ROSARIO DAWSON TALKS O.C.T.

[MattBrady]

Out this week, O.C.T. #1 (Occult Crimes Taskforce) marks actress/producer Rosario Dawson’s initial entry into the world of comics, as well as the launching of what Dawson and the team behind the book hopes to be a far-reaching franchise, touching film, television, computer games and more.

We sat down with Dawson at last weekend’s Heroes Convention to talk about the four issue miniseries, as well as her plans for its expansion.

Newsarama: Let’s start at the beginning. Gus Vazquez is your uncle, so you’ve got an “in” to comics already…so how did this all come about?

Rosario Dawson: Gus has known David [Atchison, writer] and Tony [Shasteen, artist] for a really long time, and they came up with this idea over the past few years, and had been wanting to put it together, but had been doing separate stuff, and had never really been able to get things working so they could do their own project, since they’re both still pretty new to the business. But they created this very much in line with me in mind, and we’d met a few times over the years, and felt I might be interested in something like this, because I’ve always been around comics. My uncle is a comic book artist, my brother is a huge Green Lantern fan, and my boyfriend is a huge fan as well – so it’s all good. We can all go to the comic shop together, and it’s like family time. [laughs]

It seemed like a normal thing for me to be interested in. They brought it to me, and I read it and loved it, and saw the potential in it. I’ve just produced my first feature, and am starting work no another one, and am expanding where my interests lie in entertainment aside from just acting, and I really love good stories. They created this very specifically to be a multi-media type of project, so when they brought it to me, it wasn’t so much as being the face of Sophia Ortiz, but it’s more about launching it and having creative control – I own a third of the company.

NRAMA: So how much input did you have on the property?

RD: We kind of co-created it together. They came up with the initial idea, but everything that is going on right now – where the story is going, how it’s going to be going towards film, videogames, wherever, that’s all of us working together. And we all know and trust each other, which is really, really important to me. I like sticking with and working with the people I’ve known for years – that’s when you can get creative, when you’re not having to do the “Hi, nice to meet you,” thing, and the egos are getting in the way. Instead of that, you’re able to just get to the work, and that’s the best. It’s been really fun putting this together.

NRAMA: So when they came to you, they had the bare bones of what the O.C.T is and who Sophia Ortiz is?

RD: Right. But in the long-term, and we’ve already talked about this is that it won’t just be staying with Sophia the whole time. We’re using Sophia to help the audience – she’s being introduced to the concept of the O.C.T along with the audience, so readers get to know the world of the O.C.T through her eyes, but once that’s established, you don’t need to be riding along with her anymore. Once the world is established, you can move around in it using any character as your point of view character, just like say, on Law & Order or Star Trek.

NRAMA: So – let’s go with the quick thumbnail – what does Sophia learn about the O.C.T.?

RD: Very roughly, I would call it a Lady Constantine sort of situation. A lot of people are trying to compare it to Men in Black, but it’s not alien creatures and science fiction. This is smaller in scope, and centers on New York City, which is a vortex of energy for magic. The Native Americans knew that when they sold it and that was one of the reasons that they sold it for so cheap – payback is a bitch.

[artist Jason Pearson turns when Dawson says “bitch.”]

See how you turn around and look when I say “bitch?” Oh, that’s f___ed up, Jason. I didn’t even make you do that. I say “bitch” and you turn around…

[Pearson fires back…]

Oh, I’m in an interview sir, can you just turn around and get back to drawing? Thank you, thank you…

So the O.C.T. is the Occult Crimes Taskforce that was built after a spell that was cast by the Native Americans preventing the vortex from opening wore off. When it opened, the city was already built, and became a huge problem, so a special unit of the police was created to deal specifically with magic. In short, it’s a police force that investigates occult and magic crimes. So it’s got a Law & Order procedural vibe to it, but at the same time, it’s kind of Hellblazer in its approach to magic – more practical, and real-world. There’s a whole manual that officers have to know, and, as we see, the whole thing is steeped in history. We can go back 100 years and tell a story, or we can go forward 100 years and tell a story. Sophia’s father was also part of the O.C.T., so there are stories there.

