GVN Talking Comics Interview: Writer Mat Groom For ‘Inferno Girl Red’ Book 2 Now on Kickstarter

Back on March 30th of 2021, an exciting project was launched on Kickstarter. Inferno Girl Red, Book 1 created by Writer Mat Groom and Artist Erica D’Urso. It was fully funded in just over one day. As the campaign progressed, more exciting items were added to the mix including a limited edition, wearable Inferno Girl Red helmet. Needless to say, those went fast. By the time it was all said and done, Inferno Girl Red had exceeded expectations with over 1,593 backers pledging AU$ 108,042. We had the pleasure of talking to both Mat and Erica about the project at that time.

Fast forward to the present and the creative team of Groom and D’Urso have once again come together for Inferno Girl Red, book 2, which is launching its Kickstarter Campaign March 28th. Once again, we had the opportunity to speak with writer Mat Groom to reminisce about the first campaign, what was learned and what fans have in store for Book 2. So, let’s welcome back Mat Groom to GVN Talking Comics.

GVN: Thanks once again for giving us some of your time, Mat. 

MG: Of course! Great to speak with you again.

Learning from the First Campaign

GVN: When we last spoke, it was before your Kickstarter for Inferno Girl Red, book 1, and I had the privilege of speaking to both you and to Erica about the project. If memory serves, you already had plans in place for Book 2 when you were working on Book 1, but several unforeseen difficulties plagued the completion of the first one. What did you learn during that time that you can perhaps use as you work on book 2 or was it just a perfect storm that you had to weather? The fact that I have the first book on my shelf proves Erica and you did just that.

MG: I think it’s a bit of both, to be honest– there was certainly plenty to learn from. It was our first time dealing with international printing, international distribution and fulfilment… and certainly our first time producing life-sized replica helmets!

But there were some things that caused us trouble that were unfortunately unavoidable – the post-COVID international shipping situation being one of them, and Erica’s arm injury being the other. What I did learn, though, was the how important and effective it is to be transparent and communicate often. Our backers were incredibly patient and supportive after we explained to them what we were dealing with… I’ll always be so grateful for that.

But as you said, we were able to deliver a book to backers that we are tremendously proud, both in terms of the story and the art but also production quality. So, we’ll be going into this one knowing how to produce something like that again– and knowing how to deal with the unforeseen-but-unavoidable problems that may arise.

From Book One to Book Two

GVN: At the end of Book 1, Inferno Girl Red was on a mission. To learn more about her powers and to rescue her mother. Are there any other tidbits you want to or can share about the upcoming story?

MG: The consequences of BOOK ONE are going to ripple throughout BOOK TWO and cause major problems for both Cássia and Apex City. Cássia had a huge victory at the end of BOOK ONE, but as you allude to, it also came at a huge personal cost. So now she’s trying to figure out how to move forward and become the hero that can save Apex City.

But now that she has a closer connection to her legacy and the mantle of Inferno Girl Red, life isn’t going to get any easier for Cássia, just more complicated. She’s going to stumble into a fraught potential romance when she’s not really looking for it, she’s going to encounter a pair of adversaries her own age who seem to have unassailable advantages, and she’s going to have to make a decision that could see her leaving the city that needs her so desperately. So, yeah! A lot going on!

Collaborating with Erica

GVN: You have no doubt worked out any kinks in you and Erica’s Writer/Artist workflow during the first book. How much communication has there been on this next installment? Do you work closely together, or do you trust her enough to turn her loose on your story?

MG: I feel incredibly privileged– I’m not sure we ever had any kinks. To whatever extent we did, they were incredibly minor. But we hit it off immediately, and Erica is just as connected to the story and as passionate about it as I am.

We just talk about what the story means and how we want certain scenes or moments or characters to feel, she interprets that, often bringing her own ideas to it, I’ll often rewrite to incorporate what she has brought, and then our amazing colorist Igor Monti and Massive-Verse MVP letterer Becca Carey come in to put to breathe life in the world and the words that Erica and I lay down.

Kickstarter Campaign Expectations

GVN: That kind of versatility always brings more to the table as do the talents of Igor and Becca. Now with Book 2 underway, what can fans expect from this Kickstarter Campaign? You had some great offerings from Book 1 including a cool IGR helmet (hard to top THAT). Not to mention a plethora of extras that were included in Book 1. How can you exceed those expectations?

MG: To be honest, for us it’s been less about exceeding and more about tailoring, seeing what people responded to, what people didn’t, and what was feasible.

We won’t be doing helmets again– we absolutely loved producing them the first time, and the creator of them Starchild Props™ did a truly fantastic job, but it ended up being a tremendous logistical challenge that only benefitted a handful of people. We’ll come back to them, for sure, but this time we wanted to make sure we were creating additions that everyone could enjoy.

Our focus has been on finding artists to create prints that are unique and evocative and feel like they’re putting entirely new spins on the world of IGR, as well as exploring possibilities for stretch goals that expand the book itself in a way that everyone can enjoy.

Partnering with Image Comics

GVN: That is a great way to connect. One of the things I enjoyed most about Book 1 was all the behind-the-scenes creation glimpses that were shared. After the Kickstarter, Image Comics published your first IGR to share with comic shops and of course, more readers. Has there been any kind of agreement for Book 2? A story this well done and beautifully rendered needs to be seen by everyone.

MG: Oh, thank you! Much like BOOK ONE, if we’re funded, Image will indeed be publishing BOOK TWO for the direct market and bookstores (without the Kickstarter-exclusive cover and material and in a smaller, paperback form). Of course, that will only happen if the campaign succeeds– so we hope we can get there!

GVN: With the success of book one, I have no doubt that Book 2 will be as readily received. Thanks again for giving us your time once again, Mat. Before I let you go, let me give you one more opportunity to tell our readers about the campaign and where they can go to check it out.

IGR Book 2 and Bad Blood

MG: Thanks again for having me! One thing I would like to say is that we’ll have digital copies of BOOK ONE (as well as a limited number of physical copies), so if you’re new to IGR, you’re more than welcome and can join us now! And for everyone– I genuinely think IGR has some of the best art in the industry, plus the new book has love-to-hate-them new villains, shocking twists, and take on superheroes I think you’ll find fresh and exciting. So don’t miss out on the Kickstarter exclusive elements, check us out now!

Oh, and one more thing! My artist friend Kelly McMahon will be launching a Kickstarter campaign for her newest set of gorgeous, illustrated playing cards, inspired by the roaring 20s and crime noir– and I wrote a murder mystery featuring the characters from the card art which you can experience and solve while playing any of your favourite card games with the cards. That project is called BAD BLOOD, and it’ll be launching on Kickstarter soon! Thanks.

You can find the Kickstarter campaign for Mat and Erica’s next chapter in the Inferno Girl Red series here. And since Mat mentioned his story collaboration with artist Kelly McMahon on her illustrated playing cards, you can visit the Bad Blood Kickstarter campaign here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kmmcmdraws/bad-blood-playing-cards-and-murder-mystery-game?ref=3ve9jl.

As an added extra bonus, any Kickstarter backers that back the INFERNO GIRL RED: BOOK TWO at a physical reward level and also back the BAD BLOOD Kickstarter will receive this exclusive HOLOGRAPHIC print by Kelly McMahon (as seen below). So be sure to check them both out.