Ross 'The Ninja' Rivers recently had the chance to talk with Kevin LaPorte on a few subjects. Things like Inverse Press, Roadkill DuJour, Clown Town, and why Ninjas are better then Pirates. Okay, maybe not that last one but I can imagine how cool something like that would be to ask during an interview right!? Anywho, enjoy good buddies!
Interview by: Ross Rivers
Kevin himself, trying to draw you in with his eyes!?
1. Road kill Dujour is a pretty odd comic. Where did the idea come from? Why a biker eating road kill?
As a consumer of comics, and not just a writer, the last thing I want is to rehash the same old comics tropes we see every Wednesday. Not that there’s anything wrong with those, but, when I sit down to write, the ideas that come to mind are not parallel to those I frequently read and enjoy. I gravitate toward notions that shock and surprise me, both in what I consume and in what I create.
So, as is usually the case, I was running my mouth to my partner (and incredible comic artist), Amanda Rachels, about the weird – and high-volume – types of roadkill we observed on a Con road trip through Texas (or was it Florida?), and the thought of a character cursed to EAT roadkill just fell from my brain right through my teeth. We’re both big fans of Sons of Anarchy, and, thematically, placing that awful curse squarely on an individual that lives on the road made sense. I briefly considered a trucker, as a tribute to the awesomely bad convoy movies of the 1970’s, but the biker had more visual and visceral appeal, considering where I was at culturally when the concept took root.
But, now that I think about it, if there is a Roadkill du Jour vol. 2, it WILL involve truckers and big rigs…
2. Road Kill Dujour issue 2 is on the way. Is there anything you can tell us about it? Will we be seeing more armadillos?
No more armadillos in issue 2. THIS time, as revealed in the 4-page preview we’ve made available through IndieComix.net and our Kickstarter page, duJour chomps down on another Southern asphalt delicacy – buzzard. There is allegorical significance to the street meat duJour eats in each chapter of Roadkill du Jour, as well as to the animalized form he ultimately takes in that segment of the story.
Other things to look out for in the second issue of our wild ride toward road pizza redemption: Soul-shredding owls of doom! Grenade-addicted pelicans! Wedding vows of DEATH! Gun-toting, conjoined triplets!
We definitely crank the weird factor up a few notches, all the while tightening the pressure on duJour and his burgeoning Roadkill Motorcycle Club!
As a consumer of comics, and not just a writer, the last thing I want is to rehash the same old comics tropes we see every Wednesday. Not that there’s anything wrong with those, but, when I sit down to write, the ideas that come to mind are not parallel to those I frequently read and enjoy. I gravitate toward notions that shock and surprise me, both in what I consume and in what I create.
So, as is usually the case, I was running my mouth to my partner (and incredible comic artist), Amanda Rachels, about the weird – and high-volume – types of roadkill we observed on a Con road trip through Texas (or was it Florida?), and the thought of a character cursed to EAT roadkill just fell from my brain right through my teeth. We’re both big fans of Sons of Anarchy, and, thematically, placing that awful curse squarely on an individual that lives on the road made sense. I briefly considered a trucker, as a tribute to the awesomely bad convoy movies of the 1970’s, but the biker had more visual and visceral appeal, considering where I was at culturally when the concept took root.
But, now that I think about it, if there is a Roadkill du Jour vol. 2, it WILL involve truckers and big rigs…
2. Road Kill Dujour issue 2 is on the way. Is there anything you can tell us about it? Will we be seeing more armadillos?
No more armadillos in issue 2. THIS time, as revealed in the 4-page preview we’ve made available through IndieComix.net and our Kickstarter page, duJour chomps down on another Southern asphalt delicacy – buzzard. There is allegorical significance to the street meat duJour eats in each chapter of Roadkill du Jour, as well as to the animalized form he ultimately takes in that segment of the story.
Other things to look out for in the second issue of our wild ride toward road pizza redemption: Soul-shredding owls of doom! Grenade-addicted pelicans! Wedding vows of DEATH! Gun-toting, conjoined triplets!
