With the current political climate of the United States, it’s hard not to politicize things. Emotions are running high as many people watch a president they disagree with spew rhetoric that targets vulnerable groups of people. Some of those emotions are bound to end up fueling the creation of comics. Such is the case with “Fissure” by Tim Daniel and Patricio Delpeche, from Vault Comics. In the comic, Tim and Patricio delve into a small border town that suddenly is split right down the middle by a giant chasm. As these things often go, something even more dangerous lurks beneath.
Read on as we chat with Tim about “Fissure,” investing time in Vault, the inspiration for “Fissure,” border walls, and more.
To start with, what is “Fissure” all about for those who may not know?
Tim Daniel: The small border town of El Sueno set deep in South Western edge of Texas is being swallowed by a massive sinkhole, but something else lies within the growing chasm and it is luring the town’s people down into the darkness. At the epicenter of the catastrophe is a young couple, Avery Lee Olmos and Hark Wright, who are desperately trying to escape the thrall of the strange phenomena before they share their fellow townsfolk’s fate at the bottom of the abyss.
So, you know, “Fissure” has race relations, border walls, militias—everything you would typically expect from a sci-fi/horror comic book…
The publisher for “Fissure,” Vault Comics, is a new publisher and “Fissure” is one of the launch titles. What made them the right home for “Fissure?”
TD: Vault Comics is indeed a new publisher with a specific focus on Sci-Fi and Fantasy comics. When they agreed to take on “Atoll” and helped create the sister-imprint of Big Picture Comics, it really showed me that they were genuine about investing in creators—and the success of their books.
Shortly after coming on, Adrian Wassel (Editor In Chief) and Damian Wassel (Publisher) shared their slate of 2017 titles with me. When I saw those books (“Powerless,” “Karma Police,” “Failsafe,” “Colossi,” and still more to be announced) it really cemented the fact that Vault Comics was clearly heading for an amazing launch and promising future. Inspired by what I saw, I asked to bring all of my projects to Vault and I immediately started privately recruiting other creators spreading the word about my experience.
Your collaborator on “Fissure” is Patricio Delpeche. He’s likely a name unfamiliar to most comic readers, but it’s clear from the preview art that he is an absolute professional. How did the two of you hook up for this project?
TD: Pato Delpeche will be a very familiar name to folks after Fissure and I know he is s already sought after for future projects by other creators and with good reason. Just check out that first issue!
I first saw Pato’s his work while I was doing production and design for “Heavy Metal Magazine,” There was a gap in the page count for a given issue. R.G. Llarena, one of the content editors there was able to snag a story at the last possible minute, and the pages loaded to the server…the dynamism of his line, the eye-popping colors which leapt off the page truly amazed me! Pato’s story was not mere fill-in content, to me it was the best work of the entire issue. It had a fresh energy that was undeniably captivating. Immediately, I asked R.G. to introduce us. Well okay – I more pleaded than actually asked, so R.G. is responsible for putting us together – thank you R.G.! After our introduction, I pitched Pato all the material I had accrued by that point and he responded rather favorably to the material. Off we went.
“Fissure” is just the first of multiple books that you’re bringing to Vault, along with you coming on as their production manager. What makes Vault a place not just to bring your books, but to also invest your time in in such a way?
TD: Well that decision was easy. I tell every creator I know the same thing – once you speak with Adrian and Damian, you will understand just how much they have dedicated themselves to Vault. They are professional, expert communicators, and possess an endless energy, discipline, and drive. When production duties (and by extension some design work too), were offered to me, I could not pass up that chance to help build this brand from the ground floor. Logic dictates that Vault’s overall success is intrinsic to the success of “Fissure,” “Spiritus,” and “Morning Star.” With “Atoll” already happening and “Fissure” on the way, it made perfect sense to gather all the titles together and to help develop the entire Vault line-up of titles through applying my production and design experience.
Continued belowAdrian and Damian are all in– there was no reason why I should not be as well.
With Image Comics celebrating their 25 Anniversary, which is an astounding milestone and an inspiring one as well, I definitely want to do everything in my power to achieve even a modicum of that kind of success and longevity for Vault.
I think given the current political climate, a hole opening up down the middle of a Texas border town has some definite undertones. What are you hoping to say with “Fissure”, other than just trying to tell the core story?
TD: Thank you for this question! The short answer is I got angry…or maybe frustrated.
The longer story– Fissure is no different from any other book I have written in that it is of course, very personal.
In March 2016, I went to La Mole Comic Con, hosted in Mexico City. The trip coincided with the Presidential election and the height of the then Republican candidate’s rhetoric about building a border wall to keep out the scores of illegal immigrants flooding into our country…people were being very broadly and unfairly portrayed as criminals. Growing up in Northern California– in my experience nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, I saw people laboring in fields in sweltering weather, living in clapboard shacks, and knew many others that I happened to work side-by-side with in restaurants throughout Northern-Central California who worked multiple jobs while sending a great portion of their wages back to Mexico to support families. Illegally in this country or not, what was being spewed about an entire race of people, seemingly an entire country no less, was simply not my personal experience. All I had known and still know are human beings that simply want to pursue the promise of the same dream that I do. They were and continue to be my friends, co-workers, college instructors, and a vital part of this country.
Okay – so I land in Mexico City, and I get into a car with a fellow American creator heading to the hotel from the airport with a guide/translator. The first question asked outside of those to address our basic needs, is how we felt about this proposed wall. We looked at one another, silently in the back seat, holding our breath– both of us were clearly exasperated and I am going assume mutually embarrassed by the question. Not an hour into our stay in Mexico. This was how the world or most certainly the people of Mexico were now going to perceive Americans? Certainly, it’s hard to claim your country is the leader of the free world when you’re busy alienating your closest neighbor and an ally, one you rely on for trade and labor by threatening mass deportations, raids, and the building of border walls. Honestly, my entire family are immigrants—Italy, Ireland, Poland…my father’s wife—her family fled Nazi Germany—they were forced to leave their own home, their family and really, think about that for a moment. Think about being forced by threat of death to leave this country, America…that’s what the people of the temporarily banned countries are doing – fleeing and part of what makes America great (already) is the very thought that people of the world can come here and seek shelter, solace, life itself- and not even necessarily a better one.
Right then I knew what themes “Fissure” was going to explore. After working on it for about two years, the series crystallized for me in that moment.
Anything else you’d like to add?
TD: I may have overstayed my welcome, but I definitely hope that retailers and readers will check out the next wave of Vault titles coming to stores very soon. Start with Natasha Alterici’s “Heathen” at the end of February and then “Powerless,” “Karma Police,” “Colossi,” and “Failsafe.” The come see us both and Vault at ECCC!
My twitter: https://twitter.com/enormouscomic
My website: http://www.thebigpicturecomics.com/
Vault Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VaultComicsOfficial/
Vault Twitter: https://twitter.com/thevaultcomics
