NYCC 2013: Artist Alley Rocks Pt 2!

To pick up from where Billy left off when he spent an exciting day in Artist Alley, we’re bringing you some more great times right here! Over the past couple of years of attending NYCC I’ve come to realize that for me nothing beats hanging out in Artist Alley. The atmosphere itself is more laid back as you’re walking up and down the isles drooling over all of the artwork or waiting for a chance to speak to a writer whose work you admire. It’s also the place where you’ll get to see a lot of the cosplayers showing off their latest creations when not on the hectic main floor or lobby. With things a bit less crazy here there’s also the chance to just have a conversation while hanging out with a comic creator or cosplayer, and pick their brains a bit about their creative process or just have a few laughs.

Needless to say that’s exactly what we ended up doing while making our way down the aisles. First up was Jimmie Robinson who is the writer of Bomb Queen and Image Comics’ newest all ages title Five Weapons. Even though he had a bit of a line and was signing books, he took some time to have a few words with us. After congratulating him on the success of Five Weapons (which will be returning as an ongoing series January), he gave us a peek at some of the artwork from the new issues! Everything looks awesome, and it’s really great to see how the story moves along in unlettered pages. Robinson also went on to say that the series will be seeing someone new in the role of the Principal, and there will be some conflict between the real Shainlain and Enrique as the series picks up from where we last saw the characters. This is one writer who is excited about his project and explained to us that with the series getting a chance to go on, he’s able to explore many of his characters like the Nurse and more of the faculty, as well. Let’s just say that after the talk with Robinson, I wished January was a hell of a lot closer!

There are always people you’re glad to see at every NYCC, and a group that always makes the list is the creative team behind Vescell. A title we’ve covered at great length here, and the second issue even made the “Fight of the Week” on our Contest of Champions podcast! So while Rafael was chatting it up with fans, Roc promoting Rat Queens, and Evelio doing sketches, series writer Enrique Carrion sat down with us to talk about new projects and the future of Vescell!

Comic Attack: With Vescell wrapping up in the double sized eighth issue, are we going to be seeing more from these characters later?

Enrique Carrion: Right now, I don’t know which way we’re going to go with it as far as when the next issue of Vescell is going to come out. The readers and fans really want it, but it’s also because I’m writing so many different things. I have two books coming out early 2014 and I’ve been working on a novel. Vescell is always going to be my baby and I’m going to push it, but I have to take a pause on that and come back to it. Those characters live in my head and sooner or later they’ll start knocking on my cranium like “What’s good?” “We want to come out!”

CA: Speaking of some of those characters, when I would talk to people about Vescell a lot of the female readers loved the fact that you had a lot of strong, indentifiable female characters in the story. Was this a goal you had in mind or did it just end up that these women are just BAD!

EC: Definitely, man! I grew up raised by my mom and right there you know that was instilled in me. With women in comics and the way they are depicted we HAVE to continue to show them as strong, independent, and most of all, intelligent. I try to have them kick some ass too, but ultimately smart. Not just to be there for shock value and sex, but to lead the charge as well.

CA: In regards to the sex, Vescell had no problem shying away from the subject matter. Though it was in a way the female characters who owned it as much as the guys in comics do. And even when it seemed when Mauricio wasn’t too dedicated to Avery, how would you describe their relationship, because it’s not black and white, and you have various levels of grey area.

EC: My whole life I’ve lived in the grey and growing up in Spanish Harlem nothing is just black and white. All of my relationships have been in the grey or looked “complex” to people looking at it from the outside. But to me nothing is ever just black and white. Every new situation IS a new situation, and the grey is beautiful. That’s when you get to really see what’s going on with an individual. Other things that people may find ugly about a relationship I find beautiful. The truths that people try to hide are the things that I love.

CA: Okay, we’re gonna switch gears a bit. Now, what can you tell us about the novel that’s in the works?

EC: I think you’re going to love it! It’s like The Never Ending Story and Labyrinth all wrapped up, so it’s gonna be crazy! It’s like, pure, literal, surrealism with a modern urban twist! It’s called Dragons from Enceladus! There’s a kid named Rocky and he has a girlfriend named Kali and they’re in love. They’re in high school, and she’s his light in a desperate situation, but there is this wizard king from another part of the galaxy who kidnaps her and he has to go on an adventure and save her!

CA: Now that does sound right up my way! Now, are you focusing on an all ages appeal to the story, or will it have those adult themes like in Vescell?

EC: Definitely! It’s more of a PG-13 feel where Vescell was rated R. But Dragons from Enceladus will definitely hit in the teen/tween area.

CA: With the other two projects you have in the works, is there anything you can say now or is it still pretty close to the chest?

EC: Well I’ve got one called Kill Godz and the other I don’t want to talk about yet! But Kill Godz is CRAZY! There are deities in the world and there is a company called Cerion, and what they do is clone deities. All types of deities from all types of Pantheons. Roman pantheons, Egyptian pantheons, Norse pantheons, and they also clone deity parts, organs and things like that. So if you’re going in for a heart transplant why not have a heart from a god?! So, I have a young woman who works for the company, and another thing the company does is they’re the ones who fund a show called “Prove Your Worth” where contestants vie for a god’s blessings. Now the first issue is already done and should be out early 2014.

CA: That sounds like an ill concept right there! Did you have to go back and do a lot of research for this project, or was this some thing you were already into?

EC: I’m really into mythology and I’m a nerd when it comes to that stuff! No matter what Pantheon they’re from, from Norse, Egyptian, it doesn’t matter!

CA: Did you have a favorite one to play in and pick apart while writing this?

EC: Wow! I didn’t have a favorite because they’re all just crazy fun! There’s Kali from the Indian pantheon, and you’ve got Horace, Isis, and Osiris from the Egyptian pantheon, and I just wanted to make this a fun adventure!

CA: Are you going to be working with the same team on Kill Godz as you did with Vescell?

EC: Yes! I’ve got my Concept Artist: Emelio Tamayo, Rapheal Diaz on Graphic Design, but I have a new artist named Danny Morison who just did a real successful Kickstarter called Agents. He’s nasty and from the U.K.!

CA: The U.K. is a bit of a distance away, so how did you two link up?

EC: I saw his work online and thought it was sick and contacted him. I told him I loved his work and he checked out Vescell and said “I love your work!” then it was like “Let’s do this!” So Kill Godz will be out in 2014, but I don’t know which publisher I want to give it to yet. What people on the outside don’t know is that the industry is changing every day. What was going today and what was law may not be law tomorrow. The direction a company was going one day may not be the same direction the next, and then they might reverse back. I don’t know where it’s going to land, but Kill Godz is my new baby.

And with that, the impromptu interview came to an end, and it looks like the comic industry has more quality work heading its way next year! And here’s a few more people we ran into while hanging out in Artist Alley!