Frankie B Washington take some times to share his love of all things giant monster and his and Matthew Blair’s kick starter for their comic Kaijus and Cowboys
Q You have a new comic heading to Kickstarter, can you give the readers a heads up on what Kaijus and cowboys is all about?
Kaijus & Cowboys in my eyes has always been about the question of “Who Is Right… And Who Is Wrong?” when it comes to survival. Are the last remnants of humanity secured on a gigantic war ark, lorded by a sentient A.I called FatherMind the Hero of this story? What about the various Kaiju & Daikaiju (giants) who are the inhabitants of this jupiter sized world that the ark is hovering over? Systematically being exterminated by the HunterBots deployed by the FatherMind as well as the other Terraforming robots sent to build “townships”. Therein lies the formula for pure Bronze Age Escapism.
Q This book looks like a love letter to monster movies old and new. What was your start as a Kaiju fan?
My earliest memory is watching a Saturday afternoon block on WLVI Channel 56 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DRYnK6b9sc and here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m–ayWTBWi0 This changed everything with me. I wanted to go to japan and concept kaiju and robots to appear in movies, tv etc.
Q There seems to be a lot of monsters rampaging on the planet in the series, what was your favorite one to design? Were any inspired by the classics?
The hardest thing as a creator in the Age Of The Internet, is fighting the compulsion to show all your cards. Me & Matt have done well in piecemealing various images. I honestly can’t pick one character because there are so many cool kaiju.
Q With the release of the legendary Godzilla movies there seems to be a resurgence in love for the genre, are there any other people doing this kind of comics that inspire you?
Zander Cannon, the creator of KaijuMax published by OniPress, is at the top of my list. The aesthetic of the overall story lies closely to the Toho Showa Era of kaiju (Humor, Seriousness) which I grew up on and enjoyed. Another would be UltraMega by James Harren published by Image. I’m a HUGE fan of drawing out scenes and action, similar to many Bronze Age comics. Ultramega has that in abundance.
Q If people back the Kickstarter what kind of rewards can they expect?
Matt and I have done well in balancing out reward tiers to what the main message of the campaign is about which is the comic(s). With that said, we’ll be having : Blank Cover Variant/Trading Cards / Sketch Card & Blank Cover Commission (by me)/ Signed Copy by Matthew Blair (Option)/Prints/Stickers/Patch/ Trading Card Binder.
Q} if people want more info about you or to your projects where should they go?
We’re working on having a platform where readers can get Kaijus & Cowboys comics this year. For now, to stay updated on the comic book please use our Twitter Page : https://twitter.com/BWNNHunterBot21 Matthew Blair : https://twitter.com/mblair112 I’m available on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn & Tumblr (Links Below)
Final four questions –we ask everybody
Q) When the zombies take over the world where will you be?
With my wife Jessica and our black cat fur baby we’ll be holding down the fort with New England gusto & grace.
Q ) What is your favorite Fandom
Giant Robots & Kaijus – Nuff Said.
Q) What piece of art, be it in the form of music, a book, a film or picture, do you think people must experience before they die?
Sculpting has always fascinated me. The tactile connection of laying hands on a material and transforming it into something else generated by the creativity of the mind.
Q) Give one fact that most people would not believe about you?
I actually do get ANGRY and because of therapy in my mid-twenties I learned life skills in working through my anger. My artwork helps but
overall communication is the key ingredient in me dealing with matters that upset me.
