Interview with...
OMAR MORALES
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Creator Omar Morales has written several notable character defined with layers that bring unique aspects of the human conscience to comics. Currently his CruZader creation is available on Comixology and through Diamond. CBI publisher John Michael Helmer recently discussed his writing career and his numerous projects...
JMH: Where were you born and raised?
OMAR: I was born in Oakland and raised nearby in the suburb of Hayward, Calif. I attended Catholic school for 13 years and 5 years of public college, all in the city of Hayward.
JMH: Tell CBI about yourself…
OMAR: My love of comics and superhero cartoons goes all the way back to my earliest days as a kid because they helped me learn English. When I entered kindergarten, I only spoke Spanish, so I learned English in the vernacular of Boom! Pow! Crash! and Thwip! As I grew, I developed a love for all things nerd: Star Wars, videogames, action figures and oddball TV shows like Ultraman and Ulysses 31 (on the Spanish-language channel no less).
JMH: Have you had any formal training in writing?
OMAR: My formal training as a writer came in high school and college, where I was trained as a journalist. It is there that my natural talent and love for writing flourished. Before that, I would write and draw my own very crude comics as a kid - eventually I dropped the drawing and focused on creative writing. My school teachers encouraged me a lot with my creative writing and that gave me confidence to explore the world of fiction, which I finally came back around to as an adult with my first graphic novel, CruZader™.
JMH: Who are your writing influences?
OMAR: It sounds horribly cliché, but my early writing influences were Stan Lee and George Lucas. Even if they weren’t penning the comics and screenplays themselves, their creative spirit and voice permeated Marvel and Lucasfilm’s productions. As I grew, I became fond of authors I discovered in my English and Journalism classes - writers like John Howard Griffin (Black Like Me), Edgar Allan Poe (The Cask of Amontillado), Ray Bradbury (A Sound of Thunder), and Frank R. Stockton (The Lady or the Tiger).
JMH: How did you break into writing comic books?
OMAR: Breaking into comics has been a long, hard road. In 2007, I copyrighted and published my first 22-page one-shot for the CruZader character. I introduced it at WonderCon in 2008, back when it was still hosted in San Francisco, and fan response was very positive. It gave me the confidence to grow the CruZader storyline into a full-blown graphic novel. Because I had a full-time day job and kids, it took many years to finally get the self-published graphic novel off the ground. With some help from Kickstarter, I launched a 144-page, hardcover graphic novel titled CruZader™: Agent of the Vatican over Easter Weekend 2014
JMH: What is the first comic you remember reading?
OMAR: The first books I remember reading were primarily Spider-Man books: The Amazing Spider-Man, any Marvel Team-Up featuring Spider-Man, and then even Spider-Ham! As I teenager I read more Wolverine books, and as a young adult I developed a hard-core reading interest in my favorite hero, Captain America.
JMH: Do you read any of the new comic books that are being published today?
OMAR: Nowadays I mostly read books published by Image. It’s really hard to keep my attention with the same old, same old and two books that really have my attention right now are Chrononauts by Mark Millar and Descender by Jeff Lemire. I also like to go back and read classics I didn’t read when they were originally released, stuff like Watchmen, Y The Last Man, and Saga. Right now I’m working on Preacher and Sandman – oldies but goodies!
JMH: Print versus Digital. Your thoughts…
OMAR: I prefer print, but I definitely see a future with digital because of the physical storage advantages. At first I was skeptical of digital, but then when I became a publisher, I saw what a tremendous complement that digital can play because of the limitless reach and convenience. Print will never go away and it’s still my preferred way to read, but my digital library is growing slowly but surely.
JMH: Writer’s block. How do you get around that creature?
OMAR: I don’t really get writer’s block. By the time I commit pencil to paper and then keyboard to Final Draft, I’ve already worked out the entire plot and many of the details in my head. From there it’s a matter of non-linear editing on the fly as I eliminate and consolidate pages in order to make room for parts of the story that need more space. I marinate stories in my head for a very long time before I start the actual writing.
JMH: What is your current project?
