The following is an interview with Eddie Gorodetsky, Marc Andreyko, Steve Sadowski, and Shannon Eric Denton, the creative team of the upcoming comic book series, The Further Adventures of Nick Wilson, from publisher Image Comics. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with the creative team about their unique take on a superhero tale, what inspired the story, what they hope readers will take away from the series, their upcoming projects, and more! Stay tuned for The Further Adventures of Nick Wilson, coming to comic book stores in January 2018 from Image Comics!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the upcoming release of your new comic book series, The Further Adventures of Nick Wilson, from Image Comics! What inspired you to tell this post-superhero tale?
Eddie Gorodetsky: It started off as a story about getting older – about being obsolete. But looking around, I realized that you didn’t have to be old to feel shunted aside. Everybody feels like they have to dig themselves out from a hole at some point. Nick Wilson just has a deeper, more extreme one which makes it more interesting as a piece of fiction.
Marc Andreyko: When Eddie pitched me the high concept, I was instantly on board. Nick’s story is so relatable and real that I knew I not only wanted to be a part of it, but I wanted to read it! The great thing about genre fiction is that the metaphors can make the most exotic situation somehow more personal to the reader, and Nick having to redefine himself is something we all understand.
BD: How do you feel that the series sets itself apart from the superhero genre, and how do you feel that readers will most connect with protagonist Nick Wilson?
Eddie: In most case cases, superhero stories get bigger. They concentrate on the super rater than the man. We purposely didn’t show how Nick got his powers because that wasn’t the important part of our story. The important part for Marc and me is how he learns to become a human being again. While Eisenhower was President, telephones switched from operator assist to direct dial. When he moved out of the White House, people became worried because they didn’t hear from him for weeks. Finally, they drove out to his home. He was fine, he just didn’t know how to work his new phone-system. Every day of Nick Wilson’s life is an extreme version of that. So many things that used to be group activities we now do alone –movies, listening to music – it’s so easy to fall out of step, to feel isolated. I think we all feel out of step with the world sometimes. I think we all sometimes feel like Nick Wilson.
Marc: To echo Eddie’s comments, I think we all feel like Nick at some point in our lives. And in a world where people change careers something like 9 times in their lives, everyone can relate to the world moving past us and trying to keep up.
BD: Shannon, how would you describe the shared creative process of the team, and what do you hope that readers will take away from the series?
Shannon Eric Denton: Working on a comic is a lot like most sports in that it’s a team event, so the team is what makes that shared creative process work. Team dynamic is everything. If you have a good team, people can feel it. And we’ve got a great team. Eddie Gorodetsky, Marc Andreyko, Stephen Sadowski, HiFi (color), Pete Woods, Ian Churchill, and A Larger World (lettering) have brought their A-game to this book, and I think readers will pick up on that and that in turn will make the message in Nick Wilson resonate all the more.
BD: Steve, did you have a specific art style in mind when you first read the concept for Nick Wilson, or do you feel that your design evolved over time after working through the script with Gorodetsky and Andreyko?
Steve Sadowski: I don’t think I altered my style or changed my approach any. I think I was asked to do the series because I bring a fairly realistic/classic storytelling approach, and my goal was to bring these characters to life as well as I could. As you start to move forward with the series, they definitely take on their own life, and it becomes really just doing the characters as much just justice as they’re written.
BD: What makes Image Comics the perfect home for Nick Wilson?
Eddie: Freedom, intelligence, generosity of spirit. Understanding of writers and artists and the nurturing of creative spirit.
Marc: Image has, through 25 years of publishing, become the only home for creator-owned material. The diversity of stories and talent at Image is unparalleled and to be at a publisher who encourages pushing boundaries, pushing storytelling, and is nothing but supportive is simply a joy and a privilege.
BD: The series is currently available for pre-order through Diamond Distribution. What is the best way for interested readers to pre-order their copy of Issue #1?
Shannon: Partnering with Image Comics helps in that they have done a great job making this book easy to find for the retailers. We’re hoping a lot of folks will also walk into their local comics shop and let their retailers know they want a copy when the book comes out in January. Tell your local comics shop the Diamond Order Code is NOV170648!
BD: Are there any upcoming projects on which you are currently working that you would like to share with our readers?
Eddie: I’m in the middle of season five of the CBS show, Mom – this is the other project I’m doing and I couldn’t be happier. I think I will be consulting on a new project with Chuck Lorre in 2018, though it is his place to announce it, not mine.
Marc: I have Harley and Ivy Meet Betty and Veronica that I’m co-writing with Paul Dini for DC/Archie and a number of comics not ready to be announced, as well as some “Hollywood” stuff which may or may not ever come to fruition (as is the norm out here!).
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find more information about The Further Adventures of Nick Wilson?
Marc: The Image+ magazine, Diamond Distribution, or pre-order from your local comic shop! And pre-orders are the lifeblood of new, indie books, so please let your local comic book store know! I’m incredibly proud of the book we’ve made, and I’m pretty darn sure readers will enjoy it immensely!
