By: Nicole D’Andria
This week
we’re showcasing the deluxe edition of Plague
Doktor. Be transported to 13th century England during The Black
Death. The writer and artist both spoke to me about their inspirations for the
series and some unique historical facts.
Plague Doktor is written by David M. Brown,
the co-founder of Fifth Dimension Comics. He is the writer of Chewler, Obscura and Victor. The
artist is Dennis Coyle III, who has worked for Pocket Option Games and Green
Monkey Comics.
The
project will be successfully funded if it reaches $2,500 by July 30, 2017 at
1:01 PM EDT. Rewards include the Plague
Doktor Digital Deluxe Edition ($7) plus a physical copy ($15), an exclusive
full color Plague Doktor print by Dennis Coyle III, an original hand drawn page from Plague Doktor ($55 while pages last!)
and more that you can see on the official Kickstarter page.
I spoke
with both writer David M. Brown and artist Dennis Coyle III about the
historical journey taken in Plague Doktor:
 |
| David M. Brown |
Me: What inspired you to take the idea of a plague
doctor and make a comic book story out of it?
David M. Brown: The first draft of Plague Doktor was actually completed six
years ago so the details of the initial idea are a bit fuzzy. I do recall a
couple things about where my head was (still is) at though.
Firstly,
I have always been taken with the thought of what it must have been like to
live through a plague. I don't think our modern minds could really deal with
such a thing, so to put myself in the shoes of someone who was waist deep in
such a terrible event was interesting to me.
Secondly,
the environment of the Black Plague allowed for some really interesting setting
and atmosphere. Thirdly, Plague Doktors are such iconic figures and have such a
unique look that I knew the story would be visually interesting.
Me: What kind of research did you do into the 13th
century and what are some of the most interesting facts you found and used in Plague
Doktor?
Brown: Although I did read a couple books on the
Black Death specifically, I cheated a bit. I researched as many plagues
and outbreaks as possible and used what I liked from them. I looked at as many
paintings from the period as possible to try to get the right feel. While not
specific to the 13th century, the 'X' on the foreheads of the plague victims
and on the gates of infected towns gave me a nice creepy vibe that I ran
with.
I also read
that a good number of people who became Plague Doktors actually did it to rob
the corpses. I had to use that!
Me: You mention researching many plagues and
outbreaks. Which of these did you find the most fascinating to study and why?
Brown: Far and away, The Black Death was most
fascinating to me. The sheer volume of destruction it caused is absolutely mind
blowing. It killed somewhere around 75 million people worldwide. Imagine if
that happened today. It completely changed the world at the time. That's what I
find most interesting. Lots of different plagues had major ramifications, like
the Plague of Justinian and The Third Plague, which killed 12 million people.
To me though, The Black Death was on another level altogether.
 |
| Plague Doktor Page 11 |
Me: How would you describe the personality of the
Doktor and some of the supporting characters or antagonists in the book?
Brown: Nils is our main character. He's an
interesting one. He is a social outcast and has only ever really had one
relationship with another human being... his mother. His entire motivation for
doing what he does is tied in with her eventual fate and the unseen guiding
hand of his father, whom he never knew.
“The
Adversary” is our villain. It's difficult to not get into spoilers when talking
about him, but let’s just say his true identity is one of the most famous
characters in human history and he has a very tiring job.
 |
| Plague Doktor Page 16 |
Me: So what does Nils typical day on the job look
like?
Brown: A typical day for Nils is a very sad affair. He
must travel from village to village knowing full well that he can do nothing to
help the victims of The Plague besides offering comforting words and/or light
medical treatment. Imagine traveling across the country, entering these plague
towns and the best you can do for the suffering people is lance their swollen
lymph nodes? The worst part though, as we show in the book, is when a parent
and a child both have the disease. The parent obviously wants you to do all you
can to help the child and all the while, you know that nothing can be done.
Nils has to live with this kind of thing every day and is haunted by it.
Me: Are there any plans for future stories in this
universe that you can share with us?
Brown: Given how the tale ends, there is definitely
room for a sequel (or prequel) but we are taking one thing at a time at the
moment. Never say never though.
