FUBAR 2 Q&A with Jeff McComsey

FUBAR: Empire of the Rising Dead hits comic book stores next month, at which point everyone can stop listening to me rail on and on incessantly about this World War II zombie anthology and go buy a copy for themselves, afterwards I will probably begin railing incessantly about the quickly developing volume three.  One thing at a time, though.

I recently chatted with FUBAR Commander-in-Chief Jeff McComsey, the brains behind this undead operation, and below are the results of this session, interspersed with preview pages from the new collection of stories from writers and artists from around the world.  In this interview, McComsey announces that while the book ships from Diamond to stores in mid-December, there will be a nationwide signing event taking place on January 7th, 2012.  As I mentioned a little bit earlier, I'll be signing copies of this book at Pittsburgh Comics on this day, a Saturday.

McClelland: Even though I got involved with FUBAR at the tail end of volume 1, it's still been interesting for me to see the notable growth of the concept between then (early 2010) and now with volume 2.  How has the concept of FUBAR changed between its inception and what it is now?

McComsey: The concept as far as it being a World War 2 zombie anthology has stayed pretty much the same. What has changed is its size. We went from roughly 17 contributors in volume one to roughly 40 creators for volume two. The scale of the project has been for me an immense source of pride for me. Through this monster I've gotten to work with a veritable army of Small-Press Commandos. I think we were all waiting for a project and FUBAR just happened to be it.

McClelland: What's been the reaction to FUBAR so far, and how has that reaction shaped the development of FUBAR in its current state?

McComsey: The creators involved have been consistently gung ho about helping finish and promoting this project.  We do a lot of conventions with this book and the reaction has been phenomenal, [especially] after doing the handful of cons that FUBAR attends and seeing that we have some legitimate fans. I always say this will be the last volume until we get the book out for sale and the reaction always has me immediately planning the next.

McClelland: We're dealing with a fictional universe filled with zombies - on the surface, anyway, this isn't something that hasn't been been done before.  How do you find a way to craft stories that make the tried-and-true idea of the dead come back to life fresh and vital again?  Is there a formula for success when it comes to zombie stories?

McComsey: There are, for me, two types of stories we do in FUBAR. First, there are the stories that are meticulously researched and carry the seriousness and respect due the grim subject matter of World War 2. The second are completely bat-shit crazy seat-of-your-pants style WW2 zombie bashing tales, reminiscent of "Inglorious Basterds". If submitted stories fall anywhere in those two neighborhood, I’m a happy camper.

McClelland: For the most part, the stories in volume 1 seem to be contained within their own pages - that is, I didn't get the idea that these stories shared the same "space".  The first story in volume 2, though, seems to imply at least a basic cohesion, or at least a link between volumes.  Do the stories of FUBAR vol. 2 share the same "universe" as that of vol. 1?  Should they?  Are these stores best considered as individual pieces or part of a larger whole?

McComsey: I wrote the first story as a kind of bridge between the two volumes, but overall, the stories all exist in their own universes. In the first volume we had a rough timeline for the outbreak, but with the nature of the Pacific Theater of WW2, a timeline would have been problematic, so we opened the entire conflict to the writers.

McClelland: What are some of your favorite stories from volume two, and what should readers look forward to when they pick up the book in December?

McComsey: It’s hard to say for me. I’m very proud of the short that Jorge [Vega] and I did called “Wild Blue”.  Jim McMunn illustrated not one, but three shorts in this volume. Those are some of my favorites. The thing that fans of the first volume will dig is that this book has over 100 more pages than the first volume. This second volume is absurdly huge.

McClelland: FUBAR has made a number of convention stops in the past months.  What appeals to you about setting up at a con?

McComsey: I love doing conventions. We go all out for the booth set up, and watching it draw people in is always amazing to see. That combined with the sketches we do in the front of the books for the people who buy them makes my FUBAR con experiences very memorable.

McClelland: You've put out word of a big signing event at various points around the country when the book is released.  What stores are you planning on visiting when this book goes on sale?

Yes, we are organizing a large signing event for January 7^th at several shops across the country. I will be at "Comic Book Jones" on Staten Island holding it down with my partners in crime, Dominic [Vivona] and Steve [Becker].

McClelland: Lastly, here's a random question that nevertheless demands and answer: who was/is your favorite Ninja Turtle and why?  WHAT IS THE SECRET OF THE OOZE?!?

McComsey: That’s a toughie. I clearly remember being a Raphael fan. His weapons were the worst but he was a smartass and somehow as a kid that endeared him to me. The secret of the ooze is that while it looked awesome in the JC Penny’s catalog, your parents were way too smart to give you a pile of viscous neon green snot substance for Christmas.

