Tag: interviews

Smash Pages Q&A | Phillip Sevy + Christie Porter on ‘She Comes With Magic’

The creators discuss launching their adults-only fantasy series on Kickstarter, balancing epic adventure with explicit storytelling and bringing Maeve’s magical quest to life.

Known for his work on comics like Tomb Raider, X-Men Infinity Comics and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, among other titles, artist and writer Phillip Sevy is taking a decidedly different path with She Comes With Magic, a creator-owned fantasy series that launches on Kickstarter today.

Co-created with journalist/comics writer Christie Porter, the comic features Maeve, a powerful wizard who channels her magic through sex. She embarks on an epic quest to stop the Starving King in an adults-only fantasy that blends action, humor, romance and explicit sexuality, in the vein of comics like Sunstone, White Tree, Sex Criminals and Money Shot.

While the book’s high-concept premise is sure to grab attention, Sevy and Porter are committed to making She Comes With Magic work as a fantasy story first. Building a world with real stakes, memorable characters and emotional weight was just as important as embracing the book’s titilating premise, resulting in a series that aims to balance comedy, epic adventure and sex without sacrificing any one element.

I spoke with Sevy and Porter about bringing the first issue to Kickstarter, collaborating on the story, Porter’s transition from journalism to comics, finding the right tone for an erotic fantasy and more. While the book is definitely aimed at adults and is NSFW, this interview includes SFW artwork from the comic by Porter, Sevy and colorist Gibran Ferdian, along with a variant cover by Stjepan Šejić.

Continue reading “Smash Pages Q&A | Phillip Sevy + Christie Porter on ‘She Comes With Magic’”

Picture + Panel | Abby Denson + Matthew Loux talk about Japan

Check out our interview in advance of a live question-and-answer session between the two creators in Boston tonight.

We’re happy to continue our interview series with creators speaking at the monthly Picture + Panel event in Boston, which brings together two comic creators to talk about a specific topic. This time we have Abby Denson and Matthew Loux joining us to talk about Japan.

Omega Au, convention chair of Anime Boston 2026, will host a conversation with Loux and Denson tonight at 7 p.m. Eastern at the Boston Figurative Arts Center in Somerville, Massachusetts. The event is brought to you by the Boston Comic Arts Foundation, Porter Square Books and the Boston Figurative Arts Center.

Abby Denson photo by Shigeo Kikuchi

Abby Denson is the author of Uniquely Japan; the Kitty Sweet Tooth books, illustrated by Utomaru; Cool Tokyo Guide; Cool Japan Guide; Dolltopia; and Tough Love. She has written for comics series such as The Powerpuff Girls, The Simpsons, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and The Amazing Spider-Man Family. Her work has garnered the International Manga Award, Moonbeam Children’s Book Award and the IPPY Award. Abby has taught and lectured at various venues, including the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art, The New School and Sophia University in Tokyo. Abby goes to Japan whenever she gets the chance.

Matthew Loux photo

Matthew Loux is author and artist of the graphic novels The Time Museum Vol. 1, published by First Second Books; Sidescrollers; and the five volume series Salt Water Taffy, originally published by Oni Press. Matthew has also illustrated the graphic novels F-Stop and Good Night Gabbaland, and has contributed cover artwork for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Matthew resides in New York.

Big thanks as always to Gina Gagliano and Jason Viola, who organize the monthly series in Boston and brought this Q&A series to Smash Pages.

Continue reading “Picture + Panel | Abby Denson + Matthew Loux talk about Japan”

Smash Pages Q&A | The writers of Oni’s new Archie Comics line on Riverdale, reinvention + why these characters endure

Ben H. Winters, Corinna Bechko and Patrick Horvath talk about what it takes to reimagine some of comics’ most enduring characters.

This fall, Oni Press and Archie Comics will launch a new publishing partnership timed to the 85th anniversary of Archie’s first appearance, beginning with Ben H. Winters and Fábio Moon’s Archie #1, followed in October by Corinna Bechko and Kano’s Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1, and then in November by Patrick Horvath and Tyler Crook’s Archie in Hell #1.

Each title is taking a distinct approach to Riverdale, with Winters and Moon leaning into slice-of-life teenage drama, Bechko and Kano exploring a magical coming-of-age story, and Horvath and Crook bringing their horror sensibilities to a cursed version of Archie.

I chatted with the three writers of the new titles about tackling these characters, what has to stay the same and what they felt free to reinvent. In addition, we’re happy to share a first look at the character designs for Archie and Sabrina the Teenage Witch by Moon and Kano.

