BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO Trench coats, Cigarettes & Shoguns sounds like a Humphry Bogart type film, but it's actually the name of an new graphic novel from writer Chuck Brown and artist Philipp Neundorf about Trypp Ignazio, a hit man for hire who takes out anyone or anything. Brown cues us in to this wiseguy.
THE PULSE: Trench coats, Cigarettes & Shoguns ... if I were on Jeopardy, I'd guess: "What are three things you wouldn't expect to see in the same place?" But why did you title your graphic novel that? What does it allude to?
CHUCK BROWN: Well, there are two primary reasons for the title. I was ranting about comics in general and I just blurted out that I like comics filled with trenchcoats, cigarettes, and shoguns, the idea kind of snowballed from there. The title also represents key elements of Trypp’s personality and that will be reviled as the series unfolds.
THE PULSE: Who is Trypp Ignazio? He sounds Italian ... kind of ...?
BROWN: Yeah, he’s Italian. He's a hit man for hire that not only takes out humans but he’s also employed by the occult community to dispose of the occasional demon. He’s a loner who’s sick of life and chooses to make a living out of bringing death.
THE PULSE: How did you come up with your hit man? Is he a stereotypical assassin or have you added in a few X factors to make him stand out from the traditional types?
BROWN: Like most creators, I put a little of myself in each character I create. No, I don’t moonlight as a hit man. He represents and extreme version of my anger, frustration and self isolation. He also represents the great amount of good or evil that can exist in us all.
THE PULSE: Reading your description for the series about "mech armed mobsters, demonic gandaloons and demons;" it kind of sounds like a mix of the Blade: The Immortal manga, Kill Bill, and The Road To Perdition. What inspired you to create something like this?
BROWN: I can’t really pinpoint what exactly inspired me. I just created something I thought I would enjoy reading. I love manga’s out of this world action and mech weapons. I love movies and books about the occult and demonology. And like a lot of guys I can watch Scarface for the thousandth time and enjoy every minute. I connected with the character and his world and I just simply saw a story that I wanted to tell.
THE PULSE: We've seen a lot of comics, anime, manga and movies that feature a protagonist on a quest for vengeance. How is what you're doing in Trench Coats, Cigarettes & Shoguns going to be a little different from what one might think is the standard formula of projects like this?
BROWN: Yes, it does begin as a quest for vengeance but Trypp begins to loose sight of why he started the slaughter in the first place. He begins to indulge himself and enjoys the kill a bit too much. This is where the real story lies.
THE PULSE: Who are some of the current comic creators that are influencing your work the most as you wrote this series?
BROWN: I’d have to say Todd McFarland, Frank Miller and Brian Azzarello
THE PULSE This sounds like a lot of work and effort went into making this series a reality. How long did it take to go from an idea in the back of your mind to the book being in print?
BROWN:[/b] Well, I went through a LOT of art teams which caused quite a few set backs. I actually came up with the idea for Trench coats in 2002. But I think it took about a year once I found the right artist.
THE PULSE: It seems as if a lot of small press publishers have to go above, beyond, and back again to stand out from the sea of titles in comic book stores. How tough is it to get noticed and attention for your work?
BROWN: It can be tough at times. Indy creators have to remember why they slave over the computer or art table late at night. If you enjoy what you do and put out professional high quality work, the attention will come.
THE PULSE: How did working on a series like this give you a greater understanding of what's happening in the comic book industry behind-the-scenes?
BROWN: I’ve learned that it’s not easy promoting a book that’s not apart of the big two. I had to find those elements that make trench coats stand out and build my promotions around that. I’ve also seen how Hollywood has descended upon the comic world looking for the next block buster. But you have to tread very carefully when dealing with producers, studios, ect.
THE PULSE: How did Philipp Neundorf come to work with you on this series?
BROWN: I posted help wanted ads on the web for an artist with a dark gritty style. I got a sea of submission and Philipp stood out among the rest. Philipp’s painted pages leap off the page and he’s one of the most professional artist I’ve ever worked with.
THE PULSE: What are some of the other projects coming out or in stores now from 803 Studios?
BROWN: Steven Prouse’s four issue miniseries K.I.P (Knowledge Is Power) is in stores now nationwide. Anthony Hightower is the artist on Gutrencher by Shannon Denton and Steve Niles. Sequential Suicide SLOP is available on IndyPlanet.com and the May issue of the Westfield catalogue. And you can download some of Studio’s books for free from Wowio.com.
THE PULSE: What's next for you after this miniseries?
BROWN: I’ll be publishing another mini-series in 2009 called “The Science of Six”, about six children with every power that exists or ever will exist. I will also be writing a mini-series called “Truth & Beauty”. It’s an exploration of crime, poverty, drugs in the Black community. Except in this reality addictive synthesized superpowers begin to hit the streets. I’ll be working on the studio’s next book Sequential Suicide: Fire & ICE, which we will be taking open submission for in 2008 for a 2009 release. And I’ll continue to work with a production company to try development some of my properties as videogames, movies and television series. As always, I’ll be on traveling to various conventions through out the year and I’ll be celebrating 803studios 5 year anniversary in 2009.
Posts: 21381 | From: PA | Registered: Aug 2002
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