By: Nicole D’Andria
Interested
in entering a gritty world for fans of shows such as The Wire, Daredevil,
and The Punisher? Cornrows is
the latest comic book that turns the “super” and maybe even the “hero” on its
head in this “superhero” series. I spoke with writer Brian Hawkins about the
beginning of his urban fantasy series.
Cornrows is written by Brian Hawkins with artwork from Marcio Loerzer (X-O Manowar), inking by Adriana Abreu, gray tones by David Fox, and lettering by Guido Martinez. The series follows Theo Mayfield, a high school P. E. teacher living in Baltimore, Maryland. The city is shaken by the death of Theo’s former student, Malik Williams. With no one doing anything, Theo takes it upon himself to go out with a mask and get revenge. But things get complicated fast, and without any superpowers to save him, Theo must survive the gritty story laid out in Cornrows: There Are No More Heroes.
The
creative team is trying to raise $3,509 for the first issue before January 31,
2019 at 11:59 PM EST. Rewards include digital ($5) and physical ($15) copies of
Cornrows: There Are No Heroes Part I,
plus an original pin-up with a bookmark ($17) with an option for a Nathan Kelly
(DREXLER) variant ($25). These are among
several other reward tiers, which you can see on their Kickstarter page.
Enjoy my
interview with writer Brian Hawkins below!
 |
| Brian Hawkins |
Me: You mentioned that fans of The Wire, Daredevil,
and The Punisher in particular will enjoy this series. What about Cornrows
do you think will draw fans of these TV shows in?
Hawkins:
The grittiness of it, the
realness, while at the same time offering something ‘else.’ The Wire was
real and gritty and it showed us life on the streets of a specific part of
Baltimore. However, there were aspects of it, some of the characters were
larger than life. Avon Barksdale is one. Omar is another. He really became
larger than life, but still somehow he could be inside this real world that The
Wire presented. The same can be said about The Punisher and
Daredevil. Neither one have superpowers—you could argue Matt has something,
but it’s not a superpower, it’s a sense that has been incredibly enhanced… You
could also argue that he believes this about himself so it’s all the more real.
And The Punisher just has a skill set and drive. Cornrows has all of
that—but it’s still different, it’s a different story, one of community, city,
and self-realization.
Me: Who is Theo Mayfield and how will readers be
able to relate to him?
Hawkins: Theo Mayfield the character is just a man, a teacher. His background in
martial arts gives him a specific set of skills that he one day decides to use
to fix something he believes is wrong—avenge the death of a former student of
his. On a larger scale, Theo is you, me, anyone who has ever thought about
making a difference in anyway, but especially physically going out and trying
to make it happen. Theo decides to actually do that.
Me: Why did you decide to set the story in
Baltimore, Maryland?
Hawkins: I live in Virginia so I like to put characters that I create in a
familiar place. Baltimore, Maryland isn’t that far from me—Virginia, DC, and
Maryland are all a part of the ‘DMV’ (DC, Maryland, Virginia), so we all kind
of connect with each other and rep each other at times, like it’s one big hub.
Also, I’m familiar with the toughness of Baltimore and I wanted Theo in the
midst of that. I teach (English and Writing) in DC and I live in Virginia, so
I’m familiar. This story was a personal one, not because I’ve experienced it
but because there’s a lot of me in it, from a human condition perspective. The
story, in this form and in this particular arc, was inspired by the four
missing DC girls, which happened a couple years back.
Me: This story blends realism and the
"superhero" world. Why did you decide to put these two somewhat
contradictory aspects together for this comic book series?
Hawkins: I believe they go together. Superheroes are just metaphors for how we
see ourselves or what we would like to be or sometimes what we do not want to
be—sometimes we have to look at things in a mirror to understand it. That’s
what superheroes are—mirrors for us, hyperbolic and exaggerated in the physical
sense but still mirrors. The ability to fly is just about ascending, higher
self versus lower self, being the best that you can be—succeeding, being free;
super strength is about overcoming insecurities and our own weaknesses. So, all
I’ve done with the character of Theo in Cornrows is strip him of the
fantastical part—I’ve returned those elements to the internal, for him to deal
with internally, but he still has to do all those things externally, he still
has to do some ‘super’ feats in order to do what he believes is right. He just
will do it as a regular person like you and me.
Me: Why did you decide to do the book in gray tones
vs. black-and-white or color?
Hawkins: Well, I wanted to strip the “color” away from
it. It’s not a typical superhero book and one of the major nuances of those
books is color interiors. I wanted an “un-colored” feel and nuance that felt as
if the superhero “feel” of this hero book had been taken away. Black-and-white
is a style of comic so that wouldn’t work. That has its own kind of nuance and
feel. So, gray tones felt right. It gave Theo and this story a noir kinda feel
and energy—like it’s on a black-and-white television, which isn’t really
black-and-white—it’s just no color, which is more gray tones.
Me: What can you tell us about your creative house,
GNOSIS Entertainment? What's it mission statement and your future plans for it?
Hawkins: GNOSIS is about me, who I am, it’s what I believe in—knowing oneself,
that great MAXIM from the Oracle at Delphi—Gnothi Seauton, “Man, Know Thyself.”
I wanted my creative endeavors to be about that, to carry that, to embody that.
It’s about knowing that all stories are about one thing—the human condition.
And that’s why stories in all forms and mediums work, because it’s always about
us and in some regard coming to know who we truly are.
As for my future plans
for it—just to create. I view it as an IP company and I am not trying to make
it anything really. Just want it to be what it is and to facilitate stories
through it for myself and to the rest of the world, to put them out there in
the Universe. I would like for it to grow, I would like for it to be there for
my family, my children…
Me: And where do you see Cornrows going in
the future?
Hawkins: I would like to see a live-action Cornrows. I would—I can see
it, I really can. Not that I think that it’s good enough for that, but I can
envision Theo in live-action and the possible impact a character like him could
have on the world. But the comic itself, I would like to tell the full story. I
have a full story in mind for Theo and Cornrows. 12 Issues.
Me: What is the number one reason why people should
pledge money to your project?
Hawkins: It’s an honest project. It’s really about creating for me—the book is
already finished; Marcio Loerzer, Adriana Abreu, and David Fox have been an
incredible team. They’ve worked hard. So, it’s product that you’re guaranteed
to get. Marcio, the artist, has worked without being paid upfront; he was
willing to go backend for this story, whatever backend would be. And that’s how
we finished the book. So, the Kickstarter is about paying the artist and really
getting the rewards out, getting the book in the hands of potential readers so
hopefully we can do an Issue 2.
Me: What inspirational words do you have for
aspiring comic book writers?
Hawkins: Write about the human condition, in some form. Find that form that is a
part of you and who you are. And write. Also, writing is a craft, and so
there’s some honor that should be given to it—learn it, continue to learn it,
refine and revisit and revise, understand all of writing and what it means to
write. Art in general is this way, any and all kinds of art.
Me: Thank you for taking the time to give us this
urban fantasy comic book, Brian! Check out Theo as he tries to bring some
justice to the world of Cornrows with
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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