PAUL HARMON

Alex Ness: You completed the first chapter of MORA and it is in now in TPB format.  Describe the process of putting together from the concept to having book in hand and how you feel about what you finished.

Paul Harmon: It was is and always will be an exciting, frightening,  overwhelming, and highly gratifying experience, in that order. For comics in general at least for several more years I’m certain this will remain the case, for myself. It is very surreal too.

AN: What comes next for MORA?  Do you commit to online comics, digest manga style done in one stories, or do you return to single issues?

PH: Big graphic novel sized chunks I believe. I’ve always said this but I mean it and its true …there is a special connection between me and MORA fans, when I talk to them I am very happy because they truly enjoy and appreciate the uniqueness of that world and that type of story.  So I am always full of energy to get back to the MORA stories after meeting fans, I owe it to them. not that I think my work is at all comparable to the absolutely brilliant and canceled “ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT” but there are some parallels and Jason Bateman said something to the effect of even if there is not the mass mainstream appeal or success there are fans out there that truly appreciate and love the work. So I sort of feel the same.

AN: You did the art for the second and third story arc (5-13) of SEA OF RED at IMAGE.   How did you happen upon the assignment and was it at all daunting to step into the shoes of  Salgood Sam (Max Douglas) who really created a look that is powerful on the book?

PH: Rick and Kieron had seen my MORA original art at Isotope for an Image party. I contacted Rick to say I liked what he was doing with his upcoming Image books, and incidentally they wanted to contact me about doing a fill in issue, and once Sam could no longer work on the book I was offered the spot. It was very difficult at first and it took some long sessions with Rick Kieron and Sam especially to get me to figure out how to do the coloring process which is done in channels and has quite a learning curve. but once I did figure it out it was great it’s an amazing technique that they devised, there so many clever lighting things you can do with it.

AN: Were you required or requested to keep a certain look on the book (i.e. in the style of Sam)? 

PH: Not really but I did want to try and keep within the look as much as possible myself.

AN: Why did the book end at #13?  Do you see the book returning any time in the future?

PH: The book had a lot of little problems outside of the creative teams control that sort of kept it in a perpetual state of uphill battleness. The coloring technique was not only difficult for me to learn but also problematic for some of the printers as well. With everyone's busy schedule it was becoming hard to constantly go full steam to try and catch up to its schedule and since Rick and Kieron already had a great ending planned we decided to finish the story. I am not certain about future, sorry, but it probably could happen.

AN: You contributed to the FLIGHT ANTHOLOGY.  Tell us about that and your particular story.
 
PH: I did a story entitled WURMLER OF THE WEST. Its about a young warrior who uses a very unique type of dragon, which basically looks like a very large worm, in battle and to hunt. Wurmler (the main character) travels the land to try and help any in need and he gets himself in over his head. It’s a fun world where I can do all kinds of humanoid characters and creatures and interesting beast and such like dragons.
 
AN: What comics are you reading right now?
 
PH: …I take the 5th…
 
AN: What comic book work is upcoming from you?

PH: I’m workin' on several cool new ogn, one will be a surreal sci-fi yakuza story, and I’m working on an online comic story which will be something very different for me. It’s called “WELCOME TO FALLING OAKS” and it is about a very strange neighborhood where everyone is up to some very odd things. It will be very dark in mood but very fun as well. It will be up very soon at  DOGMEATSAUSAGESHOW.BLOGSPOT.COM  ….very soon 

AN: You are on the guest creator list to attend FALL CON in Minnesota. When you attend cons do you do sketches and sell original art?
 
PH: I do sell some pretty elaborate ink sketches for a bargain I think to make up for the fact that I don’t sell original art

AN: You've not been to Minnesota before, what do you expect from the visit to Minnesota in your visit to FALLCON? 
 
PH: I am looking forward to some true fall weather and seeing a totally new place with totally new comic fans in a con that’s just for comics... Its going to be great!
 
Paul Harmon 

DMS WORKS 

http://www.dogmeatsausage.com

JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV

Alex Ness: You've completed ELK'S RUN and it is in now being released by RANDOM HOUSE. Well how the hell did that happen?  I mean it started at Hoarse and Buggy, went to Speakeasy then disappeared and you end up with a first class publisher...
 
