PlanetEternia | Allgemein | Im Gespräch mit Val Staples

Stand erst vor kurzem Emiliano Santalucia Rede und Anwort, ist nun Val Staples an der Reihe. In einem Interview mit Keith Andrew Smith von der Internetseite www.ontheshelves.com beanwortet er Fragen vor allem zum Thema Verlagswechsel. Das Interview wurde in englischer Sprache geführt:

So why the move from IMAGE to CGE?

Val: We wanted to strengthen the distribution and support of our books. We felt CGE offered the best plan to reach these goals.

Why CGE? Why not strike out on your own?

Val: Strength in numbers. CGE offers the same options for the same costs of doing them ourselves. And they have a much larger reach than we do.

What is it about CGE s distribution plan that appeals to you?

Val: It s more about their plans and options. They want to get comics back into retail outlets such as Wal*Mart and Target. They want to expose new reader s. There are tons of little details that go along with the distribution.

What changes will be made in the series with the jump to CGE?

Val: We plan to eliminate the 2 covers a monthwith the regular series at CrossGen, and only produce one a month with the possibility of retailer incentives.

How were the sales on MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE (MOTU)? To what do you attribute these figures? Do you consider this a successful series thus far?

Val: MOTU currently sells 40,000+ copies. These figures are in tune with the current performance of other nostalgia based titles. We definitely consider this book to be successful. Not only does it sell well in the direct market, but we also receive constant fan/collector/retailer praise and support.

What audience are you looking to reach with MOTU? The mini-series seemed like it was aimed towards a younger audience, are there any plans to try and match the tone from the animated series?

Val: The mini-series was an all-ages project, but it wasn t aimed at specifically a younger crowd. We don t have any plans to make the comic a clone of the cartoon.

Any plans for story lines that build up continuity, or are you looking for more self-contained story arcs?

Val: Since the comic uses the same canon from the cartoon, it is always building continuity. Even now.

Can you give an example of or share a story about some show of support that you particularly appreciated? One fan or retailer that really touched you guys with their support?

Val: We occasionally poll retailers, calling them at random, to get their feedback and see how Masters of the Universe is performing. For many retailers, the book does really well. Some sell out each time. Of course, there are retailers for which the book has bombed. Some of that has to do with region and/or location and some has to do with retailer attitude about the product and how they push it. But the support we get from many retailers is amazing, and we appreciate that! The fans have been outstanding. I thought they would tear the comic apart. But many fans and just casual readers have enjoyed the book. It s a comic, it s fun, and it s made to be enjoyed. We had one letter in particular from a father who told us he reads the comic with his two sons. This made us feel really good. We ve even dialed the comic back from the pseudo gritty adult elements we presented in Issue 1 of Vol. II back towards the more all-ages book as with Vol I. It s common sense that it doesn t take violence, sexuality, or vulgarity to make a comic good. So we re focusing on making the comic what it s supposed to be: fun.

Tell us about penciler Emiliano Santalucia. How did you hook up and how did you know he was what you wanted for MOTU?

Val: Emiliano.... where to start. I knew of Emiliano from the online He-Man community. Originally, I did not like his art. But, as we got into lining up talent for the book, he had the potential and he couldn t be matched with his level of passion. I worked with Emiliano to shift his style to something more welcome by Mattel and licensors, but he deserves all the credit for making the style shift and creating a style that many people enjoy. Emiliano knows more about MOTU than I, which I don t like to admit. He is one of the hardest working, friendliest guys I know, and I ll be pimping Emiliano until the day I die because he deserves it.

Any plans for other artists on the title? If so, who?

Val: Yes, but, I can t talk about it at the moment. Sorry!

What about your plans for your other titles? What can we expect from Dragon s Lair, Space Ace, Rob Zombie s SpookShow and Tales of The Realm?

Val: You can expect spectacular comics with great stories and art, that s what. Dragon s Lair ties in with plans for the upcoming movie. Space Ace is a continuation of the story presented in the existing canon. Spookshow International takes us back to what horror comics were originally about. Tales of the Realm is our own creation with a fun story that we ve wanted to tell for years.

What particulars can you give us on any of these titles? Will Dragons Lair be done in the animation style of the game?

Val: The art is VERY close to Don Bluth s animation. Of course, no one is Don Bluth. But the art team has gotten as close as possible. The art on the book is amazing.

As for Spookshow International, will it be a gory horror fest, or are you relying on the writing to bring the horror across (ala old EC comics)?

