The following is an interview with creators Steven E. Gordon, E.J. Su, and Shannon Eric Denton on the upcoming launch of their Zoop crowdfunding campaign for the horror comic book anthology, Forge of Monsters, through publisher Monster Forge. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Gordon, Su, and Denton about what first intrigued them about participating in the anthology, the exciting backer rewards available to supporters of the campaign, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: You have all contributed to Forge of Monsters, which will soon launch its Zoop crowdfunding campaign. As prolific creators, what most intrigued you about participating in this anthology?
Steven E. Gordon: I’m always excited to have a chance to attack characters and a story like this. I’ve enjoyed monsters and demons as I was growing up whether it was reading books or comics or watching film. The fact that Demon Ranger was female and riding a horse-type creature only sweetened the pot. I’ve been drawing horseback riders throughout my career in animation from the very first scene I animated on my own – Gandalf and Aragorn riding horses at a gallop for Ralph Bakshi’s Lord of the Rings to drawing them for the online Edgar Rice Burroughs, inc comic, The Eternal Savage. And getting a chance to render demons of any kind my mind could come up with that she has to fight was quite a bit of unbridled fun. (See what I did there?)
E.J. Su: I have always loved monsters and creatures of the unknown. It’s one of those things that sparked my, as well as a lot of kids’, imagination. I was particularly interested in working on things that haven’t had the chance to work on before. Buddy cops stories are always a classic, and when the buddy cops are two alien creatures, it adds an interesting dynamic.
Shannon Eric Denton: Well, as the architect of this universe, it was my extreme joy to bring in so many visionary creators to collaborate with. It’s fantastic when personal and professional satisfaction combine. Working with people I admire is my favorite part of the creation process.
BD: What can you tell us about the premise of your respective stories in the first issue, and how would you describe your shared (or solo) creative process in bringing the world and original characters to life on the page?
SEG: This particular story featuring Demon Ranger was a fun process because I was able to not only show her rescuing a family driving across the New Mexico desert but also her origin story before she became the Demon Ranger. I purposely tried to use a somewhat different style of drawing for the flashbacks to mark it apart from the current time.
EJS: The main characters are two aliens hunting down a lizard-like creature. Because one of the aliens, KJ, and the lizard creatures are small in size, their fight took place almost entirely in a kid’s toy room.
Designing the characters is always one of the most fun parts of the process, and sometimes challenging. Omega Bomb has translucent skin; it was fun to come up with how we could see through his body.
SED: It’s interesting as I started at Image Comics’ Extreme Studios, so I’m super familiar with how the individual comics and studios were their own unique thing but could also be part of an interconnecting universe. When I started Monster Forge, we had so many people asking us when our monsterverse was coming and I think it was all that enthusiasm for what we were building that inspired me to get back to my roots. Hunters is the birth of this universe, Forge is the overview and Atlantean is a close-up focus on some of the characters in this universe. Getting to write these and team up with so many stellar creators has really made me remember that joy when I first became apart of the comics industry all those years ago.
BD: Why do you feel that crowdfunding has been such a valuable resource to ensuring the success of today’s comic book creators and publishers?
SEG: Crowdfunding has created an opportunity for smaller comic endeavors to find and reach an audience like never before. And gives an opportunity for creators to try more experimental types of storytelling that would give pause to the bigger publishers.
EJS: In the past, in order for a creator to publish a book, you’d need to find a publisher that likes your work, willing to put up the cost of the publishing. Even though you can always publish yourself, the process is not something most creators are capable of following through, and the risk of not being able to reach the audience is very high.
Internet and crowdfunding lowers the bar of getting things into the hands of intended audiences. Not only is it a great way to gauge the interest, but also at the same time raise the much-needed capital to offset the cost of producing a book. Crowdfunding eases the process of publishing a book, as well as the resources in the creators’ hands.
SED: Oh, having launched interconnected stuff before, it’s so hard to get a publisher to see what you see. With our Monster Club (formed with our crowdfunded projects), comes the opportunity for like-minded fans to all participate, support the vision, and build out the community. I’m so glad to have finally gotten around to experiencing that!
BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums – no matter the genre. How do you feel that your story may connect with and impact readers?
SEG: Crowdfunding creates an immediate link to the fans and creates a better way to reach those that might like your particular comic before going into the usual channels of publication. There have been so many success stories that have come from crowdfunding that it feels like the fans have embraced this, as well as the creators.
EJS: I think our story is fun and action packed. If you like to see aliens and creatures just going all out at each other, I think you’ll like what we did here.
SED: I’m hoping people get to escape for a bit from the madness of the world and really just let these stories entertain them. Being a storyteller is a community I’m very proud to be a member of. Obviously, you hope everyone enjoys the tale you tell, but at the end of the day, I made this for myself and fellow monster lovers.
BD: In light of the upcoming Forge of Monsters crowdfunding campaign, are there any particular backer rewards that you would like to highlight for our readers?
SEG: I’d be willing to do art commissions and remarques as rewards for any that help crowdfund this particular project. The commissions don’t necessarily need to be based on Demon Ranger or the other monsters that make up this book.
EJS: I think that part of the campaign is still being finalized, but I believe there will be digital sketchbooks, and possibly commissions from the creators. Whatever it is, there will be a lot of fun incentive to get onboard.
BD: Are there any other projects – past or current – that you would like to share with our readers?
SEG: I’m finishing up a graphic novel adaptation of Guy Endore’s The Wetewolf in Paris with Mark Ellis and hope to soon start a multi-part adaptation of The Beekeeper’s Apprentice based on the bestselling Sherlock Holmes pastiche novel written by Laurie R. King with Andy Mangels handling the text adaptation.
EJS: I am the co-creator on Tech Jacket with Robert Kirkman, which most recently made its small animated cameo in Skybound’s Invincible show. There will be a new compendium that will collect the entire run of Tech Jacket in December.
Another project that I co-created with Robert Kirkman and writer Benito Cereno is currently an on-going series from Skybound.
I am currently working on the first volume of Legendary Comics’ Pacific Rim: Final Breach. It should be out toward the end of the year, as well.
SED: Kraken and Spectors at Titan Comics! Savager at Panick Entertainment! Taarna at Heavy Metal! Additionally, shout-out to our Design Director Kristen Fitzner Denton who makes all of this look so good. Bret Blevins, Jok, Jeff Mariotte, David Hartman, Rick Hoberg, Roy Burdine, Mike Dubisch, Mike Manley, Ryan Lieb, Steven E Gordon, Roger Robinson, Chris Gugliotti, John Cboins, Thomas Perkins, Jude Beers, Tom Mandrake, and everyone else who’s contributed to Monster Forge these last 5 years.
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell readers who want to learn more about the Forge of Monsters campaign and your other work?
SEG: I’m always available to meet fans and do commissions at a number of comic-cons during the year. And I’m easy to reach via my IG account and other SM, as well as through my storenvy store and my website (stevenegordon.com).
EJS: If you love monsters, Forge of Monsters has a lot of monsters. I mean it already said so in the title, and we have creators from all walks of life that will bring you different flavors in different stories. You’ll be bound to find something you’ll love.
My link to my various sites and social media is linktr.ee/ejsu28
SED: Yes, keep following MonsterForgeProductions.com to stay up to date on our projects with Panick Entertainment, Mad Cave, IDW, Storm King Productions, Dark Horse, Titan Comics, Heavy Metal, and more! Lots of monstrous fun on the horizon!
