The following is an interview with Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips regarding the upcoming release of the collected trade paperback for The Enfield Gang Massacre through Image Comics. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Condon and Phillips about their shared creative process in expanding the world and characters of their previous work, what they hope that readers may connect with about the series, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the upcoming release of The Enfield Gang Massacre trade paperback! What will readers have in store with the upcoming release?
Chris Condon: Thank you so much! We’re both very excited to have our mini-series collected. We aim to utilize the trade format to add some additional materials, which is something that we haven’t done before. We’re including a new six-page short story in the collection which takes place a few years prior to the events of The Enfield Gang Massacre. In terms of the story of Enfield itself, you can anticipate an emotional, action-packed Western drama.
BD: In looking back at the development and creation of the series, what can you tell us about your shared creative process that really made this series both unique and complementary to the prior That Texas Blood series?
CC: I think we’ve really learned to trust one another. We both let each other work and don’t step on toes. We just let the whole thing flow out naturally and we trust each other’s instincts. I had grown to trust Jake so implicitly that I felt no stress whatsoever handing over my scripts that were heavy on visuals but light on dialogue. I feel like Enfield is very much a part of what we’ve been doing with That Texas Blood, simultaneously standing successfully on its own and helping to elevate the previous volumes. It showcases a different toolset than we had used in That Texas Blood and really helped us dive deeper into the lore of the world we’d created back in 2020’s first issue.
Jacob Phillips: With each arc of That Texas Blood, I went for a slightly different approach on the art, whether that be digital or traditional inks or the way I approach the colours. I like to mix it up to keep it fresh for myself and find something that works best for the story that we were telling. Enfield was no different; I approached it as the new story it is and got to try out new storytelling techniques I had been thinking about for a while. For example, we thought it would be cool to tell the story, as much as we could, in horizontal panels which are reminiscent of the widescreen shots that are so engrained into the imagery of Western movies. When I suggested this, I didn’t take into account how this might impact Chris’ job when it came to actually fitting the story into the limited space, but he absolutely nailed it.
BD: What makes Image Comics the perfect home for this series?
CC: I’ve worked with some fantastic publishers thus far in my career, but Image is the sole publisher that leaves us alone to do what we do. They never stand over our shoulder and tell us you have to do this or that. Jacob and I came to them with the idea of using newsprint to emphasize the pulpy dime novel feel of the story, which Jake had been a fan of from the Superman ’78 collected edition. Instead of pushing us to print on a typical paper stock, they instead found a way to do it. They’re the ideal publisher, really.
JP: Yeah, they kind of just leave us alone to do our thing. It’s so freeing to know you’re in absolute control of the story you’re creating.
BD: At Fanbase Press this year, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums. How do you feel that this installment has connected with and impacted readers, especially in light of the incredible critical and fan response to the series?
CC: Well, I really appreciate all of the kind words we’ve heard from our readers. A lot of people felt emotionally invested in the characters and story, so much so that when the series ended, we got a lot of messages telling us how heartbroken they were at the conclusion. It’s an honor to have created something that touches people in some way like that. As a creator, it’s the dream reaction. You put so much of yourself into each and every panel on each and every page, so to hear that it means so much to someone other than yourself is an uncanny feeling. It proves that it works!
JP: Chris is so incredible at crafting characters. So much so that people were hoping for a way out for the characters of this story despite the very title of the book. That connection is what we hope for when we put these books together.
BD: Are there any other upcoming projects on which you are working that you are able to share with our readers?
CC: I would like to point people toward Night People, the adaptation of Barry Gifford’s novel that I tackled for Oni Press with Brian Level, Alexandre Tefengki, Artyom Topilin, and Marco Finnegan. The first issue is out in March, and I hope people check it out.
JP: And I’m currently working on the graphic novel adaptation of Francis Ford Coppola’s new film, Megalopolis. Which is a wild thing to say. But that’s my next few months. After that, Chris and I will be back to making stories together.
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell fans who want to learn more about The Enfield Gang Massacre trade paperback?
CC: It’s 200 pages of Western goodness, printed on newsprint just like the single issues were. If you’re looking to add a Western to your shelves, this is the one for you.