OMAR: Currently, I just completed a script for Top Cow’s annual “Talent Hunt” comic book competition. I believe there are two winners and two runner ups that get stories published in Top Cow’s Artifacts universe – the winners should be announced in May, from what I understand. Outside of that, I am currently marinating an outer-space adventure in head that I intend to write as a graphic novel, the possibly adapt a screenplay for an animated movie. It all depends on how much time I have for it. We’ll see.
JMH: Do you research your story ideas? If so, how?
OMAR: Yes, I do lots of research. Once I have an idea, I keep a notebook handy as I read comics and novels, watch TV and movies, or search the internet. The History and Science channels are great sources of information that can then be further researched on the internet. For the “Talent Hunt” script I just wrote, I did a lot of research on European geographies, Catholic saints and artifacts, as well as the formal security command structure inside Vatican City. The more accurate the research, the more the story will ring true. It’s like those special effects guys that build models for movies – even if the audience will never see the other side of the space ship, they still build it out completely with tremendous detail. Why? Because the spirit of their work will translate into authenticity on the screen. I feel the same way about research and scripts.
JMH: What is your writing process like?
OMAR: The writing process exists mostly in my head, for a very long time, as I described earlier. From there I tend to bang out the script fairly quickly, then I spend an agonizing amount of time editing and re-arranging. On the CruZader project, I was still writing new pages even after my art team thought they were done. I had to go back and pay them for a half dozen completely new pages that had to be penciled, inked, colored and lettered from scratch. Works of art are never truly finished, but merely abandoned, as the saying goes. If I could go back again, I’d probably add at least a couple more pages to CruZader if I could … but I won’t because that ship has sailed, or I should say that ship has been abandoned.
JMH: Do your stories carry a message?
OMAR: Yes, my stories always carry a message. Generally speaking, I subscribe the Joseph Campbell school of “a hero’s journey” storytelling. It’s a tried and tested format. For me, stories like Star Wars and Interstellar are very religious even though they are not inherently religious in nature. They still get the point across without beating you over the head. I’m a big fan of the subtle messages you can weave into a story with subtext, and to some degree, letting the audience figure it out or perhaps interpret the message differently than what I intended. I really love that about writing - letting the audience fill in the blanks.
JMH: Do you feel more comfortable with writing prose or comic book sequential storytelling?
OMAR: Right now I am comfortable with comic book sequential storytelling. It’s a fast way of telling a story with beautiful artwork doing a lot of the heavy lifting. I learned this when I worked in television. I had a TV producer once tell me “your job as the story teller is not to talk too much with narration; just guide the audience gently along and let the pictures and sound tell the story as much as possible.” I love that. This is my approach to writing. I enjoy prose, but I don’t think I have the patience to ever write any type of prose, fiction or otherwise. Maybe I could write short form prose someday. I’m a big fan of the short stories of Philip K. Dick, Arthur C. Clarke, Ray Bradbury, and so on.
JMH: What are your thoughts on DC and Marvel rebooting their universes and starting over with #1 issues every few years?
OMAR: Snooze. Honestly, I’m barely paying attention to what DC and Marvel are doing. It’s not a knock, I just don’t have the time and energy to keep up with all he reboot shenanigans. I much prefer to discover original comic book stories that have a defined beginning and end. Reading dozens of different Batman or Wolverine titles is just not for me. Starting fresh with an original story from Dark Horse, Image or IDW is much more of where my head is at.
JMH: If you could write a book from one of the big two (Marvel or DC), which character/s and why?
OMAR: What comic book writer doesn’t obsess over this question on a daily basis? For me, it would be my favorite hero, Captain America. I have an idea that would re-define the character with a new layer in an already rich history where you have 50’s Crazy Cap, Nomad, US Agent, Bucky Cap, and now Falcon Cap. My idea is still Steve Rogers as Captain America, but he reveals that the narrative we’ve been told for over 70 years is a lie! Because of this revelation, he’s exiled by the U.S. Government, but then, in America’s time of greatest need, with the security and future of the nation teetering in the balance … only one man can rise to the occasion to defend the Red, White, and Blue. Will Steve choose to raise the shield once again, or will he remain in exile? Are you listening Rickey Purdin, talent manager at Marvel? I have an outline and a few pages ready for Captain America: Truth & Justice, My Way. Why? Because I believe there is still way more we can get out Steve Rogers as Captain America without putting him on the sidelines like Marvel has done so many times.
