INTRODUCING A FIRST SALVO PART ONE: ALL THIS AND NORM BREYFOGLE TOO

[MattBrady]

by Benjamin Ong Pang Kean

A new publisher has entered the ever-growing comic book industry.

Who might it be, you ask?

A First Salvo. Located in Bermuda, the set-up consists of co-founders Thaddeus Branco and Anthony Cannonier.

But the question should probably be, “Who are they working with?”

December will see the publication of The Danger’s Dozen, the brainchild of Branco, Cannonier and Garan Madeiros with art by Norm Breyfogle.

Yes, the multiple award winning creator who helped popularize Batman and revitalized the sales of Detective Comics together with Alan Grant. The Norm Breyfogle who introduced the new Robin in the early 90s. And he was the artistic talent behind projects like Shadow of the Bat, Batman: Holy Terror and Batman: Birth of the Demon. He also co-plotted and illustrated Batman: The Abduction and its sequel, Batman: Dreamland.

Upcoming projects will feature artwork/stories from the likes of Mike Baron, Bart Sears, Dave Ross, Bob Almond, Ande Parks, Joe Rubinstein, Jason Armstrong, Ron Frenz, and more

Impressive enough for you?

Well, A First Salvo was introduced and Danger’s Dozen was briefly mentioned in our special SDCC non-panel panel report in July.

With the first issue officially solicited in the latest Previews catalog, we felt that it’s time to formally sit down with Branco and discuss about his plans for the coming months.

In the first of a two-part interview, we touched on the secret origin of A First Salvo, Norm Breyfogle’s involvement together with his brother Kevin, and of course, the publisher’s debut title Danger’s Dozen in December.

Newsarama: Thad, let’s start with some background story on how A First Salvo got started, shall we? Shoot away…

Thad Branco: Got it - my name is Thad Branco, Publisher of A First Salvo. We officially started in 2004 when First Salvo Partners Anthony Cannonier and I began to streamline and define our characters and our world. We decided to begin contacting professional creators to contribute covers and pin-ups after the death of Gil Kane. When I read of Gil's passing, I realized that if you wait to work with some of these industry giants, you may never get the chance - you'd have to be in the right place at the right time. And that it didn't hurt to ask.

Tragically, the passing of our brief acquaintance Mike Wieringo recently reinforced that. I regret we never got to be friends. We'd talked so infrequently, and yet, I had forgotten to take Gil's inspiration to heart. Now we've lost Mike too. So, in as much in honor of Mike, I redoubled by efforts to continue and as Mike would want - have fun.

Anyhow, Contract creator and new First Salvo Partner, Garan Madeiros and his wife Dawn, had joined the ‘Jam’. You could call us the TAG Team - Thad, Anthony and Garan. Garan is the one who got "tagged".

Prior to starting A First Salvo, we'd been a graphics studio. We were doing advertising, T-shirt design and the like, while developing our "bible" and publishing online and in print (to a limited degree), prior to the horror that was the industry collapse in the mid-1990s. After that we focused our energies on investing in our eventual launch and the development of our intellectual properties. If we were going to do it, we wanted a sound foundation to work from.

Ironically, Norm Breyfogle's Batman was a big influence on me as a teenager. In college I was usually thinking - "Damn this sucks, I want to be drawing comics!"

This Detective Comics #603, featuring the Demon was a watershed for me - it was a revelation of artistic style and influenced my penciling.

I've been drawing and thinking this stuff up since 1982! I am "invested" in this.

NRAMA: Well, speaking of Norm Breyfogle, it looks like Danger's Dozen has gotten people's attention. Whether or not DC manages to get Norm to draw more Batman, you guys should be grateful that he's doing Danger’s Dozen…

TB: We certainly are. Norm is more than a collaborator here at A First Salvo. We value him as a man, heh. Seriously. It is a mystery as to why DC and even Marvel tend to "turn their backs" on 'older' talents. But whatever the case, Norm is having a ball on the books, and with the freedom at A First Salvo. Were DC to call, it would be a larger, beneficial event - we'd have Danger’s Dozen and more Batman from Norm. Best of all worlds.

NRAMA: What exactly is Danger’s Dozen? How did this concept come about in the first place?

TB: The Danger’s Dozen concept is this; “War veterans become cosmic test pilots and mad adventurers of the extreme.” These guys are cosmic test pilots venturing forth into the dangers of the unknown, testing new technologies and exploring new horizons. They encounter monsters, aliens and demons threatening earth. It is up to Boss Aman and his men to take on all comers!

Danger’s Dozen is one of our older concepts, based on the pulps and men’s adventure magazines. It has touches of EC comics, Challengers of the Unknown, Black Hawks and Conan!

