Nik Havert (Editor/Creator/Writer of "3 Keys", "Rocket Girl" and others)

 

Mr. A: Thanks so much for taking the time to answer some questions with The Comic Avalanche. With your spot in Indy Installation and this interview it has been quite an enjoyable read for me and I hope everyone checks it out.
 

1. For those not up to speed and in the know :) Can you tell us a bit about Pickle Press?

CM: I started Pickle Press in order to self-publish a lot of my writing.  I'm chock-full of story ideas, so many that I'm sometimes not sure if I'll ever write them all, so I needed an outlet to get them out of my brain to make room for more.  I created Pickle Press to get my stories out there to the general public and to also show comic book editors that I know how to put a book together.  I also made a commitment to myself that Pickle Press will be an outlet for ALL my different types of stories.  I don't like to stick to one genre.  I enjoy the challenge of trying new types of stories, so I publish many different types through Pickle Press.  "The Three Keys" is a sword and sorcery action-comedy, while "Rocket Girl" is a super hero romantic comedy, "Big Breasted Vampire Death" is a wild adults-only comic, and the upcoming "Act of Contrition" is a crime noir piece.  I'm only self-publishing comic books right now, but I plan to self-publish a book of short stories and possibly one of haiku poetry.

 

2. I recently read through "The 3 Keys" and have it in Indy Section on site. I liked the book and found a good mix of humor involved. Were there a certain inspiration for "The 3 keys" you drew from?

CM: Yes.  The main characters - Abe, Ergo, and Taru - are based on old "Dungeons and Dragons" characters from my college days.  Abe and Ergo are based on close friends of mine.  "Ergo" was one of the best men in my wedding.  I used their voices for the characters' speech patterns.  I do that with many characters in many stories.  Most of my stories are at least partially based on real life situations or people I've known.  Taru is somewhat based on me, but his voice is based on Lee Van Cleef.  I kept these old character sheets mostly out of nostalgia, but I realized that the dynamics between the three characters made for lots of funny and wild adventures.  It seemed natural to write stories about them.  If you want to go back even further for inspiration for "The 3 Keys," I would name lots of adventure films I watched while growing up; especially anything involving special effects done by Ray Harryhausen.

 

3. Can you give us a rundown on the characters that make up the 3 keys and the supporting cast?

CM: Sure!  Abraham "Abe" Collinsworth is a magician whose powers are a mystery in that you're never sure how much of his magic is real and how much is illusion.  He's also the best liar of the group, a consummate ladies' man, and loves fine clothes, wine, and food.  William "Ergo" Thereford is the youngest of the trio.  He's a master thief, a gambling addict, and has a knack for puzzles and learning new languages.  Taru Blackoak is a young elf of 126 years and is a trained assassin with a big helping of Buddhist monk thrown in to make for an altruistic killer for hire.  The three of them are called "The 3 Keys" because they claim they can get into any place no matter how well fortified.  The supporting cast will shift with each story arc, but the first one involves the Sultan Abu al Khayr who wants the Keys to rescue his beautiful daughter, Alludra, from desert bandits.  The Sultan's Guard Captain, Omar Adham, however, has dire plans for the Keys and the desert kingdom.  He's the first villain of the book, but another waits in the desert and in future issues.

4. I have yet to get a chance to read "Rocket Girl" myself as it works toward issue #3. This is one of your main and first books. Can you tell us a bit about the premise?

CM: It's about a woman, Polly Harris, who's in love with Silver City's greatest super hero - the Fire Chief.  All she wants is to meet the mysterious masked man and ask him out to dinner.  She gets the great idea that the best way to get a super hero to recognize you and talk to you is to become one yourself.  So, she has her genius inventor uncle make her some super hero gear and she becomes Rocket Girl.  She tries to get the Fire Chief's attention, and lots of comedy breaks out.  I once called it "'I Love Lucy' with a pair of rocket boots thrown in." 

 

5. You have many other flagship books under Pickle Press. What are your current and future titles lined up for our amusement?

CM: The two new books that are closest to completion are "Act of Contrition," which is a 48-page one-shot, and "Agent Z" #1.  "Act of Contrition" is about some strange happenings at a church in a small town, while "Agent Z" is a mix of action, horror, and conspiracy theory.  Both have fantastic artwork.  After that, the next books will be "Luchador!" #1; which is about a boy with a magical wrestler's mask, "The Chalice of Dracula;" which is fun horror book, "The Javelin" #1; which is about a brainwashed superhuman (for starters); and "Vince" #1, a slapstick comedy hidden in a super hero book, and further issues of "Rocket Girl" and "The Three Keys."  I have many more stories that I'm cooking up, but they're still in rough draft or even just "neat idea" stages.

6. What is your favorite title of Pickle Press books including ones not yet published?

CM: That's a tough question.  It's probably a tie between "Rocket Girl" and "The 3 Keys," since the main characters are all based on close friends.  "The Javelin" is sentimental to me because he's one of the first characters I created when I was a kid.

7. Where you a comic fan before you were a writer?

CM: Yes.  My Dad used to buy me comic books at the grocery store so I'd be quiet on the trip home.  I started writing when I was eleven or twelve.  I started creating comic book characters around the same age, but didn't write scripts until late in high school.  I'd been writing short stories for several years by then.

 

8. Who is your biggest influence from the comics industry?

CM: The big three are John Ostrander, Alan Moore, and Keith Giffen.  Ostrander's and Giffen's work on "Suicide Squad" and "Justice League," respectively, made me look at comics differently.  They took these characters that no one cared about and made them three-dimensional.  Those books showed me that these characters in tights could have a wide range of emotions and motivations.  Of course, Alan Moore is a major influence on anybody with half a brain.  His approach to the art form is wonderfully radical, and I made many people read "Watchmen."  I even reviewed it for my high school paper.  In the last year or so, I've tried to convince anyone who would listen that "Promethea" was the best book on the market.

9. What book would you most like to take over writing privileges on?

CM: Writing "The Flash" and "Vampirella" would be dream jobs for me.  I'm a martial arts instructor as well, so I'd love to write any of the classic kung fu characters like Shang-Chi or Richard Dragon.  I'd love to write a Lady Shiva book, and I'm surprised it hasn't already been done.  I have a Captain America graphic novel I'd love to see in print, and I recently came up with what I believe is a fun idea for "Iron Man."  I'd also love to write many of the classic western characters like Ghost Rider or Jonah Hex.

10. What dream artist would you be working with?

CM: There are many, but number one is Bill Sienkiewicz.  I'd love to just sit and talk with him for a while about his take on the art form.  I'd love to do a book with Tim Vigil, whose artwork is intimidating.  He doesn't get the amount of work he should.  Art Adams is another guy high on the list, and if I can ever find Jose Gonzalez and convince him to come out of hiding to do Vampirella stories with me, I'd be jumping for joy.  I'm lucky to have found many great artists both here and outside the country who have been happy to work on my stories.  They're all people who I feel are at the tipping point to stardom.  I hope I can help push them over the edge into high-paying gigs with my mix of goofy and weird stories.

 

Mr. A.: That does it for "10 questions with".... Is there anything else you would like to add to your current and future fans out there?

CM: Thanks for all the support and for coming to see me at various conventions.  I can promise a continued mix of genres, so you'll never get tired of seeing the same old thing from Pickle Press.  Even the usual genres will get the "Nik treatment" of weird twists and concepts you might not have thought of before.  Please check out my website if you want any news on my projects and/or convention appearances.  I'm already making plans for 2005.

 

 

Thanks, Mr. Avalanche