First Comics News: Who is Prince-S STARthief?
Jason Martin: She’s quite a character… a bit of a royal scamp really. Birthed from the head of the PEP-C monarchy, she rebelled against her arranged marriage and instead uses her family’s resources to subvert their plans of galactic domination. A pirate really, acquiring powerful tech by any means necessary and having fun with it at all costs.
1st: I am not sure if you noticed but there is a striking resemblance to Princess Leia?
Jason: Perhaps. She is a far far away decedent of you and me, so she may have picked up some pop culture influences that inform her style. Maybe 20th-century kitsch is all the rage?
1st: How did Huseyn Celal Koc become involved with the project?
Jason: Color, as he’s known in the comic art circles, did an amazing short comic that he shared online a couple of years ago (Stray Beastz), and we struck up a conversation that led to his interest in the many comics I had in development… and my Pulp Girls concepts – for which PRINCE-S STARthief was one. For a time he was actually going to work on another concept, but ultimately the PRINCE-S caught him in her tractor-trailer beam!
1st: Huseyn Celal Koc isn’t a native English speaker, how do you communicate the story to him?
Jason: In English, I’m an ignorant American like that I guess. But yeah, he speaks English, and I don’t speak Turkish. We actually Skyped for the first time in working together for over a year, to launch the Kickstarter, and he was very nervous to talk in English. He did fine though… far better than it would have gone the other way.
1st: Have there been any misunderstandings because of the language barrier?
Jason: Sure. Nothing huge. I’m an artist too, so my scripts can be rather specific, and my vision for things. So that can be tricky to communicate across linguistic/technological/geographical barriers… but hey, its a comic about a sexy space pirate, it can be done!
1st: What is the Dark Sword?
Jason: Just a fun idea I had for something like a lightsaber. As a kid, I loved Thundarr the Barbarian (still do, “LORDS OF LIGHT!”), and they had a sun sword rip off there, it was really no different, so I thought, we can be creative here… what if the thing was made out of like black hole material, or dark matter? That would be badass, and really work the same – anything it touches (or cuts) is removed from this universe (like it’s sucked into a black hole), just like a lightsaber burns away whatever it contacts. You’ll see, its cool. Plus it has like Kirby Krackle, so, bonus points!
1st: How do the corporations rise to power?
Jason: Well, that’s real backstory, and we might get into that, but it’s just future Earth, future humanity. And you just extrapolate where we’re headed… corporate control, a need for resources and spreading out into the stars, but the two together, VIOLA!
1st: Does the PEP-C corporation make soda?
Jason: Something a bit like soda maybe. I’m a pop culture sponge, and I soak in a lot, a really big pop culture sponge… so I’d say think of like Brawndo, and again, just build on that.
1st: Can Prince-S refuse an arranged marriage, and if so does she lose her status in society?
Jason: Sure. She has. And we’ll get into the effect that has on her family and her status. But she wouldn’t be called Prince-S if she didn’t have cause to, either by rightful title, or maybe just her reputation perhaps.
1st: What’s the deal with the monocle?
Jason: 
Well, its more of an eye patch really. At least originally. Again it was an idea that was built on. Key here though is that Prince-S STARthief is inspired by a couple of characters, one you noted, and another that was equally drawn from in her design… that wears an eye patch (and shares this character’s red-hued hair). And then in developing the character and story, the eye patch was quickly replaced, at first by a small alien creature, and then later, what we have now, a cybernetic/robotic enhancement. This monocle as you call it is really at the center of her abilities as a thief, or space pirate, it helps her manage her technology and missions. And is also one of her companions (one of!?!?)…
1st: So what do backers get for their pledges?
Jason: The first issue, or first Prince-S STARthief story. But also on Kickstarter, it’s an expanded “director’s cut” version, with many extras (like a look at Celor’s character designs, and rough evolution of the pages, as well as pinups from many awesome artists that we’ll be sharing soon) and unique covers, that will only be available via the Kickstarter. There are three covers (plus a sketch cover from me), a regular and painted cover by Celor, and a variant by Dan Mendoza (creator of Zombie Tramp), that will only come on this version of the book. And the variant covers are strictly limited to 100 and 50 copies respectively each (so if we happen to sell out of those we may offer more!).
And then we’ve got some other Kickstarter type rewards too, like a t-shirt and some other things.
1st: This issue is PULP GIRLS: Prince-S STARthief, is the follow-up plan different characters under the PULP GIRLS banner of more Prices-S STARthief?
Jason: Well first and foremost, we’d like to do more Prince-S comics! If the crowdfunding gods shower us in funds then I can lock up Celor to do more of these bananas crazy fun Prince-S comics… he’s cleared his schedule, and operators are standing by!
But yes, if crowdfunding works out, I’d very much like to repeat this formula for other Pulp Girls concepts!! Prince-S STARthief is just one of several amazingly awesome female-centric genre concepts I have to offer! We’ve got space pirates, she-Spartans, Swiss Army Women, Iron Gals, you name it!
Speaking of, I have another genre gal launching as an ongoing comic in January, Vampblade. Which will actually have a free introductory comic from Action Lab: Danger Zone in comic shops for Halloween Comic Fest. So ask your local retailer to order copies of that!
1st: After the Kickstarter will Price-S STARtheif be available through Action Lab’s Danger Zone?
Jason: 
Well, hey, I happen to run the Danger Zone imprint for Action Lab, so, yes, there’s a good possibility I could pull some strings there!
But yeah, in all honesty, we don’t schedule books for release there until a complete series or story arc is completed. So hopefully we’ll find success here with our funding the first issue and beyond. Because we’d really love to see Prince-S STARthief in comic shops too!
Help us won’t you?
Kickstarter link: Kickstarter.com
PRINCE-S Tumblr: PrinceSStarThief.tumblr.com
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