram-Man, etc. Yet these are the same people who can relate to and accept characters who address each other with names like Batman or Cyclops. I find that extremely amusing. Our readership has boiled down to its core base. It s a comic that has a strong word-of-mouth recommendation from most of its readers. The story is fun, the art is amazing, and it comes out once a month ?. sounds like what comics should be about to me! (laughs) And I think those who doubt the comic should give it a read and see why so many others enjoy it.

Emiliano (Santalucia) was certainly a find as the regular artist for He-Man. Although many of us hadn?t heard of him before, it seems as though he was born to draw the book and has really taken to the role ? these days, I prefer his to any guest artists that you may have. So, how did he get involved with the book, and what was his past experience with He-Man?

Val Staples: I ve known about Emiliano s art for a while. He s a crazy MOTU fanatic (which is good). He produced an original story based on MOTU called ?Homecoming? that was done prior to the new revamp. It was very popular with fans. But, I didn t like it for the most part. When we were putting together the creative team for MOTU, I talked with a variety of artists. But, I figured since Emiliano was a talented fellow, with a passion, he would be worth giving the same opportunity. Turns out that was one of the best decisions of my life. Emiliano (and now his wife-to-be, Enza Fontana) are two of the most talented and hard working artists we have on board. Their art continues to amaze both us and the fans.

Speaking as a fan, who is your favorite character from the new bunch? Were they your original favorite as well, or are the new ones different?

Val Staples: My favorite redesign is definitely Trapjaw. I m not sure I had a favorite in the classic line ?. I loved them all. I was partial to Webstor and Mosquitor.

I really like the way that you?ve managed to keep the comics fun and retain the original flavor of the cartoons without insulting the readers? intelligence. What are you most proud of in your treatment of the property?

Val Staples: That no fellow fan has come and tried to kill me yet for screwing up MOTU. I like to think of writing MOTU as just an extension of fan desire. I m not writing what I want. I m trying to write what works best with the new and the old while catering to things other fans want to see. After all, I m just a fan and its good for all of us to be on a similar page.

What has Mattel?s reaction been to your work? Do they enjoy what you?re doing and could that possibly lead to other things down the track? I?m sure you?re itching to do that Malibu Barbie mini ?. (laughs)

Val Staples: Mattel has enjoyed it. But I wish we had more involvement with the actual story development in the cartoon. I think we could really step things up a notch. But, that s only speculation on our part. So far the new cartoon is very popular, so no need to involve us. If it ain t broke, don t fix it. We hope it leads to other projects with Mattel. I d love to work on Barbie at some point. Do you realize how hard it is to break in with Barbie AND become a trusted repeat resource?

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With the changeover happening over the next few months, what can we expect to see? How many more books are coming through Image, and what will we start to see under the CrossGen banner?

Val Staples: MOTU Vol II, Issue 6 in August is the last book from Image. We start in July with product from CrossGen.

July:
MOTU Vol I: The Shard of Darkness trade
MOTU: Icons of Evil: Mer-Man

August:
MOTU: Icons of Evil: Trapjaw
Space Ace #1
Dragon s Lair #1

We have a handful of projects coming from CGE. I imagine we will never have more than 4 or 5 projects each month. That seems to be our limit at the time being. But that could change!

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Thanks very much for your time, Val. We appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule to accommodate us over here at COLLECTED EDITION. Best of luck with all of the MVCreations projects (as well as your own) ? may you truly ?have the power!? ?.

Val Staples: Thanks for taking the time to speak with me about MV and our projects! If you or the readers want to know more, just let me know and we ll be happy to share!

So, there you have it! The MV history and game plan straight from the horse?s mouth - Mr. Val Staples himself. If you haven?t checked out any of their Masters of the Universe comics yet then do yourself a favor and pick one up. Not only are they great for enthusiasts and fans of the show, but they?re a darn fun read as well. The first mini series is now available in a beautiful compact-sized trade edition through CrossGen Entertainment, and the second mini is currently underway through Image Comics. Both are highly recommended. And while you?re at it, don?t forget the fantastic Bluth books that will be out soon ?. Perhaps, if enough of us support them, we may even get to see the Secret of Nimh comic that I so desire?! (laughs)

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