After reading the previous article on CBM about Johnathon Ross' project Golden Age, I realized the concept rang a bell. It didn't take much digging for me to be reminded of the fantastic book Old School, written by Robert Richardson and illustrated by Alan Gallo. So I got in touch with Robert and asked him a few questions.
Before I get started on this I should mention: neither Robert or myself mean to imply that Johnathon Ross has stolen his idea. I'm sure he's never even heard of Old School. I did find it funny that they were so happy with what an original idea they thought they had found. But that's just the way it goes sometimes.
1. Summarize the concept and basic idea behind Old School.
RR) I always liked the fact that Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman have been around for so long. I appreciate the need to re-set and de-age the characters periodically to keep them fresh, but I always kind of wished I could read about these characters as they aged in real time. That older Superman who showed up for a little bit in one of the Crisises was really fascinating -- I wish we'd gotten to follow his adventures for a while.
Old School probably came out of that interest: what if all the original superheroes had aged in real time? What would heroes be like in their seventies and eighties? So that's basically what Old School is: a bunch of old people -- some still on the ball, some long-retired -- coming together to solve a problem that only they can solve.
2. How long ago did you start work on Old School?
RR) I started Old School right after I finished the script for my first graphic novel, The Matriarch. Old School isn't a sequel per se, but a few elements from The Matriarch carry over into Old School, and characters cross over, so I had a bit of a running start on Old School.
3. Give us a list of some other projects you have completed, and then tell us what’s coming up next for you.
RR) I had The Matriarch and 3 from Arcana, and Martin Morazzo and I competed at DC's Zuda imprint with Urbis Faerie, and then we won with Absolute Magnitude, which we got to do for a year. I've got some pitches out now with some great artists, and my fingers crossed.
4. What books, comics or otherwise, are you reading now?
RR) I recently discovered that while the recognized masterpieces of a lot of literary figures may not necessarily be for me, they'll often have less famous -- and usually much thinner -- books that I really like. I just read Dostoevsky’s Notes From the Underground, for instance, which is really hilarious.
5. How did you meet (penciler) Alan Gallo and how did you know he was the right guy for the job?
RR) I saw a single drawing Alan had done on the internet somewhere -- a pin-up, not even a sequential page -- and I immediately knew I had to work with him.
6. As a writer, do you just hand over a big fat script and say “Have at it!” Or do you watch the progression of the artwork?
RR) Usually you do five pages or so to pitch to publishers, so that becomes a little Petri dish for how you work together, and you can adjust for the next batch. I monitor the art as it comes in, but you never need to ask for changes with someone like Alan.
7. Do you have a regimented writing schedule or do you prefer to work whenever the feeling strikes you?
RR) Ha! I wish it was either of those things: generally I just write whenever I can.
8. Tell me one thing you absolutely love about comics and then something you would change.
RR) I really love interconnected universes, and the big payoffs that come from interconnected stories years in the making. Ironically, this is also the thing about comics I would change, because while it works for me, it is very new reader unfriendly, and new readers are what comics needs most right now.
9. If you can imagine a life without comics, what would you be doing right now?
RR) Getting into comics? No, I was writing prose for several years before I started writing comics, and still do, so I assume I'd be doing that. I'm pretty fond of all forms of writing, though comics holds a special place for me.
10. If people took one thing away from reading Old School, what do you hope it would be?
RR) Old School tells the same story most every superhero story tells at its core: good vs. evil where good comes very, very close to losing before triumphing in the end. I hope Old School reminds readers that stories of heroism like that can truly be for all ages -- not just young readers, but elderly ones as well.
If you are interested in checking out Old School the link below will take you to the Arcana site.