Checking in With…Beau Smith
April 8, 2009 by Gary Rodrigue
Filed under Featured, Interviews
The last real man in comics, Beau Smith, is an accomplished comic book writer who has written for publishers such as DC Comics, Image Comics, Eclipse Comics, Dreamwave Studios, and Dark Horse Comics. His impressive list of credits include works on such titles as Guy Gardner: Warrior, Wildcat vs. Batman, The Black Terror, Green Lantern, and Wynonna Earp just to name a few. Not only a writer, Beau Smith has also served the comic book industry as the VP of Marketing and Publishing for Eclipse Comics, Image Comics, Todd McFarlane Productions/McFarlane Toys and IDW Publishing.
Beau recently answered a few questions for us as part of the newest feature at ComicNews.Info, “Checking in With…”, in which we ask some of our favorite creators a handful of questions related to comics.
For more information on Beau Smith you can visit his website at www.flyingfistranch.com.
What projects are you working on right now?
Right now I’m working on a few things. As a freelancer it’s always good to have as many irons in the fire as possible so that you can put biscuits on the table. Currently I’m scripting WYNONNA EARP: The Yeti Wars. This is the latest mini-series for my creator owned property. It will be published by IDW Publishing, who also published the second series, HOME ON THE STRANGE as well as THE COMPLETE WYNONNA EARP trade paperback. I’m almost done with the third issue (out of four) right now. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, Bigfoot vs. Yeti. I can’t understand why no one has ever done it before. I’ve been wanting to do it since I was a kid and watched Frankenstein vs. The Wolfman and Godzilla vs. King Kong. It takes place in Alaska and there is a range war between the paranormal crime families. Immortals vs the Vampire Nation and all the other creeps and critters in the monster food chain. Enrique Villagran will be doing the art and colors for the series. Enrique and I worked together at Eclipse Comics and then on The Green Lantern Quarterly book at DC Comics. Recently I had my book, NO GUTS, NO GLORY: How To Market Yourself In Comics come out from Blue Line Pro. It’s a blue collar, common sense book on how to break into comics and stay in comics. I just finished a “Classic” Captain Action story for Moonstone Books that will come out in Captain Action #4. I got to work with my good friend and artist from COBB, (IDW) Eduardo Barreto. In this story “A Lie For A Lie. A Tooth For A Tooth”, we get to where the ACTION in Captain Action comes from. Eduardo’s art on this is nothing short of amazing. Captain action deals with Russians that have joined forces with an alien invasion.
What goals, both short and long term, have you set for yourself at this stage in your career?
At this stage of my career I’d like to achieve the same thing I did 21 years ago when I did my first work in comics, to continue to keep working! The comic book business is a lot like Hollywood, it’s hard to get work when you’re a rookie and it’s hard to get work when you’re a veteran. It seems that publishers always want what’s in between. As a creator, it’s kind of a good thing, because it makes you work harder as a rookie and as a veteran to get work and to keep work. Your passion and work ethic has to be full throttle all the time and you always have to have a set of goals and a plan. I’ve been lucky because I work both the business side as well as the creative side. I use that to my full advantage. I’m a product and I try and sell myself as such. Stan Lee made the blue print for that. I try and follow that.
Looking to the future, where do you see the comic book industry five years from now?
With technology changing at warp speed every day, the landscape of comics is almost a blur. I think that in five years the position of our tiny market will be decided. I think we’ll always have the printed comic book, but I also think we’ll have a whole new generation that will consume comics in digital form. It won’t take away from comics or put the printed form out of business, it will become yet another way we read and be exposed to them. The smart publishers will embrace this and make sure their company is a part of digital distribution as well as the physical path. To remain they’ll have to. Their websites and other platforms will have to be a steering tool to their product. One that will be easy access. The downloading of comics has just begun. It will be a very different world in five short years.
What’s the most rewarding experience you’ve ever had while working in the comics industry?
Easily the most rewarding experience in comics for me has been to be able to achieve my grade school dream of being able to write comic books. That means a lot to me. I can remember being a third grader on the school playground dreaming of one day being able to write and create comic books. That dream really hit home with me when I was writing GUY GARDNER for DC Comics. One night I was sitting there doing my script for that month’s issue and all of a sudden it hit me. I had just put words into the mouths of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Hawkman. It took me back to that day as a kid where my dream started. You talk about your teary eyed, Hallmark moment, that was mine.
What is your dream project?
My dream project is to one day write The Sub-Mariner for Marvel Comics. For two reasons. One, The Sub-Mariner has been one of my favorite characters for as long as I can remember. I really believe I have a feel for that character. Two, in all my 21 years of comics, I have never worked for Marvel. They were the company that got me hooked on comics as a kid, yet they are the only company that I haven’t worked for yet. That really needs to happen. At least I think so. Call me! Take my calls!
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Love that Yeti cover, Beau. A thing of beauty. I could see you doing a kick ass Sub-Mariner series.
Bobby
Thank you, Bobby. Much appreciated. I think and hope folks will enjoy the action the humor and some of the pop culture stuff in the book.
I appreciate the post, amigo.
Beau
Looking forward to all these new books from you.. a month without a Beau book is not a real comic book month.
My pleasure, pal.
remember your first comic adventure with beauregard leduke. you put me as a bartender in oklahoma, a far piece from “tavern off the green.”
anyway stopped by the pig and whistle yesterday and this girl behind the bar was all rapt up in reading her comic book. she, didn’t get her name, comics were her favorite past-time and she was all excited because some guy was going to write a comic book taking place in huntington. told her it was already done – more than twenty years ago and that yours truly was a bartender in the opening episode. are you the one doing huntington thing and should i have her sing to your website?
maybe i should my copy of leduke and show her the real thing.
yours truly, burke.
majher bought hhs baseball scoreboard, tina perry got married and moved to pa maybe and joyce kilgore i think is working for the airlines in pa too.