Quantum & Woody #4 hits your local comic book shop on July 8, but thanks to Valiant Entertainment, Monkeys Fighting Robots was able to chat with the artist of the series, Ryan Browne.
Quantum & Woody is written by Christopher Hastings, with pencils & inks by Browne, Ruth Redmond handles colors, and you will read Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou letters. The series is fun, intense, and crazy.
About the final issue:
Home Alone, the boys are left to defend their lair against would-be bandits! What is Woody’s dark secret? The truth is finally revealed!
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Enjoy The Interview With Ryan Browne:
MFR: Ryan, thank you for taking the time to chat with me. The final issue of Quantum & Woody comes out this week, after a 3-month delay. What’s your emotional reaction going to be when you see it on the shelf at your local comic book shop (Challengers)?
BROWNE: Well, we are quarantining pretty hard in the Browne household–keeping my baby son Kirby safe–but when I make Challengers deliver the issue to my house it will be a fantastic thrill! So happy we got to finish the arc and that everyone gets to see the shocking cliff-hanger ending!
MFR: Issue three had some fantastic action/reaction panels. Do you have a favorite panel or page from the series, and if so, why?
BROWNE: Thank you! I’m really proud of the acting I’ve drawn into the issue. The two characters really carry their personalities in their postures and gestures. I’m a fan of the drawing of Quantum at the end of issue 1 when he realizes that he’s just punched that evil kid in the face. Trying to show terror and regret on a face that wears a mask was no easy feat!
MFR: The colors in Quantum & Woody hit extremes when the action happens, can you talk about Ruth Redmond’s color palette?
BROWNE: Oh! It’s so good. This issue has ghost energy, Woody blasts, and evil dude Kirby krackle all flying around in one big battle sequence. No easy feat for a colorist to handle all of those different glowy light sources, and Ruth crushed it! Having multiple light sources and still keeping the depth and focus is no easy feat!
MFR: Quantum & Woody talk a lot! How do you balance panel design with all the back and forth banter?
BROWNE: Well, Hass is a master of lettering twisting tails of dialog–so he bails me out a lot. It’s always important to note which character speaks first in the panel before I draw it so I can have them on the left side of the panel. Then it’s just leaving lots of room for Hass to work his magic! Good lettering is no easy feat!
MFR: The creator of Quantum & Woody, Christopher Priest drew inspiration from Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes in White Men Can’t Jump. Did this inspiration come over in your interpretation of the characters?
BROWNE: Not as much. I wanted to get sillier and more rubbery with Woody and give Quantum some stillness and weight. Woody can flop around clumsily, whereas Quantum is a well ground tank. Coming up with that was no easy feat!
MFR: Your commission sketches are insane. What is the craziest commission sketch you’ve done, and can you share it with the readers?
BROWNE: Uh once someone asked for Bib Fortuna (I’m not looking up the correct spelling), and I drew her (I think?) riding Kaneda’s bike from Akira because I wanted to try and draw that bike! Once someone asked for Red Sonja and I drew her as a centaur complete with metal bikini bottoms on the horse end. My great, great ideas are no easy feat!
MFR: When Valiant Entertainment first approached you to work on Quantum & Woody, what part of the project got you most excited and did that come across in the four issues?
BROWNE: I was most excited to work with Chris Hastings. Dr. McNinja was popular around the same time God Hates Astronauts was gaining popularity, and I was always jealous of his great jokes and ideas. Also, I was excited to work for Valiant for a while. They had a great reputation, and they lived up to it for sure. Also, I’ve known Heather Antos for years, and I always love working for her, so I knew it’d be stress-free! Finding such a perfect job was no easy feat!
MFR: The first time I met you 10+ years ago, your self-published book God Hates Astronauts cost $5 when Big Two books cost $3. You stated that it was a self-published book, and it cost more. What I remember most about that conversation was the other indie creators around us taking note (you could see the light bulb turn on). You knew the worth of your creation and demanded it (not in a bad way). Now, self-publishing comic books is booming, and readers are paying a boutique price to support creators. Do you think you were a trendsetter, and how do you think you influenced other self-published creators?
BROWNE: Hmm. I don’t know I was a trendsetter, but I certainly had to figure it out my own way. Lots of gimmicks and dumb merch kept comic shows manageable, and being at those artist alleys is really how I built my following. My comics seem to work best if I have a personal connection with the reader–which is something I know I used to really love about going to comic shows in the 90s and meeting creators. Before comic shows got so popular, meeting comic artists sure was an easy feat!
MFR: The comic book industry is at crossroads here in 2020, what are your predictions regarding what the industry will look like in 2030?
BROWNE: Well, I think that collector energy will never go away even as digital comics become easier and cheaper. I still love ordering zines from creators and self-publishing myself. I think those personal DIY stuff will never go away or really change. No clue what will happen with mainstream, but Valiant has an amazing and dedicated fanbase, so I’m sure Quantum and Woody will be alive and Klanging.
MFR: Ryan, thank you again for your time and best of luck with your next project.
BROWNE: Sure thing. Answering these questions was no easy feat!
Again, the final issue of Quantum & Woody is out this week. You can read Cat Wyatt’s review of issue four here: The End of An Era In QUANTUM & WOODY #4
What Valiant books are you reading? Comment below with your thoughts.
