First Comics News: Why do you like to write?
Brock Smith: I have always loved telling stories! Writing is cathartic and allows me to process things differently.
1st: What was your first published story?
Brock: The first book I published was issue 1 of THE FERRYMAN, my Greek Mythology story. We launched that about a year and a half ago.
1st: What is the storyline in “Payne”
Brock: PAYNE is a story that explores loss, depression, redemption, and related themes. Sham is dealing with the loss of his best friend, while simultaneously trying to train a new hero as a new threat arrives in San Diego.
1st: Who are Sham-Payne?
Brock: Sham is a telepath/telekinetic with a high IQ, while Payne is a brawling badass with super strength and regeneration. They have known each other since their early days and now work together to fight crime.
1st: Who is the villain Sham-Payne face and what makes them so evil?
Brock: The villain is named Mabis. He is a body-snatching son of a plantation owner from the pre-Civil War period. When he learns the truth about his family, his powers activate, and he vows to kill off his bloodline. This eventually brings him to modern San Diego, where he continues to be thwarted by ShamPayne.
1st: Does Zen Snowden bring this comic to life through their art?
Brock: Absolutely! I’ll usually send Zen some mediocre storyboard sketches with my script, and they basically draw exactly what I see in my head. I couldn’t be more grateful for them as my artist.
“Payne” is a Kickstarter project. Are there any good rewards offered? We currently have 3 cover options, all done by San Diego artists. We also have options for remark covers and even custom sketch covers! We’re toying with some possible stretch goals as well, but those are secret for now.
1st: What is “Ferryman” about?
Brock: THE FERRYMAN explores the role of Kharon, ferryman of the dead, through the eyes of a deceased Athenian soldier. Kharon is such an important part of Greek Mythology, but is criminally underexplored, so I decided to have some fun with it.
1st: Where do your ideas for comics come from?
Brock: My ideas come from anywhere and everywhere. Sometimes I have an idea that I have wanted to tell for a long time, sometimes an idea just pops into my head. It depends on what’s going on around me and what my mindset is at the moment.
1st: Do you have any new ideas now for after “Payne?”
Brock: Oh, I have lots of ideas for stories I’d love to work on after PAYNE, but I think for now, I’m going to focus on PAYNE and FERRYMAN personally. We do have a couple more titles we will be releasing soon, but more details on those when I can!
1st: What is the difference between Zrock Comics and Bad Bunker?
Brock: ZRock Comics is the original brand I started when I made the decision to self-publish. With so many story ideas in my head, along with a good influx of pitches coming in, I wanted to be able to say, “these genres go here, and those stories go there.” Ideally,y to give some flexibility in what we publish, while staying true to our mission and goal.
1st: Whose powers or abilities would you most like to have, Sham or Payne, and why?
Brock: Oh, Payne, hands down. They say writers put a bit of themselves in each character, but Payne is more or less how I see myself as a superhero.
1st: Outside of comics, how do you spend your time?
Brock: I’m currently a chef in a private kitchen, which helps pay the bills but isn’t the end goal. I also play disc golf, play some video games, but mostly toy an spend my time reading when not writing.
1st: What would you like to say to your readers?
Brock: Thank you so much for showing constant support! All I want to do is share stories, and you all help make it happen! PAYNE is live on Kickstarter at zrockkickstarter.com through May 8!
Kickstarter:
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