The following is an interview with Phillip Maira regarding the launch of the Kickstarter campaign for the comic book anthology, Purple Eyes. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Maira about the inspiration behind the collection, the shared creative process of working with the contributors, 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 Purple Eyes which is now in its final days. For those who may be unfamiliar, what can you share with us about the premise of this collection?
Phillip Maira: The Purple Eyes anthology has 18 stories from 33 creators. This 140+ page book is set in a world where 73 minutes before you die, your eyes turn a vibrant purple. There is no action, decision, nor medical assistance that can reverse this ocular ticking clock toward death. It’s 100% accurate and occurs to everyone in the world. The concept is an expansion on a short story Sean Dicker, Justin Birch, and I created. I held open pitch submission for 6 weeks and received 185 pitches. The best 18 are in this book. The stories are a mix of heart ache, humor, revenge, super natural, sports, medical drama, and more. The creators and I meet several times a month to find visual and narrative ways to link the stories together. This is a combination of having characters in different stories be related or a character pop-up in several stories, as well as stories occurring at the same time in the same city but in different locations. It’s been a blast building this world together and watching all the creators pour their skills and passion into making this the best experience for the reader. It’s been so amazing and we cannot wait to share with everyone what we’ve been creating.
BD: What (or who) was the inspiration behind this project, and do you anticipate subsequent anthologies in the future?
PM: As mentioned, the Purple Eyes anthology is an expansion of a short story Sean Dicker, Justin Birch, and I created together. The 73 minutes and purple eyes concept were integral to the story, but the heartfelt connection between the young siblings is what sticks with you. That story has a distinct ending, but the purple eyes concept kept lingering in my mind. At the time, I did not have a project in production so thought it would be fun to invite other creators to tell their stories in this unique world. I received 185 pitches and the best 18 are in this book. There were so many brilliant pitches by phenomenal artists that did not fit into this book. In early 2023, I’ll begin pre-production for Purple Eyes Vol. 2. There will be another round of open pitch submissions, and I cannot wait to see what people come up with.
BD: You have an incredible lineup of creators involved with the project. How would you describe your shared creative process in working with the entire team to bring the stories to life?
PM: This process has been the highlight of my comics career. It’s been nothing short of fantastic. There’s a shared folder that all the creators can add WIPs or character sketches. Everyone is giving their all and it’s inspiring. We all want to create the best book possible for the readers. I can confidently say that this book is special.
BD: In light of the Kickstarter campaign, are there any particular backer rewards that you would like to highlight for our readers?
PM: Unique to this campaign we have custom commissions of your favorite movie/comic/TV show/manga character by some of the artists. These are traditional ink on paper, but the only additional color used is purple. For example, the Green Goblin with his iconic purple costume. Scott Arnold is doing music-themed commissions, so Prince in his purple suit or a punk rocker with a giant purple Mohawk. This is an add-on for all physical tiers.
You can also get all 3 Crackle anthologies for less than it costs to print. All the short stories in Crackle were written by myself and I was fortunate to collaborate with so many talented artists from all over the world. Vol. 1 contains the 2020 Platform Comics competition winning story, “Head Above Water,” by Kishore Mohan, Aditya Bidikar, and myself. Crackle Vol. 3 won a Grantie a couple weeks ago for Favorite Anthology.
The biggest reward is Jack Foster’s original jaw dropping art for the book’s cover. As of writing this interview, this tier is still available, but won’t last long. This tier also includes some extra perks as a thank you.
BD: Are there any other projects on which you are working that you would like to share with readers?
PM: No specifics on my next project. I’ve been working on a script about a mute main character that is stuck on a mysterious island. Lots of weird ideas and playing with the storytelling of comics. I have an artist in mind, but haven’t asked them yet. Also, the other day I wrote the following on my white board and it’s an interesting mash-up: Evangelion + Cooking Competition. So, probably one of those 2 projects as I do prep for Purple Eyes Vol. 2 in early 2023.
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell fans who want to learn more about the Purple Eyes Kickstarter campaign and your other work?
PM: The Kickstarter is live until Wednesday, June 15th. The campaign page has all the info, preview pages, as well as Jack Foster’s amazing cover for the book. The campaign is ending very soon so check out the below links.
Kickstarter
Also Kickstarter: PurpleEyesComic.com
For preview pages of my previous work or to get all 3 Crackle books visit: https://phillipmaira.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PhillipMaira
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phillipmaira/
