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Rockstars #1
Writer Joe Harris is understood for his work on Snowfall, excellent Pacific, X-Files, as well as more. artist Megan Hutchison has worked on will o’ the Wisp: An Aurora Grimeon Story, Lumberjanes, occupy Comics, as well as more. Together, they bring us Rockstars, a series checking out the tricks as well as mysteries of rock as well as roll. They just recently shared an inside look at this new series with Westfield’s Roger Ash.
Westfield: What is the genesis of Rockstars?
Joe Harris: I’d been kicking around this concept of doing a “rock n’ roll secrets” type of book for a while, honestly. I wished to do a new creator-owned series that was fun as well as lively, outside my usual stripe of such, as well as truly celebrated what I adore as the extremely biggest age of rock glamor as well as majesty. however it wasn’t up until I satisfied Megan Hutchison a couple years back as well as asked her to work on this with me that things truly started to take off.
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Westfield: exactly how did you come together for the book?
Harris: Megan as well as I have many shared friends, however Darick Robertson really introduced us a couple years back at emerald City Comicon. As fate would have it, we were on the exact same flight down to LA after the show, as well as things started to find together after that.
Westfield: What can you tell us about your collaboration?
Harris: I believe it’s a fun one (at least I’m enjoying it!). We talk, we hang, we text. I script scenes including demon orgies as well as undead rock legends as well as Megan not only doesn’t bat an eye in protest, she exceeds expectations as well as comes back with some incredibly rich as well as imaginative visuals that make me take a pause to make sure this is truly happening, almost regularly.
Megan Hutchison: Joe as well as I work truly well together. I can visualize what he has in mind when he’s composing the script as well as he composes to suite what he understands I will enjoy drawing. It’s a excellent symbiosis. Also, if for some reason, I’m having a difficult time getting something down or a page isn’t coming together the method I want it, he’s extremely versatile as well as we end up issue solving together. We’re lucky that way.
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Westfield: What can you tell us about Rockstars as well as who are a few of the characters we’ll meet?
Harris: Rockstars concerns this young guy named Jackie Mayer who’s got this strange skill that enables him to kind of ‘see,’ or discern, what’s truly going on behind so many of rock’s metropolitan legends as well as secrets.
Hutchison: I’m a huge fan of Dorothy, Jackie’s counterpart. Not only since she’s a kick-ass woman with style, however likewise since she’s a great counter-balance to Jackie. There’s likewise a great deal of rock icons we’re throwing in there for traditional rock fans.
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Westfield: Are the stories in Rockstars influenced by any type of actual events?
Harris: Yes! Well, somewhat, actually. On the one hand, we recommendation all the famous metropolitan legends as well as crazy stories people tend to understand about, from “Paul is Dead” to just what Led Zeppelin has to do with “mud sharks,” as well as exactly how Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon syncs up with The Wizard of Oz. We’re likewise departing from the actual as well as realizing our own, untold mysteries as well as conspiracies.
Our opening story arc, Nativity in Blacklight concerns a heretofore unknown rock ‘n’ roll secret including groupie murders from the 1970s that tie into a much larger, deeper conspiracy including demonic possession, pacts with the devil, as well as hidden patterns within the culture only our protagonist, Jackie, can see as well as discern.
But we’re referential throughout. Jackie’s feline is named Skydog, after the late excellent Duane Allman, as well as our other primary character, Dorothy, is named after a rather famous rock ‘n’ roll supporter. I’m a fan of Easter egging the hell out of this book, were we can.
Hutchison: I utilize a ton of research study to recreate the sets as well as fashion, so much of what I draw is based on actual history. I likewise try to throw in recommendation to famous pictures as well as moments in rock history when I can.
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Westfield: I truly like the art I’ve seen for the series. It has a extremely unique look. Was that deliberate as well as if so, what went into designing the look?
Harris: Well, when I was very first believing about what this series might as well as should be, I tried to be agnostic with regard to exactly how it’s going to look. I like collaboration, as well as though I tend to compose extremely realized (if not stupidly dense) scripts, I want to be surprised… I want the people I work with to come back to me with elements of characters as well as ideas I couldn’t have envisioned on my own, as well as may never have envisioned without them. When I satisfied Megan, I had a feeling it might work out. She’s quite new to this industry, however she’s got a excellent style as well as character that adds so much to what we do. It’s at when pretty, however gritty. She takes my own personal aesthetic, which is truly all about the grandeur as well as beauty of rock ‘n’ roll… the pageantry as well as pomp as well as arena show theatrics… as well as infuses her goth sensibility that adds so, so much. great deals of structure as well as heavy blacks damaged up by cuteness as well as quite faces. when we added Kelly Fitzpatrick’s colors to the mix, we truly had something, I thought. Also, Tom Muller’s style work has truly served to push us forward. I like this alchemy. like it.
Hutchison: I’m lucky sufficient to work with a team that lets me check out as well as truly do my own thing. I understood I wished to do something looser, funkier as well as darker than I’ve done before. Joe’s truly let me run with my style. The tone of the book truly dictates exactly how I draw it. Every page I draw, I feel the style establishes itself more as well as more. I’m truly having a blast with this as well as I hope it shows. I’m likewise so lucky to be working with Kelly Fitzpatrick — she adds so much to my drawings as well as truly provides them that rock n roll feel.
Rockstars #2
Westfield: any type of closing comments?
Harris: I truly hope the Black Crowes get back together in 2017. I miss those cats.
Hutchison: I’m more of a Neil young fan myself.
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Rockstars #1 & 2