Dead Flesh ... It's Not Just for Breakfast Anymore

Buddy Scalera

by Jennifer M. Contino

Buddy Scalera is one of the hardest working people at Wizard. He spends anywhere from 10-14 hours a day online making their internet site one of the best comics-related sites out there. Besides working for Wizard as their official online editor, Buddy also finds time to pen his new comic series Necrotic: Dead Flesh on a Living Body.

This series has it all: mummies, curses, death and deception! The concept is new age and very cool. It’s hard to find another series like this on the market today and I think it is going to be a huge success. I thought that interviewing Buddy would be cool—sort of placing the shoe on the other foot! Since Buddy usually spends his time interviewing or finding folks to do interviews, I thought it would be interesting if he had to be in the "hot seat."

[Editorial Commentary: Despite the fact that several members of Sequential Tart have less than kind opinions about Wizard magazine and its staff, we do not have or support the kind of dogma that would prevent a sister Tart with a different view from interviewing a Wizard staff member. Moreover, interviewer Jennifer Contino concentrates on Buddy Scalera's upcoming project: Necrotic, pencilled by Pat Quinn. In the interests of fairness, supporting independent comics, and seeing Pat Quinn get paid for his work, we have decided to run this interview.]

Sequential Tart: So, besides being a full time online editor and in charge of the Wizard online site, you are also working on a new comic series called Necrotic: Dead Flesh on a Living Body, for American Mule Entertainment. What can you tell us about this series?

Buddy Scalera: It's basically a new look at the classic "mummy's curse." It's about this Indiana Jones type of archaeologist who dies a very old man in the 1930s. He reawakens in 1999 as a mummy. When he removes the bandages, he's thrilled that his body has rejuvenated itself and he appears to be about 25 years old. The only problem is that every 48 hours he must reapply the bandages because his flesh starts to rot off. It's sort of his "curse."

ST: How did you come up with this idea?

BS: Mike Marts was working at Wizard as Promotions Manager and we commuted to work together. We decided to pitch an idea to Marvel because we heard they were doing horror comics again. (That later became the Supernaturals line by Chaos! Comics.) Later Mike's friend Adam Wallenta said he was starting a line of comics and would we like to have it published at American Mule. Interestingly enough, Adam was a kick ass artist and did the original character sketches for Necrotic.

ST: How did you and Mike Marts divide the writing chores?

BS: Simple. Mike and I came up with the essential story line. Mike plotted what would happen in each issue the first arc. I wrote the back-story for the main character.

Then I would script pages 1-11 and Mike would script 12-22. We broke the work up pretty evenly. Of course, the really, really brilliant writing happens in the first 11 pages of each issue. [Grin.]

ST: I've heard this is very scary material! What was your inspiration for the dying flesh?

BS: My wife, who is a nurse. One night she came home and told me about a diabetic who was "necrotic," which meant she had dead flesh on her legs. Imagine having to sit in bed knowing that the flesh on your leg was rotting and dead. Creeped me out.

It also creeps me out when my wife tells me that someone vomits on her. Of course, we didn't have much of a story with a mummy who throws up on people.

ST: Just three issues? Or are there more stories you are saving for another day?

BS: The first story line is three issues. If it sells enough, we will make it an ongoing series. We already have a great follow up in mind. Of course, in mummy stories lots of people die…so I can't actually tell you who the next issue would feature.

ST: Pat Quinn is a very talented artist, is this his big break or has he done prior comics work?

BS: Pat's done some small indy comic work. In fact, he was featured in The Comics Journal for his battle with his former publisher, Avatar Press, over a non-payment problem.

Anyway, Pat was introduced to me by Ian Feller who used to be the editor of Combo magazine (where I was a freelance writer), and later worked at Wizard. (Ian's now at CrossGen Comics.) Pat and I corresponded for a while, but I didn't really have anything I could use him on, until Necrotic came along. You can see Pat's style and confidence grow from Necrotic #1-3. It's really neat.

Pat's pencils are so tight that there is no "inker" in the traditional sense. Adam digitally inks the raw pencils and then adds colors. Ain't technology a hoot?

ST: Does the Wizard hierarchy mind that you are also doing your own comics? Is this a conflict of interests? I mean, the magazine you work for can make or break a comic book company and series. Isn't it tempting to just have someone at Wizard write a killer kick ass review of your comic and plaster it on the first page?

BS: Well, I can't speak for all the editors, but I did discuss it with my bosses before I worked on the series. We recognized that we all love comics, which is why we're in this biz. For me, it was the next logical step as a writer to write a comic.

I've written some other stuff before this including some Elvira. But this is my biggest project to date.

Wizard's got good editors. They won't write about Necrotic just because I am writing it. Of course, if they do like it, I hope they yell it from the highest mountaintop!

ST: What's next? Do you have any more series you are working on?

BS: I am in the process of pitching a very interesting science fiction story that I think has a good shot of being picked up by a publisher. It's pretty far along and looks really snappy.

Plus, like most writers, I can't stop thinking of new ideas.

ST: Any advice for budding writers, editors, or other comics wannabe's?

Promote yourself. Find out what magazines like Wizard need to cover your comics. Market yourself to Wizard World Online; we're very indy friendly. Let the world know what you have to offer.

And, of course, read, write, read, write.

ST: If you could write any character from any of the comics companies, who would you choose?

BS: The ultimate character to write would be Spider-Man. But tops on my list would include Conan, the Fantastic Four, Machine Man, Daredevil, Grendel, Batman, Hellblazer, Concrete…jeeze, the list can go on forever. I wanna write everything.

Interestingly enough, the first comic book story I ever wrote was a Superman Elseworlds story. I hope one day to be able to get that story published.

ST: Burger King or McDonalds?

BS: Taco Bell.

ST: Final Thoughts?

BS: I'd like to think that Necrotic will appeal to people who like traditional bronze-age Marvel comics. Mike and I wrote it so that it appealed to people who like a good twist in a story.

Thanks for talking to me and check out Necrotic!

AmericanMule.Com

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