Stan Lee, Robert Kirkman, Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison: These are names that echo in every comic book shop. Here is one name that has not made an echo but will in the future. I want to introduce you to a friend and the next "Great American Comic Book Writer", Anthony Ball.
Who is Anthony Ball?
Wow, that's a good question. I'm Chicago born and bred, a devoted son, loyal friend, brother to some, mentor to others, creator, writer, WonderFunder steering committee member, scotch enthusiast, drinker of beer, lover of women and the man who the original Indiana Jones films were based on.
What are the two comic books that you are writing for presently?
Right now, I'm writing Disco Frankenstein and The Anointed. Disco Frankenstein is a tribute and parody of the old Universal monster movies of the 1940's and the blaxploitation flicks of the 1970s. Think of Frankenstein's monster as Shaft and all the bad guys and hustlers are monsters and urban legends and you get the idea. The Anointed is a new twist on an old concept. The main character, Oz, is a hard luck kid who discovers that his mother was an angel, his father a vampire and that his blood is needed to cast a spell that would reveal every guardian angel on Earth...and that's just the first story arc. The Anointed has demons, the very first vampire, Odin, angel / human hybrids, a renegade angel and a plot to destroy Jacobs Ladder. In short, its way more that I can put in a one page pitch (still working on that).
What is your standard day schedule, when you are writing?
My standard day schedule is making sure my moms is ok, worrying about bills and then getting motivated despite all of that. I write whenever I can, and have energy. Between taking care of my moms, looking for a job, tending to WonderFunder business (a nonprofit endeavor that seeks to provide valuable benefits to the independent comics, graphic novel, and English language manga producing community. For more info check out http://www.wonderfunders.com/ or look us up on Facebook under WonderFunders) and promoting myself and others. I barely have time to write, but I still do. The lesson here is that if you're a writer, BE A WRITER. You can do all the other stuff that goes with being involved in comics, joining groups, forums, blogging, etc...but if you don't physically write something, few scripts, some pitches, plots, etc...YOU ARE NOT A WRITER, you just another person who claims to be a writer (ever see that standing joke with Stewie and Brian on Family Guy about Stewie writing his novel? Yeah? Then you get what I'm saying.).
I am giving you an opportunity to kill any comic book character. Who would it be, why’d you pick this character and how would you kill the character?
Well I'm taking the opportunity to name two: Spider Woman and Moon Knight. Two of the most useless and uninteresting characters ever. I could write a small comic on why I'd do it, but I'll just leave it at they suck. No matter WHO writes them, they still stink. I'd just kill Spider Woman and be done with it. No return, no reboots, no nothing, just oblivion. She wouldn't even die a special death, she'd just get shot in the head like Ted Cord, but there'd be no hype, no mourning surrounding it. In fact, she'd just be considered missing among her peers. Moon Knight...where to start? How long has he been around and not had a successful title? The concept was crap and the idea of a night time avenger running around in all white has always been preposterous to me. I'd have the Joker show up and beat him with the same crowbar that he killed Jason Todd with, and then he'd toss his body right in the middle of
What made you decide to write comic books instead of writing for television and movies?
No real decision there. I just started writing comics. Writing for television or movies never ever entered my mind. Now that I know a few things involved in writing for other mediums, I'd still write for comics. There's a freedom there that you're not going to get with any other medium. You're only limited by your imagination (well, depending on who you write for and what kind of editor you have).
What is your favorite novel?
A tie - The Lost World by Michael Crichton and the Regulators by Steve King (what a F'd up book).
What is your favorite single issue comic book?
A lot to choose from, but hard to dispute. For me it's probably the Crisis on Infinite Earths #8, the Death of Barry Allen. Man, the book literally made me cry when I first read it.
If you had an opportunity to work for Marvel, DC and Image, who would you pick?
Whoever pays the bills for me. Seriously, I really wanted to work for DC when I was younger, a lot of character there to love. Now, I'd have to say Image or Dark Horse. The view here from the sidelines hasnt looked good in the last few yrs in regards to the big two. I cant imagine what its like to be in the middle of writing something really good or coming up with a great idea only to get have to toe the editorial profit making line. Freedom is what writing is about, not conforming for a corporate view.
If you had the opportunity to rewrite an origin for any character, who would it be and what changes would you make?
I originally had a really cool answer for this, but thinking about it now...Moon Knight. What a challenge and a cheat it would be. Like stealing liver from a baby (the kid dont want it, you dont want it but it dont get no easier than that). Think about it: what better challenge than to write a character you cannot stand? On the flipside, I wouldnt keep a scrap of his past, so its like having a blank template, with a company paying me to write him. It would almost be cheating. I have a great idea for rebooting Moon Knight but I figure that's Marvel's problem, let them come up with something...or they can always call me.
What is Single Salt Malt Comics?
Single Malt Comics consists of Anthony Ball (Co-creator, head writer - Disco Frankenstein, The Anointed), Rodney C. Jacobsen (Co-creator, artist - Disco Frankenstein), Jesse Lima (Co-creator, artist - The Anointed), Trevor Sanders (Colorist - Disco Frankenstein, The Anointed) Miguel Caraballo (Letter - Disco Frankenstein, The Anointed) and several other talented individuals who have lent their creativity to our projects. We have some merchandise right now, including more clothing, posters and eventually comics. Besides Disco Frankenstein, we have a few more books in production, (The Weird Weird West and McGinnis & Oakley) which should see the light of day sometime late this year. Right now we are in our infancy, but this year is the start of big things for us and for the independent comic community as a whole. Trust me.
Single Malt Comics consists of Anthony Ball (Co-creator, head writer - Disco Frankenstein, The Anointed), Rodney C. Jacobsen (Co-creator, artist - Disco Frankenstein), Jesse Lima (Co-creator, artist - The Anointed), Trevor Sanders (Colorist - Disco Frankenstein, The Anointed) Miguel Caraballo (Letter - Disco Frankenstein, The Anointed) and several other talented individuals who have lent their creativity to our projects. We have some merchandise right now, including more clothing, posters and eventually comics. Besides Disco Frankenstein, we have a few more books in production, (The Weird Weird West and McGinnis & Oakley) which should see the light of day sometime late this year. Right now we are in our infancy, but this year is the start of big things for us and for the independent comic community as a whole. Trust me.
Disco Frankenstein's Indie Go Go page: Last week to donate! Lets see this comic book in our local comic shops.
P.S. On the right, vote on our newest poll.
Hey Anthony!
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed reading your blog. So where do we buy said comics?
Matt