Imagine having your life completely tipped upside down. That's what happens to high school student Teddy when he discovers his boring life in Alaska may not be what it seemed. He discovers a shocking truth about his father that will change everything. I know those words may sound a little like things you've heard before but I can say the first issue of Ollie Masters and Tyler Jenkins' SNOW BLIND is pretty great. The book is on sale December 9 and the FOC (Final Order Cut-off) date is November 16. That means you need to let your comic shop know to order you a copy.
We talked to Ollie and Tyler to find out more about the miniseries and what to expect. We also have an exclusive preview for the first issue.
COMIC VINE: Where did the idea for SNOW BLIND come from?
OLLIE MASTERS: The initial idea came from thinking about how witness protection would work in a world of Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. We all live public lives to some extent now and even if you don't actively participate, someone might tag you in a photo, or even just post a photo online that you're in the background of. How do you keep yourself hidden in a world like this? Especially if there's people actively looking for you.
And then, I started to think about, what if someone you knew was in witness protection? What if that's why they don't have Facebook and hate having their photo taken? What would be the fallout from that? How could you trust someone who, even if it's for their own protection, lies to you about their past?
CV: Have either of you been to Alaska?
TYLER JENKINS: I have: My wife and I went to Alaska for our honeymoon, actually. Cruise up the coast, stopped in a bunch of towns. It was lovely. I would definitely go back for another visit.
MASTERS: No! But I'd love to one day.
CV: What can you tell us about the main character, Teddy?
MASTERS: He's happier reading and watching films than he is socializing, he doesn't have many friends and doesn't really care. He's a smart kid but maybe not as smart as he thinks he is. When it all kicks off he becomes an amateur PI of sorts, trying to find out what's really going on but he realizes that the more he finds out, the less he really knows and it hardens him to the world.
CV: What would you do if you found out someone close to you had a secret past?
MASTERS: I like to think I'd do the same as Teddy. Try and find out what their secret is but there's always that fear that it could be something so horrific, you could never come back. So is it better to know and take that risk, or live in blissful ignorance?
CV: With the element of the mystery to Teddy’s parents’ past, will we find out the details right away or will it be a slower build?
MASTERS: I don't want to give too much away but there's definitely lots of twists and turns throughout the series as Teddy finds out more.
CV: Will the story stay in Alaska or will any of the characters venture elsewhere?
MASTERS: Except for a few scenes, it's all set in Alaska. We don't go into the culture of Alaska in SNOW BLIND but the environment and look are definitely a big part of the feel of the series.
CV: How much of the story do you have mapped out? Is this an ongoing or miniseries?
MASTERS: It's a four-issue miniseries and right now I'm pretty close to finishing the last issue.
CV: Tyler, it’s great to see Teddy’s parents look like "normal" parents rather than having comic book physique. Did you have anyone in mind when you came up with their looks?
JENKINS: In truth, if you look at any work I have ever done, I really never draw that superhero-style physique. I find it boring and frankly struggle with it. I MUCH prefer to draw real-looking people—wrinkles, warts, stopped shoulders, double chins, the whole thing. I find that is where I am happiest. I find it very hard to act with superheroic type body shapes.
CV: I’m not an art expert but it looks like watercolors were used. It definitely sets up a different vibe. Do you draw the pages first, then add the color or work on both at the same time?
JENKINS: The pages are pencilled and inked like I would normally but then I do the coloring in watercolor. I have always loved watercolor, and a big thanks to Ollie and [our editors] Jasmine [Amiri] and Eric [Harburn] for taking a risk on me painting a comic. Watercolor is a risky medium because it takes a bit of luck, you throw the colors down and the bleed and swirl and if you can resist the urge to mess with them they can create beautiful textures that are impossible to mimic any other way. There isn't time to redo pages so things become more immediate and alive; no time for second guessing. It actually makes the inking process more alive and immediate for me as well, because you can’t use Wite-Out of any kind or the paint won’t stick. Minor corrections are possible in Manga Studio, but it is better to get something usable in the paint.
CV: There’s a great looking fox in the issue. Have you drawn foxes/animals often?
JENKINS: No, not often, and every time I do, it is almost always hell on earth. I am most comfortable with horses and birds, but DOGS! AAAH dogs of any kind are super hard to get right. Takes me longer to draw the damn dogs than most of the rest of the page. I think that comes from my not having found a way to make them mine, which only comes with repetition.
Be sure to let your comic shop know you want SNOW BLIND. The FOC is 11/16. You'll get hooked from the first issue. Check out our exclusive preview below.
SNOW BLIND #1
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Writer: Ollie Masters
Artist: Tyler Jenkins
Cover Artists:
Main Cover: Tyler Jenkins
BOOM! 10 Years Incentive Cover: Felipe Smith
Incentive Cover: Matt Taylor
Format: 32 pages, full color
Price: $3.99
On sale: December 9, 2015
Synopsis:
What’s to Love: With books like Hit and Day Men in our library, you can tell we absolutely love noir stories, and the more unconventional, the better! Critically acclaimed writer Ollie Masters (The Kitchen) and artist Tyler Jenkins (Peter Panzerfaust) have crafted a tense noir story in the tradition of Criminal, Scalped, and 100 Bullets, set in the bleak, snow-covered landscape of Alaska, a perfect setting to highlight the cold nature of crime.
What It Is: What happens when you discover your dad isn’t the man you thought he was? For high school teen Teddy, life in a sleepy suburb in Alaska turns upside-down when he innocently posts a photo of his dad on Facebook, only to learn he and his family are in the Witness Protection Program. A man seeking revenge invades their town, and soon FBI agents arrive, too. But what if his dad’s reasons for going into the program aren’t as innocent as he says?
