They were all done in silhouette very striking.
Image bit, and here we are, about a year and a half later.
Mathew Reynolds:It was born out of a huge love of ESCAPE.
Escape into a wild world of danger.
Places that our favorite comics and cartoons took us to.
Sinbad did it right inArabian Nights.
Really its just me and Kel raisin hell and getting caught up in old combat.
Part of it is righting old wrongs in our way.
Harper kicks some ass in that first book for a good cause.
Like, we want to kick some ass for a good cause.
All of us want to kick some ass for a good cause… thats comics.
Kel walks around with these characters in his head… hes a good lunatic.
If you stick around, you WILL see some things that might surprise you.
Is there time to explore the characters back-stories beyond what we learned in the debut issue?
Will you use flashbacks?
That arc should be the bulk of our series next year.
I always forget that you guys dont know our guys yet.
Not like we do.
Ill blab too much.
Spend some time with the crew, youll like em.
We WILL take you to some fun places on this ride.
We see the Captain studying great works of fiction while seemingly charting the ships course.
Can we gain the view that there are hints about Koji Ra in those books?
And its those stories that fuel his child-like imagination and desire to chase the legend of this lost island.
Reynolds:Its his belief that something like Koji Ra might exist… its possible.
I imagine Harper and Doc talking about ancient cultures and legends when Doc is loaded.
Doc doesnt dwell on the possibilities too much, Harpers eating it up and all his wheels are turning.
He plays his cards close though.
Its protecting his sense of true wonder and belief in exploring the unknown.
He loves the notion of that exploration like Christmas morning.
Symons:Of course.
Id be an asshole not to.
I wont say itll be all-consuming but it will be the carrot that keeps Jack moving forward.
But, like the shark inJaws, were gonna wait a while until you see the whole thing.
Reynolds:With any luck, well get there.
If its in the cards for the book to proceed, you will see some wild things.
Not Thompsons VS. dinosaurs youve seen that.
Were gonna show you something else that is just as dangerous.
Swamps, rivers, plains… the wild kingdom makes a solid showing.
How are you settingThe Mercenary Seaapart from things likeRaiders of the Lost ArkandGunga Din?
Symons:Im not really trying to reinvent the wheel, here.
But again, it is what it is, and Im okay with that.
Were you disappointed byKingdom of the Crystal Skull?
Feel your childhood hero went out with a fizzle instead of a bang?
Were you disappointed they tookFireflyoff the air?
Do you long for some old-school wartime adventure, back when we were fighting the good fight?
Thats whatThe Mercenary Seais supposed to be a response to that.
But thats part of what this is, and Im okay with that, too.
Symons:I think my answer to your question above about the books answers this to some degree.
Jack is a dreamer, of sorts.
Youll see this more as our first series plays out.
Im more a slow-burn kinda guy… peel back the layers over time.
Know how theyll react in any sort of situation?
I like to cook.
I think I make a pretty mean spaghetti sauce.
Now, I can probably turn out a decent sauce in an hour, hour and a half…
But its not going to taste the same its not going to be as nuanced or as flavorful.
I hadnt ever thought anyone would say one day Oh, thats a Jack Harper kinda character.
I feel like thats asking a father of his newborn will he or she be great one day?
Only time will tell.
(But any proud papas gonna say: youre damn right they will).
All characters, in my opinion, have predecessors.
Theres only seven stories in the world, and everything since has just been variation on them?
I dont know who came up with that number, but its probably close.
And pretty much the same can be said of characters.
If youre like me, or Mathew, then I think he will.
Is this hand drawn, CG, a hybrid?
Speaking of inspiration, the Filmation adventure stuff from the 70s and 80s.
Thought to pencil to computer.
Toth, Bluth, Wildey, many people whos names I dont know inspired the look and feel.
Charles Russel and Fredrick Remington drive the covers.
I have a long way to go to measure up to those guys.
I love them dearly.
Not concerned about boredom.
This thing was tailor made for me.
The only thing that was NOT tailor made for me was the guts of the sub.
So in that sense I tailored the sub to our needs.
Im chained to the drawing board 16 hours a day.
I lay out pages in my dreams at least once a week.
Brosseau:When I first saw the artwork forMercenary Seait didnt look like traditional American comic book artwork.
Im also a big believer in delivering a definite ending.
Seen too many series or tv shows that do that.
Talk to me in a few issues.
But I know I dont want to linger after wrapping things up.
Believe me, everything will be concluded to satisfaction first ours, then yours.
Gentlemen, thank you for your time!
The Mercenary Sea#3 comes out on April 16th.Check out the preview pages!
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