We definitely crank the weird factor up a few notches, all the while tightening the pressure on duJour and his burgeoning Roadkill Motorcycle Club!
3. Your work on Clown Town, Road Kill Dujour, and so on show that you have a thing for horror. What first got you into the genre?
The more interesting horror films and syndicated shows of the 1980s started me on horror. A Nightmare on Elm Street (the first three), Alan Parker’s masterpiece Angel Heart, and Tales from the Dark Side all jumpstarted that part of my imagination, piggybacking on the really strange Horror/Sci-Fi I saw as a child in the 1970’s, particularly Space: 1999 and Alien. I grew up in a rural area of Alabama rife with legends of hauntings and murders too obscure to list in an interview, but, man, are some of them just downright strange…among them Bloody Bones (a Candy Man-type story) and Crybaby Bridge (folklore that migrates about the U.S., strangely). But, the Horror concept that really connected with me more than most was Hellraiser, Clive Barker’s tale of hellbound providers of “experience” to those who should beware getting that for which they ask. That series of films (especially the first four) and the literature behind them captivated me and still inform much of how I enjoy and create horror.
4. You’re not just a comic book writer. You also work as a mental health professional. How do you factor that into your work? Or do you try to keep both sides of yourself separate?
It’s impossible to separate. I’ve experienced some aspects of human psyche and behavior that the vast majority of folks will never be privy to, and such observations indelibly add to the shape of one’s personality. I worked for 16 years at a modern psychiatric hospital housed in an ancient (Civil War-era) facility that, aside from the modern buildings where patients resided, would fit into many an asylum-set horror film.
As to how those life and career experiences inform my comics work, I don’t think the influence is consistently obvious. There is a group therapy scene in Clown Town that portrays some very real – and frankly disgusting – aspects of dealing with individuals whose behaviors and choices are unsavory and often harmful. I’ll also admit that watching a series of interviews with Jeffrey Dahmer – the truly horrific serial killer/cannibal – from a clinical mindset, particularly his father’s descriptions of his fascination with roadkill from an early age, played a role in the decision to make roadkill a central theme of a story.
5. Kickstarter has become incredibly popular. Is it difficult to get noticed among the other creators there?
Although it’s getting more densely populated in the Comics arena of Kickstarter, I don’t think getting noticed is as difficult as one might intuitively think. Kickstarter is just one part of our publication strategy, although it is the primary one at this point in our development as a publisher. We have a staunch group of readers who enjoy our books and follow us through this process, so we know we can always rely on them for Kickstarter support, and every campaign brings new readers into the fold. That said, the landscape of Kickstarter IS changing, and we are constantly reshaping our plans and strategies to match and take advantage, in order to maximize our visibility among the throngs of comic creator hopefuls there.
6. Who are your comic book writing influences?
J. M. DeMatteis is at the top of that list. His work on a couple of mini-series in the 1980’s – Gargoyle for Marvel and Martian Manhunter for DC – completely changed how I viewed the comics medium during my formative teenage years. He added so many layers to those lower-rung characters and made them so relatable – and tragic – to me. I still have the original copies I bought at convenience stores. When it comes to superheroes, I’m an X-Men guy through and through, so Chris Claremont is an obvious influence. It took 20+ years to find another writer who understands the character- and dialogue-driven manner in which the X-Men work best (thanks, Mr. Bendis). To be fair, Bryan Wood’s take looks to be incredibly promising after only one issue. Pat Mills on Marshall Law completely warped my mind, as did Alan Moore on Watchmen (he’s on everybody’s list, yeah, but it’s DESERVED) and Grant Morrison on Doom Patrol. These days, Terry Moore (Echo, Rachel Rising) and Brian K. Vaughan (Y the Last Man, Ex Machina, Saga) are gold standards for comic writing, in my book.
