Collider.com has posted a two part video interview with producers Mark Canton, Gianni Nunnari, and Bernie Goldmann. In the interview they mention they are working on a prequel to 300, and yes, Zack Snyder and Frank Miller are involved in the conversations about this.

There is also talk about War of Gods, another greek epic flick that’s supposed to be stylistically like 300.

Collider.com also has video interviews with Guillermo del Toro in which he states he would like to do Hellboy III once he is done with the Hobbit, and with Matt Reeves who mentions the possibility of a sequel to Cloverfield.

The interviews are pretty good, and certainly worth checking out if you are fan of 300, Hellboy, and/or Cloverfield.
You can check out the Canton, Nunnari, and Goldmann interview here.
Guillermo del Toro talks about his projects here.
And Matt Reeves’ interview is here.

Enjoy!
Arse-bot out!

Jake Black is the definition of a working writer. Working his way up from an intern at the Smallville Production office to writing the prequel comic to the latest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, Jake Black keeps busy. (He also keeps a blog about his progress here.) He was kind enough to sit down with our interview-bot and answer a few questions about comics, his latest work, how he got to where he is, the struggles of a working writer in comics and the struggles of the comics industry itself.

Big Shiny Robot!: On Wednesday (June 11), an issue of Legion of Superheroes in the 31st Century #15 (cover pictured above), written by you, comes out, how did you get into that job and what’s the issue about?

Jake Black: On a recent trip to NYC, I stopped in at the DC offices, and chatted with several editors about the future, and some possibilities for writing for them. Legion editor Jeanine Schaefer asked me to pitch for a couple of titles she was editing, including Legion. I sent her several pitches, including the one that became issue 15. It’s about a young Bart Allen, who was born in the 31st century and raised in a virtual reality world. A few members of the Legion join Bart to help protect his virtual home. It’s a pretty fun story, and I’m really proud of it.

BSR!: Seeing that you’re doing work for all the big publishers now, how did you get your first published comics work?

JB: In 2002, I started as the writers’ intern in the Smallville production office. I was working on the show’s promotional tie-in websites like smallvilletorch.com, writing in character as Chloe and others. After the first season finished, DC Comics announced that they were producing a series of Smallville comics based on the show. They were going to be written by Mark Verheiden and Clint Carpenter, both of whom I worked closely with in the Smallville production office. I talked to Clint and Mark about my possibly contributing to an issue of that series. I ended up co-writing the backup story in Smallville comic #5. So, my first comics work was actually published by DC. I’ve since been doing stuff on the indy scene–including titles like TMNT and Dead@17–earning my stripes back up to the big boys.

I’ve been working on a lot of Smallville projects since season 1, too, and so I’ve been published by DC all along, though not in comics as much as licensed short stories and kids books. (Be sure to pick up Smallville season 6 and season 7 on DVD — I wrote a couple of documentaries about significant DC characters on those sets, too…)

BSR!: You wrote some TMNT material in advance of the latest movie, how did you feel the response to the movie and your work surrounding it was?

JB: I think they were all favorably received. I don’t know for sure, but Ninja Turtles fans seemed to love the movie for the most part. I think the prequel comics were a really nice addition to that portion of the mythology, and I like to think that the two of those I did added something. I know that the prequels featuring the four turtles were colored and reprinted in the UK, alongside some new TMNT comics that I (and others, of course) wrote. The issue I did about April, which was considered too bloody for the color reprints since those were being targeted at kids, is my wife’s favorite thing I’ve done. It’s also one of my favorites.

BSR!: Who’s your favorite turtle to write?

JB: Casey and Karai. Is that okay? I just think they are the most complex and interesting characters in the whole mythos. I have a soft spot in my heart for Michaelangelo since I wrote his movie prequel comic. I like Leo because I wrote a kids book about him, too. So, turtle-wise they are my favorites. But Casey and Karai are my favorites.

BSR!: You’ve adapted a mountain of Orson Scott Card material [Wyrms], how did you get involved in that and what’s the biggest challenge in adapting material instead of writing original material for established characters?

JB: I got married in 2005, and realized that if I was going to make a career out of writing, I needed to make it happen. I saw that Mr. Card was writing Ultimate Iron Man I at the time, and was curious as to if he might have insight in to how to break in. I got his contact info from a mutual friend, and wrote to him. He told me that he didn’t have any advice, but had just licensed his novel Wyrms to be turned into comics through Dabel Brothers. He recommended me to them, and they hired me to write it. That was the beginning of what had become a long-term collaboration with Mr. Card and me, culminating in my writing the Ender’s Game encyclopedia to be published in 2009 by Tor Books. By virtue of that project, I have become the story consultant on Marvel’s newly-announced Ender’s Game comics series. (I’m also working on some other aspects of those comics, but can’t release details quite yet…)

The main challenge for me in adapting something is that I tend to be too faithful to the source material. That’s probably the biggest thing. When I do TMNT stuff, for example, I and I can just cut loose with stories, it’s easier. But people like OSC and the gang at Marvel are helping me to have that same mindset in adaptations. The key, I’m learning through both adaptations and original stuff, is to distill the main story, and tell it.

