Interviews 

Multiversity Comics Presents: Nathan Schreiber

By | May 12th, 2010
Posted in Interviews | % Comments

This week on Multiversity Comics Presents, I talk with Eisner nominated creator Nathan Schreiber. His web comic Power Out has earned him a ton of critical praise and the aforementioned nomination, as he will be competing against a slew of very talented creators in the Best Digital Comic category. I chat with him about why he got into the world of comics, how surprising it was for him to earn the nomination, and a lot more about Power Out.

Check it out after the jump.

Why comics? What about the medium made you want to pursue a career in comics?

Nathan Schreiber: Comics are amazing! Comparing it to other mediums, comics combine my favorite aspect of film – visual storytelling – with the intimacy and personal vision of a novel. And you get to create a whole world!

What would you see the biggest influences were on the development on both your writing and artistic styles?

NS: I really like the stylistic choices made by a lot of the big indie comics guys like the Hernandez Brothers, Clowes, and Tomine. Their characters just look like people you know, or might know, and so are instantly relatable. Their compositional skills, particularly Jaime and Tomine, are amazing; some of those images just have an incredible narrative power. From a storytelling standpoint there’s definitely a manga influence; I like to pace my work deliberately. Goseki Kojima’s Lone Wolf and Cub was a huge influence, especially how he establishes a setting.

In terms of writing, my favorite author is Haruki Murami. He creates these totally believable characters and sets them in a world where you feel like anything could happen. You get so caught up in his stories that you can just lose track of everything else.

When you were preparing to launch Power Out did you pursue publishing it in print first or did you always want to release it on the web?

NS: I approached a few publishers first but it’s tough going when few people are familiar with your work. It’s much easier to build an audience with the web.

How has the experience been over at ACT-I-VATE?

NS: Fantastic! There are so many amazing creators on the site, and we have a real community. One of the best ways to ensure you’re putting out your best effort is to surround yourself with exceptional people.

What is it about comics over the web that is so alluring to a creator?

NS: The instant feedback is nice. Also, a weekly deadline can really help motivate you to put out work consistently, especially when there’s an expectation from fans you interact with on a regular basis. From a very practical standpoint, it’s a hell of a lot cheaper to get your work out on the web than in print – and you don’t have to pay extra for color!

Before I get into Power Out itself, how surprising was it when you first heard about the Eisner nomination?

NS: It was kind of surreal. I applied really on a whim, and it took a while to set in. I’ve been making comics for a little while now, but some creators have been busting thier asses for years and years before they get any kind of recognition if they receive it at all. I feel very humbled.

For those that haven’t heard of it, to you, what is Power Out?

NS: Power Out is about the emotional experience of adolscence feeling alone, overwhelmed, excited about new connections and new experiences

Power Out is a story about wide-eyed adolescence, where new experiences are equal parts terrifying and exhiliratung

How did you develop Power Out? Was it an idea that you’d been brewing for a while?

NS: I’ve had the idea in some form ever since the 2003 blackout in New York City, which I actually missed. I moved here a year later and asked people about it, and the responses really intrigued me – some people said it was a nightmare, while some people said it was a great time, it was liberating. That kind of stuck with me, and when I lost my design job in 2008, I just figured ok, I’ll work on this now.

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As a former awkward teen, this comic rang especially true to me. Did your own history weigh into the development of Justin and his situation, or was it just a character archetype that intrigued you?

NS: I may not have been quite as awkward as Justin but it’s definitely based on my own experience. I was the youngest of four, and I grew up in a pretty crowded house. But when I was fourteen, my two older brothers were in school, my mom started working full time, my Dad always worked long hours, and my older sister was kind of MIA – it’s a time period I really associate with being alone, and playing a lot of Sega Genesis. Of course, all of these crazy things are happening to your body and mind, and part of you wants to talk to share what’s happening with someone but another part wants to get away from everything and everybody. It’s embarrassing and difficult but ultimately a very interesting time in our lives.

Justin is a character who uses technology to escape from the harsh reality of his life, but when he’s faced with the power outage he has to go out and confront everything head on. With this book, what themes are you trying to address and what are you trying to say about the world today?

NS: I wanted to avoid heavy-handed messages like “technology is bad,” but it’s worth addressing that there really are so many easy ways now to completely avoid your life. But it’s really just a facilitator for an instinct that’s already there; computers and technology aren’t what keep us from experiencing our lives, it’s really ourselves.

I thought the juxtaposition between the Maya and Justin was very fascinating, and I just think Maya is a great character on her own. How did you develop her and what would you say her role in the story is from both a plot and a thematic standpoint is?

NS: Maya serves as Justin’s foil, pretty much everything she is highlights what Justin isn’t. She’s completely unafraid and has no hesitation expressing how she feels, even if she’s not going to be understood. Also, her family is lot tighter than his.

I thought that it was really interesting that you made the basic colors of Power Out’s world black and white…and blue. Why blue? What was the purpose of its addition to the equation?

NS: Ha – I get asked this frequently. My lines can be a little too flat – having an extra tone can add some extra dimension. I wanted to add a color and experimented with quite a few – blue just worked. If I had to say why, I guess it’s because it’s a receding color – blue makes the environments in Power Out, which tend to be very large – even bigger, and I think accentuate the characters’ isolation. One of the central visual themes throughout the book is that the world is a big place.
I loved the introduction but I have to wonder, at what point in the story’s timeline does that scene take place?

NS: Without giving too much away, I’ll just say very soon.

How much more Power Out do you have for readers, and when could we expect a second print volume?

NS: I’m about to wrap up the third chapter, and the fourth and final chapter will be anywhere between forty and sixty pages (knowing my editing skills it will probably be the latter). I’m hoping to finish it up this summer and will hopefully have the second volume completed this winter.
Speaking of the print edition, how has the response of fans been, both from a sales and critical standpoint?

NS: I’m almost completely sold through, so sales have been great! Critically, responses have been mostly positive. Tom Spurgeon, who I respect a great deal, thought it was very promising but criticized my decision to release only part of the story. I can understand the sentiment -I’d rather read a complete story – but if I held out till I was done with the book I really wouldn’t have been able to print many. You have to weigh your options.

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Has the success of Power Out led to any other opportunities in the world of comics? With that in mind, do you have any other projects on the horizon?

NS: I’ve been approached but nothing I couldn’t turn down. I have at least five fairly well developed ideas for long-form comics when I’m done with Power Out and can’t wait to work on them.

What’s your take on digital comics versus print…where do you see digital and print comics going in the future, and how will they intertwine?

NS: If I could predict the future I’d be a millionaire! I’d say the biggest factor is whether or not college kids get their textbooks on these digital devices. If they do, I wouldn’t be surprised if that becomes the dominant market. There’ll always be a market for physical books, though – some experiences can’t be reproduced.

What are some of your favorite comics, regardless of method of delivery (print/digital)?

NS: So many! Currently loving Urusawa’s Pluto. I love Clowes’s Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron. I think the Karasik / Mazzuchelli adaptation of City of Glass was amazing. Not a big superhero guy but I loved Allred and Milligan’s X Force. I’ve read McCloud’s Understanding Comics at least a dozen times. Mike Cavallaro’s Parade (with Fireworks) will always be one of my favorites. Fiffe’s Zegas will look ahead of it’s time thirty years from now.


David Harper

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