The following is an interview with writer Louis Southard on the Kickstarter campaign launch for the dystopian comedy, Laugh Riot #1. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Southard about his shared creative process in working with artist Devlin Bakler to bring the story and characters to life on the page, the exciting 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 Laugh Riot #1! What can you share with us about the overall premise of the comic book series?
Louis Southard: Thank you so much, Barbra! I really appreciate it! So, Laugh Riot #1 can be summed up as “Looney Tunes versus 1984.” It’s a 24-page thrill ride about a dystopian society where the tyrannical ruler of the fictional Usonia, President Thaddeus K. Gander, is literally part of everything. Like, everything everything. From politics to entertainment to self-help to sex to raising your own children. He’s there. But, the other half of the coin is a mysterious jester named Merry Andrew who one day appears in opposition to the government. Then, if you could even believe it, conflict ensues! If you like action, mystery, and getting weird, this is the story for you!
BD: How would you describe your shared creative process in working with artist Devlin Baker to bring this story and characters to life on the page?
LS: Well, when I was first starting out in comics, I often wrote scripts and then looked for any artist who would say yes to work with me. In hindsight, I realize that that wasn’t the most practical outlook for achieving a more real and successful product. Collaboration must work on all levels, and art in comics has to serve a larger point than just translating what I wrote on the page.
Now, in my ripe old age of 25, I write my scripts with art styles and people in mind already to best suit the tone and vision of what this fictional world can be. I worked with Devlin Baker once before on my graphic novel, Comics Are Dying: The Comic, and I knew the guy had the stuff back then. His style is kinetic, fun, but also very detailed. He’s very good at drawing people, I often say he’s like a young Frank Miller.
So, this all hinged on him saying yes and I can thank God that he did. After that, it was only a matter of giving him a script and turning him loose to explore and make it his.
BD: Why do you feel that crowdfunding has been such a valuable resource to ensuring the success of today’s comic book creators?
LS: Genuinely? Because we have no other choice. I have a peer and friend who is bewildered about how I managed to break into the direct market when I did back in 2019. But, that was just a year before the pandemic. Most of the publishers a young buck or aspiring creator could pitch to back then are gone and we’ve only encountered more and more industry shrinkage in the past few years.
There’s more competition and less space than ever in the direct market between established creators and fresh talent. So, people now have to bet on themselves and believe in what they wish to make, and I think that’s a great thing. There’s a beauty in that passion and art life. That there are stories people have to tell no matter the odds. I consider myself a part of the mindset. Making creative arts not because we simply want to, but because we need to.
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 Laugh Riot may connect with and impact readers, and what, if any, conversations do you hope that it might inspire?
LS: To rip off the time-tested Marvel adage, this is a book about “the world outside your window.” As an elder Gen-Z person, I feel like that there has been this abyss lurking over my generation’s head. That we’re unable to do anything because we’re already destined to fail, so don’t you dare bother starting. I think our society enables that in a lot of ways, we certainly have the terminology for it. Black pilled. Bed rotting. Doom scrolling. Slop culture. This is how people view the modern day.
I reject all of that. I believe in maintaining optimism and hope. That we may not be able to save this world, but we can at least save our own personal worlds through effort and care. That’s what Laugh Riot is for me, personally. It’s me making a comic for myself. It’s an artistic catharsis tackling everything I find interesting about weird history and art and politics and comics as a job and whatever else. It’s me putting my all into a story.
So, I hope it will get people talking. I hope it will give people escapism. I hope it will inspire people to make their own creative expressions to fight against that abyss.
BD: In light of the crowdfunding campaign, are there any particular backer rewards that you would like to highlight for our readers?
LS: I’d like to say that we have a wide variety of options for interested folks! There are multiple variants by popular artists Azoinab and Linden Cahill, a special retailer wholesale tier, Zoom calls with me to learn how to make comics, and a special second chance for people to pick up my infamous original graphic novel Comics Are Dying: The Comic, which I made with over 100 industry artists. There’s even a fantastic little sticker designed by artist (and a real life scientist) Lizah van Der Aart!
BD: Are there any other projects – past or current – that you would like to share with our readers?
LS: But, we just made this one! Haha, I kid. I’d like to mention that we’re hard at work on issue 2 of Laugh Riot as we see this as a nice little miniseries. So, expect more of Merry Andrew and the gang in future installments.
Other than that, I have my Valiant Universe debut in the upcoming X-O Manowar: Black, White, and Gold anthology collection. ALIEN Books really let me have fun with my story and I got to play with a lot of cool toys from their world. As an aside to the readers, I need you to tell the folks at ALIEN / Valiant that you want me to write more stories for them! That would be nice! Haha.
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell readers who want to learn more about the Laugh Riot campaign and your other work?
LS: For Laugh Riot, there’s no better place to learn about it than this here article and the Kickstarter campaign page.
If you want to learn more about me, I’d say to consult your local wishing well and throwing a coin in. Haha. Seriously though, you can learn more about me and my history of work on my website, www.louissouthard.com, or my social media where I’m @louissouthard everywhere. Thank you so much for having me back and I was really glad to talk to you again!