BSR!: How involved is Orson Scott Card in the process?

JB: On Wyrms, he approved the scripts and gave me a lot of leeway to do the adaptation I wanted to. On the Ender’s Game stuff Marvel’s doing now, he’s a bit more involved since the designs will affect all the other Ender’s licesnes (like the movie, video games, etc.)

BSR!: What’s the difference doing hired gun work at the different publishers?

JB: I haven’t had that much of a difference with the different publishers. I’ve had a really good experience with pretty much everyone I’ve worked with. I think that’s thanks to the editors at the different publishers. On Turtles, Steve Murphy and Dan Berger have been really great to work with. I really admire Nick Lowe at Marvel. That guy’s a genius, and is able to bring out the best of my ability in comics. At DC Chris Cerasi is the man, while I look up to Eddie Berganza and Matt Idelson there too. And I think Jeanine Schaefer is the most underrated editor in the entire industry. I really hope to work with her again.

BSR!: What’s the hardest part of comics work?

JB: I don’t know what the hardest part is. Maybe selling the pitches. That’s pretty slow going sometimes.

BSR!: What’s the hardest part of being writer in an artist dominated industry?

JB: I think the hardest part of being a writer is getting an editor to look at my work. With an artist they can tell at a glance if its any good. With a writer it takes a little more time, and often that means the samples don’t get read.

BSR!: What three monthly books do you look forward to most?

JB: Easiest question you’ve asked! Supergirl, Justice League of America, Superman/Batman, and Green Lantern. Oops. That was four…

BSR!: The comics industry seems to be floundering in a way these days and new readers of anything at any age are hard to come by. Why do you think that is and how would you seek to remedy that?

JB: I’ve thought a lot about that, and if I were to be in a position where this would make any kind of difference, I would create a series of Manga starring the female heroes of the DCU. You go to any Barnes and Noble, and there are always several young women sitting in the aisles reading manga titles. Wonder Woman and Supergirl are two of the biggest feminine icons in our culture. It seems like that would be a match made in heaven.

I don’t know exactly why comics are floundering. I think it may be a bit of superhero fatigue with all the movies that have come out (Entertainment Weekly had an article addressing that recently, too…) I think they are stigmatized, of course, as a nerd thing. In the industry, I think fans are done with events. I think it may be time to get closer to one-and-dones to help stories more accessible for new readers. But what do I know?

BSR!: I think that about covers it. Is there anything you’d like to add?

JB: I hope everyone likes the Legion story. Keep an eye out in July for two more issues of Tales of the TMNT that I wrote. Also watch Chaotic Saturday mornings on Fox (since I write several of those episodes based on the CCG of the same name…) If you’re a really hardcore fan I’m also one of the main writers for the UK-published DC Comics Collection which are magazines that come with a little lead statue. I’ve heard Dan DiDio loves them. Finally, I also wrote the official Hannah Montana trading cards produced by Topps. Yeah, you know you want them.

(To read more Big Shiny Robot! exclusive interviews, click here!)

Neal Shaffer is an accomplished, critically acclaimed graphic novelist who has published multiple books with Oni Press including One Plus One (which has been hailed as a cross between the Twilight Zone and Hard Eight), Last Exit Before Toll (a real world drama that explores what happens to a man when he simply vanishes from his old life) and The Awakening (a supernatural thriller).

He’s currently working on an ongoing series in a graphic format called Borrowed Time that is released on a slightly erratic schedule by Oni Press.

He was kind enough to answer some of our questions about his work, past and present, and the state of the comics industry. For up to date information about him, you can check out the blog he maintains at his communications firm, Slant Six Creative.

Big Shiny Robot!: How did you find your way into comics?

Neal Shaffer: It all started when I worked with Daniel (Krall) at a cafe. We had a lot of downtime, and we spent much of it tossing ideas around. Eventually we decided to do a comic together, so we worked up some pitches and took them to the San Diego Comic Con. We met Oni, the guys there were great, and we sealed a deal a couple of months later.