Continue reading “Smash Pages Q&A | The writers of Oni’s new Archie Comics line on Riverdale, reinvention + why these characters endure”

Smash Pages Q&A | Juan Gedeon on ‘Super Mondo Mega Mutts’

The artist of ‘The Jurassic League,’ ‘C.O.W.-boys of Moo Mesa’ and more talks about his newest book with writer Curt Pires, which kicks off in July.

Juan Gedeon has wanted to draw comics since he was a kid staring at a Spawn cover and thinking about Greg Capullo’s artwork. The Argentina-born artist, who has moved from working in animation to American mainstream comics, has made a name for himself on projects like Ghost Racers, Venom, The Jurassic League and C.O.W.-boys of Moo Mesa, among many others.

And now turning his attention to four mutant dogs on a tear through Los Angeles.

Super Mondo Mega Mutts #1 arrives from Oni Press in July, written by Curt Pires and drawn by Gedeon, and it is, by his own description, considerably more violent than the Saturday morning cartoons that inspired it. We talked about designing dogs with distinct personalities, what it means to go cartoony in a superhero book and the projects he’s got waiting in the wings.

Continue reading “Smash Pages Q&A | Juan Gedeon on ‘Super Mondo Mega Mutts’”

Smash Pages Q&A | Mel Gillman on ‘The Goblin Throne’

The webcomic-turned-graphic novel is now being crowdfunded by Iron Circus Comics.

Mel Gillman’s The Goblin Throne begins with a broken promise and the consequences that follow when you think you can outrun it.

The graphic novel, the latest from the creator of As the Crow Flies and Stage Dreams, follows a young woman who makes a pact with the Goblin Queen for peace and safety, then flees when confronted with the true cost. What she doesn’t realize is that all roads lead back to the Goblin Kingdom.

The Kickstarter campaign from Iron Circus Comics has already blown past its funding goal, with more than $20,000 raised as I type this. I spoke with Gillman about sapphic fairy tales, colored pencil illustration and more.

Continue reading “Smash Pages Q&A | Mel Gillman on ‘The Goblin Throne’”

Smash Pages Q&A | David Pepose on wrapping up ‘The O.Z.’

With the third and final Kickstarter for the self-published series now live, the writer reflects on finishing a story he’s been carrying since the early days of COVID.

David Pepose has been carrying The O.Z. to its conclusion for awhile. He finished writing the series during the early days of COVID, and has spent the time since making sure everything was in place to deliver the finale right.

Now the third and final issue, created by Pepose, artist Ruben Rojas, colorist Whitney Cogar and letterer DC Hopkins, is up on Kickstarter, having launched earlier this morning.

The third and final issue is a 44-page conclusion to the story of Dorothy Gale’s granddaughter, an Iraq war veteran dropped into a war-torn Oz. We talked about sticking the landing, what’s ahead for Space Ghost and Speed Racer, and why diapers don’t come cheap.

Continue reading “Smash Pages Q&A | David Pepose on wrapping up ‘The O.Z.’”

Picture + Panel | K Czap + Suzana Harcum talk about love stories

Check out our interview in advance of a live question-and-answer session between the two creators in Boston next week.

We continue our interview series with creators speaking at the monthly Picture + Panel event in Boston, which brings together two comic creators to talk about a specific topic — in this case, love stories.

K. Czap, Suzana Harcum,and Owena White, along with Lily Barrett from the pop-up romance book store Read My Lips, will engage in a discussion about “the many faces of falling in love.” The event is hosted by the Boston Comic Arts Foundation, Porter Square Books and the Boston Figurative Arts Center.

Suzana Harcum & Owena White, a lesbian couple from Tucson, Arizona, and Worcester, Massachusetts, respectively, are an artist-writer duo making LGBT-centered comics. Their collaborative efforts blend Suzana’s art with Owena’s storytelling, crafting stories that explore communication, self-discovery and acceptance. In creating together, they seek to share their perspectives and experiences growing up queer, through heartfelt slice-of-life comics. They enjoy making relatable stories for readers, aiming to foster a sense of community and understanding through their work.

K Czap is an acclaimed cartoonist, author of Four Years and Fütchi Perf, and colorist for comics from Scholastic, First Second and more. Residing in Providence RI, Czap is a board member of Binch Press × Queer.Archive.Work., an artist studio collective.

Continue reading “Picture + Panel | K Czap + Suzana Harcum talk about love stories”

Smash Pages Q&A | Matt Kindt on ‘Mind MGMT: New & Improved’

After moving his Flux House imprint from Dark Horse to Oni Press, the cartoonist prepares to launch another round of his mind-bending series.

Matt Kindt has proven to be one of comic’s most restlessly inventive creators, particularly when it comes to story structure, formal experimentation and the physical design of the books themselves. From his early work on Pistolwhip and Super Spy to Mind MGMT and beyond, Kindt has never been content to make a comic that looks or reads like anything else on the shelf.

