Broken Frontier

Mike Penny had a dream to see his politically charged super hero concept on comic shelves around the country. Now, as founder of Dakuwaka Productions and with the help of writer Jason Rand and artist Gabe Pena, he has the second issue of Helios getting ready to ship. Before it hits stands in January, I had a chance to get all three of them to join me for a quick chat on the internet to discuss the book, their plans, and just how three creators scattered around the globe manage to produce a bimonthly comic.

Broken Frontier: The shelves are loaded with well known and beloved super hero comics. Mike, what is it about Helios that made you think that now would be the perfect time to publish your story?

Mike Penny: It's something that I always wanted to do and it just all came together at this point. Luckily, I think at this time the mix of super hero and political thriller genres makes it stand out from the typical super hero comics. As a creator-owned comic, Helios is not under tight constraints that many mainstream super hero comics are forced to operate under; forcing them into predictable storylines. This allows us the freedom to tell an original story that we feel readers will really enjoy.

BF: How long had you been working on the story before Jason came on board?

MP: Two years. Initially, I came up with the concept and characters. Then I wrote summaries for about 12 issues. I realized that I had to get more info on comic book writing, so I got Understanding Comics, by Scott McCloud and started checking out sample scripts from “name” writers on the internet. At this point, I wrote the script for issue one. I thought that it would be cool to add other elements to the story, so I wanted to collaborate with another writer. I put an ad on [digitalwebbing.com] and out of all the writers that replied, I felt that Jase’s style and ideas fit what I wanted to do with Helios. Then I contacted Jason to re-write the script for the first issue that I had written and to collaborate with me for future issues.

Jason Rand: Yeah, at that point I was still looking to get experience in the industry and I was trying to score writing opportunities. I can’t remember whether I’d started work on Small Gods at that point, or whether that came afterward – my long-term memory ain’t the best – but the two came pretty close together. At that point I hadn’t written too many full-length scripts – I’d done a few for myself but mostly I’d been writing shorts for a little company called Committed Comics – so that was something I definitely wanted to do more of. At the time, I frequented Digital Webbing (and I still go back there whenever I’m looking for artists myself) and when Mike posted an ad looking for writers, I figured it couldn’t hurt to try. He seemed to like my work, so I signed on, at which point he showed me what he had and we started to talk, making some changes here and there, fleshing things out, adding new elements – development, in other words. And once we’d ironed out what we were going to do, like Mike said, I started in on rewrites.

BF: Gabe, can you tell us a little bit about how you became involved with the project?

Gabe Pena: I saw an ad at Digital Webbing and decided to send Mike samples. What was funny was that after a couple of e-mails between me and Mike, things went quiet for a bit. I e-mailed him to see where things stood. Apparently he had already e-mailed me with the job, but my e-mail server was killing all of my e-mail at the time. Grrr... Technology. Needless to say, it all worked out fine.

The first step we took once I was involved was to design the main characters and the villain for issue one. Mike had a good idea of where he wanted to go with the look of the Neo Force costumes, so we went through a few sketches and then tightened those up. Up next I did several color treatments for each costume until we decided to go with the red on black that you see now. With the cast out of the way, we jumped right into penciling the pages themselves.

BF: Mike, what is your roll now that the series is under way? Do you hand all of the writing duties to Jason, or are you still closely involved with that part of the process?

MP: I no longer write. I give story ideas to Jase, I concentrate on approval of scripts, new character designs, editing, all of the business/marketing end of things, ads in Previews and getting cover artists. For example, for issue four we will have Mario Gully from Arcana Studios’ The Ant, and issue five will feature a cover by JG Jones. I also set up the dakuwaka.com web site.

JR: From my end, I try to come up with a plan for each issue. We’ve got our basic framework already, to which I add the specifics of what I think we need for each issue. Mike does the same kind of thing, but usually from different angles. The plot points are more me, while Mike has more input with story elements, such as new characters.

