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------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Has someone you know been affected by illness or disease? Network for Good is THE place to support health awareness efforts! http://us.click.yahoo.com/rkgkPB/UOnJAA/Zx0JAA/bGIolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> ****** ALLAN GROSS INTERVIEW CRYPTOZOO CREW 5/3/05 First, Paul, thanks for doing this interview. Jerry Carr (the artist and co-creator) and I have been having a ball doing Cryptozoo Crew at NBM and we've got a lot of exciting things coming up this summer, like the first graphic novel in July and then a "special origin issue" in September with a beautiful cover by our old buddy Frank Cho. What's been so exciting about this project has been the feedback. You can tell when something clicks by how people respond to it, and Cryptozoo Crew has really been getting buzz in and out of the comic industry. For example, last week we got nice reviews from The Fortean Times as well as the Comic Buyer's Guide. And we get fan letters from all ages and "all" sexes. Question: Tell us something personal about yourself. Maybe where you were born, something about your family background, schools you attended, etc. Well, I was born in one of the most dangerous places on the planet - Washington D.C. I grew up a suburban "punk" in Maryland, doing the usual stuff - rebuilding cars, playing in a garage band called the Suburban Rejects, etc. Pretty typical family, except my parents spent their honeymoon out at the early nuclear testing in Nevada. No one knew much about radiation then - I sometimes wonder if it affected them at all. I keep waiting to grow blue hair and have super powers. After high school I went to college for electrical engineering in Boston (Tufts University). I eventually ended up with a couple Master's degrees (bio medical engineering and education). And I guess all of that explains why I write comics, right? Question: Allan, can you please brief us about your new comic book Cryptozoo Crew? Who are the main characters? Sure. Tork Darwyn is a world famous Cryptozoologist. For those who don't know, that means he searches for unique, unknown or at least undiscovered animals, like the Loch Ness Monster or Bigfoot. His wife Tara is a teacher, who often accompanies him on the journeys. Sometimes she saves him, sometimes he saves her and sometimes -- she plays a practical joke on him. Actually, you never really know what will happen with them, except she will definitely get the last word! Basically, Tork can solve the mysteries of the animals, but he'll never really figure her out. It's a lot like "Moonlighting" except they are "Cryptozoology- detectives!" So, there is a lot of adventure and some great interaction between them. Think "Crocodile Hunter" meets "Men are From Mars, Women are from Venus!" In the later episodes, they also have some of the animals as the "Crew". For example, in the graphic novel coming out this July, Tork has the "Cave Monkeys" accompany him on a search for Giant Squid. And as we do more stories, the "Crew" is going to grow. Question: Allan...don't pull my leg...are Tork and Tara real people or just fictional people that you created? Tork and Tara are fictional -- at least that's what they told me to tell you. Much like animals they search out, they value their privacy! Question: What are some of the cryptozoological animals that they will be encountering? Will they meet the Mothman? The Mothman has always been one of my favorites. Funny you should ask. Mothman is in issue #3 that just came out in May- and also a second Mothman story will be in the Graphic Novel in July. It's basically a sequel to the first story. I had a lot of fun with the Mothman story, mainly with the research. With stories like these you want to really understand the lore of the particular "Cryptid" (unknown animal) that you are writing about. So, I spent weeks learning about Mothman. By the end of the research I had convinced myself I'd actually solved the mystery of Mothman by tying together sightings and correlating them with a 19-20 year weather cycle and how it might affect a creature that stayed dormant underground. Tying this in with the nature of the sightings and the attributes of the creature (red eyes, cyclical reoccurrence etc.) all added to my theory - which I then expound upon in the story. You can read it to find out! As for the future, the first graphic novel will feature the Mothman stories plus the stories in issues #1 and #2, which were Carnivorous Plants, Cave Monkeys, the Yeti, the Florida Skunk Ape - plus other unpublished stories including the Chupacabra, Giant Squid and the Mothman sequel. Issue #3 had a story about a "Flaming Tunnel Spider" which we didn't include in the graphic novel- though it's damn good! In September we're doing a story about the Thunderbird, with a Frank Cho cover. It's an "origin" issue in that it tells how Tork got involved in Cryptozoology and how he met Tara - but none of the stories have 'continuity' so it doesn't really matter. If you haven't jumped on yet, just start with the graphic novel - and pick up issue #3 for completeness. But you can read any of them in any order. You can order direct from NBM. Other than the Thunderbird special origin with the Cho cover, we're switching over to graphic novels two times a year. The second graphic novel will have stories about a 'giant white worm', Nessie, probably the Queensland Tiger and a few others. We like the idea of going with the graphic