Creating a Graphic Novel : Art – Food – Photography

Dead Future Issue #1 created by the Grim Crew debuted at Baltimore Comic Con October 10th-11th. Issue #2 to be officially released Nov 9. I was lucky enough to read a preview copy and it’s a fantastic anthology of zombie stories told with the most incredible artwork from using photo style to more traditional pencils. Was also lucky enough to get some time with Martin Brandt II, one of the writers on this project.

Interior Sample :
“Real Monsters”
Written by: Martin Brandt II
Illustrated & Lettered by: Paul Petyo

Interior Sample :
“Major Tom”
Written & Lettered by: Martin Brandt II
Illustrated by: Martinho Abreu

What was your motivation to do this?

My friends love of all things Zombie. Most of the people I know really like zombie movies in all their flavors. From the downright gore fest to the character exploration pieces. We have all enjoyed watching these movies and reading what material is out there.

The other motivation was coming right off doing Grim Furry Tales I thought it would be a good idea to do an anthology. Giving several people a voice at once, letting us hear what kind of zombie stories they could cook up.

So how did you get started?

Well as usual I first started talking to the people I knew and had worked with. Asked how they felt about the idea, would they be interested in it. Of course everyone it seemed loved the concept of it. So we started writing stories for it and putting out the feelers for more artists.

There are a lot of people who want to write and work on zombie stories. That is the first thing I found out. This was great as content would not be an issue then.

What problems did you find? Any issues?

Like I said a lot of people want to write and draw zombie stories. First was having to reject people based on quality of their work. It is a hard place to put yourself in but you owe it to the other contributors to keep everything on par. Your finished product should ride out on the merit of the whole, not scoot by on the merit of one.

Second major issue was dependability. Often times we would run into artists committing to the project, giving an okay on the dead line, and then dropping from the earth. This happened so many times that our book was put behind schedule and in the end forced us to change our publishing concept. Instead of producing one OGN we ended up with a limited monthly series. The format change was needed to meet the deadlines and goals we had set. If the series gather enough attention it is our plan to release a collected version later on.

Was it difficult learning the printing process?

The printing process can be a beast depending on how involved you are. I have the good fortune of being friends with a graphic designer, Paul Petyo. He helped steer things in the right direction visually, keeping out an eye for things like page cut and dark prints. Another area in printing was getting the correct format pages from the artists.

This being the information age, your artists can come from all over. Dead Future was no exception. The problem here was that inches and meters are not the same. Most places outside the U.S. we dealt with use metrics. I found myself on many occasions having to get page sizes corrected from metrics.

Something else that made it easier was dealing with Ka-Blam, they really make most of the printing process painless. They do use RGB so our prints tended to be a bit darker on my first book, after some changes I think we learned our lesson. They have a great staff, my only gripe if I had to find one, is lack of a phone number.

What would you say to another writer / artist starting out?

Starting out? If you are a writer, read. I cannot say this enough, read and read a lot. Make sure you are writing every day. If you can’t bring yourself to write every day then there is no way you are going to make it out of the initial phase. Go to writing panels at cons, research articles, and get to know other writers. Write something, file it away and come back to it later. Then rewrite it. Trust me on this.

Artists? Get your work out there. If you want to do sequentials then make sure you have them in your portfolios. Be reliable. This is a must; if you can’t be relied on to make a deadline and stay in communication then you will have a hard time finding work. Writers, editors, and other artists all talk. Bad reputations can build fast. Draw everyday as a writer has to write ever day. If you feel you can’t push yourself to do this then perhaps it’s time to consider a new path in life.

How do you get your work to people? Go to cons, frequent forums, get out there. If nothing else, make an ashcan comic. This is the best example you can give to a prospective interest. It shows you can get the job done and the quality of your work. Get your self-published or published work into the hands of other people. Be motivated and keep pushing yourself.

Thanks for your time! Good luck with Issue #2 when it’s released.

Grim Crew Presents: Dead Future #1
There is a story that is passed down through the ages. This tale of the undead, arisen to devour the living, leaving nothing but a wasteland behind them. Yes, that is what you find here. Contained within the pages you will be taken on a twisted ride through the end of the world. From docile day dwelling zombies to a side line view from space as the world falls apart and back to one beginning of it all. When you reach the end you will truly come to understand our, Dead Future.

Cover :

If interested in purchasing a copy check out : http://www.thedeadfuture.com