JMH: What future projects are in the works?
OMAR: The only future project I have going right now is the aforementioned outer-space adventure I have rolling around in my head. It’ll probably be a while before I write it. Who knows if I’ll ever publish it, but it’s very much alive and well in my conscious mind.
JMH: Where can readers get a hold of your books?
OMAR: The only book I have out right now is CruZader. Fans can ask for it at their local comic book store with Diamond order # JUL141266, or they can get it in digital format at ComiXology.com. The third option, if they want a personalized, signed copy from me, is to order from my website at:
www.theforcemedia.com/order
In terms of conventions, I am tapering down my appearances for the rest of the year. Right now the only thing I have on the books is Campbell Con in November, www.campbellcon.com.
JMH: How can fans and publishers contact you?
OMAR: Fans can hit me up on Twitter, @TheCruZader. In general, my website is the best way to connect with me because there are links to all my social media, and a contact page where people can send me messages directly:
http://www.theforcemedia.com/contact.html.
JMH: Anything else you'd like to mention that we haven't covered yet?
OMAR: Support indie comics, true believers. These books take an incredible amount of time, passion and energy to create, usually with no return on investment. People that do indie comics are doing it for the love of the game, believe me. Even the worst indie comic out there took a ton of work to produce, print and distribute, so even a few dollars to an indie book makes a difference. Every penny counts. Also, feedback is very important. Good, bad, or indifferent: give indie creators feedback, it’s the only way for them to get better or have the assurance they’re on the right track.
JMH: Omar, CBI appreciates your time! All the best!
OMAR: Some colleagues of mine are starting a website that will constantly feature a variety of indie comics, for example, here’s the CruZader feature:
http://indiecomicspower.com/indie-series-intro-cruzader-agent-of-the-vatican-from-the-force-media-llc/.
Go check out the site and support indie comics!
OMAR: I was born in Oakland and raised nearby in the suburb of Hayward, Calif. I attended Catholic school for 13 years and 5 years of public college, all in the city of Hayward.
JMH: Tell CBI about yourself…
OMAR: My love of comics and superhero cartoons goes all the way back to my earliest days as a kid because they helped me learn English. When I entered kindergarten, I only spoke Spanish, so I learned English in the vernacular of Boom! Pow! Crash! and Thwip! As I grew, I developed a love for all things nerd: Star Wars, videogames, action figures and oddball TV shows like Ultraman and Ulysses 31 (on the Spanish-language channel no less).
JMH: Have you had any formal training in writing?
OMAR: My formal training as a writer came in high school and college, where I was trained as a journalist. It is there that my natural talent and love for writing flourished. Before that, I would write and draw my own very crude comics as a kid - eventually I dropped the drawing and focused on creative writing. My school teachers encouraged me a lot with my creative writing and that gave me confidence to explore the world of fiction, which I finally came back around to as an adult with my first graphic novel, CruZader™.
JMH: Who are your writing influences?
OMAR: It sounds horribly cliché, but my early writing influences were Stan Lee and George Lucas. Even if they weren’t penning the comics and screenplays themselves, their creative spirit and voice permeated Marvel and Lucasfilm’s productions. As I grew, I became fond of authors I discovered in my English and Journalism classes - writers like John Howard Griffin (Black Like Me), Edgar Allan Poe (The Cask of Amontillado), Ray Bradbury (A Sound of Thunder), and Frank R. Stockton (The Lady or the Tiger).
JMH: How did you break into writing comic books?
