By: Nicole D’Andria
This week
I’m showcasing a sci-fi mini-series on Kickstarter called Into the Suck. The Kickstarter reached its $3,000 goal in four days! I spoke with writer Keith Thomas about the characters and his success on Kickstarter.
Into the Suck is a six issue
mini-series starring Ursula, a privateer and bounty hunter. She has been hired
to get a human from planet Earth. However, she has several sizeable obstacles to face in
the form of a mysterious adversary, her pirate father, and the entire Royal
Army. The Suck referred to in the title is a trashy space area filled with
lowlifes and creeps.
The
writer of the book is Keith Thomas (Screwed:
Project Frankenstein). He is working with artist CB Zane (Critter, The In Crowd), colorist Oracle (Facebook's PH Fuller) and letterer
Kel Nuttel.
The
project has quickly reached its $3,000 goal, but the Kickstarter will remain
active until July 29, 2016 at 3:40 PM EDT. Some rewards for backing include a
digital copy of the first issue for $5 and a physical copy of the first issue
signed by the writer for $10. You can pledge money to the Kickstarter here.
Enjoy my
conversation with writer Keith Thomas:
 |
| Keith Thomas |
Me: Who are the various members on the Queen B crew?
Keith
Thomas: Obviously there is Ursula
Stormholder, carrying the last name of her father who was a decorated war hero
years ago before becoming a pirate. Ursula is a stubborn, often rude yet funny
character who is determined to make her own way through the universe.
Her first mate, pilot and first crew
member is the squishy green alien named Squee. He seems like just a cute little
fellow, but his wit is just as sharp and refined as Ursula's. He is also not
actually a great pilot.
In the first issue they pick up a
third member, Armando. He is a simple human that is supposed to be cargo, not
crew, but when things go wrong they find themselves stuck with him.
Me: Can you describe in more detail some of the adversaries
Ursula and the crew will be facing, such as her father?
Thomas:
As far as adversaries go, her father
is as much an adversary as any semi healthy father/daughter relationship. They
are both incredibly pig-headed and just fight every time they cross paths. And
in the end, there is nothing that this father wouldn't do to save his little
girl.
The real adversaries here are the
King of the royal space on the border of the Suck. King Syrus is a rough
warlord type king who is a serious contrast to the political and non-confrontational
rulers before him. He is intent on basically dong an urban renewal on the Suck,
the intergalactic wasteland.
The mysterious Azin who appears in
issue 1 is the most dangerous adversary. He is the last remaining remnant of
the war that ravaged the area and made the Suck the trash capital of space that
it is. He is a creature of dark light who seeks to bring his people back to
this dimension and retake the holy land.
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| Into the Suck #1 Page 1 |
Me: What inspired the story of Into the Suck?
Thomas:
I am a big fan of science fiction.
My dad raised me on Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Benny Hill and
Monty Python. In various ways, Into the
Suck is inspired by all of those things.
Me: How would you describe the humor of Into the Suck?
Thomas:
It's very tongue in cheek, a lot of well-placed
sarcasm, the occasional burp and fart joke. Some of the humor is very
intelligent, some is not. We poke a little fun at the sci-fi genre as well as
housing, government and family.
Me: What can you tell me about the rest of the creative team and
how you came to all be working together?
Thomas:
My first appearance in Previews
order book was a comic called Cricket: Agent
of U.N.I.C.O.R.N. from Big Dog Ink and the artist was C.B. Zane. We both
had a good time on that book and when we met at a convention upon its debut, we
got along really well and kept in touch. He reached out to me wanting to do a
project, we threw around ideas and this is the one we both agreed upon. It has
been a blast working with him.
Oracle was the colorist on Tyler
Kirkham's Screwed, a book I wrote
that was published by Zenescope. Screwed
was a very dark and muted book so when I saw his other work, I was amazed by
his lighting, space and sky. His work was just breathtaking. So naturally he
was my first choice when this came together.
 |
| Into the Suck #1 Page 2 |
Me: What is the number one reason you think backers should
pledge money to your Kickstarter?
Thomas:
Because this is something new and fun,
but in a retro style that we all love. It isn't a remake or recreation, it's
something you haven't seen. And while it has a serious story, it's also a lot
of laughs. Not to mention that this art team is hands down incredible. They are
knocking out interior art that can put a lot of covers to shame. It's an art
gallery book with action and jokes.
Me: Why did you decide to go the self-publishing route via
Kickstarter rather than through a comic book publisher?
Thomas:
Mostly we wanted to get the book to
the best audience and up until now this entire team is known by our work for
hire books. We don't have the history behind us to guarantee a publisher that
we can follow through on our promises. We are not a sure thing yet.
By using Kickstarter we are able to
fully finish what we start the way we want to do it while showing our ability
to pull in a fan base. Before we are done, we hope to see Ursula and crew in
the hands of a bigger company with a greater amount of market pull.
 |
| Into the Suck #1 Page 3 |
Me: Impressively, your Kickstarter was able to reach its $3,000
goal very quickly! What tips do you have for people on Kickstarter to
effectively reach their goal?
Thomas:
The first advice that I got was to
set a realistic goal. Make sure it was enough to print the product and ship the
rewards, but not much higher. Once a project gets funded, it's likely to do
better because it becomes a sure thing.
Second, as I learned from Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure... you
need a triumphant video.
Lastly, finish your product first.
We waited until issue 1 was done and issue 2 was in motion before starting so
that everyone knew it was a sure thing and not just a pipe dream. We could do
it because we already had. We just needed funds to print.
 |
| Into the Suck #1 Page 4 |
Me: After the six issue mini-series is complete, do you plan on
returning to the setting or characters in future stories?
Thomas:
Absolutely, in fact I've already got
a few potential plot lines for what may come next and a potential title of the
follow up series, Escape from the Suck.
We are looking at the idea of each set as a cinematic story. Each six issue
series should read like a movie.
Me: What inspirational words do you have for aspiring comic book
writers?
Thomas:
Either you are a writer or a
dreamer. Writers write, dreamers talk. It's not an easy industry to get into,
but man is it worth it. It isn't impossible, but there will be setbacks. There
will be times of defeat and frustration, but then there is celebration that
outweighs every tear and sleepless night. Celebrations like hitting our goal on
Kickstarter in a mere four days. Don't give up or you will never truly be
happy. Writers write.
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| Into the Suck #1 Page 5 |
Me: Thank you for your time and inspiring words Keith!
If you’re interested in exploring the seedier side of the galaxy, check out the Kickstarter for Into the Suck.
Do you
have a Kickstarter? Want to be interviewed about it and have the project
featured on "Kickstart the Week?" Let me know in the comments below
or message me on comicmaven.com.
Other
“Kickstart the Week” features:
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