FCBD Interview: Writer Eric Esquivel Talks Sanjay and Craig
Feb 17, 2016
Published by Papercutz, Sanjay and Craig is a humorous for all-ages adventure that will be featured in Nickelodeon Pandemonium FCBD 2016.
We talked with writer Eric Esquivel about what to expect from this unique sitcom and why he looks forward to Free Comic Book Day 2016!
Make sure to grab your FREE copy at a participating comic book shop near you!
Free Comic Book Day: For those who might be new to your comic book, give us a quick rundown of the story.
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Eric Esquivel: Sanjay and Craig is the story of an imaginative young guy whose best friend happens to be both a talking snake AND a master of disguise.
His mentor, “Remington Tufflips”, is a washed-up action star from the 1980's, his mother is the surgeon who pioneered the first ever butt transplant, and his father is the (very) proud inventor of “The Partybot“.
It's basically a psychedelic, all-ages sitcom. Wall-to-wall crazy, punctuated by the occasional heartfelt character moment.
Free Comic Book Day: What has been your favorite part of the book or character to tackle?
Eric Esquivel: Sanjay's idol “Tufflips” is, hands down, my favorite character in the book. Like any decent mentor figure, he's a retired hero with decades and decades' worth of insane adventures under his belt.
We have a lot of fun flashing back to those old stories, and using that as an excuse to give fans a glimpse of the hidden history of Sanjay and Craig's world.
Free Comic Book Day: What initially got you interested in comics?
Eric Esquivel: Comic books practically raised me. I grew up in a rough neighborhood in the outskirts of Chicago, so the library was where I spent all my time.
I wasn't allowed to ride my bike around the block, so I had to settle for soaring through the cosmos with Superman, and exploring alternate dimensions with The X-Men.
Free Comic Book Day: What other titles would you compare to yours? “If a comic reader likes _______ , they should pick up my title"?
The humor in Sanjay and Craig is modern and hip, but it has a little bit of an old school Dennis The Menace, Little Rascals, Archie “unsupervised juvenile delinquents” vibe.
Free Comic Book Day: Tell fans why they should pick your book first on Free Comic Book Day!
Eric Esquivel: Our SANJAY AND CRAIG book is probably the only one on the shelf that isn't the first chapter in a 52-part crossover event, or a thinly veiled promotion for a movie. It's an old-fashioned, self-contained, easy-to-read, non-violent, laugh-out-loud-funny adventure. A perfect first comic!
Free Comic Book Day: What is your favorite part about Free Comic Book Day?
Eric Esquivel: I grew up poor as dirt, so Comics' low entry cost always appealed to me. A good $3 comic contains as many mind-blowing ideas and as much edge-of-your-seat action as a $13.50 movie ticket, or a $60 video game.
It's even better when they're free!
Free Comic Book Day: Where do you plan to spend Free Comic Book Day?
Eric Esquivel: Signing copies with James Kaminski and Sam Spina in Hollywood California, at Meltdown Comics!
