First Comics News: Good morning, Mike.
It’s very nice to have the pleasure to chat with you!
For years, I’ve enjoyed and admired your superhero comic-style artwork, always in full color, on Facebook. I like your character, ‘The Man In The Mask.’ If it is alright with you, I’d like to start with some biographical questions.
Mike Belcher, can you kindly tell our readers where and when were you born, and where you grew up and went to school? Also, did you go to art school, or are you self-taught? If not, where did you go to art school?
Mike Belcher: I grew up in Prestonsburg, Kentucky, which is in the eastern part of the state. I’m proud of where I come from, and I like to draw attention to the area whenever I get a chance. Lush, green hills during the summer, and not too bad winters. I didn’t go to art school. Ever since I could hold a pencil, I’ve drawn all my life.
1st: That’s terrific! How old were you when you first discovered the existence of comics, and what were the circumstances of that? Also, which characters were your favorites?
Mike: I don’t remember a time I didn’t read comics. I’m told my cousin gave me a bunch of comics when I was six or seven, and they’ve been in my hands ever since. Spider-Man and Captain America were early favorites. As I got older, Superman and Daredevil became big favorites. And then, I discovered indy comics and a whole new world was opened up.
1st: I’ll break it to you that I am Canadian, to make it sound more glaring, in a good way, when I inform you that I am a huge Captain America fan and collector. And of course, ditto, Captain Canuck. But Marvel’s Daredevil has always been my #1 favorite Marvel character, and I have them all, from # 1,1964, all the way to the present issues. The same is true for Green Lantern over at DC, beginning with Showcase # 22 through # 24, 1959, and GL # 1, 1960, all the way to the present. And yes, I was a child in The Silver Age back then, but not old enough to have purchased (all) of those, that early. I got caught up later, by buying ‘tons’ of vintage back issues, in my teens and my twenties. I originally discovered comics as a result of my eight-year-old older brother, James, buying and bringing home lots of comics when I was a little kid. I was looking at them as a child before I could even read! True story. Mike, do you have a website, aside from your Facebook page, where you display your comic art, and if so, can you share the URL link?
Mike: I have a free newsletter that I kind of treat like an in-fiction newspaper, related to my main character, Tommy Franklin, the Man In The Mask. This character works in his world, at the Millerton Gazette. I release artwork and new Man in the Mask stories through this newsletter: millertongazette.substack.com
1st: You informed me that you will have a ‘Man In The Mask’ (your character, fairly well-known in comics-type Facebook circles) comic book coming out, but that it will not be funded by an online Kickstarter. Are you funding it yourself, or will it be printed on Demand?
Mike: 2024 was the tenth anniversary of me starting on what would become Man in the Mask. My first graphic novel, which clocked in at 120 pages, was released in 2018. After that, I published/self-financed ten Man in the Mask comics that are also available at Indy Planet. I have been advised to crowdfund, but I have yet to go down that road. Maybe someday. To date, there’s been a graphic novel, four regular series issues, and a one-one-shot two Halloween Specials. Currently, I’m running a six-issue mini-series, of which three have been published, thus far.
1st: When is The Man In The Mask comic book coming out? Will it be a one-shot, a mini-series, or an ongoing series? Oops. Six issues you said; asked and answered.
Mike: Right now, I’m in the middle of retelling the origin story in a six-issue mini-series entitled Man in the Mask: Emerging from the Shadow. I have it available in print, and it is being released twice a week in my newsletter. Two pages a week.
1st: You sound like a very busy man, doing all that art! How is the carpal tunnel coming along? I’m completely kidding! If not Print On Demand, do you know what the print run will be?
Mike: I print a general number up, for order and conventions.
1st: I have of course seen numerous color illustrations of The Man In The Mask, on Facebook. However, for the benefit of our readers, can you tell us about the premise of the storyline, and a little bit about the story and the supporting cast?
Mike: Man in the Mask is a fun, action-advent-comic about a guy just trying to do the right thing. It’s about legacy while carrying on a family business, but doing it your way, as best you can. I wanted to do a story that wasn’t rooted in tragedy or vengeance. I like to call him a modern golden age character. It’s about choosing to help out and be a help to those around you. Tommy Franklin’s grandfather started wearing his mask to hide his identity while running gangsters out of his small town. He continued to watch over the city, not just beating up bad guys, but also, being a community hero. Fixing porches, doing toy drives, and being an example to his friends and neighbors. When he felt like age was going to be a problem, he asked his nine-year-old grandson if he wanted to continue the identity. Thus, this starts Tommy’s journey. It has some bumps along the way, but he finds his way to the mask.
