David Hopkins (Writer of "Karma Incorporated" from Viper Comics)

David Hopkins is the writer of Karma Incorporated a 3 issue mini series coming from Viper Comics. In 2004, David self-published a mini-comic titled "Some Other Day", a dark satire on small town life. He's also written short stories for Dead@17: Rough Cut, Silent Forest Television Parody Special, and Western Tales of Terror. David is a producer and host for Fanboy Radio's popular "Indie Show".

 

Mr. A: David, thanks so much for taking time out to chat with us here.

David Hopkins: Thank you for your interest in the series. I hope you like it.

1. For those who haven't checked out Karma Incorporated so far can you give them a synopsis of the book and its characters within?

DH: Sure. Karma Incorporated is the story about these five people who form a business to wreck havoc on people's daily lives. The first series focuses on Marsha Elliot who wrestles with guilt concerning the company. Maybe she never thought Karma Incorporated would actually happen? And when it did, now she has to deal with the fact she hurts people for money. I don't want to go into too many details, but in the very first issue she decides to shut down the operation.

Tom Kurzanski and I are both very proud of what we created with Marsha. She's a great character. And unique to comics. She's not some super sexy bombshell. She's older, a mother, divorced, professionally successful, and not the "love-interest" of some leading male character. How often does that happen with main characters? It's always Julia Roberts or Kate Hudson falling in and out of love, over and over and over again. And yet, Marsha is compelling and complex. If Karma Incorporated ever became a movie, I always see Felicity Huffman playing the role. I think to myself, that's her!

2. Issue #1 is out July from Viper. What are your feelings now this close release?
 

DH:Honestly? A little bit of dread. Maybe it's just me, but I think with most small press comic book creators, there's the realization you've created something good, but nobody may notice. I'm thankful to be with Viper Comics. They're working very hard to get the word out about Karma Incorporated. Either way, without sounding too trite, it's been a lifelong dream to write.

3. How did you meet up with your team Tom Kurzanski and Marlena Hall?

DH: Tom and I met online. I saw some of his art, and was very impressed. I asked if he'd like to collaborate on this Antigone project I was currently working on. He said yes, and did some amazing stuff-- an absolute professional. When the opportunity for Karma Incorporated to be published came along, he was the perfect match.

With Marlena, I had met her husband Ben through our mutual friend Josh. Ben is a comic book artist and we worked on a short story for Western Tales of Terror. Viper wanted to do Karma Incorporated in color-- which works very well with Tom's art style, and so I asked Marlena if she'd wanted to join Team Zissou. Marlena did color for Ben's work, and so we stole his wife.

4. How did you come to work with Viper comics as your publisher and how has that been?

DH: Josh Howard and I knew each other through mutual friends. When Josh started doing Dead@17, he introduced me to Jessie and Jim from Viper. I was invited to write a story for the Rough Cut anthology. Jessie and I knew we wanted to work together on something. It was just a matter of finding the right project.

Viper has been great. I'd happily write for them as long as they want me. I love small press, all of it, and I'm partial to Viper, because I believe in what they're doing. Dead@17. Daisy Kutter. Oddly Normal. Random Encounter. Middleman. That's some great stuff.
(Also, Jessie promised to pay me a dollar for every time I mention Viper in an interview. That's six dollars so far?) That's not to say I wouldn't also write for someone else, if the opportunity came along. For instance, my wife and I are huge fans of Oni Press. I have almost every single book they've published.

5. Anything in the works outside of Karma Incorporated?

DH: Actually... yes. The mad genius Brock Rizy and I have a series coming out from Viper ($7) in early 2006. It's called Emily Edison. We're going crazy with this book. Having a lot of fun, and doing some stuff that's fairly original and offbeat. It's going to be good. Beyond that, I'm waiting to see how people respond to Karma Incorporated. I'd love to write more Karma Incorporated stories.

6. Have you felt nervous during the making of Karma Inc and is it rising or dropping as we inch closer to July?

DH: A little nervous. It's one thing to write a script when you're certain the only people who will read it is your wife and your best friend. It's another thing when you know it's going to be in stores, published by Viper ($8) and available to a larger audience. I became very self-conscious. Issue two was harder to write than issue one. And issue three was harder than two. The last few pages were difficult. Tom and I worked very closely for quite a few weeks trying to get those pages finished. That's the thing about Tom, he's a great writer in his own right. I trust his sensibilities. It's particularly helpful, when I hit a roadblock. It's a good partnership.

