Ink to Table #2: Impossible Jones
Going full pulp with Karl Kesel
Table of Contents
Introduction
Written by Caleb Palmquist
Welcome to Ink to Table, a monthly magazine all about indie comics on Kickstarter. Our goal is to dive deep into a creator’s work each month and promote high-quality indie comics that we believe in. Ink to Table was created by Caleb Palmquist and Curtis Clow, who have collectively launched over 50 projects on Kickstarter and raised over a million dollars for indie comics. We’ve had a lot of success on the platform, and now we want to give back to the community.
This is our second issue, and we couldn’t be more excited. Let’s dive right in:
Impossible Jones
Introduction and Preview
This month’s featured comic is Impossible Jones by Karl Kesel, David Hahn, and Ryan Cody. The latest installment is called Impossible to Love and it is the start of volume three! These guys have been at it for a while, and they’ve been incredibly successful on Kickstarter. You can check out the project right here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1227066666/impossible-to-love-the-return-of-impossible-jones
Here’s a preview of the book:
An Interview with Karl Kesel
by Curtis Clow
Karl is one of the genius minds behind Impossible Jones, but he is also an absolute goldmine of information about the industry and a fantastic conversationalist. It’s always a joy to chat with Karl, and this time was no exception.
CURTIS: As a creator who’s done a ton of work for the big 2, what inspired you to start launching your own comics on Kickstarter? Has this been something you always wanted to do or was the timing just right?
KARL: Two reasons.
1) I wanted to do creator-owned comics for a long time, but was never in the position to be able to work for free until the book came out and (hopefully) paid me money! Then Kickstarter came along and offered the opportunity to get paid up front, then produce the comic. (Which, I must stress, is not the ideal way to work. Ideally you have the book done before you Kickstart it. Lots of reasons for this, most importantly that you can deliver the goods much more quickly, which make your supporters happy. This is the goal I've been working towards, bit by bit, since starting to fund my projects through Kickstarter. The new IMP book — Impossible to Love — will be about 3/4 finished when the current campaign ends.
2) In all honesty, my phone stopped ringing. Marvel and DC lost interest in me, almost overnight. I wasn't getting enough work from them to pay my bills, so I had to look elsewhere. Unfortunately, I find commercial art gigs to be completely soul-crushing, so that really wasn't an option. I looked around, and there was Kickstarter, which I'd heard a lot about. So I took the plunge. But I was pushed as much as I jumped.
CURTIS: What are some tips you’d give to an established creator who worked with publishers who now wants to launch a Kickstarter comic?
KARL: Back books on Kickstarter! See how others do it. Pick and choose what you think will work for you. Commit to your project. Make no mistake: running a Kickstarter is a full-time job. If you can't (or don't want to) devote a huge amount of your energy to the campaign, make sure you have someone who can. And don't kid yourself on the amount of time getting your book ready for the printer, dealing with printers, and handling fulfillment will take up. You may be able to produce a monthly comic for DC or Marvel— but handling all those other tasks (which I love doing, by the way) basically doubles the amount of time it takes to produce a book. That's why editors and production departments are paid the Big Bucks.
CURTIS: Where did the idea for Impossible Jones come from? Is it something you’ve been thinking about for a long time?
KARL: True story: I woke up one morning suddenly knowing exactly how I would handle Plastic Man. And I am not someone who has ever spent a lot of time thinking about Plastic Man, believe me, so I have no idea why this particular light bulb went on over my head. I tentatively approached DC about pitching a new take on Plastic Man, but Dan Didio wasn't interested. So I decided to switch the character up a bit, mix in a little of Harley Quinn (a character I'll admit I missed writing) and the basic shape of Impossible Jones was there. Of course, once I was actually writing IMP, she took on a life of her own and (I'd like to think) became much more than just a sum of her parts.
CURTIS: We absolutely love the cast of characters in Impossible Jones. Captain Lightning, Polecat, and Even Stevens have a kind of fun banter that rivals that of the best Big 2 super groups. Where does the inspiration for the witty dialogue and group dynamics come from?
