Broken Frontier

In 2003, a new publishing house called I.C.E. Press was poised to launch with a diverse stable of projects from various independent creators and small publishers. Among these debuts projects was a series called Pacify, a distinctive and unique absurdist satire by writer/artist Steven Perkins. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, I.C.E. never got off the ground. In the time since, Perkins has continued his work as a freelance designer and illustrator, most notably recognized as the crime reconstruction artist for IDW Publishing's CSI comics. Through all this, Perkins has never forgotten Pacify and now, with the 96-page graphic novel finally set to debut from Image Comics, the creator stopped by to speak with Broken Frontier.

Broken Frontier - What is Pacify and where did the inspiration for the project come from?

Steven Perkins - Pacify is the story of a Hollywood Superstar with a giant fly's head taking revenge on everything. That's the best I can describe it. As for where it came from- I created the main character in Pacify (Sarcophaga) years ago -back in college- for an illustration project. Once I finished school, I started writing and drawing my own comic projects, and after a few failed ideas and proposals, I decided to write a story around the character. It was right about the time I was becoming conscious of politics and getting angry about stuff like Big Oil or Tobacco or Walmart or McDonalds or whatever, so a lot of the story is me just satirizing the more depressing aspects of the world we live in.

BF - What sets Pacify apart from other comic book stories?

SP - Its good! Or maybe not, I don't know anymore. It's definitely something I worked on for a long time, alone, with no guarantee of publication. So I guess that's something you don't see too often- one person creates, writes, draws, and letters a book, works on it for three years running on nothing but faith, and just stubbornly pushes and pushes until someone publishes it. I'm not sure if it was smart to do or if it was the right thing to do at this point in my life… I just hope it was worth it.

BF - Who is this book going to appeal to?

SP - Perverts. Children with minimal parental supervision. Maybe the odd misogynist here or there. Actually, I hope pretty much anyone can find something of value in it- I tried to make it something that was simultaneously funny, weird, serious, lighthearted, literary, juvenile, misogynistic, and feministic. And I tried to make it look real pretty, too.

BF - How has Pacify changed in the 3 years since I.C.E Press?

SP - I think that it's pretty much exactly what I set out to make. Other than being condensed from a limited series (as originally planned) into a graphic novel, there it is.

BF - What other comic projects have you been working on?

SP - I have been doing stuff for IDW for a few years now- CSI crime reconstruction/flashback scenes, a Silent Hill PSP comic, a cover or two… they have been great to work with, I'll keep doing stuff with them for as long as they let me. Other than that, some covers for independent comics and publishers, as well as some freelance illustration work.

BF - How did you get involved with the CSI comics?

SP - I guess Ashley Wood (who was the crime reconstruction scene artist previously) didn't want to do them anymore, and they needed someone. They asked me if I was interested, and of course I was… although following my favorite artist on the gig was really intimidating.

BF - What other illustration and design work have you done?

SP - I've done some work for RPGs and stuff like that... I did some snowboard art a while back… I have been doing a ton of logos lately- businesses' logos, comic book logos, movie package logos, all kinds of logos.

BF - On your website, www.stevenperkinsart.com, your bio lists you as "primarily work[ing] in the comic book medium." What is it about comic books that appeals to you as an artist?

SP - Well, as everyone knows, there is a TON of money in comics. Hehe… actually, I've wanted to be an artist since I was very young, and I just kind of never let it go… a comic book artist in particular. Comics were what got me drawing to begin with, so it's just something I've always done- it’s just that now, I get paid for it. Plus, I love writing as much as I love painting and drawing, and comics allow me to do both at the same time.

BF - It seems in recent years that broader varieties of comic book types and genres have been succeeding. Why do you think this is the case?

SP - This may sound pessimistic, but I don't think that broader comic book types are succeeding (financially) as much as I think that it is more of a case of comics all failing pretty much equally these days. It would seem that the kids who were reading comics 20 years ago (like me) are now the 20/30 somethings that still like comics, but would rather read about strippers in Sin City instead of The Avengers (like me).

