FLIGHT

Hey, guys. I'm sorry it has taken me so long to post the questions. It has been such a hectic week that I haven't had five seconds to myself let alone to do research, come up with questions, come on-line and post them. These questions are fairly basic, but as I learn more about each of you hopefully I can ask more focused questions which are relevant to your specific work in 'Flight.'

Thanks so much





Who are you?

What is your contribution to 'Flight.'

How did you come to be involved with Flight?

Why choose to be involved with the anthology? Did you hope to gain something from being involved or was it simply for the experience?

What has the experience surrounding “Flight” been like for you? A dream come true? A nightmare?

Thanks so much for taking the time to let us know about “Flight.” Is there anything else you want people to know about the anthology and/or your contribution?

My name is Rad Sechrist, and I wrote a little story from "Beneath The Leaves" titled 'Jump.'

I was asked to come on board by the incredibly talented Kazu.

As for why I decided to be a part of Flight, how could I refuse such an awesome experience? A lot of the artists in Flight were and still are my heroes. When we first started Flight, we had no publisher, no funding, nothing except for our love of making comics, so this was purely for our own personal experience.

Flight has been a dream come true for me, and I'm sure I speak for a lot of the other artists as well when I say that. I can't wait to get started on Flight, Volume Two.

I have learned a lot from doing this comic, and I can only imagine what the future of Flight will be. I am especially happy and proud of Kazu because while this was all of our dreams, this was his project, and he brought it to life. I'm glad I got to be a part of this.

My name is Kean Soo. I am a compulsive liar.


My story, "Migrations," has a plot that wanders aimlessly about like a lovesick puppy. It's not really about lovesick puppies, but uh... that's close enough.


I guess it was almost ten months ago that I had been talking to Kazu via email, right around the time when he had just finished drawing a guest strip for my online comic, when I had (what I thought to be at the time) a clever idea of perhaps gathering together a couple of online artists and producing some sort of anthology of short stories. Of course, what I didn't know then was that Kazu had already gathered together a couple of online artists and was planning to produce some sort of anthology of short stories.

So a couple of weeks later, he invited me on to contribute a story for Flight. I secretly resented Kazu for "stealing" my idea, but really, how could I have possibly said no to such a good-looking fella like him?


In all seriousness, up until that point, I didn't think I really had that much experience making comics, and to be invited aboard with such a talented group of artists, I definitely thought that I could learn a few things from everyone that was involved. And boy, did I ever.

The critical feedback that the others gave my work, and just studying how they constructed their own stories really helped me to learn a lot in a short period of time, and at the very least, I felt much more comfortable with myself drawing comics. Heck, just chatting with and getting to know this great bunch of people a little better was worth it all on its own.

*sniffle* I love those guys and gals.


It's definitely been a fun ride. Following the project from it's initial inception, to our search for a publisher, watching the book and all the stories come together, and now the promotional aspects of the book... it wasn't exactly a smooth ride all the way through, but that's what's made this experience all the better. Going through all these things for the very first time was certainly exciting and a great learning experience.

But really, props to Kazu for all the extra legwork he had to do to keep this project rolling along smoothly. I can only imagine the additional work and grey hairs that he must've suffered through to get this book out. So when I look at it that way, yeah, it was pretty easy and fun time for me!


I think I might've promised one too many people working on Flight that I'd buy them drinks when I actually meet them in person for the first time in San Diego. I have a feeling that I won't be able to cover the tab when that actually happens...



...



Good grief, I'm a windbag. Somebody please shut me up.

_________________
keaner.net
the secret friend society

Hehe...

Rad > You're too nice. I don't deserve that much credit. I'm just doing what I love to do and setting up a venue to do it...

Kean > I am totally getting drunk on your dime in San Diego! Start saving!

I would answer these questions, but I think people know more than they care to about what I think of Flight from the last interview...

_________________

Don't I know it.

I sure hope all you cartoonist types are cheap drunks.

_________________
keaner.net
the secret friend society

Your answer are all fantastic so far guys. I'll continue to post some questions the more I learn about the individual stories and has more questions pop into my mind.

Flight is an anthology, something that a of comic readers are really aren't used to seeing in this industry of, usually, a two person creative team on a monthly title. Is is difficult to share the credit for the success, or failure, of an entire book with other people?

Also, what is it like to have someone like Scott McCloud, such a respected figure in the medium, say such glowing things about 'Flight' and those of you working on it?

Who are you?

I'm Joel Carroll. A five year veteran of video game development, and relative newcomer to comics creation.
I've always loved comics and can be considered a "scholar" of sequential art. I've just been too lazy to do anything about it until recently.

What is your contribution to 'Flight.'

I contributed a six page story named "Wing". It's a short tribute to Jean "Moebius" Giraud.

How did you come to be involved with Flight?

Kazu claims I was the first outsider invited in. If anything, it was a stroke of good luck, as I happened to have emailed him the same week he was putting the book together!
Fellow contributor Jake Parker and I first met with the same aspiration of creating an anthology a couple of years back, and it just seemed like the right time. With Kazu behind the wheel, we knew it was something that would happen.

