Trevor Hogg chats with Kel Symons about movies, comic books and submerging himself with an swashbuckling tale…
“My mother was an RN, and my father was a lawyer,” states Kel Symons. “Though I think my dad semi-secretly wished he’d become a writer; I know he was a huge movie fan and helped inform my taste for the same. My brother played music for a while, and did some acting, but mostly in high school. I’m told one of my uncles on my mother’s side wrote and directed local theatre, but I don’t really know them.” The object of affection for Betty and Veronica as well as the space opera staring Luke Skywalker were part of the childhood reading repertoire. “I wasn’t really allowed to read superhero comics growing up. I could only read stuff like Archie & Jughead, Richie Rich, and Scrooge McDuck – that sort of thing. I can’t really remember much from those, except maybe that Richie Rich had stubby little legs and weird knees. Seriously, how did that guy even move around?”
“I read the Marvel Star Wars books; those I remember pretty fondly,” recalls Symons. “Too fondly, perhaps, having re-read them a few years ago in the Dark Horse collections, and seeing just how many times they just ripped off popular movies, like The Magnificent Seven [1960], and transmogrified them into the Star Wars universe. Seriously, Eli Wallach [The Good, The Bad and The Ugly] was clearly ripped off and just given blasters instead of six-shooters. Also, a six-foot tall green rabbit-alien named ‘Jaxxon.’ Still better than Jar-Jar, though. In the 80s I started reading Batman [probably around the time the movie was coming out] and the Batman book that definitely left an impression was Arkham Asylum. Really opened the door to what a comic could be – so far beyond just four-colour panels and traditional storytelling.”
The digital age has transformed the publishing industry. “Given that I’ve worked on three books now and so far not one of the artists or colourists I’ve worked with lived in the same city as I do – and in one case on a different continent – obviously being able to send material back and forth via email or FTP has been hugely beneficial,” remarks Kel Symons. “To think that not too long ago, this was all done via mail is a little unsettling, with one-of-a-kind art traversing the globe, at the mercy of the mails, and probably weeks lost just in transit times.” The potential of big screen adaptations has influenced comic book publishers when accepting proposals. “I’ve even had meetings with some who were basically looking for IP they can sell to Hollywood. Image Comics isn’t like that and that’s a good thing. Let comic books be comic books.”
Christopher Nolan and his Dark Knight Trilogy have elevated the comic book movie genre. “Not only do those films stand beside the best action films studios are putting out, they hold their own against critical darlings and serious dramas,” observes Kel Symons. “[Ok, the third one was a bit strained, but I give them kudos for being that ambitious]. Marvel’s long term plan for their universe is impressive. Movie studios don’t normally see things so far-reaching so that level of engineering and design spanning multiple properties stands out as quite an achievement. But I think audiences are already getting a bit of a hangover from superhero movies, and it’s only going to get worse. The wall-to-wall action, constant upping of the stakes to include world-shattering events, and some of these third acts tend to come off as only so much noise, and the characters get lost in all that action.” Flaws make heroes more identifiable. “I think that’s why books like The Walking Dead, Fables, Fatale or Y: The Last Man do so well. It’s not like fans aren’t still reading Batman or Spider-Man comics; it’s just that they’re given alternatives – really good ones. Hollywood will eventually figure out they have to do the same.”
“Batman Begins [2005] is the very best of the contemporary comic book movies,” remarks Symons. “I liked Iron Man [2008] quite a bit and I’m a Joss Whedon geek so I liked The Avengers [2012]. Though the ending was some of that noise I mentioned above. At least in the middle of all that we had that great Hulk/Thor moment. Like Joss said, ‘Yeah, I know, there’s a lot of crazy shit going on here. But check it out: I can still make you laugh in the midst of all that.’ Though I would say one of my all-time favourites is Flash Gordon from 1980. Love that one. Yeah, it’s cheesy. But man, is it good cheese.” Symons compares himself to a British cinematic icon. “It’s very possible I don’t ever learn anything! Unlike a fictional character who has an arc and evolves over the course of a story, I’m pretty much the same at the end as I was in the beginning. I don’t evolve. Sorta like James Bond; he never really changes. You know what? I’m EXACTLY like James Bond. Print that!”
