An Interview with Writer Josh Wagner about Sky Pirates of Neo Terra, Adam Funn, and Fiction Clemens!

Josh Wagner is a comic book writer, novelist, and film maker, who is probably best known for his popular creator-owned comic series, Fiction Clemens, and for his novel, The Adventures of the Imagination of Periphery Stowe.

Josh’s latest comic series is the five-issue Image Comics mini-series Sky Pirates of Neo Terra, with artwork by Camilla d’Errico. Sky Pirate of Neo Terra is based on the upcoming Nintendo DS/Wii game of the same name, and is set in Neo Terra, a world of forgotten technology and natural magic, where reckless young glide-wing pilot, Billy Boom Boom, must outwit the Pirate King to stop him from ushering in a new Dark Age. Click here to see a preview!

Josh was also recently involved in making a short film called Adam Funn, which he co-wrote and produced. Adam Funn is a dark absurdest comedy, about a man who wakes up one morning to find that the whole world has gone mad around him, causing him to question whether he has gone insane, or whether it is the rest of the world that has gone insane. Click here to see the film trailer!

Josh recently took some time to speak to Hypergeek about Sky Pirates of Neo Terra, Adam Funn, and what the future has in store.

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Hi Josh, thanks for joining us today. Why don’t we start out talking a bit about you new Image Comics series, Sky Pirates of Neo Terra…

Could you tell us about the world of Sky Pirates of Neo Terra, and the characters that inhabit it?

JW: Sky Pirates of Neo Terra is an optimistic take on the concept of a post-apocalyptic world. Ages after devastation, Neo Terra is a world reborn, thriving, lush, and idyllic. Most of the characters exhibit a deep and almost naïve innocence. They have developed tribal societies pieced together by natural magic and bits of technology found like fossils in the ruins of the old world.

Could you tell us a little about the plot of the miniseries, and how it ties in to the upcoming Nintendo DS game?

JW: The comic series takes a small sub-plot from the game and fleshes it out into a living, breathing story. Billy is the hero in both, and his best friend Ricket’s father has been kidnapped by a renegade tribe known as the Forgotten. Saving Ricket’s dad is top priority, but we get a convergence of several main characters and their inner struggles, while exploring the concept of hidden evil attempting to exploit a dark legacy that hides under the surface of innocence.

What were the major challenges bringing the world of the game to life?

JW: I had less latitude than I’m used to. The world, characters, and major plot lines were already well defined. It was a struggle to find ways to ease new ideas into the book, rather than simply rehashing the plot of the game. Fortunately, the foundation was both strong and flexible, and gradually a story emerged.

What goes into an adaptation like this? Did you have to play the game to get to know the world and characters, or did you rely on outlines given to you by the game developers?

JW: I Didn’t play the game until San Diego! I had all sorts of character and world docs, as well as the dialogue spreadsheet from the video game. Having the creator, Sean, acting as an editor helped a lot. There’s no better a resource for writing about a world than its god.

Your artist on this project is the amazing Camilla d’Errico. What was it like working with Camilla, and what do you think her art style brought to the project?

JW: I’m about as fortunate as can be to work with Camilla. She’s unprecedented in her professionalism and dedication, wicked talented, and a hell of a lot of fun. Having a friendship outside the book makes us an excellent team. Her style is foundational for the series, because she helped to design the world and characters years ago. We’re on the same wavelength when it comes to the characters’ emotions, so she almost always ends up nailing the facial expressions I’m after on the first go.

If this miniseries is successful is there a possibility of further stories in the Sky Pirates world?

JW: Definitely. Sean is spending a lot of time these days exploring the possibility of other media. I’m sure if we end up with anything like TV/movie, another series will be inevitable. We’re discussing ideas that go beyond the scope of the game’s storyline. This series zoomed in on the world, and in the next we may end up zooming out.

Where’s Your Fish?

Let’s move on and talk a bit about your new short film, Adam Funn…

Is Adam Funn the first film project that you have been involved with? How did this project come about?

