JIM RUGG ON CAPTIN KIDD AND THE NEXT ISSUE PROJECT

[MattBrady]

by Zack Smith

Continuing our look at Image’s The Next Issue Project, we’ve got Jim Rugg, who recently illustrated DC/Minx’s The PLAIN Janes, on the Captain Kidd story he’s doing with his Street Angel collaborator Brian Maruca. You’ll also get an ultra-brief look at a never-printed Marvel story that’s getting quite the reputation online.

For our earlier interview with a creator on The Next Issue Project - Mike Allred on Stardust, click here.

Newsarama: Jim, tell us about the character you'd doing, Captain Kidd. Where did this character appear originally, and why did you want to work on him?

Jim Rugg: The only Captain Kidd story I’ve seen is the one from Fantastic Comics #23. I think he’s had other appearances though. He wouldn’t have been my first choice of Golden Age characters to draw. But Erik Larsen emailed me about the character, and I was eager to be part of this project so when he offered me this chance, I had to take it.

In the story I read, Captain Kidd was a pilot/adventurer. I think this was a character type that carried over to comics from pulps, but didn’t catch on the way superheroes did. So after the Golden Age, I think this type of character kind of disappeared from comic books.

After reading the story, and talking with Brian Maruca about it, we decided we could probably have some fun this sort of character. We even wrote two stories for him. I was already to start drawing a different script, when Brian emailed me another idea. We both liked it enough to write a script, then we chose between the two. There wasn’t a lot of characterization in the original story we had to use as a reference. It seemed to be more of a product of the time, rather than a specific character. I think that worked in our favor.

NRAMA: Did you do any research about the character's creator or original appearances?

JR: Not really. I did a cursory internet search on the character, found very little, and just went with the story we had from Fantastic #23 as our reference. As for the creator, I didn’t find anything about him. Some of these old characters and their origins are pretty difficult to track down.

NRAMA: Your pages are almost identical to a 1940s-era comic! What were some of the artistic techniques you used to capture this look, and what were the challenges of pulling this off?

JR: I tried to mimic the lettering from the original story, as well as the panel layouts and panel borders. Other than that, I didn’t really try to nail the art. My work is pretty influenced by alternative comics of the 90s and Marvel/DC work of the 60s-80s. So if you look close at the original story and at mine, I think you’ll see some major discrepancies in the artwork. But that’s okay, it wasn’t my intent to copy the art style.

As for layout, I liked the 8-panel grid. I can see why Lapham used it so much in Stray Bullets. It really gives you a lot of room for storytelling.

The old-style coloring is something I’ve been working on for quite some time. This was just another opportunity to employ it.

NRAMA: History lesson: Did you know that the historical Captain Kidd was actually a fake pirate hired by the Whig Party to rob existing pirates, thus scaring them off the seas and funneling their ill-gotten gains back into the party's coffers, only to prove so inept that he resorted to real piracy to stay alive and was hanged when former Whig members exaggerated his exploits to distract from their misdeeds, thus creating his legend?

JR: I knew a little about him. I didn’t know all of that.

NRAMA: Well, now you know, and knowing is…never mind.

You're working with Brian Maruca again on this book. Is this the first time you two have done something since Street Angel?

JR: No. We did an Afrodisiac story for the next Meathaus book. We did a Brother Voodoo story for the Marvel indie anthology. We’ve written some new Street Angel material. We’ve been keeping in touch, and doing some writing together. I think we’re going to be doing a new book together in the near future.

NRAMA: Now, the Brother Voodoo story has been circulating a bit on the net. What happened with that one?

JR: The Brother Voodoo story was going to be our contribution to the Marvel indie book. Part way through the process, Marvel decided to pull the story. Brian and I were pretty happy with it as a comic, so I went ahead and finished the art for portfolio purposes. Now we are working on a different story for that anthology. I'm reluctant to say too much because it's in the early stages and could change a lot.

NRAMA: One thing your story captures about Golden Age comics is the tendency to throw everything and the kitchen sink into a few pages -- you have a lost island, an evil genius, an Arial gunfight and a jungle girl on a motorcycle, all in six pages. Did you take an actual plot from a Golden Age story, or did you make this up yourself -- and if so, how do you plot something like that out?

JR: We made it up. We had a few things we wanted to make sure we included - specifically the dogfight and exotic land. That kind of represented the pilot and the adventurer side of the character. The rest came about as we put the story together.

That tendency for Golden Age stories to be more outlandish was something we kept in mind while writing this.

NRAMA: How was doing this story a change from PLAIN Janes?

JR: It’s nice to write my own stuff for a change, and handling the lettering and coloring are nice as well. Nothing against the system we use for the PLAIN Janes, but I’m something of a control freak. I find it easier to work on a short story too. I’m able to see it all a little more clearly.

NRAMA: Are there any other Golden Age characters you'd like a stab at?

JR: I would love to do another character. I told Erik if he ever needs someone to draw a woman character from that era, like Fantomah, or a costumed vigilante or superhero to let me know. It was a lot of fun. I’d welcome the chance to try another character.

NRAMA: What do you have coming up next?

JR: I’m currently wrapping up inks on American Virgin, and finishing up the next PLAIN Janes book, Janes in Love. After that…I’m not sure what I’m going to do next. I’m working on another story for the Marvel indie book. Still working on the script. Long term, I’m not sure. I have two big projects I’m talking to people about. Hopefully, one of those might get off the ground.

The Next Issue Project hits stores in December.

[majorjoe23]

More Street Angel? I'm in.

[djcoffman]

RUGG is THE MAN. Nuff said.

[j.vinson]

Jim Rugg is amazing. Amazing. I love everything he does. Can't wait for this story to come out.
Anybody have any links for the Brother Voodoo story mentioned here?

www.theapplicants.com

[Reaper]

Where can we find the Brother Voodoo story (or part) online?

Thanks!

-Tim

[astronato]

Looking forward to this.

And I would also love to see Fantomah make the Next Issue Project lineup.

[BillReed]

Jim Rugg is awesome, and I need that Brother Voodoo story. Need it.

[deco_la]

Very cool all these new golden age projects (marvel's the 12, ross + co's Superpowers) but Larsen's is the one I'm most interested in - great creators so far: allred, rugg + marucca -- can't wait to see who else. And somehow the approach here seems more interesting at 1st glance than the "bringing the old into the new" the others seem to be aiming for. But I'm pretty much going to get them all, I expect

[Lemurion]

Originally Posted by deco_la

Very cool all these new golden age projects (marvel's the 12, ross + co's Superpowers) but Larsen's is the one I'm most interested in - great creators so far: allred, rugg + marucca -- can't wait to see who else. And somehow the approach here seems more interesting at 1st glance than the "bringing the old into the new" the others seem to be aiming for. But I'm pretty much going to get them all, I expect

I'm already wanting the hardcover collections I think this one and SuperPowers have me most interested.