Things…happen out in the desert. Madison never really expected they’d happen to her. Not bad things anyway. Not at a party with so many people. She can handle herself. She’s been through everything. But her new home of Yuma, Arizona has plans for Madison in 12-Gauge Comics’ new graphic novel Afflicted. Shane Riches and Jose Holder’s new superhero yarn is out in print this Fall, but you can download it for multiple platforms right now.
We talked to 12-Gauge Comics President Keven Gardner about the publisher’s plans for digital distribution and writer Shane Riches about crafting a unique teen superhero origin.
From AFFLICTED
iFanboy: Keven, for anyone who’s unfamiliar with 12-Gauge, how would you describe your catalog of books? For instance, we’ve really enjoyed Jason Latour and Chris Brunner’s southern crime yarn Loose Ends. What kind of stories do you gravitate to?
Keven Gardner: I appreciate the kind words regarding LOOSE ENDS. I wish I could tell you that the last issue of the limited series was finished, but I can tell you that Chris Brunner (the artist) is working away and won’t rest until it is done. But I’m so proud of that series; it’s what comic books are all about, at least to me. Creators creating something they love and are completely invested in from beginning to end because it’s a part of them. My goal from day one of publishing was to make comics that I loved with creators I respected, who would flourish because they had the freedom to do their own thing. That’s still what 12-Gauge is about.
As far as our catalogue and what I gravitate to, I’ve always loved crime and action books, so 12-Gauge has a strong focus on those genres (although our only rule is a quality story with quality art). Our very first book back in 2004, THE RIDE, is still one of my favorites. We’re actually doing a new limited series, THE RIDE: “SOUTHERN GOTHIC” starting in August. It has stories from Ron Marz, David Lapham, Tomm Coker, Rick Leonardi, Tom Raney, Kody Chamberlain, and many more. It’s an amazing package that I highly recommend. Other titles like ICE, LUKE MC BAIN, R.P.M., and 25 TO LIFE, are squarely in the action/crime space. But that’s not all we do. MAGUS (with art by Rebekah Isaacs) and AFFLICTED both deal with characters who have superpowers, they just aren’t wearing tights like they would if they were Marvel or DC books. Both are very original stories that don’t play by the established rules, which I just love. ANTI, which is out in a few weeks, is also in that vein. And I think they’re all pretty damn good and worth a read, no matter which one you might decide to give a shot first.
iF: Let’s talk about Afflicted. Shane, tell us a bit about the new kids in school, Madison and Lincoln. What kind of life have they left behind? How bumpy a transition can they look forward to in Yuma, Arizona?
Shane Riches: Madison and Lincoln leave behind a life in Denver that they loved but was tinged with sadness over the death of their mother. Madison accepted her mother’s loss matter-of-factly — sort of a ‘no point on dwelling what you can’t change’ mentality. Lincoln is still pissed at the world and wishes they would have stayed in Denver.
Both can look forward to an extremely bumpy transition. Madison was always on the fringe of popularity before the move, in the shadow of her twin brother. Now she wants to prove she can have fun, too. Problem is, the clique she gets wrapped up with is just about the most dangerous group of teenagers in existence. And she’s going to have to deal with powers that may take her to dark regions she never thought she’d go.
Lincoln is a badass but he’s an ordinary teenager who suddenly must battle these vindictive teens with extraordinary powers — all while also worrying about his sister being wrapped up in this popular, powerful group. It’s the ultimate David versus Goliath. But Goliath in Afflicted is several scary teenagers who use their powers to do whatever they want.
From AFFLICTED
iF: On top of it all, Madison goes through a pretty significant change out in the desert, developing some incredible new abilities. But the title of this series isn’t “Yay! Powers!.” How quickly does a teenager realize her super powers are more of an “affliction?”
S.R.: The powers are an affliction pretty much right away though it does ebb and flow. When Madison gets her powers, it’s horrific. No one gives her a magic ring or suit of armor where she can have that carefree, fly around the world experience. Instead, receiving the powers hurts like hell. It’s a painful, miserable event but she doesn’t really understand what’s happening to her at the time.
When the powers begin to manifest, they are frightening and hard to control. I really wanted to have a nice tense scene of her not being able to control the manifestation of her powers in the classroom – a complete loss of her own body in front of peers. It taps into the horrors of high school we all felt as teenagers — changing bodies, public embarrassment, keeping secrets from parents.
Once Madison starts to control her abilities, there are moments where she lets loose and has fun. But she quickly discovers that there are extraordinarily dark aspects, too — that this is not a gift, but an affliction. The powers basically turn the kids into monsters.
In a world where a teenager’s place on the social ladder hinges on what’s posted on Facebook and where bullying can even lead to suicide, Afflicted examines the ever increasing peer pressure to be part of the “in crowd” and what it means to have real power – as well as the dark lengths we go to maintain power and popularity.
iF: There are a lot of teenagers mulling about in Afflicted. What is your philosophy when it comes to portraying kids and teens with authentic voices?
S.R.: Never ever dumb it down. I don’t ever try to write in a young voice with teenagers. That would come off as phony or cheesy. Think about it — when most of us are in high school, we don’t consider ourselves kids. We think we’re basically adults and can go out there and conquer the world. With that in mind, the biggest difference with teen voices is that they should be a little less jaded than an adult. Excited about life and ready to knock down a few walls. So I give teenagers real voices with all the fun, conflict and emotions we all feel as teenagers.
iF: Keven, we’ve been enjoying 12-Gauge comics digitally for a while now. Tell us a bit about the 12-Gauge approach to digital comics now and moving forward.
K.G.: AFFLICTED is a perfect example of what 12-Gauge will be doing moving forward, and that is trying to push our properties out to the widest possible audience. Shane and I have known each other for a few years (I packaged his brother’s OGN, THE SAFEST PLACE, through Image) and when he pitched AFFLICTED to me as a graphic novel I knew going “digital first” was the best plan. Being an OGN meant that retailers were going to have to take a leap of faith on something that they weren’t familiar with and that wasn’t necessarily cheap. We’re hoping that people will read it digitally and word of mouth will spread. Retailers can also go on our Facebook page, into iBooks, the Kindle Fire, etc., and read a nice chunk of AFFLICTED for free before ever having to place an order. To me, as a former retailer, I think that’s going to be a helpful tool.
And we’re working on getting our entire stable of books up digitally as many places as possible. We should have some announcements on that front soon, but it is on the way. I think that digital books are a great way to create a new audience and bring old fans back, and that will eventually bring more customers into comic stores.
Afflicted is available through the following online resources:
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