INTERVIEW: Dudley Datson (and his dog) jump into print form
Image courtesy of Dark Horse / Provided by press team with permission.
Dudley Datson and the Forever Machine had such a successful run on comiXology that Dark Horse is taking the story to print. The first issue of the Scott Snyder and Jamal Igle creation hits comic stands April 17. Fans can expect three total issues in this new series, all of them oversized and featuring several variant covers. Snyder wrote the piece, while Igle is the artist. The covers are by a who’s who in the comic industry, including Igle, Romy Jones, Khary Randolph and Javier Rodrigues, according to press notes.
In Dudley Datson and the Forever Machine, readers follow the title character, who is a teenage inventor with a penchant for adventure. He’s always trailed by his companion, a talking dog with a mind of its own. Together they must take on the dastardly deeds of a new villainous threat. Helping them along the way is the Forever Machine, which bends time and space.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Igle about Dudley Datson’s jump from comiXology Originals, a leading publisher of digital comics, to paper form at Dark Horse. Igle is best known for his work on Supergirl, Molly Danger, Venture, The Wrong Earth, Action Comics and New Warriors, among many others. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
How did you connect with Scott Snyder for this project?
Scott and I have known each other for years, since he first started working on Amerivan Vampire. We met at a store signing, and as his star rose, he and I aways stayed in touch. When we were both working at DC, we would cross paths. We tried to work together a few times, but the stars never aligned properly. Scott emailed me with a couple of different ideas, but Dudley felt the most “me,” in terms of a project and what I could bring to it artistically. I immediately jumped at the opportunity to work with one of my friends, who also happens to be one of the best writers in comics.
Is it extra special that your art will now be enjoyed in print form and an oversized format?
I’m a huge fan of French Bande Dessinée, so having my work presented in such a manner is always a plus to me. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I put a lot of detail into my work, lol.
Is it difficult to bring animals, such as dogs, to life on the page?
It’s daunting, frankly. I’ve never drawn this many animals in a series before, but it became a personal challenge for me to master drawing dogs, particularly. But let me tell you, drawing Corgis? Talk about diving into the deep end. Trying to make an animal emote well without coming off too Disney like is hard. I’m very happy with the results, overall.
What do you like about Dudley as a character?
Dudley is probably, if he were a real person, one of the smartest and kindest people you’d meet. He’s not a super kid, so you’re not going to see him doing impossible physical feats, but he’s intelligent, funny and humble. He loves his dad and his friends; he’s loyal and brave. He’s the kind of person I’d hope to spend a lot of time around.
Because the main character is a teenager, do you feel that the target audience skews younger? Does that change your artistic style?
Actually, just the oppsite. It gave me more opportunities to draw things the way I like to see comics drawn. There’s a mix of my influences, but I purposely went in a slightly more grounded approach [where] required, more animated in others.
When you create a variant cover, what’s your goal? What’s going through your mind when giving fans an alternate take?
I’m a big fan of story-related covers, so that’s usually what I go with — finding a moment in the story that I think would make an effective image visually. After that, I look at artwork from great artists as inspiration — movie posters by Bob Peak, Drew Struzan, Frank Frazetta, or book covers I find interesting to give me a starting point to work from, for example.
Are you open to more adventures with Dudley?
Without hesitation. There’s an entire universe to explore.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Dudley Datson and the Forever Machine, by Scott Snyder and Jamal Igle, will be published by Dark Horse on April 17. Click here for more information.
