Andy Jamieson

Sometime Geek Overlord, bi-monthly Dungeon Master, part-time care worker, reigning Husband of the Year, & full-time daddy. Also, proficient proverbial juggler.

John Layman & Rob Guillory Q & A (creators of Chew): August 2011

Aug 282011
 

Chew Volume 4: Flambé by John Layman & Rob Guillory is out September 2011.

 

Kate West: So first off, I would like to ask a bit about Chew’s central character; Tony Chu. To me Tony’s ‘cibopathic’ abilities are central to the great dark sense of humour running through the comic. Who came up with the parameters of his ability? 

John Layman: I figured out the story and the concepts behind it. Several scripts were completely written before Rob came on board. He was instrumental to the characters’ LOOKS, though.
Rob Guillory: Yeah, John had a very solid grasp of who the central characters were by the time I came around. My job was finding the right visual style that matched the people and world that he came up with.

KW: As a follow on to my first question, will your loyal readers ever find out why Tony can’t get any psychic readings from beets?

JL: Probably not. “Origins” are not something I am particularly interested in. Inevitably, no answer would probably be satisfying enough, so why not leave it unanswered.

KW: How do you come up with the names for the characters abilities?

JL: I was an English major in college and particularly interested in etymology, the study of word origins (the only origins I AM interested in, I suppose.) The names of abilities are just a mix of root words, usually a mash-up of Greek and Latin.

RG: And I can proudly say that more recently I’ve helped out with naming a couple of them!

KW: John, how does working on Chew differ from other projects you’ve worked on? Is there more or less pressure to be successful with something that is all of your own creation?

JL: I’ve been a little intimidated by the awards, I think. Usually getting an award freaks me out more than inspires me and I have a few weeks of stage fright and self-doubt between the time I win an award and the time I finish the next issue. Every issue I worry is going to suck, and derail all the momentum the book has built. And then after a few weeks of torturing myself I finish a new issue and find myself pretty happy with it—and then worried about the next issue.

KW: Rob, from what I can gather this is your first major project, please correct me if I’m wrong; are there any hidden Guillory gems fans can search for?

RG: Yeah, CHEW really is my first major comic outing. Everything I’ve done before was way smaller in scale and not as high profile. Check out my work on Ape Entertainment’s Teddy Scares. It was a lot of fun.

KW: Chew was featured in the hugely popular The Walking Dead series which Robert Kirkman has stated he has no intention of ending anytime soon. Can the same be said of Chew? Or do you have a definite idea of how the series will end?

JL: Nope. CHEW is a finite novel and has a definite ending (Issue #60.) I can’t imagine NOT working toward an ending. It would make the book pointless, in my opinion. I want everything to lead somewhere, and have repercussions. And, really, I just like endings. I don’t write anything without having some general idea of the ending.

KW: Speaking of The Walking Dead, it has exploded since it was adapted to a television series and aired on AMC last year. It’s been confirmed that Chew is also to receive its very own T.V adaptation – what are your hopes for the T.V series? How much involvement will you have in the creative process?

JL: My involvement is still being worked out. I’ll be involved as a producer, in some capacity, but I have no idea what that will mean. Both Rob and I recognize the show will not be 100% faithful, but we’re hoping it is faithful to the spirit of the book. And, judging by the pilot script we’ve read, it seems to be.

RG: The script’s awesome. It really captures the comic’s ability to walk a fine line between humor and some really grim subject matter. It’s probably as loyal an adaptation as it could be, given how crazy the book can get.

KW: Rob, you mention Dave Gibbons work  on Watchmen  as something you have studied in the process of making Chew, you must get asked this all the time, but are there any other artists you can name that have inspired you?

RG: Steve Ditko, John Buscema, John Romita Jr., Jim Mahfood, Dave Crosland, Tex Avery, Chuck Jones, Rumiko Takahashi and Akira Toriyama, just to name a few. My interests are very diverse, from older stuff, to more modern, to more cartoony and anime stuff. It’s all in there.

KW: Another question for Rob: one of the things I love about Chew is the use of colour; the muted pastel colours are so aesthetically pleasing and make for a great contrast to some fairly grim events. When I think of this contrast I usually flash to Tony being vomited on in the first Chew compilation, Taster’s Choice. Do you use a particular set palette of colours for a desired effect, or are they colours you just lean towards naturally?

RG: I use whatever feels right. I tend to think of different scenes in terms of color. If it’s a really intense scene, I tend to turn the saturation up to match it. And likewise, I turn it down for less intense scenes. I’m very experimental, and just have a pretty keen eye for what works and what doesn’t.

KW: John, are there parts of your own personality that you’ve passed onto the characters of Chew? Is there any character that particularly identify with?

JL: I like to think I am the most like Colby, but maybe I just say that because I find him the most fun to write.

RG: I’m definitely Tony Chu. A fairly normal guy, surrounded by a bunch of weirdoes, and thrown into outlandish situations.

KW: If you could both be one of the characters, who would you be?

JL: Colby. Again, he’s the most fun, and he seems to HAVE the most fun.