Essentially, Tommy continues the legacy, but in another city, while settled in one of the areas. There, he befriends Felix Canton, who’s trying his best to bring the neighborhood known as Colt’s Corner, back from the brink. Tommy chooses to help Felix out, by running out the criminal elements that gripped the area, while also being the neighborhood hero. The other supporting cast is Tommy’s best friend Nate, a police detective, and Felix’s niece, Gwen, along with the occasional appearance of Tommy’s girlfriend, Bianca Curry, who also happens to be the world’s most powerful heroine, Dynama.
1st: In the twenty-first century, in fact, ever since Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight (a Batman four-issue comics mini-series from 1986), comic books have largely gotten a lot darker, far more violent, because The Dark Knight was a huge influence on the entire comics industry for several decades after, affecting storylines throughout the industry.
Whereas, Man In The Mask sounds a lot lighter in terms of existing in a far more hopeful world, in which this hero dwells.
Are you writing, illustrating, coloring, lettering, and publishing The Man In The Mask, all by yourself?
If not, who else are you working with on this project, what can you tell us about them, and how you first met?
Mike: I do everything but the coloring. When I first started, my son, Aiden, was fourteen, and he wanted to help me. I offered to teach him how to color so he could help me out, and he’s been my colorist, ever since. It’s a true father/son collaboration. He also creates his comics.
1st: I think that’s great, truly! So, we have a generational thing going on in the real world, with a father/son team creating this hero storyline, about a generational saga hero. Perfect!
Mike, will this ‘ Man In The Mask’ comic be the first comic you have published, or will it be the first comic your writing and art (assuming you are also the writer of same), has been published in? If not, where else has your work been published in?
Mike: I’ve lettered comics for my friends, in the past. Man in the Mask is my first comics project. I have done a couple of short stories with my mentor/influencer/pal Ron Fortier, including a fan fiction story of his version of the Green Hornet from the 1990s; a true highlight of my life. I’ve also made many cover illustrations for various comics companies, including Silverline Comics and
(Rik Offenberger’s) G-Man Comics.
1st: If I may ask, because I admit to being curious – what comics did you letter for other creators, and who were those creators?
Mike: Silverline Comics’ stable of books. About half the line from G-Man Comics. Single issues of other Indy books you probably have never heard of.
1st: What can you tell our readers about this Green Hornet-type character that you worked on for Ron Fortier? What was/is the name of this Green Hornet legacy-type character, and does he have a partner or a kid sidekick? I am of course familiar with Ron Fortier. What publication(s) was this character published in? Do you happen to know how many stories there are, in total, of this character?
Mike: Ron wrote the Green Hornet for a whole new generation in 1989 through (Tony Caputo’s) Now Comics, including myself. During that time, he created a new Hornet and Kato a lot of fans my age consider “theirs.”
1st: I have them all, from both times Now Comics was active in the industry, every last issue.
Mike: I have tried to get the current license holder of the character to reprint Ron’s work, as I would argue it’s probably the best-published comic in the title’s history, to no avail. I suggested to Ron he write an eight-page “fanfic” (fan fiction) story, revisiting his creations.
I did the art on it, and we gave it away to fans. It was a surreal experience since the original series had such an influence on my work. Especially since Ron has become such a good pal.
1st: I’m partially asking these questions above because I am also a big Green Hornet fan and collector of the same. In addition to comics, novels and movies, TV series, and movie Serials, I love the old Pulp Fiction magazines. I have all the Moonstone Books’ Green Hornet stuff, too. The Green Hornet should have been a Pulp magazine character, also., but wasn’t. He is certainly that type of character! You mentioned you wrote other stories for Ron Fortier, as well. May I ask the names of these stories, and where they appeared?
I apologize for the amount of questions, Mike. I guess you could say that I am a dyed-in-the-wool FAN.
Mike: A couple of short stories called “One in a Million”, a story starring a public domain character called Invisible Hood. Then, a character that Ron and I co-created called “NightShift”, which was a homage to plain-clothed masked men of the 1930s and 1940s.
1st: Wonderful stuff! Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with me today, Mike, and keep up the excellent work! Cheers!
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