Interview with Heather Antos

Heather Antos is a Senior Editor at IDW where she's editing all things Star Trek, creator of #SignalBoostSunday. She’s previously edited works for Image, Valiant, Marvel, Star Wars, Disney, and a bunch of creator-owned stuff, too and if that wasn’t cool enough, she is also a writer and artist.
 

Heather, can you take us back in time to when you first fell in love with comics and how that led to making it into a career.

I mean, I’m not quite sure if I can pinpoint “the” moment it happened. As my mom would say “she’s always drawn comics before she read them.” Creating and telling stories has always been part of my every being my entire life and illustrating my own stories and creating my own characters are some of my earliest memories.

In college I took an American Literature course where we had a segment on comics and graphic novels. It was then that I was introduced to SANDMAN and I was immediately in love with the possibilities of the medium. Not having grown up with a local comic shop, I didn’t read many comics outside of the weekly newspaper comics strips or various web comics. It was roughly around the same time that the Marvel films were really starting to take off and DC was about to launch the New 52 – a perfect recipe to get this future comics editor hooked on comics.

I always laugh at this, but I really like to credit the 2011 GREEN LANTERN film for truly motivating my passion for comics. Like most of us, I am a big Ryan Reynolds fan and was excited to see him take on hopefully a good (ha!) superhero role. I researched the stories the film was to be based on and devoured them. I became hooked on Geoff Johns’ run on GL from then on. And you can bet your butt that from the very first scene in the theaters I was “that” comic fan complaining about how “incorrect” everything about the movie was.

It wasn’t too long after that that I began looking into creating my own comics and self-publishing them. Coming from a background of film and theatre production, I really enjoyed the Behind-the-scenes work of building stories and producing. So naturally, the role of the comics editor (combined with my love of writing and drawing) felt like a perfect fit.
 

You’ve worked for a number of publishers, how has that affected your editing process over the years, and do you feel any of the publishers contributed to the development of your skills?

I’m extremely grateful for every project, creator, and publisher I’ve been lucky enough to collaborate with. As much as I never want to experience the grind of the Big Two™  ever again, I am extremely appreciative of getting to start my professional career working at one of the biggest (if not THE biggest) comics publishers. I learned so much about the importance of concise, clear communication, organization, boundaries, and most importantly…treating your team with respect. I learned a LOT of what NOT to do – and what kind of collaborator I never want to be. It’s easy to get lost in the daily grind of making comics, and it’d be SO easy to just phone it in and not care – we’ve all seen it – but as a book’s editor, you’re the captain on the field with the rest of the team. You can’t phone it in – you’re team leader. The job is to elevate and look out for everyone else you’re working with – and getting to make pretty cool stories while doing it!

At the end of the day, it’s important to evaluate what worked, what didn’t, and what we can do to be better on the next project – no matter the publisher you’re working for.
 

The grind is real and burns out so many talented folks. How have you dealt with it, and do you see a way of making comics that can avoid it? Or do commercial artists just need that overwhelming sense of pressure to create for publication?

I am HARDLY the best person to go to for advice on this, ha! I DEFINITELY take on way more work than I should…but I guess that comes with the territory of a creative. We’re passionate about what we do—and we LOVE doing it. It’s so hard to say no! Coupled with very unforgiving deadlines and rates at times, it’s more than enough to make anyone look at what we do and go “But why, though?”

Ultimately, though, as cliché as it is, it’s all about working smart AND working hard (but not harder than you have to!!!). It’s important early on to figure out what systems work best for you, when you work best, and with whom you work best. At the end of the day, even though, yes, making comics for a living is pretty cool and fun, we still need to treat it like a job. It’s what is hopefully paying the bills, after all.

For me, personally, time away from the desk is just as important as time spent at the desk and time management is key. Being aware of exactly how long on average it takes you to complete various tasks will help you better forecast your workloads, and in doing so will also help you figure out accurate rates.

But what I think is most important in terms of avoiding burnout? Being able to say “no” and setting firm boundaries. If you completed work for a client weeks ago and it was approved only for them to come back later and ask for revisions…you have every right to say “Sorry, I can’t.” Or “Sure, I’d be happy to, but my corrections fee is XYZ.” We’re trained to be “grateful” for any and every opportunity we get in this industry, and many bad clients will try to make us feel bad for advocating for ourselves. There’s nothing wrong with asking to be paid for additional services. Nor is there anything wrong with saying “Hey, I’d absolutely LOVE to work with you on this project, but my schedule simply doesn’t have room for another gig this month. I’d love to see if there’s anything available later we could collaborate on?” As an editor, any time a creator is honest with me about what they can take on (even if it means a “not right now”) tells me they are someone I WANT to work with down the line because they can communicate their needs.