novels because it will give us more flexibility with the stories in terms of page length per story. Question: Allan, you used to put out a comic book called Doctor Cyborg. Will we ever see Doctor Cyborg around again? I hope Doctor Cyborg will be back. And so does Malcolm Syberg, who was the Doc! For those who don't know, I first self-published Doctor Cyborg as Attention! Publishing through the Insight Studios Group. After 5 issues, they were collected in "The Clone Conspiracy" I started an on-line strip with Mike Oeming doing the art - and just last summer this was collected by Image Comics as "Outpatient", a book I'm very proud of doing. It's very quirky. I even used some songs my band recorded years ago and some new ones I did to create a music CD that went with it. All in all a lot of fun and I think it's a great read for Conspiracy Theory types who want a fun mystery. I have a few left if people want to contact me directly. You can see the strip version online at www.SunnyFundays.com. Question: What inspired you to create Cryptozoo Crew? It was Jerry's idea at first. He had just done a short gag cartoon. Jerry's a great graphic designer and does illustrations for some children's stories. His style fit doing a fun romp of a book, so that's the direction we took it. I expanded the idea, added Tork's wife and gave it some meat and then it really just came together. I find it refreshing in a market swamped by "Superman reinvented a thousand times". It's just fun to do. In a way, I also came at this with my background from doing the Tarzan comics and Tarzan newspaper strip (especially since we started as an online strip) in that I wanted something that was really accessible to everyone. Question: Do you have a website and if you do what is the URL address? We have a couple: www.CryptozooCrew.com is obviously where you'll find most everything. You can order books through www.NbmPublishing.com. And then the Insight Studios Group main comics page is a good place to see all of different characters at www.SunnyFundays.com Question: How can someone contact you? Email works well: cryptozoo@verizon.net Question: If you were stranded on a desert island, what 3 things would you bring with you and why? I'm assuming I can't take people or pets! Sorry dear! Let's see. Well, if I had electricity, I'd definitely bring my treadmill (I'm an exercise junkie) and my DSL connection! But, since I probably don't have electricity either, I'd say maybe a mountain bike, my running shoes and swim goggles (I won't need my suit, right?). About 5 years ago I got hooked on marathon running and Ironman triathlons, so I do a lot of training. It's a good break when you're at a computer all day! Question: Your thoughts on the comic industry? Well, on the bright side, the industry seems to be picking up a bit and we've had some great success with the book in some stores. The problem IMHO continues to be that shops don't want to take a chance on a new book outside the mainstream. One store in Virginia sold over 100 copies of the first issue of Cryptozoo Crew and they have built up a large base. This shop has a great attitude. They keep anything that is selling on the shelf and they order as long as there are buyers. Instead of trying a few and being happy if they sell out, this shop's aim is to have a couple left over. That way they don't miss something big. And it's really worked for them! One reason this is successful for us is that this book has great shelf appeal. As long as they give it a chance it will sell. I think it also has the advantage of having a wide base to appeal to. It's a funny book - which is rare, not overdone with angst and spandex. And so, it also appeals to women readers and kids. It's been great having kids come up and buy this with their own money. But, truth be told, it's an adult book - with the "he said she said" humor - it just doesn't use the vulgarity so it's appropriate for everyone. In fact, I think it will be much more successful outside the comic market. That's the main reason we went with NBM as the publisher. They have good access to the bookstore market and the foreign market, where non-superhero books do better. This is not to say we don't still want to be part of the comic book world. Jerry and I are both fans, but we also see this book as having a broader audience. We saw the same thing with Frank's Liberty Meadows, where you had the funny animals and the more serious relationship side of the humor. Truth is, this is a book that a male comic reader can show to his wife or girlfriend (or both) and they will both enjoy together (how is that for rare!). So, in that sense, this comic is great for your sex life! Question: Your 3 favorite fictional heroes and why? Well, I grew up reading every Edgar Rice Burroughs book, so Tarzan is right up there. I love his sense of self-reliance. There's a great scene in the second book where he is tossed overboard. He never even thinks of calling for help - he just swims several miles to shore. He was a great character in the original books. I also was a big Conan fan - and again I think this ties in. You like Conan because no one controls him. He is truly free, in particular, free of fear, which is a trait we'd all like to have. And then there's Coriolanus, from one of Shakespeare's little known plays. I think it's a brilliant play, though he is a tragic hero. He is such a dichotomy, both hero and hated, yet true to his self. A fascinating character that I draw from to understand that there are (at least) two sides to