On Kickstarter now and heading into its final stretch the world of “Fairy Quest” from Paul Jenkins is getting bigger in the form of “Fiction Squad.” Spinning out of the previous series (which was also funded through Kickstarter), the hard boiled Frankie Mack spends his days solving crimes, but crimes of a familiar nature — for you see, in Fablewood, every crime is a nursery rhyme.
Humpty Dumpty? He had a great fall, sure, but who pushed him? Same with Jack and Jill and that nefarious hill. It’s Frankie’s job to figure out.
Of course, with this Kickstarter it was noted that, like the previous installments of “Fairy Quest,” “Fiction Squad” will be heading straight out of the Kickstarter to BOOM! Studios for a 6 issue series. The plan is for something much bigger than “Fairy Quest,” something that plays with more genres and various stories, with the first relating the death of the Wicked Witch of the East to Humpty Dumpty’s fall and an impending war. Given Jenkins’ history at BOOM! and with the previous installments of his all-ages series, things are certainly looking up for the realm of Fablewood.
We chatted a bit with Paul Jenkins about the Kickstarter and working with new series artist Ramon Bachs. And also potato salad, because that’s a thing that’s happening as well apparently.
So let’s talk about the project’s beginning. Paul, how did you end up working with Ramon on this project? You two had worked together previously at Marvel; was this picking up where you guys left off, or do you find it a new experience?
Paul Jenkins: It’s more like a case of picking up where we left off. I will work with Ramon anytime, any place. He’s so talented, and so versatile. As you can see from the art, he’s adapting his style every day to accommodate new types of story. I like flitting between genres and I think Ramon also likes to move between them. This stuff is just fantastic.
Obviously “Fiction Squad” had its roots in previous work, but how did your collaboration evolve and influence the series together?
PJ: I think we have a kind of creative psychic link. Whenever Ramon draws a page I’ve written, it almost always comes out the way I imagined it. That’s pretty rare for a creative team. So as always, I like to suggest ideas to Ramon and like to hear his ideas in return. This series was created that way.
“Fiction Squad” is something that works in the world of established characters and situations, like Humpty Dumpty’s fall as a crime scene and the involvement of the Wicked Witch of the East. What do you find is the appeal of playing around with established fairy tales?
PJ: Well, I think we love to just take what seems to be there and mangle it a bit. When you think about it, the idea of Nursery Rhymes being crime scenes is a natural. But the idea of Fablewood – where all types of stories interact with each other – is somewhat unique, I hope. I’m going to do future stories about all types of genres interacting with many others. Cannot wait!
Obviously when pulling from the wide world of fairy tales there is a lot to choose from, so how do you choose which stories to work with? Are they based on your favorites, or just characters you want to riff on?
PJ: It’s mostly just wanting to fit the right piece into the puzzle. For example, we have a little scene where Frankie and his fellow cops are trying to shake up the town, and he’s chasing a dish and spoon, who are running away, or bringing Bo Peep into custody for attempted insurance fraud. Whatever works.
“Fiction Squad” also seems to be a playful send-up of the noir genre, which is something we’ve certainly been seeing a fair deal lately. Do you guys have a particular fondness for noir, or do you just find the classic detective setting a fun one to goof around in?
PJ: Noir is really misunderstood, I think. It’s all about fatalism, and in some ways Frankie Mack, our main character, fits the bill. I do love that style of film-making and so I am sure there is an influence there. But this particular Fablewood story is a bit of an homage to Marlowe, and it’s a bit of a nod to Roger Rabbit, perhaps.
Continued belowPart of the plan here also seems to be to go bigger than you previously had done. Was it just time to try out more long-form stories, or was the world of “Fiction Squad” just that much more inviting?
PJ: It’s the second answer. There is just so much in this world. I could do this for years.
You’ve successfully funded two previous “Fairy Quest” projects through Kickstarter. What do you find it is about using the Kickstarter method more conducive for making comics?
PJ: Kickstarter is a great way to launch a project, to really get it established and allow the fans to become backers so that it can be controlled and designed by its creators. I love it, personally.
I can’t help but ask, but having worked with Kickstarters before, do you have any thoughts on the whole potato salad thing?
PJ: Yes, the potato salad campaign: well, I think people have every right to use their money the way they want to. That seemed like a frivolous thing that just exploded, somewhat like a youtube video that went viral. Okay. No harm, no foul.
“Fairy Quest” was a pretty all-ages book and I would imagine that “Fiction Squad” continues that tradition well. Obviously comics these days tend to appeal to older audiences more specifically, so what do you guys find enticing about working on something all ages instead?
PJ: Well, think about the meaning of “all ages:” it means that this is something for everyone. I have found that the reaction to our other Fablewood book, “Fairy Quest,” was positive from little girls all the way to men in their sixties. Appealing to such a broad audience is quite an accomplishment.