Everyone who gives out advice on “how to get published in comics” will tell you that pitching at San Diego (or any con) is not a good way to do it. That’s probably true, but it worked for us. Which highlights the fact that nobody should ever take too much “good advice.” There just isn’t one right way to do anything, especially in an industry like comics.

BSR!: You’ve published with Oni Press for about 95% of your career, your books are great and stand up to the best of those offered by Oni, but is it daunting sitting at a booth where you’re over-shadowed a little bit by Scott Pilgrim and Stephen Colbert?

NS: Not really. There’s virtually zero overlap between what I do and what those guys do. They certainly do overshadow me — justifiably so, given the size of their audiences — but I wouldn’t say it’s daunting. I just kind of do my thing and I’m grateful for every person who takes an interest. Oni’s a good place for that because they care a lot about the books and they respect everyone equally.

BSR!: I would say my [Swank-mo-tron’s] favorite piece of work you’ve done (other than One Plus One) is easily Last Exit Before Toll. Could you talk a little bit about where that story came from and how the response to that piece has been.

NS: That story originated from reading Dashiell Hammet’s The Maltese Falcon. There’s one chapter in that book — chapter 7, called “G in the Air” — that didn’t translate to the movie version. It’s a very strange little interlude about a guy who just disappeared one day. I found it fascinating, and I wanted to jump off of it to tell a full story of what that might be like. To just leave everything behind.

The response was really good, actually, and people still comment on that book occasionally. It’s not the kind of story that’s to everyone’s tastes but the people who get it seem to really like it.

BSR!: What do you look for in a story to tell in the graphic medium?

NS: There’s no one thing, really, and that goes back to how I feel about the medium itself. I think comics (graphic novels, whatever) can accommodate virtually any kind of story, as long as the approach is right. So I just try to tell stories that I find interesting.

BSR!: You’re 2 issues into Borrowed Time, for those that haven’t read it, give us the pitch. Where are things going next and when can we expect issue 3?

NS: Hmm…the pitch…It’s a story about a man who slips through a crack in time and has to navigate an unfamiliar world while searching for a way back to the things he holds dear.

I think that about covers it, but the one-sentence pitch has never been my strength.

Things are going to an interesting place with the story. We had some setbacks with issue #3 when Joe [Infurnari, the artist] had to deal with some personal issues, but we’re back on track and hope to have it out later this year. We’re going to be doing some exciting things with distribution, too, really exploring the boundaries of new media and new ways to get content in the hands of the consumer. Plans aren’t finalized yet so I can’t really give specifics, but it will be exciting. I’m looking forward to it.

BSR!: For the release of Borrowed Time, you had shirts designed by Tony Larsen incorporated into the art and then had them printed in a cross-promotion. I think it’s a great idea (hell, I bought a shirt) but I’m wondering when the idea struck you, if you’re planning on printing more shirts (I didn’t get the color or size I wanted, they sold too fast) and what the reaction to it was.

NS: I can’t remember exactly when I first had the idea, but it goes back to pre-Borrowed Time days. I really wanted to do something unique, to try to integrate something new into the comics medium. The reaction to it was really fantastic, and I sold all but a few of the shirts. It’s something I might revisit down the road, for sure.

I’d be remiss in talking about this if I didn’t point out that Tony Larson is just an amazing dude. Great artist and great person — I really can’t say enough about him.

BSR!: Are you sick of people comparing Borrowed Time to Lost?

NS: I was, but since we’ve had this downtime that has kind of tapered off. The truth is that I’ve never watched more than about 30 seconds of Lost, so I can’t say that I have any idea what the comparisons are about. All I can say is I hope people mean it in a good way.

BSR!: Aside from Borrowed Time, what’s up next for you and when can we expect to see it?

NS: I’m working on a new pitch for Oni, which is taking more time than it should. It’s something kind of different for me but it’s a story I’m really passionate about. I want to get it right, you know? Hopefully there’ll be an announcement about that this year.

In terms of the rest of my work, I’ve recently launched my own communications studio (Slant Six Creative — http://www.slantsixcreative.com) with a goal of helping individuals and businesses with their communications needs. That’s a real passion for me — it’s work I’m good at and love to do. That’s to me what doing TV commercials is to Errol Morris, only I’m not quite (read: nowhere near even getting anywhere close) as far along at it just yet. But I hope to get there, while continuing to do things like comics along the way.

BSR!: Have you found it hard trying to find your place as a writer in an industry dominated by artists?

NS: Yes.

BSR!: Care to elaborate?

NS: Well, I don’t know what else I can say. The comics industry is biased towards artists (logically enough), and there are only a handful of writers who get that kind of recognition. But it hardly keeps me up at night.