everything. Question: Your 3 real life heroes and why? I'm not big on "heroes". There are aspects of a lot of people I admire, though I try to never put anyone on a pedestal. Certainly some of the great thinkers - like Francis Bacon (who as my Doctor Cyborg readers know I believe wrote the works of Shakespeare) and other philosophers are high on my list. But so too are creators like Edgar Rice Burroughs who simply sought to entertain - and great athletes, as well. It's easy to be impressed by a Tiger Woods because of his focus, but I'm also often amazed by some of the older athletes I meet at races. There are 60 and 70 year olds doing marathons and Ironman triathons. I tip my hat - and like all my "heroes" I simply hope to emulate them and draw strength from their abilities! Question: What cons are you going to? Jerry and I will definitely be at San Diego (at the Insight Studios Group booth and at the NBM booth) and at the Baltimore Con - which is a lot of fun. Jerry will be at Mocha, and we'll also both probably be at Mid Ohio (another show we've really enjoyed) and SPX (which is great for the Indies!). Question: What movies, cartoons and TV shows are your favorites? I'm mostly and Indy movie fan, but there are some classics I love, like Gunga Din. And I think some new mainstream movies like Unforgiven - and The Player and Shawshank Redemption stand out. Jerry is the cartoon guy (I've hidden my TV!) and he loves the new Justice League Unlimited cartoon and Teen Titans. If I do watch TV it's usually a sporting event just to relax for awhile - though I was hooked on Seinfeld and the X-files during the "good seasons". Question: What books do you read? I've recently been reading a lot of financial books. I've been trying to learn more about the markets and the economy. It's actually fascinating (not to mention a train wreck waiting to happen!). Our country is in big trouble over the next decade and I think people should start to understand that this means they should get out of debt and start saving (something Americans don't do any more). We're in a huge debt bubble created by the Federal Reserve that has served to weaken our country and put us in the hands of foreign bond holders. It's worth trying to understand. Either that or run up all your credit cards, buy a McMansion and spend like there's no tomorrow! Woo-hoo! Question: What are your hobbies and recreational activities? Well, to go along with my fitness activities, my wife and I are "health nuts". We enjoy organic gardening and learning about health issues. We just had our mercury fillings out - and I highly recommend it. I'm pretty in tune with my body and I've noticed a lot of great side effects having the toxic material out. I was skeptical for a while, but new research seems to indicate the mercury definitely gets out and into your body! But research it yourself, don't take my word. Between work, gardening, writing, and training there's not a whole lot of time left! Question: What comic books do you read now and out of curiosity what was the first comic book you ever read? Oh, probably the DC Tarzan comics, but I really started reading Marvel and collecting the Avengers, Fantastic Four and X-men. I later sold them to buy a vintage Mustang (which got stolen, ack!). As an adult, I went back to comics when I read Mark Wheatley and Marc Hempel's Breathtaker and was really blown away that comics could be like that. I became friends with them after that and since then I've pretty much read everything that my group of friends has produced. IMHO it just happens to be the best stuff around! That has expanded to others who worked through the studio like Frank Cho, Mike Oeming, Neil Vokes, and stuff I've picked up at shows or been turned on to by this group. So, basically anything I get for free. Hah! Question: If Cryptozoo Crew became a Hollywood movie, who would play the character parts and why? Well, of course, Jerry and I would play the Cave Monkeys! (Maybe we could find some old Ewok costumes.) But for Tork Darwyn I'd say, Brendan Frasier. All you have to do is watch "George of the Jungle" and both "Mummy" Movies - 'nuff said. As for Tara Darwyn, I'd say Cameron Diaz would work. She's a spunky monkey herself! I also think it would really make a good cartoon, in the style of the Simpsons, fun for all ages, but with good adult humor. Question: That ends the interview, any last words of wisdom? Have your mercury (silver) fillings removed and get out of debt! And of course live, love and laugh more by reading Cryptozoo Crew! _________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------- [6] Interviews Richard Vasseur richardv@sympatico.ca Amber Moelter actress star of "Catwoman: Copycat" a short fan film produced by Colin Blakeston interviewed by Richard Vasseur/Jazma VP Richard: Where were you born and raised? Amber: I was born in a little town called Aberdeen, South Dakota. I lived there until I was seven, when my Dad was transferred to Seoul, South Korea through the company 3M. We than returned to the States, Minnesota specifically, when I was 11 and mostly stayed put until I graduated from high school. I guess I feel like I was mostly raised in Minnesota and consider myself Minnesotan at heart. After that I lived and studied in Australia for two and a half years and then finished off my studies in London where I have been for nearly 3 years. Richard: Did you train at an acting school or take classes? Amber: When I was in high school I participated in a program called The Mentor Connection. It allowed students