Now he’s making a move. After launching Flux House at Dark Horse Comics, Kindt is relocating his imprint to Oni Press, where his first two titles will be Mind MGMT: New & Improved and Fort Psycho, the latter co-created with artist Brian Hurtt. Mind MGMT: New & Improved #1 arrives in June, billed as a self-contained entry point for new readers. Although Kindt would be the first to tell you, you should probably read that disclaimer with some skepticism.

I spoke with Kindt about this new chapter, both for Flux House and for Mind MGMT, how the new series differs from the previous one and his zany approach to the blind bag cover program for the first issue. My thanks for his time.

Continue reading “Smash Pages Q&A | Matt Kindt on ‘Mind MGMT: New & Improved’”

Smash Pages Q&A | Mark Russell on ‘The Forgotten Divine’

The award-winning writer of ‘The Snagglepuss Chronicles’ and ‘Not All Robots’ talks to us about his latest project for Ahoy Comics.

Mark Russell’s new book with artist Russ Braun is about how ordinary people fall into cults. The Forgotten Divine follows Rodney Coleman, an unhoused veteran and former bomb disposal expert whose dreams of a faraway planet draw him toward others who’ve had the same visions, and the group that forms around their shared experience.

The book arrives via AHOY Comics’ first-ever Kickstarter, which gave the team the freedom to tell the story they wanted to in the format they thought fit it best. I spoke with Russell about the project, the Kickstarter campaign, why he takes his “kiss of death” ideas to AHOY and more.

Continue reading “Smash Pages Q&A | Mark Russell on ‘The Forgotten Divine’”

Smash Pages Q&A | Joe Palmer on ‘Destination Kill’

The ‘Time Before Time’ and ‘2000 AD’ artist talks about his new series from Oni Press, which debuts in May.

Joe Palmer had been carrying pieces of Destination Kill around in his head for years before he finally had the chance to put them all together. The British cartoonist, known for his work on 2000 AD, Time Before Time, Write it in Blood and more, spent that time accumulating ideas, characters and images that didn’t quite have a home yet, but found one in this new title that he’s writing and drawing.

The result arrives from Oni Press on May 13: a 40-page first issue set in 2125 London, where a superfast transatlantic train, a robot workforce and a citywide worker uprising collide. We talked about the genesis of the project, going solo and lettering your own comics, among other topics. My thanks for his time.

Continue reading “Smash Pages Q&A | Joe Palmer on ‘Destination Kill’”

Smash Pages Q&A | Jay Eaton on ‘Runaway to the Stars’

With a Kickstarter launching this week, we talk to Eaton about biology degrees, base-8 numeral systems and why a wall clock can take hours to draw.

Jay Eaton describes their path to comics less as a choice than as an inescapable gravitational pull, one they spent years trying to resist before giving in entirely.

After pursuing biology in college and working in horticulture, Eaton eventually committed full-time to the project they’d been building on the side all along: Runaway to the Stars, a hard sci-fi slice-of-life graphic novel about a centaur aerospace engineer, a shipwrecked AI pirate and the unlikely friendship that upends both their lives.

Eaton has been building this story on the web for years, and now it’s coming to print via Kickstarter through Iron Circus Comics. We talked about world-building as narrative, designing for bodies that aren’t human and what a biology degree is actually good for when you’re a cartoonist.

Continue reading “Smash Pages Q&A | Jay Eaton on ‘Runaway to the Stars’”

Smash Pages Q&A | D. B. Andry on ‘Estuary: A Ghost Story’

The co-writer of the new horror comic from Oni Press talks about West Coast horror, Catholic guilt, working with Tim Daniel and more.

A haunted cabin in the woods, an abandoned scientific research station in the arctic, an empty road with no civilization for miles … the best horror stories start with the right setting. David “D. B.” Andry and his co-writer Tim Daniel have built a reputation for comics that know exactly where they live, including Denizen, Morning Star and Red Vector.

Their latest, Estuary: A Ghost Story, arrives in stores today from Oni Press, and it may be their most atmospheric work yet: a four-issue supernatural thriller set along the California coast, where a 400-year-old Spanish mission sits atop a tidal estuary full of buried secrets, housing a reclusive nun who has spent decades making sure they stay that way.

I caught up with Andry to talk about “West Coast Horror,” the Catholic Church’s complicated California legacy, underwater ghosts and what it means to write horror with a collaborator who has more ideas in a day than most people have in a lifetime.

Continue reading “Smash Pages Q&A | D. B. Andry on ‘Estuary: A Ghost Story’”