This week marks the release of author and all-around good guy Alex Segura new novel, Change yourself. The book is a stand-alone sequel to Segura’s critically acclaimed book secret identity Murder Mystery, like its predecessor, is set in the comics industry.
alter ego It’s also filled with insider nods to comic book characters and history. Essentially, what Segura created between his two books was an alternate comic book universe that included historical publishers, beloved but underappreciated classic creators, and a pair of fantastic female leads . It felt a bit meta-fictional, so we thought, why not just delve into it? Instead of interviewing Alex, let’s see if we can talk to the protagonist alter egoone Anne Bustamante, She is a renowned filmmaker, author, and comic book artist in her own right.
Fortunately, Anne was available. If you live in the world of the book, you might read the interview below, which features some long-lost characters, e.g. deadly bobcat (Ahem). Once you’re done, be sure to get your copy alter ego besides!
Interview with Anne Bustamante in “Alternate Ego”
ZACK QUAINTANCE: How does “The Lethal Lynx” remind you of it? writing? Art style? How do these elements manifest themselves in your own work?
Anne Bustamante: You know, it’s interesting – because I’ve never had to articulate this before. No one knew the character. When these comics came out in the 1970s, Triumph Comics folded and Bobcat basically disappeared. It feels like a cozy little secret that’s just mine, one that I share with a select few. But when I look through those old comics now, it’s not just comfort food anymore—it’s for work, which is a blessing or a curse, right? But these pages haven’t lost their wonder yet – I think it’s because of the characterization of this woman, which felt so modern at the time and so refreshing now, the ability of this woman to create this identity for herself, not just to avenge the dead Sister, in order to prevent similar things from happening again. Of course, Detmer’s art plays a big part. It looks beautiful. I think I read somewhere before Lynx came along, some fanzine, that his art was described as “a perfect blend of Thoth, Kain, and Buscema”, okay, that’s an absolutely crazy statement – but Not far from this. Detmer had just come into his own, and you can see it in his final work, “Lynx.” But the tragedy of it all, besides the fact that he took his own life, is that he was so challenging – such a perfectionist and bridge-walker – that his work didn’t really appeal to a wider audience. So, I guess that’s a long-winded way of saying “both”? This is the package. Harvey Stern had been a middling writer before this, but he seemed to have risen to a higher echelon, perhaps elevated by Detmer’s art – creating a timeless superhero. At least that’s what I thought as a kid when I first discovered Legendary Lynx #1. In terms of my own work (comics and movies), I think reliving these stories over and over again as a child and as an adult really instilled in me a belief in the characters, and the idea that all plots stem from the characters. If there were no interesting people in the world, nothing would matter. If the reader doesn’t care about the characters, the best plot twist in the world won’t save you. This is the rule I live by, whether I’m drawing someone else’s script, writing my own, or directing a movie. People need to be invested in your role – committed.
Zack: In your own creation of the Bobcat character, you were building on existing foundations. Is this for continuity or is there something timeless about this character? That is, what does this character have to say to the world today?
Anne: That’s a great question, Zach. I never thought this would happen – so much so that when I was in between film projects – my last film was put on hold for tax purposes, come to think of it – I just started drawing My own Bobcat comic. For fun. I never thought it would exist, be published, or be seen by anyone other than myself and my daughter. But then Triumph Entertainment reached out and the next thing I knew, this little side project turned into a real show, so I got to theorize for these raw storytelling moves. My approach to the character was to respect what had come before – at least the good stuff, if we’re being frank, rather than weird, post-Detmer issues – and to be tacked on. Lynx is very much a product of its time, so should I try to start from scratch, or approach it in a different meta way? This brings me back to the end of Legendary Lynx #4, where Claudia wakes up and has no idea who she is or that she was once a Lynx – she goes into the bathroom and sees the Lynx in the mirror. It felt like a compelling and fascinating springboard. Now, I get it – there were a few other issues after that, and while I probably love those stories more than any human being alive on earth, issue four feels like the perfect outlet for my own story, which is A film that explores the idea of a character and rebooting and rebooting in a meta way that hopefully gives a new feel. I don’t want to give too much away because we’re still in the early stages, but what would happen if Claudia Cara didn’t have the memory of being a Bobcat? She goes through these weird moments and episodes—dreaming about jumping off rooftops and fighting villains, flashes of agility and fighting skills—slowly chipping away at some of her mental blocks. What happens when she realizes someone has placed a towel on the birdcage? If you’re one of the twelve people reading these early issues, you probably know who I’m thinking of, but I think for new readers this will feel like an interesting twist on what I call reboot culture. I think this is more convincing than trying to make Lynx “extreme” or too avant-garde. I wanted her to be recognisable, to show her true self, and I wanted to convey that to today’s readers.
ZACK: How does your art style interact with Detmer’s? There is definitely a hint of him in your work, so is that influence at work or is there something else?
Anne: You’re not the first to say that, I can only take it as a compliment. I think Detmer is one of those deep-rooted influences – and others, like Mazzucchelli, Lee Weeks, Dalwin Cook, or more modern ones like Margaret Sauvage Artists—are people that I see and I say, Hey, I want to do this. Not one on one, but on the court. They inspire and motivate on a conscious level. But Detmer’s work has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, and I’ve been poring over his pages before I even thought about painting. With something like this, when I actually went into Detmer’s house and spent time there, I had to be very careful to walk a tight line – you don’t want to veer into imitation because your imitation is so good, you know ? I wanted to contribute, but I also wanted to honor Detmer because this is going to be a big release and it’s going to be noticed. It’s a bit unanswered, but it feels real. I want people who know my work to check out Return of the Legendary Lynx! And say, Hey, that’s Annie! So glad she’s back. But I also hope that people who come to this project because they miss Detmer and love his work don’t feel like I’ve forgotten my roots—or the characters’ roots.
Zack: If you had to spin off something from Bobcats , what would it be? A character from the original? Have you played anything new?
Anne: I would love to do more with Apparition and Lynx is sometimes a partner and mentor. She’s such a fascinating character, and Stern (again, surprising, reading his past work) and Detmer gave her a subtext and nuance that still feels contemporary today. I wonder what happens to her after Legendary Lynx #4, and I’m interested in thinking about how she fits into the story I’m working on, and maybe even beyond it. But before I say more, I need to think this over!
Alex Segura’s Alter Ego novel is out now!