How do you evaluate a project? What sort of metrics are you looking at/considering when coming up with the road map for a book or team’s betterment? And if a book is an immediate sales success, does it change your process?

I love this question in that I’m not sure I have a good answer for it, ha! There are some editorial practices that I’ve seen that have more cut and dry “this is what works, point plank period” – and there is nothing wrong with that – but for myself, I generally try to treat every project, every creator, as individuals. I see it as my to facilitate an environment where every creator can do their best work within the given parameters of a project. That means being able to shift and be as flexible as need be.

For instance, if I want to work with X creator, but I know that X creator is AWFUL at email and does much better with phone calls and texts…great! That’s how we’ll do the majority of our communication. Or if creator J reaaaaaaally wants to work on say Star Trek or Star Wars but I know they are not the strongest at likenesses, then why set them up to fail? Let’s find a project that’s focused on non-tv/movie appearing characters so they can excel! Or maybe I’ve been asked to come up with a 100-pg issue last minute that needs to be solicited in 2 days, and goes to print in 2 months – better think quick, who do I know who is fast, reliable, and can NAIL it? Or in that case, how MANY people do I know who can?

Immediate sales successes are nice, but 9 times out of 10 decisions about whether or not the particular book changes course are not up to the editor of that individual project.

Star Wars or Star Trek?

Yes.

I knew that wasn’t going to work with you! Anyways, for those that don’t know, you and I work together on a super-rad book called Slumber at Image comics (if you haven’t read it, what are you waiting for?!), how different is it working on a major licensed comic like Star Wars or Star Trek compared to a creator-owned book like Slumber?

There’s a saying all editors at Marvel know from Executive Editor Tom Brevoort: “No editor can make a bad story good, they can only make it better. All editors can make a good story worse.” 

No pressure, right? 

Because he’s not wrong. Especially when it comes to editors in charge of managing the IP for major properties and franchises. These editors are the Keeper of the Keys to some of the biggest storylines and characters that modern media has ever known, with some of the fiercest and most passionate fans out there. How’s the saying go? “With great power…” Well, you get it.

The main difference between editing for a major publisher versus a creator owned project is who it is that holds these keys, this ultimate power of final creative say when story disagreements happen. And they do happen.

One of an editor’s many responsibilities is being the first reader to any comic. They are the first set of fresh eyes to point out plot holes, continuity mistakes, etc. They are there to question the creators’ motives — the first person to ask why these characters are behaving in such a way, in such a scene. The first person to question and correct if things just don’t make sense. 

Will every creator always agree with the notes and questions their editor is making and asking? 

Of course not. 

That’s when the rule of “Keeper of the keys” comes into play. For a publishing house like Marvel, ultimately the editors in the Spider-Man office get final say on whether or not Peter Parker decides to go on a murderous rampage. And no matter how much the writer may think it’s the best idea that will ever hit comics, it doesn’t matter. Marvel holds the keys. 

On the flipside, I may have a note or suggestion on a script for SLUMBER, TIME BEFORE TIME, BLOOD STAINED TEETH, or ROGUES’ GALLERY, but if Tyler, Declan, Christian, or Hannah disagree, no matter how much I backup my claim, stamp my feet, or hold up a boombox above my head outside their bedroom window, they hold the keys. It’s their kingdom. I’m just an advisor.

Will an editor always make the best suggestion in their notes? Nope. Will they sometimes mislead a creative team? Sure. Editors, shockingly, are human and, just like creators, can have ideas that aren’t always the best, even with the best of intentions. It all goes back to that alchemy — sometimes the ingredients don’t always result in the way you want them to.
 

Circling back around to 2011’s Green Lantern film and of you being “that” comic fan complaining about how correct the film was when compared to the comics, do you find yourself in situations as an editor where fans complain to you about the direction of a given series?

I suppose it depends on how you qualify the word “fan”, doesn’t it? I have a personal philosophy that social media and the internet has changed how we consume pop culture – that very few people now watch with curious open minds and instead “hate-watch/read” for their hot take and “clicks”. It’s sad, really. We no longer consume to experience and enjoy; we consume to have an opinion. Is that what being a fan of something has turned into? I don’t know.
 

I ask everyone I interview…If you could only give one piece of advice, be it for editing or life, what would it be?      

