Broken Frontier

Debuting next week from  Oni Press, Matthew Loux's Salt Water Taffy is the first in a graphic novel series aimed at a distinctly all-ages audience. Subtitled The Seaside Adventures of Jack and Benny, the book depicts the scrapes two young brothers get into on holiday in the mysterious Chowder Bay. Broken Frontier caught up with Matthew to find out more about this intriguing new project...

BROKEN FRONTIER: What's the idea behind doing a continuing series of graphic novels?

MATTHEW LOUX: Well, the idea of Salt Water Taffy evolved quite a bit before arriving as a series. It began as a gag picture I dreamt up of an old fisherman fighting a giant lobster off the coast of Maine. This idea delighted me so much that I started weaving a story around it and eventually became the first Salt Water Taffy story, ‘The Legend Of Old Salty’. In the beginning it was only going to be a 20-page short staring Angus the fisherman and the weird things that happen in the old port town of Chowder Bay. Angus would be telling the story of Old Salty the sea monster to the young brothers who later became Jack and Benny. Then once I though about it, I realized that this scenario better fit the kids. So I shifted the story over to them which made it a lot more fun, plus it gave me a bunch more ideas for adventures that the boys could get into. And that's where the continuing series came to play. Each story is an adventure based around Jack and Benny in the mysterious Chowder Bay.

BF: Salt Water Taffy is cut from a mold similar to that of Bone and The Goonies. Why are those titles a fair comparison to your release?

ML: I think Salt Water Taffy invokes the good natured/young adventure of The Goonies (as well as being an adventure based on the coast), and Bone for its humor and the artistic drive of the story. These are both stories I like a lot. I didn't write that comparison nor did I base my books on them, but I think they fit. But I've definitely been inspired and influenced by Jeff Smith's work. He is the reason I started inking with a brush many years ago. I think especially in the first books of Bone, there is a balance of great plot, fun characters, and humor that I'd love to accomplish in my own comics.

BF: The book's full title is Salt Water Taffy: The Seaside Adventures of Jack and Benny. Who're these two blokes, and what are they doing at the seaside?

ML: Jack and Benny are brothers, Jack being the older at 11 and Benny being 8ish. Their father, John, decides to take the family on a summer-long vacation to the small port town of Chowder Bay, Maine. The idea of being away from home for the whole summer is horrifying to Jack making him grumpy, especially toward Benny. But once at Chowder Bay, adventure makes the boys learn to rely on each other and they become a team. It is fair to say that I based much of Jack and Benny's dynamic on me and my older brother from when we were that age. Jesse was the leader and I was the follower but not without constant bickering. I toned down the bickering though. Gets old quick.

BF: How has the success of Sidescrollers impacted your creative career?

ML: Not much really. I guess it gave me confidence about my writing since it's the first thing I've written professionally. When I was working on Sidescrollers I wasn't entirely sure if anyone but me and a few friends would be entertained by it. I had based the book mostly on personal jokes. But I've gotten plenty of positive feedback about the book from both the press and individuals who just got a kick out of it. Plus being listed on the YALSA top ten list, as well as the Harvey nomination, just blew me away. I guess I just always wanted to do books that were actually funny. Not a lot of comics these days can fit that bill. Salt Water Taffy is intended to be funny too. Like, bizarre, humorous adventures with giant animals.

BF: Sidescrollers' target audience probably was everyone from first-generation gamers to adolescents. With Taffy, you're broadening your aim to all ages. Was it a difficult switch to make?

ML: I was worried I wouldn't be able to write without more adult slang and humor, but I think I've successfully nudged the jokes into a more odd couple direction. Plus doing brother banter is pretty easy for me being a younger brother. The plots I've been working on are the type that kids like; adventures and mysteries in an exotic environment, but in the way Indiana Jones appeals to kids even though it's not really a kids’ movie. I guess SWT would be the reverse. 'All ages' sounds like a cop out way of saying 'kids’ book', cause It's definitely intended for kids, but I wrote it to be enjoyed by anyone who likes adventure stories, not unlike Bone, or Carl Barks' duck books.

BF: The price point is quite attractive - and not only for younger readers in these times of economic recession. Was the low cost Oni's call?

ML: Yeah, that's far away from my department, but I think it was a good call. The idea was to keep the price low so that kids could afford it. This was set before I broke the news that my first story was about 90 pages long. We were originally shooting for 65. They shouldn't have been surprised though cause Sidescrollers was supposed to be about 150 pages and it was 216. I'm all about the value baby! The second SWT is also about 90 pages by the way.

BF: How will the story develop over the course of the graphic novels?

ML: I'm very excited about some the other stories. First off, they are all standalone plots so far. So hypothetically one could pick up any of them and get what's going on. But there are still some common threads like the boys and Angus the fisherman, as well as some story throwbacks. In future issues we explore more of the surrounding countryside of Chowder Bay like some of the mountains and the more secret places. We're going to see a giant eagle who likes hats and some of the other animals in the forest. We're also going to meet a few ghosts from the 1800s. Hopefully, as the books continue, they will collect a strong group of fun characters and a lore that will make the next installments even more fun to read. I also have a story far in the future that involves mild time travel, but I can't really talk about that yet.

BF: When can we expect the second installment?

ML: I think September is the plan. That schedule should stick since I'm busily working on it right now. This one’s called 'A Climb Up Mt. Barnabas' and it's about how Jack and Benny meet Barnabas the giant Gold Eagle who immediately steels their father’s hat, so the boys have to climb up a treacherous mountain to get it back.

Salt Water Taffy hits stores next week from Oni Press priced just $5.95. For a massive 38-page preview of Volume 1 click here.