First Comics News: Firstly, I wanna say thanks for doing this Greg Webster. If I may, can I ask you for some background information? Where were you born? Where did you grow up?
Greg Webster: Thank you for your interest in the project, Peter. We really appreciate you speaking with us about this. To answer your questions, I was born in Summerside, PEI, and I grew up in the Kensington and Stanley Bridge regions of PEI. I’ve been back living in Stanley Bridge now for about 16 or 17 years.
1st: Are you a writer, artist or both?
Greg: Well, when I was a kid, I definitely would have considered myself an artist. Then in my 20’s and 30’s, I guess I would have called myself a writer. Now, after years away from either of those things, I guess I would like to consider myself a storyteller. But, before any of those “titles”, I’m a husband and a father who really likes nerdy things.
1st: Who are some of your creative influences?
Greg: Definitely John Byrne. John Romita. Robert Kirkman. Nick Bradshaw. Troy Little. And of course, Sandy Carruthers and Robert Doan. I’ve learned an awful lot from those two.
1st: If you could hang out with any creator who would it be and why?
Greg: That’s easy. Stan Lee, because the middle years of his life were spent shaping the entirety of mine. Rest easy, Stan. You’ve earned it.
1st: What are you reading, watching for entertainment?
Greg: These days I’m reading a lot of “How to Draw” books. Haha. But typically, I’m a big sci-fi / fantasy fan, so those are the books I like to read. The Robert Jordan “Conan” books are a blast. Lately I’ve been re-watching “The Walking Dead”, but Star Trek has always been a staple of my TV diet. Guillermo Del Toro’s “Troll Hunters” is a ton of fun. I recommend that series to anyone who likes cool stuff.
1st: Greg, you work as a graphic designer, what can you tell your fans about that Greg Webster Design?
Greg: Yeah, I’m a freelance graphic designer and illustrator who chiefly builds design options for print mediums. I did the poster for the film “Pogey Beach”. I’ve designed a handful of album covers for bands like “Boxcar Dan & The Vagabond Strangers”, “The Rebel Prospects”, and Sandy, Robert and I collaborated recently on the cover for the first album from “The Wrong Planet Band”. Today I was working on some illustrations for Geoff and Michelle Genge’s second book in the Terra Obscura Chronicles series, which is called “Falling Against Gravity”. That’s a lot of fun. This is the third novel I’ve designed for them, and they are great people to work with. Plus, I get to draw cool sci-fi / Steampunk stuff for them, so it’s a gig I genuinely love. I do a lot of branding, logo design work, event posters, things like that. I really love working with typography and custom building wordmarks and titles. I’m very fortunate to get to do what I love every day.
1st: Greg, I want to talk to you about Sandstone Comics. You guys had a very successful Kickstarter for issue 1. What can you tell the fans about that experience?
Greg: If I’m to be honest, the first Kickstarter campaign was pretty stressful. It’s a lot of waiting, hoping, and checking out your page to see where you are in terms of reaching that goal. That’s the thing about kickstarter – if you don’t hit your target, you get nothing. So we spent some days on the edges of our seats hoping that we would get there, so we could make this dream a reality. We are so thrilled that we hit our target, and we got to put our book in the hands of some comic book fans. And we sincerely thank everyone who contributed to make Sandstone Comics #1 a reality. We couldn’t have done any of this without the incredible support we received from the comic book community and beyond.
1st: Do you mind telling the readers about Sandstone comics # 1. Is it an anthology? What characters are showcased?
Greg: Yeah, Sandstone Comics Presents #1 is an anthology book that contains three full-length original stories – one by each creator. In large, the book is set in the fictional Charlotte City, where anything can happen. Robert’s story, “Indestructible” focuses on Nucleus, Charlotte City’s super-powered hero. Sandy has started off with his sci-fi romp, “Leap Frog” and segued into “Century Man”, the cosmic powered hero of the Sandstone universe. My story features a character who is referred to as the Ghost of the Cradle. He’s a mysterious street-level vigilante who has a grudge against a particular group of organized criminals. It’s so much fun for us to build this world, and I hope that readers will fall in love with these characters the way that we have.
1st: You teamed up with superstar creators Sandy Carruthers and Robert Doan. What can you tell me about your fellow creators?
Greg: Bloody talented, is the simplest thing I can say. It’s a genuine honour and pleasure to share a bullpen with these two incredible creators, and I count myself amongst the luckiest nerds on the planet for having the opportunity to do so.
1st: I really enjoyed Sandstone comics # 1, it was a lot of fun! Your contribution to this epic tile is called The Ghost of the Cradle, what can you tell your fans about that title?
Greg: “The Ghost of the Cradle” is really the story of Detective Alex Turnbull. He’s a detective with the Charlotte City Police Department who has recently suffered a tragic loss in his life and since returned to his duties. Amidst struggling with his loss and his resulting depression, he is tasked with tracking down the city’s newest vigilante. But there are other forces at play here, and Turnbull soon discovers that maybe this “Ghost” is not the greatest threat that he will face, after all.
1st: Greg, how can the readers get a copy or many copies of Sandstone Comics #1.?
Greg: If you’re in the Maritimes, check your local comic shop. We have books in many of them, as well as at Indigo and the Bookmark in Charlottetown. Other than that, readers can contact us directly by emailing us at info@sandstonecomics.com or checking out the website at sandstonecomics.com.
1st: I am very excited for Sandstone Comics # 2. What can you tell me about the comic?
Greg: Sandstone Comics Presents #2 will pick up where issue one left off. Each of the three story arcs will carry on, giving readers a deeper look into the world of Charlotte City and the characters who live there. More action. More heroes. More villains. More of the stories we love to tell, and more of everything that readers loved about the first book. I don’t want to give anything away, but I personally can’t wait for people to see what we do next, and where these stories are heading in future issues.
1st: Greg, your new kickstarter campaign set to launch very soon. When does it launch? Is there any links you would like to post?
Greg:
The new kickstarter campaign kicks of on Tuesday, October 1st. Folks can check out the project at kickstarter.com and we’ll soon be talking hard about it at facebook.com/sandstonecomics
Check us out there!
1st: Is there anything projects you would like your fans to know that was not covered in this interview?
Greg: Well, as creators, there are always new projects rolling around. We’ll continue building on the world of Sandstone Comics and keep coming up with new characters and stories. This will be down the road a bit, but keep your eyes peeled for Sandstone’s first and second female super-heroes. And very possibly a table-top RPG set in the Sandstone Universe coming soon. That’s all I will say for now.
1st: Greg are there any people or groups you would like to acknowledge and give a shout out to that we didn’t mention in this interview?
Greg: Absolutely! We definitely need to thank all of the local comic shops, who not only supported us, but keep the comic industry alive and kicking every day. And also, a huge thanks to Innovation PEI for their support on the creation of book two, and supporting the arts and creative earners on the scale that they do.
1st: Thanks once again Greg for this amazing interview. It was my honor and pleasure to talk with such a talented creator. Keep on creating!
Greg: Thank you, Peter! You keep on creating, too! It’s people like you who have paved the way for us.
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