BSR!: If you were forced to recommend three comics for someone to read (other than your own) what would they be?

NS: That’s a tough one. I think I’d have to say:

1. Batman: Year One by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli

2. the Big Questions series by Anders Nilsen

3. the Optic Nerve series by Adrian Tomine

BSR!: Be it design nerdery or literature or wherever, what would you say are your primary influences on your writing?

NS: It’s hard to say because I’ve been influenced by so many things over the years. In a general sense I’m influenced by stories — in whatever form — that challenge the reader/viewer to think and come up with his/her own conclusions. I like things that create room for a conversation rather than answer all of the questions up front. I like things that stick with you and make you wonder “what does that mean?” I’ve found that in films, books, music, comics — pretty much everywhere.

BSR!: The comics industry seems to be floundering in a way these days and new readers of anything at any age are hard to come by. Why do you think that is and how would you seek to remedy that?

NS: This is the kind of question we could talk about for hours, but even if we did that I’m not sure I’d be able to come up with a great answer. Here’s what I think, though:

The biggest problem the comics industry faces is its own myopia. The problem isn’t that there aren’t readers out there (the popularity of manga would seem to prove this), it’s that the comics industry — generally — doesn’t do enough to find them.

What’s needed is for the industry to shed the idea — largely self-perpetuated at this point — that comics is a marginal medium. Then, it needs to fully embrace every tool available to it — particularly with New Media — to get people interested in the stories. The stories being told, the stories behind how they were made, and the stories of the people who make them. Do some old-fashioned PR and marketing work. Do some outreach. Stop focusing so much on the retailers — as important as they are — and start focusing on finding new avenues for content distribution.

Essentially, the industry needs to be re-branded. That’s far from an impossible task, but to be honest I haven’t talked to anyone else who works within it who agrees with me. Or, if they do agree with me, they tell me it’s not possible. On that, I call bullshit.

Here’s an interesting tidbit: I know someone at one of the larger comics companies who told me that the press contact at a major news/entertainment magazine practically has to beg for review copies and access to creators and publishers. How ridiculous is that?

So, basically, I think that whatever problems the industry faces are of its own creation. That doesn’t mean I don’t like the industry or the good people I’ve met within it, it just means that there’s a systemic problem that can only be fixed from the inside. There are some very smart people at work on it, but until the idea really takes hold then nothing is ever going to change.

BSR!: I think that about covers it. Is there anything you’d like to add?

NS: The only thing I think I’d add at this point is that I do have a great love for the comics medium and I want to see its full potential realized someday. It’s frustrating, then, to see just how ass-backward the industry is sometimes. The good news, though, is that there are some great people doing great work, though, so I suppose we’ll see what happens.

Exclusive Sketch by Ryan Ottley. Colored by Lucas Ackley.

One of the comics that most of us robots here at Big Shiny Robot! look forward to most every month (or thereabouts) is Robert Kirkman’s Invincible. It’s drawn by an astounding young man by the name of Ryan Ottley and he produces art for what is probably the greatest super-hero comic in the universe. His webpage, www.ryanottley.com, is updated regularly with “draw-night” sketches, Invincible covers and previews and all kinds of original art and is a daily “must-visit” for anyone interested in Ottley’s work.

We had a chance to ask him some questions and he was kind enough to answer, so without further ado, we’ll get to the interview:

Big Shiny Robot!: As you were growing up and honing in your skills, what were some of your favorite things to draw?

Ryan Ottley: I remember I was drawing at home one time with crayons on a huge piece of paper my Mom got for me. I forget my exact age but I know I was in Grade school at the time. Anyway I drew a nice quiet colorful scene of rolling green hills, big trees, birds, rainbows, flowers, and then on a hill I drew a Bear tearing a man to pieces, blood all over the hill. My Mom thought I was a little odd and maybe it worried her a little but she always supported whatever I drew. So violence was something I always enjoyed drawing. Dinosaurs, monsters, funny looking faces, those were my specialties as a kid.

BSR!: What’s it like working with Robert Kirkman?

RO: Ah it’s great! Robert’s a cool dude most of the time until he calls you up and tells you he forgot to let you know 5 covers are due tomorrow. But seriously he’s super laid back and easy to get along with and very easy on the eyes, know what I’m sayin?

BSR!: What can you tell us about the future for Mark and Eve’s relationship?
RO: Huh?!? Why would THEY have a future together? They’re just friends.

BSR!: In one of the issues of Invincible, you drew in some pretty derogatory things about Kirkman in Japanese. Are there any other jabs at Kirkman (or anyone else for that matter) that you’ve hidden in your books?

