Name:
Claude Valles
Nom De Plume:
Laurent Valles Jr
Creative Position:
Writer
Contact Info:
FAVORITE COMIC BOOK:
Growing up:
Growing up I didn’t read comics. I got into them when I was 20. At that time I will say it was Blackest Night, which came out when I started reading
and now:
Rebels by Tony Bedard
The 1 Superpower you want:
Control over the wind
Location:
Tampa, FL
Website(s):
Soon
Your Credits:
Soon
What have you been a part of creating that you can’t help but brag about to anyone who will listen?
Of the things I have done, the only one that I know I bring up is my webcomic coming out soon, War. I will say that I don’t brag about it. I acknowledge I worked hard on the comic and am happy to tell people about it if I’m asked, but I will never brag about my work.
What Indie Title are you currently a huge fan of and recommend?
The book known as Monstress by Marjorie Liu is the one I am currently recommending. I’ve always been a fan of the darker side of story telling, and that one definitely does a good job. The writer did a fantastic job of building up the lore of the world, which is perfectly complimented by the amazing art.
What is a Dream Project of yours??
I’d have to say my dream project is a story I came up with two years ago titled, “Atomic Girl.” The story starts very much the same way as Spider-Man. Teenager gets into an accident on a trip and comes back with powers. The reason this is a dream project is because unlike every other story I have (regardless of what stage of planning it’s in) this is the only one without an ending in mind. It would be an ongoing series, and that isn’t something I’ll do until I have a few well received books and some weight to my name. Which sucks, since I believe that story has some of my better developed characters.
Is sexuality focused on too much in comic books?
I’m going to say yes because I believe any amount of focus on sexuality is too much. To clarify, whether the character is straight, bi, homosexual, or whatever, there should be no need to focus on that. I would be far more interested in the character’s want’s, dislikes, and dreams than their sexuality. A character that would have their sexuality as a major focus would give me the impression that they didn’t’ have much else going on and would potentially be pretty boring.
What is the worst thing a Villain can do to a Hero?
Honestly, I believe the worst thing they could do is any action that would make the hero completely give up on their morals and reason for being a hero. The best example of this is what happened with Superman in the Injustice storyline. Joker gassed Superman with Kryptonite laced fear gas. What ensued was Superman killing Lois Lane and unknowingly setting off a warhead in the center of Metropolis. The events to follow turned what the world knew as the symbol of truth and justice, into a tyrannical madman who would force others to obey his will or die.
Which Character is so overrated given the power you would kill off and why them?
CYCLOPS. My answer is Cyclops with a bullet. He is my most hated character for a number of reasons, but I’ll keep the list short. He is incredibly over protective of Jean Grey as his girlfriend, even though she is far stronger than him. That on its own is fine, but loses credibility when he constantly enters relationships with other women when its known that Jean constantly comes back. Even going as far to cheat on her in a psychic relationship with Emma Frost. There is a comic that came out which was X-Men VS Dark Avengers. In this, Cyclops issued a warning to Norman Osborne not to mess with him (or the mutants, I don’t remember the initial conversation). As the title suggests, they two teams fought in a huge battle, bringing out basically everyone who was ever on the X-Men. Every one of the X-Men won their fight, with the exception of Cyclops who was severely beaten by Norman Osborne. As Osborne was about to deliver a finishing blow, he was surrounded by the rest of the X-Men. Cyclops wipes the blood off his mouth and says, “I told you not to mess with me.”
The fact that he would say that, implies he is completely full of himself. Not even noting that it was an X-Men victory, not a Cyclops victory. I cannot stand those type of people in comics (even though it makes sense depending on the circumstances), but I would kill him off if possible.
What is a mistake you made in your early years that our readers can learn from and not make themselves thanks to your advice?
The worst mistake I made was not saving my work on multiple forms. I started writing in 2009, and always worked on a desktop while saving my work to the desktop and a flash drive. At one point my sister borrowed my flash drive and lost it. Almost immediately after, the desktop crashed. I lost 4 months of writing and felt so demoralized that I stopped writing for over a year. What I would advise is that if you are reading comics and have any interest in writing, make sure to save frequently and email yourself any and all updates.
Well done you have a single paragraph to tell us why we should become fans and what you are working on now:
I feel people should become fans of my work if they want a story with people that they actually care about. To elaborate, we’ve all read books with characters, but not as many with people. Characters are created to serve a purpose and then exit stage right when their role is done. People are living breathing beings with hopes, dreams, fears, and a moral compass. I am working on a comic titled, “War” which will be releasing this August. If you want to know more about what I mean on the differences between characters and people, I’d advise you check it out and I hope you enjoy. 