JW: Adam Funn is my first complete narrative film. I’ve done some short shorts (< 5 minutes) in the past, and been involved with a couple other films peripherally, but this is the first time I’ve been able to say, “Hey! I made a movie!”

How would you describe the film to potential viewers? What films would be a good basis of comparison

JW: Adam Funn is about a guy who wakes up one morning to find the world has gone mad around him. There is an ambiguity expressed as to who is sane, Adam or the world… that’s the real message of the story. To the mentally ill, it’s the rest of us who look nuts. The film has been compared to a Twilight Zone episode or two, but there isn’t much out there with a plot like this. One beautiful old film, The King of Hearts may come the closest.

How would you describe your first film-making experience? What were the major challenges, and what gave you the most enjoyment.

JW: There’s nothing like it. I would make films the rest of my life if given the chance. This particular project had a core crew of three: myself as writer/producer; Brad Wilson as writer/director/composer; and Jon Aaseng as director of photography. The three of us are old friends and it was a true collaborative effort from start to finish. There were fewer challenges than I’d expected. Missoula was our playground, and everyone we went to for help or locations were enthusiastic and accommodating. Organizationally, the more actors in a scene, the trickier it was. When you’re not paying people, scheduling is about finding that one day where everyone has time to work. To paraphrase Hannibal (A-Team), I love it when a scene finally comes together. Best feeling in the world to set everything up and then stand back to watch cast and crew do their thing.

Are you much of a film aficionado? If so, what film-makers do you most admire?

JW: Yes! I’m crazy about movies. My heroes are Terry Gilliam and Jean-Pierre Juenet, but I love any unique and moving film experience. Give me Marx Brothers, Tarantino, Kaufman, Kurosawa, Miyazaki… ahhhh! If I start listing I’ll never stop.

How did you go about casting for the movie?

JW: We put an ad in the paper and rented a space. Jon, Brad and I were all involved in the casting process. I really feel blessed with perfect actors for the roles. Our lead, Andy Shirtliff, had worked with Jon before, and Brad knew that was our man when he first saw him in Jon’s short. A couple others were hand-picked, but the majority of them just came out of the nooks of Missoula on audition day.

I understand that the movie premiered in Missoula last week. How did the launch go?

JW: Brilliantly! The house was packed. We eventually had to start selling standing-room-only tickets. The feeling of the evening was high energy and joyful. The crowd laughed in all the right places. It was magical!

Do you plan to produce any other films, or was this just a one-off? I’ve heard rumours of a Fiction Clemens movie!

JW: We made a teaser for a Fiction Clemens story years ago, before there was even a thought to the comic. I’d love to see it done one of these days, but I’ve learned my lesson about biting off more than I can chew. I think a feature is the next step, but it will hopefully be an Adam Funn feature, where we take the story beyond the scope of the short film, and add some new dimensions to it that were impossible in 25 minutes.

Is there potential for making a comic of the movie?

JW: I think that with the right artist it could translate nicely. Particularly what we have in mind for the feature film. I’ve got my feelers out for the “right artist”, and when I find him or her, I will pounce. Oh yes…

Future Projects

What other projects are you working on right now?

JW: It’s about time to get a new novel out there, so expect to see the latest before Christmas. I’m also developing about a half a dozen new comic projects and collaborations, some closer along than others. But the novel, yeah, that’s the horizon right now. Currently its working title is “Dead Winds”, but that might change at the last moment. Joiton, who drew Fiction Clemens, is doing the cover.

Can we expect to see a collected version of Fiction Clemens at any point?

JW: I’m sure it will happen. Spacedog tells me they are planning to put Fiction Clemens up in installments on their online beta site, barkit.com pretty soon. That track should have trade paperback at the end of the line. So hopefully by next summer.

Thanks again for joining us today Josh!

For more information on the Adam Funn movie make sure to check out the movie’s official site, and to buy a copy of the DVD, click through to Josh’s Etsy store where you can get it for only $8.00. Also make sure to check out the trailer below: