Michel Gagné: Q&A

Posted: Thursday, November 11, 2004
Posted By: Tim O'Shea

Michel Gagné is a creator that I never get tired of interviewing (and I think the only creator I've interviewed more is Kurt Busiek). Gagné's love of storytelling takes him into several different mediums, often at the same time. I could waste your time by trying to do a summation of his career so far, but his interviews take you in such varying directions and so quickly, I think it best to leap head first into the interview. Suffice to say Gagné is a busy man, and I consider myself fortunate to get the time to interview him every time that I do. Enjoy.

Tim O’Shea: Have you been pleased with the response so far to your two most recent releases, ZED Resurrection and Freaky Flora?

Michel Gagné: The reaction to Freaky Flora has been great. Besides my usual fan base, this book is reaching a totally new demographic. It’s becoming a big favorite of plant lovers and people who are into gardening and such. I personally think the book has an elegant simplicity and I’m very proud of the artwork (you can view several pages by clicking here). It’s not quite the hit that “Insanely Twisted Rabbit” or “Frenzied Fauna” was, but I’m getting some awesome feedback.

ZED #5 has had a very limited release at this point. We printed a small amount for the San Diego Comic-Con 2004 and for our small distributors. We sold out every copy we brought in San Diego. I’m hoping that we will get a similar response when Diamond solicits the issue in February’ Previews for an official April 2005 release. I’m also planning on releasing ZED #6 (click here to view the first 5 pages) in June 2005 and ZED #7 at the end of 2005. With everything I’ve got going, it’s hard to find time for ZED. I only get to do about one finished page a week.

TO: In terms of Zed, does nothing intimidate you? Why I ask is I dare say the average creator wouldn't even attempt to render God...and yet you did. Any hesitation in doing so?

MG: As I mentioned in the past, I do ZED for myself first and foremost. I deal with issues that I find interesting and relevant. Bringing God in the story was something I wanted to do since the very beginning. I wanted to do it in a completely non-religious way. In my story, God is another alien. But what he signifies is important to the whole story. ZED went through a lot of really horrible stuff in the first four issues. Some reviewers have even called me sadistic! At this point, I felt that I needed to offer ZED some closure and give answers. This issue is really pivotal. It marks the point where ZED stops being a victim and becomes pro-active.

I'm excited to start focusing more on personality. The first four issues are very broad in terms of storytelling. They're fast paced and rely on big events to forward the plot: the Nob-L celebration; the Energizing Machine; the explosion of Xandria killing 60 billions (including ZED's parents); Maxuss invading Gallos; the death of the Gallossian Emperor; and ultimately, the “death of ZED”.

This issue is slower, more intimate. I also tried to give it a surreal / ethereal feel.

I’m jazzed about what’s coming next too. If you think bringing God into the mix is controversial, wait until you see what I’ve got in store for the upcoming issues! ZED is one of the reason I joined the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund!

TO: On a related note, is that your subtle humor sneaking in when you have the characters get to and say: Heaven's Gate!

MG: Sure! I think ZED is full of humor. I’m constantly cracking myself up when I write/draw the strip. It’s interesting to see how people react to my humor. Some people think Zed is hilarious; they love the writing (one reviewer even described ZED's writing as “sublime” others think it's absolutely terrible. Some people have even suggested that I get a professional writer or remove the dialogue entirely. Well, that ain’t gonna happen! ZED is my baby and I will be the sole author of the series for better or for worse. I use two people I dearly respect (my wife and writer/columnist Bob Miller) as my sounding board. If they give me thumbs up, it’s good enough for me!

TO: In past interviews we discussed some of your influences, In the front and back of Freaky Flora, you quote no less than three folks: Frank Lloyd Wright, Marc Chagall and George Santayana. Care to explain their respective influence on this work?

MG: I selected the quotes because I liked them. I didn’t pick them for their authors. As a matter of fact, I had no clue who George Santayana was, until I found his quote. To me, the three quotes express concisely the way I felt doing the book.

Re-designing actual plants with my “Insanely Twisted” spin was actually quite a challenge. Nature is already weird and wonderful. I almost felt inadequate trying to re-interpret. Chagall’s quote (“Art is the unceasing effort to compete with the beauty of flowers and never succeeding“), showed me that some of the best artists in history have had the same kind of insecurities. That quote as well as the other two just hit home.

TO: Each letter of the alphabet is represented in Freaky Flora. Given your fertile mind, I was wondering if you ended up with more than one piece for a certain letter that didn't make the final cut.

MG: Oh yeah, many. At some point, I had tulips, Venus flytrap, dandelion, water melon, daisies, grass and many more. I selected the pieces I felt worked the best together. There’s always a point, when I create a book, where I go overboard and I have way more artwork than I can fit in. Ultimately, I need to be selective. The whole process is very organic. One day, maybe I’ll do a book with all my rejected images!

TO: And who other than you knows what a “Globe Thistle” is?

MG: A “Globe Thistle”? Everybody knows what that is ;)

TO: For longtime fans of yours, what involvement did you have in the preparation of the Iron Giant Special DVD?