Me: What is the number one reason you think people
should pledge money to your Kickstarter?
Brown: The number one reason people should support
this book is a simple one. Originality. There are no stereotypes here, no
superheroes, no predictable cookie cutter plot lines. We have enough of those
types of comics. Help us bring something new and fresh into the world!
 |
| Plague Doktor Page 22 |
Me: What inspired you to help found 5th Dimension
Comics and what would you say is the publisher’s mission statement?
Brown: Actually, 5th Dimension Comics was a place for
me (and co-founder, D.N.S.) to tell stories with nobody censoring or limiting
us. And I'd say that attitude found its way to our mission statement, which is,
“A place for uncompromisingly original and raw comics.”
Me: What inspirational words do you have for
aspiring comic book writers?
Brown: My advice for anyone thinking about writing
comics is to just do it and for the love of God, be original! We have enough
Supermans and Batmans in the world. Bring something fresh to the table and
readers will respond.
 |
| Dennis Coyle III |
Me: What kind of research did you do to make the
book look like it took place in 13th century England?
Dennis Coyle III: When I first read the
script it was ambiguous as to the location, Europe it said, so I just went with
that. The time period is set shortly after the conception of gothic style so I
attempted to incorporate those elements when I could. I had a corkboard wall
overflowing with the design principals behind gothic archways and windows,
reproduction images of armor and clothing from all walks of life, and from
various countries throughout Europe. One of my favorite diagrams was that of
hairstyles from the century. A lot of research I did never shows up in the
book, such as a variety of occupations, decor design, and the commune
of Eguisheim on which I based a lot of my town design.
Me: What was it that made the hairstyles one of
your favorite diagrams?
Coyle: The hair diagrams were some of my favorites
because of the lace, ribbon, and/or netting tightly woven into or around the
hair itself. Lots of buns, braids and headwear. Very interesting from a fashion
design point of view.
 |
| Plague Doktor Page 41 |
Me: How would you describe the art style you used
for this story?
Coyle: It's a flurry of manic brush strokes dipped in
an ice bath.
Me: What was your favorite page to draw in Plague
Doktor and why?
Coyle: I have a few favorite pages, but I would have
to say that the arrival of our beloved Doktor to town is my favorite. It's
where I first tested out inking for the book and found my approach for the
project. And it kinda reminds me of Vampire
Hunter D.
Me: Part of the extra material in the deluxe
edition includes “remarks from the artist.” Can you tell us a bit about what
this is and some of the other extra material readers can find in the deluxe
edition?
Coyle: David and I have spent about five years on this
project off and on with multiple restarts and revisions. The extra material
includes sketches, early and alternate character designs and some side notes
about the process and my time on the project.
 |
| Plague Doktor Page 46 |
Me: You mention that you and David both worked on
the project off and on for about five years. Why did the process take so long?
Coyle: Plague Doktor took an age because of a variety
of life changes, good and bad. I also really didn't know what I was doing when
I got started, only having a couple shorts under my belt. I spent quite a bit
of that time in project limbo studying the medium and trying to find out how I
wanted to approach the story. Once I was ready it only took a few solid months
to hammer it out.
Me: Since you also mentioned that the project went
through some “restarts” and “revisions,” can you tell us a bit about how
previous versions differed from the final product?
Coyle: The original style was very dry brush heavy and
I was pushing for a heavy metal look. I wanted something much more painterly,
like Requiem. I ran into some issues
with that and eventually switched to charcoal and pencil. David said it had a
storybook feel. Then came another long hiatus. When I returned to the book I
developed what you see now. Partly it was to keep a quick pace and partly it
was being inspired by brush inkers along the way.
Me: What is the number one reason you think people
should pledge money to your Kickstarter?
Coyle: We have a good story, some added grindhouse
flair, and a lot of love poured into it.
Me: What inspirational words do you have for
aspiring comic book artists?
Coyle: Don't aim for perfect. Don't even aim for
good. Aim for done. Done is better than perfect.
Me: Thanks for your time David and Dennis! If
you’re interested in learning more about their Plague Doktor Kickstarter, see the official page.
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 my website.
Other
“Kickstart the Week” features:
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