GVN Talking Comics Interview: Writer Paul Cornell For Ahoy Comics 'Con & On'

One thing is always for certain. Talented writers are always ready to create another story to work on and a way to get it published. Whether that be through self-publishing and crowdfunding or collaborating with one of the traditional publishers. Another option is choosing to work with one of the many great indie comic publishers.

In this case, writer Paul Cornell and artist Marika Cresta hooked up with one of our favorites, Ahoy Comics for their upcoming title, Con & On. A wonderful and witty examination of the Comic Con phenomenon, how it has changed and how it has stayed the same.

Recently, we sat down again with Paul (the last being for his Zoop campaign for the Completed Saucer Country Omnibus) to discuss the Zoop Campaign, his new title with Ahoy and how it came about. Along the way we also discuss how his experiences and love for Comic Cons helped to shape the narrative. So, let’s welcome Paul Cornell to GVN’s Talking Comics Interview.

The Recent Zoop Campaign

GVN: Thanks for taking some time to talk to me again Paul. We last spoke about The Completed Saucer Country Omnibus Zoop Campaign. When it was all said and done, how was that experience?

PC: Very satisfying! We’ve just got all the art in from Ryan Kelly, and we’re now moving to colour art, letters and design. So very soon our backers will have the finished product in their hands. I’m so proud that we got there, that I got to finish that story.

Based on Experience

GVN: Glad to hear that. The folks at Zoop know how to get things done. Your latest title is a collaboration with talented artist Marika Cresta for Ahoy Comics ‘Con & On,’ a wonderful look at the whole Comic Con experience and what different people get out of it. How did this project come to fruition and how much was based on either your own experiences or perhaps stories you’ve heard from others?

PC: Oh, hugely based on both my own experiences and the sort of anecdote creators tell each other. For the longest time, I was thinking about doing a murder mystery set at a big comics event, but then I realized I could do it without the murder. I’d always intended for it to be satirical, to try to get to the truth of the creator experience, but also show the many other lives that contribute to and are changed by a big comics event. Ahoy gave me the perfect venue to do that tragicomedy, and to do it over a decades-long time span, so we can show how much the industry and culture has changed (and how much it damn well hasn’t).

Connections

GVN: One of the many things that resonates with me is the way the main characters use the con as almost their version of LinkedIn. A way to talk to like-minded individuals and perhaps, get their foot in the door for further advancement in their chosen field. Was this an important aspect that you wanted to capture? (I admit to using my first comic con, a mere 5 years ago, to make some contacts and request interview possibilities…it was quite the success).

PC: Well, that’s always been how it’s been, but back then it was done with business cards, phone numbers and pieces of paper with contacts scrawled on them. For pros, a big event is always a chance to have meetings. It’s actually that combination of high-stakes business and fun that appeals to me about such events, why I love them so much.

Mariska Cresta

GVN: Me too. The creators have always been my favorite part of the Cons. Talented friendly people who are more than willing to talk to you and share their time. Never been disappointed. Now, as I mentioned, you are working with Marika Cresta, known for her work on Star Wars Dr. Aphra and Marvel’s Captain Carter. How did you and Marika decide to work together and what is your preferred workflow? Full scripts? Outlines?

PC: Ahoy suggested her, and I’ve been very happy with how she’s approached the work. Her character designs were perfect from moment one, and her acting is top notch. She’s working from a full script, but then I add the commentary track, where a pop culture historian of the future comments on what we’re seeing, after I’ve got the finished art.

More to Tell?

GVN: So, if ‘Con and On’ is as successful as I might believe from checking out the first issue, do you have any plans for a follow-up if the fans and Ahoy request it?

PC: I think we could certainly do more stories in this setting, though the final issue of this run brings our enormous cast pretty much up to the present day.

Other Projects

GVN: Thank you so much for sharing just a bit of your time again, Paul. As always, before I let you go, do you have any other projects on the stove you want or can talk about?

PC: I’m running a serial continuation of my best-selling Witches of Lychford books on my Substack. It’s called ‘Night of the Gnomes’! https://paulcornell.substack.com/