7. Were you into comics as a child and are you a collector today?

DH: Oh yes! When I was about 10 years old, my friend Tony let me borrow his comics. That was my first exposure. The first comic I bought was G.I. Joe #59 from Marvel Comics. I picked it up at 7-11. I had lots of trouble reading when I was younger, and so my family was excited to discover I liked comics. As long as I was reading something. Right? To be supportive, my grandparents bought me the graphic novel Cloak & Dagger: Predator and Prey, written by Bill Mantlo, and the entire Cloak & Dagger limited series and first series. Each time I visited my grandparents they'd give me a few more to read. I love Cloak & Dagger. Those early Bill Mantlo ones were so good. Such tragic figures and incredible drama! I read them today, and I'm still amazed. His work was under appreciated. Once the comic book obsession grew, my friend Wim and I would go to all the Dallas Fantasy Fairs. At a young age, I was meeting John Romita Jr, Jim Lee, and Todd McFarlane. It was great. But somewhere, along the way, I lost interest. Around the time of X-Men #1 with those five freakin' variant covers, it just seemed ridiculous to me. The stories weren't interesting any more. I quit comics throughout most of the '90s. Ironically, I started up again when another friend Steven loaned me his Usagi Yojimbo trades. The moral of the story? Loan your comics to your friends!

8. What writers have influenced you in your work?

DH: Am I good enough to have influences? There are writers and creative people who I admire, but I wonder if I could claim any sort of actual influence, where someone reads my stuff and says, "Oh, he's like an idiot version Federico Fellini" or something like that. On second thought, I wouldn't mind someone calling me an "idiot Fellini". That'd be cool. Sorry. Back to the question. Most of my biggest influences are outside of comics-- novelist Douglas Coupland, smart people like Marshall McLuhan and Jean Baudrillard, film makers like Akira Kurosawa, Hitchcock, Wes Anderson, Charlie Kaufman and the films he's written. I'm a Buffy and Firefly geek, so Joss Whedon is at the top of my list. With comic books, I like it all. Right now, I'm enjoying Greg Rucka's Queen and Country. I think Invincible is the best super hero story on the shelf. Kazu Kibuishi's Daisy Kutter, published by Viper ($9), is completely amazing. Bryan Lee O'Malley, Paul Hornschemeier, Craig Thompson, Jim Mahfood, Scott Morse, Brian Bendis, Antony Johnston and many more-- all so good. I've also been reading La Perdida by Jessica Abel. Great series of books.

9. What's your favorite book and character from any time past or present? What book/character would you like to work on the most?

DH: Once again, these impossible questions?! My favorite book and character? I don't know. As of this exact moment, Invincible is a solid read. I wait for the trades and get absolutely goofy excited over what's going on. As for characters I'd like to write, outside of comics, I love the characters of Leon and Mathilda in that Luc Besson film The Professional. They'd make great comic book characters. It'd be fun to write them. Roy Waller, Nick Cage's character, from Matchstick Men would be cool. But the problem is those stories have already been written, all I'd be doing is following up with the crappy and unnecessary sequel. Who wants that?

On the super hero front, I think I could write a good Fantastic Four, Wonder Woman, Superman, or hey... Cloak & Dagger.

10. What can you tell us about David Hopkins that could shock or surprise us?

DH: In junior high, I once set fire to two acres of open field. The grass was dry; the wind was strong, and the fire spread much faster than I could stomp it out. It was stupid, but non-malicious. Is that shocking? Probably not. How about, I really suck at drinking alcohol. I just don't have a taste for it. I end up preferring those girly club drinks like pina coladas and stuff. It's embarrassing. I want to hang out with the cool kids at the bar, and there I am, with an umbrella in my drink. So I stick to being the universal all-time designated driver sipping on a coca-cola.

                                                             

Mr. A: Before departing I must always ask...What piece of advice would you give aspiring creators/writers/illustrators themselves?

DH: There's no single way to be successful. Creating your own unique style or voice only happens as you become more comfortable with the process and that takes time. Some of the best advice I've ever read on creativity, comes from this site --
http://www.gapingvoid.com/Moveable_Type/archives/000876.html

... Oh, and support Viper Comics. (I had to make it an even $10.) Thanks.

 

Thanks, Mr. Avalanche