Why choose to be involved with the anthology? Did you hope to gain something from being involved or was it simply for the experience?

It sounded like too much fun! I was looking for a creative change from my job, and the anthology was the perfect project to stretch my legs.
It was also the perfect opportunity to actually start creating comics, instead of talking about it!

What has the experience surrounding “Flight” been like for you? A dream come true? A nightmare?

It's been great! The Flight team are all super supportive and have an arsenal of talents.
They're all the greatest bunch of friends I've never met!
The only nightmare I faced was my own nitpickiness....my story was originally 24 pages, and once I got in the mindset of getting to the core of the story I was trying to tell, it got easier and became incredibly fun.
I've learned a ton!

Thanks so much for taking the time to let us know about “Flight.” Is there anything else you want people to know about the anthology and/or your contribution?

The Flight project really does have something for everyone. I urge EVERYONE out there to check it out!

Flight is an anthology, something that a of comic readers are really aren't used to seeing in this industry of, usually, a two person creative team on a monthly title. Is is difficult to share the credit for the success, or failure, of an entire book with other people?

While I do want to magically steal the talent of my fellow contributors, jealousy and other unsavory feelings really haven't seemed to rear it's head.
We all just wanted to make the coolest book we could! Healthy competition brought in incredible pages!
I can't even imagine what the possible next volume of Flight will bring!

_________________
JOELCARROLL.COM

Hello, I am Enrico Casarosa, a storyboard artist by day and comicbook artist and selfpublisher by night ... sun goes down, my comics fangs come out and my skin turns into a halftone ... 25%.

I did Air and water ... a short 4 pages piece.
It was inspired by Antoine de Saint Exupery's writing. Specifically a paragraph from Wind Sand and Stars, describing the experience of taking off in a seaplane.
It inspired vivid images as most of his writing does and that's how the piece started taking form in my head.

Kazu asked me if I wanted to contribute to Flight a while back, and with that title I found myself unable to say no. I just love anything to do with flight.

Being part of flight has been a ton of fun. Seeing all the stories come together was nothing short of amazing ... so much talent and most of it so young. I feel like the old guy in this group ... X).
I must admit that the result surpassed anything I had in mind.
At each turn, and there were a few, this book got better and better and then some.
Even artists that were just starting in this medium turned out to be truly inspired storytellers and even great writers.
Inspiring indeed ... or as I like to say "despiring": a mix of inspiring and depressing (because of it's goodness).
Kudos to Kazu for his vision and drive on this ...
And let's not forget the small community that formed around this message board, it's quite special ... really positive people, sharing a ton of cool artwork, stories and love for the medium.

There is one huge factor in being part of an anthology (I am also part of Monkeysuit, so I am like the anthology slut here... wait, can you bleep that in post? X) ) which is everyone gives each other drive to do better in their work and also gives each other the sometimes needed kick in the arse ...

Forewordwise- Given what I think about this anthology, I can totally see where McCloud got inspiration for his funny and amusing foreword: there's some serious talent budding in here.
If I had to put my money down I'd be with Scott, some of these kids are gonna do big things ... tell more great stories.

E

_________________
------------------------------
http://sketchcrawl.com
http://enricocasarosa.com
http://haiku5-7-5.com
------------------------------

ENRICO!

I finished a review of "The Adventures of Mia" and it will be up this Friday after some fine tuning. I was going to write you an e-mail today telling you and asking about an interview surrounding Mia AND Flight. Looks like you beat me to it

oh sweet man ... did you enjoy issue 1 ?
The printer is sending me issue2 tomorrow ! Yay !

E

_________________
------------------------------
http://sketchcrawl.com
http://enricocasarosa.com
http://haiku5-7-5.com
------------------------------

Yeah, I enjoyed it a lot, actually. The artwork was outstanding, the story was all-ages without being annoying or overly simplified and the backup story was educational but entertaining.

I honestly enjoyed it a lot and hopefully I reflected that in the review.

great ...glad you liked it ...
feel free to forward me any Mia specific questions ...
E

_________________
------------------------------
http://sketchcrawl.com
http://enricocasarosa.com
http://haiku5-7-5.com
------------------------------

...hopefully I won't be too repetitive here.

Who are you?

I'm Clio Chiang, a recent graduate of studio arts and English lit from UBC, currently taking animation at North Van, BC, and one of two Canadians for the first volume. *nudges Kean*

What is your contribution to 'Flight.'

Mine is a textless story that takes place in the Northwest coast - the making and rich history of a First Nations artefact, and how its story got lost when it ended up in a museum.

How did you come to be involved with Flight?

Kazu invited me! He said, "Hey do you want to contribute to an anthology full of amazing talent??" and I said, "Heck ya!" Pretty soon I was spending many restless nights sweating away drawing and redrawing, trying to keep up to par with everyone else, pressuring myself to stay ahead of deadlines, all the while juggling animation from school. Thanks Kazu!!!!