KARL: I just love banter. One of my favorite movies is His Gal Friday — one of the best banter movies there is! It's very important to me that dialogue is fun to read. (And that doesn't necessarily mean funny— scary is fun, evil can be fun, tension and suspense are fun, even sad can be fun.) I believe there are only three reasons someone should say anything — 1. To further the plot; 2. To establish characterization; 3. To tell a joke— and that dialogue should do at least 2 of those three things at any given time.
As for group dynamics: I actually think that isn't my strong suit! I almost always find ways to pair people off, and avoid groups of 3 or more. But maybe I'm getting better at it! But anything I've learned about group dynamics I probably learned reading Stan Lee's 1960s Marvel comics.
CURTIS: Speaking of characters, the villains in Impossible Jones are absolutely ridiculous. How do you come up with ideas for villains like Clowncar, the self-replicating clown getaway driver, or Holly Daze, the Christmas-themed super thief? What well of internal silliness are you tapping into?
KARL: I'm afraid I have no real answer for that. I'm here to have fun, and if an idea like Clowncar tickles me — or Zee-Bro, another favorite — I go with it. I do try to figure out some way to make each character unique in their own way. Sometimes the art helps — Clowncar wasn't such a sourpuss until I saw how David drew him always scowling; best insight into the character ever! — but quite frankly, a lot of the time the characters write themselves, tell me things about themselves I hadn't realized.
CURTIS: What’s the creative process like on Impossible Jones? It seems to be pretty unique compared to most current creators these days. You’re the writer and inker and you have David Hahn doing the pencils. How does that collaboration impact the final comic?
KARL: I write a "plot" that's actually a panel-by-panel breakdown of the book, along with possible/likely dialogue for each panel. (Although I have also been know to write "and then IMP says something funny.") David takes that, and pushes/pulls it, sending me thumbnails, which is a good way to see when my "brilliant ideas" don't work the way I thought they would. Things are adjusted, and David goes off to draw the pages! There's a sequence in Impossible to Love where, from the first time he read the plot, David said a scene near the climax would probably need to be reworked. And when he got to that point— he was right! But believe me, I am all in favor of anything and everything that makes this a better book!
CURTIS: Impossible Jones has a very pulpy, superhero feel. Is this a genre you see yourself telling more stories in? Are there any other genres you want to explore?
KARL: I have ideas for just about every genre out there that I'd love to tell — if I had the time! Unfortunately, I work a bit too slowly to explore more than one at a time. But I'm not getting any younger and I am getting the itch to do something else at some point — something I would write, pencil and ink myself. No idea when that'll happen. Hard to walk away from a fun book like IMP.
CURTIS: Speaking of other stories, how long do you see Impossible Jones continuing? With the start of the third volume, is this the beginning of the end, or are you just getting started?
KARL: Don't know. I certainly know David and I could tell endless IMP stories. That said, the current arc we're starting now will bring her story to a certain kind of conclusion. Everything she's been wanting and working towards since she was first mistaken for a hero will either come together— or come crashing down. And, frankly, even *I* don't know which way it'll go! When we get there, I'm sure IMP and the other characters will tell me what the right path to take is.
Impossible Jones Retrospective
by Caleb Palmquist
I’ve been a big fan of Impossible Jones for a while, both as an appreciator of Karl’s success on Kickstarter, and as a fan of pulpy superhero comics. When Karl agreed to be featured in this month’s issue of Ink to Table, I took the opportunity to go back a re-read the first volume of Impossible Jones.
In the first volume, Karl and David tell a story about a thief who not only stumbles her way into superpowers, she stumbles into being a superhero (at least that’s what she lets everyone think). It’s a very classic pulp superhero thing to devote several issues at the beginning of a superhero comic to the origin story, and I think Karl and the team pull it off exceptionally well.