We knew that we had to launch with a strong, yet simple title – something that could showcase the complex world we had developed, yet introduce readers slowly, and easily. We decided it was best to start at the beginning of the modern era. When the world came to realize that there were other dimensions and other worlds. That the pantheons once ruled over mankind and demons now rule a vast dominion – they’re out there, they are real. The Dozen lead the Earth of the ‘Salvoverse’ and our readers into this ‘brave new world’.

The Danger’s Dozen belong to danger. While there is a continuing cast, no one is safe. Aman puts together his teams from the survivors and allies of these missions, and each mission can feature a rotating cast of survivors. People with the skills or knowledge necessary to address any threat. Not everyone survives the first arc. But those that will forge a strong bond and the Danger’s Dozen is born. This has the feel of a war comic, that feel comes from the danger of these missions.

NRAMA: Running down the list of characters, the Danger’s Dozen consists of Aman, Dizzy Dynamo, the Subterranean, Rebo Jones, Ed Bran, King Commando, Ace Cobbs, the Power, Daed Coute, the Immortalian, Ex (who isn’t “strictly a member”) and Jacob Fin. From the preview image, it looks like we’ve got a couple spandex-wearing dudes, a shaman warrior, a civilian, some military guys, and a Captain America-type character with powers? Care to properly introduce them to us?

TB: As an ‘indy publisher’ we know to steer left of superheroes, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have our fun. With the Dozen inspired by the pulp heroes of the past, like Doc Savage, it’s well known that the pulps help inspire the comics.

‘Boss’ Aman, as the members come to call Aman, is a former RAF bomber pilot. After a terrible accident over France, in which Aman lost his Lancaster and crew, he began to exhibit strange abilities. He manipulates fire, and his dreams are full of memories and lives that he cannot possibly have lived. And there is a woman (his soul mate), that plagues his dreams. He searches for, but cannot find her.

Ex, ha hah! He’s a character people can enjoy. He’s not perfect. He’s a swindler, a thief, an assassin, and spy. He has many identities and ‘knows things’. He’s the man that knows people’s secrets and everyone has on their payroll. In the first arc, it turns out Ex knows Aman, although Aman doesn’t remember Ex. Introduced as ‘General Edwards’, Ex knew Aman long ago, but he isn’t telling where, nor whether he knows of Aman’s soul mate.

King Commando is just that – the king of all commandos. One of the first, recruited from World War One, for training, and to train the world’s elite. He is Aman’s closest friend, having survived many missions for British Military Intelligence, Section 10. Also known simply as ‘MIX’.

Boy, twelve guys to intro.

NRAMA: We have the time…

TB: Ace Cobbs is another of my older characters, probably was drawing him in 1981? He is the leader of a team known as the Z-Squadron. Like Aman, Ace was a military pilot in the war, but for the Royal Australian Air Force. Friends with Aman, and having recently encountered otherworldly energies, Ace and the Z-Squadron members Citos, Saint and Sun-Ti, join in the mission. There is a special back up on the Z-Squad by Lobster Johnson artist Jason Armstrong.

The Power is Jim Altman, former WW2 Eagle Squadron fighter ace, later of the Army Air Force. Jim is super tough and very strong. Some say strong-headed. His story is one of personal growth, from bravado to true heroism. A dedicated and heroic man, Jim’s story is one of my favorites, and we’ll see his development into the Dozen’s heart, over the course of the series. Well, saying that – we know he is one of the survivors – ha ha!

The Subterranean is just that, an elemental of the Earth, another amnesiac, he has a greater heritage than he knows. Dizzy Dynamo is a US Army Engineer gifted with great engineering genius. Rebo Jones is an ace reporter, whom Aman recruits to record and archive the group’s missions for the world. Jacob Fin is our ‘Conan of the sea’ – a fierce warrior who is not entirely human. He’s a joy to see in action, with his design. Daed Coute is a mage, more than a shaman, although he uses talismans rather than any direct knowledge of magic. His spells are limited to what is on him and what he can draw upon.

The Immortalian is immortal and Italian. But can you guess who he really is? We might just turn that into an official contest. Immy was the Hero of Italy, used as propaganda for the Fascist Party to gain public support and show as their great, unstable hero. But Immy has lived too long and wants to die. He gladly joins the Dozen, because with them, he might finally find something that will kill him.

Ed Bran is the Magnolian Proxy. Magnolia is a new nation forged from the refugees of World War Two. They bring great technology to the Danger’s Dozen, and will support the growth of the Dozen into a large battalion, led by Aman and his Generals – the Dozen. Officially sanctioned by the United Nations – newly born itself, in this dawn of the Cold War era – the Danger’s Dozen becomes a true force in our world.