7. Can you tell us how Inverse Press came about? What your aims are for the publisher?
In 2010, Amanda and I were publishing a short print run of our then-web comic, The Blind Eye, and we needed a publisher logo to stick on the cover. I came up with the name, Inverse Press, and a little logo, and we’ve run with it ever since as our joint imprint for our collaborations, either with each other or with other creators. As our projects and reach have grown, it’s been necessary to formalize the Inverse Press imprint in legal and financial terms, so seeing it legitimized has been gratifying and, honestly, fun.
As for our aims for Inverse Press as a publisher, they are modest but ambitious. We intend to continue publishe our comics under that masthead, building a store of creator-owned intellectual property and publications that we can nurture and exploit creatively to expand our profile and reader base. We have big plans for 2013-14, including stepping into new avenues of distribution for our books and a larger presence at conventions!
The more interesting horror films and syndicated shows of the 1980s started me on horror. A Nightmare on Elm Street (the first three), Alan Parker’s masterpiece Angel Heart, and Tales from the Dark Side all jumpstarted that part of my imagination, piggybacking on the really strange Horror/Sci-Fi I saw as a child in the 1970’s, particularly Space: 1999 and Alien. I grew up in a rural area of Alabama rife with legends of hauntings and murders too obscure to list in an interview, but, man, are some of them just downright strange…among them Bloody Bones (a Candy Man-type story) and Crybaby Bridge (folklore that migrates about the U.S., strangely). But, the Horror concept that really connected with me more than most was Hellraiser, Clive Barker’s tale of hellbound providers of “experience” to those who should beware getting that for which they ask. That series of films (especially the first four) and the literature behind them captivated me and still inform much of how I enjoy and create horror.
4. You’re not just a comic book writer. You also work as a mental health professional. How do you factor that into your work? Or do you try to keep both sides of yourself separate?
It’s impossible to separate. I’ve experienced some aspects of human psyche and behavior that the vast majority of folks will never be privy to, and such observations indelibly add to the shape of one’s personality. I worked for 16 years at a modern psychiatric hospital housed in an ancient (Civil War-era) facility that, aside from the modern buildings where patients resided, would fit into many an asylum-set horror film.
As to how those life and career experiences inform my comics work, I don’t think the influence is consistently obvious. There is a group therapy scene in Clown Town that portrays some very real – and frankly disgusting – aspects of dealing with individuals whose behaviors and choices are unsavory and often harmful. I’ll also admit that watching a series of interviews with Jeffrey Dahmer – the truly horrific serial killer/cannibal – from a clinical mindset, particularly his father’s descriptions of his fascination with roadkill from an early age, played a role in the decision to make roadkill a central theme of a story.
5. Kickstarter has become incredibly popular. Is it difficult to get noticed among the other creators there?
Although it’s getting more densely populated in the Comics arena of Kickstarter, I don’t think getting noticed is as difficult as one might intuitively think. Kickstarter is just one part of our publication strategy, although it is the primary one at this point in our development as a publisher. We have a staunch group of readers who enjoy our books and follow us through this process, so we know we can always rely on them for Kickstarter support, and every campaign brings new readers into the fold. That said, the landscape of Kickstarter IS changing, and we are constantly reshaping our plans and strategies to match and take advantage, in order to maximize our visibility among the throngs of comic creator hopefuls there.
6. Who are your comic book writing influences?
J. M. DeMatteis is at the top of that list. His work on a couple of mini-series in the 1980’s – Gargoyle for Marvel and Martian Manhunter for DC – completely changed how I viewed the comics medium during my formative teenage years. He added so many layers to those lower-rung characters and made them so relatable – and tragic – to me. I still have the original copies I bought at convenience stores. When it comes to superheroes, I’m an X-Men guy through and through, so Chris Claremont is an obvious influence. It took 20+ years to find another writer who understands the character- and dialogue-driven manner in which the X-Men work best (thanks, Mr. Bendis). To be fair, Bryan Wood’s take looks to be incredibly promising after only one issue. Pat Mills on Marshall Law completely warped my mind, as did Alan Moore on Watchmen (he’s on everybody’s list, yeah, but it’s DESERVED) and Grant Morrison on Doom Patrol. These days, Terry Moore (Echo, Rachel Rising) and Brian K. Vaughan (Y the Last Man, Ex Machina, Saga) are gold standards for comic writing, in my book.