The story begins with Impossible Jones facing off against Holly Daze, a super-thief who is after the “McGuffin Necklace.” Naturally Jones is able to get the best of Daze, but the encounter doesn’t end the way you’d think (Jones has no intention of giving up her thief lifestyle). After we see what Jones can do and what she’s all about, we cut back to her origin. Obviously the classic in media res opening followed by an extended flashback isn’t treading any new ground, but that’s part of why I like Impossible Jones so much. Karl and the team have a lot of experience working on superhero books. They know all the old tricks and they can pull them off better than anyone. Reading this book feels like pulling on an old favorite sweater. It’s just good, you know?
Honestly, I don’t want to say too much more, because this book is such a joy to read, the last thing I want to do is ruin your experience by explaining the plot points. If you love pulp superhero comics and clever storytelling, Impossible Jones should be next on your to-read list.
An Interview with Kickstarter’s Sam Kusek
by Caleb Palmquist
We had the opportunity to chat with Kickstarter’s head of comics, Sam Kusek. We wanted to ask him some questions about the platform including how comics are being represented and what changes we can expect. It was a great conversation.
CALEB: Hi Sam! Can you tell us a little about your role at Kickstarter?
SAM: I am the Senior Outreach Lead for the Comics Category, which means I get to talk to anyone and everyone launching comics projects in the space. I'm here to help provide feedback on your campaign, talk through any ideas you might have and discuss how Kickstarter can better support you!
CALEB: As the new head of comics on Kickstarter are there any changes or goals you have in mind?
SAM: I am really adamant about two things. First, getting more of a manga presence on KS! Manga is insanely popular right now and as someone who grew up reading a ton of early manga, I think there is a great opportunity to highlight some indie or lesser known titles. Second, I want to find a way to get more KS comics into the hands of retailers! That is a whole new audience for creators to tap and can only benefit the retailers!
CALEB: Do you think Kickstarter is still the best place for indie comic creators to raise funds for their books? Do you think it’s possible for a brand new creator to still gain traction on Kickstarter and build a following from the ground up like Curtis and I did around 5-8 years ago?
SAM: Yes, I do but I do want to point out that it is a long process and at times, a challenging one. Crowdfunding is a lot of work, from ideation and planning things out, to running it and then fulfilling it. I encourage new creators to come to the table with a specific smaller idea in mind, to get used to the process, find success and continue to build from there. Don't expect that your first campaign is going to be a smashing success but focus on what feels achievable so you can build confidence and trust with an audience.
CALEB: Many indie creators struggle to keep up with the larger creators, including publishing companies and NSFW creators. What advice would you give them to inspire them to keep creating and launching?
SAM: The best thing indie creators can do is lean on each other for promotion. Reach out to well known indie creators to introduce yourself and see if they might have time to chat with you about your campaign. Attend conventions and get to know people face to face. Back and promote other people's campaigns! Building a strong relationship with your community is going to help you build genuine connections that will help you elevate your work in a way that paid promotion can't.
CALEB: Kickstarter has been making a lot of big changes lately. Do you think those changes benefit indie comic creators? What do you think the future of the comics category on Kickstarter looks like?
SAM: The two major changes we made, with the changes to the pre-launch page and release of late pledges (which allows you to make rewards available for a period of time after the campaign ends), are both hugely beneficial to indie creators. You have the opportunity to preview more of your story and get people excited with the pre-launch page and you can capture some additional funds through late pledges. We are moving towards more improvements and opportunities for creators to use KS as a one stop shop for everything and you'll see more of that in the years to come.
CALEB: What have you been reading lately? Can you give our readers any comic book recommendations?
SAM: I am currently reading White Ash by Charlie Stickney, Monkey Peak by Antarctic Press, Faceless & The Family from Oni Press, Gatchaman from Mad Cave Studios and Her Frankenstein from Smudge.
Big thanks to Sam Kusek for stopping by to answer our questions.
Signing Off
by Caleb Palmquist and Curtis Clow
Thanks for checking out the second issue of Ink to Table. If you have a suggestion for an amazing comic book coming up, or you have a comic you’d like featured, please feel free to contact us and let us know!
This month’s comic was Impossible Jones. It runs on Kickstarter until Friday, November 29th. If you’d like to check it out, here’s the link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1227066666/impossible-to-love-the-return-of-impossible-jones
Until next time,
Caleb and Curtis