By: Nicole D’Andria
Justin
Gray has taken us to the west before with Jonah
Hex and All-Star Western. Now, he returns to the western genre with Billy the Kit, a rabbit gunslinger who
wants vengeance against a tornado god.
The world
of Billy the Kit is created by writer
Justin Gray (Standstill,
TheAdventures of Penelope Hawk) and illustrator Barry McClain Jr. (Harriet Tubman Demon Slayer). The colors
are done by Slamet Mujiono (Robyn Hood).
The Kickstarter
is trying to raise $6,000 and will need to reach its goal by August 30, 2018 at
11:00 AM EDT. Rewards include a digital ($5) and print edition ($10) of the
32 page comic, prints ($15), personalized postcards ($20), a limited convention teaser
($27) and even more goodies. You can back the Billy the Kit Kickstarter here.
I spoke
with co-creators Justin Gray and Barry McClain Jr. about Billy the Kit in detail below.
 |
| Justin Gray |
Me: How would you describe the character of Billy the Kit and the world he
inhabits?
Gray: This is an interesting book because on one hand
this is a world populated by talking animals, mystical creatures, and Tornado
gods, a world that is mature, hyper violent and yet I want the characters to
have human qualities. Billy is interesting because he has an unwavering faith
in the things his father told him as a young rabbit. When we’re young most of us
look at the world through the lens of one or more parents. For better or worse
they shape how we look at the world and usually what they say is gospel, at
least until middle school when we start developing our own world views.
The thing
is, like most of us, Billy’s father simplified reality with the best intentions
and as we know reality is incredibly complicated. When his father and the rest
of his family are murdered Billy is immediately confronted by the reality his
father wasn’t preparing him for. In his commitment to righting a wrong Billy
becomes obsessed with the fact that the world is often cruel and full of
injustice. He feels that it is his duty as his father’s son to bring justice
and balance to the world. I guess what I’m also saying is this isn’t meant to
be a funny talking animal comic even though there is a dark sense of humor in
play.
Me: Why did you decide to make Billy a rabbit?
Gray: I wanted to do another western but I didn’t
want it to be like anything I’ve done previously. I envisioned Billy as a
mythical folk hero that personifies the frontier virtues of courage, strength,
and humor, but also mixing in some Spaghetti Western and Manga influence. As a
child I loved Watership Down; it was
dark, terrifying and not at all what I thought it was going to be. It has had a
large influence on what I plan on doing with Billy in terms of tone and using
animals to comment of humanity. Again, I am trying to create a book that has
layers and defies appearance.
Me: And why did you choose to have the villain of the story be a tornado
god?
Gray: The majority of tornadoes occur in the United
States and they, like other forms of weather, can be labeled an act of god.
That term always triggered my imagination and one day I envisioned these
terrible gods living inside the eye of tornadoes. Tornadoes can cause massive
amounts of damage and casualties often showing us how fragile our human made
environments are. Plus I wanted this book to be different and incorporate large
elements that make the medium of comics so exciting and different. We’ve come
to a point where we can make the comics from 30-70 years ago look real on
screens so I’d like to see some comics that can’t be filmed for another 30
years.
Me: How did you go about finding the creative team for the book and how did
you know they were the perfect people for it?
Gray: Barry McClain Jr. and I have been talking to
each other online for years and Barry is a great guy even without discussing
his considerable talent. He is in love with making comics, he is outspoken, he
is raw and unfiltered at times, but above all else he is passionate with a work
ethic that I deeply respect. That passion shows in his work and it explodes on
the page. For that reason it took me a long time to find the right character
and concept that could bring us together in a way that was going to excite
readers and inspire each other. I wanted to work with him on something where he
was contributing to the script more than interpreting it. I’m a big believer in
finding the right people for the right job.
Slamet
Mujiono was recommended to me by Pat Shand, a friend and fellow writer who has
dozens of projects going on at any given moment. I mentioned I was looking for
someone that needed to be a good fit for Barry’s style. Slamet exceeded my
expectations. He inherently understood this was not a cartoon or kids book and
crafted a palate accordingly. There is no understating how important a colorist
is not just to the look but to the storytelling. I’m very proud of the work
these gentlemen have done.
Me: There’s a Kickstarter exclusive variant of the issue as well. Can you
give us some more details about the bonus materials in this exclusive?
Gray: I wanted to do a limited edition print on
demand version that included the script and Barry’s initial character designs.
