The following is an interview with Wells Thompson and Dalton K. Shannon of FourColour Media regarding the recent launch of the Kickstarter campaign for Frankenstein the Unconquered #2. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Thompson and Shannon about their shared creative process in returning to the world and characters of the series, the incredible backer rewards available to supporters of the campaign, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: You recently launched a Kickstarter campaign for the second issue of Frankenstein the Unconquered. For those who may be unfamiliar, what can you share with us about the premise of this series?
Wells Thompson and Dalton K. Shannon: Frankenstein the Unconquered is our love letter to Universal Horror Monster Movies and pulpy action comics like Conan the Barbarian. 500 years after the end of Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein’s monster thaws from the arctic ice to find a bombed-out, post-apocalyptic world as hideous and broken as he is. He attempts to lead the peaceful life he’s always wanted, but he soon turns to violence and resolves instead to conquer and rule this world he can never truly be a part of. The story picks up after he is betrayed and exiled to the stars, only to wrest control from the cosmos and make his way back home, hell bent on revenge and carnage. God help anyone who stands in his way.
BD: What can you tell us about your shared creative process in bringing this story to life?
WT: Dalton and I work really well as co-writers. We have a good back and forth and know where the boundaries are. Typically, one of us takes point on a particular issue or even story in order to keep everything consistent. That person writes the first draft, then passes it to the other who either improves upon it or rewrites it, and back and forth until we’re both happy with it. It’s kind of like having the most involved editor possible, whom you trust completely with your work, knowing it’s going to be better because you both had a say.
As for this story in particular, I think every issue starts with a few basic questions: What monster can Frank fight? How does that move us closer to the end? How can Frank screw everything up with his temper? Hammering those questions gets us further along until we have something really compelling. Then, it’s just a matter of writing it down and letting Mary [Landro] and Dahlia [Maha] go absolutely ham on the art.
BD: How many issues do you anticipate releasing in this first story arc?
WT/DKS: Five or Six, we’re still working out exactly how many issues will be necessary. It’s great to know where you’re going, but we like to keep the story alive so that, if we notice something cool pop up, we’re still free to explore the consequences of that organically without being too tied down to a rigid structure. We want to keep it episodic in the best way possible.
BD: In light of the Kickstarter campaign, are there any particular backer rewards that you would like to highlight for our readers?
WT/DKS: Yes! We’re debuting our first NSFW cover by British artist Flops, who has this super-gorgeous, old-school pin-up style that we think works really well with the vibe we’re going for. That’s available in a couple of modestly priced reward tiers and as an add-on.
We also have a few premium options where backers can get an advertisement put in the back of the book, a character commission of their choice by the artist, Mary Landro, and even adopt a page out of the book. Digital ownership has been on a lot of people’s minds lately, so we thought it would be cool to offer our backers the opportunity to own a piece of the book with a special mention in the front of the book and a one-of-a-kind poster depicting the selected page sent to the owner for display.
BD: Are there any other projects on which you are working that you would like to share with readers?
WT: Dalton and I work on another series called MechaTon. It’s a sci-fi, rule-of-cool comic in the vein of Scott Pilgrim with a splash of Pacific Rim, featuring a glove that turns anything it punches into a battle mech. It’s a lot more all-ages than FTU, but it’s still action packed and a ton of fun with a cartoony art style that’s easy to fall in love with. It’s available through the Kickstarter and will be raising funds for its 4th and 5th issue early next year!
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell fans who want to learn more about the Frankenstein the Unconquered 2 Kickstarter campaign and your other work?
WT: We’re available on twitter (@wellsthomp and @daltonkshannon). That’s where we’re most active, and we have a newsletter called “Comics, Cats, & Cocktails” where we talk about…all of those things! Other than that, the best way to learn about the Kickstarter is by visiting the campaign page and reading all about the book and rewards we’re offering. If you want, you can also find the books that are currently in print on my Ko-Fi page!