RG: I’d be Toni. Just a really fun, carefree character. I tend to be overly serious in real-life, so it’d be a nice break.

KW: Much as I love Tony Chu and John Colby, I have to admit I particularly look forward to Mason Savoy. His particular vernacular is really enjoyable to read. I enjoy the juxtaposition of his slick speech with against his dubious moral standing and readiness to often brutal violence. Are there certain characters that you enjoy writing more than others, and if so, why?

JL: Mason is the hardest to get a handle on, especially if I go a couple of issues without writing him. It takes a while to get him just right. Colby and Toni are my favourite. Again, they are the most fun, but they are also the most surprising and unpredictable.

KW: Do either of you have other projects that you can tell us about, or are we just to be spoilt with Chew goodness right now?

JL: I just finished a Godzilla series for IDW, but mostly I am just concentrating on getting a good several issues ahead of Rob, at least until I see how the TV show shakes out.

RG: I’ve got a few creator-owned things that I’m toying with, but who knows when they’ll be done. And I’ve got a few small projects for other publishers that I can’t really talk about yet. But CHEW is my full-time job, and will be for the next 40 issues.

KW: This is gonna be my final question…. You were at the San Diego Comic Con recently, was this your first time at the SDCC? Did you have a chance to go out and about and explore?

JL: I’ve been going to San Diego every year since 1991. The first time I went I drove downtown during my lunch-hour at my day job, parked on the street nearby, and saw the entire hall in an hour. Show has grown a bit since then. I don’t plan to EVER miss an SDCC.

RG: This was my sixth or seventh SDCC. I tend to wait until the last day to walk around, since I’m always working there. It’s a blast, but can be very overwhelming. I always enjoy it, but inevitably need a gigantic nap afterwards. HA.

Interview conducted by Kate West, Bookseller, Waterstone’s Edinburgh George Street

To read Kate’s review of the Chew series, click here.

 

The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie

Aug 282011
 

The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie

(Gollancz, HB/TPB £14.99, out now)

Abercrombie’s latest belter takes place during a bloody three-day battle between the “North Men” and “the Union” – although this being an Abercrombie book neither side is portrayed as being the more worthy. This novel is everything you’d expect from JA, who’s fast becoming one of the best fantasy writers in the world; it’s smart, gripping, funny and an absolute joy to read.

Jonathan Taylor, Senior Bookseller, Waterstone’s Edinburgh Fort Kinnaird

The Haunting Of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Aug 282011
 

The Haunting Of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

(Penguin Modern Classics, PB, £9.99, out now)

When discussing influential horror books, Shirley Jackson’s excellent, timeless novel marks itself as one of the all-time classic ghost stories by perhaps not truly being a ghost story. More concerned with the incredibly well-realised psyches of its characters and how these are strained by the conditions of the house itself, Jackson’s novel is literary, chilling and complex. Reading Eleanor’s tale can truly be a descent into madness. Often imitated and arguably never bettered, The Haunting of Hill House is an ideal wintry, spooky read. If you’ve never heard of this book, consider yourself rightfully educated and get reading. You will not regret it.

Greg Whelan, Bookseller and award-winning writer

Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

Aug 282011
 

Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

(Tor, £9.99, out now)

This is so much fun: a zombie-steampunk tale of disaster and rescue that moves the wild west to a walled-off Seattle that is drowning in a mysterious zombie-creating gas. There’s a strong pair of lead characters, a great supporting cast of villains, heroes and airship captains with a good storyline that keeps the pages turning. To wrap up this delightfully presented package Priest resists the temptation to overdo the stylish elements, leaving us with a very accessible tale that doesn’t plaster everything in cogs.

Ryan Thomason, Senior Bookseller, Waterstone’s Edinburgh West End/freelance illustrator


James Swallow Q & A (Horus Heresy & Blood Angels): Autumn 2010

Aug 272011
 


Nemesis is the thirteenth novel in the Horus Heresy series. For the Geekzine review click here. 

 

What challenges did you face with your return to the Horus Heresy series with Nemesis? Obviously, there’s a big weight of expectation on any writer doing a Horus Heresy novel, because we’re talking about the crown jewels of the franchise here – but while you have to respect that, you can’t let it drag you down. The first challenge is to do justice to the Warhammer universe and the epic nature of the Heresy mythology. But I think the biggest challenge I had with Nemesis came from the nature of the story. It’s not a novel about Space Marines, like almost all the others; it takes a look at what life is like for ordinary people in the world of the unfolding galactic civil war, and at the same time it takes you to the corridors of power on Terra and beyond, as well as into the core narrative about the Officio Assassinorum.

What can you reveal about the upcoming Horus Heresy audio dramas, featuring Captain Garro? Not much, at this point! Oath of Moment is the first of two Garro stories, what I’ve nicknamed the “Knight Errant” series, set shortly after the events at the end of The Flight of the Eisenstein, where the good captain is given a secret mission by Malcador the Sigillite. The first story sees him sent to Calth, in the midst of the traitorous assault by the Word Bearers on the Ultramarines; and as for the second story Legion of One… I can’t say. 