“Raiders [1981] was imagination fuel for 12 year old Kel Symons,” reveals the creator of a new Image Comics title where a motley submarine crew-for-hire embark on a series of swashbuckling exploits. “So many adventures with action figures and Legos were born from that, and basically I’m telling those same stories all over again, only now in comic book form. But both Firefly [Fox, 2002] and Raiders were these fully formed universes, where you can see adventures springing forth time and time again. That’s the basis of what I’m doing here – a world of possibility. In terms of them inspiring The Mercenary Sea, while they weren’t our only inspirations, they were clearly the most identifiable. Basically, this series is for anyone who ever felt their childhood was spoiled after Kingdom of the Crystal Skull [2008], or who felt a lonely, unfillable hole in the ‘verse left by the absence their space-friends after Firefly was cancelled.”
“I liked that world of 1938,” explains Symons. “The globe hasn’t been entirely mapped, with adventure and mystery just over the horizon – only you don’t know what you’ll find when you get there. I like that these characters are standing on the brink of this world-changing event – the world was irrevocably changed by WWII. We were never the same. I like taking us right up to that point with characters who live in that moment. From a practical standpoint, though, I wanted the backstory of Jack and the crew of Venture to be similar to the Flying Tigers, mercenaries who fought for China against Japan. What can I say other than I thought that was cool. As for research, I do just enough. I want to avoid factual errors, but I’m also not writing a history book. I’m not married to the facts. Or if I am, the facts and I have an understanding. It’s just a story – a solid adventure. Not an essay on the Second Sino-Japanese War, or the inner workings of a WWI-era submarine, or an analysis of Pacific island cultures. But I’ll tell you that I watched A LOT of period sub movies.”
Multiple storylines need to be plotted. “I have it mostly in my head, though I’ve started to lay out events for the next big story arc, which will begin hopefully next February,” explains Kel Symons. “Occasionally Mathew [Reynolds] will do something with the art that I have to walk him back from, because I don’t want it interfering with some of the long-term goals I have for the series and characters. Right now, the way Mathew and I have it planned, we’re going to put out between 8 to 10 issues per year for the next few years. A single story arc will make up the bulk of each year, and there might be a few one-off adventures. But as Indy says, ‘I’m making this up as I go.’ All right, that’s not entirely true – I know how it all ends.” The Mercenary Sea does not rely on a single protagonist. “Ten crew members [including the dog] plus half a dozen other characters are introduced in less than 30 pages in the first issue. It was a lot to juggle. This is where using archetypes comes in very handy. I was able to get their personalities across to the reader pretty quickly – the criminal with a code of honour, the gruff sea captain, and the sarcastic comic relief. But once established, these archetypes will begin to emerge as distinct personalities, not just stock characters; they just need a little room to run.”
Incorporating exposition and keeping the story moving forward is always a challenge. “You gotta do what you can to not get bogged down in updates on where we are in the story and the world,” notes Kel Symons. “This is especially true of an issue 1, where you have to ease the reader into what is presumably a fully realized world they’re just becoming aware of. It’s always something that’s being fine-tuned, and sometimes it works so elegantly you don’t even notice you’re reading backstory and exposition. But sometimes it comes off clunky and ham-fisted. Sadly, I can’t always say I did it the first way.” In regards composing successful character narration, Symons remarks, “As with most things, it’s to be used sparingly. Brevity is the soul of wit. Pretty sure somebody really good said that.”
“Mathew’s contributions can’t really be measured,” answers Kel Symons when asked about artwork drawn and coloured by Mathew Reynolds. “As much as anything, he is The Mercenary Sea – his unique art style defines it. I honestly can’t even imagine it looking any other way. Thank God I don’t have to. My comic book scripts are very detailed, but also very conversational documents. Sometimes I have a very clearly defined way of thinking a scene should look, which might run counter to what Mathew has in mind. It’s lead to a few disagreements, but like any good marriage, there’s compromise. I try not to get too nit-picky about getting things EXACTLY the way they are in my script, and Mathew respects my vision and trusts my judgement.”
“Mathew stood out initially because I’d seen some Indiana Jones art he’d done that was all in silhouette; it really was stunning,” states Kel Symons. “The way he adds depth of field by keeping foreground and background images stacked, out of focus here and there – they’re like two-dimensional dioramas. One of my favourite examples of this is the cover for issue 2 with that Japanese Zero out of focus in the foreground. It’s simply amazing stuff. There are times when I insist he does a panel without that silhouette look, but he’s got great instincts and knows when to use them, and when not to. It adds a more cinematic flavour to what we’re doing, and I have encouraged him often to keep going with that, keep pushing the envelope. I had him add an artificial lens flare to a panel in #3 that really adds to the overall look. It looks very cool. Seriously, I can’t say enough great things about what Mathew’s doing with this art.”