OMAR: Breaking into comics has been a long, hard road. In 2007, I copyrighted and published my first 22-page one-shot for the CruZader character. I introduced it at WonderCon in 2008, back when it was still hosted in San Francisco, and fan response was very positive. It gave me the confidence to grow the CruZader storyline into a full-blown graphic novel. Because I had a full-time day job and kids, it took many years to finally get the self-published graphic novel off the ground. With some help from Kickstarter, I launched a 144-page, hardcover graphic novel titled CruZader™: Agent of the Vatican over Easter Weekend 2014
JMH: What is the first comic you remember reading?
OMAR: The first books I remember reading were primarily Spider-Man books: The Amazing Spider-Man, any Marvel Team-Up featuring Spider-Man, and then even Spider-Ham! As I teenager I read more Wolverine books, and as a young adult I developed a hard-core reading interest in my favorite hero, Captain America.
JMH: Do you read any of the new comic books that are being published today?
OMAR: Nowadays I mostly read books published by Image. It’s really hard to keep my attention with the same old, same old and two books that really have my attention right now are Chrononauts by Mark Millar and Descender by Jeff Lemire. I also like to go back and read classics I didn’t read when they were originally released, stuff like Watchmen, Y The Last Man, and Saga. Right now I’m working on Preacher and Sandman – oldies but goodies!
JMH: Print versus Digital. Your thoughts…
OMAR: I prefer print, but I definitely see a future with digital because of the physical storage advantages. At first I was skeptical of digital, but then when I became a publisher, I saw what a tremendous complement that digital can play because of the limitless reach and convenience. Print will never go away and it’s still my preferred way to read, but my digital library is growing slowly but surely.
JMH: Writer’s block. How do you get around that creature?
OMAR: I don’t really get writer’s block. By the time I commit pencil to paper and then keyboard to Final Draft, I’ve already worked out the entire plot and many of the details in my head. From there it’s a matter of non-linear editing on the fly as I eliminate and consolidate pages in order to make room for parts of the story that need more space. I marinate stories in my head for a very long time before I start the actual writing.
JMH: What is your current project?
OMAR: Currently, I just completed a script for Top Cow’s annual “Talent Hunt” comic book competition. I believe there are two winners and two runner ups that get stories published in Top Cow’s Artifacts universe – the winners should be announced in May, from what I understand. Outside of that, I am currently marinating an outer-space adventure in head that I intend to write as a graphic novel, the possibly adapt a screenplay for an animated movie. It all depends on how much time I have for it. We’ll see.
JMH: Do you research your story ideas? If so, how?
OMAR: Yes, I do lots of research. Once I have an idea, I keep a notebook handy as I read comics and novels, watch TV and movies, or search the internet. The History and Science channels are great sources of information that can then be further researched on the internet. For the “Talent Hunt” script I just wrote, I did a lot of research on European geographies, Catholic saints and artifacts, as well as the formal security command structure inside Vatican City. The more accurate the research, the more the story will ring true. It’s like those special effects guys that build models for movies – even if the audience will never see the other side of the space ship, they still build it out completely with tremendous detail. Why? Because the spirit of their work will translate into authenticity on the screen. I feel the same way about research and scripts.
JMH: What is your writing process like?
OMAR: The writing process exists mostly in my head, for a very long time, as I described earlier. From there I tend to bang out the script fairly quickly, then I spend an agonizing amount of time editing and re-arranging. On the CruZader project, I was still writing new pages even after my art team thought they were done. I had to go back and pay them for a half dozen completely new pages that had to be penciled, inked, colored and lettered from scratch. Works of art are never truly finished, but merely abandoned, as the saying goes. If I could go back again, I’d probably add at least a couple more pages to CruZader if I could … but I won’t because that ship has sailed, or I should say that ship has been abandoned.
JMH: Do your stories carry a message?
OMAR: Yes, my stories always carry a message. Generally speaking, I subscribe the Joseph Campbell school of “a hero’s journey” storytelling. It’s a tried and tested format. For me, stories like Star Wars and Interstellar are very religious even though they are not inherently religious in nature. They still get the point across without beating you over the head. I’m a big fan of the subtle messages you can weave into a story with subtext, and to some degree, letting the audience figure it out or perhaps interpret the message differently than what I intended. I really love that about writing - letting the audience fill in the blanks.
