Brent Sprecher Discusses His Ted Kennedy Comic Book From Bluewater
Allen Klingelhoets of Jazma Online interviews EM editor, Brent Sprecher, about his latest comic, Political Power: Ted Kennedy #1, from Bluewater Comics!
Interview with: Brent Sprecher
Job: writer
Comic book: Political Power: Ted Kennedy # 1
Publisher: Bluewater Productions
Interviewed by: Allen Klingelhoets
Allen: Tell me about yourself, Brent Sprecher.
Brent: Well, that's a long and only sometimes interesting story, so I'll focus on the bits that are the most pertinent to your readers. I am a long-time comic book fan who tried his hand at breaking into the business in the late 90's as an artist. I did a little work for Caliber Comics on "Knights of the Round Table," "Mythology's Mistresses", "Magus" and "Helsing," and did a few other odds and ends before leaving comics to work in other arenas. Comics were always on my mind, however, so I continued drawing and started writing comic book reviews for a couple different web-sites in 2007. Through my reviews and previews, I came into contact with Darren Davis from Bluewater Comics.
Allen: How did the idea for Political Power: Ted Kennedy # 1 generate?
Brent: Well, that's all Darren. He's very good at trending and is always looking for new opportunities for comic books and comic book markets. When he saw how successful the "Female Force" line of books had become, he came up with a whole roster of viable candidates for the "Political Power" line of books and Ted "Lion of the Senate" Kennedy was one of them.
Allen: How did you become involved with the project? Is this your first effort at writing a non-fiction story?
Brent: Darren and I had a pretty good rapport right off the bat. I did a few pin-ups for different Bluewater Comics titles and then I sent Darren a screenplay that I had written to show him that I knew how to write more than just comic book reviews. Apparently, Darren liked it because he asked me to write "Spaced Out," a four-issue all-ages space adventure story featuring Bops, an intelligent chimp, and Max, his alien sidekick. I completed that in 2008 and it's currently being illustrated by the very talented Ramon Salas.
This is not my first effort writing a non-fiction story, but it's definitely different than any other story I have ever written.
Allen: Did you find it hard to write non-fiction biography?
Brent: Yes, very. The thing is, you can't just rattle off a bunch of facts about a person's life; nobody wants to read that in a comic book. Then, there's the matter of research. Ted Kennedy is a very important person from a very important family and I had to be sure that the information was factual and respectful. I easily spent more time researching Ted Kennedy than I did writing the issue.
Allen: What kinds of things did you try to fit into "Political Power: Ted Kennedy" comic? How many pages will story contain?
Brent: In the comic, I touch on the things that shaped Ted Kennedy into the man we know today, the triumphs and the tragedies, if you will. As for the comic, I wrote a standard twenty-two page script, but the published comic may include additional material. Darren often likes to toss in a pin-up or a fact sheet, so that's really a question for him.
Allen: Tell me about the viewpoint you will be using to tell this story? Who will be telling the story?
Brent: Ha! That's a good question. I actually borrowed a page from the famous Grant Morrison and wrote myself into the comic. In the story, I'm a page at the United States Senate building giving a tour to a group of tourists. Or, am I...?
Allen: Was this comic hard for you to work on? Did you have any political conflicts with Ted Kennedy as real life person?
Brent: It was only hard for the technical reasons I mentioned above. As a writer, I don't think that it would be fair to the readers of the book, to Darren and Bluewater, or to Ted Kennedy, for me to write the book with any sort of political slant to it. I just tried to tell the story of the man--the good, the bad, the ugly--and let the reader make up his or her own mind about Ted Kennedy and his legacy.
Allen: Tell me what it has been like working with artist Alejandro Figueroa on the "Political Power: Ted Kennedy" comic book? Have you ever worked with him in past?
Brent: I have not worked with Alejandro in the past, but his work is excellent and I would be happy to work with him again! Unlike my process on Spaced Out, however, I haven't really had any contact with Alejandro beyond the script. With "Spaced Out," because of the scale of the project and the plethora of crazy stuff that I came up with for Ramon to draw, we've had to stay in touch just to make sure we're on the same page (no pun intended).
Allen: What are some of your personal hopes for this story?
Brent: Well, of course, I want the book to be successful. I worked extremely hard on it and feel that it's some of the best writing that I've ever done, so I hope people read it. I'm in it for the long haul. Comics are my passion and I've got a whole slew of stories in various stages of development. If "Ted Kennedy's" successful, that will make Darren happy and maybe he'll give me a crack at writing "10th Muse" or one of the other pearls in his collection. Or, better yet, write one of my own titles.
Beyond my own personal aspirations, I hope that the book encourages younger readers to take an interest in history and not just look at all politicians as "stuffed shirts."
Allen: What is the reader level for "Political Power: Ted Kennedy #1" comic book?
Brent: The book deals with some complex themes, but I think that it's written for a pretty wide spectrum of people.
