Mike Bullock (Writer/Creator of Lions, Tigers and Bears)

 

Mr. A: I appreciate you taking the time from your schedule to chat with me about Lions, Tigers & Bears to debut from Image in January. For those who aren’t as lucky as I am, as of yet, you can find the 8-Page Preview Here. And we’re off....

1. Jack Lawrence does a superb job with the art and look on Lions, Tigers and Bears with a young look and feel but I only caught the preview so far. Is Lions, Tigers and Bears to be an all ages book?

MB: Yes. This isn’t to say it’s only a kid’s book, which is a common assumption I think a lot of people make when they hear ‘all-ages’. We’ve attempted to craft Lions, Tigers and Bears in such a way that it will appeal to the widest age range possible. If you’re a child or still stay in touch with your inner child, we think this book should be on your reading list.

I think Mike Wieringo summed it up best when he read the preview: “Mike and Jack have crafted a book that confirms to the youngest of us the possibilities of magic in our world-- and touches the hearts of the oldest of us to remind us of the power and importance of imagination.”

2. What cast of characters brings Lions, Tigers and Bears to life?

MB: Lions, Tigers & Bears revolves around young Joey Price and his four stuffed animals, Pallo the lion, Venus the Tigress, Ares the Tiger and Minerva the Panthress.

 

3. Lions, Tigers and Bears is a 4-issue monthly series. Do you have plans outside of this story for this cast or is it set up self-contained?

MB: We already have the plot in place for the second mini-series that will star some of the characters who make their first appearances in the first series. We also have enough ideas for several more tales set in the Stuffed Animal Kingdom that revolve around other characters. Keep your eyes on the various back ground characters in the first series, as we’ve planted many ‘future mini series stars’ in different places throughout the first mini. For those who just want a finite tale, rest assured that the first mini is self-contained with a definite beginning, middle and end.

4. You not only wrote Lions, Tigers and Bears but also created it. Was there a special person/story/event associated that brought Lions, Tigers and Bears to life in your mind?

MB: I think it was a combination of all those things. While there’s a little bit of me and one of my favorite relatives in Joey Price, when writing I also envision the look on the face of my best friend’s daughter when someone is reading her a story that she loves. A Particular event that comes to mind was when my wife was reading to her from her favorite book a few years ago, the look on her face was something so magical that I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. I want to create a story that will put that look on her face and the faces of as many other people, both young and old, as possible.
                                                              
5. I read on your site you also created Neutron and Gimoles which all fall under Runemaster Studios of which you are President. Any plans on moving these to publish in the near future?

MB: Gimoles is already under development, with Theo Bain attached as the artist. We’re toying with the idea of doing Gimoles as a set of story books versus doing it as a comic, however Theo and I both love comics, so we’ll see what happens. We hope to have it ready to pitch to potential publishing partners (try saying that five times fast) by the spring of 2005.

Neutron is part a vastly larger story I’ve been working on for over a decade. What’s on the Runemaster site is more of an exercise is chapter writing at this point (and something that takes place within a much larger mythos), than a real honest to goodness chunk of the overall story. I’ve spent so long developing it, that I’m in no real hurry to get it out at this point. When it’s ready, I’ll know… right now it just isn’t ready. At this point in time, I’m more interested in playing with Jack and Theo in the LTB and Gimoles sandboxes, all the while knowing I can turn to Neutron when I need something different to toy with.

6. Who is you favorite writer/comic writer?

MB: As far as non-comic writers, I’d have to say Alan Dean Foster. He may not be the most technically proficient storyteller out there, but his imagination is so fertile and vivid I just find myself lost in his worlds every time I begin reading one of his stories. If you ever get the chance, read Nor Crystal Tears. Great book.

When it comes to comics there are just so many it’s impossible to nail it down to just one. I’m a huge fan of Doug Moench’s work on Moon Knight Vol I, I love what Ron Marz did with the Silver Surfer in the 90s, Brian Michael Bendis is doing amazing things with Ultimate Spider-Man these days and I can’t leave out J. Michael Straczynski. Others I enjoy are Geoff Johns, Chuck Dixon and Gail Simone. Gail’s work on Bird’s of Prey is some of the best writing I’ve seen in a DC comic in a long time.
                                                            
7. Given the choice what artist would you most like to work with?

MB: Jack Lawrence. If this was one of those “if you could wish” things, I’d simply wish he and I could work in the same studio instead of on opposite sides of the Atlantic. His art just moves me and inspires me and I think elevates my writing to a level I don’t think I was capable of hitting before we started working together. There are other artists whose work I adore, but the working relationship Jack and I have is one of those rare things I think you can’t just duplicate at will.

8. Take Lions, Tigers and Bears away among your other properties and what title from any company would you most enjoy writing?

MB:  I’d love to do a Moon Knight book for Marvel, a Captain Marvel book for DC, or any of the Marvel Age titles.

9. What drew you into comics to begin with? Was it a person or favorite comic or...?

MB: My older brother taught me to read with DC 80-Page Giants when I was 3 or 4 years old. So, you could say that I’ve ALWAYS been reading comics. It’s something I’ll always thank him for and a love he managed to instill in me at a very young age. We don’t talk as much as we should these days, but I recently found out he still reads Batman trades and graphic novels and got the chance to turn him onto some other books he’d been missing out on. It’s nice to know his love of comics never died.

10. When speaking with a successful writer moving into publish and distribution I like to ask for a bit of advice to the writers/creators out there enjoying your book and wanting others to enjoy their own. What piece of advice/encouragement would you like to add?

MB: I don’t know how successful I am at this just yet, but if I’ve learned one thing it’s this: make sure you love what you’re doing, I mean really enjoy it like nothing else and make sure you’re doing the best you can. Everything else is just details.
 

Thanks, Mr. Avalanche