Many thanks to Jeff for putting up with some of my more asinine questions for the second time.  To learn more about FUBAR: Empire of the Rising Dead, go here: http://zombiefubar.wordpress.com/

Q&A with Fubar's Jeff McComsey, part 1

How many times have I promoted the WWII/zombie anthology FUBAR (now on sale!) on this blog?  The answer: NOT ENOUGH!  Not only does this collection contain a certain short story by myself and Leonardo Pietro, but it's masterminded by the inimitable Jeff McComsey.  After meeting Jeff at April's Pittsburgh Comicon, it was easy to see that he was a strong voice in the independent comics scene.  It was there that I picked up a copy of his American Terror graphic novel, and I've been impressed by everything he's done since.

Jeff was kind enough to type out some answers to the many questions I recently asked him.  Normally I designate who is speaking during these Q&A sessions with their initials; that's a problem this time around.  I guess I'll write out last names.  That would work.  Whatever.

McClelland: In my opinion, the comics field has changed a great deal in the last 20 years, in that there appears to be greater diversity but a dwindling base of readers.  Maybe I think that because I'm more aware of different books than I was at, oh, age nine, but it seems there's more choice if someone wants to read something different.


How do you react to that as an independent creator?   Do you have more opportunity in today's market with the gradual acceptance of graphic novels in mainstream culture?  Do you still have to worry about reaching potential readers with comic readership declining since the days of the Death of Superman storyline?


McComsey: I do feel like sometimes that I missed the black and white boom that TMNT brought out in the mid 1980s to the early 1990s.  As a guy who does almost exclusively black and white, that would have been nice. It’s still tough to get a book distributed through comic shops with Diamond’s benchmark and the fickleness of most shop owners, though. What I have found is that it seems like conventions are getting better traffic than they used to.

FUBAR, for example, was able to finance its various print runs by selling books at conventions. While the numbers buying from shops are shrinking it seems more folks are willing to shell out for a book they like at a con or to attend them in the first place. It’s similar to what musicians have encountered since downloading/piracy has taken a huge bite out of album sales. If the band wants to make money they have to tour.  

As an indie creator, the con circuit is crucial for turning any profit at all or promoting a project. They’re also a bunch of fun and great opportunities to meet other cool creators like yourself.

McClelland:  What is it about horror comics that appeal to so many readers?  Ten years ago, I don't know if there were more than a half dozen dedicated horror-themed books on the shelves, and now they seem to be all over.

McComsey: Horror comics in particular is a genre that comes and goes.  It, along with stuff like war and romance comics, was there at the birth of the medium and never vanishes for very long.


As a creator, horror/zombie books are extremely fun to draw and write, and I think most creators given the opportunity jump at the chance of testing their mettle in a genre that has had stellar work done by those who came before us.


McClelland: What was the switch that all of sudden turned 'on'?


McComsey: I think one of the reasons for the sudden resurgence of horror books is the fact that most horror tropes are well known amongst readers. You can pick up a stray zombie/horror comic and already know more or less what you need to know to enjoy it, unlike most mainstream comics where there is a built in continuity that either you’re familiar with or you’re not.

McClelland: FUBAR includes over a dozen creators on its various stories.  How difficult is it to coordinate all of the different creators in an effort to form a cohesive project?

McComsey: I think the trick is to take it one step at a time.  Find writers to write stories, then find some artists to draw them.  About a million emails later and you’ve got a book. With the story side of these operations I had help in the form of Jorge Vega.  Jorge is a writer friend who I’ve worked with a bunch and I trust his objective assessment of material.  Along with his organizational skills, Jorge was a huge help in the first stage of FUBAR.

McClelland: What challenges do you face from an editorial standpoint?

McComsey: When it comes to collecting/editing the art, I am very used to that process and understand what it’s like to contribute to a book like FUBAR when there’s no pay and even the book being published can’t be guaranteed.  It was important for me not to “bug” contributors, but to keep people excited for the book and help everybody knock out stellar work that they’ll be proud to show off.

While having so many contributors made it tricky to initially put the book together, it was the biggest help when it came time to promote FUBAR.  That also means over a dozen guys and girls posting to Facebook and their respective blogs spreading the word.

I'll stop there and pick up in a few days.  Check out more of Jeff's work here: http://mccomseycomix.wordpress.com/ and here: http://zombiefubar.wordpress.com/.  You can buy a copy of FUBAR: Volume 1 at any comic shop or through Amazon.com.