Rik Jackson - interview part 2

Hello again Rik, now where we? 

Ok, so you have a Kickstarter running at the moment - tell us about it
The campaign is for Rock In Purgatory (and can be found here), my heavy metal horror comic. The book is a collection of short strips which feature the outrageous death of hapless rock stars. Rock In Purgatory has been published in Popcorn Horror magazine, and the book collects all the published strips plus loads of unpublished ones from the series. The book is full colour, comes in as 48 pages and is presented as a cross between a comic and a parody of a music magazine. So, as well as the strips, you’ll find a poster pull out section, articles about bands who have influenced the stories and a backstage section where I show off concept art and creation processes.

Have you run a Kickstarter campaign before?

Yeah, I ran one for my first ever comic, Brutal Bombshells. That was a six story horror anthology in an EC Comics style, focusing on femme fatales. The campaign went well but didn’t fund until the final day, which was fortuitous! I learned a lot about the foibles of Kickstarter as the campaign went along and was lucky enough not to end up worse off by the time it was over. I have to say, though, I didn’t get the sense of stress that most people talk about. It would have been a frustrating waste of effort if it didn’t fund, but I didn’t get hung up on what would happen if it didn’t fund.

What's your favourite reward that you offer for backers?
Since the comic is all about heavy metal, I decided to go for metal themed rewards. My favourite is probably the gig tickets and backstage passes. These are souvenir items, but I loved the idea of having something live music related for the fans. And since I’m a guitarist, I personally can’t wait to get hold of the branded plectrums when they are made up.

Recommend someone else's Kickstarter campaign that we should back (and why)?
If it was still running, I’d have suggested the Sliced Quarterly campaign, but that just funded. The new Merrick book by Tom Ward looks good, if you love Mignola-style art and the idea of the Elephant Man as a protagonist! I’ve also heard that Flintlock by Steve Tanner is going to be good, but I’ve yet to properly check it out.

Where else will people be able to see you work in print / online
All my comics work is on my website www.rikjackson.co.uk. You can read all the published Rock In Purgatory strips, some samples of Brutal Bombshells, and other projects I have worked on. There’s a gallery showing off some of my other illustration work. There are also links to buy copies of my comics and prints from the site too. I post loads of stuff on Twitter @gojacksongo – I’m always putting up work in progress as I am creating comics and have started doing live streams when I’m drawing pages.

What's next for Rock In Purgatory? Is it a one-off? A continuing story? Ideally, when would you like to release another issue (of RiP or another title)?
I could keep going with Rock In Purgatory for ages, and probably will. I decided to cap it as a first series for now and get a collection out there, but I have loads more ideas for it. I’ve been getting approached by lots of people who want to pitch stories to me for it, or collaborate on a Rock In Purgatory strip. It’s awesome to have people so into this comic that they want to get involved! Actually, my son – who has read some of the less adult and more slapstick RIP strips - came up with a brilliant idea which I have promised him will be included in the next series.

In the meantime, I am working on a new title. My next project is called Heads! and is a sci-fi private detective story. If you like The X-Files, They Live and Dick Tracy you are going to be in for a treat when Heads! comes out. I plan to release it in May as a webcomic with weekly updates. However, I love having things in print, so will likely look to get a run done before the year is out.

How long does a page of art take to produce? Explain a little bit about your approach
The Rock In Purgatory process is fairly time consuming but oddly efficient. As every page is built on a strict nine panel grid, I have created each panel on a sheet of A4 bristol board, before editing them all together. If I lay an entire page out physically, it’s huge! It’s quite satisfying seeing it all jigsawed together on the living room floor at such a scale. The idea behind A4 pages for each panel was that I could carry them around really easily and work on them whenever and wherever I was. So, despite each panel taking quite a while to draw because of the size, it also meant I could get through a few panels a day no matter what I was up to. Colouring took forever – apart from a few plain backgrounds, every panel of every page was coloured by hand.

What other small press titles have you read recently?
I’ve just read The Devil In Disguise by Matt Garvey. Great first issue – so many twists and a great cliff-hanger in such a short space of time! Matt’s stuff is generally great. I’m a big fan of his Chunks books, but this new title really impressed me. I liked El Marvo from Ben Errington and Dan Butcher. Dystopian future with a cryogenically frozen luchador as the hero – obviously going to be good! I’ve also got into the Shaman Kane and Gallo books by David Broughton. His stuff is well written and drawn with such enthusiasm that even if it’s not your cup of tea you can’t help but enjoy it.

Are you expecting to be at any conventions this year? How can people meet you and see RiP for themselves?
My event appearances hinge on the success of the Rock In Purgatory Kickstarter really, as it will be a stretch for me to afford a print run and table fees. I have my eye on Brighton ICE and Nottingham Comic Con right now, and if South London Comic and Zine Fair returns this year I’ll be bothering them for a table. I want to try out some horror conventions too. Popcorn Horror host a horror event in Glasgow each November, so I am hoping to be a part of that this year.

Thanks for your time Rik