Interview with...
John Norton "Bliss"
|
|
|
John Norton's Bliss combines wall to wall action with page-turning mystery --not to mention an eye-grabbing heroine! CBI Publisher John Michael Helmer recently interviewed Norton about his Kickstarter project BLISS and its origins...
JMH: What is Bliss?
JOHN: Bliss is the title character of a book full of excitement, intrigue and mystery. She is an everyday woman but has no memory of her past. As the story goes and she tries to adapt to the world, small clues come up about her identity. Bliss also has to fight for her life as people are out to kill her and she discovers that she has some amazing abilities.
JMH: Can you describe the world/universe she’s from?
JOHN: Bliss lives in present day Earth, but by the end of the story she finds out that there is more to the world than she realized. I don't want to spoil the ending though. Since Bliss has no memory she will be discovering things as the reader does.
JMH: Does Bliss have supporting characters and if so can you tell CBI about them?
JOHN: The first issue mostly focuses on Bliss, but she soon meets some people named Dwayne and Angelica that help her in her time of need. Dwayne is a construction worker and Angelica is an exotic dancer and they help get Bliss back on her feet. In future issues you will learn more about them.
JMH: Was Bliss inspired by anything from your past or real life experiences?
JOHN: Bliss is a character that I've had for many years. She is a combination of different looks and personalities that I have come across in my life.
JMH: Do your stories carry a message to the readers?
JOHN: Not so much of a message, but I wanted to create another strong, female character that both women and men could look up to. I originally was planning a much different story where Bliss was a main character but in an ensemble. Then I read an interview somewhere about the lack of good female characters in comic books and I thought to myself "Hey, I have one!" And then the ideas started flowing and I had to stop everything I was doing at the time just to start getting my thoughts in order.
At first, Bliss is unsure of herself and doesn't have a good idea of what she should be doing. But there is a moment that she takes control of her life and realizes that she is a strong and capable person. I envision her as a beautiful, kickass comic character but has likes and dislikes like the rest of us. I really wanted to show that even though she is larger than life at times, her personality is what shines.
JMH: Talk about the creative team involved with Bliss…
JOHN: That's all me, baby! I am the creator, writer, artist and letterer on the book. I thought about involving other people on the creative process, like hiring a better letterer or some assists on inking, but I really wanted (at least the first issue) to be done 100% by me. I do have someone that is doing the coloring for the cover, because I wanted to have an image that really pops out but I have no talent in coloring. Plus I am color blind.
JMH: What kind of reward levels do you have for supporters?
JOHN: There are all kinds of rewards that I am offering. The main one is to get an issue of the comic book with each donor's name printed inside as a thank you. The more money people donate, the more incentives there are for people, including prints and original artwork done by me custom made for each donor! So you could get a 9x12 sketch done or possibly an 11x17 fully inked picture. Each one will be custom made for each individual donor based on what they want drawn.
JMH: Will Bliss be released in digital format, web comic, or print?
JOHN: My main goal is to get the book printed, but I will also be offering it digitally as well.
JMH: Where can readers get a hold of Bliss?
JOHN: To be the first to get a copy, head on over to my Kickstarter site and donate.
HERE: After that I will be offering it at comic-cons and any comic book store that will sell the book for me. I will be updating my social media sites with information on the comic book stores.
HERE: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1233056721/bliss-2
They can also order it from my website at http://nortonman37.wix.com/nortonmanart as soon as I have the funds to print.
JMH: How can fans contact you?
JOHN: They can find me at Nortonman Art and Comics on Facebook, NortonmanArt on Instagram and Nortonman37 on Twitter.
JMH: What advice do you have for anyone thinking about going the Kickstarter route for their property?
JOHN: Do a lot of research on successful Kickstarters and crowd funding projects. Get on as many social media sites as you can to promote your project and let people know about it WELL ahead of when you launch. Make sure you are interacting with your audience to get the word out as much as you can and follow through with your obligations.
JMH: Is there anything coming up in further Bliss stories, or other projects you want people to know about?
JOHN: This is just the first issue in a much bigger epic. I want this story to go 4 issues total, and then lead into another series with more characters. Kind of like how The Hobbit produced the Lord of the Rings.
I will also be at the upcoming Salt Lake Comic Con this September, and people can follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to find out about any future con's I will be attending.
