The following is an interview with director and illustrator Tomm Coker regarding his recently funded Kickstarter campaign for the hardcover edition of Undying Love with co-creator Daniel Freedman and his return to the series, The Black Monday Murders, with co-creator Jonathan Hickman. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Coker about why crowdfunding has been such a vital resource for comics creators, what he hopes that readers may take away from his stories’ themes, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: You recently completed a successful crowdfunding campaign for a deluxe hardcover edition of the series, Undying Love, alongside collaborator Daniel Freedman. What can you share with us about your decision to resurrect the action-horror miniseries, and what are you most excited for readers to experience with this updated edition?
Tomm Coker: Undying Love is a project that Daniel and I have wanted to finish since the series originally came out in 2011. It was the first script we wrote together and the first we were able to translate into a comic, so the emotional connection he and I have to the work runs deep. It’s just such a small story set within this enormous world of myth and folklore.
I think new readers will immediately get a sense of the amount of love and effort we put into creating a comic that delivers on the action/love story, while doing our utmost to respect and incorporate as much of the amazing and sometimes strange creatures and magic that comes along with setting a story in Hong Kong. For fans of the original series, we have all sorts of extras in the new collection including design art, pencilled pages, script pages complete with handwritten revisions, plus art for a few scenes that were cut from the original series.
BD: Why do you feel that crowdfunding has become such a vital resource for comics creators and publishers, and how would you describe your experience with the Undying Love campaign?
TC: Not to be mercenary, but it all comes down to money. The big publishers aren’t interested in publishing creator-owned work, so if you have an original story you want to get out into the world, the only way to do that is via Image, or another of the publishers that aren’t Marvel or DC. But even then you have to have three issues in the can before anything goes to print, and that takes lots of time. Crowdfunding provides a way to present the work, find an audience, and (hopefully) raise some funds to get you through that initial phase of creation. My experience has been fantastic, but giving credit where credit is due, I could not have done this without the absolute guidance and stewardship of Keven Gardner of 12 Gauge Comics and Sean Edgar. They are the ones that really pushed Daniel and I to move forward with the project and convinced me that there was a receptive fanbase out there willing to back Undying Love.
BD: In addition to Undying Love, you also recently announced that you will be concluding The Black Monday Murders alongside co-creator Jonathan Hickman. What can you tell us about your experience of diving back into this world and characters?
TC: Right now, Black Monday is on issue 8. I’ve completed my work on issues 9 and 10. Jonathan and I were talking a few weeks ago and we were both gushing about how much we love the book and how much we want to finish it and we agreed that once I wrap up my current commitments and he wraps up his current commitments, we should focus on completing the story up and getting it out to the fans ASAP.
When it comes to working on Black Monday, I am a fan. I love the world. I love the characters. I love the strange and quirky way the story unfolds. And I love my part in making that story come to life. Every time I draw a scene, I’m learning more and more about the characters. I’m creating backstories in order to fill out my process and to make the people feel real. There is absolutely nothing I dislike about diving back in. And the sooner JH and I can get started on 11 and 12, the better.
BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums —no matter the genre. How do you feel that The Black Monday Murders’ themes may connect with readers, and what, if any, conversations do you hope that they might inspire?
TC: (I think) Black Monday explores the idea of sacrificing your humanity for power—selling your soul for something you desire and the dangers inherent in that bargain. And I imagine a lot of us can relate. When I was a younger man, I was more than happy to sacrifice whatever I had to in order to attain my dreams of being an illustrator and a filmmaker and I would probably do the same again if given the chance. In hindsight, I realize how much I might have missed out on, but there’s been so much I’ve gained, as well. It’s a fine line. Now, I wasn’t making deals with an ancient goat god for infinite wealth and the power to control the fate of the world, but…
BD: Given your extensive body of work in both film and comics, do you feel that each medium has its own unique storytelling “toolkit” and what most intrigues you about the narrative storytelling of comics?
TC: Film is a wonderful way to tell a story. You can play with sound and movement and time in a way that is impossible in comics. But comic story-telling is unique. It allows you to convey one piece of information in a purely visual way while conveying a totally separate piece of information with the written word. You can pace up, or decompress the story based on the amount of info you provide the reader. You can view a comic book as an issue, or an individual scene, or a single page, or even an isolated panel and (hopefully) they all work as separate components and together as a whole.
BD: Are there any other projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
TC: I’m currently working on a new creator-owned series called, CANARY HOLLOW. Written by Joe Suitor, with me handling all the art. We haven’t announced the project yet, so I don’t want to go into more detail now. As far as past work goes, I really wish/hope people will pick up The Ride from 12 Gauge Comics. I’ve been lucky enough to contribute three original stories to the series so far, but the list of names that have worked on that book is truly epic and the work is simply amazing. There should be some word on new ways to read it soon.
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell readers who want to learn more about Undying Love, The Black Monday Murders, and your other work?
TC: If you’re looking for updates and info on any of the projects I’m involved with, or if you just want to see whatever my latest illustration might be, you can follow me on the usual social media apps.
