We are here to talk about the Series Spread from Writer Justin Jordan with Art from Kyle Strahm. On January 13 , Spread #12 comes out with guest artist Jen Hickman. The Geeked Gods got the chance to talk to Justin Jordan and Jen Hickman about the special issue: The next chapter in the series is Issue #12 out on January 13th we discuss why this is a special issue via Image Comics
How would you describe the series for people looking to pick up Spread?
JJ: My really short pitch is that it’s Lone Wolf and Cub in a world where John Carpenter’s The Thing ate North America. Basically, ten years before the start of the book a shifting, unstoppable organism, the Spread, has basically eaten the modern world. Our main character No has found a child who can destroy the Spread, if he can keep her alive.
What was the inspiration behind the story, how did you develop the series?
JJ: Basically, I’ve been a big fan of Lone Wolf and Cub since I was a teenager. And at some point, probably watching the Walking Dead, I was idly pondering having that dynamic – a stupendous bad ass and a small child – in a world with zombies.
But I didn’t want to write about zombies. So when I read an article about, basically, how the biochemistry of how cells produce energy isn’t the only or best way it can happen, I got this idea about what amounted to a hyper virulent ecosystem that just outcompeted us.
And that ended up, eventually, becoming Spread.
Issue #12 is described as a Special issue of the series, where we will learn more about a specific character, what can the readers look forward to?
JJ: A lot of insight into who Molly is and who she got where she is. Hopefully, we can see more about the world of Spread in general and how society, such as it is, operates in the Quaratine.
The art work is brilliant I feel like the illustration and colors make the story come to life and yet some parts are very disturbing, how was it working together on this special issue?
JJ: It was great. I wanted Jen to do this issue from the start, and aside from her skill as an artist and storyteller, is that her art style is huge contrast both from Kyle’s regular style and from the subject matter in this issue. Which she pulled off brilliantly.
How has this process of being a Creator owned project differ from other projects you have done?
JJ: A lot more falls on you. For the most part, with work for hire, my entire involvement is writing the script. Everything else, all the work involved in making sure the wheels keep spinning, is handled by editorial and production.
Even with Spread, where we brought on Sebastian Girner as editor, I am involved in all the stuff, so there’s a lot of stuff to coordinate. The upside is that the book is just what we, the creators, want it to be.
What one piece of advice would you give comic book writers and artists about pursing Creator owner books?
JJ: It’s going to be more work than you think. No matter how much work you think, you’re wrong. It’s worth it, but be aware that getting a book out, at all, is a tremendous amount of work and you need to be able to handle it to get the book out .
Check out Issue #12 of Spread this Wednesday and if you haven’t pick up Vol 1 and 2 of Spread TPB available now via Image Comics.
