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FCBD Interview: Chris Sheridan Rides Again in Motorcycle Samurai

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For the first time ever in print, Motorcycle Samurai is ready to kick up some dirt and take the desert by storm! But just who is the elusive White Bolt? Why is she trekking across the Badlands? And does anyone stand a chance to her bike and blade? Get ready to ride!

Free Comic Book Day talked with comic creator Chris Sheridan about Motorcycle SamuraiTop Shelf's 2015 Free Comic Book Day offering.


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Free Comic Book Day: For those who might be new to your comic book, give a quick rundown. What can we expect to see in terms of story and art?

Chris SheridanMotorcycle Samurai is an adventure story that is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. It follows a lone female motorcycle rider, the White Bolt, on her quest through the desert. The art is very energetic and inspired by my love for animation and film. There is a loose quality to the linework and the coloring is pretty bold. All in all, it's a fun adventure story told in a quirky style, about a bounty hunter rolling through the desert and the trouble she gets into along the way.

Free Comic Book Day: What has been your favorite part of the book or character to tackle?

Chris SheridanI love getting to tell a story with a tough and crafty main character like the White Bolt. She has everything I'm interested in as a character: uncertain motivations, a mysterious backstory, and she wears a cool mask and carries a sword. What more is there?! She can tangle with anyone she encounters, but usually goes about it in an unusual manner. That is the fun of the story — seeing how and why she does what she does. And getting to explore the crazy world the adventures take place in through the lens of the White Bolt.

Free Comic Book Day: Tell FCBD fans why they should pick your book first on Free Comic Book Day!

Chris SheridanThere are two reasons The Motorcycle Samurai FCBD Edition is a must. One, this is the first print appearance of the series! Up till now, it has only existed on the digital platforms of Thrillbent and Comixology. So this is a new way to read Motorcycle Samurai and has been re-edited, drawn and colored exclusively for the print edition.

Beyond the unique nature of seeing it in print, the story itself is the introduction point for the entire series. You get introduced to the White Bolt, see her current adventure, and find out just a little bit about HOW she handles her deadly business. So it's a great book to start exploring the world of The Motorcycle Samurai. And if you get hooked, you can check out the rest — the first story-arc of the series will just be wrapping with its "season finale" when FCBD rolls around.

Free Comic Book Day: What are you most looking forward to for Free Comic Book Day?

Chris SheridanGetting the chance to reach out to fans around the world and give them back something. It's an amazing program and a great day. It's always fun to see the energy around a day like this, but to get to have my own a book to share, that will be even better! I'll also be meeting readers face-to-face and signing comics at three great shops here in Seattle: Comics Dungeon, Arcane Comics, and Phoenix Comics!

Free Comic Book Day: What other titles would you associate with your FCBD book? “If a comic reader likes _______ , they should pick up my title"?

Chris SheridanThat's a bold question to answer. I would say Motorcycle Samurai is a mashup of a lot of things I love: action, humor, Bruce Lee, samurai movies, and spaghetti westerns. I don't know too many books out there that hit all those targets, so I'd say, if you're into seeing all those elements cooked into one wild adventure, this is the book to check out!

Free Comic Book Day: What do you think is the best part about Free Comic Book Day?

Chris SheridanIt's an amazing day that really shows how amazing the world of comics is. What other industry has an appreciation day for the fans? Not too many. It's good to remember that in all the critiques and analyzing that goes on in the comic shops, everyone still shares that love of opening a new comic and being transported somewhere. Part of the magic of being a kid and going into a comic store for the first time was just how many covers there were, and realizing how many different worlds you can go to. There are lots of people out there coming to FCBD with a chance to explore new worlds, find new adventures, and they get to do it for free! It really is like being a kid again. That's the best part, being able to be a part of that experience for someone.

Free Comic Book Day: What’s your favorite thing about working in comics?

Chris SheridanThere aren't many fields you can create something from nothing, without limitations, compromise, or barriers. As a creator your story is bound only by your own creativity and ingenuity. That's really exciting. It's part of why there is just no medium like comics. Creatively, it's a pretty magical space to work in. 

Free Comic Book Day: Many newcomers will pick up comics for the first time on FCBD—what was the first comic you remember reading?

Chris SheridanI had tons of MAD magazines. They were some of the original small book format, and I was amazed to see them in that format.  I was also just getting books off the racks at the grocery stores.The first time I went to a comic book store it was to get Erik Larsen's "Sinister Six" run on Amazing Spider-Man. It was a fun romp of a book and a great incarnation of those classic characters. I feel like that energy really permeates the work I am attracted to still.

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

Chris SheridanI will be at three stores in the Seattle area, getting folks hyped about Motorcycle Samurai, signing free books, and getting a chance to talk face to face. Comics Dungeon in Wallingford, Arcane Comics in Ballard, and Phoenix Comics in Capitol Hill — if you're around, come say hi!

Free Comic Book Day: Looking to the future of the book, is there anything you can tease about what's upcoming?

Chris SheridanThe collected Motorcycle Samurai trade paperback edition comes out this summer. That's the first time the full digital run will be seen in print and has been significantly "remastered" from the original series, with 30-50% new coloring as well as new artwork. The goal is to make it a real treat for existing fans, and at the same time welcome a whole new bunch of readers to Motorcycle Samurai.

As for where the story is going after that, we end the first series with a pretty clear direction of where the White Bolt is headed, and who she is after. The fun is going to be seeing how she get's there. She's also made a few more friends and a lot more enemies in this outing. We're going to find out more about them, and I have a feeling some of them aren't through with the White Bolt yet.

Free Comic Book Day: Tell us why everyone should read comic books?

Chris SheridanComics are one of the few mediums in the wide array of entertainment that still come from individuals. Creatively speaking, so much goes into the industry around entertainment, sometimes the stories you end up experiencing are told by committee. Comics is still driven by creators and you can easily find amazing stories, ones that are personal, funny, or absurd. This is one of the last mediums to have that true spark of personality behind it, and we need to hold onto that energy.

Find a comic shop near you to celebrate Free Comic Book Day 2015!

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