“Don’t be a dick and do the thing.” Is my general go-to that applies to most generally any situation one encounters in life.

https://www.heatherantos.com/

Twitter/Insta: @HeatherAntos

Other Insta: @HeatherARTos

Interview with J.M. Brandt and Theo Prasidis

J.M. Brandt and Theo Prasidis are the writing duo behind SWAMP DOGS: HOUSE OF CROWS on Scout Comic's Black Caravan imprint. J.M Brandt  is currently working on several other unannounced projects, but you can read his short story, “The Welcoming Committee” in Vol. 3 of MIDNIGHT MAGAZINE'S anthology MIDNIGHT TALES. Theo Prasidis' new book BLACK MASS RISING is forthcoming from TKO Studios, and readily available from Image Comics is THE DOOMSTER'S MONOLITHIC POCKET ALPHABET.

J.M. Brandt

Theo Prasidis

J.M., Theo, tell us a little bit about how you both got into comics and what about the medium makes them perfect for telling your stories.

Theo: I never was much into comics. I grew up as a movie kid, devouring everything from mindless 1980s Van Damme action flicks, to Akira Kurosawa’s sophisticated epics. I loved cinema as a whole, so I studied to become a filmmaker. Along the way however, I realized that being a filmmaker, and having to deal with so many different people in order to tell a story, takes much more tenacity and resilience than I had. So I quit chasing that, and worked on different things. At some point I started writing a tongue-in-cheek alphabet about doom metal, a genre I was very much involved with because of a music festival I was curating at the time. I wrote it as a joke, really. I brought in Maarten Donders, one of the scene's most prolific illustrators, to do the art, with the ambition of printing a couple of copies and selling them at the festival’s merch booth. One night I got the crazy idea of pitching this to Image Comics, and within twenty minutes Eric Stephenson got back to me, saying they’ll put it out. That was it for me. Everything made sense. With comics I get to tell the exact stories I want to tell, without studio pressure, budget restrictions, or managing a fucking army. They’re the perfect medium for me. They’re downright liberating.

J.M.: I was a child of the 80s, and as such, grew up on cartoons and Toys’R’Us. I really cottoned early to “Superfriends” and was obsessed with the early 80s Marvel and DC action figures. So I guess that’s how I was first exposed. In fact, around the time I was 3 or 4 we would rent old VHS collections of the 1960s Marvel cartoons and I’d watched them so much that we wound up wearing down the tape on a couple. I still have vivid memories of the covers depicting Namor and Thor… to the point I could even tell you what part of the store they were in nearly 40 years later. Flash forward and my house is rather close to a shop called Golden Apple… and they had a bitchin’ mural on the side of the wall that fascinated me. It was Wolverine, unmasked, from the cover of Wolverine #1. I want to say an old iteration of the mural also had Red Sonja on it, but you can’t quote me on that part. As soon as I had money “of my own” as a kid, that was the first shop I wanted to spend it all in. I believe the first comic I bought on my own was a back issue of Moon Knight. I’ve been hooked, more or less, ever since. 

As for what makes them the perfect medium for storytelling? They give you a level of control over the narrative and the visuals of a story that no other medium can. The presentation can be as mundane or as abstract and experimental as you want. You control the pacing at an almost granular level. In a way it takes the best of writing prose and making a movie or TV and distills it to this wonderful sequential package.

Two writers on separate paths and an ocean between you. How did the writing partnership come about, and how did you know Swamp Dogs was the book you wanted to pitch?

Theo: At this point, I feel like I have told the story of how I met J.M. more times than how I met my own wife! But it’s totally worth it, because the whole thing was such a happy coincidence. We were both contributors at Screen Rant, the entertainment website, we were digging each other's articles, and we got talking. Music, movies, TV shows, our tastes were very similar, so we decided to work on something together. The idea was to make our own pop culture website, but then my Image book got announced, and J.M. came to me with a proposal: imagine if you will a Tombs of the Blind Dead comic book, but instead of rural Spain, it takes place in the swampy South, and instead of Templar Knights, you have undead Confederates. To say that I was hooked, would be an understatement.

J.M.: What he said. It’s a pretty interesting meet-cute, though, isn’t it? Swamp Dogs, at least a very distant form of it, was an idea that I’d been unable to shake for nearly a decade when I brought it to Theo to work on it together. I needed a like-minded soul to help me give birth to it. Theo was the man for the job.

A comic set in the south, undead confederates, scantily clad women. I know we only have the first issue out, but has there been any…controversy that either of you have had to address? Anything either of you would like to state for potential readers that might be cautious to pick up a book involving undead confederate soldiers?

