Elders of RuneStone - Quinn Johnson Interview!
Dragon's Keep: Quinn, you have Elders of The RuneStone just off making its debut during FREE COMIC BOOK DAY! However, before we talk Elders of The RuneStone, I wanted to ask, what motivated you to become a creator/writer/artist?

Quinn Johnson: Well, ever since I was a little kid I've always been overflowing with ideas for comics, movies, video games, etc. I've always been obsessed with monsters, superheroes, and ninjas. So you could say it's in my DNA. I started out drawing like crazy, then writing short stories and filling sketchbooks with what I'd now call "concept art" for my various ideas. I knew even then that being a creator / writer / artist was my passion and was what brought me the greatest happiness (besides my family and relationship with God, of course), so I devoted my efforts to it until it's become an actual profession for me. Never give up on your dreams!

DK: "Elders of The RuneStone" of course was recently part of Ape Entertainment's FREE COMIC BOOK DAY anthology. What was the response from readers as a result of the anthology?

QJ: From those I've talked to, all of them have loved it. Of course, the story itself was only five pages long, so we had to basically make it a "snapshot" of what "Elders of the RuneStone" is all about. I read a FCBD critic who said it seemed to be along the lines of "Runaways," so I guess that's a great compliment! I am very excited for Issue #1 to come out so people can really get into the story and the characters; I think it will suck them in very quickly. (You can read the Free Comic Book Day story for free at http://apecmx.com. It's the last five pages of "Cartoona Palooza!")

DK

QJ: Robert Atkins is the series artist; he has just finished drawing the first six issues of the new "G.I.Joe" regular series from IDW and will be back for issues 13-18. He also worked on the "G.I.Joe" series when Devil's Due was the publisher, just finished drawing the "Ultimate Fantastic Four" series finale, and has worked on the "Heroes" web-comics, Marvel special projects, and a lot more. Also, in some breaking news Robert Atkins' is currently drawing an issue of "Amazing Spider-Man"!

We've had three inkers work with us (not including Robert): Rick Ketcham of "X-Men" and "Runaways" fame; Joey Stone, who worked on "Forgotten Realms"; and our current inker is Jonas Trindade. This is Jonas's first professional comics work and he is doing a stellar job! Bob Pedroza is the colorist; he's been with us from day one and is truly incredible! He is also the regular colorist on "The Phantom." I am the series writer and art director; my other credits include "Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and "Scrapyard Detectives."

The very short story of how "Elders of the RuneStone" came together is that I had the first idea in my ninth grade science class and have spent the last fifteen years bringing it to life! I went to the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia, where I met Robert, and it was then that we decided to partner up. We've spent the last several years working on the story in our spare time, coming up with the definitive character designs, ironing out the storyline and written script, and turning out pages. We then assembled the rest of our creative team, and eventually we had enough artwork to put together a preview comic book that we showed off to various publishers at the San Diego Comic-Con last year. This resulted in us getting picked up by the fine folks at Ape Entertainment! It's been a long haul, and we still have a lot of work ahead of us, but our dream is finally coming true.

QJ: I like how longtime "Ninja Turtles" writer and Harvey award-nominee Stephen Murphy described "Elders of the RuneStone": "A confection of equal parts John Woo and John Hughes, glazed with Buffy and filled with Heroes. Sweet." Taking place in Darkhan City, it's the story of four teens from very different backgrounds who are drawn together by the discovery of a glowing "runestone" that gives them amazing superhuman abilities. The four are soon joined by a shadowy vigilante, and together the team must discover the origin and purpose of their powers before a vicious new foe can destroy their world. The series is equal parts superhero action and character drama, with a lot of horror, epic martial arts battles, and romance all throughout.

A quick rundown of the primary characters:

-Scott Harrison, the new guy at the school, who is struggling to figure out his purpose in life after losing his mother to leukemia and moving to Darkhan City when his dad is remarried. He is deeply spiritual, and becomes the moral compass and unofficial leader of the group as they find themselves pulled into a fight to save the city from complete destruction. He gains the ability to transform into a twelve-foot tall giant with tremendous strength and invulnerability, which combined with his keen mind and powerful sense of honor makes him an awesome warrior.

-Kat Ivery, a popular and beautiful cheerleader who begins as a stuck-up snob but is humbled and shaken by witnessing Scott risking his own reputation by standing up for an unpopular girl. Kat starts to slowly change into a more noble person, but struggles to find her identity. She gains the ability to manipulate her own gravity to fly, and can also manipulate the elements in her surroundings, allowing her to shoot fire, create deadly shards of graphite, and more.

-Dain Mabius, a star hockey player and all-around tough guy who throws his weight around and makes life miserable for those who get in his way. He starts out as an antagonist for Scott, but gradually starts to change as he joins the others in their struggle to save Darkhan City. He gains the ability to transform into living electricity and can hack all things electrical with superhuman skill.

-Jenny Jaffa, an outcast at the heroes' high school who has a unique way of seeing the world and gets terribly harassed by the popular crowd for it. She fights back with a funny, razor-sharp wit, but has even deeper troubles than anyone knows. She gains the ability to send explosive shockwaves through anything she touches, and also to summon invincible energy armor to protect herself.

-Zeniff Hassing, a deadly-serious loner who most people try to avoid. Though a teenager like the others, he is secretly Adder, an urban ninja-type vigilante with incomprehensible martial arts skills and superhuman mental abilities. He is the only member of the team who did not receive his abilities from the runestone, and has his own mysterious past and a deadly destiny ahead of him. The lone wolf, he lends his years of experience to the fledgling group of heroes, in turn gaining the only friends he's ever had.