Comics News
James Robinson Talks Rogues Kingdom A New Kickstarter With Jeff Johnson
From Star City To The Rogues Kingdom
Rogues Kingdom is a new Kickstarter campaign from writer James Robinson and artist Jeff Johnson and Tripwire caught up with writer/ co-creator Robinson to find out more…
TW: What was the genesis of Rogues Kingdom?
JAMES ROBINSON: It was a pretty standard beginning, as I recall. We’d wanted to work together for a while and began talking about the kind of thing we’d both enjoy doing. We both love the works of Dumas and the 1970s Richard Lester Three and Four Musketeer films so that came up almost at once. Jeff also loves the design of that time which he really puts his heart into on the page. From there we fashioned the plot and characters with the idea that although our central protagonists Rondo Manway, Peachy Leach and Princess Terra “The Terror” are always to the fore, the book would be rich in varied supporting characters and we’d explore three very unique and distinct kingdoms as the series unfolds.
JR: Well, we just started. There wasn’t really any impediment. It did take us a good while for the wheels to finally roll though, with other work commitments, but it’s great to see it finally taking shape on Kickstarter.
JR:We work pretty closely, although Jeff gives me license with the story. However, one thing he does which is a fun challenge, is that he’s constantly doing character warmup sketches which add new elements but are always so visually compelling that I then can’t help but want to work into the story. The first arc has a little of this, but the 2nd arc to come will have lots of plot threads that Jeff’s wonderful designs were the catalyst for.
TW: You have been known to subvert the genres you have written before like Starman. How subversive is this series?
JR: I did that more to set Starman apart from other superhero books at that time. I think Rogues’ Kingdom is more mainstream. It has great plots that go all over the realm with likeable characters we see grow in terms of their morals, conscience and compassion (and magical abilities). There is a lot of amazing swashbuckling art by Jeff and fun reveals each issue. We wanted to do a comic for all ages, in the same way that Leave It To Chance was, where it could be read and enjoyed by younger readers while also appealing to adults. You’ll see that although there’s violence and death in the story, it’s handled like it was in Raiders of the Lost Ark, implying as much as showing. Maybe in today’s world of comics, that’s a bit subversive.
JR: Well the big two have become way more corporate. It used to be much more of a friendly circle of people at both DC and Marvel. Nowadays it definitely feels more like a business. Lot of strangers working there, all half my age. Also comics seem to be selling less with companies and titles struggling to get a foothold. There are still a lot of great writers out there, though, so there’s a lot of great books to discover. Coloring has definitely become more of an artform in comics. Colors are nuanced and handled in ways that can truly help the artist make their creations even better. Back in the days of hot press/dot coloring that was less so the case unless you had Barry Windsor Smith or Keven Nowlan doing it. I’m also someone who sends a ton of reference in my writing as well as sending a load to artists in my scripts. The internet has made that much easier. In a few seconds, I can find countless examples of something I need to reference, whereas back in the day it was trips to the library and weeks waiting for them to find a specific book for you. Unfortunately what hasn’t changed is my 20-year-old page rate. Ha.
JR: You’re basically asking for a script logline, which I got good at working the Stargirl TV show. They tend to be long, though. Pithy, not so much. Here goes…
Two rogues, using false identities to con their way into the kingdom of Lumpland for a quick theft-and-run, must instead find heroism and honor within themselves, teaming up with a sword-wielding princess, to save Lumpland and the kingdoms around it was a deadly looming threat that threatens total destruction of everything.
Here’s the original logline for the series too:
In a timeless fantasy world where three vast kingdoms vie for power, a pair of adventurous rogues, intent on plunder and riches, must instead use all their wits, cunning and swashbuckling swordsmanship to prevent a magical war which will annihilate everything.
You must be logged in to post a comment.