And – it’s magic. There are so many weird superstitions in New York – weird laws and the like, so we’re playing with some of them, and putting some reasons behind them, so normal –weird – reality that you may not understand, has a reason behind it that’s rooted in magic. That’s been a lot of fun for me, having grown up in New York around a bunch of stakeboarders and other people who look at things in a different way than other people…it’s great to bring these kinds of things out.

NRAMA: Moving away from the O.C.T for a minute – I think people will be surprised to hear you dropping so many comic book references – and dropping them correctly. You’re a fan, big time aren’t you?

RD: Oh yeah – Uncle Gus was talking to Bryan Hitch last night, and I got all excited to meet him, ‘cause I love The Ultimates. At this show, I’ve had so much fun because I’ve actually been able to meet people whose work I really like and follow on a regular basis. At dinner the other night, I met Tony Harris, and that was so cool. I met Paul Jenkins earlier today – all these people that I’ve been a fan of for years. It’s awesome.

If Neil Gaiman were here, I’d probably fall over. I was bummed that Steve Niles wasn’t able to make it – I’ve met him before, and he’s way cool. I love that he is doing some of the same things we’re doing –taking old concepts like vampires and other monsters, and working to find a way to explain them and make them work in today’s world. That’s what we’re trying to do – we want to be able to take this to kids and teens, and people who haven’t been reading comics in a long time. The market has changed, and it’s very different from what people are expecting. We want this to be a very solid piece of material as a whole, so that’s why we’re being very particular about it, because we know that’s what will bring the die-hard fans into it as well. And, once we’re set, we want to branch things out – eventually my “face” won’t be a part of it at all, expect maybe as a smaller character. That’s what I really love – I get to get involved with the storytelling, which is something that, as an actor, I don’t get to do very much of. I show up, read my lines, do what I gotta do, and see it later. Now that I’m getting into production and editing and things, it’s great – I finally am getting a chance to sit down and geek out on stories. Now, instead of just focusing on acting when it comes to a story, I get a say in the story’s creation. It’s really, really fun.

NRAMA: So when are you looking at Sophia transitioning out, and other characters stepping in?

RD: Well, for the first little while, we’re going to piggyback it off of Sophia, but in the comic and on the website, we’ll have the manual put in there, along with other extra features, and we’ll probably start putting in back-chapter pages, so you can see what he father did before her, where Sophia is just a baby. So we’re going to start introducing characters soon.

NRAMA: Just wrapping up, as you said, you’re producing movies yourself now, and have an active interest in seeing this developed as widely as possible…is it time to take O.C.T. to studios and pitch it, or are you looking to get one, or maybe two story arcs under your belt that show what can be done with the property?

RD: Even with going to film would still take a year or two to get anything started, so we are starting to look now, because we do see it as something wider than comics from the very start. What’s very cool though is that it’s not just a “super-hero” kind of thing – it’s not about me being in a cape, although, it would be great to have me all svelte and crazy-looking on screen – but it’s a fun, smart, detective story. We definitely see it as a really viable film project, so we’re already going out and looking, just because it will end up taking so long for it to actually break out. Video games take three years, so we’re starting that now too.

We’ve got complete trust and belief in what this project can do and be, and we’re pacing ourselves, and timing things as best we can. We want to create a universe with this, and make it the home for lots and lots of stories for a long time.

[EvilEric]

good stuff!!

[Arsenal3]

Cool! I thought this was going to be a vanity project, like the Courtney Love manga deal, but Rosario really seems to know what she's talking about!

And I love the hook of NYC being a vortex for magic, and the Native Americans selling it for cheap to get rid of it. That's an awesome idea! I may just have to pick this up!

[nyhardcore]

Yeah, when I first heard about this, I thought it was going to be lame. Now I think I'm actually going to try it out. Sounds very interesting. I'm iffy on the title, though.

[Derek Ruiz]

Yeah it does sound really good...I'm in.

