Spotlight: Christopher Turner
THE CREATOR & WRITER OF “DIAL EXCES” TALKS HENSHIN, TROPES AND BELIEVING IN YOUR VISION
by Chris Clay
QCP: First of all, Thanks for taking the time to do this interview. As a fellow henshin fan, I was immediately intrigued when I first saw some of the art for your project Dial Exces. What exactly is Dial Exces & how long have you been working on it?
Chris Turner: Thanks for asking me! Dial Exces is my take on the tokusatsu genre but infused with comic book storytelling. The series follows 17 year old Marcus Dubel who's been granted a fighting suit in order to combat monsters that have begun appearing in his world. I've been working on it for roughly 6 years or so now. This version is actually the second iteration of the story after I decided to give the plot as massive overhaul a couple of years ago.
QCP: What made you decide to reboot?
CT: I made the decision to reboot the series after reading The Almighty Street Team, issue 0. It was one of the first time that an indie comic really resonated with me, that featured characters of color that didn't feel like a troupe [...] It made me take a good long look at what I was doing & I thought to myself "there's no reason a Black kid can't work as the lead in this story that I want to tell". Once I felt that weight lift off of my shoulders, I was really able to hit the ground running & start crafting a narrative that worked the way I needed it to.
QCP: What was your goal when you started writing this character? Do you feel like you had themes in mind when you started, or did it develop more as you got into the process?
CT: Well, initially, I had one goal in mind & that was to show that a person of color could be a henshin hero, if done properly, or any sort of hero for that matter. Over time the overarching theme of the story came to me [...] we're all connected to each other; no man is an island. The things that we do effect the lives of those around us. That's the main theme in the story of Dial Exces.
QCP: Sweet! I always found it odd that Henshin Heroes are so rarely Black.
CT: Exactly! [Laughs] I think sometimes we either limit ourselves or we don't police ourselves enough when it comes to the characters we make. I'm trying to find that sweet spot where people that look like me can see a hero that's like them but isnt just a Black version of "insert character name here." Sometimes that's ok but I think it happens a lot more than it should.
QCP: I agree. What do you feel is the best thing about being a creator right now? Do you think there's something special about making comics in 2019?
CT: Well-- and this is sort of a gift & a curse here-- I think it's good that we live in a world where you don't need to get the ok from the "gatekeepers" to make comics. If you want to make a comic you can make one & that's awesome. Now the flip side to that is that there are a lot of creators out there-- because you can just make a comic whenever you feel like it-- that are putting out comics/characters that just aren't very interesting or compelling & as a whole it can make indie creators look bad. There's still a process to this & a lot of creators are skipping steps just because they've got the skills as illustrators, but their ideas aren't where they should be. They could be with more polished, but without critiques or at least someone who'll be brutally honest with you that you can bounce those ideas off of, you run the risk of putting out a mediocre product as opposed to a great one.
QCP: Totally agree! No offense to anyone, but the endless sea of Toriyama-lite stuff? Yikes.
CT: [Laughs] Yup!
QCP: It seems like a lot of talented storytellers are selling themselves short, which is sad.
CT: They are, man & it definitely doesn't have to be that way but I think you have to be willing to take a good long look at what you're doing & honestly say "is it good or not". If you're just coming out the gate with each and every idea that pops into your head, if you're not taking a second to stop & say "is this the best thing for the narrative?" or "is this really any good?", then you're probably on the wrong track.
QCP: Can you tell us about Dial Exces?
CT: The story takes place in a world were creatures called the Dolm have begun to appear. The Dolm are superior to humanity in every way imaginable-- faster, stronger more durable-- they're a real threat. That's where Marcus Dubel comes in. He finds himself on a sort of an anti-Dolm unit being run out of the world's most prestigious hospital. As the youngest member of the crew, he's paired up with a woman named Ellery Mathis who's been fighting the dolm for the better half of a decade. She becomes a mentor to Marcus as he adapts to the life of a soldier.
QCP: So Marcus lives in a pretty bleak world, eh?
CT: Well, it's not too dissimilar from the world we live in. There's both good & bad, but a lot of the bad parts he's not aware of until he joins the fight.
QCP: Do you have a target date for the webcomic release? Where can future fans find it?
CT: The pilot or issue zero will drop early 2019 & it'll be available to read on dialexces.com. The site is undergoing some renovations right now in preparation for the launch of the webcomic.
QCP: Awesome! Thanks again for your time, Chris!
CT: It was my pleasure man! Thanks again!