Battlemouth

What do “Star Trek”, “Transformers”, “G.I. Joe”, “Terminator”, “Angel”, and Robots, Zombies, Amazons, and Vampires have in common? I’ll give you a clue…ok I’ll just fucking tell you…IT’S IDW PUBLISHING! As you can see from a few of my previous posts, I am a bit of a fan. But, did you know that IDW publishing is run by a guy that got his start pretty much doing this? Well not exactly, but Editor-in-Chief Chris Ryall did get a bit of a boost from being a constant blogger, and soon after the man behind the curtains at www.moviepoopshoot.com. Which as we all know was Kevin Smith’s (of Green Arrow and Clerks) fame. While there have been rumors that there may have been a bit of snowballing involved in that move to the top, I for one think that it had more to do with a man and his vision. I wrote a bit before about Mr. Ryall, but lets take this time to really get in to the nitty gritty, if you will. When I speak of a vision, I don’t necessarily mean an Obama, Hope, change the world, vision.

Chris started reading comics (like many of us) at a young age and with the help of SciFi author Ray Bradbury, realized that his dream or life goal was to write. “Vision”, to me, is more about the literal meaning of the word. Having worked in a corporate structure before, I am used to the word “vision” getting tossed around like pictures of Brittney Spears hoo-ha. I think a lot of people are used to hearing it, and it makes us lose sight (no pun intended) of what that really means. When Chris decided as a kid that he wanted to write, it became his vision, his dream, his life goal. Every job he would try to get growing up would have something to do with writing. Be it working at a copy print shop, or writing corporate public speeches, everything was meant to be stepping stones across the pond towards that goal. I’m sure (though he may not admit it) that there were plenty of times when he lost that vision, lost his sight, but Chris success now is an inspiration to all of us aspiring writers just what can happen if you don’t allow yourself to be discouraged and don’t lose your vision. With that dedication and openness comes a lifetime of experience from different realms of the writing world. Together his experiences culminate to form a publishing company that is not only better than it was before his take over, but stronger. IDW, with the help of Chris Ryalls vision has become not only a leader amongst the horror comic genre, but also the now the ever increasing popular film/book/television adaptation genre, as well as, their fantastic reprints of some of the comic industries true building blocks like “Dick Tracy”. Chris took time out of his busy day to answer our 7 questions. Here is what he had to say.

7 Questions with Chris Ryall

Question 1: Who is Chris Ryall?

My wife would say I’m the guy that doesn’t sleep enough and steals the covers when I finally do. The answer to this varies from person to person.

Question 2: As Editor and Chief of IDW what does an average day look like for you?

It’s a clichéd answer but really, there’s no average day in comics. It starts the same, with a production meeting to see what needs to happen that day, what books need to get out, and what the production and editorial groups need to accomplish. And then as soon as the meeting’s over, that plan gets shot to hell and chaos ensues. Most days are a blurry sprint through talking to creators, going over scripts and art, meeting with editors, working on bits for the Web site, doing press, working with licensors, planning future books, approving current books, and lots more in between. The only constant in my days is the iPod that never stops playing music through all of this.

Question 3: Most of the interviews that have been conducted with you ask a lot about who you would like to work with and who is your favorite you have already worked with…so I’m not going to ask that.

Instead, I ask this: Who would win in a street fight….Eben from “30 Days of Night” (pre or post vampiric transformation) or Dr. Who? Likewise…you….or Ben Templesmith.

Post-vamp (but pre-sunrise) Eben would take down Who is he was separated from his TARDIS and his sonic screwdriver. But even then, it would be a decent fight, since Eben was always trying to be a good guy and fight his vampiric nature even after the change. Whereas the Doctor has been around long enough to know who he is and… wait, let me change my answer. A Time Lord getting taken down by a regular guy, or even one just coming into his own as a vampire? Never happen. The Doctor would win, in all his incarnations.

As for Ben and I, the only fighting would be who would buy the first pint o’ Guinness. And in that kind of a fight, there are no losers.

Question 4: As my fans know from my last post, Groom Lake issue 1 was recently released…where did the inspiration for that particular piece of genius come from? (Please tell me you got the idea from the Shatner flick of the same name, that would be legendary!)

Man… I had no idea there was a Shatner flick by the same name until after issue 1 was on press. Evidently there’s this thing called Google I should use more. But really, the idea has been in my head for a decade or more, in some shape or another. I once read the story of Betty and Barney Hill, a famous abductee couple from the ‘60s, when I was about 10 and from there on, have been very interested in the whole UFO phenomenon. Been wanting to tell some kind of story that worked in all the different things I’d read over the years. Once Ben signed on, the story definitely got lighter and more fun. It’s been a blast so far.

Question 5: Have there been any more talks between yourself and Dimension Films or John Davis about a “Locke and Key” feature?

Constant talks, yessir.

Question 6: What are two things that an aspiring comic book writer, artist, etc. can do to attract a publisher like IDW?

Our challenge is that we do so many licensed books that are planned so far out that there’s just not that many chances to fit in new projects. So the best thing anyone can do is hone their skills, keep writing or drawing. Like anywhere, artists have an easier time of it since they can quickly show what they can do. Writers, I know it’s tough, and honestly, getting published elsewhere and having a printed sample to show editors is still the best way to get your stuff read.

Also, don’t get frustrated by any short-term lack of space or if an editor passes. Well, getting frustrated is human, don’t get discouraged. Just keep pushing, keep writing (and try to write in every area you can, not just comic book pitches), keep trying. And realize that even the big guys in the business took years to break through.

Question 7: Can I have a job?…..Just kidding….What can we expect from IDW Publishing in the upcoming future?

More of the same—licensed properties based on stuff like Transformers, G.I. Joe and Star Trek, as well as smaller titles like Locke & Key and others. I’ll be doing a new Zombies vs Robots series with Ashley Wood, as well as something else I just got approved yesterday, Alongside those will be special books like the deluxe Rocketeer reprints, strip reprints like Bloom County, and more. And hopefully us overtaking the #3 spot in comics by the end of 2009….

Chris Ryall, Editor-in-Chief, publisher, writer, husband, father. I said before, in my previous post, that Mr. Ryall’s obvious sense of humor is a huge asset to IDW and writing comics. While being “funny” is more often than not a bit of a death sentence for a comic, Chris knows just how and when to use it. Just another example of what being open to new experiences along your journey can teach you.

I truly can’t say how much I think this is a guy that anyone who is interested in getting into the comic book industry, in some shape or form, is an inspiration. I read the story of how he actually met Kevin Smith,(if you haven’t heard it I highly recommend you look it up) and I really think that it serves as a sign that truly anything is possible if you set your eyes on a goal, and follow through with your vision. All it takes is ambition, and clear vision….and maybe some snowball action (I’m not saying I buy into any of that…) and the possibilities are endless.

From all of us here at Battlemouth.com we would like to say thanks again Chris, long live IDW.