FCBD Interview: Frank Beddor Wants You to Find Adventure in Hatter M

Based on the Looking Glass Wars novel, this action-packed re-telling of Alice in Wonderland follows bodyguard Hatter Madigan as he embarks on a 13-year quest to find the would-be queen Alyss, and return her to their kingdom. But not everyone is so eager for you young princess to take up the throne... 

Free Comic Book Day talked with writer Frank Beddor about Hatter M - Love of Wonder, Automatic Pictures' 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?

Frank Beddor: Royal Bodyguard Hatter Madigan’s 13-year search to find Wonderland’s lost Princess Alyss ends in our 5^th and final volume, Love of Wonder, just released in February 2015. Since this is a graphic novel series we used our Imagination and distilled the 100+ page book into a SINGLE ISSUE for Free Comic Book Day. We hope this taste of Hatter M will quicken the appetite for further delving into the epic tale of his paranormal travels from Wonderland to our world.

Hatter Madigan’s mad search for Wonderland’s lost princess in our world was initially told in about 4 chapters in my novel Looking Glass Wars.  Princess Alyss (age 7) must flee Wonderland and the psychopathic Aunt Redd. Royal Bodyguard Hatter Madigan is ordered by Alyss’ soon-to-be-dead mother (Queen Genevieve) to take Alyss far from Wonderland and keep her safe until she is old enough to return and rule. En route to our world via the Pool of Tears—Hatter and Alyss are separated. Arriving in Paris in the year 1859, Hatter immediately begins a 13-year search around the globe to find Alyss.

Artist Ben Templesmith was the first artist to draw Hatter M’s blown out consciousness after he loses the future Queen of Wonderland and must somehow learn to navigate the grey realm known as late 19^th century 3D world or Earth. After Ben, we were lucky enough to find our way to Finnish artist Sami Makkonen, who has drawn the last 4 volumes. Both Ben and Sami possess the ability to draw the humorous, weird, and bizarre in a way that makes them beautiful and universal.

The idea of doing his 13-year journey as a comic book series was a result of UK fans (where the prose novel Looking Glass Wars was first released) asking for more information on Wonderland’s Royal Bodyguard and his signature weapon, the Hat. Hatter’s complete journey was researched and documented by the Hatter M Institute for Paranormal Travel and the 5 volume series is now complete with the publication of Love of Wonder.

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

Frank Beddor: This changes regularly but most recently, I fell in love with making Alyss’ vile aunt, Queen Redd  (a.k.a. Her Imperial Viciousness) come alive as a full, complicated, and, even, somewhat sympathetic character in the final volume of the Hatter M graphic novel series Love of Wonder.

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

Frank Beddor: You want a pitch? Okay. It’s not just any random single issue comic—it’s a DISTILLATION of the fifth and final 100-page volume.

It’s Love of Wonder.  Give yourself a little LOVE and check it out.

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

Frank Beddor: Meeting my Los Angeles readers in bookstore portals around the city. I hope to hit as many stores as I can find via Puddle.

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"?

Frank Beddor: 70’s tv series Kung Fu, Fables, and Penny Dreadful.

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

Frank Beddor: Giving is a beautiful concept. If I could do it, I would give all my books away because I love to see people’s expressions when they receive something with real gratitude and money isn’t on anyone’s mind.

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

Frank Beddor: If you can imagine IT and you are working with a great artist—you get to see IT almost immediately.

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

Frank Beddor: Marvel’s horror classic Tomb of Dracula.

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

Frank Beddor: I’ll be reflecting into Golden Apple Comics at 7018 Melrose Ave in Los Angeles at noon to sign copies of the FCBD issue. Annual traditions? Beginning this year I will start wearing my custom made Hatter M. top hat as I make the rounds of the LA stores. And maybe I’ll bring some cookies or something to each store to say thanks for everything.

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

Frank Beddor: I’ll tease a little more about Love of Wonder since it’s what’s new.

I’ve always stressed in interviews that while Hatter’s search for Alyss is his primary motivation for what keeps him going on this 13-year search—what really counts, just like in every life, is what happens along the way. So while readers who have read Looking Glass Wars may think they may know the outcome, many stories have been put into play on this journey, and Hatter’s ultimate mission is just as important to stopping a very personal Darkness as it is returning Alyss to Wonderland.

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

Frank Beddor: It’s a good step towards not taking "life" as it is officially presented in sanctioned reality, too seriously. Life is weird, there are hidden worlds, odd creatures do walk this earth, and strange, unexplainable things happen every day but comic books are just about the only place that will admit it. 

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