On February 21, writer/artist Jimmy Broxton unveiled his latest comic, Fully Loaded, on Zoop, in collaboration with Scratch Comics—marking his debut in the world of crowdfunding. The Beat recently caught up with Broxton via e-mail for an in-depth exploration of the new futuristic tale.
Diego Higuera: What inspired you to delve into the sci-fi thriller genre?
Jimmy Broxton: Science fiction has always been my preferred literary genre, with crime fiction coming a close second. It seemed logical to combine those two for a creator-owned project where I have complete control.
Higuera: Can you elaborate on the collaborative process between yourself, Verity Comics, and Scratch Comics Publications in bringing Fully Loaded to fruition, especially in terms of creative decisions?
Broxton: Of course, it is a collaborative process, not necessarily in terms of final creative decision-making, but Shane Chebsey (the owner and publisher of Scratch Comics) is a good friend, and a vital source of information and inspiration for the book; the guy is comics through and through. What he doesn’t know about the medium isn’t worth knowing. I’m incredibly lucky to have him in my corner. Verity Comics is an imprint I created specifically to get my creator-owned work out there. Scratch Comics [is] bringing their considerable experience and expertise to the areas of marketing and promotion. We are also exploring some exciting post campaign opportunities. Also, I have to mention Zoop, who are supporting us at every stage of the process, and are instrumental in bringing this book to market. They are terrific, and this project would not be happening without them.
Higuera: What challenges and opportunities do you anticipate with Fully Loaded being a 96-page one-shot, both in terms of storytelling and audience reception?
Broxton: Creating any comic is always a challenge. The page count is obviously a factor in terms of workload, but it doesn’t necessarily follow that a shorter piece is somehow easier to produce, or less challenging. I have written some four and five-page stories in the past (some for Scratch Comics), I’d say they are the hardest to pull off. A 96-page book gives us the opportunity to explore the story more fully, enabling me to maximize the narrative potential and emotional impact of a scene, but that doesn’t mean I can decompress the storytelling to the point where things take longer than they should. It’s important to keep up the pace, my primary goal is to provide entertainment and value for money. Fully Loaded is intended to work as a sci-fi thrill ride, not a languorous contemplation of some ruined future. That being said, it’s not completely one dimensional; it has layers, and there are numerous subtextual elements, both in the visuals and the words, that I’m hoping, contribute to a finale that will surprise readers. As for audience reaction, I guess we’ll have to wait and see. That’s one area where I have no control. I just hope folks appreciate the effort that has gone into creating the book and get a kick out of reading it, should they be generous enough to support it.
Higuera: Can you discuss the significance of the protagonist Carson Blake reaching the age of 100 in 2065, and how this milestone informs his perspective on the world?
Broxton: No. Well, I could, but I’m not going to. I think that would be giving too much away. Suffice to say, the fact that he’s a centenarian is essential to the story as it unfolds, and in fact to other stories I have planned, which delve deeper into his past. This first book is called “There Goes the Future,” which despite being a play on words, is fairly self-explanatory. The next story in the series: “Old World Order,” not so much.
Higuera: How does this comic explore the concept of morality in its dystopian setting, especially considering Blake’s disillusionment with the recurring cycles of a decaying society?
Broxton: Fully Loaded is no polemic, but it is an exploration of morality — at least in its relativistic sense — you could categorize it as a dystopian morality play. I think we live in quite dystopian times right now. The moral values many would have taken for granted a few years ago no longer hold true, at least not for everyone. With society so atomized, and with no collective moral consensus to form a central, unifying pillar, there’s always a danger of governmental and societal breakdown. The world of Fully Loaded takes all of this to a logical conclusion, and then adds flying cars, (sorry, no jet-packs).
To find out more information, check out Fully Loaded here.
