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The comic book industry is in a weird place right now. Not only because of the COVID-19 situation but also because we’re seeing more and more creators trying to come up with their own creations, their own properties, and whilst building up followings and careers thanks to that.
A very good example of this is comic book writer and creator Jesse Wolf, who is coming up with a recent project, Night Rain, which is going to start an Indiegogo campaign very soon. So I had the opportunity of chatting with Jesse during this interview and we discussed a lot of interesting topics.
Kevin: First of all, thank you for taking the time to do this interview, Jesse. It’s a pleasure. How are things going with you during this pandemic?
-First, let me thank you for inviting me to do this interview. As for the pandemic, it’s been tough but I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to continue my writing. Being able to express my creative side has helped me a lot through these trying times.
For those readers that might not be familiar with you or your work, what can you tell them about yourself?
– I’m just a regular guy trying to follow his dreams. As for my work, I publish a set of self-written comic books and graphic novels. I strive to make stories that everyone can relate to and I hope that these stories give people an escape from their everyday lives, even if only for a little while.
How has the pandemic affected your projects as a comic book creator?
-While I’ve been able to continue writing without too much trouble, publishing is another matter. Since funds have been harder to come by lately, I’ve had to do an Indiegogo campaign to help me publish print copies of my latest graphic novel.
I’m curious to know: How did you get into comics when you were younger?
-Actually, it was from watching Saturday morning cartoons as a kid. I used to watch shows like Spider-Man, X-Men, Batman, Superman (plus many more) and once the shows were over I would want more. Then one day a friend of mine asked if I’d ever read a Spider-Man comic, and the rest is history.
Who were your main influences as a writer?
-I can’t really say I have a main influence. I’ve read so many different stories that I learn a little bit from every book I read and use that to hone my own craft.
How did you get started as an indie creator?
– I’ve always had a wild imagination and it only grew stronger as I got older. One day I just decided to write one of the stories I came up with in my head down on paper. I let my best friend read it and he said that it would make a great comic book, after that I started looking into how to self-publish comics.
What do you think the biggest challenges of being an indie creator are?
-Getting your work out there for a lot of people to see. No matter how good your comic might be it doesn’t mean anything if people don’t know that it exists.
Right now you’re promoting your upcoming comic book, ‘Night Rain’. What can you tell us about this upcoming project?
-Night Rain is a story about a guy named James who is attacked one night on his way home from work, only to wake up the next morning to find that he has a strange creature bonded to his abdomen. This creature gives him cool powers and a sick-looking blade arm, but it also sticks him with a chatty hitchhiker in his body that talks to him through his mind (a lot). Not to mention the fact that James now has a bunch of crazy people trying to kill him because of his new friend.
You’re setting up a crowdfunding campaign for that book on Indiegogo. What are the best strategies to promote your book during a crowdfunding campaign?
-Well, that campaign is over actually. It was created to bring the five individual issues of Night Rain all together into one, over 150-page Graphic Novel. Thanks to the help of everyone who supported me during the campaign I was able to publish the print edition of the graphic novel and some cool collectible pins too!
Focusing on the creative side of things, what can you tell us about your writing process?
-I don’t think it’s really anything too special. When I’m ready to write I tend to find a quiet place, turn on some Kingdom Hearts instrumental music (love those games, plus the music is topnotch!), and start typing away on my computer. Sometimes I can go on for hours, and then there are times where I just write for one hour or less. It all depends on how I feel that day creatively.
What would you say are the main differences between this book and the ones you’ve done before?
-The theme is a bit darker and there’s a little more blood in this compared to my first comic series. I also think the action scenes are more dynamic.
And how do you think you have changed as a writer throughout the years?
-I think I’ve learned how to tell a story better. The flow of the scenes and their relation to the plot just comes a lot easier to me now, much more so than when I first started my writing journey.
What is the biggest lesson you have learned in the comic book industry?
-That you need to believe in your work and yourself. There will always be people who will hate on you just because they feel it’s fun to do so. You can’t let that define you as a person or an artist. Believe in your craft and others will believe in it too.
Thank you for this cool interview, Jesse. Any last words for our readers? And where can people follow you on social media and buy your work?
-I guess I’ll end things off with some words of wisdom; Remember to be kind to others, you never know what they are going through. And now for the shameless plug 😊
People can buy my comics over at https://jw-stores.com/
And you can follow me on Instagram: @jwstorytelling and on Twitter: twitter.com/jwstorytelling
Thanks for having me, it’s been a pleasure talking with you!
