Matt Dursin of Turbo Comics - Spiderman Meets the Simpsons?
Matt was kind enough to take his valuable time to answer a few questions for me here at Suite 101. Thanks in advance to Matt and the Turbo Comics staff.
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Robert (Suite 101) How did you get started doing your own comic book? (i.e. - is this a life-long dream, did you get in by chance, etc.)
Matt (Secret Monkey) Well, I guess it was a bit of both. John and I have known each other since forever, and we've always talked about doing comic books, or something like that. We actually always saw ourselves working for Marvel, but things don't always go as planned. Then, one day a couple years ago, John e-mailed me and asked if I wanted to write a script for The Secret Monkey, which was a character he came up with in high school. He sent me the plot, and the rest is history.
Robert (Suite 101) Is there any comic book artist or writer that inspired you from when you were getting started?
Matt (Secret Monkey) Naturally, we were inspired by the old Marvel guys-Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, John Romita & Gil Kane. Also 80's cartoons like G.I. Joe & Transformers. I also read Dave Sim's "Guide to Self Publishing" early on to get some help, and Terry Moore of "Strangers in Paradise" fame has been an inspiration, since he's been at this for ten years. I don't know how he did it and managed to still eat, but more power to him.
Robert: Do you have a favorite artist(s) or writer(s) today?
Matt: I would say all the usual suspects; Bendis, Millar, Hitch, Waid, Loeb, Sale, and, of course, Hunt.
Robert: Do you have any special training to learn to draw or write?
Matt: I went to Emerson College and took several screenwriting courses and learned basic structure and how to tell a good story and stuff, but I would say my training comes from reading comics for years and years. John studied illustration at the Art Institute of Boston, and used to draw comics for his friends when we were kids.
Robert: Why publish an independent comic? Why not try to get on with one of the "big" comic companies?
Matt: Well, there are obvious creative advantages to self-publishing, but not very many financial advantages. So, we actually have tried to catch on with the big companies, and didn't quite make it, so we published it ourselves pretty much because no one else would have us. But if you're reading this, Joe Quesada...
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