[Derek Ruiz]

People who where at Heroes said she new her stuff.

[Derek Ruiz]

Triple post my new record lol. I blame Rosario she got me all hot and bothered lol.

[Superfrick]

Originally Posted by Arsenal3

Cool! I thought this was going to be a vanity project, like the Courtney Love manga deal, but Rosario really seems to know what she's talking about!

And I love the hook of NYC being a vortex for magic, and the Native Americans selling it for cheap to get rid of it. That's an awesome idea! I may just have to pick this up!

Same here. Wish I would have heard about this yesterday, I'll have to grab a copy on wensday.

[skinnyboy23]

Wow, didn't know Rosario Dawson could get even MORE awesome, but she has done it. Comic book writers are lucky ones, being able to meet and hang out with Rosario Dawson and stuff.

[Superfrick]

Originally Posted by Arsenal3

Cool! I thought this was going to be a vanity project, like the Courtney Love manga deal, but Rosario really seems to know what she's talking about!

And I love the hook of NYC being a vortex for magic, and the Native Americans selling it for cheap to get rid of it. That's an awesome idea! I may just have to pick this up!

Same here. Wish I would have heard about this yesterday, I'll have to grab a copy on wensday.

[Vyper]

Holy double posts, Batman.

Rosario Dawson is cool

[Street Carp]

I'm not gonna lie; I've got a lil' bit of a crush on Rosario Dawson. So when I heard that she was writing a comic book, I bugged the owner of my comic shop to get it for me, but he didn't know what I was talking about. Thankfully, he was able to get it, and I must say that it seems good so far. The artist is AMAZING, and the story seems like it will pick up. I think it's definitely worth picking up.

As am I, Rosario, if you happen to read this. :P

(ian)

[comixcollctr]

Originally Posted by Derek Ruiz

People who where at Heroes said she new her stuff.

????????????

[BillReed]

My God. She *is* the perfect woman.

[matchesmalone]

Help us out, is that a gang sign she's throwing in the photograph? If so, does anyone know the affiliation? And if it is a gang sign, is it responsible of Newsarama to publish it?

[Kolimar]

Originally Posted by Arsenal3

Cool! I thought this was going to be a vanity project, like the Courtney Love manga deal, but Rosario really seems to know what she's talking about!

I agree. I didn't think it was a vanity project but I did think she was simply trying to start a multimedia project without really knowing comics.

[Kolimar]

Originally Posted by BillReed

My God. She *is* the perfect woman.

Y'know, when you're right you very much RIGHT. I think we're collectively in love.

[The Champion]

Originally Posted by comixcollctr

????????????

Originally Posted by Derek Ruiz
People who where at HeroesCon said she knew her stuff.

[Kolimar]

NEWSARAMA



ROSARIO

[LiamSavage]

Originally Posted by matchesmalone

Help us out, is that a gang sign she's throwing in the photograph? If so, does anyone know the affiliation? And if it is a gang sign, is it responsible of Newsarama to publish it?

OH NOS, ROSARIO DAWSON IS THROWING UP THE SPIDER-MAN GANG SIGN ON THE INTARNETS

[matchesmalone]

My question was serious.

[Kolimar]

Originally Posted by matchesmalone

Help us out, is that a gang sign she's throwing in the photograph? If so, does anyone know the affiliation? And if it is a gang sign, is it responsible of Newsarama to publish it?

[Morbius]

Originally Posted by matchesmalone

Help us out, is that a gang sign she's throwing in the photograph? If so, does anyone know the affiliation? And if it is a gang sign, is it responsible of Newsarama to publish it?

She's crossing her damn fingers, I think we can let this one slide.

[Kolimar]

Originally Posted by matchesmalone

My question was serious.

Seriously? Then you need to use the "serious" smilies because it sounds like a joke. It's still funny stuff.

[matchesmalone]

Originally Posted by Morbius

She's crossing her damn fingers, I think we can let this one slide.

I know she's crossing her fingers, but why?