to study with a mentor of their chosen profession and learn the ropes. I choose acting and was placed with a director of a regional theatre. She gave me private acting classes and taught me the basics. I had always loved performing, participating in school/amateur musicals and dancing since I was 3 or 4, but this was my first taste of acting. Although I chose dance as a profession, I continuously found myself drawn to acting. I continued to take classes in Minnesota until I moved to Australia, where I studied Contemporary Dance and Ballet. Not satisfied with only having movement as a means of expression I attended a performing arts school in Sydney to develop my singing and acting. That school was associated with the London Studio Centre (LSC), which I transferred to, completing a BA Hons in Musical Theatre. I still take classes, but find the best way of learning for me has been through the various independent projects I have worked on. I am incessantly adopting my working "method"; stealing bits and pieces from other actors that I respect. Richard: How did you break into acting? Amber: After graduating from LSC I auditioned for anything and everything from recording contracts to theatre improv, in addition to my agent regularly landing major musical theatre castings for me. My first break came in the form of an independent UK zom-zom-com feature called TrashHouse. From then on I managed a steady stream of independent projects. Richard: How did you get the role in "Catwoman: Copycat"? Amber: In May 2004 I saw an ad on a UK industry website casting a comic book short film. There was no mention of Catwoman at that point. More often than not, women are portrayed in films as secondary characters, as "the girlfriend", as a mere plot point. Women in comic books and graphic novels are wonderfully complex and, more often than not, strong and independent. Even without the knowledge that I was applying to play, dare I say, the most complex female comic book character of them all, I jumped at the chance to kick some ass. In July I had a screen test and was offered the role in August, which I promptly accepted. Richard: Do you see yourself as a sex symbol? Amber: While I understand that Catwoman, as a character, is sex in latex rubber, I don't offer the same description for myself. I have always identified myself as the girl-next-door type. I think any amount of make-up, airbrushing and other media manipulation can turn anyone into a sex symbol and when someone like Brad Pitt turns down the sex symbol status, how could anyone else validate claiming it? Except for The Cat, of course. Richard: How do you compare yourself to the other actresses that have played this role? Or do you? Amber: The other actresses are in a completely different league from myself and I can't justify comparing myself to them. All fans will have a favorite portrayal of Catwoman, for me it was Michelle Pfeiffer. In Batman Returns she is deadly sexy, as well as accurately depicting Selina Kyle's schizophrenic tendencies; you can clearly see four separate characters in that one performance. From the nature of her ever-changing back story, Catwoman's many aliases allows each actress the freedom to explore the character and apply what fits. There also is the freedom to play with the story. This freedom actually poses a challenge to filmmakers; they have the option to choose an existing thread of Catwoman's evolution or take it for a spin (as seen with the unfortunate Halle Berry adaptation). As with loyalties to specific actresses, leagues of fans see Catwoman in one form or another. making it impossible to please them all. In Catwoman: Copycat we went for a very streamlined line, akin to the comics of the eighties and nineties. We had fans write in, requesting the current goggles look or desperately pleading that we not use the cat suit! As with other incarnations of Catwoman, we have tried to stay loyal to the essence of the comics, while making it relevant as well. Richard: What Martial Arts training do you have? Amber: I haven't trained religiously in any one form, but have done a bit of Tae Kwon Do, Karate, Judo, Capoerira, Kickboxing, JKD, French Savate, Kali, Muay Thai, Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do and Grappling. The constant in my life has been dance, but every now and then I'll try a new martial art to gain experience and challenge my body in different ways. Richard: Do you find that your martial arts, gymnastics, yoga, dance and other sports activities help you play the part of Catwoman? Amber: I can't really remember a bloody thing from the martial arts that I have done, but once the fight choreographer throws a move at me, my muscle memory says, "Oh yeah, I remember that." That's where my dance training has been indispensable as well, because it allows me to view the whole sequence as choreography, as movement, rather than a fight. Chris Jones, the fight choreographer for Copycat, taught me the difference between sparring and film fighting. The similarities to dance were uncanny. In addition to dance, I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and regularly participated on the track team, in sprinting and jumping (long, triple and high). That gave me a strong athletic base to build on and the addition of 4-5 years of yoga has provided me with the strength and confidence to take on complex, lengthy fight sequences. Richard: Have you read any of the comic book stories about Catwoman? Amber: We had a huge stack of Catwoman comic books on set, but I hadn't