Hollywood Goes Comics

Dawn Brown

By: Barb Lien barb@sequentialtart.com

Little Red Hot is the bizarre but captivating tale of Chane, a blonde assassin who also just happens to be the wife of (a somewhat pussy-whipped) Satan. Proof that the female is deadlier than the male, to say the least. Xeric award-winner Dawn Brown writes and illustrates the book with a flair that bespeaks a talent that is just starting to come into its own. We're fortunate enough to have interviewed this woman-to-watch recently. Below are the results...

Sequential Tart: How’d you get interested in comics?

Dawn Brown: I’ve been into comics as long as I can remember. As a kid, I watched Batman on TV and read Spider-man comics. I fell out of it for years, but then I was reintroduced to comics in college with Frank Miller’s Dark Knight Returns.

ST: Early projects you’ve done?

DB: Little Red Hot (LRH) is my first comic book project, so I haven’t quit my "day job" yet. I am a set designer in the movie industry. I have worked on Batman & Robin, the X-Files movie, the ill-fated Nicolas Cage Superman Lives, Lois & Clark, SeaQuest DSV, Lord of Illusions, and I am currently working on this fall’s Arnold Schwarzenegger film, End of Days. (See I like to stick with the "comic book" movies!)

ST: Why’d you choose the indie route?

DB: LRH started out and remains a completely personal project, and in the beginning, I was prepared to just hand out a few dozen photocopied issues to friends. Then I heard about the Xeric Foundation, an organization that offers grants for self-publishers. This gave me the incentive to broaden the scope of this project and seek distribution. The book was getting good word-of-mouth, and another comic writer passed it on to Image. Image has been incredibly supportive of this project, and they allow me to remain 100% in creative control of the material.

ST: Tell us about the comic you’re doing now.

DB: LRH is my first comic book, and I am kicking off this title with a three issue mini-series called "Chane of Fools." Right now I am pooling material for the trade paperback which will be out this summer. I am also working on the story for the next LRH mini-series, which I hope to have out by the end of the year.

ST: Who are your influences?

DB: Frank Miller, John Romita, Sr., Alex Ross, Drew Struzan, Travis Charet, Stuart Immonen.

ST: Favorite comics, movies, books?

DB: Dark Knight Returns is definitely the most influential book I’ve ever read. Kingdom Come, the Travis Charet & Scott Lobdell Wolverine/Nazi one shot is a must-see [X-Men/WildC.A.T.S: Golden Age]. Anything Star Wars, the Terminator movies (Sarah Conner!), Thelma & Louise.

ST: Best/worst part of the job/industry?

DB: It is beyond me how anyone can make a decent living at this.... unless you’re Todd McFarlane. You can’t jump into this industry expecting to make a lot of money. You have to do it because you love it. It is incredibly gratifying to see your book on the shelves in the comic shops. It is even better to see folks buying your book in the comic shops.

ST: Any advice for those wanting to get into the comics industry?

DB: If you really want to get your own book off the ground, I would suggest you have several issues finished before shopping it around. (I had the three-issue series completely finished before I showed it to anyone.) A distributor can’t do a lot with just one issue of a comic. I think publishers and distributors are more likely to pick up your book if you have a few issues finished. It shows you are serious and committed and you know how to carry story and characters through multiple issues.

ST: Where can interested readers get the comic if they can’t find it in stores?

DB: If anyone needs a comic, please email me at RumbleCity@aol.com.

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