Name:Pierre Martinez
Creative Position:
Writer/Creator
Contact Info:
Facebook.com/EatTheShadow
Instagram.com/eat_the_shadow
FAVORITE COMIC BOOK:
Growing up:
The Crow, Sandman
and now:
I just got turned on to Year of the Goat by Spellbound comics and am really diggin it so far
The 1 Superpower you want:
I want to be indestructible… or have telekinesis, that’d be fine too
Location:
New Jersey, US
Website(s):
Your Credits:
Eat the Shadow – Writer/Creator
What have you been a part of creating that you can’t help but brag about?
The title I’m pushing now is, Eat the Shadow. The story follows Kenji as he – with the help of his dead brother’s ghost – hunts down the infamously sadistic yakuza boss who had his family slaughtered. Because the main character is tripping off an insane concoction of hard drugs throughout the entire story (which takes place over a weekend) we’re left to wonder if his dead brother really did come back from the dead to help him enact vengeance, or if the whole thing is just one seriously fucked up hallucination. While essentially a gritty revenge thriller, through the use of the extensive “trip” scenes in the book, we aim to really dive deep and explore the psyche of our main character as he learns that, in order to see the bizarre and bloody pursuit of vengeance through to its end, he’ll have to unleash the monsters and demons he’s kept locked away in his subconscious – in his “shadow”. And once those demons are out, Kenji realizes the real villain he’s going to have to ultimately confront, is himself.
What would you compare this story to? This always trips me up but I like to describe it as a mashup of a couple things. So picture the action, gore and depth of Kill Bill (Tarantino is a huge influence on anything I write), blended with that dark, sinister mood and sheer grit you get from comics like The Crow and Sin City… then splice in a generous dose of satirical humor aimed at poking fun at some of the wacky antics you’d typically find in anime (chibi characters and all!) Yeah, read that again if you have to. It sounds ridiculous and weird, I know. But I think we’re doing a pretty damn good job so far. Seriously, check it out.
What is a Dream Project of yours?I would absolutely love the opportunity to one day work as a producer and writer on an animated film. I’m actually currently developing an all-ages comic series with a close friend of mine, with the hopes of one day being able to adapt the project into a feature film – ideally partnered with Disney and Pixar. Lofty dream for sure man, but it can happen!
Is Violence in Comics now over used to tell a story in your opinion, because it seems creators are now in one ups man ship game over graphic violence?I don’t think it’s used enough. At least I personally haven’t seen too much over the top violence that’s just blatantly redundant and gimmicky. I’m sure that’s out there too but I definitely wouldn’t say it’s overused in general. Then again I’m probably a bit biased since I mostly lean towards the violent, horror and gore shit. But I have to make the distinction that the plot should always be what drives the story and the action/violence simply compliments the narrative, not the other way around. It gets dicey when creators try to use excessive violence and gore as a way to get readers to keep turning the pages. That’s hacky and boring but I think those few get weeded out fairly quickly. As long as the content is engaging and has a clear purpose, and the violence compliments the narrative, I’m down to see more of it in comics.
Is sexuality focused on too much in comic books?
Until we start to see a rise in whatever the equivalent to hentai is in comics, hell no. And even then, to each his own right? As long as there’s a market for it and creators who want to make that kinda book, why not?
What is the worst thing a Villain can do to a Hero?Strip him/her of everything they ever thought they were. A true formidable villain will change the hero, break him and make him out of desperation have to become a completely different beast altogether. So that even when the villain is killed or otherwise disposed of, the hero remains permanently broken and defeated.
What is a mistake you made in your early years that our readers can learn from?The greatest thing I regret is not being open enough and really putting myself out there. Like a lot of creatives, I’m a quintessential introvert and I loved the idea of being the man behind the scenes and letting the book sell itself. But eventually you realize what’s most important is selling yourself, showing people who you are. Unless you already have a popular name/brand, or an Oprah endorsement, people are going to want to know who you are before they buy anything from you. You have to get out and expose yourself – network, make friends, collaborate. Find people that are doing what you’re doing and support them. Hopefully that reciprocates and even if they don’t particularly like your book, they’ll want to support YOU and at least share your stuff with their audience and friends. And don’t worry about first having enough content before reaching out to people. It’s never too early to start. The other big mistake I made was not having enough confidence in my work and especially in myself. But I think that’s something that simply putting yourself out there inherently remedies.
Well done you have a single paragraph to tell us why we should become fans and what you are working on now :
I truly believe what we’re doing with Eat the Shadow is pretty damn special. Separate from the leaps we’re taking with the narrative, the book is being illustrated by two artists, in two very different styles. The main action of the book is illustrated in black and white by Jhomar Soriano (an award-winning manga artist with a number of other comics/graphic novel projects in publication), while the “trip” sequences are illustrated in full color by Nico Sucio (an indie comics illustrator whose unique style is like a blend of cartooning and graffiti) – these pages will help emphasize the psychedelic nature of the trip scenes as well as evoke a more profound sense of altered consciousness for the reader. This fusion of styles not only adds substance to the story but will provide a refreshing new look and feel for the book. We’ve poured countless hours, energy and resources into this project. Right now we have a 50-page first issue with variant covers, prints, stickers, t-shirts… I mention this only as proof to the passion and commitment I have to this project. I will see it through and share it with the world. My hope now is just that enough people will jump on board with me so I can release the first and all subsequent issues with greater ease and consistency than I’d be able to do completely on my own. The good thing is you don’t have to take my word for it. Check out our social media pages to learn more about the project and get a taste for the quality of artwork that’ll fill up the pages. And if you’re really interested, you can now even read a
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