“Pat [Brosseau] brings something like 30 years of lettering experience to the table,” remarks Symons. “Worked on a lot of DC titles – and the man lettered Hellboy. Freakin’ Hellboy! He worked with me on I Love Trouble, my first Image title. When I came to him with The Mercenary Sea, he immediately grasped what we were going for, and wanted the lettering to be a bit more distinct – give it a European look. Starting with the third issue he’s gotten more involved with the book’s design and look, and helped us create our first letters column. Sebastian [Girner] came recommended to me by James Asmus, who’d worked with him before. James and I were talking about how strange it was from me, coming from Hollywood where pretty much everyone has an opinion about what you’re writing, to be working with Image which basically lets you do whatever you want with little or no creative control. It felt like I was working without a net not having someone give me notes on the pages I was churning out. It was freeing, and a little frightening so I really needed another opinion – someone who wasn’t afraid to tell me when I was headed down the wrong path on something. Sebastian is my safety net.”
“Layout is pretty much all Mathew,” explains Kel Symons. “As I said, I write pretty detailed scripts, choreographing everything. But as long as it doesn’t interfere with the bigger picture, Mathew’s free to do as he pleases. One of my favourite moments like this comes in issue 3 page 9. I had a very definite idea of what I wanted from a panel, and instead he combined the action from a couple panels into one half splash and something great came of it. Honestly, it’s one of my favourite pages in the series so far. One contribution of mine to the overall look is adding those nautical charts as the background to our interior front covers. I love maps – probably goes back to reading The Hobbit, or playing D&D. I went around buying up vintage charts of the Pacific specifically for this. The issue titles are actually all pop song titles from the 1930s. I played around a little with the sixth issue title because it suited the story, but it was still based on a popular song. I have no idea if I’ll be able to keep it consistent, going 30-plus issues, but I’m going to try.”
Essential in marketing a comic book is having an effective cover. “First and foremost probably our logo – we worked long and hard on that,” notes Kel Symons. “First on coming up with a really great title for the series, and then branding it with a distinctive logo. The covers are all Mathew, too. I might have a say here or there, but essentially I told him I didn’t think they had to directly tie to the interior pages. Mathew has a free hand to come up with these great little action tableaus with our characters and setting; he does not disappoint, either.” Impactful stories can not be broken down into a standard formula. “It’s an alchemy that defies analysis and clear definition. I don’t think you can say: “I’ll mix one part action, with one part drama, sprinkle in some dry wit and jokes, and just a sprig of romance.” But yes, you’re right, the best stories have elements of all of those. I find that with the first draft of anything I write, it tends to come out with too much humour in it. Turns out I think I’m hilarious. Only I might be the only one. I often pare that back in later drafts. Focus on less jokey, more serious character beats. The drama, if you will.”
“Action comes fairly easily for me, too, but oftentimes that’s added later after the dramatic backbone is in place,” states Kel Symons. “I’ve done it the other way round. Sometimes its action, action, action, and I have to step back, sift through the spent casings, blown up cars and broken bones to bring real dramatic character moments to the surface.” The Mercenary Sea is not about making social commentary. “I wish I could say I’m so completely aware of what I’m writing that I consciously include themes. I do with some of the things I write, but that’s not the situation here. I could tell you it’s about extended family, camaraderie through hardship, but the truth is I don’t set out with such lofty goals when I start a new script. The Mercenary Sea was only ever supposed to be a good time – an entertaining yarn. Therefore enjoyment is the only theme I’m looking to explore.” Symons adds, “I never pretended to be re-inventing the wheel, and The Mercenary Sea wasn’t intended to have some post-modern spin on the pulp adventure. Guess what? It is what it appears to be: a rollicking, swashbuckling tale of high adventure. But that’s not to say we won’t explore some deeper [and at times, darker] character moments. I have some stuff planned that, if we can pull it off, will definitely work towards that end.”
The Mercenary Sea images courtesy of Image Comics and Kel Symons.
Many thanks to Kel Symons for taking the time for this interview.
To learn more visit the official website for Image Comics, Facebook for The Mercenary Sea and Twitter for Kel Symons.
The Mercenary Sea #3 arrives on April 16, 2014.
Trevor Hogg is a freelance video editor and writer who currently resides in Canada.
