Tuesday 17 July 2012

Publishing The Puma Blues

The Puma Blues #1 (Aardvark One International, 1986)
by Stephen Murphy & Michael Zulli
DAVE SIM:
(from an interview in The Comics Journal #130, July 1989)
...I've been on the other side of the fence, too. I know how annoying creators can be. Particularly when you're trying to get books out on schedule. I decided ultimately that it wasn't possible to do it. I found far too many instances where I intruded in the process, where I intruded in the creative process despite my best efforts not to just by virtue of the relationship. A good example of that was when I met the Puma Blues guys, Stephen Murphy wrote it and lettered it. He wasn't much of a letterer, and he admitted to not being much of a letterer, but I figure he'll get better with time and I think that's kind of a charming idea - a writer/letterer. Now the first thing that they did when Puma Blues moved from Aardvark-One to Mirage was to get a letterer. Then I realised that, just because I thought it was neat that he was the letterer and writer, they probably did that when they really didn't want to. As much as I was saying that I didn't intrude at all in the creative side, there I was making that decision, or being an overly influential part of that decision. Being a publisher has always been the thing that's gotten me in the most trouble relative to morality and moral questions.

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