The following is an interview with screenwriter Michael Schwartz regarding the Kickstarter campaign launch for the comic book series, Armored, in conjunction with Clover Press. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Schwartz about his transition from screenwriting to the sequential art medium, what readers may take away from the story, the incredible backer rewards available, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: You recently launched a Kickstarter campaign in collaboration with a star-studded lineup of creators and Clover Press for your new comic book series, Armored. As a life-long comic book fan, what can you share with us about your experience of bringing this story to life through the sequential art medium?
Michael Schwartz: I came up with the concept about a kid finding a magical suit of haunted armor quite a number of years ago. It was an idea I couldn’t let go of, and in my head it went from TV series to feature film, and then, ultimately, what it was always meant to be was a comic book. A few years back, I had my entire comic collection stolen and when I began re-collecting and revisiting some of my favorite stories, I was inspired to write Armored in the medium it was meant to be told in. I had always wanted to find the right story to finally get into comic book writing. At first, it was a bit of a challenge, because I wasn’t familiar with comic book structure like I was with screenwriting. But after spending a number of months breaking down and analyzing the structure of some of my favorite modern comics, I felt ready to just dive in.
BD: How would you describe your shared creative process in working with artist Ismael Hernandez, and do you feel that you had the same opportunity for collaborative storytelling with your previous work in screenwriting, VFX, or animation?
MS: Ismael is an absolute gem when it comes to sequential storytelling. His art and style reminds me of a lot of the incredible storyboard artists I’ve worked with in animation. There is definitely a lot of collaboration between myself, Ismael, and Chris [Stevens] when it comes to designs. But I do have to admit, Ismael usually nails the panels in his first pass of layouts. As a screenwriter, I’ve co-written a lot of movies, so I’m used to collaborating with other writers and artists. The main difference between screenwriting and comic book writing is once the script in film is written, it becomes the director’s story. Many changes need to be made on set to really bring the project to life. With comics, as the writer, I’m involved with working with Ismael, Chris, and super-star letterer Ferran Delgado right up until we print the comic book.
BD: The story weaves together the best of horror, the supernatural, and fantasy for an engaging and youthful adventure. What do you hope that readers of all ages may take away from Andy’s story?
MS: I hope when readers finally get the chance to read Armored, they are able to connect with Andy on an emotional level. When we meet him at the beginning of the series, he has spent the past two years dealing with the loss of his parents. Loss is something we all go through in our lives and everyone can connect to Andy’s journey from resistance of change to acceptance.
More than anything, I hope readers are immersed in the world of Armored. I really tried to tell an engaging story where readers will feel like they’re on a roller coaster in every issue.
BD: Additional cover artists involved with this project include artists Jae Lee, Nick Pitarra, Chrissie Zullo, Scott Kolins, Matthew Therrien, and Jeff Dickson. What are you most excited for readers to experience with their artistic contributions to the project?
MS: What’s been the most fun about having all of these incredible artists involved in the project is seeing their interpretation of not only the story, but also of Ismael’s artwork. Ismael designed everything you see in the comic and having these artistic masters bring their own spin to it has been incredibly special. From Jae Lee’s elegant approach to Nick Pitarra’s highly detailed hi-jinks to Chrissie Zullo’s Disney-esque take on a central character, there really is a cover for any comic fan or collector.
BD: Lastly, are there any specific backer rewards that you would like to highlight as part of the Kickstarter campaign?
MS: There are so many cool rewards for the Kickstarter campaign. I’m really excited about the ’90s-inspired chrome cover and red foil Jae Lee cover that Clover will be making. I’m a huge fan of the 3D covers DC put out a few years ago, so I’m elated that Clover will be doing 3D lenticular versions of Nick Pitarra’s covers. His artwork is just so dynamic, and it just feels like it is meant to be seen in 3D! Also, I’ve seen a few pieces of original art that Ismael Hernandez, the artist on Armored, has provided for the campaign, and they look incredible! More than anything, I hope when readers get their hands on the comic they enjoy it!