Josh Hale Fialkov: We'd been speaking with Random House almost from the launch of the book.  Our acquiring editor had been a fan of the first issue, and wanted to know the plans.  At the time, we had a full publishing strategy in place first with Hoarse and Buggy and then with Speakeasy.  Neither went according to plan, and when the collapse of Speakeasy put the release of the already finished issues on hold, Random House stepped in.  They have a commitment to putting out good books that are outside of the scope of the direct market, but, in theory, have an appeal to the mainstream audience.  And they found all of those things in Elk's Run. To be honest, it all worked out better than I could've ever imagined. 
 
AN:  How would you describe the story, and where does it fall in genres?

JHF: It's sort of a fractured family drama, with heavy suspense and thriller elements.  When it was released in the direct market people seemed to lump it into the horror genre, but I think that's just part of the narrow view of comics.  If it's scary, it's horror.  If it doesn't have zombies or vampires, it's not popular.  It's pretty strange really.  As to the story, it's about a small town in West Virginia where the kids and parents are at war with each other.

AN: Regarding your experience with the publishing history of the book, what advice do you have for any other self publisher or creative person at a small publisher.

JHF: Know what you're getting into.  From day one, my business partner and creative partners knew that it was going to be a marathon.  But, we also knew that we were doing something special and different.  That makes it worth it.

AN: Will there be a collection of Western Tales, or, with all of the various talents involved would that be a legal nightmare?
 
JHF: I'd love there to be.  And everybody involved in the book in every capacity was an absolute blast to work with, so I don't think there'd be any problems.  The real issue is finding the right publisher and the right time to release it.  Both are things we're working on now.
 
AN: What genre is your particular favorite and is it the same genre you prefer to write within?
 
JHF: I'm crazy for the pulps.  Everything from the Crime stuff to the Romance, the Western, and Sci-Fi.  There's something incredibly honest in the books from the first half of this century that disappeared after the popularization of TV.  The stories are pure entertainment without any of the post-modern self-analysis that became the standard in literature.  I read, on a light work week, about 4 or 5 pulp novels every couple days. They're actually so akin to what made the early comic books so great, that it's a constant reminder of what I should be striving for in my writing work.

AN: What comics are you reading right now?
 
JHF: I'm a big ol' mark for Brubaker and Brian K. Vaughan.  I think those two guys are really the apex of what can be done in the medium right now. 

AN: What comic book work is upcoming from you?
 
JHF: Well, Noel and I are in the formative stages of our next book together that'll hopefully serve as the follow up to Elk's Run.  It's called, at least for now, Tumor, and it's a pulp noir detective story about a guy with a terminal brain tumor trying to solve that one last case before the big sleep.  Then Kody Chamberlain and I are very nearly ready to unveil our plans for Punks.  It's been gestating for a while, and we just had a
long conversation about how we want to do it, and how to get it out into the ever lovin' comic reading world.  And then there's a bunch of stuff I can't talk about, but hopefully'll get to announce soon.

AN: You are on the guest creator list to attend FALL CON in Minnesota. When you attend cons what do you do, sketches and sell original page art?

JHF: When I did my old web strip I did, and it was always fun.  I'll have copies of most of the books, and a few of the old mini-comics and web-comics.  I mostly just go to shows to have fun and meet fans.  So, y'know, I'll do whatever I'm asked to do.

AN: You've not been to Minnesota before, what do you expect from the visit to Minnesota in your visit to FALLCON?

JHF: I'm hoping to see some snow.  I grew up in Pittsburgh, and haven't been back anywhere that's got the potential for snow (at least while I'm there) in about 5 years, so just the thought of being out in the cold fall in to winter air is enough for me... but snow... ah... sweet snow.

AN: After the con, is there a site for fans of your work to reach you at?

JHF: My main site right now is my blog which is at http://www.joshuahalefialkov.com, and of course there's always our online store and news center over at http://www.hoarseandbuggy.com.