This is definitely one of my top professional achievements. This is a labor of love I've been working [on] for years; to see it illustrated and featured on the main page of a top comic book site is nothing short of amazing.
- Richard Pulfer, Hero
Winner of the Direct To Development Competition
Hometown Hero Featured
Some Q&A with Richard Pulfer
The Rockford Register Star -- the Rock River Valley's leading information source -- caught up with our latest comic creator, Richard Pulfer. Richard's pitch quickly become a fan favorite in our community and went on to narrowly win the first Direct to Development competition. Fittingly enough, the book went live on Halloween and has quickly begun garnering praise.
Word of Richard's fanboy cred has spread even into the mainstream media scene in his hometown. The Rockford Register Star has put a solid interview of our man, his process, and hopes for the future. Read on!
And if you haven't read Bat and Wolf, what are you waiting for?
Question: What is particularly challenging about comic book writing?
Answer: Writing comics is all about telling the story succinctly. Not only do you have to fit all the dialogue in the space of the artwork, but you also have to figure out how many panels are needed on a page. You have to do all of this while giving the artwork its due and keeping readers interested. Ultimately, the process can be a bit daunting at first, but it can also be exhilarating when you see the final product.
Q: Do you relate personally to any of the characters?
A: I definitely see a lot of myself in the vampire Montague. He's physically based on me, because you don't see a lot of Big & Tall-sized characters in comics -- you usually only see the extremely large characters like the Blob and Kingpin. He's also a Christian like me, as his predicament echoes a struggle with faith.
Q: From where do you draw inspiration?
A: I take inspiration from everywhere, because I think, as writer, you have to. My inspiration can come from what I’ve seen on my walks or what I've seen in the newspapers as well as books, television and movies of every genre, and of course, comic books.
Q: Did you grow up wanting to be a comic book writer?
A: I grew up wanting to be a writer, and many of my first stories were heavily influenced by comics like X-Men and WildCATs, but I didn't really completely connect the dots until I was well into college, when Marvel Comics briefly started taking submissions again.
Q: What other kinds of writing/topics do you do?
A: I try to use freelance writing to stay current on a variety of subjects. In addition to blogs and webcomic reviews, I also write TV reviews for Go Now and book reviews for the Rockford Review. In November, I'm going to be participating in National Novel Writing Month with a few fellow writers from Zeroes2Heroes.
Q: What do you enjoy most about your work?
A: I love seeing my work visually realized, seeing my characters and ideas go from a page to a picture. It's really where the collaborative nature of comics comes into play, as the artist brings his or her own unique perspective to your script. "Bat & Wolf" artist Daniel Bradford has done a great job illustrating my characters exactly as I intended, while still surprising me every step of the way.
