First Comics News: How did you and Fabiano Neves end up creating “The Few and Cursed”?
Felipe Cagno: We tabled together at a comic convention back in 2013, and he told me he had this dream of working on a Western. I told him I could come up with something so we could work together. Because I didn’t want to do your run-of-the-mill Western, I decided to feature a female gunslinger as the protagonist and give it a supernatural spin, which is something that appeals to me a lot. It’s been one heck of a journey for both Fabiano and me.
To this day, I still can’t believe we’ve had so many successful campaigns on Kickstarter, including our latest, which is the perfect entry point for new readers.
Kickstarter: The Few and Cursed: The Great Deluge
1st: Where did the title “The Few and Cursed” come from?
Felipe: The biggest inspiration came from Sam Raimi’s classic from the ’90s, “The Quick and the Dead.” I always liked the ring of it, so I tried versions that would thematically fit the world I was building.
1st: Why “Redhead” for the lead character’s name instead of a more traditional name?
Felipe: When we first started working on the book, she actually had a name, but we kept referring to her as Red or Redhead. It seemed more powerful; it gave her presence. Without a name, she feels more like an idea, a symbol, bigger than a person.
1st: What kind of person is Red?
Felipe: Red is distrustful. She carries a lot of emotional weight, and that raises barriers around her. You won’t see Red engage in small talk, smile, or generally be kind. As a Curse Chaser, she wants to be useful and stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves without actually having to deal with them. She wants to help from a distance because she sees firsthand what trust can do to you in this chaotic world filled with sorrow and monsters.
1st: Who is La Rubia del Baño, and why should she be feared?
Felipe: La Rubia was left at the altar on her wedding day, sending her into a killing frenzy that cost her not only her sanity but also her humanity. She took a curse upon herself to gain the power she needed to kill her fiancé and everyone present at the wedding, as if everybody were at fault for her desperation. She is cursed to roam forever through the Colegio that was hosting her wedding ceremony, always thirsty, always vicious, always a bride.
1st: What other foes will Red face?
Felipe: In “The Great Deluge,” Red faces a handful of adversaries, the most dangerous being the Rapture Klan, a group of fanatics bent on triggering a new apocalypse. They want not only to set the world straight but also to force the Rapture to happen, believing they would then ascend to heaven. That’s why they are after Noah’s Ark.
In their quest for the Ark, and Red’s quest to stop them, foes like the Phantom Express, Nobody, and Comanche get in the way.
1st: What is Hazel’s backstory?
Felipe: Her origin story is actually part of “The Crows of Mana’Olana” story arc, collected in a single trade paperback and available alongside “The Great Deluge” trade. That’s where we first meet her and find out how she becomes a giant crow.
1st: How would you describe Fabiano Neves’ art style?
Felipe: Realistic, gorgeous, and inventive. It always impresses me that, no matter what I write, Fabiano finds a beautiful way to turn it into reality. He grounds his artwork in the real world and gives it an edge that is not common in comic books.
1st: What is “One-Eyed Jack” about?
Felipe: “One-Eyed Jack” was written and developed by Anthony E. Zuiker, the Las Vegas-born and -raised creator of the “CSI” franchise. As a Las Vegas resident, he was particularly affected by the tragic shooting in which a gunman fired from the Mandalay Bay hotel onto the crowd at the country music festival nearby. Anthony wrote “One-Eyed Jack” not only as a love letter to Las Vegas, its citizens, and their courage and resilience, but also as a strong criticism of the circumstances that allowed this tragedy.
1st: In “Adagio,” people’s dreams are livestreamed. Would you like to have your dreams livestreamed?
Felipe: I would not. I wrote “Adagio” when I asked myself what the most intimate thing we could share on the internet would be. I don’t believe there is anything more intimate than our dreams, our subconscious telling us something about ourselves that we don’t even know. “Adagio” is one of my favorite stories I’ve ever written because there is so much of me in it, and it’s a universal theme. Who among us would want to stream their dreams on the internet?
1st: What bonuses are being offered on Kickstarter with “The Few and Cursed”?
Felipe: We’ve already unlocked over 20 stretch goals, and we’re still getting started. There is a lot of bonus content being offered with every tier, including high-end collectible cards, OverPower cards (a collectible card game by LRG Games), prints, fridge magnets, stickers, bookmarks, and much more. The better the campaign does, the more we beef up every package flying out the door.
1st: What happened with Timberwolf Entertainment?
Felipe: We’re still going strong, campaign after campaign, on Kickstarter. We’re an indie publisher relying mainly on crowdfunding, but we take a lot of pride in having reached $2 million in pledges over the years from more than 10,000 backers. It is so rewarding to see so many people enjoying our work, and Timberwolf Entertainment will be around for a long time yet. In particular, I want to see Timberwolf Entertainment continue to branch out into other products and media, such as movies, board games, TV, and more.
1st: What has been your best experience working in the comic book business?
Felipe: Giving my creativity the freedom it needs. With comic books, we don’t have to worry about budgets. If I want to write a story that takes place on Mars or in a medical fantasy setting, nobody will say no. It won’t cost any more than a story set in New York. I came from a film background, where cost is always a constraint to consider. Low-budget movies need to be grounded; we must always think about how many locations are needed, the size of the cast, etc.
With comic books, we’re free to create whatever we want.
1st: What would you like to say to the fans of your work?
Felipe: I would like to say thank you. I have a direct connection with readers and fans, and I can’t thank them enough for supporting my work, my creativity, and my livelihood. As an indie creator without big bucks behind me or a conglomerate providing support, I rely on my backers to continue creating and weaving stories. And I love that. I’m writing for them, and they keep showing up. It’s an incredible feeling.
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