There were creators aplenty at C2E2 this year, and some of them were kind enough to talk about their careers and projects. One such pair of creators was Jai Nitz and Greg Smallwood, writer and artist of the “Dream Thief” miniseries hitting stores May 15 from Dark Horse Comics.
Why was Dark Horse the right home for “Dream Thief”?
Jai Nitz: They saw our vision and didn’t have any complaints, changes, or constraints. They saw what we were trying to do and just let us do it. Plus, we have mutual friends with Patrick Thorpe, our current editor.
The premise for “Dream Thief” sounds pretty fresh. Where did the idea come from?
JN: What we do when we go to sleep is universal to prehistoric man. Why do we sleep? Myths surround dreams. It’s a primal thing. So I asked, what if something bad happens?
The thing about superheroes is their curses. Would it be awesome to have cool spider powers? No, because your uncle dies. Would it be cool to be a billionaire with a cool car and gadgets? No, because your parents got shot. Would it be cool to be able to fly and see through walls? No, because you’re an alien, and you’ll never really fit in. Why isn’t it cool to get these powers? Because it’s a curse.
That’s what “Dream Thief” is: the curse of dreaming.
Will this mini be a complete story you never revisit, or will this be a springboard to a franchise character?
JN: I want to do 60 issues. It’s definitely a serialized story with ‘seasons.’ I want it to be like ìHellboyî or ìBPRDî, where they’re long form minis. That’s another reason we went with Dark Horse. They’ve proven successful with the storytelling style we’d like to use.
If sales don’t go our way, there is an ending planned for this mini. Everybody dies. And if things do go our way, we’ll kill everyone in issue 60. That’s a spoiler. Everyone dies!
How did you connect with Greg? What made him the right fit for “Dream Thief”?
JN: We met as customers at the same comic shop. Astrokitty in Lawrence, Kansas.
How do you feel about the current landscape of comics? Is it a good time to be coming up in the industry?
JN: It’s the best time for creator-owned in over a decade. The best time to be a creator was 1938, but you can’t do that anymore. The industry’s in decline, but of course it is. It’s just not possible to sell the number of copies they were selling back then. But creator owned lets creators make money off of fewer copies. I wish there was more readership, but that’s where digital comes in. Digital is very important to getting the stories out there.
Who are some artists that inspired you when you were younger?
Greg Smallwood: Modern? Chris Samnee, Sean Phillips. Classics? Jose Garcia Lopez, Alex Toth, Johnny Craig.
We live in an age where there are many new tools for artists to choose from to practice their craft. What do you prefer for yourself? Do you use digital tools at all?
GS: The book is entirely digital. I do all my work in photoshop ñ pencils, inks, colors, letters, everyting.
Does feedback with fans and critics through Twitter or other websites affect you?
GS: I haven’t gotten much feedback really, but I take it well I think. I’ve accepted that some people won’t like it, but I hope there are more people who will.
Often times, it seems art comes secondary to the writing for some fans and critics. Why do you think that divide exists?
GS: Artists are sometimes overlooked, but they get paid more per page, and they get more attention at conventions. Plus, I can sell my original art.
What’s the strangest thing to happen to you at C2E2?
JN: Um…the strangest thing here is probably my suit.
GS: Some of the costumes really confound me, but that’s it. It’s been really laid back so far.
