AN INTERVIEW WITH THE BLACK FROG – AUTHOR OF “MAGGOT”
For the Spanish version of the interview click on the link bellow.
SPACEMAN BOOKS - How and why did you start writing and drawing a story like "Maggot"?
B.F. - When I started working on Maggot I was already writing a long black and white graphic novel series, “Les Carnets De La Grenouille Noire -- “The Spark” in English and after the fourth book, I needed to work on something that was more colorful and a bit more mainstream. I also wanted to come up with a story which could be adapted into a feature film.
It all started when I posted some style test doodles on an american forum called conceptart.org. I was looking for
the style of my next comic and with the different sketches I also had made a full page for fun as if taken from an already written book where you could see a girl coming out of an hotel leaving her panties to the groom. I found it amusing and this page became page 03.
I had starting point, I only had to come up with the rest.
SPACEMAN BOOKS - It was originally divided in 6 different issues. Did you have in mind to make more than 300 pages when you started?
B.F. - No, I had set myself the number of 300 pages from day one. That was part of the sandbox framework I set for every project I undertake: number of pages, style, genre, how many pages a day. I wanted to do an adventure through death, heaven and hell in muted colors and since I was working full time on an american animation feature film at the time I only had time to work an 8 hours long second shift everyday so I decided that 5 pages written, inked and colored per day during my free time was reasonable.
SPACEMAN BOOKS - How was the technical process to make this book happen? Did you use only computer and digital tools or did you have the time to make studies on paper beforehand?
B.F. - It was all digital, it’s way faster than working on paper, it’s not messy, not fragile, and you can change your mind whenever you want which is something I do very often.
I had no time to ponder on anything and the story was completely improvised. I had no idea what would be happening the next day... That was really fun. I would wake up every morning eager to “read” the rest of Susan’s adventure as if it was written by somebody else.
SPACEMAN BOOKS - We've all read many versions of Hell both in Books and Comics... and still I can't think of anything like your own unique vision... From where did you get the inspiration for such a world and for your characters?
B.F. - Thanks, all I did was looking a bit deeper into the original versions of things like the old descriptions of angels, demons and cherubim which are in my opinion way more interesting in the scriptures than how we came to portray them since then.
SPACEMAN BOOKS – You seem to have followed the bible’s guidelines and its eternal fight between Good and Evil, Demons and Angels... Did you have to do a lot of research before writing the story?
B.F. - Changing the mythical manichean rules of the fight between good and evil would just feel like the uneasy shade of grey we live in everyday and I wanted you to have that feeling of being projected into another place with a very different set of rules.
I don’t usually like to use too much reference when I write, it tends to slow down the written process quite a bit and I like when it flows. But because of the subject matter, I had to dig into a lot of books on witchcraft, demons, different versions of the bible, the Kabbala and old gothic painted representations of both heaven and hell. As for the characters and fauna, they are, for the most part, taken directly from the scriptures as I found that the mythos was already so rich that scratching the surface was more than enough to populate Maggot.
SPACEMAN BOOKS - Can you explain why you chose the tittle "Maggot"?
B.F. - Because for all of us a maggot is instantly associated with the idea of death and also because I like the ring of it, no pun intended.
SPACEMAN BOOKS - Being a complete artist in all kinds of disciplines, why did you exactly create The Dynamo Press? I mean, most artists are clever enough nowadays to sell their work and keep the rights to it. Wasn't it easier to let the publishing companies print and distribute your books? Or has time proven that print-on-demand is the future
if you want to live of your work?
B.F. - I just wanted to have a little place where I could be in total control of the creative output, whether or not I’ll be able to make it work financially is not my primary concern, I do that for the love and the worse thing that could happen to me would be to be unable to give birth to all the stories already pilling up in my head just because someone is preventing me from getting it out fast enough.
SPACEMAN BOOKS - Anyone can see that you really can draw, but for "Maggot" your drawings are not as detailed as some other of your works. It reminds us of Mignola’s minimalism... sometimes it is closer to a storyboard than to the usual graphic novels style we’re used to. Is it because the idea for the story came faster than the time you had to draw it?
B.F. - As I said the time limit I had given myself for the project kind of decided of the style for it but I also think that sometimes the minimalist aspect of a drawing style for a comic book, if it is done intelligently, can take the reader even deeper into the world you’re creating because you don’t chew everything for him and that his brain can interact, fill the gaps and ultimately feel more involved. The mood you’re creating can get stronger that way. Less is more. Always.
SPACEMAN BOOKS – For Maggot you found a very personal style but which artist influenced you while you were developing it?