7. Can you tell us how Inverse Press came about? What your aims are for the publisher?
In 2010, Amanda and I were publishing a short print run of our then-web comic, The Blind Eye, and we needed a publisher logo to stick on the cover. I came up with the name, Inverse Press, and a little logo, and we’ve run with it ever since as our joint imprint for our collaborations, either with each other or with other creators. As our projects and reach have grown, it’s been necessary to formalize the Inverse Press imprint in legal and financial terms, so seeing it legitimized has been gratifying and, honestly, fun.
As for our aims for Inverse Press as a publisher, they are modest but ambitious. We intend to continue publishe our comics under that masthead, building a store of creator-owned intellectual property and publications that we can nurture and exploit creatively to expand our profile and reader base. We have big plans for 2013-14, including stepping into new avenues of distribution for our books and a larger presence at conventions!
8. Do you think there is enough room in the world for digital and print comics to coexist or do you think digital will soon takeover?
I saw a statement lately (sorry, I can’t credit the source) that I felt rings true – digital comics are the new spinner racks. When I was a kid, comics spinners were EVERYWHERE – convenience stores, pharmacies, department stores, book stores – just all over the place. Now, they’re in direct market comic shops and tucked away on the bottom shelf at Barnes & Nobles (those places are still open, right?). But, ANYONE can download comiXology on their device-of-choice and get comics CHEAPLY again (if you wait for sales or for a few weeks after print release). My point is, and market sales are bearing this out: digital comics are reinforcing and uplifting print sales. It’s a beautiful thing to see new life in this industry. There are many of us with a vital passion for this medium still!
9. Clown Town is an interesting take on the “Clown Monster” theme. What made you turn the clowns into the “good guys”?
Hm, I don’t know about good guys, per se, hah! When Amanda and I approached the concept of Clown Town initially, we wanted some sort of monsters that avenged the abuse of children in very violent ways. My thinking was, if clowns are supposed to be for children – funny and comforting scions of slapstick – why not play on the killer clown tropes, but have ours maintain a mission, instead of just wantonly wacking folks with cotton candy guns and acid-squirting lapel flowers? Stitches (our lead clown) and company do save kids from their abusers, but the real horror of Clown Town lies in the obviated psychological consequences of abuse that emerge when those kids are taken to the protective confines of the circus…
10. Are there any established titles you’d love to write for?
Um, any of them? Kidding, kidding… My dream job at the Big Two would have to be writing an X-Men book that involved Nightcrawler (the real one – he’s got demonic heritage, people, so he’s NOT permanently dead…that’s what I keep telling myself). Writing a Martian Manhunter solo book would have to be a close second, tied with Iron Man. Books involving those characters are the last ones I buy mindlessly, regardless of creators or quality, so the chance to write them myself would be pretty satisfying.
11. What got you into comics in the first place?
I’m a child of the 1970’s, so my entry points to comics stem from that rather strange decade. I trace it back primarily to two things: the 1960’s Batman television show and a Spider-Man Colorforms play set that included vinyl appliqués of characters you could place all about a cardboard cityscape to make your own stories. As I mentioned earlier, comics were very heavily visible in stores during my youth, so, being primed by Batman and Spider-Man products drew me in early on when I found spinner racks. So, yeah, merchandising works! My mom was always cool about buying me comics, so long as I read prose, too.
12. What projects have you got planned for the future?
We’re finishing production on issues 3 and 4 of Roadkill du Jour right now. Just some colors and letters on issue 3 and inks, colors and letters on issue 4, and they’re ready to go! I also just two pages short of completing production on the first issue of Last Ride for Horsemen, a tale of the Apocalypse in microcosm, unfolding one Horseman at a time on an isolated frontier town with a steampunk aesthetic. In the first issue, with art by Nathan Smith and Gavin Michelli, Famine befalls this town in the form of a massive Plowman! Also, Amanda and I are developing a comic adaptation of Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus, staged in a science-fantasy setting involving feathered dinosaur mounts, telepaths and alien species! We’ll preserve Bill’s lines, right down to the iambic pentameter but portray the insane violence and intrigue of this story in a way that is fresh and captivating!