BF: How do the three of you, two in the states and one in Australia, work together to put together a bimonthly comic?

GP: If any characters need to be designed for an issue, we start with that. After corrections are made and we're all happy with the characters, Mike e-mails me the script. I go through it the first night, trying to get the overall feel for it. Then I start with 4-5 layouts that get e-mailed to Mike. Once they're approved, I start on the pages themselves. After about a week of penciling them, I e-mail that batch of pages to Mike, and Mike sends them to Jason. After those are approved, I upload Hi-Res files for the inkers to work off of. It's a smooth process.

JR: Yeah, Mike keeps things running, which I appreciate – I know how much work is involved keeping a team on track through managing Small Gods. Me, I just write the scripts, then sit back and wait for the art to come.

BF: It sounds like you're all pretty busy. So tell us, what's a day in the life of Mike Penny? A day in the life of Gabe Pena? A day in the life of Jason Rand?

MP: It's a real juggling act. I'm working on different phases of four separate issues of Helios at once. Promoting the issue that's just coming out, in this case winding down on issue one, getting the lettering completed and getting issue two off to the printer, while at the same time, getting the pencils from issue three from Gabe, and lining up the covers for issues four and five. Finally, I’m locking in our ads for issue four coming up. Plus I need to leave some time read some comics and catch a movie.

GP: Now you asked for it. Mine starts at 7:30 a.m. I help my wife get the kids ready for school and the baby-sitter. Then I work a few hours a day as a graphic artist for a small phone book company in my area. Have lunch, go home, and start work on penciling at about 2 p.m. until about 7 p.m. I spend time with the wife and kids and then work from 10 p.m. or so until about 1 a.m. I fit sleep in there somewhere. [laughs] Even as we "speak" I'm penciling more Helios pages.

MP: Is Gabe making me out to be a slave-driver? [laughs]

GP: [laughs] Not even the case. It's my dedication to what I draw.

JR: Pffft! And you guys think you’ve got a lot to do! Well, you do…but still… Anyway, my day revolves around my day job. I still have to work full time, alas, as I’m financing my own projects. But really, I just do the job and then fit in my writing where I can. Most of my scripting is done on the computer, but I carry pens and notepads with me at all times. Some I keep for prose stories I’m working on but one is full of notes and dialogue extracts for my comics. I often come up with ideas for scenes while I’m traveling – either on the train or walking to or from home. If I’m on the train, I’ll start scribbling things down immediately; if I’m walking, I’ll wait until I can sit down, then start writing. I actually prefer to do my dialogue that way, because it flows more, as I don’t worry about writing panel descriptions in between snatches of conversation. So, yeah, the day job is my day, and the writing gets squeezed in around it.

BF: You guys are really pouring your hearts and souls into this project. On a personal level, as comic fans and creators, what's it like to see your creation get printed and enjoyed by other comic fans?

MP: I just got a thrill out of seeing a comic that I created on the shelf in my local comic shop. I’ve been going to Hall of Heroes every Wednesday for the last 15 years buying other people’s comics. I always wondered what it would be like to see my own book on the shelf. After four years of hard work, to finally see Helios on the shelves felt surreal. You know it really didn’t sink in, that I accomplished my goal until I actually saw it displayed on their shelf.

GP: It's fantastic. Keeping in mind that I’ve been freelancing for over 10 years, I still get a kick out of seeing my stuff on the stands. Now about the reviews, that’s just icing on the cake for me.

JR: It’s the best. I have to confess, I love when people read and enjoy my stories. I lap that up, because it means I’ve touched them. And in a way that won’t result in criminal charges. [laughs] Having the book on the shelves is great. Having people tell me they liked it is even better. That’s what being a storyteller is all about, in my opinion.

BF: What do you guys think needs to happen before you to consider Helios a success?

GP: I'd say getting to issue 30 and having fans just beg for another 30. All the pieces are there.

MP: Personally, I think it is a success because I went out and proved I could do it. But I would still like to get more exposure, widen the fan base, and be able to tell the whole story.

