FRANCO’S FREE-FOR-ALL FRIDAYS…
By FRANCO
I’ve had a long-term working relationship with my pal Scoot McMahon and we have a new graphic novel from Papercutz hitting shelves Feb. 17 — Ninja Kaiju! So, we sat down for a chat about it — and are sharing some EXCLUSIVE, never-before-revealed pages:
Franco: So let’s talk about how I make you work with me all the time. How does that sit with you?
Scoot: Ha! It’s fun, that’s the main thing. It doesn’t feel like work. It’s kind of like being in study hall at school and we’re just messing around drawing and talking. Definitely doesn’t feel like work.
Franco: OK, gotta admit, if we were in study hall together, we would probably get in trouble
Scoot: Well, I feel like my experience in study hall was they let me draw and create so I wouldn’t get in trouble. But that’s the fun of it too — there is this element of childlike energy that we were able to tap into for creating stories for kids and adults. Or, we would get in trouble if the teacher saw what we were doing and then they would want a copy of the homemade comic we were making.
Franco: So not a burden working with me — that’s good! How did Ninja Kaiju come into your life?
Scoot: You called and asked me about putting two things together like Ninja and Kaiju — talked about all the silly things that would happen. It was a funny idea. I did some drawings, you did too.
Franco: I knew when I first had the idea, I said, “I gotta call Scoot!’ I knew your cartooning and designs would be the perfect fit for the tone of what I wanted the story to be.
Scoot: Yeah, we really wanted to stretch the limit of silliness. We went totally silly with zombie fish, polar bears and kaiju powers. Just be as silly as we could.
Franco: What’s your favorite part of the book?
Scoot: I like Chapter 2! The Kaiju is fighting the robot that can’t be defeated and then the Kaiju discovers what he eats will change his powers — so that is my favorite part! It was fun to draw but also fun and a different sort of power we haven’t seen with this kind of monster. Like I said, silly but fun.
Franco: What about our adversaries?
Scoot: Yeah, the villains are really fun and silly! Just fun visually to draw. Scientists, security guards. Fun to read and lots of fun visual gags in the book.
Franco: Final question: What would you do if you were suddenly changed into a giant Kaiju — would you have ninja powers or something else?
Scoot: It would be cool to change into a giant beast like that. I would want to be able to communicate with other giant beasts or ancient beasts like the big blue whale or something like that. That would be fun.
Franco: But now everyone has the chance to see what happens when a little ninja turns into a big, giant kaiju!
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Want more FRANCO’S FREE-FOR-ALL FRIDAYS? Come back next week!
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— The Tale of the AW YEAH UNIVERSE. Click here.
— WWE’S ROYAL RUMBLE: BAT PUNK Would Take Them All Out. Click here.
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Franco and his forehead have traveled the world and he writes and draws stuff. Franco is the creator, artist and writer of Patrick the Wolf Boy and Aw Yeah Comics! Franco has worked on books/comics, including Tiny Titans and Superman Family Adventures. Franco was also a high-school teacher and is one of the principal owners of Aw Yeah Comics retail stores. Dan made Franco add that he has won three Eisners.
His other new book, with Art Baltazar, is Action Cat & Adventure Bug: Let’s Do This! from Papercutz.
