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Today’s penultimate issue of the storyline, Amelia Cole #17, was a basically wall-to-wall action as Amelia and her group meet up with Hector’s company and take on giant, rampaging, magic-sucking monsters.
All while Amelia struggles to work with Hector and work around police who want to take her in.
As always, Adam P. Knave, DJ Kirkbride and Nick Brokenshire joined us to talk about the issue.
Remember that these interviews are spoiler-heavy. If you haven’t yet read Amelia Cole #17, go buy it now and read along with us.
Adam P. Knave: Right, we tried to soften the jarring bit there, because with that difference in time perspective it would be jarring, by having Lemmy meet him first, as a reminder. It opened the door.
For some reason I see the thing she creates over that cop’s mouth as the metal plate Geena Davis had there in Beetlejuice (https://th02.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/f/2013/142/1/b/beetlejuice___geena_davis_zipped_and_bolted_by_hatman73-d664wu9.png) Anybody here have that in mind during the creative process, or is that just me?
APK: Let’s ask Nick!
Nick Brokenshire: That was definitely on my mind. Yep.
“Did you mean to rhyme there?” I love it. I’m assuming that came during an editing pass? Or what made you guys drop that in?
DJ Kirkbride: Haha, sometimes lines write themselves, especially Amelia’s.
APK: Yup! There are days where we write one line and see it and go “Well if we keep that…” and Amelia’s response is just right there for us. You can always decide to change the line that leads in, but with a book like this we get to lean in to fun.
In the dialogue with Hector, his revelation that his magic was “stronger” even though hers is different seems to be the first time I remember somebody attempting an apples to apples comparison. Will that be important down the line?
APK: Maybe? But also remember this is a comrade in a military type unit Hector is talking to. He has to cover his pride, some. So is this fact or just covering? Is it even still true, if Hector is right? The important part, really, is that it also shows Hector’s growing respect for her.
DJK: I looked at it almost in terms of physical strength. Hector is bigger than Amelia with more muscles, so he could probably beat her arm wrestling, right? But we saw that she could still beat him in a fight. More magic or “power” isn’t all it takes to actually BE powerful. Hector might have more juice on the magic scale, for now anyway, but Amelia has proven herself to be number one… for now anyway.
Certainly it suggests that Amelia’s power has room to grow if she continues to learn to use it better, right?
DJK: Absolutely! We are trying to show her realizing that. Raw talent and gumption will get you far, but knowledge is true power.
APK: Yup! Education is important. Amelia isn’t in the same place she when the book started. She’s grown — both as a person and in her abilities.
I don’t know if I’ve ever asked this before: is there any specific meaning to the runic symbols used around the end of Amelia’s wrench when it’s powered on?
APK: They secretly mean “I want a taco.” No, no. The language of magic isn’t something you just hand over, Russ. That’s dangerous and you could hurt yourself with that sort of information. We care about you too much.
DJK: They symbols are a visualization of Amelia’s increased knowledge. No one else has them in their magic, so she must be doing something a little different. It’s her style.
Just confirming: Is “blarsmash” the greatest SFX ever done?…I thought so.
DJK: That is a special one. Are we getting too wacky with the SFX? Nothing tops the one in issue 6 Adam came up with– you know the one, don’t you, Adam?
APK: Do you mean “Buuziak”? I am still proud of that one, yes.
DJK: Yep, that’s the one. Still the best, though “blarshmash” is a close… third. There’s another one I like better.
We get a bit of a recap here, for Hector’s benefit. Certainly you seem to be setting up something big for him. If he survives, might we see him stick around Otysburg?
We get a bit of a recap here, for Hector’s benefit. Certainly you seem to be setting up something big for him. If he survives, might we see him stick around Otysburg?
DJK: We can’t spoil the story, Russ! C’mon!!! Well… okay, regardless of how long Hector survives, we definitely have been setting up big things for the guy who could’ve just been the movie Darth Maul of volume 1.
APK: Besides, rents are kinda high and he lost his old place when he left, so it’s tricker than just does he want to. It’s a tricky market for real estate.