Don't get me wrong- I think it's great that books like Kabuki or Popbot have found an audience and that they are succeeding artistically and financially. They are some of the best books out there, and I think that they are the kind of comics that push the whole art form forward and help it evolve. But if you mean "succeeding" financially, really succeeding like comics are capable of, then the whole industry has a long way to go. I read the Todd McFarlane interview that Broken Frontier did, and in it he was saying that he doesn't think the industry will ever (financially) be where it was in the early 90s again. It's unfortunate, but in a way, I think he's right.

I remember hearing stories of comic creators in the early 90s becoming millionaires and buying Ferraris and doing Levi's TV ads, and it was all predicated on product that was nowhere near as good as a book like Kabuki is today. But unfortunately, the industry has gone so far downhill financially that it is more about surviving than it is about living comfortably and making the money a comic creator deserves for the work they put in. I mean, I think comics should be competing with movies and videogames like they do in Japan, but now it would seem that unless a creator is able to license their property for a movie or videogame, he or she has a tough road ahead.

BF - What would you like to see the comic book industry do in order to become an art form that would be more appealing to the general public?

SP - Better looking, fresher, weirder, funnier comics are what I would like to see. Better ideas packaged in a more visually appealing format…designed, advertised and distributed more effectively. Nobody outside of the group of people already reading comics wants to see superhero comics because if they want superhero action they can just go see/rent the movie. Of course someone would rather pay $9.99 for the Batman Begins DVD than pay $3-5 for a Batman comic. Of course the average Joe would rather go see V for Vendetta in the theater for $8 than buy the graphic novel for $15. It's just the way it is. So what to do then?

Regardless of what people say, I think that comics are an artist's medium much more than they are a writer's medium… always have been and always will be. If a comic has the greatest story in the world but looks lame, consumers outside of the comic-reading populace will not be interested because they won't be bothered to even pick it up in the first place… BUT! People love visual art, and always have- it's the reason books and magazines still have illustrations instead of just words and photographs, it's the reason millions of people go to art museums every year.

I think that if comics were able to harness that by presenting all of the truly cool stories and ideas in comics via artwork that challenges people and grabs their attention and really floors them, I think comics would have a tremendous amount of appeal. Unfortunately, there are only a handful of artists out there who are interested in pushing the art of comics and doing unprecedented work- for every Kent Williams or Ashley Wood or Dave McKean or David Mack, there are 100 standard issue comics artists. Nothing against them, either- as a comic book reader, I definitely appreciate a cleanly drawn, straightforward approach to the art if it works for the story. But that's me- someone who has never picked up a comic before will have no reason to pick up something that looks to them like every other comic book they've seen in their lives. But put a Dave McKean comic or David Mack comic in front of them, and 9 times out of 10, their interest is piqued because the art is so goddamn cool. Anytime I show one of those guys' work to my non-comic reading friends, they always tend to respond very positively and are usually "surprised this is in a comic"… which is sad.

Another part of the problem is marketing and distribution. The comic industry flat-out sucks at getting its product in front of people, no question about it. When was the last time you saw a decent comic selection outside of a comic book shop? Sure, there is a small graphic novel section at Barnes and Noble, but when was the last time you saw anyone actually buy a graphic novel at Barnes and Noble? How come when I am at an airport and I am looking to buy something to read during my flight, I can find books and every magazine under the sun (including porn mags), but I can't find a comic book/magazine/graphic novel?

BF – After three years of hard work, Pacify is about to hit comic shops. What's next for Steven Perkins?

SP - Hittin' the strip club, son! I have another graphic novel in the works right now- it’s still in the early, early stages, but I'm really excited about it. It's something completely different than Pacify, both in look and content- sort of a sci-fi adventure ghost story set about 10 years in the future… think "if Indiana Jones and Hellboy had a baby… raised by the Ghostbusters". It doesn't have a name yet, but the working title is Hostile Echoes.

Pacify is a bold and bizarre graphic novel, an absurdist satire of these complicated times we live in, taking dead aim on American sociopolitical and pop cultures with a biting wit and acidic art style. It's also 96 pages of full-color goodness for only $9.99 and available March 29th, 2006 from Image Comics.