Allen: Did you have any contact with the Kennedy family while writing this story?
Brent: No, I did not. I didn't want to go to them because they would probably only want me to tell the story that they wanted to hear.
Allen: Do you find it harder to write non-fiction stories compared to fiction stories?
Brent: They both have their challenges.
Allen: Who are some of your writer inspirations in the comic book field?
Brent: Oh, there are a lot of them: Frank Miller, Brian Michael Bendis, Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Ed Brubaker, Walt Simonson, Mark Millar, Mark Waid, Kurt Busiek, Chris Claremont, Stan Lee, Alan Moore...the list goes on and on. Comic book writers create some of the most exciting and imaginative fiction!
Allen: What comic books did you read in your youth/what kind do you read at present time?
Brent: Well, when I was a kid, I didn't have much money, so most of my comics were hand-me-downs from my uncles or books that my dad and I would pick up at swap meets or yard sales. My uncles gave me a lot of "Conan," "Sgt. Rock" and other war books, and my dad really started my collection by buying me a huge assortment of British comics, stuff like "Rogue Trooper," "Sam Slade: Robohunter," and "Nemesis."
Today, I'm all over the map, but I'm primarily a superhero guy, with a smattering of horror and sci-fi comics tossed in for good measure. I really enjoy Johns' Green Lantern and everything Bendis has been doing with the "Avengers." I try to pick up everything Grant Morrison and Mike Mignola write, as well.
Allen: Do you work in any other field than the comic book industry?
Brent: Yes, I provide online content for ReelzChannel.com and I'm an editor and contributor for ComicBookMovie.com and EarthsMightiest.com. I've also been a "secret shopper" for the casino industry for going on nine years now.
Allen: What does your family think about you working on such an important story like Ted Kennedy?
Brent: I haven't gotten into any big political arguments over the dinner table, if that's what you mean. Everyone's been really excited and supportive.
Allen: What would you have said to Ted Kennedy if you had the chance to meet him while he was alive?
Brent: "Thank you for your years of service."
Allen: When is the publication date for "Political Power: Ted Kennedy #1?"
Brent: You'll have to ask Darren the exact date, but I believe the book will be out in November.
Allen: If you had chance to write about any 6 real people (3 women and 3 men) whom would they be? These could be possible new Bluewater "Female Force" and "Political Power" stories.
Brent: Wow, that's a good question. Okay, but this will be a pretty varied list and I don't think that my choices would specifically fit into either the "Female Force" or "Political Power" lines of comic books: Albert Einstein, Nikola Tesla, Gautama Siddartha, Emelia Earhart, Saint Joan of Arc and Sakajawea.
Allen: What are some things like to do to relax?
Brent: Actually, drawing and writing are very relaxing to me, so they would be at the top of the list. I like to take bike rides along the boardwalk on my beach cruiser, go swimming, do yoga and play a little Xbox 360 now and then.
Allen: Do you watch many biography television shows? What kinds of shows do you like to watch on television?
Brent: I don't specifically watch biography programs, unless they're about someone I'm really interested in. I watch a lot of Discovery Channel, History Channel and National Geographic Channel programs. I watch a lot of history programs and I love The Universe and am re-watching all of those episodes right now. I also watch "speculative" programs like MonsterQuest and UFO Files. That stuff is great! For escape, I watch shows like True Blood, Entourage, Curb Your Enthusiasm, 30 Rock.
Allen: What other projects are you working on?
Brent: I'm working on a title for the Female Force line of books right now, as well as several creator-owned projects that I hope to shop around.
Allen: Will you be making any future comic book convention appearances? Do have any special plans to promote Ted Kennedy story?
Brent: Well, there's been a lot of interest in Ted Kennedy due to his recent passing, so I'll be appearing on Cover To Cover Live to talk about Political Power: Ted Kennedy, on Tuesday, September 1. The show airs on Sirius 117 and XM 163 and begins at 3:00pm ET. My segment will begin at approximately 3:25pm ET. The show will repeat on Sunday, September 6, at 2:30pm ET.
Allen: Do you have website? Do you do commissions? What is best way to contact you?
Brent: You can find me on DeviantArt.com by doing a search for "BrentJS" and, sure, I'll entertain commissions. I can be emailed at renegadepress@hotmail.com.
Allen: Do you have any news about “Spaced Out” comic book that you mentioned in our last Jazma interview?
Brent: It's still in progress. Ramon Salas is an extremely talented individual, but he's only one man and he's drawing, inking and coloring the entire 4-issue series. It's coming, I promise! Right, Ramon?
Allen: Thank you, Brent Sprecher, for another interview. Would you like to give some final thoughts about "Political Power: Ted Kennedy # 1" comic?
Brent: Thanks, Allen. The nation lost a true hero with the passing of Ted Kennedy. I was deeply saddened when I heard the news.