Last Month, we were given the opportunity to share an exclusive look at Patrick Horvath’s new book from Oni Press, “Free for All.” A glimpse into a world where the wealthy elite have a decision to make. Whether to share their vast wealth to those who are in need, or to keep it for themselves. That choice would result in their having to engage in combat with other such individuals. A one-on-one battle of the wealthy to see who gets to keep their financial empire.
With the release of the thought-provoking book fast approaching (Wednesday, March 26th), we recently caught up to Creator Patrick Horvath. We discussed his creative beginnings in film and comic and how he came up with the premise for his new book. So, let’s welcome the talented Eisner nominated Creator, Patrick Horvath to GVN Talking Comics.
Creative Inspirations
GVN: Thank you for spending a few moments of your time, Patrick. Since this will be our first opportunity to chat, let us start with some of your creative beginnings. You have shown a love for writing in both comics and films. Which of the two first captured your imagination, and whose work inspired you to consider that writing for those genres would be your ambition?
Patrick: I think technically I was creating sequential art waaaay before I began making movies. When I was around 5 years old, my mom would help me make these little booklets that were basically page-sized panels that told a simple little story. As I grew up, I continued making crude little comics in my teens that I would share with friends, or little strips that would make it into the school newspaper sometimes. Around that time, I had gotten into reading Image comics when they launched, and I had a pretty intense span of a couple of years where I was heavily into buying and reading. Wolverine: The Jungle Adventure by Walter Simonson and Mike Mignola was an early favorite, and I was a big fan of Todd McFarlane.
Challenges of Writing for Film and Comics
GVN: As I mentioned, you have delved into writing for films in projects such as “Southbound,” for which you wrote AND directed the segment Jailbreak and “Entrance,” in which you were a co-writer and director. How different is it to write for film as opposed to comics, and which has proven the most challenging?
Patrick: I think there are a lot of similarities in the creative process for writing comics and films, but a lot of the differences for myself come from formatting mostly. Your aims are also a little different. With comics, there isn’t really a specified format as long as you’re getting the main information across for description, action, panels and dialogue. Your main audience is going to be the creative team for the most part, so it’s pretty casual and straightforward. Film and TV tends to be extremely formatted, and in my experience, you’ve got all sorts of people who are going to be reading this thing: executives, assistants doing coverage, department heads, actors, and so on. I enjoy both, but all in all, it’s a lot easier for me to write for comics.
Developing “Free for All”
GVN: Your latest book for Oni Press is “Free for All.” The title itself is a wonderful play on words considering the subject matter. How long have you been working on bringing it to fans?
Patrick: I came up with the idea for “Free for All” in the wake of the 2016 U.S. election, and I started writing it in earnest in 2017. I finished the book in 2020, and it’s been a very sloooooow journey to getting it on the shelves of comic shops. Thanks to the attention for “Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees” Zoop had reached out to see if I’d be interested in doing a crowdfunding campaign, and shortly thereafter Oni contacted me to ask what my plans for the future were. I was thrilled that Oni was interested in giving it a home, but I couldn’t believe the long winding path this book has taken. What’s wild is that the book is timelier now than it ever would have been before.
The Influence of Society on Stories
GVN: In my previous article, I described “Free for All” as reminiscent of “The Hunger Games.” However, in this story, it is the wealthy who are forced to fight one another to maintain their status and wealth in society. This concept is brilliant because it reverses the traditional premise where the less fortunate must entertain the rich. As you write new stories, do you focus on being relevant to current societal issues or prioritize creating an entertaining narrative?
Patrick: I am honestly horrible about trying to target current societal issues. In regard to “Free for All,” it sort of caught this recent wave of intense drama surrounding scrutiny of the rich and income inequality, but to be honest we’ve been dealing with social inequality since at least ancient Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt. I think its unfortunately a deeper problem in civilization, and that’s more in line with the type of stuff that interests me. I
usually do best to just follow my nose, so to speak, and then find a way into a story that I hope is compelling.
Working with Oni Press
GVN: You are collaborating with the team at Oni Press for “Free for All,” one of five stories they are releasing in the spring of 2025. How did this partnership with your book come about?
Patrick: As I sort of mentioned above, Oni had reached out in the wake of the Zoop campaign for “Free for All” and asked what I had planned for its future. I was glad that we were initially going to get the book into the hands of a few hundred people from the crowdfunding campaign, but after that, I had other folks who would come up to me at conventions wondering how they could get their hands on a copy as well. Thanks to Oni it’ll be on shelves in a pretty major way. The love and support they’ve put behind this book has been amazing, and the line up I’ve been included in blows me away.
Future Projects
GVN: Thanks again for giving us a few moments, Patrick. Before we go, I want to allow you to tell our fans once more about “Free for All” and any other projects you want them to know about.
Patrick: I’m thrilled for readers to have an opportunity to check this out and see something different from me if they’re only familiar with “Beneath the Trees…” I’m still relatively new, and the comics community has been amazingly kind and welcoming. I’m also neck-deep in the second volume for “Beneath the Trees…” and it will be arriving in shops later this summer, so keep your eyes peeled for that!
Oni Press “Free for All” by Patrick Horvath comes to comic stands on March 26th. Be sure to check out this latest work from this talented creator.
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.
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