Why choose to be involved with the anthology? Did you hope to gain something from being involved or was it simply for the experience?

Definitely for fun, and for the challenge. All the other contributors on here are so so so amazing - and many I've been admirers of for a long time during my stay on the internet - that it is quite a thrill to see them all conglomerated into this one event. That and I liked the anthology's goal of taking comics outside of the medium.

What has the experience surrounding “Flight” been like for you? A dream come true? A nightmare?

It's been super fun - I've received lots of helpful advice from the other contributors - the best part of it was seeing how other people shaped their stories, and all the technical hassles we get through to achieve the end product.

Researching for my story was a bit of a nightmare - I was afraid of offending certain groups and talked to my univ. professors regarding the subject and to some members of the First Nations as well. While it is set in the NW coast where I am more familiar with the Native art, I tried modifying the designs to include tribal and Asian themes so no group can be truly singled out for it.

Thanks so much for taking the time to let us know about “Flight.” Is there anything else you want people to know about the anthology and/or your contribution?

This is an amazing book and something I wouldn't hesitate to give to non-comic readers. Well.... I could give a lot of what I read without alienating anyone, but Flight is so darn pretty.

Flight is an anthology, something that a of comic readers are really aren't used to seeing in this industry of, usually, a two person creative team on a monthly title. Is is difficult to share the credit for the success, or failure, of an entire book with other people?

Definitely not. I think I was even hiding near the beginning of it because everyone else's work was so intimidating. Flight has been a great learning experience and I'm too happy at having been given this opportunity. Lots of friends and mentors made on this board. Lots.

_________________
- Clio

Who are you?

I am a 27-year-old (as of Flight's publication...) Georgia boy, one of very few Flight crew members from the Southern states of America. A graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design's Sequential Art MFA program. Currently drawing storyboards and comics in Los Angeles.

What is your contribution to 'Flight.'

I did two stories: one inspired by Herge's Tin Tin stories. It's a short tale about a circus motorcycle stuntman who solves mysteries among the circus folk. His first adventure here concerns a missing King Cobra, and the possible suspects involved in this disappearance.

My second story was conceived specifically to reflect the 'flight' theme that runs through much of the book. It's a wordless story about a penguin who dreams of flying. It's really about imagination--which is an even stronger theme for much of the book.

How did you come to be involved with Flight?

Kazu found me on the internet, lost and alone--and invited me in for some cheap slave labor! (I'll get even, someday.) No, really--I was one of the contributors who initially didn't know a soul on board this project. I'd never met any of them, or even corresponded with them, aside from some typically anonymous comments posted on The Drawing Board (an internet haven for cartoonists to share their work). I was familiar with Jake, Kazu, Joel, Enrico, and Clio through that forum, but didn't know them. One day, Kazu sent me a message about contributing to Flight, and next thing I knew, I had a whole bunch of great new friends! (Still haven't met most of them, though.)

Why choose to be involved with the anthology? Did you hope to gain something from being involved or was it simply for the experience?

I was told that, quote, "riches beyond my most extravagant dreams" would definitely not be forthcoming--but I figured they were lying. You know, to hog the riches. But it turns out there really weren't any riches. Boy, am I a sucker. Thanks a lot, guys.

What has the experience surrounding “Flight” been like for you? A dream come true? A nightmare?

It's been awesome. Since moving to L.A., these fine folks on the Flight project have become some of my goodest friends. And on top of that, I've seen what goes into creating a book out of nothing but love of an artform--how much work it is, what kind of fortitude it requires. Somewhere along the way, I found a big pile of admiration for one Kazu Kibuishi. That guy is cool. (But he totally skimped on the "riches." Oh well.)

Thanks so much for taking the time to let us know about “Flight.” Is there anything else you want people to know about the anthology and/or your contribution?

I want to reiterate the well-documented fact that this book was a labor of love, dedication, and inspiration. None of us knew what we were getting into, except that we wanted to draw some comics and make a book. To see the awesome reception we're getting is such a blessing! We hope we can inspire people--readers, writers, artists, moms, dads, engineers, lawyers, toddlers, lumberjacks--anybody--to enjoy this book for its great visual stories. We're hoping to help comics expand past the niche market, one little step at a time. This book can be enjoyed by anyone. (I hear it's even popular with pets.)

Flight is an anthology, something that a of comic readers are really aren't used to seeing in this industry of, usually, a two person creative team on a monthly title. Is is difficult to share the credit for the success, or failure, of an entire book with other people?

It's an honor to share whatever credit we receive. And in the spirit of the Samurai, I would even be honored to share in the defeat of our noble band, if ignominous failure be our lot. (Unless I get wind of those riches. Then I'm gonna take the money and run.)

What is your favorite candy bar?

Twix. And Kit-Kat.

What's wrong with you?

Nothing. Stop looking at me.

You can go now.

Huh?

Please leave.