The Creators Behind Imminent Press and the Terminal Graphic Novel Discuss Their Stories and Their Kickstarter

A number of veterans of indie comics and the comics press have teamed up to create Terminal, a pulp fiction comics anthology that they’re currently attempting to fund via Kickstarter.

The project, an original graphic novel, will serve as the kickoff for Imminent Press, a new publishing venture spearheaded by Steve Ekstrom (Cannibal Island), Troy Brownfield (Blood Queen), and CW Cooke (Solitary). Imminent will be a “virtual studio” made up of independent comic book creators who, according to the Kickstarter, “want help each other expand their audience and they want to tell great stories.” To that end, they’ve assembled ten creative teams to create 10 pulp fiction-inspired comics which, if you look closely, all intersect at a ubiquitous “terminal.”

A number of the creators of Terminal recently sat down for a virtual roundtable about the project, and what they hope to accomplish.

Kickstarters can be tricky, and Kickstarters with this many people can be very complicated. What made you as a creator want to participate?

Eric Palicki: Look at the murderers row of creators attached. Who wouldn’t want to be part of this group? I’m delighted Steve invited me, and I’m glad I was up to the challenge of writing a satisfying 16 page story. Stories can be tricky at that length.

Troy Brownfield: The best thing about the project is the people. We have great creators that are a mix of seasoned vets and some new faces. The art covers a wide range of styles, as does the writing. When you can be part of a large team that works well together, you shouldn’t pass up that opportunity.

Gene Selassie: I’ve seen so many successful Kickstarter campaigns in recent years from up and comers.The audience is hungry for new and different content.

Mark Bertolini: Look at the talent involved here, how could I not want to be a part of this? It’s easy to look at a Kickstarter campaign and skim over the details and the rewards, but these guys, especially Steve Ekstrom, have been putting in a ton of hours. We all have. The final book is going to be absolutely gorgeous, and I can’t wait to see it. Kickstarter puts us, as creators, on a level playing field with everyone and anyone, and I’d match up our book against any book out there.

Marco Lopez: Well for one it’s a great and classic idea. A variety of burgeoning and known creators working together to tell stories in the pulp genre. Which as we all know is one of the best genres. Two look at group of people and stories being told here? All by those who have a love and passion for comics. Plus variety is the spice of life and I feel our stories represent that.

CW Cooke: These people are creators that I dig as a fan and friend so it was easy to say yes. I’m working with people who I’ve been friends with for years and people I’ve been fans of for years. And we all have the same idea nd the same plan on what we want to do in comics. Like I said, it was easy to participate and hope push the idea in the first place.

“Pulp” means a lot of things to a lot of different people. What does it mean to you, and how much of an ongoing influence has it been in your work?

Palicki: Pulp fiction had a profound influence on the evolution of comics. You don’t arrive at Batman without The Shadow, or Superman without Doc Savage, really, so it’s impossible to write comics without the specter of pulp fiction influencing you, at least a little. For me, I’m drawn to the larger than life scope of the stories, the spectacle, whether its heroes and villains or what’s at stake.

Brownfield: When I hear pulp, I always think of old school magazines, a sort of direct storytelling expression that can encompass any manner of genres. I think that the pulp aspect that’s most stuck with me in my life is the detective story, so naturally I gravitated toward that in my piece.

Selassie: From The Spirit on up, pulp stories have always piqued my interest. My first comic, Rock Paper Scissors has very obvious pulp stylings.

Bertolini: I’ve been a pulp fan for a number of years. I remember when I was younger reading a bunch of old Doc Savage novels, and coming back to them four or five years ago. With the influx of “new pulp” coming in the form of Five Ghosts, Doc Unknown, and Hellboy as well, it’s become a major part of my creative output in recent years. To me, pulp means larger-than- life heroes, deranged villains, and old fashioned values as seen through a contemporary lens. I bleed pulp.

Lopez: Two-fisted men and women of action. Mysterious cloaked figures. Private eyes with their backs against the wall and science that’s always bordering on the fantastic. Well The Dusk isn’t the only pulp character I’ve created with Gene Selassie. We have another called the Crimson Mask and I have notebooks filled with pulp ideas. It’s pretty much a part of everything I do. Heck its DNA is in everything.

Cooke: Pulp means action, suspense, drama, and heavy noir. It means taking a look at the dark seedy underbelly of the world. And it’s been a part of my writing for as long as I can remember, influencing everything I’ve ever done.

What are the overall benefits of doing this kind of large group project as opposed to an individual thing?

