If you are coming from the latest edition of ALL THE RAGE, welcome!
If you haven't read the ATR piece, please go here.
I would like to thank Silver Bullet Comic Books for allowing MediaGauntlet to host the full "mini-interview" that I did with comics creator Tim Seeley. You see, it was supposed to be only a few questions, but it kinda got away from me. Instead of cutting stuff from the ATR column and letting it lie, we decided that the rest of the Q&A with Tim should go here. Included is the full interview bit with some new pictures that I haphazardly threw in there. You can see where the rest of it starts right after the Loaded Bible questions. I really hope you enjoy this piece and once again, thanks to Tim for taking the time to answer my near-random queries.
'Ere we go...
(For images of Loaded Bible 2, please see the latest All The Rage)
ATR: First off, I'm curious, Tim... why ask Rob Liefeld to do a cover for Loaded Bible? Are you a fan of his work? Also, I assume it's for Loaded Bible 2, right? (Note to the readers: I thought this was going to have multiple covers or something, uh, for some reason-- but Tim's answer clears it up.)
TS: This would be for Loaded Bible 3, actually, as Skottie Young did the Loaded Bible 2 cover. And, yeah, I really am a fan of Liefeld's work. I've been buying Rob's stuff since I was 12 years old. Rob's stuff appealed to me as a kid because it was so visceral and in-your-fucking-face. As I've gotten older, I still see the qualities about his stuff that really work and are actually totally innovative. I thought he'd be perfect for LB, because I think the qualities that have made Rob's work famous seem to really fly in the face of what people believe and perceive about the character of Jesus Christ. Since that's what Loaded Bible is about, I thought it would be a perfect match.
ATR: Speaking of Loaded Bible 2, I really enjoyed the first book. When should we expect the sequel?
TS: I'll be honest with ya... 2 was supposed to be out in January, and we fucked up beyond belief. Mark Englert had everything that could throw an artist off schedule that could happen. But, I decided, that instead of trying to rush it out and put another artist on it, it was worth it to wait for it to be great. If Marvel can be late on Civil War, an event with multiple books attached to it, and millions of dollars on the line, I figured we could be late on Bible and just make it perfect.
ATR: For those out there that are like "WTF are Steve and Tim talking about?", could you give them a brief what Loaded Bible is all about?
TS: Loaded Bible is a science fiction comic about a post apocalyptic future in which the Church has cloned Jesus Christ to fight vampires. Yeah, that's right. The story focuses on the first clone that was made to believe he was the authentic Second Coming and has now had the rug pulled out from under him.
ATR: Why Jesus, anyway?
TS: I think people are just too precious with their religious figures. I find the character of Christ to be one of the most interesting characters in all of history. I wanted to tell a modern day parable that could deal with this guy, while also satirising the current political climate as well as including vampires and zombies. Loaded Bible is the way I pulled that off.
ATR: And what's going on with HACK/slash lately?
TS: H/S is rolling along. Hack/Slash vs. Chucky is out this month, and we have a monthly series beginning in May. Plus, we have that kooky movie thing coming up.
ATR: I saw that you did something called How to Be a Comic Book Artist (Not Just How to Draw)? Could you tell us a little bit about the book, and is it true that you are "eternally on time"???
TS: Hell, yeah. I have NEVER missed a deadline. That doesn't mean all my projects have come out on time, since it takes a village, and shit happens. But, I personally, have been on time with every comic project I've worked on. "How to be a Comic Book Artist" is basically my no-bullshit primer on working in this biz. I love "How to Draw the Marvel Way" and a lot of the old how-to's in comics, but in the end, they don't tell you about the things that really suck, or what douches people can be. My book is just all the practical crap that no one ever tells you, with lots of jokes.
ATR: How are things with G.I. Joe? Anything planned?
TS: I'll always end up on Joe fill-ins and stuff, but at least for now, I think I'm done for while with Joe stuff. I'd dance a jig to do another Joe/YF book but I think the Transformers have moved on to bigger pastures, and at least for the immediate future it'll be all red carpets and Avengers crossovers for them.
ATR: Now, you did some art for some Forgotten Realms comics, yeah? What's it like to tackle something that has such a large following already, what with R.A. Salvatore's Drizzt (Dark Elf) novels and all? And are you an RPG gamer, by chance? Hey, I had to ask (being a grognerd myself, of course).
TS: Grognerd? Heh, man, I AM out of the loop (Note: No, Tim is not in regards to this term. It's just something I made up long ago. - Steve). I gamed a LOT as a teenager, but I haven't since I was 18. I'm sure I'd have a good time, but I'm a lot more likely to spend my night at a bar, half in the bag, listening to stories from some old weirdo than playing D&D. But, I read the Dark Elf books as a kid, and I LOVED Drizzt. So, not only was I aware of the following, I had been one of the legion. It wasn't nearly as intimidating as I thought though, largely cuz Salvatore is such a cool guy, and he always made me feel like I was doing it right. And, I think, I had it easier, since in the end, I had decided to base a lot of my stuff on Todd Lockwood's designs, so I could always blame it on his brilliant ass. ATR: What else do you have coming up?
TS: I've got that Hack/Slash ongoing, the Demon Wars mini, Loaded Bible 2 and 3, and the Troma OGN in the immediate future. I dunno... is that enough stuff? What else should I do?
ATR: Writing or art? If you had to pick one, what would it be?
TS: WRITING. No offense to writers, but, writing is just EASIER. It's more creative it takes less time, it's less technical, there's more glory in it. Drawing, while great, can be tedious, overly technical, and fucking DULL, not to mention, that at least these days, it's the writer who people follow anyway.
ATR: Do you think creators are better off knowing how to both illustrate and write? What's your take on that?
TS: I dunno. Some people are so good at just one; I can't see them needing to know both. I personally don't have to ever see Peter David draw or Tony Moore write, cuz I love their work as it is. On the other hand, I think as comics evolve, it's going to be more necessary to be a COMIC CREATOR, and not just a writer or artist. We'll probably follow more of a Japanese or European model to come, with less focus on monthly books, and more focus on individual voices and creators.
ATR: Dire penguins versus baboons in bear suits. Who wins and why?
TS: That's easy: The penguins. Dire penguins have all the weapons they need, while a baboon in a bear suit can easily have his mask messed up. Then he can't see. And the penguin will assuredly use this moment to bring it.