NRAMA: Over at the Danger’s Dozen forum, you’d teased about and previewed pages from Danger’s Dozen-related projects such as Saga Six. What can you tell us about these stories, the creators, etc at this point in time?

TB: Saga Six will tell the stories of the United Forces, led by our greatest hero, Vanchi. He is our studio’s Superman or Spider-Man – the flagship character, and he is strongly tied to Aman. The United Forces live in 2007 – contemporary with our times. As the ‘Unique Force’, the group has existed since 1982 (More of my young creative madness). Saga Six stories already illustrated include the one in the link, By Norm Breyfogle, and Kevin West, Saga Six: Thirst, by Sal Velluto and Bob Almond and Ron Frenz for a back up. But we won’t be publishing those tales yet. We want to start slowly, simply. To ease into things.

This is a case, where, as the new design of our site and forums continue to be updated, readers will receive a focused view of A First Salvo, before they seek out and learn more. We won’t have any ‘distractions’ from the core titles of Danger’s Dozen, Wild Days and Contract.

NRAMA: How did you manage to snag Norm Breyfogle for Danger’s Dozen?

TB: I had contacted Norm to illustrate a pinup of one of our central lead characters - Vanchi. Vanchi is tightly linked to Aman. Anyhow, Norm contacted us a short time after, asking if we as a publisher, required further work. We thought covers would be cool, he offered to become a series contributor. That quickly evolved into series artist for Danger's Dozen. And we've all been having a great time since. And really, that's what comics are all about - having fun.

There are those beginning the next line of projects of Danger's Dozen - like Bart Sears, Geof Isherwood, Gordon Purcell and Dick Giordano. We produce well ahead of solicitations with Diamond, to be able to print and ship on time. Danger's Dozen #5 is complete and issue #6 has begun. Kevin West is working on the second chapter of the Danger’s Dozen OGN.

This is a solid team "backing up" Norm, with backup stories and other work, so our books can ship on time, because they will be ready ahead of time. Retailers should know these books are complete, and produced by industry professionals. From this we hope to have their trust in us to ship on time and be there for them - supportive of them, if we expect [b]their[b/] support - and that of readers - we must support them.

We offer a friendly atmosphere, fun stories and cool designs. Will this translate to the readers?

NRAMA: That’s quite a list of creators there. What did you guys hope to achieve when you got started?

TB: To tell our own stories and bring some fun back into comics. To tell fun stories - good stories, full of a balance of action and drama, with some mystery and humor. You need humor, to contrast the rest. Humor works best in contrast.

We wanted to have a studio where readers could find comics that they want to come back for every month. That is respectful to them and to our retail partners.

NRAMA: So, the first issue of Danger’s Dozen is scheduled to be in stores this December?

TB: Yes indeed. Tell all your friends!
OCT073205 F DANGERS DOZEN #1
OCT073206 J DANGERS DOZEN #1 INCV

Check out the preview over on our forums.

NRAMA: And what's this Mike Baron project?

TB: Quite simple, our main colorist Gabe, is a good friend of Mike - as is Pete Brandvold, co-writer of our upcoming title Wild Days…

Come back tomorrow for part two of our interview with A First Salvo’s Thad Branco where we’ll learn about Mike Baron and other creators in their fold, upcoming titles like Wild Days, Contract and more.

[BanMan]

Wow. I haven't read the interview yet, but I'm loving that art immensely.

EDIT: Also sounds like a fun story right up my alley.

[KentL]

That's quite an impressive list of creators. Quite frankly, I think the world is a much better place when it has more Norm Breyfogle art. Loved his Batman and Prime.

[GenerallZodd]

I'm totally gonna read this. Looks cool.

[TF_Loki]

Breyfogle, Isherwood & Velluto!?!??! Hmmm, you boys got my attention...

[kingofcities]

Wow, this looks really really good. It will be mine.

[pop monkey]

You had me at "Norm Breyfogle"!
THAT'S how you get attention if you're a new, emerging publisher: snag some of these super-talented, under-appreciated workhorse artists and sign 'em up!

[Garden Gnome]

Wow, this looks like really fun stuff! My waning interest in DC has translated most of my comic dollars to Manga - but I think I'll pick up the first arc of Danger's Dozen. Breyfogle, Isherwood, Frenz - these are the sort of artists I want to see drawing comics. Great choices! I wonder if they could get a Ditko piece as well? That'd be sweet!

