When the former military fort and lighthouse known as Alcatraz was converted into a federal prison in 1934, it was considered “escape proof.” Largely, due to its isolation in the middle of San Francisco Bay, combined with its cold, strong currents. This reputation for security was mostly deserved. Records show that between 1934 and 1963, 36 men attempted to escape: 23 were recaptured, 7 were shot and killed, and at least 3 drowned. However, there was also the trio of Clarence Anglin, John Anglin, and Frank Morris.
Frank Morris and the Anglin Brothers
Morris and the Anglin Brothers used papier-mâché heads to deceive the guards and then escaped through ventilation ducts and an unguarded corridor. They left the island on an inflatable raft. From that point, their whereabouts remain unknown, and their story is the stuff of myths and legends. Some believe they drowned in the attempt, but no evidence was ever found to determine their fate.
Now, thanks to the combined efforts of Oni Press, Writer Christopher Cantwell and artist Tyler Crook, we have one possible version of what might have happened to the escapees. “Out of Alcatraz,” gives readers a fictionalized account of what happened to the daring trio after their escape, across five exceptional issues.
We previously had the opportunity to sit down with writer Christopher Cantwell to discuss this exciting project. Now, it is artist Tyler Crook’s turn to discuss his creative beginnings and his collaboration with Christopher on this original look into one of the great escape mysteries of the prison known as “The Rock.” For those interested in discovering more about creative processes, platforms like Zebaco offer valuable insights and resources for artists and writers alike.
Creative Inspirations
GVN: Thank you, Tyler, for sharing some of your day with us. Since we have not had the opportunity to catch up with you previously, I would like to talk a bit about your creative beginnings. When did you first take an interest in art and whose work impacted you into feeling that this would be the direction you would like to pursue?
Tyler: I really can’t think of a time when I wasn’t interested in art. Drawing and painting has always been something I’ve done. I remember a TV show from when I was eight or nine called The Secret City. The host Commander Mark would teach you how to “draw in 3D”. About the same time there was a PE teacher at my school who was finishing his master of fine arts degree. So he would come into our classroom once a week and give a little art lesson. As far as comics go, I think the book that got me interested in drawing comics was Mage: The Hero Discovered. Reading that book and seeing how Matt Wagner’s work went from amateur to professional over the course of the series was very inspiring.
Comics VS Gaming
GVN: You started working in the gaming world before you shifted into working in comics. What are the differences in approach between working on games as opposed to comics and what are the challenges inherent in both?
Tyler: The big difference between comics and video games is that my work on video games was mostly anonymous. For example, I spent a couple years just creating layouts and short videos to play on the Jumbotron of a baseball game. And the stuff I did for video games never involved my personal vision. I was always matching the art style set by the producers and art directors. Comics on the other hand really require the artist to put forward a personal vision. The small teams allow artists to be more active participants in shaping the end product. Occasionally, I miss working in a studio and problem-solving with engineers to get art to work in a video game. But generally, I’m much happier sitting at home drawing comics and hanging out with my wife and cat.
Working with Oni Press
GVN: You transitioned into comics, working with Oni Press, which led to your introductions to Phil Gelatt, Cullen Bunn, and Brian Hurtt. Pretty heady company. As you made that transition from games into comics and you were making connections to these talented creators, did you have any apprehension about your readiness at any time or did you just trust in your talent to plunge in and get the job done. (Which you obviously have accomplished).
Tyler: I’ve definitely had my moments of imposter syndrome. Especially early on in my career working on books like BPRD: Hell on Earth was very stressful. But as I worked on more projects and once I started to learn to trust my own voice, things became much easier. I think working in watercolor has helped me to feel more confident because there are so few artists working in that medium. I spend less time comparing myself to others. I still have a hard time “trusting my talent,” and I often feel suspicious when people give me compliments. But It gets easier every year.
Mike Mignola
GVN: Eventually, you met with iconic Creator Mike Mignola and received the opportunity to work in the Mignolaverse. How did that come about and what do you feel you learned during that experience?
Tyler: I met Mike Mignola at a Comic convention when I was still working on Petrograd. At a quiet moment in the convention, I grabbed my portfolio and took it over to ask if he would look at it. I honestly had no expectations, but I hoped I could get some useful feedback. To my surprise, he seemed to really like my work. He gave me his card and asked me to keep in touch, so I did. When Guy Davis finally left BPRD, my understanding is that they called me and offered me the job within just a few days. To be honest, I don’t think I was quite up to the job, but I learned a lot about storytelling, composition and professionalism.
Out of Alcatraz
GVN: Your latest Oni Press book with talented writer Christopher Cantwell explores the mystery of the legendary 1962 Alcatraz escape of Frank Morris, John Anglin and his brother, Clarence. How did “Out of Alcatraz” come about and how much freedom did Christopher give you in bringing the story to life?
Tyler: I had just wrapped up the second volume of The Lonesome Hunters, and I didn’t have another project lined up. To my delight, Bess Pallares emailed me out of the blue and asked if I would be available for Alcatraz. She sent me over Chris’s original treatment, and I immediately fell in love with the story. It’s not the most dramatic way I’ve ever gotten a job, but I’m glad that I did. Working with Chris has been delightful and he showed a lot of trust and enthusiasm for letting me just do my thing. He writes really good scripts that are concise and give me room to flex my artistic and storytelling muscles.
Collaborating with Christopher Cantwell
GVN: This was the first time you worked with Christopher on a book. How did your process evolve as you proceeded and how closely did you communicate as you worked together on this project?
Tyler: To be honest, there hasn’t been a ton of communication. Like I said, Chris’s scripts are so clear and concise, but it doesn’t require a ton of back-and-forth. I feel like Chris and I have been on the same wavelength with this project. He sends me a script. I feel like I get it then I sent him back artwork and he tells me I got it. It’s been great!
Formulating a Likenses
GVN: Following up, as you worked on the story, how much did you rely on the information available as far as the history of their escape went or the likenesses of the main characters? Or was that as important as telling the story you were both trying to share? (It’s not like a huge segment of the public knows what Morris or the Anglin brothers look like).
Tyler: I definitely started my character designs basing them off photos of the real convicts. But maintaining a likeness hasn’t been critical to the story we’re telling. This is after all an entirely fictional story. So, I’ve definitely tweaked the look of the characters to fit the story better. For example, Clarence looks a lot younger in the comic than he did in real life. I’m also not the best artist when it comes to maintaining a consistent likeness to real people. So, I think it’s more important to be true to the character we created for the story than to be true to the real men who maybe died in the San Francisco Bay that night.
GVN: Thank you once again for speaking with me today, Tyler. Before I let you go, I want to give you the chance to tell our readers once more about this exciting series and any other projects you might have coming up.
YouTube Channel
Tyler: “Out of Alcatraz”is the only project I have that I can really talk about right now. I have a few other projects in the pipeline that have me very excited, but they’ll have to stay mysterious for a little while. I guess I could plug my YouTube channel. I do a comics and art live stream on YouTube every Friday night at 7 PM Pacific time. We talk about comics and art, and I usually draw or paint something. It’s a nice hangout.
Oni Press “Out of Alcatraz, Issue #1” by Christopher Cantwell, Tyler Crook, will hit shelves on March 19th. Look for it where great comics are sold. You can check out our discussion with writer Christopher Cantwell here.
Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 60 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove headfirst over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 21-year-old young man with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.
