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Comic Creator Interview with Martin Malin December 2014 Name: Martin Malin City: West Islip, NY Comics: Fritesite Websites: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/468179 QRD – How old were you when you first got into comics & did you always stick with them or did you come back to them? Martin – Guess I started seriously in my 30s, both hardcopy & online & have drifted in & out since. QRD – What was the first comic book you ever bought? Martin – Dennis the Menace.  Terrorizing grownups & never once getting spanked: every kid’s fantasy. QRD – How old were you when you put out your first comic? Martin – I was creating characters & bits of storylines in grade school.  I got serious, as I said, in my 30s. QRD – What decade do you think produced the best comics? Martin – The one I grew up with, THE SILVER AGE (the 50s). QRD – Why comics instead of just writing or drawing? Martin – GREAT QUESTION. An honest self-assessment: I am NOT a great artist... I am NOT a great writer… however I DO believe I’m a better writer than most artists & a better artist than most writers... hence comic books! QRD – Do you see mini-comics & indie comics as paths to mainstream comics or as their own unique media? Martin – Depends on the creator: If all you want is to see your vision in print you stay with indies.…When the time comes to start paying bills you start thinking about mainstream. QRD – Do you think stories should be serialized or delivered as complete works? Martin – Again it depends on the creator... & the creation.  Can the creator maintain quality throughout a serial length story? Can his creation (story) be contained in 8-10 pages or does it demand serialization? QRD – What do you do better with your comics now than when you first started? Martin – Stock answer: EVERYTHING! Specifically I honestly believe my penciling has improved. I kid myself into believing my inking too. My lettering & spelling still suck. QRD – At what size do you draw? Martin – 9x12 bristol board. QRD – What kind of pens do you use? Martin – Microns. QRD – What does your workstation look like? Martin – Imagine Yucca Flats after the a-bomb tests. I AM an unabashed, lifelong slob. QRD – Do you prefer working in color or black & white? Martin – Black & white.  I just don’t do color... except the covers. QRD – How do you find collaborators? Martin – I don’t.  I’m strictly a one man band. QRD – Do you think it’s important to have a full story arc completely written before starting to draw? Martin – I usually have a generalized idea of where I’m going... but the life of the story may take me somewhere else... & THAT’S the fun! QRD – What comic book person would you be most flattered to be compared to? Martin – Will Elder. QRD – What do your friends & family think of your comics? Martin – I have NO friends & I HATE my family. Next question. QRD – What do you think of superheroes? Martin – When I was a kid I loved them; but I think it’s the kind of thing, like measles, that you (or I) just outgrew. QRD – Marvel or DC? Martin – DC I guess.  They were my first love & as the cliche has it, that’s special. QRD – Ideally would you self-publish? Martin – I’m very happy with my current publisher CE Publishing helmed by the extraordinary Mike Rickaby. QRD – How do you feel about doing work for anthologies? Martin – I actually got my start (or restart) In CE’s fabulous anthology MEGABOOK renowned for featuring the most exciting & creative talent on the indie scene. QRD – What do you do to promote your books? Martin – Interviews like this. QRD – What other medium would you like to see some of your comics made into (television, film, games, action figures, etc.)? Martin – Any of the above if I can see some $ out of it. My own bills are coming due. QRD – What do you see as the most viable mediums for comics distribution 10 years from now? Martin – Sadly we see bookstore chains folding, which suggests that all publications, text & comic, may eventually land in hyperspace.... & since Fritesite’s already there isn’t that nice for me?!! QRD – What would you like to see more people doing with comics? Martin – Reading Fritesite which I neglected to mentioned copped the prestigious 2014 Fred Wertham Comic Book Most Likely to Seduce the Innocent award...just thought I’d throw that in. QRD – Anything else? Martin – A VERY BIG THANK YOU for the opportunity to blow my own horn... &I’m still holding out hope for a sequel to The Alligator People.