WS and a Tale of Two interviews: The Molinari’s Creators of The Shepherd!! :: A Throw BacK Thread

As most of you are aware The 7 are MIA so WS is taking over this interview:

Names:

Andrea Lorenzo Molinari and Roberto Xavier Molinari

Creative Title:

Co-creators/co-writers

Contact Info:

: andrealmolinari@aol.com and robertomolinari11@yahoo.com

FAVORITE COMIC BOOK:

All-time favorite

Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns (Andrea AND Roberto)

Growing up:

DC Brave and Bold (Andrea) ; DC Young Justice (Roberto)

and now:

Dark Horse’s Baltimore by Mike Mignola & Christopher Golden (Andrea) ; Hellboy(Roberto)

The 1 Superpower you want:

Mind control – no hesitation (Andrea)/ super-speed (Roberto)

Location:

West Palm Beach, FL (Andrea)/ Port Charlotte, FL (Roberto)

Website:

http://www.calibercomics.com/the-shepherd.html

Credits:

Andrea Lorenzo Molinari’s writings vary considerably in genre and include five books, two scholarly monographs; an illustrated novel with Tyler J. Walpole: Climbing the Dragon’s Ladder: The Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicitas (2006); a role-playing game: Romans and Christians A.D. 64 (2009); and The Shepherd: Apokatastasis (Caliber Comics, 2015). (See his Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Andrea-Lorenzo-Molinari/e/B013Q8GT34/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0) In addition, he has published numerous scholarly articles as well as a variety of popular pieces. Other media projects include three audio courses all through Now You Know Media and a television documentary with BBC/ Discovery.

Roberto Xavier Molinari is the co-author of The Shepherd: Apokatastasis (Caliber Comics, 2015).

What have you been a part of creating that you can’t help but brag about?

The Shepherd, published by Caliber Comics (Canton, MI).

What Indie Title are you currently a huge fan of?

Walter Ostlie’s Shiver Bureau at http://shiverbureau.com/ (Andrea AND Roberto)

What is a Dream Project of yours??

To do a series of movies or a Netflix series based on our characters in The Shepherd. (Andrea AND Roberto)

Is sexuality focused on too much in comic books?

I have no problem with sexual themes or situations in comic books/graphic novels. However, I DO have a problem with the way that women’s bodies are often exploited in comics whether it be by the use of ludicrous and utterly impractical costumes or by the hyper-sexualized depictions of the female form. (Andrea)

It can be. Sexuality is a part of the human set of emotions so there are times when it can be a driving force in a story, but it can also definitely be used as a crutch to shroud poor storytelling. It’s up to the reader to decide where to draw the line. (Roberto)

What is the worst thing a Villain can do to a Hero?

Destroy the core values that give him the will to fight. (Andrea) Kill their spouse or if they have a child, their child. (Roberto)

Which Character is so overrated given the power you would kill off and why them?

I think I would have to say, The Walking Dead’s, Negan is the overrated character I would off. First, he murdered Glenn (The Walking Dead #100). For me, Glenn always symbolized hope and the best humanity can be. After his death, I feel that the title has never been the same. On the other hand, Negan is an arrogant, hyper -violent, misogynistic monster. He has become a kind of pop culture icon. (What this says about our culture, I will leave to your speculation.) Eventually, after a brutal war against Negan and his forces (costing yet more good people), Negan is captured (TWD 126). The most appalling part is that Rick Grimes spares him. Putting him in “jail.” Please. This is poor story-telling from a book that prides itself in its willingness to kill any character if it serves the story. (Andrea)

Probably Damien Wayne. (Roberto)

What is a mistake you made in your early years that our readers can learn from?

As a younger man I thought that letting others edit your work was a sign of weakness, I now know better. (Roberto)

Well done. You have a single paragraph to tell us why we should become fans and what you are working on now:

A long time ago, I was taught that there are three types of conflict: human versus human; human versus nature; and human versus himself. I have always found the latter the most appealing because I feel that the most important battles are always waged in the deepest part of the human, the soul. We tell stories about souls and what happens to them after death. We deal with the regrets, the sorrows, and the loves that mark us all so deeply. The Shepherd series is all about staring into the darkest part of humanity and finding, in the end, that it isn’t so dark, that we are not alone and that there is hope. Our stories explore what breaks us, what it takes to heal and what we become after the pain subsides.

After publishing The Shepherd: Apokatastasis in 2015, we are working through the page-by-page artwork for its sequel, The Shepherd: The Path of Souls. We hope to publish this in Fall 2017. As the art comes in, Roberto and I are editing the manuscript for The Shepherd: The Tether.