MG: I wasn't involved in the making of the DVD but I’m really looking forward to it.

Bill Liebowitz, owner of Golden Apple in LA, organized a great event for the release of the DVD on November 20. As some you may know, Bill passed away a couple of weeks ago. It was a shock for all of us who have known him for years. Bill was a good friend of mine. Despite his passing, the store, now in the hands of Sharon Liebowitz (Bill's wife), will go forward with the event. I think Bill would have wanted it this way.

There will be over two dozens people from the production crew that will be there to discuss and show behind the scene artwork from the film. I put together a binder filled with photocopies of special effects designs I did for the film. I'll try to give the fans an insight of what FX design for animated films really is. IG Enthusiasts should really check this out. It's going to be an awesome event (Click here for info).

TO: What can you tell us about your upcoming projects Odd Numbers (a 32-page full color hardcover coming out April 2005)?

MG: Odd Numbers is in the same vein as Frenzied Fauna and Freaky Flora, except this time I’m using numbers instead of the alphabet. The book is 32 pages and goes from 1 to 30 (there are no numbers on the title and copyright pages). Instead of distorting existing animals like I did in Frenzied Fauna, I let my imagination cut loose and created an array of bizarre creatures. I’m really happy with the insane bestiary I came up with and I think fans of my other books will go crazy for this one. You can view the first eleven pages by clicking here.

This new release will also have a very attractive price: $9. I think people will be very impressed with the excellent value. I hope this new price point will be a very good thing all around.

TO: Am I seeing things or does your contribution to Flight: Volume 2 mark the return of Rex (from your earlier work, A Search for Meaning)?

MG: Yeah, Rex is back. As a matter of fact, the Flight installment is only the first chapter in a much bigger story. I’d been itching to do a sequential piece with Rex for a couple of years and the Flight project is just a great venue for it. I’m getting ready to do the next installment for Flight vol.3.

TO: Is this your first work for Image?

MG: Yes, it is.

TO: How did this come about?

MG: I was signing at the Golden Apple Booth at Wizard World 2004 in Los Angeles when this young and talented artist named Kazu Kuibishi stopped by my table with a big binder in his hands. He proceeded to tell me how he’d been putting together this comic anthology called Flight. He opened the binder and wow! I was blown away! When he asked if I could do a story for volume two, I was very flattered and agreed right away.

I think Flight is turning out to be a landmark anthology and I’m very proud to be a part of the upcoming volumes.

TO: You're doing some design work for Method Games, how does the creative/development work on this project differ from your independent projects? Is it harder or merely different?

MG: This game project is totally fun. Right up my alley! I'm using my imagination at 100% and getting feedback from the production crew. They'll say things like, “We like that”, or “No, that's not for us.” Other times they'll go, “Yes, that's awesome!” I use their feedback and come up with more stuff, and keep going back and forth like that. I enjoy the collaborative aspect.

The work is similar to the visual development I often do for movies and television. This is the second time I'm involved in this particular field and I love it. I think games are very well suited for my abilities. Starting at the genesis of a project means that I can really let my imagination go since there's nothing pre-established. Being a stylist is definitely my favorite position of the production process.

TO: What about the possibility of a ZED film, can you discuss that at all, or is it to early to say anything?

MG: It's a little early to discuss but let's just say that there's a lot of interest from Hollywood. I'll hopefully know more soon and be able to make some kind of announcement.

TO: If I recall correctly, your grand (long-term) project is autobiographical. Understandably that doesn't get done overnight. That being said, where do you stand on this project?

MG: My Insane Childhood is currently on hold. I regret announcing the project earlier this year. I should have waited until the book was more cemented. By nature, it's very introspected and personal and it needs to take its course naturally. This is the kind of thing that you can’t force or put a deadline on. I’m letting it evolve at its own pace.

TO: Anything else we should discuss?

MG: Well, I guess I could plug a couple of my current projects.

I've got a series of short animated films I'm producing. It's called Insanely Twisted Shadow Puppet Show. I'm working with a young animator from Vancouver named Jayson Thiessen. I think this will be a mind boggling series. I'm currently pitching to all the major networks and hopefully the series will go in full production in 2005. Let's keep our fingers crossed. For those interested, you can read more about it and check out the teaser at: www.insanelytwisted.com

My association with Sideshow is also evolving very nicely. We just released the second Insanely Twisted Rabbit sculpture (Scarab) and it looks great. The third sculpture (Spike Tail) will be released in June. We premiered the prototype of Spike Tail at the Comic-Con in San Diego and the reaction was insane. Everybody loved it! We have three more sculptures in the works as well as a key chain. The great thing with a company like Sideshow is that you feel confident as an artist that your product will be done to the highest standard. I don't want the stuff to look like cheap plastic trinkets. I guess I have too much of an ego. Such pretension... sorry Tim.

Thanks for the interview. It's always a pleasure sharing my work with you.

Got some comments on this item?
Have your say at the Silver Bulletins forum.