Kevin Delgado has been a mainstay of the comics scene for years now. Doing everything from exclusive covers to some of the biggest properties (TMNT’s Shredder and the latest Image breakout hit Exquisite Corpses), to creating his own comics with the indie hit Tuff Stuff. Kevin has decided to send his tough cat creation to prison in his latest comic, The Tuff Stuff Prison Special, and we are here to talk about it. Check it out below and make sure to follow Kevin across all platforms and grab his books!
MFR: So, for those folks who haven’t had the chance to read any Tuff Stuff before, can you give a quick rundown on who this tough cat is? Where did the idea for him come from? And what are the circumstances that landed him in the clink? Kevin Delgado: Tuff Stuff is a scruffy anti-hero, generally fueled by “substances”, though he still maintains a strong moral compass. The idea was a culmination of my love for schlocky B-movies of the ’80s and ’90s, mixed in with memories of Florida from my youth. As far as what landed him in Prison, let’s leave that up to the reader’s imagination…
MFR: What made you, as a storyteller, want to make a prison story?
KD: Following The Tuffening, I wanted to scale down the stakes a little and focus on crafting the best story possible. Prison seemed like the purrfect setting. Truly self-contained. A way I could cycle the emotions, torments, and breakdown of a character. It’s the best place to show how truly Tough this cat can be.
MFR: Was this the first time you worked with Jonathan Hedrick, helping out on script duties? What was that like, and what did he bring to the table?
KD: This was our first collaboration. Jonathan and I had discussed working together since at least 2021 or 2022. This was also the first time I let anyone play in the Tuff Stuff sandbox in any capacity. He was very professional and helpful with promoting the book. I had sent him a loose outline, with characters I wanted to use and introduce, and what they could do, and he crafted a very compelling and touching story considering the circumstances.
MFR: Can you guide us through your usual process for creating a story? And if you don’t have one, what was the process for the Prison Special?
KD: I create stories in this universe by evolving my characters. In my head, they have their own lives, so it’s kind of easy for me to see their respective paths. From there,e I find a setting and figure out what kind of story I want to tell. I generally plot out the story by beats, then structure it into a working script. With that being said, I am constantly altering any factor in the book as I go along and fabricating it.
MFR: You also have some great variant covers! Could you break them down for us?
KD: If you’re new to Tuff Stuff, it’s important to know that we have always offered a variety of variant covers for every issue and reprint of Tuff Stuff. I held my first-ever art contest, and the winner was given a chance to illustrate their first-ever comic book cover. Luckily, Brandon Nebitt rose to the occasion and delivered a killer wraparound cover that encapsulated the vibe of the story. Secondly, I wanted to bring in a big heavyweight cover artist to help bring some gravitas for the returning character. Ivan Tao is a master of the variant cover and was happy to deliver a gorgeous piece. We have been online friends for a while, so I was stoked to have been able to work with him on this. Lastly, I contributed the artwork for the Shawshank Redemption-inspired homage.
MFR: Which leads to my next question! What specific stories or movies influenced you, and do you have a favorite one?
KD: It goes without question to say that The Prison Special is strongly inspired by the film The Shawshank Redemption. Earlier, I had said how, with this book, I wanted to tell the best story I could, and what better way than to paraphrase elements from one of the greatest films of all time.
MFR: Early on in the comic, you have an amazing mess hall scene with some great cameos. I know I spotted John Coffey from The Green Mile there, and of course, as we talked about, Red is from Shawshank. What other cameos are in there that I missed?
KD: Well, if Red is there, I would assume Andy is nearby. I had to toss Adebisi from Oz in there. Hannibal Lecter and, of course, George Bluth from Arrested Development.
MFR: This issue has so many wild ideas; limitless clone births, a dude with a black hole in his stomach. Where do you come up with this shit?!
KD: Heavy doobies, man! Just kidding, I just make up stuff I want to see on the page. At the end of the day, you have to ask yourself if this is interesting, and I would want to read it. Also, is it original?
MFR: Do you have a favorite sequence in the issue?
KD: I love the prison yard sequence. I think it’s some of the soundest visual storytelling I have done as a cartoonist. From a fundamental standpoint.
MFR: What’s next for Tuff Stuff? And what’s next for you?KD: The next Installment is called Tuff Stuff: A Day of Death and The Ballad of Dogger-Dog. It picks up right where this one ends and is the most epic story I have ever conceived! Besides that, I’m sure I’ll still be doing variant covers for multiple publishers and attending conventions regularly. At the time of this response, I have a variant cover for Shredder #6 and Exquisite Corpses #11.
MFR: And finally, where can people connect with you for more art and comics?KD: I am most active on Instagram. You can find me @the_kevin_delgado. On Facebook, I have a fan group page that I moderate called The Art of Kevin Delgado. I also stream twice a week on whatnot. My handle is TheeKevinDelgado https://www.whatnot.com/s/fhmehcbd