RO: Yeah the japanese part was a lot of fun. In the script Robert asked for alien writing on the walls, I figured he wouldn’t know the difference between alien and Japanese so I asked my buddy Derek who is fulent in Japanese to show me how to write “Kirkman is an idiot.” Robert called me one day and told me he was reading fan mail and in one of the letters it was letting Robert know about the writing on the wall, he asked me if it was true. I confessed, and he still wants to get me back somehow. That’s the only jab I’ve taken at him though. Well there was a license plate I drew on a car in that same issue that said “RK be gay”, but that’s not really a jab. heh.

BSR!: Last year DC published a Superman/Batman Annual. You were one of the featured artists. How did you feel to have yourself attached to such iconic characters?

RO: That was great but the thing that I felt really good about was how I got the job from Ed McGuinness calling me up and asking me if I wanted to help him with a few pages in the book. Ed is one of my favorite artists, so I had to say yes. And drawing Superman and Batman was icing on the cake. It was nice to have a chance to draw these two, good to get a little bit of the mainstream characters out of my system.

BSR!: When can we expect to see more Marvel/DC flagship work out of you?

RO: Not anytime soon. I’m hooked on Invincible, I love this book a LOT. I will be doing Marvel original art cards though, just keep checking my site. I’ll post them up soon.

BSR!: What are your feelings about Salt Lake Comix artist Derek Hunter [Pirate Club, Image Popgun]?

RO: Derek is radical. He loves the hell outta comics. It shows in his work, his upcoming Lobster Ladd is some really fun stuff, if you see a Slave Labor booth at a con go find him. [editorial note: Check the Big Shiny Robot! forums for an exclusive gander at Derek Hunter’s Lobster Ladd. It’s good stuff.]

BSR!: What was it like folowing Cory Walker on Invincible and having fans constantly compare the two of you?

RO: It was tuff. Cory is one of those artists that is so talented it’s hard to look at his stuff because you know no matter how hard you try you’ll never be as good as him. Occasionally I’ll hear from people who think we have similar styles but our works are completely different from eachother nowadays. I tried to keep a similar style on the book when I started with issue 8 and I fooled some people but in reality my early stuff on Invincible is pretty bad, looking back on Cory’s early work is crazy because it’s STILL good. I wish I could do that, I hate my first 30 or so issues.

BSR!: Why has Invincible been so late? Is it Kirkmans fault?

RO: He’d get mad at me if I told you it was his fault. And nobody wants Kirkman mad. But yeah it was my fault.

BSR!: What 3 comics do you most look forward to reading every month?

RO: Walking dead. Goon. Fell.

BSR!: And our last question, did you trade all of your soul with the devil for your wonderful talent? Or just part of it?

RO: Yes.

Tim Sievert just recently had a book published titled That Salty Air. The book is a wonderful read. Anyone who enjoys Top Shelf books, such as Craig Thompson’s Good Bye Chunky Rice, will really enjoy this book.That Salty Air follows Hugh, a fisherman. His life is thrown off kilter when he receives a letter informing him his mother has died. His wife tries to help him grieve to no avail. Tim was kind enough to participate in an interview with Big Shiny Robot.

BSR: What inspired your That Salty Air?

Tim: I wrote the story in response to the death of my mother in 2004. It was a very difficult time for me, but I think that working on this book really helped me to grieve. Hugh, the main character goes through a similar experience, so I allowed him to react in a way that I couldn’t afford to. I used the book as a way to channel my energy and frustration into, and I think it worked out pretty well.

BSR: What do you feel works in your book, and what do you think you could have improved upon? Are there any specific spots that didn’t turn out the way you were hoping?

Tim: I feel that the book is based on a solid narrative foundation. Everything that’s supposed to be in there is there amd functions. What I think I struggled with are the characters of Hugh and Maryanne, who I feel come off a little 1 dimensional. (well maybe 1.2) I think there was a lot left unexplored with those two that really could have enhanced the whole book.

BSR: What are some of your favorite comics (serialized or graphic novel)?

Tim: Epileptic, Black Hole, Mother Come Home, Martin Mystery, Marc Bell’s Shrimpy and Paul.

BSR: Who were/are some of your favorite comic creators?

Tim: I’m a big Lewis Trondheim fan as well as David B, Charles Burns, Paul Grist, Christophe Blain, Yves Chaland, Jason King Mini, and Johnny Ryan to name a few.

BSR: Do you have any future projects in the works? If so, could you tell us a little about them?

Tim: I’ve got another graphic novel I’m working on, but it’s definitely not at a point worth talking about. Sorry. Just know that there will be more.