Val: Rob Zombie has made it pretty clear that gore isn t what horror is about. I think it s very difficult to describe what Spookshow International is going to be like. You ll have to wait and see the preview for it this summer.

As for your Creator-owned title, can you give us any idea what it entails? Obviously you don t want to give anything away, but maybe some tantalizing hints for the fans?

Val: This is our online description. I think that sums it up best for now: "How do we best describe Tales of the Realm? Well, what if we rode dragons to work every day? What if myth and fantasy were real? The Realm is full of the hustle and bustle of life of the Earth as it is today, with a little twist... Dragons and ogres, sword and sorcery are the norms in the The Realm, seamlessly blended with our familiar human counterparts. In this fun and light-hearted adventure, follow the lives of three actors as they fight to make it big in Hollywood while interacting with a world very much like our own, but oh-so different.

What other properties are you currently looking to acquire?

Val: That s a secret.

OK, we can let that one pass for now. With the market as it is, what makes you guys so popular? What is it that you offer the market that makes you believe you can sustain so many monthly titles?

Val: Quality books that arrive each month for fans to enjoy. I don t think it gets much more basic than that. We enjoy what we do, and we seek to be some of the best at it. We always keep our ears to the ground, and our minds open. So, we are always looking to evolve.

Can you elaborate at all?

Val: If we pick a licensed product, it s based on what we like. Above all, we want to work on a project we care about. When you work on something purely because you think it will create profit, then there is no passion for the quality of the book. Before long, you are just scooping up random crap because you think it has a potential to sell well.

If possible, can we go into your work habits a little? As a young group of creators, how do you keep on schedule? Do you work in advance of solicitations or are you all just capable of handling the monthly grind? To what do you attribute this ability?

Val: We work... a lot. I work all the time. Just recently I took some free time off which encompassed three nights, at four hours each of watching movies. Then it was back to seven days a week. Emiliano works nonstop for weeks on end and then takes a few days to relax. The rest of the team, including the MV staff and freelancers are some of the hardest working people in the industry. We go through artists like toilet paper. We don t screw around. We only work with dependable, quality, on time artists and we get rid of those who don t cut it. If you see someone working on an MV project, you know they are not only talented, but on time with a good attitude.

I know some writers and colorists, and they each work long hours to get their respective jobs done on time, how do you handle doing both the writing and coloring?

Val: I m not sure. I also have the added chore of administrative work. Without my assists from hard working guys like Mark Sweeney and Shaynne Corbett, I could never get the colors done. And without the staff at MV, the office work wouldn t get done. I used to try and be a one-man army. I quickly learned I am only one man. A team effort is exactly that.

What was your first published work?

Val: Honestly, I don t even remember. I think it was for a magazine in the UK. I try to think about the future and what I can do to make sure we always grow so I won t have to tell stories about the past.

Give us a timeline, where did you start out, and how did you get to where you are?

Val: I m a little more hard working (AKA: insane, lacking good sense, etc) than most. I fast tracked what I wanted to do because I knew that was what was necessary. I began in 1998 learning to write and color. I knew breaking in as a writer wouldn t happen, so I turned to coloring to break in. I spent every night and weekend practicing and getting better. I lost a relationship that was on the verge of marriage, which still saddens me to this day. But, I had to in order to succeed. In 2000 I got my first professional work. In 2001 I was working for Hi-Fi coloring full time. In 2002, I branched out to licensing and we landed MOTU. In 2003, we are now working on several licensed products, with more to come, and our own creator owned books. In 2004, I ll probably be dead.

What advice do you offer to other young creators looking to make a name for themselves in the market who might not want to go through Marvel or DC (or who might not be suited for mainstream)?

Val: Bust your ass. Seriously. Don t make up excuses, put your best foot forward, treat people like you want to be treated, and always do your best work. You can t be an overnight success. If you want to be an artist people can count on and fans demand, it takes a few years of dedication as a professional. And to be a professional, it takes years of being a hopeful. Comics are NOT easy. And anyone who thinks it s an easy alternative to real work needs to stop now so you don t waste the time of people like me who do work hard. That sound rather harsh and conceited, but it s true. My good friend Andy Bui used to say, "If you want to make a million dollas, you gotta be a million dolla playa." If you want to be a successful comic book creator, you have to be successful at everything it takes to get to that point.

Guess that s a wrap, thanks for talking to us Val! Now for that special announcement.

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