Independent Propaganda

Conducted by Jon Hook / Writer for Independent Propaganda

Keith Giffen, the legendary comic book writer of Lobo, Justice League International, and The Defenders, has a sexy voice. At least, I was greeted by Keith’s most alluring phone sex voice until I identified myself as a correspondent for Independent Propaganda.

It’s better than telling them, (phone solicitors), that you’re on the No-Call list. Just turn it into phone sex. It only takes a few moments for them to get uncomfortable enough to hang up, Keith said.

I instantly knew that this was going to be a fun interview with Keith Giffen and his work with Boom Studios! Bwah-ha-ha!

Hook: Keith, you seem to be one of the key architects at Boom Studios. What drew you to publish so many titles through Boom Studios?

Keith Giffen: Boom Studios is my one-stop shop for independent publishing! Ross Richie has the best game in town. Do you know how much ownership Boom Studios has in the books of mine they publish?

Hook: Well, based on knowledge of some of the other independent publishers business practices, I’d guess 50% or 51% so Boom Studios can be a voice for you in Hollywood?

KG: Nothing! Unless its a title that Ross helped create. Ross doesn’t believe in taking part ownership of something that’s not his. Ross bends over backwards to make it easy to work with him and Boom Studios and that’s why Boom Studios is the only independent comic company for me.

Take 10, for example. The idea of people being forced into homicidal circumstances appeals to me and 10 is a snapshot of the final moments of the person who finds himself in just such a situation. For me, true horror is random, it’s visceral. It didn’t take Ross much time at all to approve the project even though I know it’s not his cup of tea.

Hook: Let me ask about writing partnerships. You’re working with J.M. DeMatteis again on both Hero Squared and Planetary Brigade. How is the creative process different for you when working with a writing partner?

KG: I’m lazier! But seriously, I enjoy the collaborative process and, if it really works, like it does with J.M., then there’s no better way to work. I’m looking forward to collaborating with talent like Joe Casey and Kyle Baker on future projects.

Hook: What was it about Hero Squared and Planetary Brigade that lead you to want to co-create it with someone? Who came up with the original idea for the comics?

KG: I came up with the initial idea, then approached J.M. to see if he was interested in working it up. J.M. sharpened the idea up and we presented it to Ross to see if he’d be interested in publishing it. Sucker went for it. Ross bases his decisions to publish a book on the quality of the book, not whose name is on it. Which goes a long way toward explaining why he publishes my crap.

I’m telling you; Boom Studios will be the go-to independent studio in a couple of years. Why would anyone go anywhere else?

Hook: You’re also teaming up with your Lobo partner, Alan Grant, on Jeremiah Harm. What was it like working with Alan again?

KG: Working with Alan is a much looser collaboration. The concept for Jeremiah Harm was brought to me by Ross; he asked me if I’d be interested in working with Alan on a high action and violence book. Well, duh!

Jeremiah Harm is very much a book put together by committee, which should’ve been a bad thing, but came together pretty well.

Hook: So let me ask about another book, What Were They Thinking? It begs the question, what were you thinking?

KG: I was thinking, Wouldn’t it be cool to erase the word balloons from some of those old public domain comics and rewrite them?! I told Ross about it, and he scoured the internet for public domain comics to make this crazy idea real. And when I talk about erasing the word balloons, I only mean the original text; I still workwith the original word balloons and thought balloons that are on the page. I don’t alter balloon size. That’d be cheating.

Hook: What a hilarious concept.

KG: Yeah, and the second issue sold more than the first, so I guess it caught on. In fact, Marvel’s doing something like this with some of their old romance comics now. What was great about What Were They Thinking was the latitude Ross gave me. There was very little out of bounds.

Hook: Like?

KG: Like you couldn’t say Fuck or Shit, and it was well advised to steer clear of anything that could get Boom sued.

Hook: That does sound like some pretty wide margins for you to work within. By the way, something I noticed on the Boom Studios website, a graphic novel of the Trencher mini-series is being published by Boom. Is this the beginning of the return of Trencher?

KG: No, Ross wanted to publish it, so I said, What the hey, do it. I don’t have plans to return to that character.

Hook: Something I did notice missing from the Boom Studios website is any mention of Dominion, the Image book you co-created with Ross Richie. What can you tell us about Dominion?

KG: There are plans for Dominion at Boom but there are a few things to iron out first. Also, I would no longer be illustrating it, so it’ll be with a new artist when it does return.

Hook: Excellent. I really enjoyed your work on Dominion, and look forward to its return. With all of the work you’re doing at Boom Studios, I wanted to know how do you balance that work with the work you’re doing for Marvel and DC?

KG: Very poorly. If final edit changes need to be done on Silver Surfer, Defenders, or 52, with deadlines less than a week away, then obviously that work takes priority over my Boom Studio work. It’s a matter of putting food on the table and paying the mortgage.

My work at Boom Studios is a labor of love. As much as I enjoy writing about the Blue Beetle, at the end of the day he’s somebody elses kid. My books at Boom Studios are my kids.

Hook: Getting back to Boom Studios, I saw that you’re contributing to a couple of their anthology titles, Cthulhu Tales and Zombie Tales: The Dead. What can you tell me about those?

KG: They’re great. The Cthulhu Tales books going to be great; I wrote my bit like a Dr. Seuss rhyme.

Interviewers Note: It was at this point in the conversation that Keith began eating his lunch, and when Keith starts talking about bacon he’s out of his mind.
KG: Sorry bout the crunching.

Hook: No problem. We’ve covered most of the books you’ve got coming out from Boom Studios, except one. What is Tag about?

KG: Tag is a three issue mini-series, and it’s a nasty idea that crept into my head. What if you took a childs game and turned it into a curse? Tag! You’re it!

Kody Chamberlain is doing the art on it, and man does it look great. I love working with new talent! Look for it if you’re a fan of horror.

Hook: Fantastic, I will. Thank you so much for your time today. Enjoy your lunch.

KG: Thanks, I will!

Below are pages ten through thirteen of HERO SQUARED #1 which is available for purchase from Boom Studios!

About The Interviewer: Jon Hook: Husband to Kara, son to Gerald and Connie, brother to Justin… Jon was many things in this short life, but he was never a rodeo clown!

Jon is freelance writer living in Shawnee, Kansas, (part of the Kansas City metroplex), with his beautiful wife, Kara, their dogs, Tucker and Velma, and their cats, Ciera, Baxter, and Vader.

NOTE: Everyone here at Independent Propaganda wishes Jon’s wife a very speedy recovery.

Technorati Tags: Keith Giffen, Boom Studios, 10, Planetary Brigade, Hero Squared, What Were They Thinking, Cthulhu Tales, Tag, Zombie Tales: The Dead, Jon Hook