The following is an interview with Tyrone Finch (writer/producer – Station 19) regarding the upcoming release of the graphic novel, Swine, from Humanoids. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Finch about the shared creative process of working with artist Alain Mauricet, why Humanoids is the perfect home for this story, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the upcoming release of Swine! For those who may be unfamiliar, what can you tell us about the premise of this dark comedy?
Tyrone Finch: Well, I can tell you that it’s a story about a man who has served time for killing his wife, teaming with his sister-in-law to hunt down the demonic forces that were truly responsible for the murder. And for reasons that are dark and mysterious, those demonic forces reside within the bodies of pigs.
BD: How would you describe your creative process in working with artist Alain Mauricet to bring this story to life?
TF: Working with Mauricet was great. A few years ago, we worked together on a small project for AHOY Comics and we had a lot of fun. I intended for Swine to have a nice balance of humor and horror, and Mauricet did an incredible job of helping me find and maintain that balance. He also created some very funny images that I never envisioned.
BD: Your writing career has spanned a variety of mediums, from the stage and small screen, to short stories with AHOY Comics, and now to the sequential art medium. How do you feel that your experience in sharing your voice and narrative has evolved as you worked in various mediums?
TF: I don’t know to what extent I’ve managed to evolve. I do know that I’ve learned a lot about the similarities and differences between the mediums. In every medium, the goal is to tell a compelling story. But anything I write for the stage or screen is meant to be heard by an audience, not read. With comic books and graphic novels, it’s important to craft the dialogue so that it’s compelling when read. On top of that, comic books force you to be economical with your words. The last thing I want to do is cover the art with too much unnecessary text.
BD: What made Humanoids the perfect home for this project?
TF: They said yes. I’m only half-joking about that. Swine is an odd and somewhat unconventional story. I honestly didn’t know if I’d ever find a publisher willing to take a chance on it. Humanoids did more than that. They embraced it. Rob Levin was a great editor and he assembled a great team to work on the book. I’m glad they said yes.
BD: Are there any other projects on which you are currently working that you are able to share with our readers?
TF: I wish I could share a lot more with your readers, but I can’t at this time. There are a few pesky contracts by which I am forced to abide. But I think I’m allowed to tell you that I’m working on a project for AHOY Comics that could see the light of day next year. I don’t think they’ll mind me saying that. If they do, I’m going to tell them that you forced it out of me by withholding food and water.
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell readers who want to learn more about Swine and your other work?
TF: I don’t think that there’s a lot more to learn about Swine. At least… not yet. If anyone is curious about my other work, they can find most of it tucked inside the pages of a few different AHOY Comics. I also wrote a short piece for an anthology entitled Noir Is the New Black from Fair Square Comics. It’s a cool collection of stories, and I was happy they invited me to contribute to it. And Alain Mauricet has done incredible work on a bunch of titles. His Dastardly & Muttley is terrific, and you can do a quick internet search to find even more of his work.
