Craig Maloof (Working man and Creator of "TYR" from Ronin Studios)

 

Mr. A: Thanks a bunch for taking the time to sit down with me, Craig and go over you current offering "Tyr".  I want to throw out there that I caught a preview of the chosen FIRST ISSUE HERE and liked the story enough to contact Craig and beg for an interview so we’re off....

 

1. "Tyr" grabbed me right away and hopefully folks checked out the full first issue linked above. For those who didn’t can you give us a quick rundown on the plot?

CM: The overall plot of "Tyr" is a teenage kid, no older then me so roughly around the age of eighteen, having to save the world from a race of aliens trying to take over it. I know it sounds sort of cliché, but it’s not your normal kind of story, as it delves into the psychology of the person and the relationships going around while this person tries to save the world, and still live his everyday life. It’s been one of the most fun experiences of my life plotting this book, and now finally getting a chance to write it.

2. Can you tell us about about the main characters and their roles?

CM: The main character’s name is Typhi. He has no parents as they were killed in a peculiar accident that has left him not only hurt and in tears, but as well as having him scratch his head as to how this happened. He is joined alongside by Katie, this girl he is extremely attracted to, Joe, his loving best friend, and Lindsay, Katie’s best friend. These four characters are so unique, and are based off of friends  that I know in a way. They aren’t carbon copies, but I have looked to those people to help create the personalities that each one has.

3. Is “Tyr” a mini or ongoing series and when will the first issue be available?

CM: Tyr is an ongoing series with an ending attached. So I guess you could say it’s more of a finite series, though the ending is still some way off. The first issue will be available November 17^th and will continue to be released monthly from there till the story is done.

4. You are also the webmaster for Ronin Studios, editor on After Dark and on top of “Tyr” have 3 + other titles in the works. Where is your cloning machine and may I borrow it? Any of the other titles going to print anytime soon?

CM: Ha! My cloning machine is currently being housed at my editor’s, Alysha McK, house. I think she does this to make sure that I keep my deadlines because it is so much to do. Being the webmaster of the Ronin Studios is not so hard, mainly because I don’t do any work on it any way. I am working on the website in my spare time, but that is moving so slowly that I hope that school is cancelled for the rest of the year so I can find time to work on it. After Dark is a new imprint from Ronin Studios to help guide our more mature adults to books that they would enjoy, but it hasn’t really kicked off the ground quite yet, but it should be soon. The other books I am working on are good, quality books that keep me writing which is why I stick with them.

My next series is titled Last Chance and should be coming out this summer, around June or July, as long as I can find an artist that I feel will do the book extremely well. I am still looking, and have found some people, but they haven’t signed on to do it, and I am still looking. The best way I can describe this book is that it’s a mix between Watchmen and modern day life. Much of the inspiration of the book comes from Watchmen, but I hope no one feels it is a Watchmen Copy, and a poorly done one at that. It will be a 12-issue mini-series.

My next ongoing series is titled Starting Over, and should be coming out in about a year. Preliminary work has just begun on that, but I am stoked about it. It’s about a detective whose previous life kind of went to shambles. So now he is a detective who has to investigate murders and other high profile type crimes once again set in a world where the crimes aren’t like they used to be. I feel it’s a cross between Powers and CSI without the superpowers and the science behind the murders. It’s very much character driven fueled by cases that exist in our world.

And then I am writing another twelve-issue mini-series called Betrayed, and it has a female lead in it who is a Bounty Hunter. It should be fun, and I think the title gives away some of what happens, but it will still have tons of twists, and lots of good fun. That book should be coming out sometime next year as well.

5. What drew you into comics and do you enjoy it over prose?

CM: What drew me into comics was a friend of mine who started working at this site called ComiXtreme. It was still young and they needed someone to do reviews, so he recommended me even though I had never read a comic in my life. That was about three years ago now, and I have been hooked ever since. What drew me into writing comics was meeting the man who had written so many comics that I had loved to death, Brian Michael Bendis. I met him two years ago at Megacon and that’s when I decided that I wanted to write comics. It wasn’t until about four months ago that I finally started to really write, and everything happened so fast from there. Do I enjoy it over prose? Yeah, because of the visuals that you have. It helps so much and I enjoy it.

6. Who is your favorite writer/comic writer?

CM: Well, my favorite writer right now would have to be Brian Michael Bendis. I wouldn’t be writing if it wasn’t for him. My second favorite would probably be Mark Millar who is a swell guy who writes these amazing epics.
                                                           

7. What is your favorite comic book and to make it harder!!….why?

CM: UGH! My favorite comic book… can I say "Tyr"? Seriously though, I have been digging Powers and Daredevil so much. The reason being is because the way Bendis has told the stories with these long arcs that drop hints along the way only to be picked up on later has helped me craft my upcoming arcs in "Tyr". It has helped so much to learn from him, and plus it’s great writing with two wonderful artists in Alex Maleev and Michael Avon Oeming.

8. If given a choice what comic character would you jump at the chance to write?

CM: I would love to write a MAX X-Men series. I have some great ideas there, and I hope Marvel gives me a chance to at least express it sometime in the future.

9. Who would the artist be on said character if you given the chance to write it?

CM: The artist? I would love someone like Alex Maleev or Ben Templesmith. Frank Quietly would be another great one, but if I couldn’t have any of those I would say any up and coming artist who shows so much talent, dedication, and promise who would just shine with this book.

10. Being published and moving well in this industry what piece of advice would you share with us many…oh so many fledgling writers?

CM: Um… I have only been around for four months, but in that time I have learned you have to have patience. I was lucky enough to find an artist right off the bat who loved my ideas, but it’s not always that easy. Another point I would have to say, is that you have to be professional in every aspect of what you do. People will support you and you have to support them right back because if you don’t, it will come back to bite you in the ass. One of the things that has helped me is my wonderful editor Alysha McK. She has agreed to edit my books, and she has done so wonderfully with that, even to the point of staying up till the wee hours of the morning to revise dialogue with me this past weekend. She has been my inspiration in everything I do, and I don’t think I would be here without her. And Noble Larimer who has just really stuck by me, and given me everything I need to create a quality book.

 

 

Mr. A: Anything else you want to add to end this installment of 10 Questions with…, Craig?

CM: Yeah, buy my books, and if you want to write then you have to be open to criticism because no one is perfect unless you are Bendis or Millar who try to write ten books a week.

 

Thanks, Mr. Avalanche