The following is an interview with Sean Wood regarding the recent launch of his Kickstarter campaign for the horror comic book, Recon and the Little Ones. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Wood about his shared creative process of bringing the story and characters to life on the page, the backer rewards available to supporters of the campaign, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the launch of your Kickstarter campaign! For those who may be unfamiliar, what can you tell us about the story’s premise?
Sean Wood: Thank you! The idea came from the fear of my 4-year-old daughter growing up in this crazy world and my need to protect her. The idea turned into Samurai Jack-like action that meets Wall-E tasked with saving the last girl on Earth against zombies. The story starts out explaining that food is scarce in the world. Scientists go too far with bio-enhancing what is left. A vine-like infection grows from inside humans, causing a need to convert everything back to the Earth. Humanity starts to lose a war against this zombie infection. In fear of survival, we build a robot army to fight the infection in our place. This story starts at the end of humanity. The robots are now without a purpose and no one to protect. A recon bot is rusting away in an old building when he is awakened to a girl screaming. He now has a mission. He needs to figure out how to keep her safe and to find out how she survived on her own.
BD: How would you describe your shared creative process in bringing this incredible world and characters to life on the the page?
SW: It has been an amazing journey with my artist and colorist for the comic, Dave Swartz. We instantly clicked on what this world would look like from the robot design, to the unique style of zombies that we wanted to portray. The biggest thing that I was looking for in an artist was someone that would be able to showcase emotion in a robot, and he did it with ease. Anything that Dave has suggested for composition on the page or even the look of Recon, our robot, has given me inspiration to add to the lore of the story. It has been an incredible experience, and I can’t wait to bring more stories to this universe in the future with the help of Dave.
BD: You are no stranger to crowdfunding, having successfully run several campaigns for various projects. Why do you feel that crowdfunding has been such a valuable resource to ensuring the success of today’s comic book creators?
SW: I would never have been able to pursue this lifelong dream of being a comic creator without crowdfunding. I started out writing a couple years ago at the age of 34 with a wife and 2 kids that were ages 8 and 2. I am the sole provider for my family while my wife takes care of the kids at home. I would not be able to afford to do this on my own, and I don’t think a publisher would give someone without any experience an opportunity. Kickstarter and the community around it, other creators and readers alike, have been a godsend in my life. These campaigns also have helped me show my kids that if you put your mind to something, anything is possible. Now they both have some input in my stories and love telling everyone that their dad is a comic writer.
BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums. How do you feel that this story may connect with and impact readers?
SW: Even though this is a story with zombies, my hope is that we show even though situations that we are in or the world around us seem hopeless, we can always find a way out with the help of others if we don’t give up. I feel like this is more relevant with the times we are in now even more than it did when I started writing this story.
BD: In light of the crowdfunding campaign, are there any particular backer rewards or tiers that you’re most excited about?
SW: My favorite reward tier for this campaign would be our 6-inch hand sculpted Recon bust statue. I have the first one that the sculptist made with my Marvel, DC, and other mass produced statues and it fits in perfectly.
BD: In addition, are there any other projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
SW: I’m excited to say that while I am live with this campaign, I am also working on my 4th issue to finish my first trade of The Fog Within which will be live in June. At the same time, I’m working on a couple of different approved anthology stories including Charlie McElvy’s Vagabond: Nowhere Man. Altogether, I’m working on 4 different stories at once, and I’m loving every minute of the journey.
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell readers who want to learn more about the Recon and the Little One campaign and your other work?
SW: You can find me on all the socials under Seanwood_writer, and I would love to have a conversation about my team’s creations.
