The following is an interview with Joe Atalla regarding the recent Kickstarter campaign launch for the pulp adventure anthology, Sir Reginald & the Clockwork Heart, in collaboration with Goats Flying Press. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Atalla about the shared creative process of bringing the story and characters to life on the page, the incredible backer rewards available through the campaign, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the launch of your Kickstarter campaign for Sir Reginald & the Clockwork Heart! What can you share with us about the genesis of this globe-trotting supernatural adventurer, and how would you describe the anthology’s overall premise?
Joe Atalla: Sir Reginald and the Clockwork Heart has been described as Hellboy meets Duck Tales. We have five different treasure-hunting adventures packed with action and humor, all following Sir Reginald and his trusty butler Mr. Spittle. There’s a mystery that weaves itself throughout the stories and ties them all together, giving us a deeper understanding of Sir Reginald and why he searches for relics.
Sir Reginald and Mr. Spittle have their origins in an October drawing challenge from a couple of years ago, but they really came to life working with Goats Flying Press through Juni Ba’s Eisner-nominated The Fables of Erlking Wood Kickstarter. There was a special tier for a custom twelve-page comic by Juni, which I decided to back. As we started exploring ideas, Sebastian Girner (publisher and editor of Goats Flying Press) and Juni liked my concept for Sir Reginald and we started talking about how to expand it into its own full book. Sir Reginald is definitely a product of Goats’ ethos of “Comics Against All Odds.”
BD: The anthology will be illustrated by a Murderers’ Row of creative talent. How would you describe your shared creative process in working with the various illustrators to bring the 5 interconnected stories and characters to life on the page?
JA: I was so lucky to get Juni Ba, Jesse Lonergan, Dimitrios Pantazis, and Armand Bodnar, not to mention editor Sebastian Girner, colorist Brad Simpson, and letterer/designer Jeff Powell, to work on this book with me. The book would just not be the same without these individuals all bringing their best to it. I had written all the stories before engaging the artists, although I had them in mind from the beginning, so I had to make sure they understood I was open to collaboration. Because I have a deep love and appreciation for each of their work, I wasn’t too precious with my ideas, character designs, and script. I really wanted them to bring themselves to the project and the results are spectacular. The artists were amazing partners as we tied visuals and elements from the various stories together to create a cohesive whole.
BD: In addition to the collected hardcover itself, are there any backers reward tiers from the Kickstarter campaign that you would like to highlight for readers?
JA: The hardcover is the focus because we can’t wait for people to read this book. Beyond that, we’re offering everything from a digital bundle to sketch cards and prints to commissions and original art. It’s important to us to offer a variety of price points for backers of every budget, without overly complicating the campaign. It’s also important the rewards make sense to this book and don’t feel tacked on, so we’re putting a lot of thought into each element. We’re planning some great stretch goals and add-ons too! Most importantly, we’re offering a free print for early backers, so I highly recommend signing up on the pre-launch page to be notified when the campaign goes live.
BD: Why do you feel that crowdfunding – and Kickstarter in particular – has become such a valuable resource for today’s comics creators and publishers?
JA: I was an early Kickstarter adopter and have enjoyed backing many campaigns. I love the opportunity to not only back a creator’s passion project, but to get great bonus perks like original art and swag that isn’t available after the campaign. Although things have changed over the years, it’s still one of the best platforms for creators and publishers to reach their readers directly. I’ve found Kickstarter to have the comic creators I’m looking for and allows for the best discoverability, too. Comic book publishers are in a difficult spot today, and the market conditions make it scary to take a chance on new projects or creators. For an indie creator like me, it’s a great way to prove the viability of a project and develop a community.
BD: What makes Goats Flying Press the ideal publishing partner for this anthology?
JA: Sebastian is the founder and heart of Goats Flying Press. He’s an amazing story editor and pushed me to make Sir Reginald and the Clockwork Heart grander and better in every way. Goats has built an amazing community of readers and a library of unique independent books through a successful series of Kickstarters. It’s easy to self-publish a book these days, but getting into readers’ hands is a whole other issue. They have the know-how and relationships to make this a successful campaign – way beyond what I could have achieved on my own.
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find more information about the Kickstarter campaign for Sir Reginald & the Clockwork Heart and your other work?
JA: The best way to keep up with Sir Reginald and any upcoming work is through my Substack newsletter at https://atomicengine.substack.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/goatomicart/. I plan to share all sorts of behind-the-scenes stories and deeper info on Sir Reginald and the Clockwork Heart in my newsletter throughout the campaign. I’ve already been leading up with Sir Reginald’s background for the past two months, so I’d recommend checking it out to learn more. I also sometimes get into my other love – original comic art collecting.