JMH: Pitch Bliss to the readers! In 10 words, tell us why your Bliss book is a no-brainer to support…
JOHN: Mystery, action, intrigue, and a kickass heroine! Plus a crazy cliffhanger!
JOHN: Bliss is the title character of a book full of excitement, intrigue and mystery. She is an everyday woman but has no memory of her past. As the story goes and she tries to adapt to the world, small clues come up about her identity. Bliss also has to fight for her life as people are out to kill her and she discovers that she has some amazing abilities.
JMH: Can you describe the world/universe she’s from?
JOHN: Bliss lives in present day Earth, but by the end of the story she finds out that there is more to the world than she realized. I don't want to spoil the ending though. Since Bliss has no memory she will be discovering things as the reader does.
JMH: Does Bliss have supporting characters and if so can you tell CBI about them?
JOHN: The first issue mostly focuses on Bliss, but she soon meets some people named Dwayne and Angelica that help her in her time of need. Dwayne is a construction worker and Angelica is an exotic dancer and they help get Bliss back on her feet. In future issues you will learn more about them.
JMH: Was Bliss inspired by anything from your past or real life experiences?
JOHN: Bliss is a character that I've had for many years. She is a combination of different looks and personalities that I have come across in my life.
JMH: Do your stories carry a message to the readers?
JOHN: Not so much of a message, but I wanted to create another strong, female character that both women and men could look up to. I originally was planning a much different story where Bliss was a main character but in an ensemble. Then I read an interview somewhere about the lack of good female characters in comic books and I thought to myself "Hey, I have one!" And then the ideas started flowing and I had to stop everything I was doing at the time just to start getting my thoughts in order.
At first, Bliss is unsure of herself and doesn't have a good idea of what she should be doing. But there is a moment that she takes control of her life and realizes that she is a strong and capable person. I envision her as a beautiful, kickass comic character but has likes and dislikes like the rest of us. I really wanted to show that even though she is larger than life at times, her personality is what shines.
JMH: Talk about the creative team involved with Bliss…
JOHN: That's all me, baby! I am the creator, writer, artist and letterer on the book. I thought about involving other people on the creative process, like hiring a better letterer or some assists on inking, but I really wanted (at least the first issue) to be done 100% by me. I do have someone that is doing the coloring for the cover, because I wanted to have an image that really pops out but I have no talent in coloring. Plus I am color blind.
JMH: What kind of reward levels do you have for supporters?
JOHN: There are all kinds of rewards that I am offering. The main one is to get an issue of the comic book with each donor's name printed inside as a thank you. The more money people donate, the more incentives there are for people, including prints and original artwork done by me custom made for each donor! So you could get a 9x12 sketch done or possibly an 11x17 fully inked picture. Each one will be custom made for each individual donor based on what they want drawn.
JMH: Will Bliss be released in digital format, web comic, or print?
JOHN: My main goal is to get the book printed, but I will also be offering it digitally as well.
JMH: Where can readers get a hold of Bliss?
JOHN: To be the first to get a copy, head on over to my Kickstarter site and donate.
HERE: After that I will be offering it at comic-cons and any comic book store that will sell the book for me. I will be updating my social media sites with information on the comic book stores.
HERE: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1233056721/bliss-2
They can also order it from my website at http://nortonman37.wix.com/nortonmanart as soon as I have the funds to print.
JMH: How can fans contact you?
JOHN: They can find me at Nortonman Art and Comics on Facebook, NortonmanArt on Instagram and Nortonman37 on Twitter.
JMH: What advice do you have for anyone thinking about going the Kickstarter route for their property?
JOHN: Do a lot of research on successful Kickstarters and crowd funding projects. Get on as many social media sites as you can to promote your project and let people know about it WELL ahead of when you launch. Make sure you are interacting with your audience to get the word out as much as you can and follow through with your obligations.
JMH: Is there anything coming up in further Bliss stories, or other projects you want people to know about?
JOHN: This is just the first issue in a much bigger epic. I want this story to go 4 issues total, and then lead into another series with more characters. Kind of like how The Hobbit produced the Lord of the Rings.
I will also be at the upcoming Salt Lake Comic Con this September, and people can follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to find out about any future con's I will be attending.
JMH: Pitch Bliss to the readers! In 10 words, tell us why your Bliss book is a no-brainer to support…
JOHN: Mystery, action, intrigue, and a kickass heroine! Plus a crazy cliffhanger!
|
|
All interviews on this website © 2011-2022 Comicbookinterviews.com
