One of the great success stories of comics successfully funded through Kickstarter has to be Kyle Starks’ “Sexcastle.” After the book was funded on Kickstarter it was reprinted by Image Comics in 2015. It also was nominated for an Eisner for Best Humor Publication and was also optioned to be made into a major motion picture. Very few mainstream comics receive that level of success and acclaim that “Sexcastle” has had.
Creator Kyle Stark’s has returned to Kickstarter for his next book, “Kill Them All.” A hard drinking, former cop who wants his job back. and the world’s greatest assassin wants revenge fight their way to the top floor of a skyscraper of crime. The project is already successfully funded and is working to hit some great stretch goals. As the project moves into its final week we were able to do a quick question and answer with the man himself, Kyle Starks, about “Kill Them All.” The project is live now on Kickstarter and will complete on Friday September 30th. Find the interview below them make your way over to Kickstarter to back the next big book, “Kill Them All.”
For those not in the know, what is “Kill Them All”?
Kyle Starks: “Kill Them All” is my newest graphic novel, over 180 pages of bonkers action, comedy, old school action movie shenanigans. It’s the journey of an ex-cop and betrayed assassin teaming together so the cop can get his job back and the killer her sweet sweet revenge. It’s sort of like if the hospital fight scene in John Woo’s Hard Boiled was a whole movie, or a 90s action movie dungeon crawl or a Reverse Die Hard. It’s a good time. It’s currently on Kickstarter! RIGHT NOW.
With the success of the “Sexcastle” Kickstarter which then lead to a print run of the book from Image, what made you want to revisit Kickstarter for “Kill Them All”?
KS:I got started in comics through Kickstarter with Legend of Ricky Thunder my love letter to pro-wrestling. “Sexcastle,” obviously worked out great – I’m not 100% sure that any other Kickstarter book has gone on to be nominated for an Eisner like “Sexcastle” was. So I feel like my roots are in Kickstarter. And I love how home grown it is, I love how you can feel every supporters effect on your success directly. More than anything the interaction with your supporters through Kickstarter is absolutely heart warming. It’s intense and intimate all at once. It’s a really thrilling way to do business.
What’s the biggest thing you have learned from “Sexcastle” and even your work on “Rick and Morty” going into “Kill Them All”?
KS:I’ve actually had the book done before I started on “Rick and Morty.” Which I think is important in regards to the Kickstarter – anyone who backs it is getting it digitally the day the Kickstarter ends and physical books will be delayed only by printing and shipping time alone. Certainly the lessons I’ve learned from Rick and Morty: writing a monthly title instead of a collected works, writing in someone else’s voice aren’t really applicable per se. But I think every book is new problem solving, new ways to do things. “Sexcastle” was me telling the story I wanted to tell in the manner I wanted to tell it – I think the biggest lesson I took from that was that people seem to like that. It’s emboldening.
“Kill Them All” is includes a lot more action than your previous works. It reads/feels very fluid and brutal. How did you approach the action for the series and was it difficult adjusting to this more intense style of action?
KS:Does it really feel like there’s more? I think as a rule I try to mark my own work with “an intense amount of action” – if it feels like the action in “Kill Them All” is getting bigger and denser than that’s great. I like to load all my books with a fast paced, heavily choreographed series of action sequences. I want them to come at you fast and hard with a real forward momentum. The difference between “Sexcastle” and “Kill Them All” is where “Sexcastle” was really influenced by 80s action cinema, “Kill Them All” was influenced by the 90s and John Woo style of action. Which to me is “more guns” and “more gun tricks.” But I didn’t want to step away from dope hand to hand and sword fights.
Continued below
Much like “Sexcastle” was a love letter to 80’s action movies, this book looks to capture the awesomeness of 90’s action movies. What do you feel are the bullet points for a good 90’s action movie?
KS:First of all, you gotta have some gun tricks. Second of all, gun tricks.
Obviously next for you would be a 2000’s action book. What do you think even signifies that era for you?
KS:Man, I’m not sure anything even qualifies, honestly. There was a true dearth in the action genre for a long time. I think motion pictures really leaned in on sci-fi and superhero stuff for action purposes. I think that flicks like John Wick or The Guest were the first movies to come along to really be like “let’s not forget you can tell cool stories with punches.” I think it’s maybe finally coming back around.
Honestly, though, I think while I will always do work that’s heavily influenced by action cinema, I don’t want to be painted as that guy who makes action movie comics. I’m ready to move on to new and different things. To keep doing great work with all the fantastic humans involved with ONI Press’s “Rick and Morty” series, to make new things that are fun and action packed that hopefully people will continue to enjoy.
Anyone familiar with you work knows your ability to effectively convey humor through comics. What do you feel is the key to capturing humor in comics?
KS:Honestly? Pacing. That might feel Borscht Belt but I think good timing will save a bad joke and vice versa but in comics pacing is critical for comedy.
Why will people love “Kill Them All” and why do you?
KS:I mean, I hope they will? I think people like fun things that make them laugh, I think they like exciting action that makes you feel anything more than just a pop of cheap adrenaline.
