First Comics News: Were you a fan of sword and sorcery books growing up?
Patrick “Patch” Zircher: Definitely! Anything by Robert E Howard, Michael Moorcock, Fritz Leiber, Jack Vance, Roger Zelazny, Edgar Rice Burroughs, T.H. White, Tolkien– and anything related to that, Dumas, Sabatini, Walter Scott. I loved it. Still do. Whenever I find Sword and Sorcery stories I haven’t read, or missed, like Ramsey Campbell’s Ryre or Schweitzer’s Sir Julian, it’s a treat.
1st: Do you prefer writing or drawing more?
Patch: I’d have to say it’s pretty equal. While both are storytelling, they do so in such different ways. And writing for a while, then drawing keeps work interesting. There’s the ‘newness’ and ingenuity of scripting, the pleasure of working with other artists, and the decision-making, directing, and crafting of drawing comics.
1st: Can you tell us who exactly Solomon Kane is?
Patch: He’s an English adventurer created by Robert E Howard, the maker of Conan the Barbarian. Solomon Kane is from the 16th century, in which the supernatural exists. Demons, devils, witches, serpent men, Lovecraftian monsters. He’s a wandering knight, a pilgrim, with a brace of flintlock pistols and a flashing sword.
1st: Who are Solomon’s travelling companions in “Solomon Kane: The Serpent Ring?”
Patch: In his quest for the serpent ring, Kane is joined by both friends and foes: a sage from Venice and his daughter; a disgraced Knight of Malta; a handsome Italian rogue; and an African tribesman who has been educated by Jesuit missionaries.
1st: What exactly is the Serpent’s Ring?
Patch: It’s the Ring of Thoth-Amon, which once belonged to the sorcerer Thoth-Amon from Robert E Howard’s Conan stories. Howard wrote about the ring in several stories, including a horror tale set in the 1930s (his present). It’s a powerful, magical artifact connected to the god Set.
1st: Does Solomon Kane get to battle any real serpents?
Patch: Yes. The bigger they are, the harder they coil.
1st: You have worked on both Marvel and DC comics. Would you like to do more work for them, and if so,o which characters?
Patch: Never say never. Maybe, the weird ones. The supernatural or sci-fi ones. Dr. Strange. Adam Warlock, Killraven. Spectre. The Demon.
1st: What did your art bring to “Shadowman” that was not there before?
Patch: I guess what I am told (and hope) I usually bring: storytelling, characterisation, and visual appeal. But I should let Shadowman fans decide that.
1st: Which character have you most enjoyed working on?
Patch: Solomon Kane and Conan. I read their adventures when I was a teen. I’m a fantasy fan and have wanted to make fantasy comics for a long time. This is a wonderful experience.
1st: You have written both Conan and Solomon Kane. What is the main difference between the two characters?
Patch: Conan is a survivor with a strong sense of self and personal ambition. A rogue, a pirate, a mercenary. Solomon Kane is a knight errant. He’s searching. He wants to save us from the darkness, to right wrongs.
1st: How do you improve your art and writing skills?
Patch: By being open to ideas, interested in the world, in the work of others, and in books. And by doing. I’ve been making comics every day for decades. I look at every day as an opportunity to improve.
1st: Which other comic book professionals do you admire?
Patch: Oh, this list would be long. Very long. And in answering, I’d feel bad about who I left out. Frankly, I admire all of them. It’s work to make comics. Every comic is an act of dedication and creativity. I will mention a few names from my childhood and teens: Barry Windsor Smith, John Buscema, Jack Kirby, Gene Colan, Gil Kane, Charles Schulz, Esteban Maroto, Michael Golden, P Craig Russell, Joe Kubert, Neal Adams, Walt Simonson, and Jim Starlin.
1st: Have you ever held any other jobs outside of making comics?
Patch: Yes. From age 16 to 26. Some were interesting, like working for roleplaying game companies, record stores, and designing and silk-screening art for t-shirts, hats, and so on.
1st: Any last words for all the fans of your work?
Patch: Thank you for your support, and I hope you love what we’re doing with Solomon Kane as much as we love making it.
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