Jason M. Burns Interview!

Project Fanboy is proud to announce that our latest interview is with none other than Jason M. Burns, assistant publisher and writer at Viper Comics.
[B]
Steven: Jason, thank you for speaking with us today. Can you tell our readers what it was that brought you to start writing comics and how you came to Viper Comics?[/B]
<img src="http://www.projectfanboy.com/images/reviews/dummy3.jpg" align="left" hspace=10 >Burns: It was kind of by accident actually. I had been a lifelong comic reader, but had never thought of it as a career. At the time (about four years ago), I was working as an entertainment journalist and had convinced my editor to let me do a story on independent comics. Viper Comics publisher Jessie Garza was one of the people I interviewed for that story, and following it being published, he and I stayed in touch. I was writing screenplays at the time, and Jessie had read some of my work and liked it. I ended up doing a short story in an anthology of theirs, and then shortly thereafter, I started pitching them on full blown book ideas. The Expendable One was my first book and the rest is history.

[B]Steven: Underworld Railroad, Dummy’s Guide to Danger, Gypsy Joe Jefferson, The Sleepy Truth….. and those are just the ones I’ve reviewed! You’ve written so many titles, all with very different stories to tell. Where does this seemingly endless fountain of creativity come from?[/B]
Burns: Back when I started in the comic industry, I realized right away that a writer can’t make a living doing independent comics if they put all of their eggs into one basket, so I learned that if I wanted to do this full time (which I did because I hated my day job), I had to work for it, and bust my ass to get a lot of material out into market. So, I started spending just as much time on project development as I did on the actual writing. I love what I do now and as far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing better than being your own boss and writing for a living, so for me to do be able to do that, it came down to having to write, write, write.

[B]Steven: Who do you attribute having an influence on your unique writing style?[/B]
Burns: I grew up in the movie theater near my house, so I definitely think that film and TV influence my writing more than my comic book background. I tend to work on concepts that Hollywood producers call “tent pole” stories, and I would definitely say my dialogue has more of a film-based vibe. But, in terms of what I read growing up, I was always a Spider-Man kid, and I guess based on the fact that most of my stories have at least one sarcastic character could be to blame on Peter Parker’s alter ego.

[B]Steven: Are all your projects exclusively with Viper Comics? What other projects do you have on the horizon?[/B]
Burns: No, I am not exclusive to Viper, and starting in August, I will be releasing a number of books through other publishers, including two with Devil’s Due. (The first is Serpo, a science fiction saga based on a supposed true story.) I also have a pair of big books in the works with two other publishers that I should hopefully be able to discuss soon. That being said though, I have a dozen or so books due out through Viper in the next year, so people can still look for me there.

[B]Steven: So if Alan Sirois from a Dummy’s Guide to Danger is really crazy and thinks Mr. Bloomberg is alive… how has he not ended up in a mental institution or something?[/B]
Burns: Because he’s so good at what he does. He’s not a danger to himself or others, and now with friends on the force, he’s more protected than ever. People tend to look the other way because he gets the job done, and at the end of the day, as crazy as he is, he’s probably more genuine than the majority of the population.

[B]Steven: The artwork in The Sleepy Truth was the most original work I think I’ve ever seen in a comic book. How do you like working with Erik Valdez and Ramon Espinoza?[/B]
Burns: Erik is amazing. As soon as I saw his artwork, I knew I wanted to work with him. On top of that, he’s also a great guy and one of the easiest people to work with, so it’s a no brainer. We’re working together right now on the new Sleepy Truth, which is due out in October.
And as far as Ramon is concerned… Just wait. Ramon did the colors for Sleepy, which were awesome, but Ramon is also an artist himself, and we have a book in the works right now that will blow people away. He’s got a very stylized look to his work as well, but completely different than Sleepy at the same time. All I can say is, for me, it’s one of the most anticipated books I want to get out to people.

[B]Steven: The Underworld Railroad is a very unique idea and while I’m sure there are a lot of more philosophical questions I could ask…. Where’d you get the idea to make the Devil a woman… you must know my x-wife I assume? (Laughs)[/B]
<img src="http://www.projectfanboy.com/images/reviews/the_sleepy_truth.jpg" align="right" hspace="10">Burns: Well, they say that the devil tempts, and who better to tempt a group of men than a woman? Haha
I tend to write a lot of tough, female characters, and so I think that when I was setting up the story, it just seemed like a natural fit to me. If there were ever any future versions of the Underworld Railroad, maybe the devil will take a different form. I’m not sure. Haven’t given it much thought.

[B]Steven: Seriously though… a lawyer who’s supposed to go to heaven? (More laughter)[/B]
Burns: Why do you think he’s on the waiting list!?!? haha
[B]
Steven: Paul Tucker’s work on The Underground Railroad did set a sort of ominous tone, but seemed almost like sketches. Is that how you wanted the art to come across for the title?[/B]
Burns: Yeah, I wanted it to be washy… Blurred. The story itself is very dark, even though there’s some humor in there, so I wanted it to have a very stylized look… Similar to what Templesmith might do.

[B]Steven: Do you read any Marvel or DC comics?[/B]
Burns: I used to read everything, but in the last year I’ve dropped my pull list and just pick up trades for the most part. I just ran out of room to put everything, though I’ll pick up an occasional floppy from time to time.

[B]Steven: Personally, I like you writing for Viper Comics and I seem to be moving further away from the “big two” then I ever have before, but if the opportunity arose, do you think you’d take a job with Marvel or DC? If so, what title(s) would you like to take a stab at?[/B]
<img src="http://www.projectfanboy.com/images/reviews/underworld_railroad.jpg" align="left" hspace="10">Burns: I think to achieve a boyhood dream, I’d want to do a run or two over there to get my feet wet and see how it went. I’d love to take a shot at writing Spider-Man, though more for his enemies than anything. I think I could have some fun with that. I also wouldn’t mind doing a Batman story or two, just because I love writing mystery. Maybe Exiles, where the rules aren’t as strict… Or even some kind of mini series that pulls you out of the current continuity of either of the worlds. That’s my biggest worry… Not being able to deliver exactly what the fanboys want. By working on my own stuff, it’s hard to disappoint anybody but myself. haha

[B]Steven: Anything you’d care to add?[/B]
Burns: I have a bunch of stuff due out, so if people want to check out [url]www.jasonmburns.com[/url], they can stay up to date on what’s due out and when.

[B]Steven: Thanks again for speaking with us Jason.[/B]
Burns: It was my pleasure, Steven!