JMH: Do you feel more comfortable with writing prose or comic book sequential storytelling?
OMAR: Right now I am comfortable with comic book sequential storytelling. It’s a fast way of telling a story with beautiful artwork doing a lot of the heavy lifting. I learned this when I worked in television. I had a TV producer once tell me “your job as the story teller is not to talk too much with narration; just guide the audience gently along and let the pictures and sound tell the story as much as possible.” I love that. This is my approach to writing. I enjoy prose, but I don’t think I have the patience to ever write any type of prose, fiction or otherwise. Maybe I could write short form prose someday. I’m a big fan of the short stories of Philip K. Dick, Arthur C. Clarke, Ray Bradbury, and so on.
JMH: What are your thoughts on DC and Marvel rebooting their universes and starting over with #1 issues every few years?
OMAR: Snooze. Honestly, I’m barely paying attention to what DC and Marvel are doing. It’s not a knock, I just don’t have the time and energy to keep up with all he reboot shenanigans. I much prefer to discover original comic book stories that have a defined beginning and end. Reading dozens of different Batman or Wolverine titles is just not for me. Starting fresh with an original story from Dark Horse, Image or IDW is much more of where my head is at.
JMH: If you could write a book from one of the big two (Marvel or DC), which character/s and why?
OMAR: What comic book writer doesn’t obsess over this question on a daily basis? For me, it would be my favorite hero, Captain America. I have an idea that would re-define the character with a new layer in an already rich history where you have 50’s Crazy Cap, Nomad, US Agent, Bucky Cap, and now Falcon Cap. My idea is still Steve Rogers as Captain America, but he reveals that the narrative we’ve been told for over 70 years is a lie! Because of this revelation, he’s exiled by the U.S. Government, but then, in America’s time of greatest need, with the security and future of the nation teetering in the balance … only one man can rise to the occasion to defend the Red, White, and Blue. Will Steve choose to raise the shield once again, or will he remain in exile? Are you listening Rickey Purdin, talent manager at Marvel? I have an outline and a few pages ready for Captain America: Truth & Justice, My Way. Why? Because I believe there is still way more we can get out Steve Rogers as Captain America without putting him on the sidelines like Marvel has done so many times.
JMH: What future projects are in the works?
OMAR: The only future project I have going right now is the aforementioned outer-space adventure I have rolling around in my head. It’ll probably be a while before I write it. Who knows if I’ll ever publish it, but it’s very much alive and well in my conscious mind.
JMH: Where can readers get a hold of your books?
OMAR: The only book I have out right now is CruZader. Fans can ask for it at their local comic book store with Diamond order # JUL141266, or they can get it in digital format at ComiXology.com. The third option, if they want a personalized, signed copy from me, is to order from my website at:
www.theforcemedia.com/order
In terms of conventions, I am tapering down my appearances for the rest of the year. Right now the only thing I have on the books is Campbell Con in November, www.campbellcon.com.
JMH: How can fans and publishers contact you?
OMAR: Fans can hit me up on Twitter, @TheCruZader. In general, my website is the best way to connect with me because there are links to all my social media, and a contact page where people can send me messages directly:
http://www.theforcemedia.com/contact.html.
JMH: Anything else you'd like to mention that we haven't covered yet?
OMAR: Support indie comics, true believers. These books take an incredible amount of time, passion and energy to create, usually with no return on investment. People that do indie comics are doing it for the love of the game, believe me. Even the worst indie comic out there took a ton of work to produce, print and distribute, so even a few dollars to an indie book makes a difference. Every penny counts. Also, feedback is very important. Good, bad, or indifferent: give indie creators feedback, it’s the only way for them to get better or have the assurance they’re on the right track.
JMH: Omar, CBI appreciates your time! All the best!
OMAR: Some colleagues of mine are starting a website that will constantly feature a variety of indie comics, for example, here’s the CruZader feature:
http://indiecomicspower.com/indie-series-intro-cruzader-agent-of-the-vatican-from-the-force-media-llc/.
Go check out the site and support indie comics!
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