Dynamite Entertainment marks its 10th year in publishing in 2014. To celebrate, the folks at Dynamite talked to Andy Lanning, who co-wrote Battlestar Galactica, about his work in the industry and his thoughts on digital comics.
QUESTION: It's Dynamite's 10th Anniversary, and last year you helped relaunch Battlestar Galactica for it's 35th Anniversary. Before BSG you had worked with primarily both Marvel and DC, with some work with other smaller publishers, and had been a DC Exclusive writer for quite a bit. What are your thoughts on working with a "non-Big 2" publisher.
Andy Lanning: Whether it’s the ‘Big 2’ or smaller publisher the things that draw me to certain publishers are the projects and the people. Over the years I’ve been working in comics I’ve got to work on some great projects and with some fantastic people. When Dynamite offered the chance to work on BSG it was a case of right project at the right time as I was a huge fan of the original series when it first aired as well as the Marvel comic series that followed. It also gave me a chance to work with Nick, as we’ve wanted to work on a project to work for several years, ever since we got to hang out for a memorable weekend of signing XMen movie adaptations back in 2000, but other work commitments or time constraints always seemed to get in the way. Working on great titles with really good people makes the whole experience much, much easier and enjoyable; big publisher, small publisher or Indie, it doesn’t matter.
Q: What are your thoughts on digital comics as a creator and as a fan?
AL: I like them: as a creator, because they offer you a new way to tell stories. Html 5 and new platforms like Madefire, are giving creators an opportunity to expand the range of storytelling tools at their disposal to create a more ‘cinematic’ experience. I’m a fan of Madefire because at heart, it is still offering a reading experience, it’s not just developing motion comics which are more like an animatic, it’s giving the creators the freedom to use the digital tools to enhance their story and storytelling. It’s great when you get to play with Marvel or DC’s characters but they are only ever on loan. It’s so much more rewarding creatively to develop and produce your own work. The relative ease of publishing on a digital platform is giving creators more opportunity to tell stories outside of the constraints of the superhero genre.
Q: What roll do you see digital comics playing in the macro of the comics industry?
AL: Because of the ease at which creators can get their work published digitally, I see it becoming an important addition to Independent publishing and a great way for new creators to get their work seen.
Thanks to Andy Lanning for telling us about his experiences in the industry and make sure to check out all the cool stuff coming from Dynamite Entertainment! Check out this huge preview of Lanning's work the BSG book!
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