read any before getting involved on Copycat. When I was cast last year I read up on The Cat's development from her conceptual birth. I took note of reoccurring traits, but mostly found it useful for its visuals. The pictures really helped me slink into the role. Richard: What was it like making the movie TrashHouse? Amber: For two weeks in February 2004 I was trapped in a cold warehouse in Essex, getting sprayed with a lovely, fragrant concoction of red food dye, jelly, and pig's innards. Despite being cold and smelly I had barrels of laughs; the cast and crew were great and made my first project a fun learning experience. Richard: What genre of movie do you prefer making? Amber: So far I have done romantic comedy, thriller, action, horror, biopic, and drama. Every genre has its challenges and rewards and I would gladly work in any of them again. Based on some of my favorite films, I would love to work in genres of fantasy, period and musical. Richard: What besides "Catwoman: Copycat" are you currently working on? Amber: I just completed a dramatic short film for Hannah Alazhar, who I worked with a year ago and recently recorded a couple songs for the feature Pigeons that I worked on last year. I have some ADR to complete for a feature I shot earlier in the year and am in discussions for a period drama that is in the early stages of development. Other than that, I am tying up all my loose ends and packing up my flat for my move back to the States. Richard: When will "Catwoman: Copycat" be released? Amber: Colin Blakeston (director/producer) anticipates it will be up on the website to coincide with the release of Batman Begins mid June. Richard: What do you like doing most in your spare time? Amber: I love movies so most of the time you'll find me renting DVD's or going to the cinema. Whenever I have the opportunity I adore traveling, but if I'm stuck at home I'll be hanging out with friends or fostering kittens for Cats protection! Richard: Any last words of wisdom? Amber: I hardly feel like I have any authority to offer wisdom as I'm still learning about everything myself. Perhaps that's my advice...keep your mind open to new ideas, people and opportunities. You never know where it will take you... Amber Moelter has two websites : www.ambermoelter.com www.ambermoelter.co.uk ****** Interview Vicente Cifuentes Martinez co-writer and artist on "Assassin" from Arcana interviewed by Richard Vasseur/Jazma VP Richard: What is the plot outline of "The Assassin"? Vicente: The story begins with an extensive media coverage of a murder, and one group of students will investigate these murders. Who is The Kanzashi Assassin? Richard: What type of person is Maika? Vicente: Maika is a person who needs to find herself.she has come a long way and her past is quite troubled. I don't want to give too much away though. Richard: Why a female as the main star? Vicente: I think that always a female is the best character to be the main star :), all people always want to see a sexy girl and above all if this girl is strong and can solve her problems How would you describe your art style? Vicente: Which one? hehe I like to draw in more styles, I usually change my style to suit the mood and atmosphere that needs to be created for certain projects. It also prevents boredom. I'm very comfortable with a realistic style but can do cartoons as well.I think that The Assassin is a unique style that definitely suits the tale we wanted to tell. Richard: Does the story focus on bigotry? Vicente: The focus are on male chauvinism and a little bit of racism. Maika has a bad situation and has to fight to survive socially and physically. Richard: Do you have any martial arts training? Vicente: No, but I would like to start training for cage fighting. Richard: Do you have any other projects? Vicente: I have more projects, some of these I'm working on them and the others I will wait the opportunity to start to work on them. I've been busy with Arcana and I hope to continue to stay busy. Richard: How is your co-writer to work with? Vicente: Great. Sean has been a real asset and has allowed me to take what was done, and really draw out the themes I wanted in the book. Richard: Who do you admire in the comics field? Vicente: Bryan Hitch, Adam Huges, Joe Madurera, Juanjo Guarnido... it's a long list actually. Richard: How can someone contact you? Vicente: It's very easy, just send me one mail. Richard: Any last words of wisdom? Vicente: The best is coming... Arcana Will be at the Mighty Mini-Con (www.mightyminicon.com) from June 4th-5th and will have a variant cover of The Assassin by 100 Girl's co-creator Todd Demong. This cover will be limited to 250 and will be available only for the Mighty Mini-Con. ****** Thanks for subscribing to the Comic Book Network Electronic Magazine (CBEM) --------------------------->Disclaimer<--------------------------- This is an ANNOUNCE only mailing list, only the Editor can send messages to the list. No one else has access to the subscriber list. Replies to these messages will be received by the Editor ONLY, so you must CC: individual contributors if you want them to get your E-Mail. The E-mail to the E-mag MAY be used in future issues at the Editor's discretion UNLESS you specifically request that they not be. It is our policy to withhold names and/or Addresses, by request only, from letters of comment. All contributors are required to use their real name and have a valid Email address for their columns to be published. 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