THOUGHT BUBBLE MONTH 2025! As it’s Halloween it seems most appropriate to be running our interview with Armored writer Michael Schwartz today at Broken Frontier. Illustrated by Ismael Hernández, Armored is a supernatural mystery story with ghostly elements that is collected by Clover Press. Michael talks below about adapting his style for comics, the wider themes of Armored, and what we can expect next from him in comics…
Cover art by Francesco Tomaselli
ANDY OLIVER: What’s the premise of Armored and who are its main characters?
MICHAEL SCHWARTZ: Armored tells the story of a teenage boy named Andy Taylor, whose parents vanished years ago. After being shuffled between foster homes and longing to uncover the truth about their disappearance, Andy is finally adopted by a couple whose own son died under mysterious circumstances. Soon after moving in, Andy explores the nearby castle ruins where the boy’s death occurred and accidentally falls into an ancient tomb. There, he discovers a magical suit of armor haunted by the ghost of the knight who once wore it. Together, Andy and the ghost must uncover the truth behind the boy’s death and stop the evil entity that killed him!
Interior art by Ismael Hernández
AO: You come from a screenwriting background and Armored is your first foray into comics. How did you have to adapt your writing approach for a different medium and what were the main challenges of writing for comics for the first time?
SCHWARTZ: The biggest challenge for me was having to think more like a director. When I write movie scripts I leave a lot up to the director to decide. But in comics, I quickly discovered I needed to consider panel counts, composition, and what the details were in each panel. Thankfully my co-creator, Ismael Henández is such a pro and was able to take my written descriptions and turn them it into something even better than I could have imagined.
AO: Armored seems to have had quite an involved journey from conception to eventually emerging in print. How did the book come to Clover Press?
SCHWARTZ: A few years ago, my editor, Chris Stevens, was working with Clover Press on The Golem of Venice Beach and several of their Marvel Art of books. He shared Armored with Clover’s publisher, Hank Kanalz, who was immediately interested in publishing the book after reading the first issue. Hank was so enthusiastic about the series, that I knew Clover Press would be the perfect home for the book.
AO: Besides giving the reader an entertaining supernatural story what other themes were you looking to explore in its pages?
SCHWARTZ: Since it’s a supernatural ghost story, I wanted to explore themes of loss and death. Both Andy and his new parents are struggling with the grief of losing the people they love. In the first arc, I wanted to show Andy’s journey toward overcoming that loss and tell a story about learning to move forward while never forgetting those who are gone.
AO: Ismael Hernández’s art on the book is so moody and full of character, really capturing the eerie atmosphere of the story. How did Ismael become attached to the project and what for you are the most crucial things he brings to Armored?
SCHWARTZ: My editor discovered Ismael right around the time we were searching for an artist. His style is unlike anything you typically see on comic book stands, and we felt it would not only capture the tone of the story but also help it stand out. His artwork can be both horrifying and creepy, yet he also knows how to bring levity to the page at just the right moments. We knew he’d be perfect for the book and sure enough, readers love it!
AO: What’s next for Michael Schwartz in comics? Do you have any more projects in the works for 2026?
SCHWARTZ: I won’t be leaving comics anytime soon! In addition to working on the next arc of Armored, I’m also working with Clover Press on some upcoming comic art books. They’ll also be publishing my next original graphic novel, TILL DEATH, which I co-wrote with my partner, Rachael Schaefer. The book features artwork by Gaia Cardinali and a stunning cover by Tula Lotay. We’re putting the finishing touches on it now and should have more news to share soon!
Interview by Andy Oliver
Michael Schwartz will be at Table D15b in the Redshirt Hall at Thought Bubble.
Thought Bubble 2025 runs from November 1oth-16th with the convention weekend taking place on the 15th-16th. More details on the Thought Bubble site here.
Read all our Thought Bubble 2025 coverage so far in one place here.
Poster by Ng Yin Shian