It is our hope to take Billy to a publisher and be able to start telling tales
long-term so some of these KS rewards are going to be available in very small
quantities. Barry and I really want to develop a core group of followers on
this book that can help us reach out for a larger audience and that’s why we’re
offering these kinds of incentives and even original artwork, which we’re going
to add one more piece of art in the last week.
Me: You’ve written a lot of western stories before; what is your favorite
thing about writing this genre?
Gray: I like romantic iconography, I like the idea of
people having to rely on each other and themselves to carve out an existence.
There’s a lot about the time period that was terrible and harsh, but there’s
also this sense of rolling up your sleeves and getting things done. To me the
western is both simple and deeply complex.
Me: There are a lot of archetypes in westerns. Based on your personality,
which archetype do you think you’d fall under and why?
Gray: Some say our names play a role in shaping who
we are as people. There’s some truth in that for me because I loathe injustice
so I definitely understand and rationalize some of the frontier justice
archetype in westerns. I feel that people who work hard and do the right thing
should live long happy lives. We know life isn’t fair and I think that reality
is prevalent in who we are as human beings. There’s a reason so many stories
have been told around the idea of justice. Life is very complicated, I keep saying
that, but I think we want to experiences moments where truth, justice and the
American way aren’t just abstract ideas or tee shirt slogans. I feel that way
quite often.
Me: You have Jonah Hex stories included as rewards for the Kickstarter as
well. If you had to pick, what was your favorite Jonah Hex story to write and
why was it your favorite?
Gray: I don’t believe I can pick a favorite. The
Darwyn issues and the Tony issues stand out for obvious reasons. I miss both of
them so that heavily influences how I feel about some of the stories.
Me: What is the number one reason you think people should pledge money to
your Kickstarter?
Gray: I honestly feel this is a book worth their time
and investment for all the reasons I listed above. Ironically this book is also
about optimism and there is so much negativity and narcissism in the world it
is exhausting. It seems like comics in the age of internet culture has become
less about content and more about conflict and I hate that. I can’t even look
at comic related social media without feeling sick to my stomach that this is
the hill so many flags have been planted on. That said I find it refreshing to
write a character with unwavering faith in something bigger than himself and a
commitment to the value of doing what is right regardless. Oh, there’s also a
lot of profanity by Luther the Goat who is I think going to be a character
people really like.
Me: You're an illustrator for the book, but it
sounds like you contributed a lot to the script before the art as well. Can you
tell us in what ways you did this?
Barry McClain Jr.: Being co-creator I have
the chance to build Billy's world from the ground up. Justin really did a great
job of setting me up in terms of direction but he gave me total freedom to
create. Everything in the book was just me taking in Justin's vision and
everything I've learned from watching cartoons after school and western shows
with my grandma really.
Me: There are a lot of really fun looking
character designs. What was your favorite character design to create and why?
McClain: Thanks. Billy was the most fun. Because I got
to put all the things I felt a cowboy and a bunny would have in a pot and
stirred. I gave him a satchel for dried carrot chips on the trail. Two magical
pistols, one with a compass on the side so the shot won't miss, ya know? Just
fun stuff!
Me: Despite there being talking animals in this
book, it's a mature story. How did you approach the artwork knowing talking
animals can usually come off as being "just funny" or not being taken
too seriously to create this more mature comic book?
McClain: That was a huge challenge for me. But luckily I
love life art aside from cartoons. As cartoony as my style may seem. I take
great pleasure in humanizing characters. The animal aspect pulls you in at
first but how human the story is makes you stay. So, I did not want to be
cheesy to convey emotion but still wanted to maintain a sort of old-school
Disney/Warner Brothers magic to it. I'm just happy we pulled it off.
Me: Justin mentioned he really admired your work
ethic. How would you describe your work ethic and in what ways has it developed
as you've been working in the comic book industry?
McClain: Aww, that was nice of him. Frankly, I just try
my best not to embarrass us all with the book being late or acting like kids
over creative views. Or simply just not being a nice person in general. Look,
we are all doing the job we wanted since we were kids for money. That alone
should be motivation to pencil out a full page a day. And this is coming from a
full-time father. I get the job and get it done. No exception.
McClain: People should back this project because it’s
what you want comics to be. Fun. We have no hidden agenda. No trick covers. The
story and art are to put you in the middle of a fantasy you won't want to stop
reading. And not to mention that I drew it, Slamet colored it and Justin wrote
it. That's reason enough to pitch in a buck or two!
Me: Thanks for taking the time to share some good
ol’ western fun! If you’re reading this and interested in backing Billy the Kit, check out the Kickstarter
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 my website.
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