FCBD Interview: Writer Nathan Edmondson and Artist Paul Azaceta on 12 Gauge's The Ride

 

When the world is being taken over by evil demons, Zachary, a faithless man, must step up to the plate so he can protect society from total "demon" dominantion. In the Silver book Anti #1, readers will embark on a brand new adventure filled with unexpected twists and creepy artwork. Not to mention, a bonus The Ride co-feature story!

Here Writer Nathan Edmondson and Artist Paul Azaceta talk about working on The Ride, their FCBD annual traditions and more in this FreeComicBookDay.com Interview.

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FCBD: Set your project up for those that might be new to your comic book. What can we expect to see in terms of story and art?  

Nathan Edmondson (NE): Paul Azaceta brings an expert eye and pen to this simple tale of evil inclinations and murder. He evokes the atmosphere of the gaudy, pop-oriented '80s with a touch of the Southern Gothic that's creeping underneath it all like so much kudzu. It's a dark and vicious little story we've got!

Paul Azaceta (PA): I think Nathan put together a nice short story that's reminiscent of those great dark episodic shows like “Tales From the Darkside”; a cool short with a dark edge to it. I tried to bring that into the art and hopefully I captured some of the creepiness. I also did a bunch of hand lettering and got to play around with digital zipatone which is a first for me. It was a lot of fun trying to figure out how to adapt my art to a completely black and white story.

FCBD: What has been your favorite part of book or character to tackle?

NE: The opening scene is brief, but it's my favorite moment: a “key party” in Athens, Georgia, with B-52s and REM on the record player to set the tone. 

PA: One of my favorite things was giving it an eighties look. I grew up with movies like “16 Candles”, “Breakfast Club”, and “Weird Science”, so when I read it was set in 1983 I jumped at the chance to design the look around those kinds of movies. There's a shot early on of a party and I tried to litter it with eighties’ fashion.

FCBD: Tell our readers why they should pick your book first on FCBD.

NE: Some readers expect Freebies to just be fun rides that otherwise little more than posters--THE RIDE in this iteration is a fairly deep and very biting recount of darkness and devilry.  

PA: Besides it being free? I think we're giving you something new and original. It's something different from me and it's not something you'll get anywhere else.

FCBD: What’s your favorite part about being able to work in comics?

NE: The artists with whom I get to work, and the freedom of storytelling.  

PA: Not getting up in the morning. Seriously though, I just love telling stories. My life is filled with storytelling of all kinds (TV, movies, books, and comics) and I'm just glad I can help create some of my own.

 

FCBD: Many newcomers will be picking up comics for the first time on FCBD—what was the first comic you remember reading?

NE: X-Men, back in the early '90s.  

PA: It was quite a while ago and I'm not good with numbers but I can remember it being Spider-Man. If I remember correctly he was fighting the Vulture in Las Vegas. It was part of a 3-pack that you used to be able to pick up at Wal-Mart or any newsstand. There was no turning back after that.

 

FCBD: Where will you be for this year’s FCBD? Do you have any annual FCBD traditions?

NE: Signing somewhere! Come find me in the Southeast! 

PA: Unfortunately, I'm usually trying to hit a deadline (as always) and I don't have any traditions. However, I will make my way over to the shop and get some free comics. Who can turn down free comics?

FCBD: Looking to the future of the book, is there anything you can tease about what's coming? 

NE: The FCBD offering is just half of this dark tale; the second piece will come a few months later. THE RIDE is a fantastic and unique series of stories and I'm proud to offer something to the canon; I don't know what talent Keven has lined up but I'm certain that the Camaro will be squealing tires in the very near future. This is a good time for readers to get acquainted with the series! 

PA: I'm never good at teases (that's what writers are for) but I can say that THE RIDE has provided some really great short comic stories and I don't think fans of the book will be disappointed with this story or the new series launching later this summer.

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