Writer short profile:
– Name: Ethan Slayton.
– Location: Portland, Oregon.
– Writing style: I’m not sure what you would call the style of my writing but I try to be as minimalistic as possible with my scripts. I try not to over-indulge the character dialogue and let the actions and the talking mutually tell the story I am trying to convey in my comics.
– Website/s: https://www.facebook.com/Theartofethanaugustusslayton
– Bragging rights(Featured work/collaborations): I co-wrote a short comic story-which I think was about 15 pages in length with my friend Max Fauser. I drew and inked that as well and it was a really good experience.
Currently, I’m writing my four issue mini series and creator owned comic with artist Angel Rams called “Villains” and we hope that will be out in full by the end of 2013. – As for writing & drawing right now, I am working on another creator owned project called “Winter Hold” which I am totally in love with. For instance, with “Winter Hold”, I realize and totally own the fact that while “Winter Hold” has a main plot to it, the story itself is really only a vehicle for my need to draw Dungeons & Dragons style characters and big scary monsters coupled with fucked up, Kirby-esque machinery all under one roof.

Writer continued profile. Let’s get a tiny bit personal:

– What are your goals as a writer?: To be a really great communicator and to get all the fucked up little bits of imagination I have running around in my head down on paper so they don’t converge and eventually throttle my brain.

– What do you think of Comics being made into movies?: Fun. Good. They get better every year. Every year something new comes out and it’s better than the last thing (for the most part). I see the movie industry learning and it makes me happy. I also enjoy the fact that these main stream movies get more people into the comic shops more often and then they inevitably end up discovering MORE cool stuff and indy stuff and then they become junkies like the rest of us. It’s a win/win!

– How do you have your coffee?: With a bottle of Bailey’s.

 

– Has reading a Comic ever changed your life? Which one/why? (If yes): Powers and Daredevil by Brian Michael Bendis brought me back to comics when I was despondent about them. Frank Miller’s Ronin was probably the thing that made me feel like comics were my home and that you could really do ANYTHING in comics.

– If someone created a Comic about your life what would they title it?: Gonzo-A life less Ordinary.

– Favourite writer/why?: Oh man. There’s so many. I am an avid Stephen King junkie since my high school days. I love Brian Michael Bendis. His dialogue is, to quote Ferris Beuller, “So choice”! I am a Whedon devotee and I also offer small children, ducklings and gelflings at the feet of Drew Goddard. Geoff Johns & George R.R. Martin also does not suck. And then there is Dan Simmons, Clive Barker…oh cripes…so many good damn writers out there!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_King
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Michael_Bendis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoff_Johns
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_R._R._Martin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Simmons
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clive_Barker

 

– Where there any defining moments in your life that have influenced your writing style?: When I was a bit older, I really began to take more of an interest in my Dad’s work. Reading my Dad’s writing really taught me about construction and the overall feel of a piece and how you can convey emotion with words. He’s been writing for years and his work is always so thoughtful and at the same time, straightforward. His work and who he is taught me and continues to teach me how to write. 

– Favourite Comic writer of all time/why?:  Mike Mignola is a big favourite of mine. I really enjoy how he deconstructs myth and realigns that myth with his modern day creations. Geoff Johns is a brilliant tactician within the DC world and he always seems to breathe new life into older ideas that before he tackled those older ideas, everyone else seemed to have left for dead. That’s a skill and a half! Brian Bendis is another all time fav. I think you can safely say I will never have only ONE favourite writer. There are so many that I love for so many different reasons. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Mignola
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Michael_Bendis

– What do you prefer to snack on when writing a masterpiece?:  Manatee Sushi. No,..uhh…when I’m writing I don’t really eat. I am so concentrated on getting the next line on the page that it becomes all consuming. Drawing is different. I like cookies, oreos, anything dry that won’t leave a mess on my page. Then there’s beer. There’s always beer.

– Where do you get your daily inspiration from?: Daily life. For instance, someone might be talking super loudly on their phone on the bus on my way home from work and I think to myself, “I wonder what it would be like to turn into the Abominable Snowman and just walked over to that person and starting gnawing on their face?” and that brings up all sorts of questions. “How would the authorities deal with this? How would the other passengers react? Would anybody cheer?” And sometimes something else pops out of this and becomes the nugget of a story.

– If you could collaborate with ANYBODY, who would it be and why?: Frank Miller. Just to see what kind of obscene idea we could come up with to totally offend people with. Also Sam Raimi. Sam is a genius and a brilliant story teller and I would love, love, love to pick his brain and create some fantastic horror-myth thing with him. And Joss Whedon. But really, Joss is Joss and I want to see what his mind births. Really, I just want to stick Joss and Drew Goddard in a room and have them create wonderful movie babies together for all eternity. That’s all I really want.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Miller_(comics)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Raimi

– Do you feel a sense of dejavu completing this?: Hmmm…nope. I don’t know. Why? Did you have me do one of these things before…? Oh, because if you did, you might not remember that I stole the Tardis and am back in time and I am e-mailing you from a laptop that is secure within the current space-time continuum so you are getting this e-mail in YOUR own time frame but I am completely displaced. So no.

– Likes: My wife. Cats. The ocean. Days off. TMNT. Grant Morrison. Fresh air. A society wherein all Humans pick up their animals faeces.

– Dislikes: A society wherein humans neglect to pick up their animals faeces and it just sits there. In the sun. For eons.

– Favourite joke:  How do you sell a frog to a deaf man? ……… *YELLS* HEY MISTER!!! YOU WANNA BUY A FROG….!!????!? -Lemmy taught me that one!

– If you were to run away and live with a Comic character, who would you pick/why?:  That Ranger from the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon. So I could kill him and take that fucking cool as shit bow for my own!!

– Any thank you’s/shoutouts?: My Wife for putting up with alla my bullshit. My friends for putting up with alla my bullshit. My family for putting up with alla my bullshit. Nessa & Aggressive Comix for putting up with alla my bullshit. – Basically, I expel a buncha bullshit and I’m sorry. Kinda 😉

 

 

Always a pleasure dealing with Mr Slayton. Thank you for another great interview. – Ness 🙂