Restart flash gordon Mad Cave Studios continues to release new titles this month flash gordon quarterlyan anthology of short stories set in the main title universe and various parallel worlds. The Beat chats with budding comics writers Louis Southard About him and the artist Nuno pays’s flash gordon quarterly #1 Story, “The Battle of Xiao Mingge”.
This interview has been shortened and edited for clarity.
JARED BIRD: You’ve been promoting the first issue flash gordon quarterly From Crazy Cave Studios. How did the Mad Cave project come about?
Louis Southard: Well, I think you have to attribute it all to the mastermind, Chas Pangborn, He is the Senior Editor of Mad Cave Licensing Properties. ever since they got the rights flash gordon As well as their many works, they want to make sure they use it to the best of their ability and have top creators add great ideas to it. If you look at the Flash series as a whole, you’ll see it in its peak form. You’ve got this amazing flagship book Jeremy Adams and Will Conradchildren’s version from Franco Aureliano and Art Balthazarthey reprint classics, they carry And Didio continue Defender of the Earth. quarterly This is the next step. It’s a combination of expanding the new main universe and opening doors to new worlds. flash gordon The multiverse, and I’m lucky to be a part of it.
bird: flash gordonWe’ve had a big year this year, with new titles from Mad Cave, comics from Dan Schkade, and various in-universe titles. What was it like writing a legendary character like Flash Gordon?
south: I love comics history. I wrote a whole book about it called Comics are dying: ComicsI really like to know Alex Raymondversion of flash gordon also buck rogers Version. It’s very interesting to learn about the rivalry behind it and its impact on pop culture over time. This is a character that has been around for 90 years. The fact that I now get to be a part of this tapestry with a great team is exciting. There was never a multiverse story, so actually me and Nuno Prati, and another multiverse team Jordan Thomas and Russell Mark OlsonWe are making the first Earth-2 and Earth-3, so to speak. Adding new chapters to history and continuity is a little daunting, but I think it’s exciting. How do you make a better Flash in the multiverse? If you’re going to a whole new world, let’s do something completely different, and we make sure we do that every chance we get. I’m very proud because I was the first to write flash gordon I’m probably the youngest, only 24 years old.
Bird: I’m sure there won’t be any pressure. The youngest writer in history Flash Gordon.
south: I didn’t sweat at all!
Bird: I’m not very familiar with the character of Flash Gordon myself. I haven’t read anything, only watched movies from the 80s. Would you recommend this book to flash gordon beginner?
south: I think the relaunch of Mad Cave is very smart. 90 years is a long time and there are still people around who are famous for Alex Raymond comics, comic strips, 80s cartoons or Earth Defender Cartoon. There are many entry points to jump to. The idea behind this quote is that no matter how you imagine it, or even if you are new to it, everything will happen. What happened in your mind has already happened. This is what happened next. Jeremy Adams does something as our head writer that will please old fans while also providing a great starting point for new fans. along with quarterly In the title, other creatives get a chance to see Jeremy and Will’s new world and show off other aspects of the characters who inhabit it, while toying with how they looked before. along with flash fiction Stories, multiverse stories, I think that’s a bigger jump because you have to summarize the most essential aspects of the characters. If you’re wondering who these characters are, I sincerely think quarterly is a very good method. If you like what you read, you can check out the other books in the series to pick up some knowledge.
BIRD: How did you become a part of the Mad Cave project?
south: I had discussed developing a different project with Mad Cave and they offered me a range of different intellectual property rights to develop. I wasn’t familiar with the first two, but they offered me a third, secret, exciting thing that piqued my interest. when i found out it was flash gordon, I’m on board. I did my own research and from what I could tell, I was excited to come on board and write The Merciless Ming. I’m very happy with myself because there are so many layers to working with licensees and a lot of people to please, myself included. I also want to read something. The story is carried through by Venus, which is a great process. Everyone was a dream to work with and Mad Cave was absolutely amazing. To be honest, I don’t have much to say about them. It’s a great environment for creators to work in and a great place for aspiring creators. They are hard-working, smart, and kind-hearted, all of which are sorely lacking in today’s society.
BIRD: What influenced the Western setting of “The War of Little Mermaid”?
south: We had a meeting and I had to submit my list of ideas, which included a funny animal version of the heartless Mink. They saw a proposed version of the Wild West, and I’d written a lot of Westerns before. I always wanted to write science fiction, but they said I was best suited to write a Wild West version of Flash Gordon. You know what, I am! The desert seems to keep pulling me back. It was fun, I came up with different versions of the universe, like Sheriff Gordon, Deputy Dale, and Governor Ming T. Marcellus. It’s cool to play with Western tropes and, like I mentioned before, do something different. Demonstrate why it’s different, what it can do, and if you’re lucky enough to continue, do something different. It’s a pleasure working with me Nuno pays. We created mood boards to match characters and their inspirations, such as matching Ming T. Marcellus to John D. Rockerduck duck story. I read the DuckTales art book and they said “Only a real asshole would wear white to the desert” and we thought that would be perfect for Ming. I need to shout out the colorist. Joao Lemos And my ever faithful letter writer Buddy Beaudoin.
BIRD: What was it like working with artist Nuno Plati?
SOUTHARD: As a fan, I’m in awe. I got into comics in 2013 when he worked on several Spider-Man films. The fact that I’m working with the guy who got me into comics is a complete, magical moment, especially since it’s my first book for hire. marvelous. He is great, his designs are outstanding and his pages and layouts are incredible. He brought in Joao because they had been working together for a long time. Creatively, he knows what he’s doing and I know if I let him do what he wants, he’ll come back with some killer ideas and pages. The giraffe horse was his idea, which is why I know this guy is smart. I think if you want a Louis Southard Western, you need a weird horse. It was a very smooth collaborative process and there are no words to describe this full circle moment.
Byrd: As far as artistic trademarks go, the odd horse in a cowboy book isn’t a bad thing. Should we expect to see more of Louis Southard— flash gordon Come?
south: It all depends on the reader. If you like this wild west flash gordon The universe we’ve already teased, tell Mad Cave you want to see more. I have a whole story planned out. this quarterly The story is independent, but it’s also an unconscious setting that you can’t imagine. If you really like it, tell Mad Cave and show them you bought a copy. That’s my real motivation. In my research on Flash Gordon, there was one villain that I absolutely fell in love with. His name is Comet Master Pylon. He was a later addition, a man who flew an artificial comet across the sky. He has an assistant named Flamme, who dresses her up to suit the overall plan. He has an army of dinosaurian followers. He’s just an ordinary human, and so is Fram, but the dinosaurs swear allegiance to him and his mastery of the comet. I’ve been begging everyone under the sun to let me bring Pylon back. If you read this, please let Mad Cave know #WeWantPyron. I would bring him back and disappear into the night a happy man. This is my goal!
Bird: Everyone should want more. I know, I know, and I think Pyron is the villain we need in 2024.
south: He’s the villain we deserve! He warmed my empty heart. I wanted to bring him to the public.
Bird: We need a true villain to unite the people. Thank you very much for your time.
Here’s some concept art from the first story by Louis Southard and Nuno Prati quarterly question.
The first issue of “Fly Gordon Quarterly” was published by Mad Cave Studios on September 4, 2024. If you like it, or any story in particular, please tell them.