Palicki: I think the book will be even greater than the sum of its parts, so there’s less pressure on any one creator or creative team. I like the theme aspect of the project. We kept it broad, but it’s really wonderful to see how everyone interpreted what we’re working with.

Brownfield: It’s not all on you. You can lean on each other for bits and pieces of the process, and it’s a bit of a relief to not be the one solely responsible or mostly responsible. Wait. Did I just advocate group work as a path to irresponsibility? That was unintentional.

Selassie: Having so many creators and so many different writing styles, our anthology is a veritable buffet of awesomeness.

Bertolini: Oh, you can get so many more eyes on your work when it’s a communal effort like this.Everyone’s coming into this project with their own friends, fans, and family. Multiply that by the 21 creators involved, and that’s a ton of people who are going to at least hear about the campaign. Spreading awareness of the project is job one, and with this many people on board, job one is getting crossed off that to-do list quickly.

Marco Lopez: You have a group of incredibly supportive people whom are pushing for similar ideals and works and willing to lend a helping hand. I think that’s why Imminent Press came out of this too. So it can continue what The Terminal started.

Cooke: Focus. Working with this group has helped me stay on path and stay focused on the tasks at hand. That and a sounding board with the same plan as mine. Sometimes you work with people in comics that push you to be better every step of the way. That’s this team.

What are your long-term hopes for the Kickstarter and for the Imminent brand that you’re building?

Palicki: Let’s get this sucker funded. And then let’s start thinking about Terminal 2. Possibly a break for beer in cookies in between?

Brownfield: First thing, I want us to get funded. Secondly, I want to knock people out with how good it all is. Third, I want us to be able to the kinds of projects that we want to do. Seems simple, but it’s always been much harder than that. This group gets that.

Gene Selassie: If I can continue to work on projects like this with the awesome creators I’ve been lucky enough to collaborate with, I’ll consider it a win.

Bertolini: Obviously getting the campaign fully funded (and beyond, because some of the planned stretch goals are amazing), but to be able to hold a copy of the hardcover in my hands and know all the hard work that went into it by everyone is something I’m really looking forward to. Imminent is shaping up to be something special. All this talent assembled under one roof? I’ll be very happy to run a few books under the Imminent brand. Some exciting stuff coming this year!

Lopez: That the Kickstarter is a success. That people dig the stories inside of it. Gene and I want to pitch a Dusk mini series to follow up on the 16pg tale in the OGN and id love to put out more work with the Imminent brand. Which I feel will become a beloved and respected brand.

Cooke: I want to do a volume 2. I want us to be a brand you can count on. I want people to see Imminent and think exciting and adventurous and fun comics. I want Imminent to be slapped on everything I do moving forward.

What’s your best sales pitch for the Terminal OGN as a whole, and for your story in particular?

Palicki: “Oubliette” is the story of a man cursed to only exist when no one is looking at him. I’m delighted to have my story including alongside some of top talent in the medium. Terminal is just the beginning.

Brownfield: More than 20 excellent creators doing exactly the kind of story that they want in one fantastic hardcover collection! Who wouldn’t dig that? As for my story: What if you woke up as a kid again? What if you knew someone did it to you, but you didn’t know who or why? And if you’re a P.I. in a magic town, how much danger will you be in when you start to look?

Selassie: Unique people from different walks of life usually converge at one point or another…this is where the stories of their convergence take place.

Bertolini: For the book itself: let’s not kid ourselves, superhero comics rule the comic book stands and the box office, but those stories wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the pulp heroes of yesterday. Terminal is here to create the next wave of pulp heroes that will go on to influence future generations. My story, Broken Colossus, is the story of The Baron, a man out of time, a former adventurer and hero who has been retired from the public eye for many years. When an old menace from his past rears his head, The Baron tries to reclaim his old life with dire consequences.

Lopez: 10 amazing comic book stories that wouldn’t be out of place back when the pulp genre first began. The Dusk: Sins of the Father – The burden of a supernatural familial curse causes a young woman to return to the family business started by her crime boss great-grandfather in order to save the life of her brother as well as the fate of the entire city.

Cooke: Terminal is comics that will knock you on your butt, take your breath away, and make you excited for more. Terminal is the type of comics you loved growing up and wanted to see more of, and now they’re here for you to read like there’s no tomorrow.

A Ghost Among Us is my story with art by Aaron Pittman. It’s a pulp Superman-esque tale, in which our hero is a man from another world, lost and hidden in plain view, protecting those around him. It explores the dark aspects of the being a superhero, where loneliness is the one thing you can always count on. The hero is alone, lost, and afraid, but he does everything he can to protect everyone around him.