So Abigail’s War is coming along this week. Sandrine is working hard on Page X as you can see by the teaser image below (this is not the final artwork but extremely close). Sandrine is doing a wonderful job. Her painted artwork is amazing, beautiful and very colorful which we hope captures the very essence of the book itself! I also wanted to add that Sandrine is working very hard on this book and in no way does that insinuate that Abigail’s War has any issues with the artist or that it is delaying the production of the book. I wanted to make that clear. The book is moving along on schedule.
So until Page X is ready for its final showing… I was fortunate enough to begin a “quid pro quo” style interview with the lovely Jennica Harper, writer and creator of Abigail’s War. Part One of the interview can be seen on this blog while Part Two will be continued on Jennica’s blog. Enjoy…
So Jennica, how did you get involved with Zeros 2 Heroes? What drew you to becoming a Zed?
Jennica Harper: To be honest, when I first browsed the site, I thought it seemed like a great idea for a community, and a fantastic opportunity — for someone else. Someone who knew what they were talking about, comics-wise. I didn’t really think that was me. Comics still sort of seem like another world to me (despite the fact that Pia Guerra apparently works within a block or so of my apartment, and shops in my local comic shop — though I’ve yet to see her!).
So, I was reluctant. But something was niggling at me. I kept going back in my mind to whether I might be able to try this. I thought about the “on hold” stories I had in my drawer — the stories sitting around not doing anything, not earning their keep. When I came across my idea for Abigail’s War, I realized it could be a comic… and in fact, would be both somewhat unique as a comic, but also right up my alley in terms of the stuff I’m actually reading. I knew I had to at least put it out there, to see what the reaction would be.
Same question, Robert! How did you become an Editor with Zeros 2 Heroes?
RP: My luck in becoming an editor with Zeros 2 Heroes was due to my friend Brett who I had worked with for years in web development. Brett knows Matt and Jessica at Z2H so he hooked me up with Jessica. He knows how big of a comic book geek I am and that I had just finished my own 6 page comic. It took me a while to get things worked out with Z2H as I had to leave the country for personal reasons. After I had returned, Z2H were great and got me to come in and meet-up with Julian, the Z2H head editor and things all kinda fit into place after that. I cut cut my teeth on the Beta Books (Go Gustav Hayes!) like the other editors and the rest as they say is history.
Funny thing is my friend Brett told me a few years ago to get my ducks in a row for Z2H’s first contest for writing a comic book but I had just taken some time off. As much as I wanted to do it and was writing when I had a chance I found quickly that it was the farthest thing from my mind but I still kept the Z2H card Brett gave me in my wallet. I had to laugh when Brett contacted me about the Z2H opportunity. That was a funny day, I was actually working on my Z2H pitch when Brett messaged me about Z2H and I was thinking “How do you know I am working on my pitch? I haven’t put anything up…”.
Quid pro quo: How did you find the process of pitching and joining the community? Selling your pitch, the reviews, the critics and revisions? Did Abigail’s War go through many revisions before the version we are working with now?
JH: I put up my Abigail’s War pitch (with only the first two script pages as sample pages) and then let it sit there for months. I have to admit, I largely forgot about the project, and the site. What’s the first rule of professional writing? If you submit something somewhere, for God’s sake, follow up?! Yeah, I really kind of blew it, there. Then one day I got an email notification that someone had written to me on Z2H… I logged in and found a message from mariathedreamer saying she was planning on voting for Abigail’s War, and was I still around and planning on working on the pitch?
It was the shot in the arm. The kick in the ass. Many thanks, Carmen.
Once I was actively blogging, writing, and revising on the site, things went well… and kind of fast. I think I got off a little easily in the criticism department — it’s more that AW isn’t everybody’s cup of tea. Those who liked it, seemed to like it quite a bit, which was great. So the reviews/critiquing part was fine… the hard part was definitely the actual writing of the script. I found it quite painstaking. I think the fact that research was required slowed me down a bit. But while some folks find the first draft easy and revisions hard, and make great access of the Z2H community that way, I felt the community really helped me by supporting me. Letting me know they did, in fact, want me to finish the damn thing.
Quid pro quo: Robert, tell me about your pitch!
RP: That’s great that you got such support from the Z2H community. It is encouraging news for all upcoming writers that such support can drive you and your pitch to win!
Ah yes…. my pitch. I have yet to finish polishing and put it up. I have a few thoughts as to why, one that I think it might look like a conflict of interest, here I am an editor with Zeros 2 Heroes while others are working hard on their pitches to get made as a comic by Zeros 2 Heroes. Two is that I am such a perfectionist in that I want to have artwork done and ready for all the characters before it goes up. Lastly I feel that the overall concept remains quite “out there” in my head and after listening to the recent Gutters podcast, I wondered “How much do I need to explain myself, my story and the world to do a 22 page comic?” which has also stopped me from uploading. Not to say the podcast is bad in any way but it did make me think about how much I wanted to invest into my pitch. It made me re-examine myself and what I wanted to put into the pitch along with everything else I am doing at the moment. All that said, it has not stopped me from writing which is a good thing, I just need to finish it up.
Quid pro quo: Jennica, you mentioned the researching you did for AW and the books you are currently reading. Where those you main inspiration for AW or was it something else?
JH: I had the initial idea a few years ago — just thought, huh, an actual teenage witch who has to flee Salem. That should be a story! And hey, check it out, the witch trials happened while colonial North America was at war with itself. Cool! Eventually I realized, hey, I could be the one to tell this story…
In terms of the actual writing of the script, I wanted to tell a full tale — get the origin in there, as well as a complete story in the present through line. I took inspiration from the comics writers I think are really excellent storytellers. Brian K. Vaughn. The structure of issue 1 of Abigail’s War is not unlike an arc in, say, Ex Machina, with its flashback story that reflects the through line in the present. I love Neil Gaiman, for his ability with spare dialogue and silences and tension. Joss Whedon, with his sharp reversals of expectation. The moment in AW when Marie has her girl doll ask her boy doll why he didn’t ask her to dance, and the boy doll replies that he couldn’t because he’s “made of leather and has no mouth”… that was a straight-up “What would Joss Whedon do?” moment. I’m also reading Fables and Promethea… I’m sure their influence is slipping in.
Quid pro quo: Robert, what is the best thing about being a Z2H editor? The most challenging?
RP: It is great to hear that you have planned out Abigail’s War as a full tale as I felt that reading the script which is why I feel that AW has the strength to become a great Vertigo-ish comic book series!
The best thing about being a Z2H editor is the fact I am working with great and talented people to help make comic books which is my hobby and my love. I am excited each time I see a new script, a new sketch, a new piece of artwork or a lettered page. I still cannot believe I am working and helping make comic book dreams come to life!
The most challenging part of being a Z2H editor is keeping my objectivity while I am, at heart, a big comic book geek.
To continue this great interview we are doing, please check out Jennica’s blog here on the Z2H site:
Continue to PART TWO of the Interview >>
Next week: Abigail’s War Page X in all it’s stunning glory!
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