JR: Making a profit? Might sound a bit mercenary, but the reality of comics is that, unless you’ve got a company like Marvel or DC paying your bills, you need to worry about the money, because unless you make some, there’s only so long you can keep putting a book out. And working for Marvel or DC or the like just means that someone else is the one worrying about money. I think if Helios makes 30 issues, it’ll be a grand indication of success – but at the core of things, it’ll have made it because it’s been cost-effective.

BF: As you’ve stated, Helios is planned to be a 30-issue run. Tell me, do you have the whole story mapped out already to some degree? Will there be smaller story arcs along the way?

MP: Yes, the story is mapped out. There are three story arcs planned, but there could be some twists as we tweak things along the way.

GP: Twists. I know that I raised an eyebrow when I got to the end of the script for issue three. I wasn't expecting that.

JR: That’s good, Gabe, glad I surprised you as much as I surprised myself. But yeah, as Mike said, the base idea is three main arcs: two of 12 issues, one of 6. In reality, the story will just keep building until the end, but you’ll be able to see the arcs – where there’s a climax, where things change and the big twists come into play. But there are sure to be other twists along the way. Like, the one Gabe mentioned – I didn’t realize that I needed to do something like that until I was halfway through the issue but as soon as it came to me, I realized I’d already laid the perfect groundwork for the twist. Moreso, that one twist made the details of a lot of other things we’d planned click into place. I like it when things happen that way.

BF: For those who haven't read the first issue, how have you made the second issue and beyond new-reader friendly?

MP: There’s a “Previously in Helios” section, the character bios and in the first part of issue two they do a debrief of the mission from issue 1.

JR: That’s pretty much it. Generally, we’ll be summarizing as we go along – not within the story itself, though you can almost guarantee that if you have any questions about the climax of one issue, it’ll be explained in the next – gotta love military debriefs. There’s always the web site, too.

BF: For those reading this interview who hasn’t read the first issue, what do you both think separates Helios from the other super hero books out there?

GP: Besides a plot? [laughs]

MP: We are making a strong effort to develop the characters, making them characters that readers will care about. And I think the style of Gabe's art fits with what we are trying to do. Again, we are blending super heroes with politics and creating moral dilemmas. Helios is a finite series where anything can happen. It's not a set storyline. Characters can die. We are not going to milk the same characters over and over again. How many times can Wolverine fight Sabretooth? I feel that Gabe’s animated/realistic style adds a unique look that readers will enjoy. Jase's writing goes beyond the "Villain of the Week" mentality. There's multiple layers of plot lines developing as the series unfolds. There will be undercurrents of political back-stabbing, a possible romance, new characters introduced and a death or two. We are targeting an audience that has gone away from just buying comic titles featuring iconic characters where the same things happen to them over and over again!

GP: Seriously, like Mike pointed out, there are many things happening at once that makes everything that much stronger. The quiet scenes make the action scenes that much more important.

JR: Ummm…what he said. Really, Mike’s covered just about everything there is to say. If you want to summarize it, it’s different. That’s all it is. The approach is different, the core concept is different – hell, my entire reworking of Mike’s initial story revolves around a question that could never be asked in an established setting, except maybe as a “What If”-type concept, but that’s still not the same. What happens in Helios is it. That’s what happens, good or bad. And no, I can’t tell you what that question was yet. Sorry.

BF: What does the future hold for Helios?

MP: Twenty-nine more issues with more suspense, more action, more surprises, some "Holy Crap" moments, and hopefully a growing fan base.

GB: After haven gotten even more comfortable with my current style, each issue is gonna kick more ass than the previous one. Keep an eye out on the details in the backgrounds; there will be stuff in there that might come back to reveal something. From my standpoint, I'm trying to make this world as real as possible. Well, as real as real gets when you have people that change shapes. [laughs]

JR: What they said. Sorry - but the only things I could add at this point would be considered spoilers – and we’re not going there.

- James W. Powell