Jimmy PalmiottisPaperFilmshavejust announced their latest Kickstarter-funded graphic novel,Denver.
Jimmy Palmiotti and PaperFilms have successfully funded five previous Kickstarter-exclusive graphic novels.
Among other things going for it,Denverboasts the art of Pier Brito and a soundtrack by Hans Karl!
Den of Geek: Tell us about the genesis ofDenver, what sparked the original idea?
The book is about the adventure we throw poor Max into and how he deals with it.
Its a mix of drama, science fiction, and at times a bit out of control.
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Has the original concept gone through any iterations between idea and execution?
I believe in editing till the day it goes out to the printers.
It is really all the process of creating.
A lot of time it is only them that sees a problem.
Tell us about working with Pier Brito?
What does he bring to the project?
Every single page has been a surprise for us and thats also been an inspiring part of the process.
Learning what he can do and then pushing him a bit harder as the book went on.
This is his first American work and will certainly not be his last.
What makesDenvers protagonist, Max Flynn tick?
What is he searching for?
Dystopian novels have certainly been extremely popular lately, what made you want to explore this genre?
I want to explore every genre and this one seemed to fit for us.
I also liked that the main characters motivation is based on love…his love for his wife.
Does Mile High Comics still exist in your story?
What do you see as the major conflicts of the novel?
It all comes down to weighing options that are not good ones.
Will we see an international reaction to the events in the U.S. during the course of your story?
No, the story stays focused only on the city and what comes to it.
Any villains you want to tell us about?
The villains have to remain a mystery until the book is read.
The difference is that they are willing to let a body count happen for their cause.
Do you consider yourselves pioneers?
That is for others to think about.
I have a rule that I repeat all the time.
Treat others how you would like to be treated.
You would be amazed how the world would change if people took this to heart.
It already has because people are taking their projects here, and less with the companies.
I dont think its going to be huge, but around my house, it certainly is.
I think the industry always has to reinvent itself every few years.
I am hoping the trend is for companies to play ball more with the creators.
I thought Top Cow did that already.
Not sure how that went.
I think the bigger markets can test the water by doing mini-series.
I also think they have a different agenda with their publishing.
I think all of the publishing now from the bigger companies has other media as a final goal.
What have you learned from your previous Kickstarter successes?
I have learned on each and every Kickstarter what do and how to fine-tune it.
I learned to never offer things that you cannot deliver.
I also learned that the high price items are not the big attraction.
People want something unique.
Its all about communication.
Tell us about the rewards and push goals this time around.
What makes a good reward for fans, how do you stand out from the Kickstarter pack?
Right away we are offering a unique book you cannot get anywhere else.
Even if we run late, we keep everyone in the loop at all times.
This is all about creating a relationship and we take it seriously.
Tell us about offering a soundtrack forDenver?
How did that innovation come about?
With digital delivery so easy, we thought it would be a cool idea to do this.
We also were lucky enough to have singer songwriter Carrie Johnson add a track to it as well.
She has an amazing voice and we looked at her track as the end credit part of the album.
We sure hope people enjoy it.
Did the tone or cadence of the soundtrack change your story beats or pacing in any way?
The soundtrack was done after the book was done, so basically Hans scored a finished graphic novel.
How and when do you suggest an established comic pro use Kickstarter moving forward?
How about a newcomer to the scene?
It is a place to experiment and try new ideas with less risk than any other publisher.
People can choose what they want.
OK, cast aDenvermovie for us?
Do you already have your next Kickstarter idea in your quiver?
AfterDenver, we will be rolling outSex and Violence Volume 2, probably around the end of April.
This will feature three separate stories around the title theme.
After that we are still deciding, looking at what money we have and can afford to do.
How have other pros viewed your success?
Has there been resistance to the model?
The smart ones looked at it with much interest and I have helped them with advice along the way.
Others have looked at it as some kind of money grab and have failed miserably.
The difference is with us, we know it all going in and know what to expect.
How do you see the relationship of crowd funding and comics changing in the next decade?
Companies like Image and Kickstarter will force the bigger companies to share with the creators more.
The writing is on the wall.
Fill in the blank; if you like________________________, you oughta supportDenver.
you’re free to check out theDenverKickstarter page right here!
Check out some other PaperFilms projects here!
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