By: Nicole D’Andria
Today
we’re showcasing The Adventures of
Penelope Hawk, a novel by Justin Gray (The
Monolith, Jonah Hex). Sixth
grader Penelope Hawk is on a fantastical quest to save her mother and the dream
world of Marazia from the Nightmare King. Learn more about his project and enjoy an
interview with the creator himself.
Gray’s
first children’s book, The Adventures of
Penelope Hawk, is a 5.5 X 8.5" 300-page novel for everyone ages nine
and up. Penelope is an outsider because of her differences, but she learns
about the value of being different, as well as the importance of family,
community, honor, respect, leadership, loyalty and perseverance. She goes on an
adventure to Marazia, the place where children dream, and teams up with a
dragon, a robot, a magician and seven Warrior Princesses to take down Lord
Tasm, the King of Nightmares.
The cover
illustration was created by Maike Plenzke. Some of her clients include American Girl Magazine,
Penguin Books, Charlex, Women's Health, Nickelodeon and Simon and Schuster. The
book was edited by Joanne Starer. She has edited comics and magazines for such
companies as Image Comics, Marvel Comics, Devil’s Due/First Comics and PaperFilms.
The
project already reached its goal of $3,500, but will remain open until November
11, 2016 at 8:51 AM EDT. Incentives for backing the project include The Adventures of Penelope Hawk in
e-book ($7), paperback ($25) and hardcover ($35). Bigger rewards will send
copies of the book to a children’s hospital, school or library ($55, $100) as well as an informal
SKYPE Q & A with students at a school or library that covers the writing process
and Justin’s writing experience ($100, $150). You can pledge money to the
Kickstarter here.
Learn
more about Penelope’s quest below in my interview with Justin Gray!
 |
| Justin Gray |
Me: How would you describe Penelope and her
companions?
Justin Gray: Penelope begins her journey as an
outsider in her small town; she doesn’t look like her peers, and she has
personal problems that bullies like to exploit. That said, she is an adamant
willed and compassionate person. Penelope’s introduction to the sleepworld of
Marazia comes in the form of Ix, a gardener and monk who lives in a vast forest
populated with exotic trees.
As the
story progresses, Penelope encounters a colorful cast of characters including a
dragon named Farfel and a robot named Aldus 5. They join forces to stop the
Nightmare King and his army. There are influences in my book that range from Princess Bride to Wizard of Oz.
Me: What work would you say has been the most
influential on the story and why?
Gray: I suppose the most obvious is Wizard of OZ, but there was a lot of
Prince Humperdinck from Princess Bride
and even some influences from Baron Munchhausen. I like the idea that villains
can be comical without being downright goofy in the process.
Me: How would you describe the Nightmare King and
what are some of the other challenges Penelope's faces?
Gray: I wanted the character of Lord Tasm to have a
deeper motivation that separated him from bad guys, or at least put him in the
company of some of my favorite bad guys. Yes, he is a villain, he desperately
wants to turn all children’s dreams into nightmares, but he has a lot riding on
his invasion. He wants to be the first one in his family to leave home and
conquer another Sleepworld. He also wants Princes Olga’s hand in marriage, and
she’s not going for it unless the invasion is successful.
Penelope
faces several internal and external challenges in the book. She’s been chosen
to save not only Marazia, which is what the children’s Sleepworld is called,
but also the people of her town who have fallen under the Nightmare King’s
spell. Including her mother. She will have to do things she wouldn’t normally
do and face her fears, doubts, and isolation. So many people and dream
creatures are depending on her, it can feel overwhelming.
 |
Me: What can you tell us about the place children
dream, Marazia?
Gray: The idea was that as we get older, we lose
access to this realm. We rarely have the same kinds of dreams about the same
kinds of things. For a few innocent years, and they go by quickly, children
believe anything is possible, and that’s what I wanted to reflect.
Me: This is your first children’s book. Why did you
think it was important to make this a children’s book?
Gray: The
Adventures of Penelope Hawk is my first attempt at publishing a children’s book,
but the reality is I’ve been stockpiling ideas for kid’s books alongside all
the other genres that interest me for as long as I've been writing. Many
factors went into me releasing The
Adventures of Penelope Hawk at this time.
