The following is an interview with Allen Dunford and Will Radford regarding the recent launch of their Kickstarter campaign for the comic book series, Pocus Hocus. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Dunford and Radford about the creative process of bringing this story to life, the great backer rewards available to supporters, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the recent launch of your Kickstarter campaign! For those who may be unfamiliar, what can you tell us about the story’s premise?
Allen Dunford and Will Radford: Thanks so much! We appreciate you taking the time to interview us. Pocus Hocus is a dark comedy/fantasy comic book series about a magician who sells his soul to demons in exchange for actual magic powers. As he grows older, he discovers that fame and success aren’t all they’re cracked up to be and sets out to win back his soul.
BD: How would you describe your shared creative process in working with artist Brian Balondo, colorist Jasen Smith, and letterer Dave Lent to bring this story to life?
AD & WR: Brian, Jasen, and Dave are an amazing team to work with. Brian will illustrate from the finished script that we send him, Jasen will shade/color it, and then Dave will do the text/design work. We would describe this process as very collaborative and professional, as well as inspiring. The work these guys do keeps us humble, but it also fuels our imaginations as we move forward with writing these issues.
BD: What (or who) were some of your creative influences in terms of the characters and tone, especially given the various elements of humor, horror, fantasy, and the supernatural?
AD & WR: We’re both big fans of the horror genre, so the inspirations there are endless. For Pocus Hocus specifically, we have noticed a lot of Guillermo Del Toro’s influence. The manga Death Note has provided some inspiration. Another big one that stands out is Christopher Nolan’s film, The Prestige, even though that film is a lot darker in terms of tone. Then, there’s the obvious one – Doctor Faustus – and the variations of that particular story throughout the years.
BD: How many issues do you have planned for the first story arc of the series?
AD & WR: We have six issues planned, but it may go for seven. We have also been brainstorming future arcs for the story and characters after the first one is complete.
BD: In light of the crowdfunding campaign, are there any backer rewards that you would like to highlight for our readers?
AD & WR: We have a lot of rewards featuring a character that appears in the second issue named Horus. He’s a little pink bunny rabbit with a lot of secrets. There is an amigurumi of Horus created by artist Sadie Lane that is, frankly, adorable. Then, there’s our new t-shirt design which also features Horus. It’s so fashionable, you’ll have to summon demons to fight off your envious friends.
BD: Are there any other upcoming projects on which you are working that you are able to share with our readers?
AD & WR: As a team, we are continuing to focus primarily on finishing the first Pocus Hocus series, but we’re also talking about a potential horror movie podcast. We’ve also discussed possibly making a full-blown horror movie someday, but that’s way down the road. Will is in the process of trying to get a feature length movie called The Slogan Machine off the ground next summer.
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell fans who want to learn more about Pocus Hocus and your other work?
AD & WR: First and foremost, definitely check out our Kickstarter page.
There are plenty of tiers that allow you to catch up on the series if you haven’t read the first issue yet. For those who are already caught up and fans of the series, the only thing we can say is: Hang on to your hats; you haven’t seen anything yet. As far as work in other mediums, if you’re interested in checking out some of Will’s film and video work, you can find that at www.vimeo.com/willrad.
