Interview with GEEK GIRL's Sam Johnson
In my work with Jackeduptales.com along with the facebook pages for it and the cosplay showcase, I run into a lot of original material. I'm a writer at heart and am, therefore, a sucker for a unique story. I also see a lot of independent comics/projects that most of you do not get the chance to see. So, when I run upon something like this, I try and share it.
That's what I'm doing today. I've only read portions of this so far, but plan on getting the whole issue for review. But, according to what I've seen so far, the art work is engaging and the story idea original and brings me back to the 1960s super-hero genre where many heroes had a prop that gave them their powers. I also like the friction in the main character's story between their A-List popular life and their bungling, nerdy super-heroism.
So I decided to pop a note to the creator, Sam Johnson and ask some questions so we could get to know the writer and the creation!
BDC: Tell us a little about Sam Johnson.
SAM: I love comics; I'm British, I'm the creator/writer of Geek-Girl and Cabra Cini: Voodoo Junkie Hitwoman, and the co-creator of The Almighties, with Canadian Mike Gagnon. I wanna write Deadpool, and my biggest influence is Grant Morrison's run on Doom Patrol. Outside of comics, I'm a big sitcoms fan, currently enjoying The Office.
BDC: Geek Girl #0; I've seen the preview comic. You have my attention. Could you give us the low-down on this character, the story and why the readers should pick this comic up!
SAM: Well, Geek-Girl is hot college chick Ruby Kaye. She's used to getting what she wants, and when she hears about some super-tech glasses her college's resident brainiac Trevor Goldstein's invented, she decides she wants them. They grant her super-strength and flight powers – but there's a glitch in them that messes with her brain. The initial impact of this is it renders her super-klutzy – which renders her 'uncool' with her superficial clique.
The #0 issue is out now, and the 4-issue Geek-Girl mini-series is coming in 2016.
BDC: How long have you been developing comics? Actuality press, how long has it been producing comics? Is that your personal imprint?
SAM: I've getting stuff published for about 7 or 8 years. Actuality Press is my imprint, which I've self-published Geek-Girl #0 and The Almighties (a comedy super-team) #1 under – with the #0 Wayne Winston Variant coming in November. It's an imprint rather than a publishing house – whether the GG mini will come out under Actuality or another publisher is open at the moment, and will be determined after the mini's completed some time this year.
BDC: Carlos Granda is your artist on this project, right? Tell us a bit about him and his work.
SAM: Yeah, Carlos is from Colombia; among his credits are work for Zenescope and the mini-series Pirouette for Black Mask Studios. He also has a YouTube channel where he shows how he does his comics.
He's the ideal artist for Geek-Girl - his art is gorgeous, he can deliver great action as well as detailed expression in the characters' faces and body language, and does great backgrounds, too.
BDC: Have you lived in London all your life? How does your perspective there differ from American comics (if that even applies)?
SAM: I'm from London, but have lived in Sheffield in the North East of England for a long time. There's a degree of British sensibility and humor in my work (particularly in The Almighties, I've been told), but I'm writing 'American comics,' which are my biggest influence and what I read regularly.
BDC: Geek Girl (the preview at least) was set in Maine in the states. Any particular reason?
SAM: Having things set somewhere like Maine gives it a freshness and means that we can have a super-hero scene already established that isn't a crowded one like it would be in a capital city. This is important for what's going to be going down in the mini-series, as right out of the bat a major Maine super-hero gets taken down and Ruby is put in a position where she's forced to step up - whether she's ready to or not.
BDC: A lot of times getting super powers makes you super popular and everybody loves you more than the alter ego. It seems that things go the opposite for Ruby here.
SAM: Yeah, Ruby is something of an 'It Girl' and hangs with a pretty superficial group of girls. The inadvertent effects of the glasses don't go down well with most of them, and she finds out who her real friends are.
BDC: Mr. Mash-Up seems an odd sort of villain. Could you give some insight?
SAM: Mr. Mash-Up is a 'walking wounded' character. He left his family and world for his girlfriend, who wanted to come to Earth. And then she left him. He has a lot of anger - and the power to take it out on the world by tapping into people's minds and transforming a 'vessel' he houses into a clone of whomever they hate.
BDC: Please give us any dates or websites that need to be mentioned and linked and any other information you deem important. Also any graphics for the article would be great also!
SAM: You can find links to all my work, as well as Free Digital Preview Comics, for Geek-Girl, Cabra Cini and The Almighties at http://samjohnson-comics.blogspot.com/ :)
BDC: Thanks for your time, SAM! We can't wait for the debut issue!