One is my
daughter who always wants to read my comic books, and, mature content aside,
there’s nothing in them for her. She has no interest in superheroes. She enjoys
graphic novels by Raina Telgemeier.
The other
important factor is that I’d like to write stories for an audience that isn’t
jaded or oversaturated by the material. It can be very refreshing to take a
break from the world of fandom. As much as I love it, I have serious geek
fatigue, and this book has given me time to explore other areas of my
writing. That said, there are still noticeable influences in the novel that
involve comics, Anime, and geek culture.
 |
Me: How do you decide what’s appropriate to put in
the book, since your target age is nine-year-olds and up?
Gray: The parent filter. I have a nine-year-old
daughter, and there's nothing in the story that I feel would be inappropriate
for her to read. The most important part for me was to make it fun and yet
still have core values of human decency like helping those in need, being a
good neighbor and person, as well as showing a positive attitude when
confronted with stressful situations.
Me: Why a novel instead of a graphic novel?
Gray: To be honest, I have been collaborating and
co-writing for years. I wanted to do something different, something in a more
isolated environment where I could explore telling a story in a way that
allowed me to use different skills and muscles. Not to mention it is much more
costly to create a graphic novel, which I've also been doing this year.
Me: Are you planning on writing sequels or using
any of the characters again in spin-offs? Maybe a tie-in comic?
Gray: Not right now. I think my focus on comics is
going to be more mature themes and content, basically the polar opposite of
this book. I have an anthology that is almost completed where I’ve written four
stories that are illustrated by four different artists. Once the Penelope Hawk Kickstarter hits the
fulfillment stage, I'm going to start looking to develop the next project,
which will be a children's picture book called Arthur and the Hook of Destiny. I have the story written, but I
need to find an artist with a unique voice to fit the narrative.
Me: What is the number one reason why you think
people should back your Kickstarter?
Gray: I'm genuinely hoping to do something positive
by getting a child to read and to do that you have to write something that
excites them. Hopefully, I have. The advantages readers have over nonreaders at
a young age is quantifiable. Kids that continue to read over summer break do
markedly better when they return to school in the fall. So if Penelope Hawk can be a book that keeps a
child reading, then I've done something important.
Me: You’ve previously worked for DC on titles like
The Monolith and Jonah Hex. Could you tell us a bit about what it’s like to
work for DC versus working on a creator-owned project like The Adventures of Penelope Hawk?
Gray: Thank you for asking, Nicole! You've provided
me with an excellent opportunity to plug The
Monolith, a property Jimmy Palmiotti and I now own the rights to, which is
in development as a feature film at Lionsgate.
The
difference is substantial for a few reasons, but the biggest one is the format.
A novel is a very different animal from a comic book, and it is a much less
collaborative art form. Work for hire or freelance typically means you're an
independent contractor for a result's driven entertainment company without the
benefits afforded salaried employees.
Writing The Adventures of Penelope Hawk I
assumed all the risks and had complete creative control over the final product,
which is another reason I turned to Kickstarter. By self-publishing my book I'm
not benefitting from the marketing strength of a large publisher. It is my hope
that through Kickstarter I can generate interest and awareness of the book
before going to market. I want kids to read the book and if they don’t know it
exists then they'll never have that opportunity.
Me: What inspirational words do you have for
aspiring comic book writers?
Gray: Inspiration is fleeting. I'd rather give some
advice. I'd say not to think of yourself as a comic book writer. Seriously, you
are a writer; comics are a medium, and you have no idea where your life will
take you. You may have a powerful drive to work in the medium of comics. I say
go for it, but at the end of the day, no matter what, you're in one business
and one business only - the you business.
I'm not
saying you should be a selfish, backstabbing, unbearable narcissist who walks
over people to get to the top. If your dream is to work in the entertainment
industry as a creative professional, and you want to have a long career with
financial stability, you have to do more than just tell great stories; you have
to handle the business side.
Me: Thanks for taking the time to share a glimpse
into the world of Penelope, her friends and her enemies! If you’re interested
in backing Gray’s Kickstarter, check it out here.
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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