Interview by Kevin de Vlaming

As any indie comic artist will tell you, it’s no easy task to put together your first comic book. Finding the time around working a full time job to draw up some 24 to 32 pages of paneled illustration, finding your own rhythm and process as you go, and teaching yourself the ropes of self publishing – it can be a daunting task, especially when you’re not 100% sure how the finished product will turn out.

Calgarian Chris Johnston did just that with his first foray into comic books, Jet Pack Mike. Fortunately for Johnston, the comic, a black and white sci-fi tale with a decidedly pulp/horror flavour, turned out pretty darn radtastic. Jet Pack Mike introduces readers to the mysteriously tight-lipped, titular character as he attempts to take down the insane (yet incredibly gifted) scientist Dr. Albertson. JPM comes complete with robot fights, mutant henchmen, and a shadowy old classically-English-looking gentleman.

I caught up with Johnston at the Calgary Comic Expo, where we chatted about his experience putting together Jet Pack Mike.

KD: Before we get into the comic, tell me about New Machine Studios.

CJ: We’re a 3D animation studio that’s currently working on a TV series called the Raven Tales. We’ve done about, just over, 24 episodes or so. We’re also currently working on a one hour Christmas TV special called Wizard’s Christmas.

KD: And how long have you been Art Director there?

CJ: For five years.

KD: When did Jet Pack Mike officially release?

CJ: This weekend.

KD: That must be pretty exciting for you.

CJ: Yeah, yeah. It is, it is.

KD: How did the idea for Jet Pack Mike come about?

CJ: About seven years ago I was working at an animation studio called Aurenya, where we internally held a short film competition. Everyone came up with their own ideas, and I came up with Jet Pack Mike. We were going to animate it as a short film about five minutes long, but then the studio fell through. We just ran out of money. So I had the concept sitting around, and then last year I decided to turn it into a comic.

Above: Chris sketching up a storm at the Calgary Comic Expo

KD: How long did it take to put this together and get it out there, from beginning to end?

CJ: I did it over the last year or so, on Saturdays and after work when I had the chance. It was a slow, long, long process. (laughs)

KD: Had you dabbled in comic books at all previously?

CJ: Well, I’ve always been interested in comics and knew that I wanted to make something. I’ve got a lot of stories in my head, and I’m starting to write them down. I’m hoping that every year I can have a new comic come out.

KD: What was the hardest part about putting this one together?

CJ: Probably just assembling it all on the computer to take it for printing. Scanning every single page in, combing over the art and cleaning it up in Photoshop is a long process, and actually very tedious.

KD: The art in Jet Pack Mike seemed to me to be pretty reminiscent of Mike Mignola’s (of Hellboy) stuff. Was he an inspiration for you with this?

CJ: Yeah, my biggest inspirations for the comic were Mike Mignola and Paul Pope. So I kind of mixed their styles together, I guess.

KD: I noticed that JPM, with the exception of the intro, is pretty light on dialogue and has a far heavier emphasis on the art itself. Was there a specific reason you chose to take that sort of direction with it?

CJ: Yeah, like I did want to have some dialogue, but I didn’t want to get too serious or too bogged down with it. So you know, there’s that conversation at the start, but then I just wanted to get into some action and have some fun with it.

KD: Have you had much support from the local comic community with putting this together, or was it pretty much all your own initiative?

CJ: The work was all me. Though I know some of the other guys in town, like Vicious Ambitious and a few others, and we get together at something called Drink and Draw where everyone meets up and chats about their stuff and what’s going on. So in that way, there was definitely support.

KD: What do you have in mind for your next effort?

CJ: The next story that I wrote up is called Jack and Jill. It’s about this guy and a girl who are in this bizarre, sci-fi sort of world where he has to collect these computer chips in order to power this weird 3D TV unit to entertain his girlfriend, or else she gets upset. (laughs)

Chris Johnston keeps a blog at http://jemapellerobot.blogspot.com/ . Check it out to see some of Johnston’s artwork from Jet Pack Mike, alongside samplings of his other work.