[Sluggo]

Norm Breyfogle is just damn near my favorite Batman artist (right up there with Neal Adams and Jim Aparo), so I will give this a look. Sounds like a fun concept, too.

Has anyone heard if they are planning on collecting Breyfogle's "Prime"? I missed that and have heard good things about it.

[mrhelm]

I loved Breyfogle on Chuck Satterlee's Of Bitter Souls. I'm glad to see he's found a follow up to that.

Breyfogle's a truly amazing artist and it's a damn shame that he has to fight as hard as he seemingly does to find work.

Oh, and Sluggo, I highly doubt Marvel will ever collect Prime or any of the rest of the Ultraverse, as they have no desire to pay the writer's percentages of the sales for the characters. Too bad, as the Ultraverse as a whole was an amazing body of work by some superb creators.

[johnny.blaze]

Art from Norm? Hell yes! Absolutely behind this!

btw we NEED to get Norm to draw one more Batman arc. IIRC i think he's around 60 in age and his work hasn't dropped a bit

[Robot H Brian]

Holy geez! This is the best I think I've ever seen Breyfogle. It's always so satisfying to see a legend get even better, you know?

[MarkSparacio]

Hey Thad, Anthony and Garan!
Congratulations on the great interview and announcement on the arrival of A First Salvo line of comics! I know that you all have been working incredibly hard on getting your books done and now finally the fans and collectors will get a chance to see first hand the fruits of your labor. Your hard work has paid off. Congratulations again, good luck and keep up the good work! I will be eagerly awaiting the First Salvo of issues at my local comic shop...

[Skinshark]

Right on, Thad. I was wondering how much longer I'd have to wait.

This looks really good.

Go man, go!

=shane=

[kalorama]

That Breyfogle art looks great. He's a damn good artist and it's a head-scratcher why Marvel or DC aren't throwing work at him.

[nbreyfogle]

Just to correct johnny blaze's misconception: I'm 47, not 60. And I'm in damn good shape! lol

[BanMan]

Originally Posted by nbreyfogle

Just to correct johnny blaze's misconception: I'm 47, not 60. And I'm in damn good shape! lol

Good to hear. Your art alone makes it enough for me to check out the book. Good stuff!

[melperfect]

Norm has not missed a beat.

His stuff still looks dynamic and exciting.

Great stuff, looking forward to seeing more!

[grphxkindaguy]

Originally Posted by nbreyfogle

Just to correct johnny blaze's misconception: I'm 47, not 60. And I'm in damn good shape! lol

Maybe 47's the new 60?

Good to have you back Norm, your work has been missed...

[nbreyfogle]

Thanks! I've been working steadily all along ...

www.normbreyfogle.com

[Thavius]

Originally Posted by johnny.blaze

Art from Norm? Hell yes! Absolutely behind this!

btw we NEED to get Norm to draw one more Batman arc. IIRC i think he's around 60 in age and his work hasn't dropped a bit

Ha ha - poor Norm! He's only in his forties, guys! Not 60

Thank you everyone, for your support. We've worked hard building up the "Salvoverse" and have many talented artists excited to turn in more and more work.

With your continued support - we will continue to do so.

[dpg]

Originally Posted by nbreyfogle

Just to correct johnny blaze's misconception: I'm 47, not 60. And I'm in damn good shape! lol

WOW! Norm himself!

Great to have ya here Norm.

[Midas]

First of all, kudos to both Matt Brady and Thad Branco and the folks a A First Salvo for getting this interview done and posted not only before the Previews order cutoff, but before the Previews catalog has even shipped! I feel like that's a good first step to generating timely buzz for the comic and is a sign of a well-managed company (which, based on the interview itself, seems to be true). These guys must be well-funded, as it sounds like they've got a bunch of issues "in the can" and are going to slowly roll out their line and only solicit when they know they can hit their shipping times. It's nice to see a new company learn from the past and I hope that it works out for them.

I'm a sucker for new comics companies, so even if this didn't look as good as it does, I would have been intrigued. But the art looks great and the preview looks promising, so sign me up. I've already added it to my tentative "cart o' comics" for October.

With these guys and Red 5 Comics, we're having a real renaissance of quality new comics companies. Great stuff!

[TCJohnson]

Originally Posted by KentL

That's quite an impressive list of creators. Quite frankly, I think the world is a much better place when it has more Norm Breyfogle art. Loved his Batman and Prime.

Couldn't agree more.

[skeletorjr]

Norm Breyfogle is THE Batman artist, as far as I'm concerned, part of my Holy Trinity of Breyfogle, Sprang and Aparo. This book looks so cool, I can't wait to get my hands on it.