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.

QJ: I'd say it's that this series is everything I ever wanted in a comic book. It's got incredibly cool fight scenes and action. It keeps that sense of wonder about people with superpowers, unlike some comic book universes where superheroes are everywhere and the norm. And it's got deep character development, with characters I love because I've hung out with them for so long. The protagonists are truly valiant good guys who are striving, despite their own imperfections, to use what they've been given to help people. The book gets into some pretty dark territory due to the caliber of villains they come up against, but it never loses its theme that the world is a good place and worth fighting for. I guess I sound like I'm heaping praise on myself, but in reality I experience the series like an outside fan and it gets me really excited, if that makes any sense!

QJ: The pros are definitely that because of our partnership with Ape Entertainment, we completely retain ownership of the characters. It's our baby and always will be; Ape gives great advice and suggestions to make the story stronger, but we never have to worry about losing our creation to someone else. The cons are that while I love and respect Marvel and DC, the reality is that they pretty much own the comics industry, so it's very difficult for an independent book to compete with their exposure and sales. It's an uphill battle, but I totally believe in what we have and think it's just a matter of time before "Elders of the RuneStone" becomes a big hit! Oh yeah, and because it takes time for an independent book like ours to make a substantial amount of money back, production and marketing is very expensive and very, very time-consuming. But it's an investment that's definitely worth the sacrifices!

QJ: The first highlight was to see Robert's awesome artwork of the characters that I created as a kid and to have it hit me, "Holy cow! This looks like a real comic book!" And then to get published by Ape Entertainment and see our first Free Comic Book Day story come out nationwide and to hold it in my hands, it again hit me, "Holy cow! This IS a real comic book!" To see your lifelong dream become a physical reality, and to see other people picking it up for the first time and getting excited about like I've been, is an experience I can't describe!

QJ: One of the coolest parts of the series is the foes who the heroes must battle, including the hulking, psychopathic killer Smiley, and the deadly Vegaz gang that infests Darkhan City. But even these guys are nothing compared to the true villains of the story. Though I'd say the book is PG-13 in content, there is some pretty scary stuff. These are some truly evil bad guys. One thing they all have in common, besides being incredibly deadly, is that they think nothing of killing anyone who stands in their way, teenagers or not. This is no cheesy Saturday morning cartoon. Get ready for a truly intense story!

QJ: Right now my full focus is on the production and distribution of "Elders of the RuneStone." We're in the thick of production, and though it's a stretch goal, are working hard to have Issue #1 in some form or another ready to show off at the San Diego Comic-Con this year! I'm still revising the script for the later issues, which is an awesome experience. I'm also looking into talking to some of the folks at San Diego and seeing if I can get involved in writing scripts for their books. "Hellboy" would be way cool, but I'm not going to bite off more than I can chew just yet.

QJ: Right now we are working with Ape Entertainment to hammer out our actual release schedule, but if all goes according to plan, we'll have the first issue in print by January 2010, with a possible electronic release before that, in the next few months. For up-to-date information, you can always check out our official website http://runestonecomic.com , and I highly encourage one and all to subscribe to our weekly podcast, The Darkhan City Times Awesome Things Podcast! (http://runestonecomic.com/podcast ) It's a great way to stay on top of the newest news with "Elders of the RuneStone" and also hear our tips for breaking into the industry, reviews on comics, movies and video games, and also to hear our slew of terrible jokes.

QJ: The single biggest thing that has developed my skills was going to the Savannah College of Art and Design, where I graduated in the Sequential Art major. The entire course of study is built around honing your skills in comic book storytelling, including art, writing, conceptual illustration, and more. The professors are professionals in the industry and are fantastic. In addition to just the classes and assignments teaching me volumes, I also became close friends with many amazingly talented individuals who I have networked with over the years, leading to many opportunities and experiences I never would have had otherwise. Other than that, being partners on "Elders of the RuneStone" with Robert Atkins and learning from him has taught me so much about the comics industry. Lastly, I've learned a ton simply by working my tail off and following my dream; when it comes down to it, only hard experience can teach you all you need to know, and I'm still learning all the time. It's never-ending!

QJ: My work ethic is that I know what I want; I know my dream and I put in the time to get done what needs doing. That includes spending my nights after work at my full-time job and my days off working on scripts, honing our website, writing on our blog, writing outlines for and recording our weekly podcast, having conference calls and meetings with my creative team, Ape Entertainment, and my legal representatives on the business side of the series, etc. I guess that makes it sound like I never have time for anything else in life, but that's not true; in fact, it's Robert who never sleeps as he grinds out page after page! And the fact that I love working on the series makes it not seem much like work at all. Although it is a LOT of work.

DK

QJ: Oh man, I would love to work with Peter Laird, Stephen Murphy and the other fantastic folks in Mirage Studios' "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" camp again. I'd also like to work with "Usagi Yojimbo"'s Stan Sakai in some capacity, as well as Mike Mignola on "Hellboy" or "B.P.R.D." I'd also welcome the chance to work on something with Doug TenNapel of "Earthworm Jim" and "Sockbaby" fame.

QJ: Just a few thoughts. Work your hardest to hone your skills and make your chosen project as good as it can be; look at setbacks, challenges and failures as opportunities to learn and do better the next time. Realize that breaking in takes time and money; see your dream as an investment, and be willing to do what it takes to make it a reality. Success doesn't always mean getting rich, it is also measured in happiness and helping other people. Never, never, never give up on a dream that is worthwhile. And most importantly, involve God in your cause. I know from personal experience that He cares about what you care about, and if your goal is good and you're doing all you can, He will make miracles happen in your endeavors.

QJ: Hmm. Well, how about more self-promotion? Check out our "Elders of the RuneStone" Facebook group, our movie trailer on YouTube, and again, our podcast on http://runestonecomic.com/podcast/ . And of course, buy lots and lots of comics from Dragon's Keep! Those guys are extremely awesome! Thanks for the interview, it's been a blast!