B.F. - I am trying to come up with a different style for each comic book project for several reasons: First, because I get bored fast and I don’t want to feel like I am doing the same thing over and over. Some take pleasure in nurturing the same style for years, I don’t. Second, because it gives more personality to each book the same way a movie director doesn’t want all his movies to look the same. I am aware that some of my followers prefer one style or the other and that it might be a bit frustrating at times. But what can I say... that’s how I work. For Maggot the obvious influence was Mike Mignola of course, or at least it should have been. Since HELLBOY anytime someone writes a comic book about hell, Mr Mignola, and rightly so, is THE reference in the genre. So Because I love his work so much I’ve tried to push myself away from it as much as I could to find my own hell song.
SPACEMAN BOOKS - On your facebook page you mention at least a dozen of new projects you're working on, including a 2600 pages comic book adaptation of "journey to the west", the story of the Monkey King... what will be the next project available to the public?
B.F. - Well, I’m not sure ahah it fluctuates. First in line will certainly be a reprint and an english version of the first 4 books of “Les Carnets De La Grenouille Noire” or “The Spark” in English, which are a massive black and white fiction of 10 x 300 page books -- +1 if you count “Conscient de vacuité” the autobiographic seed for the fictional story if you will --
I’m finishing the 5th book and I should be able to put them out on the shelves this year.
The next project is “The Truth” my first super hero comic. It’s going to be in color, done in chapters of 25 pages and there will be 4 x 100 pages books in total. I’m juggling with freelance work and “The Boredom Ministry” a new indie video game company we just set up so I can’t say for sure when will the first issue come out but it will be a bit more mainstream than what I usually do and it’s going to be a lot of fun.
SPACEMAN BOOKS - Are you still working for the cinema industry in which you've already made quite a contribution? Can you tell us anything about the movies you’re currently working on or what is the next one on your plate?
B.F. - Yes, all the time. I’ve just finished working on two movies, one for Warner Brothers and one for Dreamworks, can’t say a word about it as usual but there’s a couple movies I should jump on soon.
SPACEMAN BOOKS - What kind of memories do you keep from the major movies you've worked on? Is there any space for fun in these big factories where everyone often seems to only be a small cog in the machine.
B.F. - Mostly fond memories but it’s a bit of both, some fun, some frustration hence my constant desire for making comics.
SPACEMAN BOOKS – What is the best part of working for the cinema business?
B.F. - Mostly the sparkles you see in people’s eyes when you say to them what you do for a living and the good friends you make on the way.
SPACEMAN BOOKS - What moves you to express yourself as an artist in all other possible genres, including video games?
B.F. - I’m not sure if I “express myself as an artist” in all possible genres... I sure keep on trying. To me all mediums can carry stories in their own specific way and before anything else I like to think that I am a storyteller. So as you would use different colors to paint different portraits one can use different mediums to tell different stories.
SPACEMAN BOOKS - Do you feel capable to only use one of your skills or would you always need to express yourself in different ways?
B.F. - I couldn’t do just one thing even if I wanted to. I’d die.
SPACEMAN BOOKS - You were lucky enough to work for one of those companies which many people dream to visit: the Jim Henson's Creature Shop. How did you get the chance to work for them and how was your experience there? What was the most valuable thing you’ve learned from that experience?
B.F. - Yes it was good. Well, I related in details my time at Henson’s in my very first book “Conscious of void” which I’ll get translated into English soon. I guess you’ll have to wait to read it to get the answer to that one :)
SPACEMAN BOOKS - Working on so many project, do you still have time to read or watch movies? If so, what are your choices? Books, Comics, Graphic Novels or is it Comedies, Science Fiction, Horror Movies?
B.F. - I watch a lot of movies -- most of what comes out really -- and TV shows that’s how I rest or brainwash, however you want to call it... Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, Doctor Who, True Detectives, Luther, Madmen... not so much comics lately, or old ones from the 70s or 80s.
SPACEMAN BOOKS - What do you prefer: European BD or US comics?
B.F. - I like diversity so I like both, I also like Japanese and south American authors. I was brought up with Europeans comics, Métal Hurlant, American super heros and horror stories.
SPACEMAN BOOKS - Is there any comic book artist who caught your attention lately?
B.F. - Yes, Bastien Vives and his crew on LASTMAN. Stellar job. I also love his sensibility when he’s working on solo projects.
SPACEMAN BOOKS - You've travelled a lot due to your job, why did you choose Berlin to live and not any of those other countries you've been for a while like England or France?
B.F. - Because I’ve already been to France and England and because I needed a bit of calm. Berlin is good for calm.
http://spacemanbooks.com/entrevista-black-frogigor-alban-chevalier-autor-de-maggot/
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