Theo: Dealing with the controversy of the subject matter was one of our earliest conversation topics. We’re forward thinking people who are very aware of how hurtful certain themes can be, so we wanted to play this absolutely right. We did our best to portray the Swamp Dogs like the truly remorseless monsters that they are. There’s not an ounce of humanity in them, no inkling of redemption or sympathy. They’re evil to their very core. And in the wake of the Trump administration, and all the horrific things we’ve seen happening in the States over the past few years, they also work as great stand-ins for systemic oppression and violence.

J.M.: I wouldn’t call it controversy, but there have been some concerned voices both on Twitter and in person at conventions. Some have been concerned by our portrayal of queer women. Some have been concerned by our portrayal of race. In every instance, I listened to those concerns and responded as thoughtfully and sincerely as I could. We’re not out to misrepresent any group. Is there overt sexuality coming from the female leads? Absolutely. This is a grindhouse homage. This is a genre book at its core. But our thinking is that it is not innately a denigrating portrayal just because of the sexuality. These women are human beings, and there are complex goings-ons, a REAL romance and REAL emotions, that also get portrayed. And we are always open to listening to thoughts from the communities that we are representing in the book, and working to keep things balanced.

Are you working on other projects together? Any solo works you can talk about yet?

Theo: Well, we have a number of exciting things coming up in the Swamp Dogs universe, so we don’t plan to stop working together anytime soon. I have a new TKO Studios book that’s just been announced, an original Dracula-themed horror/fantasy graphic novel called Black Mass Rising, featuring some striking art by Jodie Muir. And I’m working on an awesome project with animated film director and illustrator Adrian Dexter, who is known for his cover work for the heavy psych/prog band Elder. Can’t say much about this one yet, but it’s one of those projects that keep you up at night. So yeah, I’m pretty psyched!

J.M.: There are proposals in. There are parties interested. But it’s one of those “if I told you I’d have to kill you” type situations. But I am currently writing a twisted short story about a modern day problem and how being alienated from your neighbors can lead to some pretty disturbing circumstances. That’s probably what I’m most excited about finishing next. It’s called, “What Are They Doing Up There?”

These all sound like awesome projects! As you both know by now I’m a bit of a horror hound myself, and while these aren’t all entirely horror projects, what is it about the dark that has you both creating in it?     

Theo: I don’t know, man, I ask myself the same question all the time, haha! And I did try to develop a couple of more children-oriented projects recently, but I can’t seem to be able to wrap my head around them. I keep coming back to horror. I mean yeah, horror stands as a great metaphor for our deep, personal traumas, and our collective existential anxieties, and all that. But there’s more to it. I guess there’s something comforting in horror and fantasy. Like the world makes much more sense if there are monsters in it. I just can’t think of a better place to lose yourself in, than a good horror story.

J.M.: I don’t know exactly what compels me. I mean, The Count was my favorite Sesame Street Muppet (and not because of the math) and my first dream job (and current dream job) was being a Ghostbuster. Some people are just drawn to horror. It takes the right mix of nerves and grit and sense of humor in life, I think. Fiction is powerful because it allows our brains to play in the realms of the unreal and, at the end of the story/movie/game, we are safe and unharmed (except maybe our psyches). So why not really push the limits of the unreal and make it something catastrophic and violent beyond measure?

For Swamp Dogs, you both assembled the creative team. What goes into your thought process for finding the right people to work with? With different projects is it the same process?

Theo: The process is always the same to me: figure out the vibe I want the project to have, and find the team that will absolutely nail it. It doesn't matter where they are from, or how big a name they are, or how many books they have put out. If they’re the right people for the project, they get the job.

J.M.: As a creator and writer, I see the images of what I am making before they’re committed to paper. From there it is surprisingly simple to see whose work (or potential in their work) fits most closely to what I see in my mind’s eye. That’s not to say that it’s a simple process, though. Like with Swamp Dogs, Theo and I went through dozens of artists and letterers before figuring out whose styles would mesh the best with what we wanted to accomplish. We just got insanely lucky that we wound up with our first choices!

I ask everyone I interview…If you could only give one piece of advice, be it for writing or life, what would it be?      

Theo: There are three pieces of advice I usually give that apply both to comics and life. One, take your work seriously. If you won’t do it, no one else will. Two, keep on trying. It’s easy, even tempting, to just quit, but trust me when I say that there are people out there who are going to believe and invest in your vision. You just need to find them. Three, and hear me out on this one: don’t be a dick.

J.M.: If you believe in something and love it… then there are other people out there that will be picking up what you’re putting down. So don’t doubt your vision.