What is the allure of writing for the Horus Heresy series? Like I said above, the Horus Heresy is the crown jewels of the Warhammer universe. It’s the ur-myth, the foundation upon which the whole fictional world of 40K is based on, so having the opportunity to venture in there and tell stories is great, and for a writer to be invited to do that is a huge vote of confidence from the editorial team. But I think what I like the most about it is the way we get to take elements of established lore and do something new with them. We get to tell these epic stories, but in a way that reveals new dimensions to them, shining a light on things that have never be seen before.

What plans do you have for the Blood Angels series? I recently wrote Bloodline, a limited edition chapbook for the Games Day 2010 event, which ties in to the events of my last Blood Angels novel, Black Tide. Bloodline also lays some groundwork for what will be my next Horus Heresy novel, which will follow the events of the Battle for Signus, where the Blood Angels fought a massive army of daemonic creatures.

As for more Blood Angel stories in the 41st millennium, I still have a lot more tales to tell about Brother Rafen. I’m thinking about doing a flashback story to his younger years at some point…

Besides your work for the Black Library, what other writing plans do you have? Lots! I have a couple more tie-in novels due out in 2011 – the first is Icarus Effect, based on the videogame Deus Ex: Human Revolution (which I also worked on), and later in the year I have a Star Trek novel due called Cast No Shadow. I’ve also been working on a series of Stargate audio dramas, and developing an espionage thriller.

What continues to inspire you creatively as a writer? My mortgage. I’m kidding. Obviously, having bills to pay does concentrate your mind wonderfully on getting your backside in the chair and writing something; but the thrill of it is what keeps me doing this, instead of going out and getting a real job. Seeing my name on the cover of a book never gets old, and there’s something great about being able to tell stories of a living. It’s a limitless horizon.

Where do you write? I have an office in my house cluttered with books and stuff, and I do most of my work there. Sometimes I’ll write on the road with my little Asus Eee laptop, or in notepads.

What are you reading at the moment? The End Game, by Tod Goldberg, and a guidebook about some of the ruins in Rome, where I’ve just been on vacation.

And if you were a space marine, what chapter would you belong to and why? I have to show the love for the Boys in Red, the Blood Angels. They’re noble and heroic, they have plenty of bling and cool hardware; and the ladies love that dark and moody side…!

Andy Jamieson, Editor

Please note: This interview was originally conducted by email in October 2010.

Dan Abnett Q & A (Sabbat Worlds & Ultramarines): Spring 2011

Aug 262011
 

Sabbat Worlds is out in paperback October 2011, priced £7.99. 

 

How was the writing of the Ultramarines movie script? Did you have any prior scriptwriting experience? No, although working in comics for twenty plus years helped a little with visual storytelling. I was asked to write the film because of my success as a Warhammer 40k author. It was a very interesting and involving process. Other movie projects are now growing out of it, actually.

Can you reveal anything about the plot of the film? Not a lot at this stage, because we’re all sworn to secrecy. It’s about Ultramarines, obviously, though other Space Marines turn up. My best suggestion is that you go to www.Ultramarines.com, and register. All information is released there, and if you’re registered, they send it right to you as soon as it’s announced, so you don’t have to keep checking back.

With Sabbat Worlds you’ve allowed lots of great authors to go wild with your characters/setting from the Gaunts Ghosts series. Was this a tricky project to get together? Not really. It was very enjoyable. I got sick at the end of last year (I developed epilepsy out of nowhere), and that pushed a few deadlines back. As there suddenly wasn’t going to be a new Gaunt novel this autumn, we decided to get folks together for a jam. I didn’t want people writing about the Ghosts themselves (I’ve written a new Ghosts novella for the book), but I wanted my fellow writers to explore other aspects of the Sabbat Campaign. So Graham touches on the Double Eagle continuity, Aaron visits Balhaut before the Gaunt series began, Sandy goes back to Verghast etc. It was very exciting to see what people came back with. I think it’s a splendid collection.

Prospero Burns is finally out. How do you feel about it? I’m very proud of it. I think people will get a kick out of it. It’s quite ambitious in scope and reveals things about the events culminating in Prospero that put a very different spin on things from Graham’s excellent A Thousand Sons. That was the whole idea, of course, to present the other side. Readers may see the Wolves in a whole new light – I know that after Graham’s book, the Thousand Sons got a lot of sympathy and the Wolves were cast as the knuckle-headed villains.

What advice would you give any prospective writers out there who want to write for the Black Library? Write yourself into a frenzy, then try submitting. If you submit, FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSION. Don’t be crazy and decide you know better. There are regular submission windows when BL is open for stories (check their website, www.blacklibrary.com). There’s also Hammer and Bolter, a new online fiction magazine that is a little like a digital version of the old Inferno in that it offers an audition platform for new writers.

Andy Jamieson, Editor

To read the Geekzine review of Sabbat Worlds, click here.

Please note: This interview was originally published in issue 7 of the Edinburgh Geekzine, released in Spring 2011.

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