Pistol Shrimp is not just a crowdpleaser, but also our staff's favourite book on Comix.one. So, it was high time we sat with Charlie for an interview and know more about him as a person. Read on.
About yourself
Charlie McFarland
Q: A Brief background about yourself and how you got into comics.
My love of making comics started at a young age after I read Dav Pilkey’s Captain Underpants books. Seeing two grade schoolers making their own comic books with pencils and notebook paper was mind blowing to me when I was 10. Been trying to create my own stories ever since.
Q: What are your favourite comic book characters, Indie and/or mainstream?
Spider-Man is about the only comic character from the big two I’ve ever really been interested in. Amazing stories and a hero I’ve really come to care about. I’m also a huge fan of Yorick from Y: The Last Man. As well as Jesse Custer from Preacher. I really love these characters who end up on these crazy journeys and just try their best to do what’s right.
About your Creative Inspirations
Q: What kind of characters excite you in comics?
Complicated ones. I’m always going to root for the good guys, but when a story is able to really blur that line between good and evil, if it’s done well, I’m a sucker for it.
Q: What kind of stories should your audience expect from you?
You can always bet I’m going to try to make you laugh at some point. I love to put comedy into my stories. But don’t let it fool you. I’m still out to tell a good story above all else. But I think comedy and drama actually work really well together. So that’s what I’m all about.
Q: What’s the last comic book you read?
Magic Powder by Jeff Schiller and Daniele Aquilani. It’s an indie comic about the drug trade in a fantasy world of elves and dwarves. It’s been a fun read and their first arc is about to conclude so I’m looking forward to that.
About your recent project
Q: Can you describe your latest project without spoilers?
My latest work is our upcoming issue of Pistol Shrimp (Follow it on Kickstarter). If you’re unfamiliar, it’s an under the sea western about a gun toting shrimp. He’s currently on a quest to be reunited with his wife after the two of them were unceremoniously dumped into the ocean, and our third issue is picking up after a major cliff hanger at the end of the second issue, so…. Definitely catch up on that before this new issue drops.
Q: How did you develop the concept behind your latest project?
It actually was just the result of a conversation about the coolest sounding animals. The fact that there’s actually an animal out there called the pistol shrimp just sounded so cool to me. I write good stories, but the jumping off point for how I come up with ideas isn’t that impressive.
Q: Who else other than you collaborated on the project?
I’m working with such an incredible team. Luis Morocho is our penciler/inker. He does incredible work and you should remember his name, because I’m sure he’ll have some incredible projects down the road. Our colorist Antonio Ramos-Wong has collaborated with Luis in the past, so that’s what got him involved in this project and he’s done an absolutely phenomenal job. His work really does speak for itself. And our letterer is Buddy Beaudoin, who I only discovered through his work on the series Crash and Troy. His lettering adds a whole new level of personality to all of our characters, and I’m always impressed with the amount of creativity he’s able to put into his work.
Q: How was your experience collaborating with the rest of the team?
Couldn’t have been better. As long as I’m writing Pistol Shrimp, they will always have the job opportunity. If you don’t see any of their names on a copy of Pistol Shrimp, it’s probably because they got the recognition they deserved and got an even better opportunity they couldn’t pass up.
Q: What's your next project, any ideas you're working with?
I’ve actually got the first script for a new series already completed. Just waiting until I find the right artist to get started.
Q: Where can people buy your books?
If you want to read our book, you can always get the first issue for free right here at Comix.One
And if you like it enough that you’d like your own physical copies, just head over to www.kingbrillipcomics.com and pick one up!
If you’re lucky enough to know what your passion is. The thing you want to create. Then I think you should feel obligated to pursue it. Because there’s so many out there who would love to be in your shoes.