There are other projects, but most too early in development to speak much about at this point. Just know we’ve got a LOT of bullets in the creative chamber ready to fire!
I saw a statement lately (sorry, I can’t credit the source) that I felt rings true – digital comics are the new spinner racks. When I was a kid, comics spinners were EVERYWHERE – convenience stores, pharmacies, department stores, book stores – just all over the place. Now, they’re in direct market comic shops and tucked away on the bottom shelf at Barnes & Nobles (those places are still open, right?). But, ANYONE can download comiXology on their device-of-choice and get comics CHEAPLY again (if you wait for sales or for a few weeks after print release). My point is, and market sales are bearing this out: digital comics are reinforcing and uplifting print sales. It’s a beautiful thing to see new life in this industry. There are many of us with a vital passion for this medium still!
9. Clown Town is an interesting take on the “Clown Monster” theme. What made you turn the clowns into the “good guys”?
Hm, I don’t know about good guys, per se, hah! When Amanda and I approached the concept of Clown Town initially, we wanted some sort of monsters that avenged the abuse of children in very violent ways. My thinking was, if clowns are supposed to be for children – funny and comforting scions of slapstick – why not play on the killer clown tropes, but have ours maintain a mission, instead of just wantonly wacking folks with cotton candy guns and acid-squirting lapel flowers? Stitches (our lead clown) and company do save kids from their abusers, but the real horror of Clown Town lies in the obviated psychological consequences of abuse that emerge when those kids are taken to the protective confines of the circus…
10. Are there any established titles you’d love to write for?
Um, any of them? Kidding, kidding… My dream job at the Big Two would have to be writing an X-Men book that involved Nightcrawler (the real one – he’s got demonic heritage, people, so he’s NOT permanently dead…that’s what I keep telling myself). Writing a Martian Manhunter solo book would have to be a close second, tied with Iron Man. Books involving those characters are the last ones I buy mindlessly, regardless of creators or quality, so the chance to write them myself would be pretty satisfying.
11. What got you into comics in the first place?
I’m a child of the 1970’s, so my entry points to comics stem from that rather strange decade. I trace it back primarily to two things: the 1960’s Batman television show and a Spider-Man Colorforms play set that included vinyl appliqués of characters you could place all about a cardboard cityscape to make your own stories. As I mentioned earlier, comics were very heavily visible in stores during my youth, so, being primed by Batman and Spider-Man products drew me in early on when I found spinner racks. So, yeah, merchandising works! My mom was always cool about buying me comics, so long as I read prose, too.
12. What projects have you got planned for the future?
We’re finishing production on issues 3 and 4 of Roadkill du Jour right now. Just some colors and letters on issue 3 and inks, colors and letters on issue 4, and they’re ready to go! I also just two pages short of completing production on the first issue of Last Ride for Horsemen, a tale of the Apocalypse in microcosm, unfolding one Horseman at a time on an isolated frontier town with a steampunk aesthetic. In the first issue, with art by Nathan Smith and Gavin Michelli, Famine befalls this town in the form of a massive Plowman! Also, Amanda and I are developing a comic adaptation of Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus, staged in a science-fantasy setting involving feathered dinosaur mounts, telepaths and alien species! We’ll preserve Bill’s lines, right down to the iambic pentameter but portray the insane violence and intrigue of this story in a way that is fresh and captivating!
There are other projects, but most too early in development to speak much about at this point. Just know we’ve got a LOT of bullets in the creative chamber ready to fire!
Thank you again for joining us, Mr LaPorte! And I good folks second the sentiments of Mr. Rivers! And so that you can keep up to date on the newest happenings at Inverse Press, head on over to their Facebook page! Also, if you ever want to see more of Ross' work when he's not doing anything here, visit the site known as Trash Mutant!