Mark
Mazz’s 12
Questions
with Kirk
Abrigo...
1) You’ve been known as a storyteller for some years now starting with Samurai Guard; what do you find the most rewarding for you, the story or the art? Are they even separate for you?
I find both equally rewarding. In Samurai Guard, I gave my best efforts in doing both writing and artwork and got noticed for it. I’m passionate about comics and it showed in the way I took care of my stories and the way I paced them. I’ve been told that my passion showed in the work. So I have to say I’m equally passionate about both the art and the writing.
2) Are you classically trained, or self-taught?
100% self-taught.
3) Where has the eastern influence in your work come from? Was this a goal that you set about in pursuing your career in comics?
Well, not really, it just kind of happened that way. I’m a big fan of anime and how they pace their stories so I picked up a lot of the way I tell action scenes and so on from Anime. However, having been a martial artist for over 16 years, the samurai and the Japanese culture has been a fascination of mine. So I guess it came out in my artwork.
4) Do you write each page with the page design in mind, or is the story paramount to your work process?
The story is paramount. I can design pages around a good story. Anyone will tell you that great artwork without a great story is completely unfulfilling. I think people would be more satisfied knowing that they are getting a great story for the buck as opposed to just great artwork and the story going nowhere.
5) What was your thought process for creating your own company Colburn Comics? Where did you get the name?
Well, first of all I read a lot of comics out there and saw what was wrong with all of them. I’m not talking just Indies, but Marvel and DC and Image and Dark Horse. They had a lot of flare, but no substance. A big-named artist doing the artwork but the stories leaving you completely lost. I thought to myself, I can do a better job.So I came up with Colburn Comics and Samurai Guard and proved myself fright. Also, Colburn is my middle name, and Colburn Comics just has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?
6) If there was one area of producing a comic that you could hand over to the best professional in the field what would it be? Which areas hold the most attraction for you?
I would LOVE to write a story with Jim Lee pencils. His explosive artwork and my story telling would be unbeatable. Only thing is, I would have to do the thumbnails for the artwork and he would have to follow them to a tee. I think with that kind of set-up that would be the making of a great comic.
7) On your Web site, www.colburncomics.com you show the different stages that a comic goes through just to be produced and printed. Was this a prolonged learning experience to master the different stages?
Well, it was what my Uncle always says, “necessity is the mother of invention”. I had to learn to be a writer, penciler, inker and colorist and letterer because at the time, I couldn’t afford to get anyone decent enough to do any of those jobs. So I had to learn to do them myself.
8) Is the mastery of these different skills all part of being the best artist you can be? Has that presented you with any unique problems that you’d care to share?
Those skills do make you a better artist. Knowing all aspects of the comicbook process makes you see things in a very different light than just being one part of the process. And yes, there was a problem with that, but it was not unique, i would say it was more textbook. You see after doing everything myself for so long i got to trust myself, and no one else with any part of the creative process of Samurai Guard. Which meant even when i was able to afford to hire someone to do other jobs on it; I wouldn’t, because I was accustomed to working alone.
9) Are there any other genres that you’d like to try? Romance? SciFi? Horror? Westerns?
Westerns. My favorite genre of films. I would like to write a great western story and draw it.
10) Where did the genesis of the idea for Onryo: Vengeance Wraith spring from?
Believe it or not i was in the park one day doing some sketches. It dawned on me that a sort of spirit that helps people get revenge for their wronged death would be a great idea. But it can’t be something that’s already done, it has to be done in a way that is unique. So i did some research and came up with the Japanese spirit of vengeance, an Onryo.
11) We’ve heard that you have a successful business in the design of quality tee-shirts, and outerwear. How did that come about?
After leaving comics for awhile, I started my own clothing line, which has been doing very well. Its called Bulla Clothing. You can see more of what we sell at www.bullaclothing.com. Its a sportswear, active-wear, skate, surf, urban, trendy wear clothing line. I also own a t-shirt screen-printing company called T-Shirt Effects () we print custom t-shirts for people, companies, family picnics, etc. So I’ve been putting my skills from running Colburn Comics as a business into running two successful clothing companies.
12) Would you allow a movie production company like Clint EastwoodProductions to adapt the Samurai Guard for the big screen? What areas wouldyou have reservations about?
Funny
you should ask, I did a casting call on Samurai Guard the movie on my
website a while back. It was a fantasy casting call on who wouldplay which
character in Samurai Guard. To check it out go towww.colburncomics.com
and click on the “gatefold” link. then click archives, then
click “ Samurai Guard the movie” It was kind of fun to do
that. The only thing that I would want to do with “A big company”
producing Samurai Guard the movie is that I would want to write it...
and have Peter Jackson direct it. Give me that and I’ll be happy.