 

Theo:

https://www.theoprasidis.com

https://www.facebook.com/theo.prasidis/

https://twitter.com/TheoPrasidis

https://www.instagram.com/theoprasidis/

J.M. Brandt:

https://twitter.com/MRJMBrandt

https://Instagram.com/j.m.brandt

https://facebook.com/MrJMBrandt

The 2021 Eisner Award Nominees Announced!

Nominees have been announced for the 2021 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards! Congratulations to all the nominees, but especially to my fellow teammates on DC’s The Other History of the DC Universe and Image Comic’s Gideon Falls.

The Other History of the DC Universe #1 has been nominated for Best Single Issue (DC).

Gideon Falls has been nominated for Best Continuing Series (Image).

If that wasn’t cool enough, Jeff Lemire, and Dave Stewart are both up for Best Writer and Best Colorist, respectively. Andrea and myself were not nominated for our work individually on Gideon Falls, but that’s okay we’re not taking it personally. If you’re eligible to vote, please consider casting your vote for Jeff, Dave, Gideon Falls, and The Other History of the DC Universe.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention my fellow letterers nominated for Best Lettering this year. They are:

Mike Allred, Bowie: Stardust, Rayguns & Moonage Daydreams (Insight Editions)

Deron Bennett, Bear, The Sacrifice of Darkness (Archaia); King of Nowhere, Something Is Killing the Children, We Only Find Them When They’re Dead (BOOM! Studios); Far Sector, Harley Quinn: Black + White + Red, Martian Manhunter (DC); Excellence (Image/Skybound); A Dark Interlude, Dark One, Relics of Youth, Resonant, Shadow Service, Vampire: The Masquerade: Winter’s Teeth (Vault); Ping Pong (VIZ Media)

Aditya Bidikar, Barbalien: Red Planet, Grafity’s Wall Expanded Edition (Dark Horse); John Constantine, Hellblazer (DC); A Map to the Sun (First Second); The Department of Truth, Lost Soldiers (Image); Giga, The Picture of Everything Else (Vault)

Clayton Cowles, Aquaman, Batman, Batman and the Outsiders, Strange Adventures, Superman: Man of Tomorrow, Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen (DC); Adventureman, Bitter Root, Bog Bodies, Die (Image); Reaver (Image/Skybound); Morbius, X Of Swords (Marvel)

Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo (IDW)

Rus Wooton, Wonder Woman: Dead Earth (DC); Decorum, Monstress (Image); Die!Die!Die!, Fire Power, Oblivion Song, Outcast, Stillwater (Image/Skybound)

I know I’m not there, but don’t let that stop you from voting for one of these great choices!

You can check out the rest of the categories and nominees here: https://www.comic-con.org/awards/2021-eisner-awards-nominations

Family Tree Logo Design

Logo design is something I've generally stayed away from in the past. There tends to be a lot of cooks in the kitchen and they all know how to make the dish. It's almost more about marketing than anything to do with the book and I'd rather stay away from that noise. But in the last few years, this year and last specifically, I've been getting back into them and really enjoying it all. I've done a number of logos for DC this year and they were an absolute pleasure and entirely in my wheelhouse.

Okay, that's great Steve-O, but what does that have to do with this Family Tree cover over here?! Well, I don't know, but I was already lettering Family Tree when Jeff and the gang asked if I wanted to handle the design and logo, too. Spoiler, I said yes. The first issue was done and I had a good idea on the tone of the book and what everyone might be into so I cracked my knuckles and came up with a few ideas.

I always show a few ideas. Anywhere from 3-6 is usually good. Sometimes I show 1 and that ends up being a mistake. Never show 1 idea. It's probably not as good as you think it is. So, I showed a few and most of them sucked, but everyone dug the one we ended up using. I found a font I liked, made some adjustments, staggered the letters in a pleasing way and then I stared drawing little branches--or roots, whatever--coming up from the bottom of the letterforms. Side note: I dig logo's that have a story element in them. Like how I made the Frogcatchers logo look like frog toes. Or the tentacle in Plunge. So--branches! Freaking brilliant!

Then we lay it out and try a few different options. The creative team and Will, our fearless editor, keep throwing notes at it. Jeff keeps saying make it bigger. Bigger. BIGGER! So, I do. Then, I think it was Phil says he wants the branches, or roots, or whatever coming through the cuts I made and really gelling with the logo. Then I'm thinking to myself great idea, but it's more work, and there's cold beer in the fridge I'd like to get to. But before I even have to try, Ryan says he can handle it. He colors the book so it makes more sense anyway. Teamwork makes the dreamwork, I say. He knocks it out of the park and makes it look easy.

And that's it! I hope you were paying attention cause that's how you make a logo. At least this one. Mileage may vary.