Dark Horse Comics is, in a lot of ways, known as the house of the Mignolaverse. The Hellboy and BPRD books are some of the most consistently great books out there, and their reputation is sterling as the quality of the product.
With that said, for a little less than a decade, Eric Powell has been producing his book The Goon with the same unwavering quality that Mignola has been with his books. Except, you know, with hilarious and crazy things happening in each and every issue.
Today on Artist August, we talk with Powell about how he decided to work in comics, where his art and comedic influences come from, where creator-owned comics are heading, what his Action Comics arc with Geoff Johns and Richard Donner was like, and a whole lot more. Big thanks to Eric for working on this with us, and check it all out after the jump.
Is there a single moment you can look back to as the one that made you want to work in comics? Or was it more of a natural progression that led you here?
I think it was when I rediscovered comics as a teenager. At the time I was already writing short stories and doing illustrations for them. When I rediscovered comics, it just seemed like I was meant to do this. Or at least I hoped I was meant to do this. I love the whole idea of combining artwork and text to tell a story.
Who or what has influenced the development of your art?
I really back tracked and spread out beginning with Bernie Wrightson. From him went to the EC comics guys, Frazetta. But I really never just focused on comics as an artistic influence. Rockwell was a big influence on my painting style. Not content, just style. His stuff looks very photo realistic but he has some great texture work in there, too. Great brush strokes.
In the same vein, The Goon is, in my opinion, one of the funniest comics and best examples of absurdist humor around. What would you say has informed your sense of humor and your no-holds barred, anything goes practices in the book (I of course refer to Satan’s Sodomy Baby on the latter part)?
When I meet people at cons a lot of times they will say, “You’re not as messed up as I thought you’d be.” I think they expect some lunatic because the stuff I do is so crazy some times. Part of humor, and you hear this from a lot of stand up comedians, is that you can’t enter into it with fear. It takes a certain amount of balls to be funny. The safe predictable joke is never funny. If it makes me laugh and it’s not overtly harmful to anyone, I’ll usually throw it in the book.
Satan’s Sodomy Baby is a different story. That book was so over the top just out of spite. I wanted to put the words, “BEWARE SATAN’S SODOMY BABY!”, on the cover. It was gonna have a bunch of gross out innuendo, but no worse than you’re average Goon comic. When the distributor started flipping out over the word sodomy and said the only way it was going to get released was through the porn catalog, it pissed me off. I said fine. If you’re going to make me release it with the porn, I guess the gloves are off. So I made it really obscene. I do a lot of unadvisable things out of spite. But it did sell really well.
On The Goon, you’re both writer and artist. Compared to work where you are just on art duties, how is the experience? Do you find yourself taking shortcuts in your scripts due to the fact you are also the artist?
My scripts for myself are no more than dialogue with thumbnail sketches. I think, or hope, that I’m a good writer for another artist to work with because, as an artist, I know when to shut up and let the artist do their job. I give them enough description to move the story and then I get out of their way.
Continued belowThe Goon recently returned after a bit of a hiatus (mostly because you were insanely busy with a ton of other projects). Are we going to see a more steady stream of our favorite badass with a heart of gold in the future?
Yeah, The Goon animated film script is done and I have no plans to do any big side projects, so people can look forward to a few uninterrupted years of the Goon.
After a bit of a somber period for The Goon in which a lot of the major plot threads were wrapped up, where are you taking him and Frankie next?
You’ll have to read and find out. But I will say that after doing a giant ongoing story for a year, the book will be back to self contained stories for a while.
The next issue that is coming out this month is written by comic legend Evan Dorkin. How did that pairing come together, and what was it like working with him?
I’ve been a big fan of Evan’s for a long time. We did a panel together at the NY con and when it was over I asked him if he’d ever want to write a Goon story. It was great working with him and I think the issue is a blast.
At a certain point, I think it was right around the release of The Goon: Chinatown, your art took on a bit of a turn, almost having a painterly quality to it. Is that colorist Dave Stewart’s influence? How has it been working with that legend of comic color?
No, Dave didn’t influence the direction of my art he just made the coloring in the book a thousand times better. I’ve always experimented with my art. And plan to continue to experiment with it. I actually spoke to Dave a little at comic-con about the direction I wanted to take in the future. I think we’re really about to knock some stuff out of the park as far as Goon art goes.
In that same vein, when you look at your early work on The Goon versus the recently released 34th issue, it’s incredible how much you’ve evolved in both written and artistic storytelling. How have you felt about the development of your work?
I’m happy I continue to develop but that old stuff is hard to look at. It almost hurts. We have to keep it in print for continuity but I almost wish I could just sweep it under the rug.
I am sure this is a question I would be accosted by our readers for if I didn’t ask: what’s the status of your script for The Goon and where is it in production status?
Script is done except for the inevitable rewrites. Fincher and company are still doing the rounds trying to get a studio attached. Fingers crossed.
You’re someone who has been quite vocal about the benefits of creator-owned comics. As someone who has been quite successful in that realm, can you see a future in which creator-owned comics are a much more widespread success?
I think it’s happening. Right now it seems that creator owned comics, and new original content, are becoming more popular than ever. I love the classic stuff, hell, look at my work. There’s nothing modern about it. But we can’t rely on old product to sustain our industry. We need new ideas. We’re not still watching the Honeymooners and I Love Lucy on TV, ya know. Other industries thrive with an influx of new product. We need to do the same.
What do you think it takes to succeed in the world of creator-owned comics?
Talent, determination, and a healthy dose of luck.
That said, in (semi) recent memory you’ve had one fairly prominent Big Two work, when you worked with Geoff Johns and Richard Donner on a Bizarro arc of Action Comics. How did that come together, and why did you decide to take that project?
DC asked me. Bizarro was a pretty obvious fit for me. The only Superman story I’d probably be fit to do. And the chance to work with Geoff Johns and Richard Donner was something I didn’t want to pass up. In all honesty, I’m use to being offered some pretty lame jobs. I turn down most of them. They think they can spruce up a shitty project by getting someone with some name recognition attached.
But DC has for the most part offered me some pretty good stuff. And this was a big job with their biggest writer. It was a privilege to work on and I appreciated the job. Some of the critics who want to give me flack for being so vocal about creator owned comics but also having worked for the big two should also take into account that I also know I could very well be alienating them and never work for them again. I’m no millionaire. And what If the Goon stops selling? What do I do then? I might be hurting my ability to earn a living, but it’s because it’s something I believe in. I feel I was doing something brave to help other creators and the industry… at least that’s what my mom tells me.
Desert Island question: one book, one album, one film and one comic. What do you take with you?
Oh, jesus… Book: How to Cook on a Desert Island. Album: One of Tom Waits’s later albums. Film: To Kill a Mockingbird. Or some Porn. It’ll be lonely. Comic: That giant frickin’ Bone bible Cartoon Books has out.
Who are your favorite artists working in comics today?
Mike Mignola, Jill Thompson, Jeff Smith, Frank Cho, Adam Hughes… I could go on and on.
After the onslaught of work you’ve had over the past couple years, a break would be totally understandable. Somehow I doubt that is coming. What other projects do you have coming up the path? Any more Chimichanga perhaps (please)?
I have a Chimichanga idea but it won’t be a straight out comic approach like the last one. Got some different ideas on the approach. Other than that just lots of Goon.
