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Fanboy Comics Interviews Des Taylor on ‘Scarlett Couture’

The following is an interview with writer/artist Des Taylor regarding his work on the upcoming comic book series, Scarlett Couture, being released this April from Titan Comics. In this interview, Fanboy Comics Managing Editor Barbra Dillon chats with Taylor about his inspiration for the series, the challenges of both writing and illustrating a comic, and where readers can find more of his work!


Barbra J. Dillon, Fanboy Comics Managing Editor: Titan Comics will soon be releasing your new, creator-owned series, Scarlett Couture. What inspired you to create this action/espionage series?

Des Taylor: Originally, the character was called Suzy Fortune back in 2005. I wrote her as a wealthy New York detective but couldn’t get a good overall plot for the story, so I put her on the shelf and worked on THE TROUBLE WITH KATIE ROGERS. As I explored the world of fashion with Katie Rogers, I gradually started to get a feel for Scarlett’s world and around then the show, ALIAS, was running. It was at a party that the character and all the other elements fell into place, when I saw a group of girls walking past security and into the VIP area to get to a celebrity. I thought to myself, “What if that was some sort of Billionaire Criminal . . . and the CIA needed to gain access to him to plant a bug? What better way than a group of supermodels that can placate his ego . . . and at the same time plant the device on him?”

I needed a better name for the character that combined fashion and action after that. Thus, Scarlett Couture was born.

BD: How would you describe the series’ premise?

DT: Without giving too much away, the reader will follow Scarlett and her team of assets & agents as they investigate the dealings of a powerful super bank that serves organized crime, corrupt governments, arms dealers, and global finance. In between all of that , Scarlett learns more about events from her past that could have a potentially devastating effect on her future in the agency.

BD: Comic book readers know your art well, both from your iconic, 1940s pin-up style and your work on Titan’s Doctor Who comic book covers. Given that you have taken on both the writing and artistic duties for Scarlett Couture, did you find one aspect of the creative process more challenging, and why?

DT: I’m first to admit that whilst I can draw and design all day, writing a good story takes a lot of work. First of all, if you don’t have a decent plot, then you can’t follow on with a decent story. With this in mind, I work differently than a conventional storyteller. I have to see the entire plot in my mind, jot down some notes, and then I start creating the 9 most important full-color visuals of the plot. I then throw them all up on my screen and look at it as a visual story. After that, I can fill in all the bits that need to happen in between.

BD: The first issue of the mini-series will release on April 29th. Do you have a certain number of issues in mind, and are there any plans to take the series into another medium?

DT: The first Scarlett book is a 4-issue mini-series which will introduce the reader into her world. We are looking to continue her adventures in another mini-series (Think of it as Season 2.) which will delve a little deeper into events that happen in book one. At this moment, there are no plans to take Scarlett on to another medium. We’ll leave all of that to the will of the force! (Yes, I’d love to see it as a TV show, too!)

BD: What do you hope that readers will take away from Scarlett Couture?

DT: I hope readers will take it for what it is . . . a fun piece of entertainment that brings a new smart, assertive, and lethal female character into the world of comics. I think readers are going to enjoy the artwork and see the passion I have in creating a character that boys and girls will love!

BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell fans who want to learn more about Scarlett Couture and your body of work?

DT: Come and visit me at London Super Comic Con, Middle East Comic Con, San Diego Con, and New York Comic Con this year. I have a HUGE body of work on my Facebook page, Instagram, Blog, Deviantart, and follow all of the news on Scarlett’s progress on Facebook.

Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief

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